PASTABILITIES IN BRIDGEHAMPTON AND TRIVIA FUN PLUS IS COOKIEPUSS A STONER?

Hold onto your taste buds, Bridgehampton! The culinary stars are aligning as Arthur and Sons, the much-talked about NYC Italian joint, gears up for its debut at 203 Bridgehampton – Sag Harbor Turnpike. Picture this: it’s taking over the former stomping grounds of the dearly missed Fresh and Hamptons Aristocrat Catering – talk about a gastronomic glow-up! Joe Isidori, the culinary maestro behind a hip Italian joint that’s become the talk of the town in NYC, recently rocked the Drew Barrymore show. Now, he’s bringing his kitchen wizardry to the Hamptons, promising a menu that’s as buzzworthy as a Hollywood red carpet. Springtime in Bridgehampton just got a whole lot tastier, folks!


In a move that would certainly make Cheech and Chong cheer, Greg Konner of Konner Development, has revealed plans to turn the familiar Carvel on Montauk Highway into a retail pot shop cheekily named Budhampton. Seemingly unfazed by potential backlash from the community and town officials, Konner boldly claims that if he meets the criteria, they can’t say no. The Carvel site apparently checks all the boxes for a retail dispensary, according to town and state regulations. But don’t get nervous you’ll soon have to haul to Southampton for your next Cookie Puss, smoke signals are saying that the Carvel will return soon in an adjacent new commercial location.

Finally, looking for a night filled with some laughter, friendly competition, and tasty waves, I mean bites? Look no further than Trivia Night at Kizzy T’s in East Hampton! Located on Montauk Highway East Hampton, where Bamboo and Zok-Kon once stood, this roadside tavern offers an alternative to a sleepy winter Sunday night. Every week at 7 trivia czar Paul Johnson poses questions, pictures and audio clips that keep you on your toes. And it’s not just about the brainpower – indulge in foosball, darts (booze and sharp objects- hmmm), billiards, and more while downing some pretty darn good chow including smashed burgers, chicken wings, and salmon rice cakes, all for about $20. I recently came close to snagging the $100 gift card, and trust me, the thrill of the game is worth it alone. For a night of fun, food, and fantastic memories, Kizzy T’s is the place to be. Check out their website at www.kizzyt.com for more details.

Five Faux Pas of 2011…. or the Scratchiest Head Scratchers of the Year!

Well to every ying, there needs to be a yang… for every Batman there needs to be a Joker…for every East Hampton Patch there is a Hamptons Chatter and for every U2 there needs to be a Justin Bieber. In other words, you have to learn to take the good with the bad. So in response to the good stuff that we had out east last year, there were some less than stellar moments in the Hamptons. So starting with number 5 and going to number 1, I’m counting down the biggest mistakes in the Hamptons, 2011!

#5 The Empty Red Horse Market in East Hampton – What a waste to let a prime piece of Hamptons real estate sit for over a year totally vacant. It was last fall when Tutto Italiano shuttered its doors in this prime location only to leave shop owners in the center collecting cob webs on their registers. Well the only reason this isn’t number one is because it looks as if they finally have a new tenant there. Prime Meats, formerly of the over cooked and newly scorched Hamptons Market (personally I like uncharred non-burnt markets) moving into the new location along with Gurney’s Bakery, a bread shop and a cheese vendor. Although, I heard it’s the former Pasquale of Tutto Italiano as far as I know that is an unconfirmed. Let’s hope they can stand the challenge if that Whole Foods really goes in the old Plitt Ford as rumored.

#4 The Carvel Drive Thru Window – Now, I love my soft serve and Cookie Puss Cakes as much as the next guy but I’m willing to park my Mercedees before I make a dash for a vanilla cone with sprinkles. Hey, it would have been ok if you called even! I mean, it’s in the store and it’s not melting yet, so relax. In all seriousness, luckily nobody was hurt in this race for the cone. But don’t you think Carvel should have just left it that way?!

#3 Rugosa – Ok, I checked in there once in 2010 and I was the “MAYOR” on Foursquare til the day they closed. Ok, so you’re telling me I’m the only one who ate there!? I know, it looked like it. The food wasn’t bad but the menu there was virtually impossible. While I don’t know who owned Rugosa, I have to ask did they really think there was a big demand in the summer for “squab in plum sauce?” But even if you found something you could eat on the menu, while the food was actually pretty good the service was enough to make you beg for a scrap of bread or a “Hungry Man” tv dinner. So essentially 2011 was a mistake.

#2 LIPA’s Hurricane Irene Recovery Plan – Ummmmm yeah, they’ll be there to fix uh… the.. um.. what do you call it.. the uh…the power lines….ummmm… sometime between… ummmmmm… uh… later today and next Saturday at 5pm! It was like they were getting their customer service playbook from Cablevision. But what LIPA screwed up this past year has been a boom for contractors on the east end. HOW? I have never met more people installing generators than I have in the past 3 months.

#1 THE MTK Festival or Music to Know – Ok guys, first mistake was did you ever look into how much it costs to rent a house or hotel room in the Hamptons during August?! Second, where were all these sort of Woodstockers going to sleep… pitch a tent on some lawn on Gin Lane? Third, the people who actually like Vampire Weekend for example (although I do but I’m very cool for my age) are probably working at the restaurants and stores in August and they can’t take off because it’s busy! DUH! My suggestion, skip the music to know and give me music I already know. I would have paid to see The GO-GO’s, The Pretenders or Duran Duran… or even Neil Diamond for G-d’s sake. But that’s just me and most of the 40 something friends I know. I’m forever stuck in the 80’s and the rest are too tired learn anything new.