Montauk Pioneer - August 14, 2009

All summer I have been hearing about the "new and improved" Montauk Yacht Club. Gossip websites are lousy with which celebrity has been spotted sipping drinks/enjoying the sunshine/using the new Surf Shack at the Yacht Club. So I was excited to go and see what had changed and if it was true that the Yacht Club really was now swarming with the elite and the have-mores of the Hamptons.

I was pleasantly surprised when I showed up at the Hurricane Alley restaurant in the Yacht Club and saw that the majority of the customers were casually dressed, large families. The great kid's menu and the laid-back vibe adds to the family-friendliness of Hurricane Alley.

The location is great with seating inside and out, and it's so nice to be able to look out over the rows and rows of beautiful boats moored at the Yacht Club. There was no hostess working and we were supposed to just grab any available table (which we didn't realize at first and stood around slightly awkwardly for a couple of minutes.) After about ten minutes, we managed to find a clean, empty table where we sat down and started mulling over the menu.

Our charming waiter, Nigel, came over and apologized for the delay and took our drink orders. My dining companion had a Mojito which was delicious and perfectly refreshing on a hot Montauk day.

We had trouble choosing what we wanted to eat but decided to try the Mini-Lobster Roll to start with and then have the Cuban Mix Sandwich and the Carnitas Platter.

Our starter was very good, with two small but substantial lobster rolls. The roll was heavy on fresh, local lobster and a great starter. The plate was decorated with a crayfish which I will admit to thinking was a tiny, pygmy lobster for a minute or two.

Our Cuban sandwich was missing its promised pickles, but was tasty nonetheless with slow-roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese and mustard. It went very well with the Mojito in a great Havana way and the cajun-style fries that accompanied it.

The Carnitas Platter was slightly disappointing as the meat, although perfectly tender and well-cooked, was under-seasoned and lacking some sort of sauce/more flavor. There were only two corn tortillas provided with this "platter" and my companion and I both felt that we would have appreciated a few more.

The afternoon was not without "celebrities" as Real Housewife of New York City, Bethenny Frankel showed up much to the excitement of surrounding pre-pubescent girls. She and her entourage sat around drinking "Skinny Girl" margaritas and talking loudly about how great the bartender was at making them.

Our bill came to $75 which was slightly more than I had expected, however the portions were large and the food was tasty. There is the aforementioned kid's menu (or "First Mate's Menu" as they refer to it,) which has affordable options for children. They also have several platters for sharing which are probably more cost-effective and all come with a choice of salad, cole slaw, potato salad or fries.

The ambiance was lovely and the waitstaff were very friendly and helpful. Hurricane Alley is the more casual of the restaurants in the Yacht Club; there's also the Gulf Coast Kitchen and the Barracuda Bar open seven days a week. For more information call the Yacht Club at 631-668-3100 or visit their website at www.montaukyachtclub.com.