Guilty Pleasures With Gilt City Catch A Few Snags

Yoga on the lawn in the morning. Afternoon cocktails by the 45-foot-long pool. Dinner cooked by celebrity chefs. This is not the average house party.

On Friday, August 12, lifestyle website Gilt City is set to launch its first-ever Hamptons House—a month-long, pop-up experience at a 6,000-square-foot summer home in East Hampton Village bursting with food, entertainment and wellness programming for members, exclusively, through Labor Day. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the East Hampton Food Pantry.

But the kickoff is not going as smoothly as planned. The East Hampton Village Board voted on Thursday, August 4, to seek an injunction in State Supreme Court against Gilt City for operating a commercial business out of the single-family home on Fithian Lane, owned by Walter Patrick. The board is concerned about “defending residential zoning,” according to Larry Cantwell, the village administrator.

As of Monday morning, Gilt City was still working to make the lifestyle event happen, according to

Jaime David, senior manager for Gilt City public relations and events.

“We worked with the authorities in the Hamptons and have gone through the proper channels to obtain the proper permitting needed. We have done everything in collaboration with the village and we are continuing to work with them in resolving this situation,” she said in a written statement issued on Friday, August 5. “The Gilt City program, to be hosted by two top Gilt executives, features top chefs, fitness and fashion to entertain small groups in the Hamptons and also provides financial support for the East Hampton Food Pantry.”

Mr. Cantwell said the village is having “ongoing discussions” with Gilt City representatives.

However, the Hamptons House is still on track to open on schedule—despite complications, according to Gilt City officials.

“There are a lot of people who go to the Hamptons to chill out and not worry about the worries of the world,” said Gilt City President Nathan Richardson during a telephone interview last week. “When we thought about filling this house out, it had to include what was going to give people that continuation of relaxation, chilling out and enjoying life.”

With the help of Lifestyle Advisor Lee Brian Schrager, Mr. Richardson said Gilt City has achieved just that. From cooking classes with Claire Robinson, to dinners with chefs Scott Conant, Geoffrey Zakarian, Marcela Valledeloid, and the Scotto family, to yoga with Russell Simmons and Tribeca Film Festival screenings, the house offers something for everyone, its founder boasts. But he stressed that the Hamptons House is not in the lodging business.

“Every night is going to be an experience for everyone to really live better in the Hamptons than they thought they could,” Mr. Richardson said. “Escape and discover new restaurants and really indulge—whether you want to hang out and have a drink or eat ’til your heart’s content.”

Rosanna Scotto, who is hosting a dinner with her family on Sunday, August 14, suggests their guests come with an appetite.

“We’re going to knock everyone’s socks off,” said the “Good Day New York” anchor during a telephone interview last week shortly after her morning show broadcast. “We’re going to be overwhelming. We’re going to bring lots of food. This is how we eat on Sunday. My brother Anthony is planning the menu with my sister Elaina. Mom is putting her two cents in and John is coming to hang out with me.”

She burst into a giggle. “John and I do the least amount of work,” she added.

The Scotto family is all about Italian classics, which they serve at their Manhattan restaurant, Fresco by Scotto. The Hamptons House tables will be set with Grissini breadsticks wrapped in prosciutto and the Scotto family’s famous potato and zucchini chips, smothered in Gorgonzola.

“I dare you to try just one because you won’t stop until you finish the plate,” Ms. Scotto said. “It’s really addictive.”

The family will serve up roasted, sweet bell peppers and tomatoes, crispy artichoke and eggplant, as well as beef short ribs and slow-cooked pork shoulder, to name a handful of dishes. But the meal wouldn’t be complete without the restaurant’s famous pasta with “Sunday Sauce.”

“That in itself is enough to last you for days,” Ms. Scotto said. “You could be on a desert island just with that list and it would sustain your life.”

This is the family’s premiere in the Hamptons, Ms. Scotto reported. They’ve flirted with the idea of opening a restaurant on the East End, she said, but dining and relaxing here has always gotten in the way. The family is extremely close, she said, but not exclusionary.

“When my family is around, everyone feels like they’re a part of it,” she said. “We love to sing. We’re off key, but we love to sing. We like to tell jokes. We like to make people feel like they’re at our own home. We’ll let everybody leave having eaten the best comfort food and spent the evening smiling and laughing with the Scottos.”

Like the Hamptons House, Gilt City is celebrating its first year in business. It is a subsidiary of Gilt Groupe, which was founded three and a half years ago as a luxury website for women’s fashion, later branching out into men’s and children’s clothing, as well as home goods. Restaurants, spa experiences, beauty services and ticketing all fall under the purview of Gilt City, which has expanded into 11 markets, including New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles and Tokyo.

“We tapped into something where we became a lifestyle guide for our membership base,” Mr. Richardson said. “We had our members asking, ‘What are you doing this summer in the Hamptons? Aren’t you doing anything?’ They were curious, you know? And that was kind of interesting. For our membership base, it’s about living the best life wherever they are.”

Food Network chef Ms. Valledeloid said she is used to spending her time in San Diego. Having visited the East End only once, she said that she’s looking forward to getting festive and showing off what she does best: tacos.

“I love to serve any dish that’s close to my heart and my upbringing in Mexico,” she wrote in an email last week. “My father would pack us all in the car and we’d hunt for an open taco stand when my mom was too tired to cook dinner. And even though she’s the most amazing cook I’ve ever met, there’s nothing like a well-made adobada taco with a fresh agua de jamaica. Nothing fancy about it, just ridiculously delicious and close to my heart.”

For the menu she’s preparing for the Hamptons House, which is planned for Sunday, August 28, she’ll be whipping up a few of her favorite tacos, including lamb shoulder slowly braised in tamarind, adobo grilled chicken and one with charred poblano peppers, she said.

“They’ll get to know my food and what I like to cook,” she said. “I’ll also be making a few of my favorite tequila cocktails, as well. Even though I’m on a mission to show this country that good tequilas are sipped, slowly, as you would a fine cognac, I also understand that hot summer days in the Hamptons are ideal for fruity, sweet and ice-cold margaritas, and there will be plenty of those floating around.”

Kicking off the Hamptons House with an invite-only dinner party on Saturday, August 13, are Manhattan chef Geoffrey Zakarian and his wife, Margaret, with a spread that’s an homage to their guests’ college days, with an updated twist, Ms. Zakarian said.

“The theme of the party is ‘Summer Shack House Party,’ so because it’s in a house, we wanted to play off that,” she said during a telephone interview last week. “It’s the opposite of what people are expecting: New York chef and fancy. We said, ‘Let’s just turn it on its head and do something unusual and totally different.’”

Her husband is still finalizing the menu, his wife said, but she expects it will include his popular fried chicken, ribs and white gazpacho. At the bar, look out for passionfruit Jell-O shots and drunken watermelons, she said, laughing.

“It’s a success when guests can walk away with a few unique experiences or aha moments,” she said.

The couple plans to return to the East End for the last week of summer, and Ms. Zakarian said she expects they will make a stop by the Hamptons House—for pleasure, not for business.

“When Gilt is producing something, it’s like a gold stamp,” she said.

Gilt City will launch its inaugural Hamptons House from Friday, August 12, through September 5. Event tickets will be available to members through the end of August. Prices vary for each program. A portion of ticket sales will benefit the East Hampton Food Pantry. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit giltcity.com/hamptonshouse.