Fresh seafood and summer go hand-in-hand. Throw playful cocktails and waterfront seating into the mix and suddenly you have a venue that’s hotter than a beach day in July. Chef Eric Miller and Adam Miller, the father and son duo behind East Hampton’s Bay Kitchen Bar, are at it again. Their new seafood restaurant FLAGSHIP is set to open in Montauk in early June.
“The location did most of the work for us,” said Adam, co-owner and mixologist. “[We have] the largest commercial fishing fleet in our backyard and amazing farms in the area. It would have been silly not to focus on fresh seasonal food and produce.”
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The place will feel as much like a cocktail bar as it will a restaurant. “We love that we can be part of the bar hopping from joint to joint in the marina FLAGSHIP is in. Nowhere else can you do that without having to get in a car.”
The cocktail menu will feature top quality spirits mixed with housemade syrups and cordials using locally harvested ingredients. Adam recommended the Booze Cleanse, a salute to the healthy juice trend. It’s made using carrot and lemon juices, coconut and ginger syrups and fortified with Milagro Tequila. Other fun options include the Garden Party, a summery take on the Old Maid melding gin, green pepper and cucumber juices with salt and pepper rims. There’s also Open Arms, a margarita variation with Ilegal Mezcal, Milagro Tequila, passion fruit syrup, habanero tincture and atomized hibiscus.
image: zandy mangold
The drinks can be paired with tasty bar snacks like shrimp with thai chili until 2am daily.
But Chef Eric has more in store for the dinner menu. Think shareable small plates, crudos, a raw bar and locally-sourced seafood, meat and poultry entrees. Delicious options run the gamut including the lobster spring roll with local fluke & charred squid crudo, smoked pork ribs and aged prime sirloin steak.
The interior will be just as swanky, combining clean and simple industrial chic with a subtle tropical vibe that speaks well to the location.
“We hope to bring our style of food and drink to Montauk, one of the most exciting summer destinations on earth. We want to expand people’s expectations for quality.”
Get a closer look at their summer cocktails in the July/August issue of Pulse.