A Tradition Returns

The Pridwin has been important to Glenn’s family for nearly 100 years—his maternal grandparents began vacationing at the resort in 1930. Three decades later, his parents—Edith and Richard Petry—purchased the hotel and took on large-scale renovation projects, like the addition of a grand room for formal dining. But the couple ran into a problem: Their chef couldn’t work seven days per week. He needed a night off, and they needed to feed their patrons.

Enter the Wednesday Night Cookout, in which the owners, assistant cooks and dishwashers all  pitched in to pull off a casual, quintessentially American event. Beginning in 1962, guests came straight off the beach still in their bathing suits to enjoy—against a sunset backdrop—burgers on the grill, potato salad, coleslaw and beer on the lawn.  Richard baked scratch-made brownies, and he perfected a kalbi rib recipe.  Towards the end of the evening, he made a habit of dancing with his bride to live music, the waterskiers behind them in Shelter Island Sound getting in their last runs of the day.

What started as a practical innovation quickly evolved into a beloved community tradition.  In 1962, the Petry family opened their cookouts to the public, offering a place for couples and families to relax and recharge. Glenn fondly recalls childhood nights on the lawn, playing tag with other kids while their parents enjoyed a cocktail and the breeze. The cookouts regularly drew 300 to 500 attendees, including people who boated in from the North Fork of Long Island.  In 2015, the event drew national attention with a writeup in Esquire magazine, which called the venue “family-owned, memorable and as genuinely un-Hamptony as they come.” 

Much of the draw comes from a picturesque setting that seems insulated from time itself—the hotel is tucked away on an eight-acre lot in the southeast corner of Crescent Beach that hasn’t changed in 60 years. Natural elevation allows for an idyllic view of the glassy bay water and the lushness that surrounds it.  The only recent addition?  A weekly regatta that brings a view of approximately 50 white sails every Wednesday night.

“This is one of the most beautiful places on the planet,” Glenn says. “Being able to create an experience for people here, year after year, is truly a blessing.”

The menu for the Wednesday Night Cookouts has elevated a bit—in addition to burgers, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and all the barbeque staples, imagine smoked meats and fresh fish caught by the Pridwin’s resident fisherman, Glenn’s brother Gregg.  The table settings have evolved as well—the meal is served on tablecloths now, as opposed to paper.  But some things will never change.  This will always be a gathering space for generations of families and, as Glenn calls it, a “rite of passage” for locals and visitors. 

The patriarch of the event, Richard, passed away in 2022 at the age of 88, but his legacy lives on in those beautiful sunsets over the water, those rousing games of tag on the lawn, and that communal feeling best experienced with a burger in hand.

“He would be so happy that the cookouts are continuing,” Glenn says. “They are endless memory generators.”