Montauk Tango

Book excerpt: After the events of 9/11 all but destroy their Tribeca loft in New York City, Lewis and Tracey Gross and their three coming of age sons relocate to their summer home in Montauk in the East Hamptons. Tracey loves to cook and has always dreamed of starting her own restaurant. Their goal is to turn a run-down ice cream parlor into a functional restaurant that serves substantial honest fare. Montauk Tango provides an account of this familys journey to restaurant ownership, from the purchase of the property to its renovation and eventual opening in a seaside summer retreat. Author Lewis Gross believes 668 the Gig Shack, a Bohemian bistro, will be an immediate hit. But opening weekend is a disaster. Unfortunately, some of the locals dont want to see their fish turned into tacos or fishnets worn as stockings. Novices in business, they encounter many setbacks and a conspiracy by some of the locals to put them out of business. With a touch of humor, this real-life story accounts the stresses of opening a family restaurant business, weekend fatherhood, and an attempt to teach tango dancing to the local surfers and fishermen.