Common Ground East, a vibrant nightlife spot in East Hampton, has added a new dimension to its offerings with the introduction of Little Charli East Hampton, an authentic Italian pizzeria. After a successful first summer, this addition aims to enhance the dining experience with genuine Italian flavors and affordability.
Little Charli features a wood-burning oven imported from Italy, operated by a chef hailing from Rome. The menu includes three distinct pizza options, pasta dishes, main courses such as veal chop Milanese, and a variety of salads. Priced at $30 for a pizza pie meant to be shared by two, Little Charli offers an accessible dining option in the typically pricey Hamptons.
“The price points are relatively affordable. For the Hamptons, I would even consider them extremely affordable,” said owner Frank Cilione. “If you want to come in here and have a great meal and not spend a lot of money, this is the spot.”
The pizzeria stays open until 4 a.m. on weekends, catering to patrons finishing their night at the club. Cilione noted the popularity of this late-night option: “We saw a couple of people come in, have dinner, go into the club for a couple of hours and then grab some pizza to take home with them. We had a full restaurant at 3 a.m.”
Starting mid-June, Little Charli will also offer pizza-making classes, a hit in the city that Cilione believes will be equally popular with families and kids in East Hampton.
Little Charli is committed to being a year-round establishment, serving the local community even in the off-season. “There are a lot of people that live out here year-round now, and the pizza speaks for itself,” Cilione said. “I am a pizza snob and I’ve been to every place out here, and some are decent, but this pizza is just a whole different level.”
The Common Ground brand, created by Chris Reda, began in New York City and later expanded to Montauk before relocating to East Hampton. Cilione, who has owned the nightclub restaurant location for 26 years, saw a natural fit with Reda’s vision.
“Out here Common Ground has a name, and that is why I wanted to do this deal with Chris,” Cilione said. “I knew that this would be a win-win, and sure enough, since the first day we opened last summer, it’s been packed. This year, coming in, we had momentum from that, plus now adding the restaurant, it gels together.”
Known for its tagline, “Common Ground for Common People,” Common Ground East maintains a less restrictive admittance policy, appealing to a demographic of 23- to 33-year-olds seeking fun. “We just wanted to do a brand that was relevant to people getting out of college and give them a light and airy feel to nightlife, not making it as strict as it was, kind of a place for common people,” Reda explained.
Common Ground East is envisioned as an extension of the Common Ground brand. Reda anticipates that patrons will frequent both the East Hampton location and the Common Ground Bar in Manhattan. “We are not trying to gouge the customer,” Reda emphasized. “The customer is going out east, and they are there for the weekend, but we are trying to get them in the city 52 weeks a year. To us, it’s an extension. It’s not a popup, it’s a brand extension.”
With the addition of Little Charli, Common Ground East continues to solidify its place as a premier destination for both dining and nightlife in the Hamptons.