Stock your Kitchen with timeless tools at Bar-Boy in Hamptons Bays
It’s very possible you’ve never noticed the unassuming ruby-lettered sign with the caricature of an old-timey bartender on Montauk Highway, sharing a little strip mall parking lot with a soccer-screening grocery, hair salon and laundromat. But it’s not to be missed. The original Farmingdale flagship was opened in 1966 by Edward “Harry” DeFelice, who added the Hampton Bays outpost 35 years ago. “My whole adult life I worked in restaurants through high school and college. I went to culinary school,” says Harry’s grandson, Lenny, who runs the Hampton Bays store with his dad and cousin. “In my 20s, I came back to work in the family business.” The knowledgeable DeFelices can guide you through any cooking-tool conundrum and their tidy, well-lit store can outfit your kitchen with must-haves like these.
(Photos by Doug Young)
Winco Mixing Bowls, $1.50 – $40.86 The workhorses of any well-stocked kitchen, these stainless steel mixing bowls come in 10 sizes — from ¾ quart to a whopping 32 quarts. Unendingly durable, they can handle both hot and cold temperatures and will last you a lifetime.
Talisman Designs adjustable pie shield, $8.95 Who wants burnt crust on a pie? Not us. But while most pie shields are one-size-fits-all, this silicone, Minneapolis-made, BPA-free, dishwasher-safe tool notches to fit pie crusts from 8” to 11 ½”. It’s also heat resistant up to 500°F.
Dexter iCut Pro 7” stainless steel Santoku knife, $39.05 A good knife is a must. This easy-on-the-pocket Santoku-style (those are the ridges in the blade that make slicing easier) is forged through the handle and made in the United States.
Butcher twine, $15.69 This 24-ply, oven-proof white traditional spool of butcher twine will get you through years of evenly cooked roasts. Google “slip knot” and learn how to tie like a pro!
(Photos by Doug Young)
Lodge 3-quart cast iron Dutch Oven, $106 While there are several far more expensive brands of the Dutch oven, 125-year-old Lodge has been making cast-iron heroes of the kitchen in South Pittsburg, Tenn., for decades (they even have a museum!). This forever-pot comes in red or blue and is half the price of that brand that begins with a “Le” and ends with a “set.”
White oval kitchen platters, $4.42 – $39.80 Salads, desserts, dinner for a crowd — no home should be without a simple white serving platter that’s oven safe. Grab yours here in nearly any size, from 3 ½” single-serves to 20” party plates.
Basic bar kit, $29.95 Sure, you can keep wasting money on yet another overpriced three-piece cobbler shaker that loses its shape after one run through the dishwasher, or you can get this sturdy eight-piece set that’ll have your home bar tool kit complete in one shot. Each kit comes with a 28 oz. and 16 oz. shaker tin, a Hawthorne and cobbler strainer, 11” barspoon for stirring, wine key and even an ice scoop!
