Dan’s Papers April 13, 2012 danshamptons.com Page 31
TWENTY SOMETHING by David Lion Rattiner
OH MY GOD I HATE REALITY TELEVISION. IT’S NOT REALITY. Why in the world would Gurney’s Inn, one of the most well-run, beautiful and most luxurious hotels and spas on the face of the earth, need a “makeover” from the Travel Channel? There is a new show on the Travel Channel called “Hotel Impossible” that is basically the same premise as “Kitchen Nightmares” where they have an “expert” walk into a place, yell at people, turn things around and make it better. They usually do it at a family-run business to add to the drama. We all remember the “Kitchen Nightmares” episode at Finn McCool’s restaurant in Westhampton, where Gordon Ramsay and his team literally told one of our interns at Dan’s Papers at the time, to go on camera and complain about the restaurant. She did just that. And at 22 years old, she was demonized by the entire nation when the episode came out. This was not only after she was TOLD to complain, but after our group—I was part of this—was given EVERY reason to complain about the dinner there to add to the drama. Gurney’s Inn does not need any help. Gurney’s Inn is an unbelievably well run, highly respected, and extremely gorgeous hotel in Montauk. The hotel is a leader, drawing celebrities, The Hamptons International Film Festival parties, jet setters, and locals. It’s
Airport
freaking awesome. So when I heard about a Travel Channel show about a guy named Anthony Melchiorri who comes into a family run hotel, yells at people Gordon Ramsay style, and turns it around, my red alert alarm went off. Because these shows are so incredibly ass backwards 90% of the time. Paul Monte, the CEO of Gurney’s and one of the most respected men in Montauk, admitted that he didn’t know the premise of the show was going to be a “Kitchen Nightmares” premise, but that it was originally pitched to him as “Mr. Hospitality,” where an expert comes into a well-run hotel to give advice on how to make it even better. The show aired last week on the Travel Channel, and for a lot of the show, Gurney’s was placed in a light like they didn’t know
what they were doing. It gets me angry because I know the feeling after my experience on “Kitchen Nightmares.” There is even a scene in that episode where a chicken wing is dropped in the kitchen and then it cuts to a shot of me eating a chicken wing, implying that it was the same food. Watch the full episode of “Kitchen Nightmares” at www. danshamptons.com. I’m telling you, the entire freaking show is staged and directed. Not a single part of it isn’t planned out in advance, and that is true for ALL reality television. I can tell you right now, without any hesitation, that Gurney’s Inn doesn’t need any help from anybody when it comes to running a hotel, they have been doing it for over three generations of fine Italian-American hospitality and have been nothing but a beacon of leadership in Montauk.
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itself without federal aid. Taking FAA funds is the “most responsible, safest, and quickest way to gain control of our airspace,” informs Stanzione. Declining FAA funds will only cost taxpayers more, or in the worst-case scenario, lead to the closure of the local airport. Then who wins? Originally, East Hampton Town Supervisor William Wilkinson anticipated the benefits of federal money for the airport, insisting that the town can now make improvements to the airport without having to tax the residents. However, several weeks ago marked a shift from Wilkinson’s originally stance as he expressed hesitation in the matter; however, there has been no official comment issued by Wilkinson if he formally objects to FAA funds. The Supervisor’s support would have facilitated matters further towards accepting federal funds. However, advocates for federal funding believe it is only a matter of time. Additionally, advocates seeking federal aid assert that this is the most fiscally responsible plan the town can adopt. Declining federal aid will not facilitate any curfews or any more effective noise reduction measures, and, in fact, (continued on next page)
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