Well I was destined to write something about one of my favorite discoveries from the summer of Covid-19 2020. Moby’s restaurant in East Hampotn looks like is in for a bummer of a Summer 21. Early yesterday morning the eatery had a substantial fire in the basement of the nearly 100 year old building. Although damage doesn’t look too bad, it seems unlikely they can get up and running by Memorial Day next week. I actually went there a few times last year and found it a really great experience with good service, diverse menu and good food. Dining out here will be tough as it is this summer (see my previous blog). Here’s hoping Moby’s will be back up and running in some capacity. Maybe an outdoor wood fire /grill restaurant would work???
Oh, I forgot to say why I was “destined” to write something. On April Fools Day I was going to do a blog about how it was recently bought by Andy Cohen and he planned to turn it into a gay nightclub called….. wait for it… “Moby Dicks.” Yes, hilarious! I know.
Local real estate is still on fire, according to the Hamptons Q1 Douglas Elliman Report released by Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants earlier this week. Bottom line: If you think you’ll find a bargain in the Hamptons—think again. Most likely sparked by the ongoing pandemic buying spree and coming summer season, the market pace is not slowing, sales volume is heavy and inventory limited.
Yours truly recently put this East Hampton modern into contract. Going, going, went!
Listing inventory shrunk at its fastest rate in more than 13 years of tracking, and year-over-year sales surged for the third straight quarter to the largest Q1 total in six years. The median sales price hit $1.3 million, rising sharply from $990,000 in Q1 2020, and increasing for the fifth consecutive quarter year over year. While sales surged market-wide, hitting 509 closings as compared to 343 in Q1 2020, activity on the $1 million–$5 million range nearly doubled, skewing the average sales price lower. Listing inventory for the luxury market rose significantly in contrast with the remainder of the market, which declined.
Now might be a great time to sell, but you risk not getting back in, at least not right away.
A Boat Without a Dock
If you thought the housing market was tough… It’s actually harder to find a boat and dockage right now. Getting a slip is never easy as the seasonal throngs make their pilgrimage east and prepare for a summer on the water, especially if you’re seeking a transient spot or accommodating a large vessel.
Mark Cuban’s boat FOUNTAINHEAD off the coast of Sag Harbor 2020. If you have to ask you can’t afford it.
Star Island in Montauk is basically full for the summer, whether you’ve got a 20-foot Bertram or a multi-million-dollar 100-footer, but overnights are still possible on a “hit-and-miss” basis. For less-fancy folk, Montauk Marine Basin actually has some open slips, but don’t expect to find a lot of popped collars and sweater-over-the-shoulder types among these local fishermen and salty sea dogs.
In fact I’ve been told by a boathing buddy that Strong’s Marine, with multiple locations around the East End, has limitied inventory. I also found out that Mill Creek in Noyac only has dry storage, though they’ll drop your boat in the water after you call, if you don’t mind waiting.
In East Hampton, Seacoast Enterprises Associates (SEA)—owners of Three Mile Harbor, Halsey’s, Gardiner’s and Harbor marinas say they’re “uber busy across all four marinas.” SEA’s business has been ramping up since Covid hit and two other local marinas sold, adding to the already healthy annual demand.
What does it all mean? If you’re only just beginning your necessary searches to live the East End boating life, and you want to hobnob with the yachting elite, you may have to settle for a kayak or a 3 hour tour (which I strongly suggest you pack a steamer trunk because you never know). Clearly, summer 2021 is all about planning. Nothing is going to be easy without some forethought.
East End Mangia Mania: New Restaurants Arrive in EH
It’s May the 4th but I’m not thinking about Star Wars. (MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!) NO! My eyes and stomach are focused on Cinco de Mayo. Why? Because Mexican food is my desert island pick and there’s some muy bueno news for me to taco-bout. So, let’s say goodbye to chili weather and warm up with the thought that some new places to eat, drink and be merry will soon be coming to the east end.
Two appetizing moves worth mentioning are —Sotto Sopra in Amagansett is becoming il Buco al Mare, while Rita Cantina is setting up shop in the former home of Bel Mar Ristorante and, more famously before that, Michael’s, the vaunted Springs restaurant that called it quits in 2019.
Rita Cantina
Mexican Makeover at Michael’s
Created as a modern and coastal Mexican concept by brothers and business partners Marc Miller and chef Eric Miller, and located at 28 Maidstone Park Road in Springs, Rita Cantina will celebrate Mexican food using locally sourced fare, including all the ingredients that “swim, graze and grow” in Gardiners Bay and the surrounding area. Like any great Mexican establishment, they’ll also offer an extensive, tequila-focused bar program. Unfortunately, we won’t get to sample those tequila specialties for Cinco de Mayo on Wednesday, but they’re perfecting the space and aiming to open by Memorial Day, so there’s plenty of time to plan a visit.
The Millers have close to four decades of experience working in fine dining. Eric helped pioneer dock-to-dish and farm-to-table dining in the Hamptons, while Marc, who is handling front-of-house operations, owned and operated East Hampton’s Bay Kitchen Bar from 2014–2018. Keeping things in the family, Eric’s son and business partner Adam Miller lays claim to what promises to be an inventive bar program.
il Buco al Mare
I don’t have a ton of info on this one, but I recently learned that after 12 years at 231 Main Street in Amagansett, chef Josh Savi’s Tuscan spot, Sotto Sopra has closed. In its place comes il Buco al Mare, a local extension of the il Buco Family, including the original il Buco, Donna Lennard and Alberto Avalle’s beloved Mediterranean restaurant and rustic antique shop—well known in NYC for its quality and atmosphere on the still-cobblestone Bond Street in NoHo—and il Buco Alimentari & Vineria on Great Jones.
So long Sotta… Bienviendo Buco… Il Buco!
For those who will miss the Italian fare at Sotto Sopra, don’t fret: il Buco is “part Italian, part Spanish, part invention” and dedicated to sourcing excellent prime ingredients locally and in Avalle’s native Italy, where he now resides full-time. According to an online posting seeking staff for the new Hamptons operation, “il Buco al Mare will share in the convivial spirit, exquisitely sourced ingredients, and immaculate wine lists that guests have come to expect in Manhattan and combine it with sea-side appeal and relaxed vibes of the Hamptons.”
Summer Heat Brings Hamptons Hunger Games and No Contingencies
We’re certainly not living in Panem here on the East End, but the Covid dystopia is fading and a new series of real-life Hamptons Hunger Games are catching fire in the local dining scene. As restrictions fall away and outdoor dining finds an even firmer foothold, my friends in the restaurant biz are anticipating getting absolutely slammed this summer. Remember, Europe is probably not an option this summer so get ready for the crowds.
One high-profile area restaurateur I know says demand for reservations couldn’t be stronger. They’re getting calls for tables all the way through Labor Day! In fact, this one particular restaurant group has stopped taking standing reservations rather than endure what was shaping up to be a booking nightmare. I’ve been told standing tables end up with one of three results—the customers show up, they don’t show up, or the reservation is given to someone else with a different number of diners, which can cause all sorts of problems at a packed restaurant. And if business is booming, who needs it?
THE UNION DOUBLE AT UNION BURGER BAR (UBB)
“We see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Southampton Social Club, Union Burger Bar (UBB) and Union Sushi & Steak owner Ian Duke said, pointing out that he’s not surprised people are making reservations in anticipation of fewer restrictions and the possibility of this pandemic finally running its course. During what we hope are the takeout-and-delivery-only days of yore, Duke found great success in Southampton with his recent chicken to-go concept, The Coop, but times are a changin’. With brick-and-mortar dining now on the mend, he’s moving The Coop from its ghost kitchen on Elm Street to UBB on Bowden Square where he can feed fried chicken and wings to actual in-person customers. And Duke says “The phones are ringing.”
Meanwhile, East Hampton Village just approved outdoor dining on a more permanent basis. Local restaurants, retail food shops and other eateries—including inns and hotels in residential neighborhoods—will be permitted to operate sidewalk café areas and private outdoor spaces between April 15 and November 15.
Needless to say, reservations are hot stuff right now. They’re beginning to look like Village beach passes—everybody wants them. So, if Hamptons restaurants don’t skip it altogether and continue to offer tables in advance, I wish you good luck actually getting one.
As they say on Panem, “May the odds ever be in your favor.”
Oh, and in case you were wondering, word is that private chefs are also in severely short supply. Perhaps curbside pickup will remain popular after all?
Forget the Contingency if You Want Your Deal to Live
3 Bridge HIll Lane, Bridgehampton
Just like local dining and reservations, Hamptons real estate is on fire right now. But even in this roaring market, mortgage contingencies are a surefire deal killer. Yes, contingencies are pretty standard in purchase agreements but in peak season, sellers aren’t willing to risk going into contract only to have the deal fall through two weeks before Labor Day because a buyer can’t qualify for financing. It’s a bad look and a great way to lose all that summer heat. No one wants to wait another year when they’re ready to sell now.
Bottom line: Buyers, be ready to buy. Sellers, there’s no shortage of demand, so make sure you take advantage of it.
