International Flavors Are at Home in Hampton Bays

One day, back in the late 1950s, John and Marion Poulakis were driving west along Shinnecock Bay on old Montauk Highway when they stumbled upon their future.

It came in the form of a modest motel unit with a million dollar view, perched, as it was, on a hill overlooking the bay. As it happened, the property was for sale and the timing was perfect, as the couple was looking to make a change in their lives. So they bought the property and The Hampton Maid was born.

“They lived in Baldwin at the time and had a tea room and candy shop that sold burgers and shakes next to a movie theater. My grandfather got tired of that and moved here in his 30s with three kids,” recalled grandson Josh Poulakis as he sat at the bar adjacent to the dining room of the family’s restaurant.

That was in 1959, and in the years that followed, the couple’s son, Steve Poulakis and his wife, Sharon, took over operation of the property, which, in the 1980s, grew to encompass 12 acres. Next, it was the grandchildren’s turn at the family business, with Josh Poulakis — who learned the restaurant trade at his grandfather’s side — running operations in the kitchen, while sister Tara Poulakis heads up the front of the house at The Hampton Maid.

“I organize everybody,” she said with a laugh.

“As the older brother, I can remember Tara playing grocery store in my mom’s office,” said Josh Poulakis. “I think my grandparents would be proud. I worked side by side with my grandfather, he’d sit doing the checks by hand, with his tongue out.”

Though The Hampton Maid is a popular inn and favored destination of many overnight guests, the most loyal of patrons are the many locals who are drawn to its famed breakfast and brunch menu items, which are Josh Poulakis’s specialty and legendary in these parts.

“When the breakfast started out, my grandfather wanted to serve toast and a cup of coffee. Then it grew bigger,” Josh Poulakis explained. “I started at age 12 washing dishes, and by 20, I was ordering and making up specials boards.

“We now do seven, eight or nine specials every day,” he said “It doesn’t stay the same.”

While the standard breakfast items like omelets and pancakes are all available on the breakfast menu, Josh’s real skill as a chef can be found in those daily inventive specials. As if, on cue, a pair of regulars walking by who heard the conversation eagerly jumped in with a ringing endorsement.

“We’ve been coming here 30 or 40 years,” said a satisfied diner as she and her husband were heading to their car after filling up on the morning offerings. “Sweet pea pancake smoked salmon sliders, breakfast tacos, there’s a ton of stuff. I love breakfast.

“He’s my idol,” she added pointing to Josh Poulakis. “I’m trying to figure out how to make these things.”

“Sometimes, her husband will stick his head in the kitchen,” laughed Josh Poulakis. “Some of our customers are multigenerational, and now, their kids have kids who are coming and sharing the same experience.”

The same can also be said of the staff, and Josh Poulakis noted that there are employees in the kitchen who began working at the restaurant as teenagers.

“And they are now 30,” he said.

The property is not just an intergenerational business venture, it has also become something of an international one as well, thanks to the addition of a relative newcomer to the family business — executive chef Alex Bujoreanu. The Barcelona native has elevated the offerings The Hampton Maid by bringing his Spanish-influenced cuisine to the restaurant for evening service.

Working under the name R.Aire, Bujoreanu takes over the restaurant’s kitchen in the late afternoon, after Josh Poulakis and his crew are done with breakfast and brunch service for the day. R.Aire specializes in contemporary cuisine and for dinner, Bujoreanu offers an inventive and ever-changing six course tasting menu along with a la carte items, all influenced by the flavors of his native Spain.

Soon, in a storyline fitting of The Hampton Maid, Bujoreanu will be more than just a member of the staff. He will also become an official member of the family, as he and Tara Poulakis are currently engaged to be married.

Bujoreanu first met Tara and Josh Poulakis back in 2020 while he was scoping out the area for a potential site for his European-centric culinary vision. It turns out it was something of a match made in heaven, in more ways than one. His arrival on the scene helped to complete a long-desired vision for The Hamptons Maid, which is to offer guests not only accommodations, but also a place where they can enjoy all their meals during their visits.

“It has always been something my family dreamed of — being a destination for people to come stay and have breakfast and dinner,” said Tara Poulakis. “We put out feelers for opportunities, we’d go out for dinner and it was always the same thing. We wanted to bring in something different.”

With Bujoreanu they are doing exactly that, and R.Aire’s fine dining experience brings the vision to life with unique dishes that reference his European heritage. A traditional tapas menu is filled with items like patatas bravas, shishito peppers and grilled chorizo, while the inventive six-course tasting menu changes weekly and often contains ingredients and flavors not generally encountered on the East End.

“I don’t want to work with steak, potatoes, fish, chicken or pasta. So we start with the tasting menu which has none of those ingredients,” said Bujoreanu. “One time, I had kangaroo on the menu. Half of the reservations never showed.”

Bujoreanu began his career in hospitality over 20 years ago while studying at the School of Hospitality and Tourism in Lleida, Spain. He later worked and ran several fine restaurants in Spain, Sweden, Italy and, finally, New York, where he received high praise for his tapas menu.

Bujoreanu stresses that in Spain, the food is the star of the meal, rather than the alcohol, and it’s a focus he is bringing to The Hampton Maid with R.Aire. To that end, in addition to the tapas and tasting menu, the restaurant has also begun hosting a number of special themed dinners. The most recent “The Taste of Spain,” was held on June 11 at R.Aire and it featured a four-course meal of pan tomate with jamon, Caesar salad, a paella flight (including seafood or chicken and pork paella) followed by a tarta de Santiago (almond cake) for dessert, along with a wine pairing, authentic sangria and live flamenco performance. Another Paella Night is slated for August.

Meanwhile, a recent R.Aire tasting menu offered a “Tribute to French Cuisine” that included beet tartare, Saint Jacques Gratinee, dover sole a la meuniere, pork blanquette, tournedos Rossini (yes, this one made with kangaroo filet instead of beef) and crème brulee, also available with wine pairing. The weekly-changing tasting menus mean there’s always something new to try. It’s not just the high-season that’s the focus. The team is also developing ways to engage with clients in the quieter months as well.

“One of things we put together, in thinking about our customers in winter, is for people to come here with the idea to do cooking classes,” said Bujoreanu. “We give a little information on Spanish wine and food, the customers are students who cook the food, have the tasting of the wine and they enjoy it. It’s a nice experience.”

But with summer here and the high season on the horizon, now is the time to enjoy being outdoors. Beginning June 25, The Hampton Maid’s pool bar open daily from 2 to 6 p.m. where diners can enjoy menu items such as crudo of the day, lobster roll, R.Aire burger, oysters and clams from the raw bar, among other bites and cocktails from the hotel bar.

Additionally, beginning Friday, June 30, The Hampton Maid will offer a free family-friendly movie night every Friday on the great lawn. Screenings are available only to hotel guests and are free with snacks and drinks available for purchase. Featured films include “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse,” “Encanto” and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” to name a few.

The Hampton Maid’s breakfast and brunch is served daily, 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. R.Aire dinner service begins at 5 p.m. and the tasting menu is offered Friday and Saturday with seatings at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The Hampton Maid is at 259 East Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays. For more information, visit hamptonmaid.com.