Photo by Phil Gross.
The iconic white tent with its many rising peaks stood beaconing as I approached the vast Wölffer Estate Vineyard property for the annual James Beard Foundation’s Chefs & Champagne fundraising bash. It’s no secret that it’s my favorite event of the summer. This year, the party was blessed with comfortable temperatures (some previous years it felt like Saigon in summer) and extended well into the night with an elegant full-on after-party.
Photo courtesy of the James Beard Foundation.
Even though this year’s honored chef, food writer and personality was Andrew Zimmern, host and co-producer of the Travel Channel series, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Bizarre Foods America, the food served was far from bizarre. No deep fried piglet testicles, fermented fish eggs or baked muskrat. The food was brilliant as usual with famous chefs on premise cooking and serving their signature dishes.
left and center: Photo courtesy of the James Beard Foundation. Right: Photo by Mark Von Holden.
Both the array of chefs and their small plate delicacies were dazzling. Here’s a short list of highlights: Masaharu Morimoto with Tuna Trio; Alex Stupek with Lobster and Sweet Corn: Hayan Yi with Hamachi with Pickled Plums; Stefan Karlsson with Salmon Tartar, Swedish Anchovies and Kalix Caviar; Ashely Merreman with Hudson Valley Foie Gras and Stone Fruit; Rosa Ross with Stripped Bass and Skuna Bay Salmon Ceviche: and Timothy Fischer with Blue Crab with Huitlacoche. A big treat was the appearance of legendary chef Michel Richard—previously of Citronelle and soon to open two restaurants at the New York Palace hotel—who served tomato tartare.
Photos by Phil Gross.
As is my pattern for the third Saturday in July, I attended the first hour of the opening of Bridgehampton Polo and then dashed off to attend the 5:00 p.m. VIP kick-off to Chefs & Champagne. In the last few years the Champagne has been Nicolas Feuillatte (and their vintage Palmes D’Or), but this year a new sponsor appeared: Billecart-Salmon, a family-owned Champagne house formed in 1818 through a marriage between Nicolas-Francois Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon. They poured the Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve, which has a lively mousse, notes of pear and brioche and a rich round mouth-feel coming from its blend of 40 percent Pinot Meunier, 30 percent Pinot Noir and 30 percent Chardonnay.
left: Photo by Mark Von Holden. right: Photo courtesy of the James Beard Foundation.
One of the many good things about Billecart-Salmon Champagne, a medium sized brand with a strictly connoisseur following, is that it is rich enough that one sips it slowly. Some lighter floral Champagne goes down too fast. Thus the crowd displayed just the right level of Champagne high and could converse with charm. Before we all knew it, the speeches were given. The lovely Susan Ungaro, the President of the James Beard Foundation, gave her spirited introduction to chef Andrew Zimmerman and the full house of chefs assembled on stage and later took the famous group shot.
Photo by Phil Gross
Onward to the VIP after-party, which was not a wind-down affair but instead another fresh new event, again with the Champagne flowing and creative hors d’oeuvres. People left the main large white tent and entered the side tent, which was flanked by two surrealistic women dressed in fairy princess outfits. Seen from the waist up as if popping out of a cake, the fairies were encased in a table and surrounding by Champagne flutes.
Photo by Phil Gross
Sponsored by Empire City Casino showcasing its Pinch restaurant—which is the brainchild of Studio Ducasse and Mark Advent Company, this after-party featured a slew of delectable dishes (lobster tails in their shell, fresh caviar, scrumptious pork belly burgers) and a dessert bar with elaborate chocolate fountain with strawberries for dipping. The food design and presentation couldn’t have been more creative and the plentiful desserts: key lime tarts, crème brulée and an assortment of cookies and cakes, capped off the night. And as a final coda, we all grabbed our goodie-bags, which had 17 items in them (the young son of one of the organizers reported the contents to me in advance). My favorites: discount coupons for flights on Delta, bamboo plates and a mammoth jar of Hellman’s Creamy Balsamic Mayonnaise.
The second weekend of July brought a foodie weekend extraordinaire, The scene was a big white tent in Sayre Park in Bridgehampton where GrillHampton kicked off on Friday night and Dan’s Taste of Two Forks on Saturday.
On the rainy Friday, the rain let up in time for the 8PM party. As I approached the GrillHampton tent, the savory meaty aromas from Pat LaFrieda’s top-flight produce were in the air. It was indeed carnivores’ heaven with endless stations offering small plates with cuts of delicious tender meat prepared in various styles with a few succulent burgers thrown into the mix.
The event was set up as a competition pitting eight East End grilling masters against eight NYC chefs and judged by celebrity team including restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, Food & Wine editor Kate Krader and The Iron Palate, Karine Bakhoum. Yes, it was a heated contest with Byran Futerman of Foody’s against Nil Noren of Red Rooster in Harlem; Cliff Crooks of BLT Steak against Billy Oliva of Delmonico’s of Southampton.
For this wine enthusiast there was one thing amiss: all this juicy red meat and not a drop of Cabernet or Merlot or Cabernet Franc in sight. Where was the red wine for the steak? Here in the center of the Long Island wine region with some 80 wineries, there was not one winery present (the next night would bring them out in force).
After I searched through the large tent in vain, I had several happy discoveries. First I spotted a label with the iconic deer antlers, the superlative single malt scotch, Glenfiddich, from one of Scotland’s oldest family-owned distilleries (since 1887). Scotch and steak, a perfect match and obviously a very masculine evening.
Men were mobbing the beer station of Blue Moon Brewing Company. And women were focusing on Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a hip brand right now. Distilled at the Mockingbird Distillery in Austin, Texas, Tito’s is made from yellow corn, not wheat (so it’s gluten free), in small batches in an old-fashioned pot still. It’s garnering a lot of awards. And then I discovered another very hip brand, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, a 92-proof Caribbean style rum with a bare-breasted island girl in grass skirt strumming a ukulele on the label. Higher alcohol spirits is a growing trend.
Through all of this drinking, an excellent Long Island based band, New life Crisis, really kept the party spirited and people danced (namely me and my group) until the bitter end. And as for the winner of the night: Team Hamptons. But as best dish, the judges picked the Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Charred Mexican Street Corn Salad by chef Elizabeth Karmel, Hill Country BBQ (Team NYC).
Saturday night was a different story at Dan’s Taste of Two Forks where the place was awash in wine from Long Island. I entered the tent to find it transformed from its previous incarnation, its Wild West look, to a more elegant Hamptons’ atmosphere. The tent’s many supporter poles now sported gold silky material and just outside the main tent was an outdoor area with day beds. TheVIP started at 6:30 p.m. and at the entrance I was immediately struck by the lovely sight of Champagne flutes holding Nicolas Feuillatte Rosé awaiting me.
From there it was the usual dance ricocheting around the room for the best bites. In contrast to the meat-centric GrillHampton, this event proved to be “seafood Hamptons.” Some especially delectable dishes were the rock shrimp ceviche with Thai lemongrass from North Fork Inn & Table; the local corn and striped bass salad from Beacon/Fresno; and the lobster rolls with their buttery buns from their namesake restaurant in Amagansett. From the North Fork side of the equation, I tasted Noah’s signature crab stuffed devil eggs and The Riverhead Project’s summer sea scallop ceviche.
I hit all the favorites like Osteria Salina, Navy Beach Nick & Toni’s and all were washed down with different Long Island wines. I played a personal pairing game. Sparkling Pointe Brut Seduction would be perfect with the ceviche. It was. And the lobster rolls with rich Sherwood House Chardonnay. Definitely. Of course the celebrated Wölffer Rosé went with just about everything. Nothing like rosé in summer. They poured it out of magnum which makes it even more balanced in flavor. I tried to taste through most of the wineries present and I got small pours from many among them Jamesport Vineyards, Palmer Vineyards, Lenz Winery, and Macari Vineyards. The beautiful Gabriella Macari was there pouring for her family’s vineyard.
Each summer the Hamptons seems to spawn a small group of Jay Gatsby contenders, guys who throw over-the-top parties and spend fortunes just for the sheer pleasure of entertaining guests in high style. Maybe they have a business motive or maybe it is a desire to discover their Daisy Buchanan. But from the looks of it, their extravagant parties may come from a richer ego need: that of replicating the excesses of F. Scott Fitzergerald’s West Egg, Long Island of 1922.
On Fourth of July weekend two such Jay-Gatsby-contenders threw expensive bashes. On Thursday, July 4th, the first of the two mysterious mega-millionaires kicked off his magic. It was none other than Marc Leder, Co-CEO of Sun Capital Partners of Boca Raton, who each year takes on a just-south-of-million-dollar summer rental in Water Mill to lavishly entertain his Hamptons friends.
I am one of the lucky beneficiaries of this generous man and have attended his elegant dinner parties in the past three years where the food, drink and guests are at the highest level. The Veuve Clicquot never runs out. Neither does the Domaines Ott, the iconic Provence rose, the pale coral-pink favorite in the bowling ball bottle found on every beachside table in St. Barths and St. Tropez.
Marc outdid himself on this July 4th by putting up an enormous white tent on the property (rain was predicted). The spirited multi-piece band, Booga Sugar, who often appears at Stephens Talkhouse in Amagansett, played throughout the evening. The bar, as always, was top shelf with brands like Stoli Elit and Patron XO.
The well-dressed crowd sipped flutes of Veuve Clicquot Rosé and cocktails and feasted at a raw bar overflowing with freshly shucked oysters, jumbo shrimp, crab, clams and succulent large lobster tails (catered by The Seafood Shop in Wainscott). Yama Q in Bridgehampton provided an abundant sushi bar. I boogied till midnight to Booga Sugar’s rock classics. What a party!
On Saturday night the second Gatsby contender entertained in slightly wilder style with a dozen women in dental floss string bikinis, their exposed bottoms and breasts done up in red-white-and-blue themed body paint. Gyrating painted men in tiny swim suits joined them on stage while a colorful laser show sent multi-color flashes of light and strobes to illuminate the scene. The lawns and gardens were strewn with day beds and neon lit tables. For the sports minded there was a bucking bull machine. Guests lined up at the sushi bar where two Japanese chefs preparing sushi, sashimi and hand-rolls to order. Veuve Clicquot, which, I guess, is the Champagne brand of these Gatsby parties (although for Jay of 1922 it was definitely Moet & Chandon) flowed here too in both rosé and brut choices.
At intervals a little show erupted, featuring a fire-eater, the dancing body-painted women, and, finally as the piece de resistance, an astronaut with a suit that flashed with 100’s of tiny bulbs. Quite a show! We bid goodnight at midnight to our gracious host, Arthur Pergament (once of Pergament Home Centers with 40 stores…before the rise of Home Depot).
rob rich
The third Gatsby is even more of a committed showman and has been throwing spectacular parties for decades. He specializes in costume parties. Last year he threw an exotic animal costume bash for about 500 people and turned his property into a wonderland with a large antique carousel and lady-bug electric cars. One could say he has a little Michael Jackson in him. He opens his “castle” (a Gothic style castle in Southampton bordering Water Mill) for personal parties but also charity events (mainly for his Peaceman Foundation charity).
rob rich
The man is Ivan Wilzig, a banking heir and a musician/singer who goes by the name Sir Ivan. He’s cut a number of songs that topped the charts and is very famous in Japan. For his various extravaganzas he parades around the castle in his signature long colorful cape and dons a peace symbol necklace. This Gatsby found his Daisy Buchanan years ago, a beauty from Japan, Mina, who at a recent party wore a sexy strappy bathing suit with a long red feathered tail (she was obviously still displaying the wild animal theme). Oh yes, and Sir Ivan also keeps his guests in the Veuve Clicquot. Lucky us. Sir Ivan’s next extravaganza for his Peaceman Foundation is on Sunday, September 1st. He is billing it as a “very naughty and nautical” theme party that no one will want to miss.
