Despite the drizzly July 4th weather, a lively, enthusiastic group of diners were on hand to attend Gurney’s Inn and Spa Resort’s Lobster Bake. Festively decorated in red, white and blue for the holiday, the kick off, initial Lobster Bake was not dampened by weather conditions. These Lobster Bakes will be held every Wednesday, all summer long, through Labor Day, and certainly worth a revisit to enjoy the food that is offered on the buffet. Originally scheduled to be held on the Riviera Patio, which faces the majestic Atlantic Ocean, diners were now seated inside because of the gusty winds that started to blow. Since one whole side of the dining room is totally glass encased, the ocean was never out of sight. One part of the dining area has an arched ceiling, covered in tiny white lights, which gives an aura of being shipboard, all keeping with the nautical theme.

During this holiday week, we had guests visiting us so I was continually looking for unique and pleasant events to do with them. Coming to the Gurney’s Lobster Bake was on the top of the list because I knew how fond our friends, Gudrun and Joachim were of lobster. The start of our day had leisurely because we also planned to extend our visit at Gurney’s by attending the Stand up Comedy Night that also runs every Wednesday. It is a winning combination, a scrumptious dinner and New York City caliber comedy club entertainment.

Once dinner guests are seated, each guest attending the buffet is given a coupon for their lobster. (By the way, regular dinners are available from the Gurney’s daily menu, in the larger dining room for those not attending the Lobster Bake event.) Our guests were impressed at both the size and tenderness of the succulent one and half pound lobster we were each given. Each juicy morsel was dipped in butter and simply out of this world. I have never seen so much meat in each claw, as I saw with the lobsters we ate that night! Normally a messy ordeal tearing apart your lobster, Gurney’s wait staff was on hand to personally tie on a “lobster bib” for each guest. The lobster bake runs from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, so a leisurely dinner was the order of the day. We munched, dined and marveled at the presentation of the buffet items. Once our lobsters were finished, we headed for the all you can peel and eat shrimp boat and the salad station. There is no way guests will leave this buffet hungry, with all the choices before them. Gurney’s chefs have provided a well rounded selection that includes smoked fish, mussels in garlic and white wine, marinated BBQ chicken, fish du jour, which was sword fish that day, burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, red bliss, parsley potatoes, Italian sausage, cole slaw, tomato and onion and mesclun salad. The dessert station had luscious strawberry shortcake and watermelon slices to accompany coffee and tea.

The dining room was filled with vacationing families, couples and Montauk residents that I recognized coming out for this first of the season Lobster Bake event. For the children, “Larry the Lobster” roamed the dining area shaking hands and readily posed for photos. Everyone was in a celebratory mood and the festive decorations reminded guests of this occasion, July 4th, celebrating our nation’s independence. It didn’t matter that the weather was uncooperative that day, because the delicious food, attractive presentation, ocean front ambiance and the company of good friends more than made up for this fact!

After we were finished dining, there was ample time to relax before the comedy show began. Originally, the show was to begin later than its normal start time in order to allow guests to view the spectacular Montauk fireworks. However, weather conditions caused them to be cancelled until October, during Montauk’s fall festival. The comedy club starts at 9:30 pm and is held in one of the ballrooms on another level of the Gurney’s complex. The room we entered was set up like a New York City Comedy club, complete with a brick façade back drop and a microphone on a bare stage. In the corner of the room a bar is set up for patrons that would like to purchase a drink or cocktail during the performance.

The room was practically filled to capacity, both with some of the guests I had noticed at the Lobster Bake and with others that I suppose were staying at the hotel or simply came by after reading about the Stand Up Comedy Night in one of the local newspapers. For the modest price of $15 a person, there are usually three comedians to round out the evening. These performers are professional entertainers, any of which have played the Las Vegas circuit or have been on HBO or other television specials, including the reality show that features comedians vying for top prize. Featured that evening at Gurney’s were Larry Defelice, Dave Konig, and Steven Scott. The first performer, Defelice, who was slight in size, did a routine that mainly focused on his statue. Konig, the second act talked about his family, working as a comedian and an assortment of other humorous topics. However, it was Steven Scott, billed as the headliner, which brought the most appreciative laughter. He was on the longest and with his quick wit, keen observations about humor nature, rapid fire material, ability to do impersonations and sounds, some of which you could not believe could be made without instruments, kept the pace flowing. His routines that discussed doing comedy on board a cruise ship to Alaska, listening to long winded phone messages from his mother and the problem with cell phones not working in Montauk were simply hilarious! This Stand Up Comedy night was the perfect topper for our evening and a great way for guests to come and enjoy New York City nightlife right in the heart of Montauk!

Gurney’s Inn Oceanfront Lobster Bake will be held every Wednesday, all summer long. Adults are $49 per person and children under ten are $39, plus tax and gratuity. Stand up Comedy also runs all summer long on every Wednesday. Tickets are $15 a person and the doors open at 9:00 pm. To see what else is going on at Gurney’s make sure to frequently check their website at www.gurneys-inn.com or you can call them at (631) 668-2345. They are located at 290 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk, NY 11954. Be sure to make your reservations to enjoy both of these summertime events at Gurney’s!