July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Surfers can be slackers. So I wasn't surprised when the Surf Lodge ran out of ketchup and Surf Shack ran out of electricity. So it goes at two new restaurants on the East End of New York's Long Island.

Visit Surf Lodge for the scene, Surf Shack for the cuisine.

The Lodge at dusk is stunning. Sit on the back deck and watch the sun set over Fort Pond. Fog rolls in over the water and soft reggae beats echo from the sound system. Then you taste the thick plastic rim on your cocktail glass that holds a chunky, icy, $12 margarita.

The bling and braggadocio of the Hamptons are sprawling east to the wilds of Montauk. Celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld have been sighted dining at the Lodge, and I'm told its rooms (up to $450) are booked through Labor Day. I stayed down the block for $150 at the Stone Lion Inn -- same stunning water view.

The pricey hype comes courtesy of the team who brought us Manhattan's supermodel-friendly Gold Bar. The chef is Sam Talbot, a onetime contestant on TV's Top Chef. He didn't win that competition, and after two recent meals, I know why.

Waiters sport print shorts, white T-shirts and bronzed skin. They describe most dishes as ``awesome.'' My $18 fish sticks were not awesome. They were bland and soggy.

As a native Long Islander, I'm fluent in flounder. Talbot's riff was the worst I've encountered; with an overcooked crust it tasted like hash browns. A bowl of garlic broth covered a striped bass filet, uncrisping the skin and hiding the nearly raw flesh. Fried oysters could have been chicken nuggets, they were so over- fried.

Crab and Popcorn

At least some of the dishes are fresh and inventive -- a plus if you're tired of the decades-old staples at other East End shacks.

Gingered crab ceviche tastes great if you avoid the blueberries and soggy popcorn. Scallops, mushy and rare, come with juicy melon pickle. Blackened squid wasn't blackened; it was bland. Pickled cherries helped bring the calamari back to life.

Much of the fare is underseasoned, a difficult issue to correct tableside. That's because you're given coarse sea salt -- a finer grind would have helped my insipid clams in a Chinese mustard broth.

Try the bright corn, crab and nectarine salad. The lobster salad sandwich is improving. An early version was chopped too fine. Now it's piled high with big chunks of pink meat. Fries needed ketchup. ``We just ran out,'' said a waiter. Sigh.

Cocktails are sweet and strong -- just like other drinks in this area. Try to choke down a Montauk Storm -- so gingery you can't taste the rum -- and enjoy the free view.

The Surf Lodge is at 183 Edgemere St., Montauk; +1-631-668-2632; http://www.thesurflodge.com.

Waffles?

I didn't eat on my first visit to Surf Shack -- no electricity. Neighboring restaurants were up and running. That's quite a small outage. On my second visit, I waited 50 minutes for blackened swordfish. The restaurant was nearly empty. One of my companions left to take a nap.

The Shack is nestled among the casual fish joints on Montauk Highway in Amagansett. All those places are efficient -- except for the Shack.

The food is worth the wait. That swordfish was moist, spicy; a pineapple dice counterbalanced the heat. Clams soaked up a buttery oregano-spiked broth I'd be happy to drink as a soup. Lobster sliders were filled with big chunks of mayo-slicked meat. Flecks of mint coaxed more sweetness out of the tender shellfish. A whole lobster was soft and briny. Pork ribs don't belong at a fish shack, but carnivores will like the smoky meat.

Have you been to that Wafels & Dinges truck in Manhattan? Those famous treats are available here. Rich, creamy gelato softens the crispy, burnished snacks. Watch soccer on the flat- screen TVs and listen to live music at night.

Surf Shack is at 2095 Montauk Highway, Amagansett; +1-631-267-6980.

(Ryan Sutton writes about New York City restaurants for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Ryan Sutton in New York at rsutton1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 15, 2008 00:01 EDT