On Saturday the most successful ever Chefs and Champagne® New York to benefit the James Beard Foundation defied the heat and with the cold champagne flowing, the tent at Wolffer Estate Vineyards in Sagaponack was the chic place to be.
Taste buds were watering with delectable dishes from 37 fine chefs from Amagansett to Anguilla, most based in the New York area, happy to srut their culinary stuff.

 
If ever there was a supernatural sense of time and space it is the experience of the annual gala at the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, this year entitled Excentrica with donations supporting its mission to exemplify living with art in all forms.
Alexandra Munroe’s description of the LongHouse Award honoree Laurie Anderson, “She shares a shimmering knowledge here and now of the universe,” perfectly described not only the performance artist but the whole evening.

By Tracey Toomey
 Sure, it’s a famed vacation destination and the beaches are ranked the best in the world.  But when traffic is so bad it takes you 45 minutes to drive two miles, it can be challenging to find peace in the Hamptons. And when the person in front of you at Citarella grabbed the last head of romaine (and you were craving a Caesar salad!), it’s damn near impossible to stay centered!  Thankfully, the ladies here at Hip Hamptons have a …

EXcentricA comes to the LongHouse Reserve for their annual gala which is truly a midsummer’s night dream.  This Saturday July 17 they will turn their 16 acre East Hampton sculpture garden into a magic forest to honor artist Laurie Anderson and arts patron Jan Cowles.  Click here for the special video invite by Laurie Anderson.

Real Housewives photos courtesy of R. Cole for Rob Rich
Ever wonder where the Real Housewives of New York go house hunting?  We spotted Jill and Bobby Zarin and Alex McCord and Simon Van Kempen at the Panoramic View Resort and Residences checking out the newly renovated luxury units on the beach in Montauk.
Distinctive Management LLC and PRIME Real Estate teamed up to host this Exclusive Preview Fete of the Salt Sea units where the dress code was white, the drinks were pink – …

Anyone who thought that a little downpour would stop the sold out party at the Empire State Pride Agenda’s 18th Annual Hamptons Tea Dance has never watched Singing In The Rain twenty two times. 
When the humidity is rising and the barometer’s getting low, according to all sources, the Hamptons Tea Dance is the place to go.  It’s Raining Men was the literal theme.  Guys and gals got soaked, on and off the dance floor, and let’s just say that it was steamy!

Photos by Lianne Alcon Charles Ferri with Maurico Devrient, Melissa Hornung
 
Body shots take on new meaning when your new vodka company sponsors a co-ed polo team which isn’t afraid to go full out in this contact sport.
The fetching Charles Ferri launches his new Star Vodka on and off the polo field, picking his favorite “divot” stomping grounds, the Hamptons.  HipHamptons visited him as he cheered on his Star Vodka polo team at Southampton Polo.

All of the stars have aligned in a vortex of Hamptons events this weekend which gives new meaning to “there’s something for everyone.”
 
Thursday July 8 – Sunday July 11
ArtHamptons
With 95 galleries from all over the world, the people watching is as much fun as perusing the incredibly diverse post-war and contemporary art work.  For the avid collector or art nubie there is a feast for the eyes and for the mind with various lectures, book signings, and chances to meet the artists …

Get up close and personal with filmmakers through the The Hamptons International Film Festival and Guild Hall Summer Docs Series.  You can’t live on a diet of social fluff alone so here is the chance to feed your intellect – as well as rub elbows with major cinematic players.
On Monday July 5th at 8pm HIFF presents The Art Of The Steal at Guild Hall in East Hampton.  The audience will be treated to a Q&A following the screening with Alec Baldwin and …

Looking for bright shiny objects in the sky?  Cascading tendrils which resemble Tina Turner’s hair?  Things that go boom in the night in a good way?
Here is the round up of Hamptons Fireworks for the Fourth Of July 2010
SATURDAY JULY 3rd
Sag Harbor Fireworks -9:30 pm in front of Breakwater Yacht Club on Bay Street
Viewing: Long Wharf, Marine Park, Havens Beach, B Smith Restaurant, Dockside Restaurant, any fine yacht you can charm your way onboard (bring lots of Veuve Clicquot)

 
photos courtesy of Rossa Cole
Despite the local lack of rain, “There’s no draught of talent,” stated juror and king of exterior decorating John Danzer of the garden desginers competing in Planters On & Off The Ground III and Open Bowls at the LongHouse Reserve sculpture gardens last Saturday in East Hampton. 

Saturday June 26 
It’s one of those weekends with too many fun Hamptons events.  With the warm weather, the full moon, and the full docket of activities HipHamptons picks out a few favorite Hamptons events for the weekend.

Truly one of the most memorable summer events is the Full Moon Kayak on Georgica Pond.  I guarantee you God is not at The Pink Elephant, He/She is hanging out here.  Lars Svanberg from Main Beach Surf & Sport in Wainscott teams up with Jessica Bellofatto of KamaDeva Yoga in East Hampton for the greatest combination since “you got chocolate in my peanut butter” or in this case “headstnd on my paddle board.” 

While you may get in on a few closely guarded Hamptons secrets like the beach you can park at without a sticker until July 1 (Gibson Lane in Sagaponack) or the place you can find Manolo Blahniks at great prices (Collettes in Sag Harbor)  the one thing Hamptonites won’t share is the number of their favorite local Hamptons babysitter.
If you need a psychic surf instructor, vegan private chef, or deer-resistant garden expert, no problem.  A CPR certified babysitter with her own car …

Want the grape vine to be abuzz about your business?  On Wednesday June 23 the place to see and be seen for your Hamptons business is the Parrish Art Museum Business Council evening at Bedell Cellars from 6 – 8pm.  Hamptons movers and shakers are headed to Cutchogue on the North Fork to the scenic Bedell Cellars Vineyard for their fine wines (see why their Domaines cc Rose´ is a summer must have), hors d’oeuvres by Brent Newsom Caterer, Rolling in Dough …

By
Heather Buchanan
Gentlemen, are you looking for the last stop of civility in the Hamptons?  We’ve found it.  Southampton Inn is hosting the ultimate Hamptons golf guys getaway (yes golfing gals you will want in on this too), Steer, Scotch, Sticks, & Stogies.  The two day package gets you teed up with life’s great pleasures on Thursday June 24 and Friday June 25.  For all you men who feel forgotten in the Prosecco sipping, designer shoe shopping, tofu tasting Hamptons events, this one …

As any good Hamptons baker knows, there are two key components to cooking – the best ingredients, and booze.
In the HipHamptons Slutty Strawberry Tart you combine strawberries freshly picked from the field at their peak of ripeness and a tease (or a little bit more) of Framboise.  In baking we may forget that we still need the very best ingredients.  Butter is not butter is not butter.  Get the high grade European creamy butter for the crust.  And thanks to contributing editor …

For every woman who says, “Oops, summer is here and I forgot to stop drinking Chardonnay and eating carbs and have to be in a bathing suit this weekend,” there is ice running through her veins, and it’s not just the mocha frappe.  What winter months, Spanx, and strategically placed fleece blankets have kept hidden is emerging in the world and frightening ourselves, our boyfriends, and small children. 

The dreaded muffin top.
While it is the best part of a freshly baked breakfast product, …

So if you didn’t have the 8 mil to bid on Bernie Madoff’s Montauk beach house or couldn’t wrangle a weekend invite from De Niro or Ralph Lauren then how can you get a Hamptons’ oceanfront room with a private beach and a kick ass view of those famous surfin’ waves?
What if we told you that you can – and as for as little as $245 a night?  No, really.  Well okay that price only lasts until June  24 but then it’s …

by Tracey Toomey 
When you’re paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for your summer rental, you’re not going to commute back and forth with a Toyota Corolla you rented at Hertz.  According to a representative at Gotham Dream Cars, New York and Miami-based exotic car rental company, summer is peak season for luxury car rentals in New York City.  The most popular cars?  Ferraris and Lamborghinis, which can cost between $2500 and $5000 for a weekend.  But, in the grand scheme of things, …

he fresh, new face of home design debuts at 83 Main Street in East Hampton.  The hamlet’s historical landmark “Home Sweet Home” may now become “Home Stylish Home.”  If it looks slightly familiar you may recognize HB Home Design from one of its other “only the best addresses” locations in Westport, CT, Greenwich, CT, and Manhattan’s upper east side at 74th and Lexington. 

Something bold and beautiful is in the air, and it’s not just the scent of Melody Parfume roses blooming early this year.  Amateur grillers go boldly forth with lighter fluid and undercooked chicken.  Ex husbands and wives join forces to travel to the Hamptons together so they can take advantage of the HOV lane.  Whole teams from Price Waterhouse debate the magic number for the price of lobster salad.  Farmers markets re-open with the anticipated return of mushroom man, pickle Pete, and …

 
 
Corcoran Listing: Sandcastle Estate, Bridgehampton, Long Island
 
A Corcoran Bridgehampton property has rented for $500,000 for two weeks in July (or $35,000/day), the highest rental fee on record for the Hamptons. The record-breaking rental is an 11.5-acre estate known as Sandcastle which includes a 31,000 sq. ft., 9-bedroom, 11.5-bathroom main house, pool, guest house, tennis, squash and racquetball courts, bowling alley, skateboard half pipe, Movie Theater and more. (okay so I can afford it for about… ten minutes)  

You had me at hello. That’s the reaction when you walk into the new oceanfront boutique Omphoy Ocean Resort in Palm Beach and are greeted not only by warm wafting breezes but by the effervescent Danielle who is there to wave Omphoy’s magic relaxation wand.
Have you been feeling stressed after a long cold winter? Would you describe your skin tone as powdered sugar pasty white? Has the only heat wave you’ve experienced been your hormones run amok? Before the madness starts here in the …

Hollywood Glamour was the theme, but martinis weren’t the only things served with a twist at B Smith’s Halloween party.  Clearly the joy of this holiday is to shed your own identity and become someone else for a night.  Home to royalty both real and imagined, the Hamptons stepped out in style, and tiara-ists took their crown wearing seriously.   We saw Audrey Hepburns and Charlie Chaplins, Betty Boop, Liza Minelli, Tippi Hedron from The Birds, and of course the Beales from Grey Gardens,Little and Big …

“Where do we import most of our oil from?”  This is the opening question of the film, Dirty Oil an eye opening documentary which will make you think twice about driving your hummer to the store for milk.  The answer is the majority of our oil comes from Canada, specifically from a region in Alberta about the size of Florida.  Forget the land of rockies and mounties —  Alberta is a petrol state.

We all were the real winners at the Hamptons International Film Festival, the film goers who had the chance not only to see moving, provocative, educational, and entertaining films but to interact with actors, writers, directors, producers, and industry executives.  It’s not every day that you can discuss rabbits and the Berlin Wall with Alec Baldwin.

All too often independent filmmakers live on a steady diet of “No” so when someone says “Yes” and especially if it’s putting money where your mouth is, it is a real treat.  At the Hamptons International Film Festival funding sources for filmmakers came from surprising directions and provided much needed light at the end of a dark financial tunnel.

In an age of cutbacks on investigative journalism and media filled with political pundits, it is often difficult to get at the “truth.”  A first person account holds more credibility than ever.  If you want to see the “truth” of war, the films in the Conflict and Resolution Section curated by Cara Cusumano, serve as a history lesson, current affairs eye opener, and moral compass with incredibly compelling, disturbing, and ultimately effective filmmaking.

 
strong>Stephen Talkhouse is going to be jamming this week and weekend, not only being the official late night watering hole for the Hamptons Film Festival, but featuring some favorite bands and fantastic newcomers.
Thursday Oct. 8 at 10pm:
PERROTTA is a fashionable pop rock trio that combines songwriting aptitude with a grand and sweeping soundscape. The band features Sarah Perrotta: Rhodes piano, Moog synthesizer, and voice; Johnnie Wang: guitar and voice; and Will Olsen: drums. With their romantic melodies and driving rhythms, Perrotta’s sound …

So you want to be rubbing elbows with the stars or chatting up famous filmmakers or simply absorbing the artistic energy of the influx for the film festival, how do you get access?
The old fashioned way is still the best.  Buy it.  If you’re feeling flush the very best way to get all access is to purchase a Founders Pass for $1200 which gets you into any film or panel or listed event.  If you can’t step up to that gold plate …

If Columbus Day is about Europe discovering America then this Columbus Day we will see America discovering Europe through film.  The 17th annual Hamptons International Film Festival runs from Thursday Oct. 8 – Monday October 12 and focuses not only on American independent film but a cornucopia of fascinating foreign films both narrative and documentaries which serve as a first person lense on the rest of the world.

 
Harborfest in Sag Harbor which runs from Sept. 11 – 13 is a hallowed local tradition which lets you know front and center that you are lucky to be in a maritime village with a rich history. How many times have you walked by historic buildings or cemeteries or heard something about a famous author who lived here. Now is your chance to find out.

celebrity photos courtesy of Jerritt Clark
Just as there is a signature scent, there is also a signature sound which suggests great things to come.  Gentlemen start your Ferrari engines.  For enthusiast and collector Nathaniel Christian who founded the first annual Ferrari Hamptons Rally, the best moment came when 40 Ferraris, the world’s finest driving machines, fired up their ignitions (think how 25 million worth might sound) to get ready for their tour of hallowed Hamptons lanes. 

The first Labor Day took place in New York in 1883 and was a “workingmen’s holiday.” with a parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.”  For everyone out there who has been busting their butt all summer, now is the time to express your own personal Hamptons esprit de corp and set up your perfect holiday.  We have the best of the weekend laid out here for you to enjoy, no permission slip required.  …

For Hamptons farmstands, the season’s bounty is in peak season and the local produce is not only picture perfect, it’s delicious.  Enjoying a local farm stand August tomato is better than sex.  Seriously – just add salt.  And using them for the famous Ladies Village Improvement Society East End Tomato Tart is simply one of life’s tastiest pleasure (go by the LVIS thrift store in East Hampton to get their cook book.)  But gourmands or those with vastly underused Viking Stoves alike …

As the Mercedes Benz Polo Challenge at Blue Star Jets Field galloped to its finale, spectators crowded to the rails to see the match where team White Birch emerged victorious after a fierce and pounding hooves and heat battle with an impressive team performance including rising star fifteen year old Santiago Torres who was awarded Most Improved.

You could tell it was male fantasy because of their comments, “gorgeous,” “sexy,” “smokin’ hot.”  You just knew that these men wanted to touch but were keeping a respectful distance.  Yet the headlights and curves they were referring to had everything to do with luxury transportation instead of a woman.  That sort of eye candy was a secondary consideration for these men of means.

The Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge redefined “hot” as the battle for the Cup at Blue Star Jets Field was in its second to last week.  You could tell the competition was compelling as spectators in the sponsor VIP tent even braved the blazing sun to get right up to the fence to watch the match.  Considered a gentleman’s sport and increasingly a gentlewoman’s sport (although the new female competitors are hardly wilting flowers) polo invites at least small acts of chivalry where the …

 
Tax-deductible dating continues in the Hamptons with social events raising money for causes ranging from Breast Cancer Patient Support to homeless animals, to local cultural institutions.   As always fine food and wine and let’s face it, perfect pretty people watching abound whether you’re listening to Gershwin under a tent or sliding into home base (literally or should we say literarily).  Read on.

em>Photo courtesy of Hamptons International Media
 
For better, for worse, but not for polo.  Is it the warm summer breezes wafting through diaphanous sun dresses on beautiful women, successful men checking out the newest CLK Mercedes Benz?  Excitement in the air with the pounding hooves of world class steeds and their accomplished riders?
The Hamptons Hot Spot has definitely been the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge 2009 at Blue Star Jets Field, and couples who have broken up must be consulting their lawyers on who gets to …

A star studded creative brain trust gathered under the tents at the East Hampton Library for Authors Night which not only raised money for our hallowed literary ground, it proved the see and be seen sophisticated social spot for a Hamptons Saturday night.   While we may know them through their words, there is nothing like meeting your favorite authors in person and having a tete a tete.  For the younget set, it would be like if the entire cast of Gossip Girl …

Kudos to John Kawalenko and Cheryl Stair of Art of Eating Catering and Hampton Event Management International for Ladles Of Love where locals came out in support of locals to enjoy a rockin’concert and food and wine tasting to raise money for the East End Food Pantries.
The concert at Principi Farm had a little bit of everything from acoustic guitar to drummers to rock and roll to hip hop.  Loved the guys from Montauk, Suddyn.  Be sure to check out their myspace …

Where else can you meet female icons Candace Bushnell and Barbara Walters, taste morsels from chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, eat rasberries picked moments before from the field, and do yoga with your dog?  It has to be a weekend in the Hamptons.
Friday August 7
Fridays at Five – Author Steven Gaines
Take the time to enjoy this witty author whose Hamptons’ and world views always entertain, giving you a glimpse into the true inside stories of the rich and famous, or infamous …

Love is in the air – literally.  The newest high end social networking is in the sky.  Instead of sharing photos on Facebook, share a private plane.  Todd Rome of Blue Star Jets told us he has started Share A Jet Exchange where people travelling the same route can share a private plane and share the cots. 
Think super luxury HOV fast lane to the Hamptons.  Wonder if Michael Lohan and ex Dina Lohan who both showed up at the VIP tent would …

Truly one of the most memorable summer events is the full moon kayak on Georgica Pond.  I guarantee you God is not at The Pink Elephant, He/She is hanging out here.  Lars Svanberg from Main Beach Surf & Sport in Wainscott teams up with Jessica Bellofatto of KamaDeva Yoga in East Hampton for the greatest combination since “you got chocolate in my peanut butter” or in this case “headstnd on my paddle board.” 
Wave to Steven Spielberg and Ron Perlman (or their security guards who are looking at you …

Why sit quietly at a bar when you can get up in front of a crowd of strangers and have the chance to be a superstar or an ass?  All you American Idolaters and out of work real estate agents, here’s a guide to where to go for Hamptons Karaoke each night of the week. Remember, you can be a selfish Karaoke singer or one who thinks of others.  Clearly if you choose Bridge Over Troubled Water, that’s for you, even if …

The very definition of hip, artist Laurie Anderson spoke as a guest of the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton on Friday, entertaining the crowd with her fascinating world view and startling wit.   How better to spend a night thank hearing about art in an artistic setting.
There was much to learn from this acclaimed multi-media artist who never has a rut.  She’ll continually put herself in situations where she has no idea what to do like working at McDonalds or on an Amish …

The whole evening was almost worth it to see Christie Brinkley air guitar and see Alec Baldwin do his best 70’s stoner impression.  But the star of the evening was an inanimate object brought to life by some of the maestros of rock and roll – the electric guitar.  Director Davis Guggenheim’s documentary “It Might Get Loud” which screened as the Hamptons International Film Festival Summer Docs series at Guild Hall gave audiences an intimate front row seat to the creative process …

By Vanessa Gobright
There was an excellent turnout for the Wounded Warrior Project this past Saturday where hundreds of people gathered to support and recognize our severely injured service men and women that are supporting and protecting our country. Soldier Ride, The Hamptons was dedicated to the memory of Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter who attended Pierson High School with many of those that joined in on the 4 mile walk throughout Sag Harbor. Being a classmate of Lance Corporal Jordan C. Haerter who …