I’ve been at arm’s length with the Monte family since I was a wet-behind-the-ears newspaper reporter in Montauk. The Monte Family, specifically Paul Monte and his two sons, PJ Monte and Chris Monte, were some of the nicest, smartest, and coolest people I knew. They owned Gurney’s Inn in Montauk. PJ was a teenager, and Chris was coming of age in his 20s like I was, and we were trying to find our place in the world. One of the sanctuaries of Montauk, for me at that time, was Gurney’s Inn, which is much different today than it was back then.
It was a Monte’s world at Gurney’s. The hotel had that Italian American family charm that only Italian-Americans know how to do. Paul was the captain of the ship, and every single local in Montauk knew at heart that they were more than welcome to find a chair at Gurney’s.
And then it sold. And I remember being kind of worried about them. In a way, I was in the same boat as Chris and, at similar times, with what I thought was going to be my family business, for whatever reason, no longer in the cards. I do not know the details of how Gurney’s was traded, but I could tell it was bittersweet, even without talking to Chris, PJ, or Paul about it.
And then, one day, I walked into Citarella in Bridgehampton, and I did a double take. Monte’s Sauce, a marinara sauce, was for sale on the shelf. After looking into it, I realized, with an absolute smile across my face, that the Monte’s were back in business, and I had heard they had moved to upstate New York and were operating a restaurant out there and were doing well.
I bought the sauce, and it’s fabulous, and when I’m in the mood for marinara, I reach for Monte’s. It’s my brand. It’s Montauk’s brand, and as far as I was concerned, this isn’t upstate NY.
Today, the Monte’s are back in Montauk in full force. PJ has an Instagram page that is attracting thousands of followers with his antics selling Monte’s Sauce, but they have also opened a restaurant in Montauk called Monte’s at the Manor, which I’ve heard is sensational, located right within Montauk Manor, and you can find Paul Monte there with his two sons working away, and never stopping.
