Ah, summer in the Hamptons. A time for lazy lounging by the pool. Picnics at the beach. Catching fireflies. It’s also the season for frantic shopping. In need of my own sustenance and partially curious about what the scene would be, I ventured out at 8:58 a.m. to Citarella in Bridgehampton on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. The conversations ranged from the scintillating to the silly to the sublime. Or something like that.

“My husband invited my son’s whole Little League team over and that’s 14 families. I have a caddy from the club to grill. I need 45 pieces of corn.”

Overheard at the fish counter on the sizing of salmon fillets: “Two of them are women, just to let you know. They aren’t going to eat very much.”

“A dozen white American slices.”
“For burgers?”
“No, just to eat.”

“We need more jumbo shrimp!”

“I’m so glad I got here at 9 a.m. They’re already out of grilled artichokes.”

All summer I’ll have my eyes and ears open in all my favorite spots…so be careful what you say. You just might read it here!

Shakespeare once said, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. A rosé, however, has many names and permutations. Some 40 distinct wines made an appearance at the third annual Dan’s Rosé Soirée held at the Southampton Arts Center the Sunday night of Memorial Day weekend, from as near as Southampton and as far as South Africa, as the Hamptons officially kicked off the start of summer.

Whatever form it takes—canned, bottled with a reusable glass cork (like Hampton Water) or frozen into a popsicle—a swish of the blush beverage heralds the beginning of this splendid season on the East End

Here are some of my favorite Soirée moments:

I asked Roman Roth of Wölffer, What are your favorite snacks to go with rosé? “Guacamole. I can’t say no to that. Shrimp, and oysters will also do the trick.”

Rapper Mickey Factz’s favorite drinks were the mint chocolate chip martini from Spiro’s Restaurant and Lounge and rosé from Berne. “It was light, flavorful, awesome. And I loved the truffle mushroom salad, but I’m here for the wine.”

John described the Bacari rosé as “like butter.”

“The dumplings were the best and vegetarian,” Sara said. Said dumplings were brought in from Chinatown’s famous dim sum parlor Jing Fong. One can only hope that they will consider doing a summer popup restaurant. Can we make this happen, Hamptons food gods?

Hazel came to hear the Ronald Reagans perform at the VIP After Party presented by The Palm by Whispering Angel, but of course enjoyed more than just the fun music. Her favorite drink of the night was not even a wine. It was an Aperol Spritz. According to my sources, look out for frozen Aperol spritzes this summer—it’s the next trend in intoxicating popsicle-like products.

On the topic of frozen beverages to enjoy poolside, Mirabeau offers four-packs of rosé ice pops with lemon strawberry and mango flavors.

Other non-rosé drinkers included Meryl and Mark from Remsenberg. Mark was enjoying the Wild Turkey Longbranch whiskey. “It has a sweetness and it goes down pretty smooth.”

Guests were coming back for seconds and thirds of the Espelón Gran Margarita, mixed with Grand Marnier, agave and lime juice.

The wine with the longest heritage award belongs to Boschendal—the South African winery was founded in 1685 by the Dutch. The wines they offered for tasting were much younger, however, from 2016 and 2018.

Paola’s is a newcomer to the Hamptons this year, taking over the space vacated by EMP Summer House, and they were ready to roll at Rosé Soirée. I am a regular at Paola’s in Manhattan, where they are famous for their veal agnolotti and duck ragu with pappardelle. Stefano Marracino is the son of original founder Paola Bottero and has made the move to the Hamptons for “quality of life.” The new space will have a garden to grow herbs and alfresco dining. Stefano promised the same great quality ingredients and menu items all year round.

Now, this was only the beginning. We still have six more Dan’s Taste of Summer events—Chefs of the Hamptons, Chefs of the North Fork, GrillHampton, Taste of Two Forks, 60 Summers Gala and MonTaco! See you there!

For tickets and more information on all Dan’s Taste of Summer events, click here.

“Summer is the ideal time to unplug and lose yourself in a book!” says Bedside Reading founder Jane Ubell-Meyer.

I couldn’t agree more. And what’s better than discovering a new book or author you haven’t read before, and then absolutely falling in love?

Sometimes this kind of love is fate, sometimes it takes a helping hand. I’ve found both, lucky me, and you can, too. And right here on the East End. As if all the sunshine and summertime fun weren’t enough now that Memorial Day Weekend kicks things off, a gift bag of fabulous reads just may be waiting for you at some of my favorite places—1170 House, Baron’s Cove, Baker House 1650, Hotel Indigo, Hyatt Place East End, Lucille Khornak Gallery, Mill House Inn, Southampton Inn, The Hedges Inn, Topping Rose House and White Fences Water Mill.

What’s hiding inside? A sampling from among:
Bluff by Jane Stanton Hitchcock
Eat Happy by Anna Vocino
The Hormone Fix by Anna Cabera
Hot Pants in Hollywood: Sex, Secrets & Sitcoms  by Susan Silver
Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson
Sweet Vengeance by Fern Matthews
Montauk by Nicola Harrison
Whatever It Takes by Jessica Pack
Crisanta Knight: To Death & Back by Geanna Culbertson
Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl
Quantum Success by Christy Whitman
The Power of Presence: Be a Voice in Your Child’s Ear Even When You’re Not with Them by Joy Thomas Moore

“It’s prime-time beach season in the Hamptons,” Ubell-Meyer says, “and if you’re looking for your next summer read, you’re not going to want to miss out on Bedside Reading’s complimentary Hamptons ‘Take Me Home’ tote bag.”

Conscious consumerism is sweeping the nation. People are skipping straws, bringing their own bags, and shopping local. Being green is what’s hot! To stay ahead of the curve, consider not just shopping green, but shopping for a cause you believe in. The East End is home to a plethora of small businesses, many of whom support youth sports teams, community fundraising efforts, and local non-profits. This summer, when your money talks, make sure it says something you’re proud of.

If the cause you’re interested in shopping for is female empowerment, you’re in luck.

Matriark, a new retail concept store set to open next week in Sag Harbor, is a great place to refresh your summer wardrobe. The new retail concept is a product of Matriark founder Patricia Assui Reed’s commitment to celebrate and perpetuate the success of female leaders through commerce and community. After years working in fashion with such venerable names as Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Goyard, Ralph Lauren and Vilebrequin, the disproportionately low representation of women in fashion design prompted her establishment of Matriark as a “by women for women” fashion and lifestyle platform. The Sag Harbor location will serve as Matriark’s flagship space. The new store will offer the high-end fashion, design and lifestyle goods that shoppers desire, which are exclusively sourced from female-owned companies.

The brands featured will include Amrose, Alix of Bohemia, Amaio, By Alona Jewlery, Chufy, Eugenia Kim, Le Monde Beryl Shoes, Daphne Verley, Flavia del Pra, BKLN Clay, Mary Ping, Maryan Nassir Zadeh, Marlette, Missoni, Sissa Brasil, Sold Out and Tibi. Products will include jewelry, clothing, accessories, and home accents. The colorful and modern bohemian style offerings of the featured brands are sure to brighten the Sag Harbor business district.