Summer Happenings in the Hamptons

THE HAMPTONS, N.Y. (MainStreet) -- Unless you're a real Hamptonite, it's difficult to keep up with the musical chairs of restaurants and nightlife here. The businesses seem to change from year to year, and there always seems to be one or more left without a chair (or a lease) at the end of the season.

Montauk continues its hipster expansion with the addition of Ruschmeyer's, a hotel and restaurant along the lines of the Surf Club that has become the hot spot du jour. A beach spin on the summer camps of the 1950s, this modern-day lodge a la Dirty Dancing is in a rehabilitated beach motel that's gotten a full makeover, from a main lodge with an elevated walkway to a nautically themed lobby. Its bohemian bar, the Electric Eel, is a carryover from the previous hotel, albeit with a new style best described as longshoreman meets The Selby. Next door is an eatery with local seafood fare from the chefs behind New York City's Fat Radish.

Beach relaxation is only half the story in the Hamptons, where restaurants and nightlife are in a state of constant renewal.

Those staying at the nearby Surf Lodge, managed by the same King & Grove operating Ruschmeyer's, find a similarly spare aesthetic -- minimally furnished rooms and simple amenities. Wood-paneled walls add a textured element to upgraded suites that include small living areas with a daybed and gourmet mini bar. Bathrooms are guileless, all-white spaces outfitted with John Masters toiletries and the occasional garden view. Added arty elements, such as in-house design magazines and organized live music nights, make up for the pared-down service, especially during midweek.

Nearby, Sean MacPhearson operates The Crow's Nest Inn & Restaurant for a second season. A complete renovation of the hotel and restaurant has added a dinner-only dining room to open daily starting in August. A handwritten menu of local produce includes kale salads with fennel, grilled artichoke with saffron aiolo and roasted beets with fresh yogurt. Main courses tout local seafood such as fluke, skate and halibut as well as organic ribeye and heirloom tomato pasta in one of Montauk's chicest new eateries. The hotel and restaurant got off to a slow start, but expect thing to stay at full throttle through the end of summer.