Dan's Rosé Soirée Kicked Off the 2019 Hamptons Summer in Style

Dan’s Rosé Soirée presented by BMW, the official kickoff to summer in the Hamptons, was held at the Southampton Arts Center on Sunday, May 26. With a plethora of local eats and luscious libations, guests enjoyed the lively evening and had a great start to what’s sure to be another exciting East End season.

Chef Adam Lathan and his wife Amy Lavillette of Brooklyn’s The Gumbo Bros set up a full, authentic Louisiana crawfish boil for the evening’s festivities! “I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off summer,” Lathan, a Hamptons newbie, said of his decision to take part in Dan’s Rosé Soirée.

While Alexa Titone of Spiro’s admitted, “I’m just the looks of this operation,” she sure served up some mean Mint Chocolate Chip and Lemon Drop martinis alongside chef Spiro Karachopan’s sizzling Stuffed Mushrooms with Crabmeat.

Who could ignore the arresting cans of Ramona, the organic Italian wine spritz with ruby red grapefruit rosé? “Good for the park or the beach!”

A Dan’s Taste of Summer fixture, Aperol celebrated their 100th anniversary in style, making Aperol Spritz with Mionetto Prosecco. “It’s a centennial, which is great. Hopefully this summer will be the biggest and best summer for Aperol,” Keith Groff said.

Calissa’s Dominic Rice delivered a stunning Tuna Crudo, topped with pork cracklin, which packed a satisfying crunch to every bite. “It’s light, fresh and wonderful for the summer,” he beamed.

Bianca Pappas and Michelle Buttigieg from the Visit Malta table raffled off a free trip to the storied island nation. While she’s not related to 2020 Presidential candidate “Mayor” Pete Buttigieg, she admitted that people seem to pronounce her name much more easily these days. Did you know Mayor Pete is Maltese?

Revelers never stopped lining up for Jin Ruan’s delectable Sui Mai from Manhattan’s Jing Fong Restaurant. A tip for next time: Take the vegetarian option. They were every bit as good as the shrimp and pork, and half the wait!

Who doesn’t love comfort food? Hamptons Farms’ Fried Chicken with Garlic Parmesan Mac and Cheese had guests coming back for seconds, thirds and beyond.

Fans of chocolate savored the rosé cardamom chocolate mousse from Chocology Unlimited.

Guests sang the praises of Osteria Leana Chef Peter Van Der Mije’s Truffle Mushroom Salad, and he had an idea why it paired so well with the evening’s drink of choice, “It’s light and has a natural earthy, flavor, which helps bring out rosé’s acidity and brightness.”

The man, the myth, the legend—Wölffer Estate Vineyard winemaker Roman Roth poured his latest vintages of Summer in a Bottle Rosé, Finca Wölffer Rosé and Estate Rosé while sharing his thoughts on East End rosé. “Wölffer Estate helped to put rosé on the map in America,” he says, adding, “It is fun. It is light. It is vibrant, fresh, refreshing. Alcohol is low, so you can drink it in the summer heat and enjoy it!”

While many consider rosé to be a summer drink, Brooklyn Oenology founder Alie Shaper expressed that this wine label is a bit too restrictive. “In the middle of February, you have to make it seem like July in your mind, so drink rosé all the time.”

Did anyone notice all the stylish and creative rosé labels? From Jamesport Vineyards to Archer Roose to Montauk Wine Company’s Montauk Summer—the designs on the bottles beautifully represented the fabulous wines behind them.

Rosés were the highlight of many guests’ experience, and the lineup was more enticing than ever: Boschendal, Harry & David, Mirabeau en Provence, Taub Family/Palm Bay, Provence Rosé Group, Clovis Point, Fresh Direct, Hampton Water, Macari Vineyard, RG|NY, Pumphouse Wines and others inspired toasts all night long.

Saaz owner Sameer Mohan and his son served up the finest Chicken Tikka Masala, Chana Masala and naan East of the canal.

Paola’s Restaurant Chef Stefano Marracino made his Taste of Summer debut this weekend, just in time for Paola’s East Hampton debut at the former EMP Summer House. Welcome to the family!

Cheese Shoppe is another newcomer that’s made quite a splash. The new owner, Nikki Cascone-Grossman, has breathed new life into the Southampton eatery, and her refreshing Shrimp and Red Grape Salad is a likely sign that the Cheese Shoppe will be one of the hottest eateries to try this summer.

Chef Tom Schaudel brought the toothy barley goodness in Jewel’s Crescent Farms Duck Salad with pickled vinaigrette, while Kingfish’s Lenny Campinelli did the same in his epic Salmon Poke Bowl.

Brew Dr. Kombucha delivered an incredible non-alcoholic option with their refreshing, clean and crisp kombucha, without a hint of the sediment so often associated with this fermented tea drink. Top spot goes to the Lemon Ginger Cayenne flavor!

Bill and Amanda Pawlowski of Towne Cellars Wine were having a great time chatting with guests and pouring rosé from their shop’s formidable offerings. And how about their handy wine bag?

Did you spot Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, State Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Southampton Mayor Michael Irving in the crowd?

The Clubhouse sautéed sea scallops under the tent and paired them with a wonderful Corn and Avocado Salad with citrus vinaigrette, keeping guests coming back for more and more.

Rahi Chef Chintan Pandya’s scrumptious Dahi Batata Puri required guests to eat them in one bite, but what a spicy and yummy bite it was!

Corona’s Refresca spiked sparkling drinks brought some tropics to the Hamptons.

Along with Southampton Art Center’s stately atmosphere and grounds, guests were able to enjoy the work of local artists in the annual East End Collected5 group exhibition, curated by Paton Miller, which concludes on May 30.

Four Words: Wild Turkey Longbranch Neat.

Chef Scott Kampf hit the surf-and-turf trifecta—yes, that’s a thing—with Union Cantina’s Striped Bass Ceviche and Southampton Social Club’s Social Club Roll (loved that combo of scallion, avocado, cucumber, toro sashimi and wasabi tobiko) during the main event, and then those just-can’t-get-enough Union Burger Bar UBB Sliders at the VIP After Party.

Green Hill Kitchen’s smoky yet summery Duck with White Asparagus and Ramps was a perfect bite for a welcome-to-summertime night.

Talk about perfect pairings! Boar’s Head brought some irresistible cheese and charcuterie to enjoy alongside all the lovely libations.

Life was sweet as guests oohed and aahed and uttered heretofore never-before-heard sounds as they tasted North Fork Chocolate Company Chef Steve Amaral’s AquaBogg Gold: a decadent 70% bittersweet concoction made of only stone-ground organic cacao beans and organic sugar. If you tasted the wine-infused version, you experienced edible art.

Edible Glitter! Shock Ice Cream’s Mini Carnival Cones of party-blue ice cream surrounded by cotton candy, sprinkles and that glittery goodness made every grownup a kid again.

How do you know you’re looking at a cool car? In the case of BMW’s slick new i8, it was all about those dramatic scissor doors—and the endless stream of guests posing for photos with the incredible automobile.

The battle was on between the 1980s and 1990s as the Ronald Reagans rocked the Rosé After Dark VIP After Party presented by The Palm by Whispering Angel. The winner of the dueling decades battle? The hundreds of VIP guests on their feet for two hours of nostalgic fun.

This is only the beginning of summer fun on the East End! Join us for the inaugural Dan’s Chefs of the Hamptons at Topping Rose House (June 29), Chefs of the North Fork on the waterfront at The Halyard at Sound View Greenport (July 13), GrillHampton presented by New York Prime Beef (July 19), Taste of Two Forks (July 20), Dan’s Papers 60 Summers Gala (August 2) and Dan’s Corona MonTaco (August 3).

Find more information, check out the chefs and restaurants, and get your tickets to all events at DansTaste.com.

Read more about Dan’s Taste of Summer 2019.