Naomi Watts, Camila Morrone, and More Joined Chef Francis Mallmann’s Hamptons Summer Barbecue

Think summer barbecue and one thinks of hot dogs, potato salad, and cold lemonade. However, none of these things were on hand last night at Dom Pérignon’s summer soirée at a private waterfront residence in Water Mill. Instead, there was an endless flow of fare, all devised by Chef Francis Mallmann, who was tapped by the storied Champagne house to bring his unmistakably Argentine flavors to the table. They proved irresistible to partygoers like Naomi Watts, fellow Chef Rōze Traore, and Camila Morrone, a born and bred Argentine who happily waxed poetic on the joys of chimichurri.

The cause for celebration was a new release from Dom Pérignon, an auspicious occasion since some years yield no Dom Pérignon at all. Each year, the decision is at the discretion of Chef de Cave, Vincent Chaperon, who co-hosted the evening. “This was a lesson to be patient,” he told us as he debuted a Vintage 2015 and Vintage 2006 Plentitude 2. “Each of these takes 15 or 20 years to reach their fullness, or their ‘Plentitude,’ so this moment feels like sharing a new baby. There is a lot of emotion and, of course, a little bit of stress.”

Following a toast, guest took their seats at a circular dining table overlooking Mecox Bay, where one of Chef Mallmann’s signature “fire dome” contraptions, decorated with hanging meat and vegetables over an open fire, stood at its center, tended to by a man atop a wooden ladder. “Guys wearing white pants need to brush their seat off,” Rachel Zoe, ever the consummate stylist, cautioned us as a charming layer of ash wafted from the fire and onto our place settings.

As expected with a Francis Mallmann experience, the menu was not for the faint of heart and unlike most large dinner gatherings of this ilk, no guest would be leaving hungry as five hearty courses unfurled over the next three hours including an Arctic Char baked in a salt crust and a ribeye cooked for ten hours, served alongside roasted domino potatoes and a generous portion of chimichurri. Two glasses of Champagne remained throughout, as diners were encouraged to enjoy both the Vintage 2015 and Vintage 2006 Pléntitude 2 to admire their differences.

“I like it at breakfast, sort of mid-morning,” Mallmann later told us of his preferred time of day for Champagne as guests gathered around a fire by the home’s pool. “It’s not just for special occasions, because I believe life is a special occasion. Every day. Every moment. That’s how I live. From the moment I wake up, from the moment I go to bed. That’s how I’ve lived my life since I was very, very young.” With that, revelers were surprised with a sweet treat for the road, a dulce de leche crepe, and, of course, just one more glass of bubbles.