Rowdy Hall Introduces Co-Chef Justin Finney and New Snack Menu

Rowdy Hall in East Hampton announced last week that a new co-chef, Justin Finney, will be joining 12-year Rowdy veteran chef Ed Lightcap in the restaurant’s kitchen.

Finney, who has been working in the hospitality industry for over 15 years, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He started his career as a line cook at the Market Square Bistro in Bainbridge, Ohio, where he grew up, and diligently worked his way up the ranks, becoming the lead line cook at Moxie the Restaurant and then chef at Firefly, both in Ohio.

In 2005, Finney moved to the East End of Long Island to become the sous chef at The Meeting House in Amagansett. Moving to the Hamptons was a refreshing change for him. “It is so different from Ohio,” he said. “Everything is so fresh, and people are focused on what they’re eating and using local ingredients. There aren’t any chain restaurants.”

Working at Meeting House allowed Finney to hone his craft, with opportunities for experimentation, from preparing various global cuisines to classic desserts. He also introduced daily specials to the menu. After six years, he joined Nick and Toni’s in East Hampton as sous chef, where among his many duties, he was placed in charge of the restaurant’s vegetable garden. Now a co-chef at Rowdy Hall, Finny plans to work alongside Lightcap to build on the restaurant’s already well-established menu, introducing new items to the snack menu and promoting the small plate movement using local seasonal ingredients.

The new Rowdy Hall snack menu features the following:

Chipotle Deviled Eggs (2 eggs)
Topped with house-made Tasso ham

Steamed Pork Buns (2 buns)
Berkshire pork belly, pickled vegetables and hoisin sauce

Candied Bacon
With Blue cheese dressing

Crispy Eggplant Fries
With spicy tomato sauce

Grilled Andouille Sausage
With Dijon mustard and cornichons on a toasted baguette

Rowdy Buffalo Wings
Buffalo style chicken wings with blue cheese dressing

Butternut Squash Pierogi (3 pierogies)
With spiced sour cream and gingersnap crumbs

Smoked Pork Sliders (2 sliders)
Potato roll with house-made BBQ sauce and TL BBQ bread and butter pickles

Clams Casino (3 clams)
Local littleneck clams, bacon, red peppers, garlic, shallots and butter

Crab Hush Puppies
With Old Bay aioli

Pot of Pickles
House pickled vegetables

Rowdy Hall is located at 10 Main Street in East Hampton’s Parrish Mews.  The restaurant is open seven days a week, serving lunch from 12–3:30 p.m.; midday menu from 3–5 p.m.; dinner Sunday–Thursday from 5–10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5–11 p.m. Call 631-324-8555 or visit rowdyhall.com for more info.