SUMMER LIVING

his year has seen a long winter and slow spring— T Hamptons is Happening The Wait is Over… Let the Summer Commence! in search of social activity and relaxation on the beaches or at the top socially-responsible even for those places of the season. who headed to the Hamptons By Norah Lawlor and started their season early, Although different from albeit in quarantine. As the temperatures soar and the recent years, summer 2020 will finally be fabulous! quarantine restrictions are lifted, this July and August will Expect to see social distancing and also a number of represent the peak of both the summer and the social events moving to calendar slots. Here are some of our season in the Hamptons, which will bring New York players favorites to look forward to…

DINE & PARTYSafely

This season, Southampton Social Club will continue to set the standard of the Hamptons nightlife scene while recognizing the safety concerns of today. Utilizing the exact mantra it launched with 10 years ago, Southampton Social Club offers that “Vintage Supper Club Experience”— the idea that you can join in for an elegant, high-energy dinner, then stick around and enjoy time with friends, bottle service, and—of course—table-side dancing under the stars. The one thing that is required at this time, however, are reservations. With limited space and no ability to have lines or indoor space, outdoor tables are hard to come by. Make plans ahead of time, and then get ready to mask up and dance. SouthamptonSocialClub.com

AL FRESCO DINING Revival

The best dining establishments in the Hamptons have responded to this summer of social distancing with al fresco dining—tables spaced out under the East End sunshine. Soak in the ambience while enjoying some of the best meals and social activity in the Hamptons.

The newest arrival on the North Fork’s dining scene is the incarnation of the Upper East Side French bistro classic, Demarchelier Restaurant at the AHEAD Americas 2020 Virtual Award-winning Menhaden Hotel in the charming Village of Greenport. Led by siblings Emily and Benjamin Demarchelier, this restaurant is a family affair that builds on the legacy of the Demarchelier family’s eatery in New York. Popular dishes include the Steak Tartare appetizer, and the Duck a l’Orange and Moules Mariniére entrees. The traditional French menu is paired perfectly with a wide range of predominantly French wines. Demarchelier looks to bring the North Fork of Long Island a taste of France! DemarchelierRestaurant.com

T-Bar Steak and Lounge Southampton, like its sister restaurant on the Upper East Side, offers guests innovative contemporary American cuisine in a warm and inviting ambiance. The outdoor terrace and garden, with outdoor dining spaced sensibly apart, make it the quintessential location for evening cocktails on those warm summer evenings. T-Bar is a newest spin on the classic upscale steak house. The menu features a wide range of dishes, ranging from renditions of classics to refined and inventive plates. 631-283-0202

The all-new Union Sushi & Steak restaurant at 40 Bowden Square in Southampton, NY is open. It’s owned by Southampton Social Club’s Ian Duke and David Hilty, who have teamed up with awardwinning Executive Chef Scott Kampf to create a go-to modern sushi and steak eatery for the Hamptons. For the slightly older crowds that do not want to be bombarded by the twenty-something crowds at Southampton Social Club, Union Sushi & Steak will serve as a place to enjoy cocktails into the wee hours. Bonus: This one is co-located with the contemporary casual Union Burger Bar, which offers an assortment of specialty gourmet burgers that are hormone-, antibiotic-, and additive-free, along with fresh hand-cut fries, maniacal milkshakes and desserts, and an elaborate craft beer and small batch bourbon selection. DineatUnion.com • UnionBurgerBar.com 91

Claude’s Restaurant has been transformed into The Great American Picnic Place, open from 7am to 7pm daily. The menu consists of all of your favorite breakfasts, as well as sandwiches, salads, soups, and freshly baked sweets. You can take your picnic basket (with rosé or champagne, fruit smoothies, or homemade iced tea) to your favorite table, into the beautifully planted courtyard, on the pool patio, the lawns, to your guest room, or off to Agawam Park. There is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy an old-fashioned picnic. SouthamptonInn.com/Restaurant/ STAY AND Play

Bridgehampton’s Topping Rose House Hotel is situated at the end of Main Street, enabling guests to walk and enjoy all that Bridgehampton has to offer. Outdoor dining at the on-site JeanGeorges at Topping Rose House restaurant is available to enjoy amidst the gardens of the property. ToppingRoseHouse.com

At the end of the Long Island Rail Road is Montauk and one of the most well-known places to stay and play–The Surf Lodge. In recent seasons, regular live performances have made a visit an essential to listen, dance, drink, and dine. The Surf Lodge also has guest rooms ranging from standard to suites. TheSurfLodge.com

The award-winning Southampton Inn is a classic, welcoming haven in the heart of the historic Southampton Village, offering the personal attention of a bed and breakfast with the services and amenities of a hotel. Surrounded by world-renowned beaches and estates and Rockwellesque village life, the Inn is the perfect place to relax, indulge in a romantic rendezvous, or enjoy precious time with the entire family with the Inn’s child-friendly facilities. The Southampton Inn is complying with social distancing rules, mask orders, and CDC cleaning and disinfecting protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the safety of all guests and staff. SouthamptonInn.com

Get Back TO GOLF

Hampton Hills Golf & Country Club

is Westhampton Beach’s best-kept golfing secret, located amongst 2,000 acres of the Pine Barrens. Respected as one of the more challenging courses in the Hamptons, the masterfully designed golf and country club promises exciting activities for the entire family. The Hampton Hills Golf and Country Club’s peaceful, wooded setting allows club members to escape city life and participate in friendly competition against a challenging Par-71 - 148 slope golf course featuring dramatic elevation changes. HamptonHills.com

FIND THE PERFECT Rural Escape

Lisa Maysonet leads the Lisa Maysonet Team at Sotheby’s International Realty. As a real estate broker, owner and investor for 40 years, Lisa’s team members follow suit in experience, talent, and dedication. Their commitment to results comes with an exceptional approach to servicing buyers, sellers, and developers. To date, she has negotiated properties valued at over one billion dollars in the New York City metropolitan area. In addition to being an established top producer in the NYC market, her breadth of knowledge on real estate markets has expanded to include clientele from around the world, including the Hamptons. SothebysHomes.com

Photography by Michael Paniccia While COVID-19 has captured the news headlines, cancer remains one of the biggest health scourges of our world. Samuel Waxman M.D. and the team at the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation are fighting an ongoing battle to eradicate cancer by funding research grants for 14 types of cancer. Support their cancer research by participating in the 2020

Hamptons Happening virtual concert and viewing party.

WaxmanCancer.org/Events

Hamptons resident Jean Shafiroff is renowned for her charitable giving and commitment to philanthropy. She chairs numerous galas and hosts many events benefiting several not-for-profit organizations each year, and is the author of “Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give,” a book that serves as a practical guide for both the aspiring and seasoned philanthropist, as well as the host of an LTV show on philanthropy. She serves on the boards of six charitable organizations—the New York City Mission Society, Southampton Hospital Association, French Heritage Society, Couture Council (Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology), Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation Honorary Board, and Global Strays. She is an Honorary Trustee of the Jewish Board and served on their board for 28 years. She is also an ambassador for the American Humane Society and is their national spokesperson for their Feeding America program. JeanShafiroff.com

IAN DUKE RESTAURATEUR

By Norah Lawlor

Living in the Hamptons for several years, Ian Duke has made quite an impact on Southampton’s social and culinary scene. As a key part of the leadership team behind the 2019 launch of Union Burger Bar and the ever-popular Southampton Social Club since 2010, Ian along with his partners, David Hilty and Tuck Hardie, are embarking on a new venture with the launch of the all-new Union Sushi & Steak this summer.

Catering to a clientele both in New York City and Southampton, Ian prides himself on designing hospitality experiences that are appealing to families, groups, locals, singles, and as go-to venues for parties and events, whether it is during the bustle of the summer season and holidays or the quieter times in between.

While it has been a challenging start to the 2020s with the COVID-19 pandemic, Ian has maintained a strong presence in the Hamptons and looks to make the summer of 2020 the best it can be by providing some of the most memorable gourmet meals and nightlife scene for everyone to enjoy.

When and how did you first realize that you wanted to work in the culinary and hospitality industry? I started quite humbly as a dishwasher around 12-13 years of age. Since then I have worked in nearly every position in the restaurant business and am a partner in six restaurants now, including Prohibition—a live music bar, restaurant, and lounge on the Upper West Side; three Lucky’s Famous Burgers located in Hell’s Kitchen, the East Village, and Chelsea; Southampton Social Club; Union Burger Bar; and most recently Union Sushi & Steak, also in Southampton. Also this summer, for the first time, my restaurant partners from Prohibition in New York City and my partners from the Hamptons are joining forces to open The Baylander in New York City once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. This restaurant is going to be very unique. Baylander is a beautifully restored naval vessel that was most recently used for the training of Navy helicopter pilots and was known as the world’s smallest aircraft carrier. Moored at the West Harlem piers, it has a casual, beer garden-style feel, killer cocktails, and one of the best sunsets in Manhattan. What is a typical day like for you? There’s really no such thing as a typical day in the restaurant business. That’s one of the best and worst things about it. You never know what will happen—and I say that on both the good and bad sides. Even with everything going on, most days fall into the good category! We work in a business that has an immense number of variables, which means there will be many potential things that can happen. Because of this, our restaurants and their staff are very well-suited to handle the challenges of running a business, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. With Union Burger Bar celebrating its second season, and Southampton Social Club its historic 10th season, what inspired you to open Union Sushi & Steak, and what prompted you to choose its particular theme? Last year when we opened Union Burger Bar, Chef Scott Kampf and I did so for the main reason that we both really love burgers and we saw the need for a good gourmet burger restaurant in the Hamptons. We were an instant hit from day one. Fast forward a year, and we had a similar situation. I am a believer that the ultimate goal for every restaurateur should be to give people what they want. I am a big red meat eater and love a traditional steakhouse. I love ordering a great steak and then all the things that come with it—the specific sides, as opposed to the chef allocating what comes with a dish. We’re going to have a few of the best—the best filet, the best strip, the best ribeye. With the sushi, we have a great chef who has worked all over, and this is going to be his unveiling in the Hamptons. Building the first sushi bar in Southampton, we are really confident that this will exceed the expectations of the slightly more sophisticated crowd that comes with it. I also want to make Union Sushi & Steak the nightlife hub for the slightly “older” crowds who have been clamoring for a hotspot where they won’t be overwhelmed by the twenty-somethings that regularly inhabit Southampton Social Club.

What do you regard as being the secrets to success in the hospitality industry? My team, including the exceptional leadership of chefs Scott Kampf and Mark Fasciana; general managers Chris Cappiello, James Brew, and Shelly Roberto; and our resident house mom Carolyn Cashman. It truly is a business where no one job is any more important than any other, and everyone relies on one another in order for everything to work smoothly. The irony is that as the owner, if anything, I’m the least important person in the place. Secondly, I’d say would be the ability to adapt to anything on a small and large scale. Every day is a different one that will present different challenges. Being able to roll with the punches is paramount.

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown had a major impact on the restaurant and hospitality industry. What changes have you made to your businesses to keep them going, and how will you handle social distancing this summer season? Early on it was very challenging because the statewide closures happened so quickly and no one knew what you could or could not do. But thankfully, one of the state orders was that restaurants would be able to still operate via pickup and delivery. Besides being a great sitdown restaurant, Union Burger Bar already had a strong pick-up service that we expanded on. Social Club had a delayed start to the season, and we were in the middle of renovating to open Union Sushi & Steak, so quarantine just gave us more time to focus on the upcoming Hamptons season.

We strongly encourage reservations for both Union Sushi & Steak and Union Burger Bar to reduce the possibility of people congregating while waiting, and the fact people been wanting to get out, we anticipate long waits. However, you can still grab a cocktail at the bar and enjoy the outdoors while waiting.

At Southampton Social Club, we are requiring reservations; unfortunately, there will be no exceptions for this. Absolutely all guests during this outdoor dining time need to have a reservation for entrance. As restrictions are removed, we hope to be able to adjust this policy.

Masks will be required at all our locations, but can be removed once at your table as tables have been spread out with social distancing in mind.

How do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will affect your businesses long term? It will be a while before we get back to normal or the “new normal,” but if everyone does their part to stay healthy, protect themselves and others, and continue to support each other, the restaurant and hospitality industry will make a comeback.

When not working at your restaurants, how did you pass your time during quarantine? How do you spend your free time now? While lockdown might have slowed down everyone else, I was constantly busy, so there was not much free time, especially with renovations we were making to Union Burger Bar and for the opening of Union Sushi & Steak. Three months later, we are ready to go. But, when I do have a little time, I have now taken up tennis. I need to work on my back swing!

To date, what has been your best Hamptons moment? There have been many unbelievable moments—things I never could have imagined. But they all came from one...I’d have to say the opening of Southampton Social Club. It was really the beginning of a whole new life for me. 95