A circle of the financial elite — from the tasteless to the tasteless — are launching more than a dozen restaurants in the Hamptons and on the North Fork to serve those hungry for dining options as the East End booms.
The restaurant’s roster includes the first venture of Valerie Mnuchin, the socialite sister of former US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and hedge fund vampire Heather Freeman—known as the “grim reaper of American newspapers.”
Stacey Soloviev – the ex-wife of billionaire Stefan Soloviev, heir to the real estate empire of the late Sheldon Solow – is among others looking to expand his posh footprint amid the onslaught of power brokers escaping COVID-shattered big cities.
“People moved east or bought a second home during the pandemic and didn’t have enough product,” said Dan Evans, organizer of Dan’s Taste of Summer. The largest food-based chain of events on the East End. “Now there’s major billionaire money in the East, and the openings are more sophisticated.”
Freeman, managing director of New York-based Alden Global Capital – notorious for buying struggling papers like the Daily News, slashing costs and firing journalists – will add Sunset Harbor to his Hampton portfolio.
He will open the new restaurant in East Hampton after buying 4.3 acres of land, which was home to Harbor Bistro, reportedly for $4 million and not renewing its long-term lease. The property is next to their EHP Resort and Marina, which houses the Sea Mediterranean Restaurant and Buongiornos. He also owns another Buongiornos branch in Montauk.
After Freeman gave Harbor Bistro the boot, popular chef/owner Damien O’Donnell moved to Chris Eggert and Kevin Boles’ Hampton Classic, where he is now chef and partner at Bostwick on the Harbor.
Freeman’s is reopening the now-closed Red Bar—a former staple outside Southampton—as Enchante, a French-inspired bistro. It will feature an outdoor patio and the predictable but popular French classics, such as French Onion Soup and Salad Nicoise.
In addition, Freeman expanded to Hampton Bays, where he purchased these spots and – along with refurbishing waterfront bungalows – opened the Crash Cantina on May 16. The open-air, Latin American restaurant focuses on seafood, with Montauk fluke ceviche and local oysters. Offer tacos, with salads and bowls, and apple cider smoked chicken with mole verde – and plenty of mezcal and tequila cocktails and homemade margaritas.
On Shelter Island, Valerie Mnuchin is opening her first eatery, Leon—a French-Italian-style bistro named after her grandfather. It will seat 70 people when it opens this July. While his brother Steve – banker, filmmaker and former US Treasury secretary – does not have a ‘restaurant’ on his resume, his father, Robert Mnuchin, owned the Mayflower Inn and Restaurant in Washington, Conn., from 1990 to 2018 .
Noah’s popular chef Noah Schwartz in Greenport is opening three new concepts at the newly revamped The Chekit Hotel, run by Stacy Soloviev, director of community relations and new owner of the Soloviev Group, under the vision of a mother of 11 children with Stefan. are. Soloviev,
The Soloviev Group has invested heavily in the renovation of the charming 19th-century inn overlooking Daring Harbour. Schwartz will open Weekfish Sushi & Noodle, The Tavern & Heights Café & Wine Bar – with Glenn & Company Architecture and Design as architects and designers.
Also ditching his ladle on the East End for the first time will be famed French pastry chef François Payard, who opens as chef at Southold Social on the North Fork and co-owner with Adam Lovett. Payard currently runs Southold General, a grab-and-go market/cafe in Edison Square.
Payard will be the first James Beard-award-winning chef on North or South Fork, Evans said.
“More serious restaurant people are opening restaurants year-round,” he said, adding that this year’s Dans Taste of Summer will feature 65 restaurants across six events, the first being June 9 at EHP. “Both the North and South forks are red hot.”
In Montauk, Bushwick’s beloved Roberta’s is opening in a former arbor space, within walking distance of the Long Island Railroad and Surf Lodge. Roberta’s co-owners, Brandon Hoy and Carlo Mirarchi, reportedly purchased the building at 240 Pond Road for $3 million in an off-market deal.
It will serve its famous wood-fired pizzas on a 5,400-square-foot space that seats about 165 people – including outdoor patio space and two bars. The menu will offer its signature “Ursula’s Parade” with Little Neck clams, mozzarella, and Calabrian chile, and will also feature local fish and shellfish pasta. Founded in Bushwick in 2007, Roberta’s now has locations in LA, Singapore, Nashville and Williamsburg.
Also in Montauk, Marram, a 96-room resort, is opening its South American cafe, the Mostrador Marram – helmed by Fernando Troca of Mostrador Santa Teresa and Martin Pitaluga of Parador La Huella – alongside a new South American-inspired cocktail. Program for the session.
Rushmere also has a new food and beverage conglomerate where Little Ruby’s Mountaook will launch, with 120 seats in and out — from the Wish You Were Here group, which operates restaurants in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. . It will be an outpost of Ruby Cafe in New York – which has three locations in SoHo, the East Village and Murray Hill; A fourth location is expected to open in the West Village later this year.
Dishes will include their ‘fan favourites’ – a crispy rice salad, ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter, Nutella, banana and maple syrup, for the crab language and wood-fired pizza event. In addition, Chef Jeremy Blutstein, former executive chef of Gurney’s Star Island Resort and Marina, and sommelier Vanessa Price are opening Mavericks to surf and turf overlooking Fort Pond in Montauk.
The 200-seat eatery will focus on local fish and produce from New York farms.
Tutto Il Giorno has also spread its wings this season, opening Tutto Cafe in East Hampton – the new cafe concept expands from breakfast pastries to evening drinks.
And in Bridgehampton, World Pie’s location is rented out by Dopo La Spiaggia’s fourth Hamptons spot, known as Dopo Il Ponto.
The Lobster Roll, known as “Lunch” at Amagansett on Montauk Highway—and best known for its semi-starring role in the series “The Affair”—also opened its first outpost in Southampton since opening in 1965. Used to be.
As my colleague Steve Cuozzo pointed out, the revamped Pridwin Shelter reopened on the island, following a $28 million renovation from Curtis Basshaw’s Cape Resorts. The new executive chef will be Drew Hyatt, who may reveal side dishes, formerly North Fork’s Preston House and Bridgehampton’s Topping Rose House.
The 1,500-square-foot restaurant — featuring local fish and seafood, Shelter Island products and East End wines — is accompanied by a horseshoe-shaped Crescent Bar, as well as 1,500 square feet of outdoor space. The pool and private Crescent Beach area will also offer food and drink.
Also on Shelter Island, rising star chef Andrew Mollen, who worked for Jean-Georges Vongerichten—is now executive chef at Brad Kitkowski’s Isola, where he cooks Cauliflower Casio e Pepe with Pecorino Cream Parmesan and Cioppino with Mussels, Clams, Are cooked with shrimp and calamari. , The restaurant seats 140 people inside and out.
Astro Pizza, the beloved go-to local in Amagansett, has a new chef and owner—PJ Calpa, who owns Scampi and The Spaniard in New York, and Ben Leventhal, founder of Resy. The restaurant will be open throughout the year.
In East Hampton, Kisaki – which was launched at Water Mill during lockdown – has opened O by Kisaki with a new Japanese-Italian “Itameshi” menu, curated by owner Gary Kanfer and consulting chef Chris Jackley Is. The new menu features unique dishes like uni and lardo and dashi spaghetti on crunchy rice, says Kanfer.
Finally, in Southampton, Capri is launching a “Vegas and St Tropez” style AIA Beach Club with daily delivery of freshly caught whole fish from Europe, a raw bar and a rotating list of European DJs. A pool deck table costs a minimum of $1,000 while cabana-style perches can run up to $5,000 for the day.
“It’s a cross between the islands of Mykonos and Manhattan,” says Michael Pitsino, operating partner for Capri Southampton and founder of NAIA Beach Club.
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