Monte’s Local Kitchen & Tap Room:
Robert Gladstone, Isaac Lazerson, Robert Trump, Michelle-Marie Heinemann, Marie-Claire Gladstone.
This past weekend I dined at Montes in Amenia, New York. It was completely fabulous as the menu offers a wonderful selection “from the farm” “from the sea” and “Montes specials.” I ordered the local trout stuffed with mushrooms, risotto and Montes signature tomato sauce…it was perfect and paired beautifully with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from the nicely curated wine list.
The Monte Family has and continues to signify a tradition of gracious hospitality for over a century, beginning in 1906 with the founding of Monte’s Venetian Room in Brooklyn, NY.
Monte’s Venetian Room was founded by Angelo and Philomena Montemarano, two Italian immigrants who met, fell in love, and continued to strive together both personally and professionally their whole lives through. During the Great Depression, Angelo, Philomena and their seven sons were forced to move into an apartment above Monte’s Venetian Room when they lost most of their real estate holdings. When Prohibition was made Constitutional, Monte’s Venetian Room became a ‘Speakeasy’ with a password required for entry. World War II broke out and brought six of the seven brothers into the military, with one staying behind to run the business. All of the brothers made it home safely after the war only to be handed aprons after 3 days of “vacation” and were put to work.
Through this, the Monte family stuck together and moved forward to purchase and manage the iconic Gurney’s Inn in Montauk, NY, while unofficially adopting the Sly and the Family Stone song, ‘We are Family’ as a personification of their own. That on-premise, responsible family management was just a continuation of the values and gracious hospitality that were handed down from the family founders, Angelo and Philomena.
From the days of sawdust on the floors in Brooklyn, to the wide, white sandy beaches of Montauk, the Monte Family has lived and worked through every important local, national, and international event including the Great Depression, Prohibition, two World Wars, the Hippy Generation/British Invasion, the man on the moon and so many more. In every case, important events dictated special circumstances that had to be dealt with and adjusted to in order to survive. Through these times, the Monte family was able to provide flexibility to manage these changes, yet they continued to embrace a stable sense of hospitality that helped many individuals cope with the stressors that the ever changing times would bring.
Today, the Montes have reinvented themselves in the Hudson Valley of New York with the advent of Monte’s Local Kitchen & Tap Room in Amenia. This more recent development in the long historical legacy of the Monte Family came about in 2014 when Ann Marie Pallan, one of the third generation siblings, found a location in Amenia, NY that so closely resembled the original Monte’s building in Brooklyn. Ann Marie was so taken aback that she immediately called her brothers and sisters to come up to the Hudson Valley to see for themselves. Shortly thereafter, the seeds were sown for the birth of a new entity to be called Monte’s Local Kitchen & Tap Room. Subsequetly, a partnership was formed between the Monte family and Dafna Mizrahi, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and now General Manager and Executive Chef, to continue the tradition of hospitality for future generations to come.
From our family to yours, it is assured that you will always feel at home with us. To many more generations and years of hospitality to come- enjoy!
Monte’s is a great place to have fresh delicious food, relaxed conversation and even live music on Friday nights!!!!
Contact:
MontesKitchen@gmail.com
Address:
3330 NY-343,
Amenia, NY 12501
