Where a Clerical Error Built a 45-Year Hamptons Institution

They wanted to call it Parma, after their hometown in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. However, when Pio Bozzi and John Ganzi presented their paperwork to a Manhattan licensing clerk in 1926, the thick Italian accents transformed Parma into Palm. Consequently, the bureaucrat’s misunderstanding created what would become America’s most storied steakhouse dynasty. Today, The Palm East Hampton carries that legacy into a 326-year-old building on Main Street, where power brokers and celebrities have gathered since 1980. Indeed, the Huntting Inn location stands as the sixth Palm to open after the Second Avenue original—and arguably the most scenic of them all.

The Palm East Hampton Origin Story

From Speakeasy to Steakhouse Empire

Pio Bozzi and John Ganzi arrived in New York from the Parma region of Italy and first met in the city in 1920. Six years later, they opened a modest restaurant at 837 Second Avenue in Manhattan’s Kips Bay neighborhood. At the time, this was the heart of New York’s newspaper district, surrounded by the offices of the Daily News, the Herald Tribune, and King Features Syndicate.

Initially, the partners envisioned a traditional Italian restaurant serving Northern Italian fare. Nevertheless, their proximity to newspaper offices attracted hungry journalists and cartoonists. Before long, customers began requesting steak. John Ganzi responded by sprinting up Second Avenue to a nearby butcher, purchasing a cut of beef, and cooking it to order.

The Cartoonist Connection

During the Prohibition era, The Palm operated as a speakeasy serving drinks alongside Italian dishes. Meanwhile, the struggling cartoonists from nearby King Features Syndicate faced a common problem: they had talent but lacked money. In an arrangement that would define The Palm’s identity for a century, artists paid for spaghetti dinners by drawing caricatures directly on the walls.

Jolly Bill Steinke, a well-known King Features artist and radio personality, became the restaurant’s first unofficial artist-in-residence. In exchange for his work, The Palm compensated him with a steady supply of gin cocktails. Subsequently, this barter system evolved into a formal tradition, with professional artists creating caricatures of celebrities and valued regulars. Today, the walls of every Palm location feature thousands of hand-drawn portraits—artwork so prized that it carries $500,000 in insurance.

The Hamptons Transplant

Acquiring a Colonial Landmark

By 1979, the third generation of Bozzi and Ganzi family owners—Bruce Bozzi Sr. and Wally Ganzi Jr.—had successfully expanded The Palm to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Houston. Then they turned their attention east, to a village that National Geographic would later name “America’s Most Beautiful.” In 1980, the Palm Restaurant Group acquired the Huntting Inn on East Hampton’s Main Street.

The building’s history predates the restaurant chain by nearly three centuries. Originally constructed in 1699 for Reverend Nathaniel Huntting, the second Presbyterian minister of East Hampton, the saltbox-style home was granted “for him and his heirs forever.” Remarkably, the Huntting family retained ownership for nine generations before converting it to a boarding house in 1875. When The Palm arrived, none of the original structure remained visible beneath centuries of additions.

Where History Meets Prime Beef

The Palm East Hampton opened as the sixth location in the chain, bringing Manhattan steakhouse swagger to a building that had witnessed the American Revolution. Furthermore, the East End setting provided something no urban Palm could offer: elm-shaded lawns, proximity to ocean beaches, and a clientele that included the most powerful figures in American business and entertainment.

Andrew Tobin, who joined The Palm in 2001, eventually rose to manage the East Hampton location. “This location is unique because we alternate between very busy summers full of celebrity guests and much quieter, small-town winters,” he explains. His restaurant’s New York Strip has emerged as the most popular signature dish, frequently paired with robust red wines from local Long Island vineyards.

What Makes The Palm East Hampton Iconic

The Lobster Revolution

While steaks built The Palm’s reputation, it was lobster that transformed the chain into a destination. In the 1940s, second-generation owners Walter Ganzi and Bruno Bozzi added Nova Scotia lobster to the menu. Then, in 1965, their sons introduced the now-legendary four-pound whole lobster. Almost overnight, The Palm’s lobster sales exploded from 150 pounds per week to 25,000 pounds.

The innovation challenged conventional wisdom that large lobsters were tough and flavorless. Indeed, the gargantuan crustaceans—sometimes reaching eight pounds—proved tender and sweet. Today, the signature Surf ‘n’ Turf combines a broiled three-pound Nova Scotia lobster with a thick-cut aged steak. At The Palm East Hampton, this combination arrives at tables overlooking the historic Main Street, where horse-drawn carriages once passed.

The Celebrity Walls

Every Palm location continues the caricature tradition that began with starving cartoonists in the 1920s. However, The Palm East Hampton’s walls tell a distinctly Hamptons story. Among the celebrity patrons whose faces adorn the dining room: Billy Joel, Calvin Klein, Jon Bon Jovi, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Alec Baldwin.

The dining room is famous for what longtime residents call “The Palm Look.” When a party enters, everyone already seated glances up and evaluates the new arrivals. On September 1, 2011, the entire dining room broke into an impromptu “Happy Birthday” for Bill Clinton, who had turned 65 on August 19. Meanwhile, Jimmy Fallon, Renée Zellweger, Jack Nicholson, and Andy Cohen have all claimed corner tables beneath their own caricatures.

What Regulars Know

The cozy Oak Bar offers a dozen stools, four intimate booths, and a piano. Locals arrive early on summer Saturdays, settling in with martinis and a backgammon board while tourists battle for dining room reservations. Particularly wise regulars order from the Italian menu that recalls the restaurant’s origins—Veal Parmigiana, Chicken Marsala, Linguine with Clam Sauce.

The Gigi Salad offers a lighter counterpoint to the massive protein courses: finely diced lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pimientos, and anchovies. Similarly, the Monday Night Chopped Salad provides a palate cleanser between courses. Both dishes trace their origins to the original Second Avenue menu, connecting East Hampton diners to nearly a century of Palm tradition.

Experience The Palm East Hampton Today

What to Order

The 35-day aged Double-Cut New York Strip represents The Palm’s signature preparation. Additionally, the bone-in ribeye and Prime Tomahawk satisfy serious carnivores. For those seeking the full experience, the Surf ‘n’ Turf pairing with a three-pound broiled Nova Scotia lobster remains essential. Don’t overlook the sides: duck-fat-roasted fingerling potatoes and the classic half-and-half (cottage fries with fried onions).

The Insider’s Move: Request the Jumbo Cold Water Nova Scotia Lobster Tail—a 15-ounce portion that rivals some entrées. The Key Lime Pie has developed a devoted following among regulars, while the warm cinnamon sugar donut holes provide a nostalgic finish.

When to Go

Summer weekends require reservations made weeks in advance. “People come from another Hampton,” notes one longtime staffer—a reference to the legendary traffic that makes even a 20-minute drive feel like a journey. Conversely, shoulder season offers quieter dining and easier access to prime tables. The restaurant operates year-round, unlike many seasonal Hamptons establishments.

Current hours run from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM on weekdays and 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM on weekends. The front dining area, described by guests as almost a porch, captures late afternoon light beautifully. For the most theatrical experience, arrive as the sun sets over Main Street.

The New Era Under Fertitta

In March 2020, Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta completed a $45 million acquisition of The Palm through his Landry’s Inc. hospitality empire. The purchase included the Huntting Inn itself. Subsequently, the Fertitta family continues to own and operate both the inn and the storied restaurant.

Fertitta’s steakhouse portfolio now includes Morton’s, Mastro’s, Del Frisco’s, and The Palm—arguably the most prestigious collection in American fine dining. Despite the corporate ownership, the East Hampton location retains its family-managed atmosphere. Bruce Bozzi and Wally Ganzi remain involved as “ambassadors for the brand,” ensuring continuity with nearly a century of tradition.

The Legacy of The Palm East Hampton

Influence on Hamptons Dining

Before The Palm arrived in 1980, East Hampton lacked a true power-dining destination. The restaurant introduced Manhattan-caliber steakhouse culture to a village previously known for country inns and casual seafood. Furthermore, The Palm helped establish Main Street as a dining destination, paving the way for Sant Ambroeus, Nick & Toni’s, and subsequent arrivals.

The Huntting Inn’s transformation demonstrated that historic preservation and contemporary hospitality could coexist. Today, guests can stay overnight in rooms that blend 18th-century architecture with modern amenities, enjoying complimentary continental breakfast, beach passes, and shuttle service to the shore.

Why It Endures

The Palm’s motto has remained unchanged since 1926: “The place to see and to be seen.” At the East Hampton location, this philosophy manifests in the ritual of arrival—the valet parking, the lobby glance, the hostess podium evaluation. Even the Hampton Jitney and Hampton Luxury Liner buses stop directly in front, depositing weekend visitors at the threshold of tradition.

Nearly a century after a licensing clerk’s error christened the restaurant, The Palm continues to deliver on a simple promise. Treat guests like family. Serve great food. Always exceed expectations. At the Huntting Inn on Main Street, that promise has anchored 45 summers of Hamptons history—with no sign of slowing down.

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