In 1976, Rich and Frances Daunt were provided the opportunity to purchase the restaurant property throughout the roadway from the family’s name Montauk motel, however turned it down. Almost 50 years later on, the couple’s grand son, Leo Daunt, 30, has actually acquired the lease for the exact same space and is now supervising the advancement of The Bird, a revamped bar and restaurant that includes “warm and elevated” fare that doesn’t slide far from its old Montauk roots.
It’s a difficult balancing act, for sure, however one that Daunt, the 3rd generation owner of The Bird’s sister-property, Daunt’s Albatross Motel, is well gotten ready for. As president of the board of Montauk’s chamber of commerce and a native child, Daunt says he desires The Bird to be familiar to those who keep in mind the A-frame building as a renowned regional breakfast area, while likewise making certain his brand-new idea can stay up to date with the fierce-and-getting-fiercer summertime dining competitors.
“What we focused on is how do you take a property and do something kind of new and respect the history of Montauk and be local and have that sense of old Montauk, but elevate the experience a little and do it well?” says Daunt.
One method is by having fun with the name of his brand-new restaurant. “The Bird” is an ode to the restaurant’s past as a 40-year Montauk organization notoriously called “Bird on the Roof” (the building still sports the renowned bird shape). Helmar and Rich Cirillo, who formerly ran the restaurant, closed it throughout the pandemic. Daunt says he is now the sole lease-holder and owner of the business.
While numerous dining establishments under brand-new management in Montauk are attempting to take advantage of the hamlet’s increasing appeal and ride the wave of “Hamptons-style” bar and dining principles, Daunt, who is basic supervisor of his family’s motel, says he’s focused more on food and hospitality — and, obviously, a lively facelift for the facilities — than public relations.
“We’re not trying to be modern and upscale as much as we’re trying to focus on quality and service and having that feeling of old Montauk while having something new and different,” says Daunt.
The brand-new and various appears in a complete supper service Friday, Saturday and Sunday that’s already in addition to everyday breakfast and a nighttime bar scene that provides little plates.
Chef Marcos Martinez-Perez, a component in a few of East Hampton’s leading kitchen areas, is providing fresh handles breakfast favorites as differed as soft scramble toast topped with young burrata, avocado and basil oil, to shakshuka, a North African meal with stewed peppers, tomatoes, goat cheese and a poached egg on top, served with toasted sourdough bread for dipping.
Meanwhile, the supper menu includes a remarkable mix of earthy and innovative meals like tempura trumpet mushrooms with gochujang sauce; green curry with tofu, roasted infant zucchini and Brussels sprouts; and smoked half chicken with harissa yogurt and arugula salad.
“The team and I are really excited to expand upon our work in the kitchen last year,” says Martinez-Perez. “By being open for dinner for the first time, we’re able to show different techniques and flavor profiles.”
The brand-new idea behind the bar/cocktail program implies to stimulate the timeless Montauk ambiance while still being best for an intimate date night. For example, bar supervisor Sophia DePasquale took a traditional mixed drink like a Hugo and “punched it up” into The Bird’s Hallie Parker, a mix of gin, Prosecco, St. Germain, strawberry and lemon.
The bar menu is developed to have a little something for everybody, from sundry red wine options to mezcal negronis. “We want a seat at the bar to feel like a seat at your friend’s; a place you can kick back, enjoy a drink and laugh until you only have enough air left to say, ‘I’ll have another please,’” says DePasquale.
Daunt says he and chef Martinez-Perez invested 2 months in New York City’s West Village last winter season studying restaurant principles prior to deciding on The Bird’s existing method operandi. The restaurant’s upgraded decoration functions leather banquettes, aged plaster and a color-scheme imbued by Montauk’s renowned location.
“I feel really lucky to be part of the community and for the support for the property; it’s special to live here year round and grow up here and run a business here,” says Daunt. “It’s something a little bit different because the community really does rally around you a lot. Honestly, if you do something you believe in and try and respect everyone in town, people will rally around you and support you. Do things the right way, do right by people — that tends to return itself.”
The Bird lies at 47 South Elmwood Avenue, Montauk. For more details, see birdontheroof.com.
