Provisions

"What are you doing for food?" my son keeps asking.

While it is true that the markets that stay open year-round in Montauk will never be mistaken for Fairway, they are at least open, a far cry from when I was growing up out here. Back then (when dinosaurs still roamed the earth), my mother had to drive in to East Hampton to find a bonafide supermarket - Bohack's - which stood where Citarella is today. The stock was nothing out of the ordinary, but nor were the prices so rarefied.

In Montauk, choices were limited to small markets on the order of Herb's. Small selection, high prices. Needless to say, when the IGA opened, it was cause for celebration.

In any case, even though Ronnie's Deli closed this fall, you won't starve in winter. Besides IGA, Herb's is open, albeit half-heartedly, judging by the way the shelves are stocked. Joe Ferraro, the new owner, who plans to stay open throughout the winter, seems sympathetic to the plight of year-round residents: "People have got to eat," he told a local paper.

At the docks, Gosman's Seafood Market is closed, but Gaviola's and Four Oaks are open. In town, Continental Market and Nelly's specialize in Latin American food. And then there are my personal favorites: Naturally Good and Joni's.

One day last week, we stopped in Waldbaums in East Hampton. "This is starting to look like Whole Foods," Rick said.