Ina Garten’s Top Pizza Place in the Hamptons.

If you’re heading to the East Coast or live nearby, you should take a look at Ina Garten’s Instagram. She has been sharing her favorite spots in the Long Island area of the Hamptons. In her latest post, she chose her go-to pizza place in the quaint hamlet of Amagansett. Fini, located on Main Street, is where the Barefoot Contessa claims to find the best pizza and admits to being “obsessed with their white pizza” (via Instagram).

This restaurant specializes in thin, Brooklyn-style pizza served by the slice or whole pie. It’s easy to see why Garten loves the white pizza, which replaces tomato sauce with layers of mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan. The result is a creamy, flavor-packed delight, accented with a slice of lemon. The acidity of the citrus balances the richness of the cheeses. A single slice goes for $5.50, while a whole pie costs $36.

Garten has consistently expressed her admiration for white pizzas. In 2018, she named the Brussels sprouts cacio e pepe pizza at Martina Pizzeria in NYC as her favorite (per Instagram); however, that restaurant closed the following year. Additionally, she includes a recipe for white pizza with arugula in her cookbook “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics,” featuring goat cheese alongside fontina and mozzarella, all topped with a lemony vinaigrette over the greens.

Fini’s first location opened in 2022 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, before expanding to the Hamptons in 2023, followed by a third site that year at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center Plaza. Restaurateur Sean Feeney is recognized for his ventures, including the Italian restaurants Lilia and Misi, which he co-owns with chef Missy Robbins. The Amagansett Fini outlet occupies the former location of Astro’s, a beloved pizzeria that had been around since the 1970s before closing in 2021.

While debates continue over whether New York City pizza reigns supreme, Fini has undeniably brought a taste of authentic NYC to this affluent area located about 100 miles east of the five boroughs. The restaurant serves those iconic thin and foldable slices, along with Sicilian pizza, which has a noticeably thicker, doughy crust. Besides the no-sauce white pizza, Fini offers other varieties topped with San Marzano tomato sauce and unique ingredients. For instance, the tomato pie features garlic breadcrumbs and Calabrian oil, while other special selections include long hot pepper and shallot pizza, plus the grandma pie.

The distinction between grandma pizza and the typical New York slice primarily lies in their shapes. While NYC pizza is traditionally triangular, grandma pizza is usually cut into squares or rectangles. It also has a denser crust — albeit crispier and not as thick as the Sicilian style.

Interestingly, grandma pizza is thought to have originated in Long Island, where Italian immigrant grandmothers crafted their traditional recipes using local ingredients available in their new home. This type of pizza is typically made with the sauce layered atop the cheese, rather than the other way around. A white version can also be created without sauce.

In addition to traditional NYC-style pizza, white pizza is also widely available across the state. There are numerous variations, each diverging from the original Italian pizza bianca. While the white pizza that Ina Garten loves features fontina cheese, it is more commonly crafted with ricotta. Tasty additions include garlicky greens such as spinach or broccoli rabe, and seafood enthusiasts may enjoy it topped with clams—though white clam pizza is more of a New Haven, Connecticut specialty.

If you’re feeling indecisive, you might want to visit Lombardi’s, the first pizzeria in the U.S. Located in Manhattan and opened in 1905, it serves a white pizza laden with mozzarella, ricotta, and Romano cheeses, garlic, and basil. While you’re there, don’t miss the chance to try their famous clam pie, featuring three dozen clams, garlic, Romano, black pepper, and topped with fresh parsley and lemon.