Monte's at the Manor Continues Legacy of a Classic Montauk Family

Paul Monte has always been drawn to places with a rich history.

So when the opportunity came up to open a new restaurant at one of the most iconic locations in Montauk, he jumped at the chance, and Monte’s at the Manor was born.

In many ways, it was a case of perfect timing.

Monte, 67, has spent his entire life in the restaurant and hospitality industry, carrying on the tradition that began at the turn of the century, when his grandparents, Angelo and Filomena Montemarano, emigrated from Napoli, Italy, and opened a grocery store and restaurant in Brooklyn.

The restaurant, which expanded and eventually became known as Monte’s, was a great success, serving classic Italian dishes. Angelo and Filomena raised seven boys, who all went on to work in the restaurant, keeping it running for many years. In the 1950s, two of the boys — Nicholas and Paul’s father, Angelo — moved to Montauk and got involved with their first historic project, purchasing Gurney’s and turning what was a small beachside restaurant with a few cottages into a world-class resort with over 100 rooms, a conference center, restaurant and bar, spa and indoor pool. The family continued to run the resort for years, with Paul working alongside his family members there, until 2015, when they decided to sell.

After that, members of the Monte’s family operated a new outpost of the original Brooklyn Monte’s in Amenia, a small town in the Hudson Valley, for a few years until shutting down shortly after the pandemic in 2021.

So in 2022, Paul Monte found himself unattached to any kind of restaurant or hospitality venture for the first time in as long as he could remember. While he was at retirement age, Monte explained in an interview in March that he simply wasn’t ready to hang it up for good yet.

“I was golfing a lot, and my golf game wasn’t getting any better, so I figured I’d better stick to something I was good at doing,” he said with a laugh.

He said that after the closure of the Amenia restaurant, he and members of his family felt a bit like “a ship afloat at sea.”

“We had no restaurant, no hotel, no Monte legacy,” he said.

He’d always had his eye on the restaurant space at Montauk Manor. The eye-catching 200 room, English Tudor-style hotel located atop Signal Hill in Montauk was originally built in 1925 by millionaire industrialist Carl Fischer, who had developed much of Miami Beach. The Manor, which is a national landmark, was restored in recent years and now includes 140 condominium apartments, an outdoor heated swimming pool, health club and three tennis courts. A restaurant has always been a feature of the Manor, and Paul Monte said he’d made it known to people there that if they were ever in search of a new restaurant operator, he’d be very interested.

That opportunity arrived at the perfect time, but it almost didn’t work out for the Monte family.

They were in talks with the staff at the Manor, but initially, a different, larger restaurant operator was chosen to take over. Paul Monte was disappointed, but told himself it wasn’t meant to be. But a few months later, he got a call that negotiations with the operator had fallen through, and they wanted to offer him the chance.

Paul Monte struck a deal with the Manor, and worked with his children and several people in the industry he’s known for years, and a new chapter in the Monte’s legacy was born. Monte’s at the Manor opened for breakfast and lunch in July 2023, and several months later, after obtaining its liquor license, opened for dinner as well.

The restaurant has been a resounding success. Chef Andrew Durant, an East Hampton resident with roots in Brooklyn, presides over a menu of homemade Italian classics, like chicken Parmesan, “Grandma’s Meatballs,” steamed mussels, and more.

“It’s nothing fancy or pretentious,” Paul Monte said of the food. “There’s an emphasis on local seafood and large portions, with fair prices. It’s a very friendly atmosphere, very welcoming, where you’ll recognize our faces when you come in, and we’ll recognize you.”

The restaurant features indoor seating for 40, and the capacity nearly doubles when dining is available in the open outdoor courtyard.

The community responded well to the restaurant, well enough that they were able to stay open year round through the winter of 2023 and 2024, and did so again this year.

“People say this restaurant has never seen this kind of action,” Paul Monte said. “We’ve been getting all kinds of great comments. A lot of our prior experience came to fruition in this one small restaurant space that has now become a very local staple on the restaurant scene.”

Paul Monte admitted that some of his friends were questioning his sanity when he decided to get back into the restaurant business with a new venture at his age. He and his wife, Venus Yunker, had already begun spending a good portion of their time at a second home in Florida, and it seemed like head-scratcher to some. But he explained why bringing the Monte’s brand to the Manor was appealing to him, and how he’s been able to make it work and maintain a good quality of life.

“I grew up in the restaurant and hotel business,” he said, adding that he started at the age of 12, washing dishes at Gurney’s. “That’s what I know. It wasn’t a job in my family, it was a way of life. There were no hours or days, you just worked. That’s the legacy my parents brought to the table, and in their time, growing up in the Depression, you worked, earned your keep, supported your family. It was never thought of as a burden, it was more of a blessing.”

In addition to hiring a skilled chef, Paul Monte also relies on a great manager, Velaine Pfund. She worked for the family in the late 1970s and into the 1980s at Gurney’s, and has been in the hospitality field ever since.

Paul’s eldest son, Chris Monte, 37, has also been involved in the new venture. Chris Monte is currently the food and beverage director at Devon Yacht Club in Amagansett, but spends plenty of time at Monte’s at the Manor as well, specializing in POS work for the computers, audio/visual, liquor ordering and more.

Paul Monte’s son, P.J. Monte, 35, is known as “the sauce boss,” after taking over the legacy of making the famous Monte family red sauce. He also created the Monte’s line of food products, including the sauce, and has expanded that part of the business and legacy.

Paul’s son Sean Monte, 35, is working in the kitchen alongside Durant, and his daughter, Taylor, 33, has contributed from afar, working on social media and other promotion and marketing for the restaurant from her home in California.

Just two years into his newest venture, after many decades of success in the industry, it’s clear that Paul Monte is feeling gratitude, for a variety of reasons.

“It is a challenge, and it’s different in this day and age, but I always like to learn new things,” he said. “We’re very blessed, and grateful, for having success right out of the gate.”