Gurney’s is getting its groove back.
At almost a century old, the beloved luxury beach hotel mainstay is having a glow up. After the closing of its former on-site restaurant, Scarpetta, in December of last year, Gurney’s (located at 290 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk, 631-668-2345) underwent extensive renovations, including building a new state-of-the-art kitchen for its newly opened eatery, Gigi’s.
Open since mid-June, the resto is named in honor of its former owners — the first being Maude Gurney who opened in 1926, then much later on, George Filopoulos, who led an investor group to purchase the original Gurney’s Inn — according to Nenner, “we had the two ‘G’s’ of Gurney,’s,” Michael Nenner, president and chief operating officer of Gurney’s Resorts, “and it kind of turned into GG’s, but then spelled G-I-G-I.”
With Gigi’s, a new era for Gurney’s is underway.
“We’re dealing with a 100 year old hotel and all of the foundation, all of the original wood structure, was just sitting on sand,” Nenner, president and chief operating officer of Gurney’s Resorts. “So we had a lot of structural work to do, and it kind of got to a point where East Hampton Town, the building department and us were looking at it and were like, ‘Okay, we got to start this building over,’ but we didn’t know until we opened all the walls.”
With decadent, comfy and plush surroundings, Gigi’s brings coastal American cuisine to the almost-century-old Gurney’s in Montauk. (Photo courtesy of J Public Relations)
The new space, according to Nenner, is “Gurney-fied,” he says. “We’ve used that word in every property that we bought.” Keeping with the ocean feel of the place, but “elevating it and taking it to the next level,” he says. With about 92 seats in the restaurant, plus an additional 125 outside on the patio. “We’re the second largest restaurant in the Hamptons,” Nenner says.
Upon entering Gigi’s guests are greeted by a beachy yet minimal, chic lobby. Just beyond is the host stand. A spacious bar area set with a creamy marbled-topped bar sits to the right of the vast dining room. Clubby, comfy blue chairs with golden accents are set throughout the room. An outdoor patio beckons, anchored by rectangular banquets in the center, while smaller round tables dot the perimeter for the space, framing the 180-degree view of the Atlantic ocean just beyond.
As far as the food is concerned, Gigi’s is a celebration of the bounty of the nearby sea and farms synonymous with the East End. As a steakhouse, prime cuts of beef will also be a strong focus of the menu. With chef Jason Lee at the helm, the idea of farm to table will be firmly in the forefront.
“What’s special about Western American cuisine is it something that is near the restaurant for 15 miles, something that represents ‘the local,'” says chef Jason Lee. “We wanted to represent something here that was other than Scarpetta. Scarpetta being Italian-American cuisine, we want to switch that focus to American steakhouse that is still near the coastal area.”
Steakhouse meets coastal on chef Jason Lee’s menu at Gigi’s. (Photos by Daniel Gentile)
The new American cuisine will draw upon French, Italian, Spain and Japanese influence to “really represent what the culinary world is going through in America,” Lee says. Items include myriad raw bar items, “angry” lobster smothered in sriracha butter, grilled Branzino, pepper-crusted tuna and phyllo-crusted halibut. From the grill, steaks include center cut filet mignon, a 14 oz New York strip, a 20 oz bone-in rib eye and Australian lamb chops. Additional steak toppers range from bone marrow butter to black truffle, giant shrimp scampi. Chef Lee’s menu also includes classic steakhouse-style side dishes as well as handmade sushi rolls. A decadent dessert menu is not to be missed.
“It may sound very cliche, but I want to bring a mid class luxury to the table,” Lee says. “It’s not something that a guest should feel like I could have this only once in a lifetime, or once every two three months. We want to bring the kind of dishes that represent luxury, but something that you could also enjoy with your family and kids when you visit us.”
Additionally, Gigi’s will serve breakfast (from 7 to 11 a.m.) and lunch (11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. every day. For reservations click here.
