The Beach: Town: East Hampton Archives

Town: East Hampton Archives

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Social Concert Series: Dave Matthews Tickets For Free (Almost)

It looks like the crew behind the Social Concert Series is feeling a lot more social all of a sudden—and it's not going to make the folks who spent $15,000 for their tickets to the concert series too happy. A very thoughtful tipster just forwarded us an email, headlined "EXCLUSIVE FOR ROSS FAMILIES AND EMPLOYEES" that went out to the "Ross School community" offering them the chance to take part in a Dutch auction for Saturday night's Dave Matthews concert. The email reads in part:

"As you know, the fee for individual concert tickets is $3,000 apiece, based on a passport price of $15,000 for all five concerts. However, Bulldog has decided to give everyone @ Ross the chance to experience the Social at a very special price. Bulldog has made available 200 tickets that they will sell exclusively to the Ross Community using the Dutch auction online bidding method."

Suddenly wishing you were paying $20,000+ a year to send your spawn to Ross? Yup, you and every ticket scalper on the East Coast.

How to get your tickets after the jump...

See more in Intel: BeachWire, Town: East Hampton

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Hamptons Club Land 2007: The Party Starts Here

It's all the same, only the names will change,
Everyday it seems we're wasting away.
Another place where the faces are so cold,
I'd drive all night just to get back home.

Sometimes when you start thinking about Hamptons clubs it helps to invoke a little Bon Jovi and rock out with your bad self. We’ll give you a second… OK, so here’s how it breaks down: some places are gone, some places are back, some places have new names… and none of that matters unless you’re on the list. Forthwith, Clubland 2007:

1) The Star Room: Seven dog years equal one human year and in the Hamptons one human year equals thirty-two club years. This means that The Star Room is now 192-years-old (if you’re doing the math, that’s twenty-seven dog years). Not that we’re equating dogs with The Star Room, we’re just saying that when The Star Room opened, bellbottoms were still in style (for the second time). Nothing too shocking or too new to expect: three different promoters are working the club, so expect to repeat your name to at least twelve different size-zero clipboard Nazis while waiting in line with extras from “Growing Up Gotti.” That said, The Star Room does manage to put together a few good nights each summer, so be selective and time your night right—and invite Fabian Basabe, he’s always a good time.378 Montauk Hwy., Wainscott 631-537-3332

Continue reading "Hamptons Club Land 2007: The Party Starts Here"

See more in Nightlife, Town: East Hampton, Town: Southampton, Town: Wainscott

Friday, April 20, 2007

East End Restaurant Preview: JL East Turns to Prime 103, Tutto IL Giorno, & Muse

Per usual, there will be new restaurants on the East End this summer. Some will be open by Memorial Day, others will never wind up opening. Here now, three new restaurants that are looking good for start-of-season debuts.

1) Prime 103: Fomerly JL East and still owned by Ed Kleefeld, Prime 103 will be a a steakhouse, sushi bar and lounge, open until 4 am on weekends. The man who calls himself Jean Luc has brought in executive chef Brian Cheewing, whose East End credits include George Martin Steakhouse and James on Main. Visas and paperwork for a team of Japanese sushi chefs are being acquired as we speak, too. Meats will be offered in all sorts of cuts, from Newport steak to porterhouse. Live jazz and outdoor cabanas are also part of the concept, as are ostrich skin tufted banquettes. Kleefield is going for, in his own words, a "sumptuous, beautiful steakhouse." Opening by Memorial Day. (103 Montauk Highway, East Hampton, (631) 324-1100) [Beach Staff]

2) Tutto Il Giorno: Steve Florio, retired CEO of Conde Nast and Partner Larry Baum open their Sag Harbor Italian for breakfast on Saturday. Lunch and dinner will follow in consecutive subsequent weeks. It’s a 30-seat space on Bay Street, which is going to make it near-impossible for anyone to get a seat without knowing Steve and Co. or waiting for an hour. It’s already being dubbed Waverly Inn East, but with more relaxed touches, such as admitting to being open and posting a real phone number. Scott Conant is a consultant on the food. (5 Bay, Sag Harbor, NY 11963; (631) 725-7009) [Beach Staff]

3) Muse: The space that was the very sleepy Paloma’s will become soon become Muse, a roughly American restaurant serving fare ranging from Burgers to tuna four ways, dubbed the ‘tuna palooza.’ Chef-owner Matthew Guiffrida makes his East End debut here, having been previously at The Patio in, shudder, Westhampton Beach. The main attraction may turn out to be the bar, which doubles as 250-gallon fish tank. Opens mid May. (Water Mill Shopping Center, Water Mill, (631) 726-2606) [Beach Staff]

Got a bit of East End restaurant intel to pass on? Here's the ticket.

See more in Restaurants: Buzz, Town: East Hampton, Town: Sag Harbor, Town: Water Mill

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Big Year for Plovers: Good News for Fireworks?

This year's plover population has been very successful in the reproduction department. According to the East Hampton Star, "a record 54 breeding pairs produced 94 fledged hatchlings, also a town record." Those crazy plovers are doing such a good job breeding that the town is worried people will start to abuse their native habitat again. The biggest plover-offender is driving on the beach, which scares the babies and panics the adults. We remind those who may be tempted that the quid pro quo certainly applies: respect the plovers now, and next year's fireworks just may go on as scheduled.
· Plover Fledges Set a Record [East Hampton Star]

See more in About Town, Town: East Hampton

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

East Hampton: Now 9% Cooler than Southampton

Shoppers shiver on the sidewalk in Southampton. Picture via Hamptons Online's Live View webcam.

In the utopia that is the Hamptons, no one looks over 40 and, if you ask the Long Island Power Authority, even the sidewalks are air conditioned. So what's the trouble in paradise? Retailers are hogging power that should be conserved, especially during the hottest days of summer. By leaving doors open and blasting AC onto the sidewalk, retailers hope to lure shoppers inside and relieve them of both heat and extra spending-money. In a recent check-up, 65% of stores in East Hampton and 56% of stores in Southampton had their doors open. Everyone likes to stay cool while strolling down Main St., but for conservation's sake just grab an ice cream cone and urge stores to "Be Cool - Keep It Closed.''
· LIPA: Shops in Hamptons Waste Electricity [1010 WINS]

See more in About Town, Town: East Hampton, Town: Southampton

Friday, August 11, 2006

Beach Scenes: The Palm

When East Hampton fixture The Palm opened at the Hunting Inn in 1979, it was the sixth of all the Palms to open. Now, though it has many restaurant siblings around the world, it remains among an elite class among the East Hampton power set. Steaks are the thing here, of course, as is the sheer gluttony of feasting on red meat all bathing suit season long.

Further reading at East Hampton Star and at the Official site.

--
The Palm
94 Main Street, East Hampton
(631) 324-0411
--

[Photo by Kalina.]

See more in Restaurants: Beach Scene, Town: East Hampton

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Piping Plover Update: Marine Blvd closed, Fireworks safe

It was almost a year ago that those pesky, endangered, fragile, nesting Piping Plovers put the kybash on the East Hampton's Independence Day Fireworks. You ma recall that the government-protected Plover nests happen to be on Main Beach within 100 feet of the fireworks staging area. Last summer the little plover babies wouldn't hatch so the fireworks were put off until August, disappointing many a bottle-rocket enthusiast.

While the birds are again nesting on Main Beach, as the Star had it in May, a new inspection by Village officials has the Plovers hatched and off the beach in time for this year's fireworks extravaganza, slated for July 1st. In the meantime, however, the plovers continue to wreak havoc, this time forcing a closure of Marine Boulevard access to Nepeague.
· Plover Nest Causes Beach Access Detour [East Hampton Star]

See more in Town: East Hampton

Friday, June 2, 2006

BeachWire: Couric In, Friendly's Out

Taking after our colleagues at Eater, a compendium of reader emails, staff intel, and other detrius that otherwise didn't find a home at The Beach this week. Keep your ear to the ground this weekend and drop us a line, please, and we'll keep the Wire humming.

· Katie Couric has snagged a $6.3 million house in East Hampton. This is a picture of that house. [The Real Estate via WSJ]

· From a press dispatch: "Chef-owners Frank Tramontano and Mary Spellman and young restaurateur Sean Kehlenbeck announce the June 2nd opening of Q, a Mediterranean-American grill located in the main house of the historic Inn at Quogue (47 Quogue St., Quogue, Long Island; 631-288-3463)." [BeachWire Inbox]

· A reader sends the final (?) word on the Cain soundsystem shitstorm: "I never write in but after reading what Mr. Kasuba said about the Cain soundsystem he apparently was not in attendance or has a very short memory of Saturday. Actually, the decor is much nicer than the old Jet East although the tables placed in the middle of the dance floor (no doubt to make extra money) take away any real chance of dancing. The staff was very friendly and solicitous (other than the door people, I was harassed trying to get back in after having a cigarette b/c the door guy couldn't see the miniscule red dot that he had put on my hand, he's saying "what is that? a pimple?" over and over, real funny, jackass, I don't have the red sharpie in my hand, you do.)....anyway, to get to the point, the sound system definitely kicked out at least 3 times and not for a couple of seconds but for at least a minute each time. It doesn't seem like much but it definitely kills the vibe....anyway, this is the bullshit that we buy into out east. And, I have no interests in any club." [BeachWire Inbox]

· Finally, this shocker: "The new hampton bays friendly's is a nightmare. Be true to the Hamptons and avoid it." [BeachWire Inbox]

See more in Intel: BeachWire, Restaurants: Dish, Town: East Hampton, Town: Hampton Bays, Town: Quogue and East Quogue, Town: Southampton

Nick & Toni's Dog Safe

In time for the weekend rush, EaHamp institution Nick & Toni's has gotten their 200-pound stone dog statue back. A group of sinister pranksters -- who were slick enough to make off with the dog, but stupid enough to do it on the way out of the restaurant, having paid with credit card -- had taken the iconic statue last Saturday evening, as Plum TV's Morning, Noon, and Night Show initially reported.

In a shocking twist, the dog showed up at the lesser known Manhattan branch of the restaurant on Wednesday, the pranksters apparently having already made the trip back into town and feeling the heat from police, who were smart enough to have, you know, gotten their addresses from Amex. Dropped off in a garbage bag, the dog was physically unharmed but, surely, emotionally scarred.

Like us, you are no doubt left with two questions. First, is the Blue Parrot next? Second, how did these kids get a resy in the first place?
· Purloined Pooch Rescue [NY Post]
· Nick & Toni's [Official Site]

See more in About Town: Crime Blotter, Town: East Hampton

Thursday, May 25, 2006

East End Restaurant Preview: Laundry, Lori, Leif & More!

If Nick & Toni's, Della Femina, MadamTong's and even Trata East are feeling a bit -- how shall we put this? -- stale, perhaps what you need is some new blood in your restaurant rotation. You'll be back to your old friends soon enough. In the meantime:

1) The Laundry: It isn't exactly new, but with 25 years on the east end its seniority gets The Laundry the one-slot on this list. Provided they've been upgraded from status: plywood by tomorrow, Tracy Bonbrest and Stuart Kreisler's American opens this weekend on Pantigo Road in what was most recently The Farmhouse. Chef Andrew Engle has packed up his pots and pans and not to worry-- the ribs, burgers and toffee cake have made the move as well. The silver lining to the restaurant, in essence, having lost their lease on Race Lane is that their new home is significantly larger. “We are one of a handful of restaurants on the East End of Long Island that could serve 400 or more dinners on a Saturday night while catering a large private party such as a wedding or bar mitzvah,” states co-owner, Stuart Kreisler. Exciting, perhaps; but let's hope our man has an off-season plan as well. 341 Pantigo Lane, East Hampton. 324-3199.

2) Lori Restaurant & Wine Bar: James on Main is now the eponymous restaurant owned by James on Main partner-still-standing Lori Escallier. The decor isn't all that different, indeed the center bar is intact, but the chef is now Michael Meehan of Peconic Bay Winery and wide-ranging East End fame. His menu will be new American, including a raw bar. 75 Main St., Southampton. 283-7575.

3) Inlet Seafood Restaurant: Out to The End we go, where longtime fishermen Bill Grimm, captain of 90-foot troller Perception, Kevin Maguire, captain of Evening Prayer and four others are slated to open (call ahead to be sure) across Lake Montauk from Gosman's. The plot of land, as the legend goes, is one that Billy Joel has been trying to buy for years (we knew this sounded like a track off of We Didn't Start the Fire). In addition to gobs of local fish, there's "Bonac clam pie, lobster pot pie, conch fritters, smoked bluefish, seviche of local fluke, and tilefish fillet baked fishermans style (that is, baked in foil with potatoes, onions, wine, garlic, and butter)." East Lake Dr. 668-3419.

Ahead, 27 Lobster Surf Shack, Leif Hope's and one from Jean Luc Kleefield.

Continue reading "East End Restaurant Preview: Laundry, Lori, Leif & More!"

See more in Restaurants: Buzz, Town: East Hampton, Town: Montauk, Town: Southampton

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