delights
08.2018
Once Upon A Farm...
Jennifer Garner has a new baby food
Q&A with Brooke Shields
The launch of Kristen Farrell Home
Fish at a catch
AUGUST 2018
Contents style
health
8 Love Goes On 14 Pony Masters 18 Essentials
22 Q&A w/ Brooke Shields 24 Healthy Hydration 26 Lyme Experts
home
food
30 Castles On The Sand 32 Millionaire Watch
36 The Fisher King in every issue 4 Editor's Letter 38 Last Look
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from the editor
Speak Truth to "Em-Power" What is wellness really about? What you eat? How you live? Really, it is about truth. We read, we ask, we try and we we fail, and taken together, we develop an understanding of what works for our body-mind-spirit connection…and that is the path of wellness. And yet the truth can be a tricky pursuit, especially when one is not really motivated to find it. Look at what is raging around us; this reductive debate in our society about what is real versus fake. Fact versus fiction. That all seems to be more about hiding than finding, doesn’t it? Luckily, we are on a different path here, but it is potentially as tricky. Why? Well, what do you do once you have the facts, once you know what is right and wrong and what makes sense? How you apply what you know: That is your truth. And that is the key to wellness. If you live what you know to be true—in all ways big and small— you are better for it. That’s the only difference between those we elevate as gurus and ourselves: how much of the truth we decide to live. After all, sometimes it is easier to ignore or avoid what we know—ignorance can be bliss for some. Together we can find the facts of how to motivate our wellness journey.
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Style
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Interview
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Trends
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Essentials
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LOVE GOES ON When Jennifer Garner is not tending to her successful acting career—this fall, she stars in HBO’s Lena Dunham- and Jenni Konnerproduced comedy Camping—she’s overseeing her new business, the organic baby food line Once Upon a Farm.
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style interview
J
ennifer Garner is as wholesome and farm-grown as a girl next door gets. Raised in a small West Virginia town, Garner grew up the middle daughter of a chemical-engineer father and a teacher mother. She wore home-sewn clothes and only ate homemade, farm-fresh foods, so it’s no wonder she’s taken on a new business venture called Once Upon a Farm that provides that same healthy, all-natural, vitaminrich food for babies. She’s even turned her mother’s Oklahoma farm into an organic resource for the company, where this fall, her whole family, including her three children (with Ben Affleck), will celebrate their foray into bettering our Earth. It’s easy to say Garner uses her celebrity to further good causes that always involve children and food. She lends her time to Save the Children, and supports The Edible Schoolyard. The Golden Globewinning actress of such TV hits as Alias, and films 13 Going On 30, Juno, Dallas Buyers Club, The Kingdom, Catch and Release, and last year’s The Tribes of Palos Verdes is also taking on her first dark comedic role as an obsessively organized and controlling wife in the upcoming HBO series, Camping. Creators Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner say Garner’s character is “messy, tough, and provocative and really, really fun,” continuing, “we love Jennifer’s restraint and comedic timing, and we can’t wait for the warmth and intelligence she’ll bring to our central character.” On the eve of her Once Upon a Farm launch in the Hamptons, we sat down with Garner to discuss all things good for you. CRISTINA CUOMO: Congratulations on Once Upon a Farm. It’s a brilliant concept, much-needed in the baby food space. I wish I had it when my kids were little. JENNIFER GARNER: Me too. CC: How was it growing up in West Virginia with a mother who made all your delicious garden-fresh food, and how did that carry over into your own household? JG: When I was a kid, I was annoyed that mom made my clothes and my meals. I wanted store-bought clothes, and I wanted packaged, processed food more than anything in the world. But when I got older, went to college and worked in summer stock, I made my own meals, because that’s what tasted good to me, that’s what my body expected. You either are the way you’ve grown up, or you’re fighting against it pretty hard. My kids can all bake. They can roll out dough. And much to their chagrin, their food is homemade. In my mind, my mom baked bread every Sunday, so I try to bake bread every Sunday. Mom says, “Jennifer Garner, I didn’t bake bread every Sunday—only some Sundays, when I had time.” It was so special to have that fresh-baked bread smell that I’ve always done it. CC: What compelled you to start your own business, which helps parents give their kids the next best thing to farm-fresh food? JG: Ari Raz and Cassandra Curtis already had Once Upon a Farm up and running when I met them. The recipes are Cassandra’s. I was thrilled to jump onboard. Having three children, and making all of their food—I did steam it, grind it, freeze it, and carry it with me—was such a pain, and I had help. It just felt crazy to feed my kids what is out there, but sometimes I was so busy that there was no other option. Why is it that we say, “That’s like baby food,” as though it’s the worst possible way to describe the texture, flavor, consistency, freshness of food on the market? It’s messed up that there are refrigerators in the dog food aisle, and that baby food is colorless, texture-free and flavorless.
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CC: Tell me about converting your century-old family farm to organic farmland for Once Upon a Farm. JG: My mom grew up on this gorgeous little family farm in Oklahoma. It had a big old summer garden, some cows and a ton of chickens. But it wasn’t properly farmed; I think it was because it was the era of the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. There was nothing growing. The farm came under my care, maybe a year-and-a-half ago, when I started working with Once Upon a Farm. We were talking about the importance of organic farms; I said, I have a farm. Nothing was grown on it, so it’s totally organic, with gorgeous soil. We started talking about how it would be a dream come true to bring this farm to life for my mom. The next thing you know, we’ve gone and done it. There are fields plowed, and my mom is thrilled. CC: How do you select the vegetables, and why is cold-pressed really the best way to process this food? JG: We use a couple of different companies who are aggregators of organic produce. The team sources the nearest, closest, freshest, organic non-GMO best fruits and veggies they can. The cold press is just a way to offer something as fresh as it can possibly be, without making it yourself. It makes perfect sense that baby food would be in the refrigerated aisle. CC: Let’s talk about your new HBO series, Camping. What drew you to the obsessively organized and aggressively controlling Kathryn Siddell-Bauers? JG: She is all of those things. You can see in the writing why she is the way she is, why she is controlling the way she is, why she can be shrill the way she can be, what has taken her there, and you can see the real Kathryn underneath, who her husband fell in love with, who her friends used to know. And I think that with all of us, there are parts of us that get hardened over time, and we don’t even realize that we’ve lost the fun or the ease of being younger. I love that about Kathryn. CC: This is your first series since Alias, and now your life is full with kids and a business. How is it different now? JG: I could never do again what I did in Alias. It was nine months a year, seven days a week; it felt like 24 hours a day. There wasn’t a moment that wasn’t focused on the show, whether it was learning lines, or learning a fight, or a language, doing press for it. It was total focus, and that is such a luxury, but that is not something that I could do anymore, certainly not with kids and a business, and [my work with] Save the Children. Camping is only eight episodes, a half an hour each. It was a limited schedule, and an ensemble, so it’s not all on my shoulders. It’s just fun and funny, and really light and all about the words, and I wasn’t running around in high heels. I don’t think I wore high heels once the whole time we were shooting. CC: It was such a good show, showcasing women as confident, powerful, strong—you set a great example for your kids in roles onscreen and off, especially with your work with Save the Children. What has been the most distinct way you’ve been able to share all this knowledge about health and humanity with your kids? JG: The most effective way to teach your kids is to live. You teach them by living, and that is what I try my best to do. Every time they said anything I would say, “Say thank you, say please!” Then I realized, they are going to grow up and say please and thank you. They’re in a house where people say please and thank you. It’s really not about me being so rigid and freaked out by it; I just have to live it, and they will do it. Just like my mom baking bread. She didn’t tell me to grow up and bake bread but I learned from watching her.
interview
CC: It’s lead by example. So, the Dalai Lama talks about happiness being intertwined with helping other people. How has your life’s evolution beyond acting, as a businesswoman, and working with Save the Children, fulfilled you? JG: A hundred percent I agree with him, and I always tell my kids, “If you’re feeling unhappy, there are three things you can count on. There’s exercise: Just get up and get out of your groove. Community: Find the communities you believe in and commit to them, so that you can be held accountable and you can hold them accountable. That is such a healthy thing, including your family community. And then, look outside yourself, at who you can help. I would say that working for Save the Children has been one of the great joys of my life. It’s really hard work and it’s really frustrating work, because it’s such a no-brainer to help poor kids in our own country get off to the right start at school. Helping them younger and earlier is the way to do that, and it’s frustrating that this is not considered a national health crisis. But, we can move the needle, and we can help, kid by kid, so you do what you can do.
style
CC: What is the best advice your mother ever gave you? JG: Happiness is your own responsibility. Don’t look to anyone else to make you happy. CC: What is your favorite thing to cook at home? JG: A lot of mom food—a roast chicken, salmon, bread. We always have fresh cookies around. I love homemade ice cream. I make a lot of pizza. CC: What is one thing you do every day to stay healthy and clearheaded? JG: Work out, preferably with a girlfriend. Finding a dance cardio workout is just something that makes me happy, and so I do Body by Simone. CC: What are you good at? JG: Parsing through a problem with a girlfriend. CC: Ooh, I like that. What are you bad at? JG: I am bad at a lot of things. Hand-eye coordination. CC: What are you most excited about? JG: I am excited about my family being together at the farm this fall, and celebrating Once Upon a Farm. CC: Being a mother, a professional, a humanitarian, a farmer, how do you manage all that? JG: I have a great team of women around me who help me manage it. I have an amazing manager. She and I have worked together for 19 years, and she’s one of my best friends. She’s my workout buddy and my mom buddy. I have an amazing assistant, who takes the social media stuff on. My schedule is put together carefully to make sure that kid time is protected, so you know that everything gets done that needs to get done.
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style trends
MAKE IT MESSY
“The neat-messy style has overtaken catwalks, street fashion and everyday life. It is the easiest way to update and upgrade any look, and especially that boring day-today bun.” Step 1: Apply texturszing spray prior to tying the knot. Twist the ponytail and wrap around an elastic band, making sure the ponytail is not too tight. Step 2: Twist the bun and hold it in place by using French hairpins. Top Tip When going for the messy look, don’t overdo it. Make sure your outfit matches the casualness of the hair.
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HALF-UP HALF-DOWN
“Man buns have been in for the last few years and now it’s time for women to recreate them.” Step 1: Spray hair lengths with heat protection spray and use a large barrel curling iron to create loose waves. Make sure you start from the mid-lengths to limit heat damage. Step 2: Appye shape-defining cream and texturszing gel to the top section of your hair. Comb that portion into a half-up ponytail, twist the ends up into the bun and pin them into place. Top Tip This hairstyle looks best on the second day after washing.
trends
style
DON’T FORGET ACCESSORIES
“When it comes to effective dressing, I advise my clients to implement head scarves and hairbands to any hairstyle. This upgrades the bun. Here are two of my favourite ways of styling the scarf-bun look.” Look 1: For the dangling down scarf look, wrap the scarf around the bun once and tie. Look 2: For a more preppy, ballerina vibe, leave shorter scarf tails. Simply keep wrapping the scarf around the bun until you achieve that look. Top Tip Don’t forget the hairspray. Most of them have antihumidity properties allowing your hairstyle to last longer while controlling the frizz.
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style essentials Guerlain Météorites Summer 2018 Collection.
The latest additions to the Météorites range aim to reveal natural beauty by combining colour correction and radiance in an enticing explosion of shades. The pretty box is home to six pearls: pinks bring freshness to the skin, blues reduce dullness and greens diminish redness. Blended together they work with your own skin colour to give a semi-matte effect. And for Météorites fans, there’s also a new perfume with top notes of bergamot and apple, heart notes of rose and violet, and base notes of white musk and woody scent. Available at leading retailers.
Wojooh & Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics.
Cruelty-free indie brand Beauty Bakerie has joined the Wojooh family, offering a range of exclusive products including matte liquid ‘Lip Whips’, ‘Flour’ setting powder, ‘Neapolitan Eyescream’ eyeshadow palette and ‘So Icy’ illuminators. Expect long-lasting, waterproof and smudge-proof lips, a flawless matte look, super-pigmented, long-lasting eyeshadow shades and immaculate highlights. Available at Wojooh.
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Health
22 Q&A
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Need to Know
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Expert Says
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health Q&A Brooke Shields: What does wellness mean to you?
Actress and Southampton resident Brooke Shields reveals her take on being well, inside and out.
What is your wellness philosophy?
To admit that it’s not just about the outside, nor is it just about the inside. It’s OK to admit that you care about how you look, but not at the risk of sacrificing how you feel. Take responsibility for who you know is your best self on both the outside and the inside, and actually live up to it.
How do you stay healthy?
I believe in rewarding myself. Sometimes, the reward comes from curtailing my vices, and sometimes it involves giving myself permission to indulge. On the practical side: a full night’s sleep, finding exercise that I actually enjoy, and remembering to hydrate throughout the day.
Are there any wellness must-haves?
Fresh-pressed green juice, Purium ApotheCherry anti-aging concentrate, and SoulCycle classes on the regular weekly calendar.
What is one thing you try to do every day to stay clearheaded and feel good?
If I’m out East, I have to see the ocean at least once a day. If I’m in the city, it’s sitting with a good book, even for only 20 minutes at a time.
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health need to know Healthy Hydration
Sophia Ruan Gushée, author of A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures, explains how East End residents can ensure clean drinking water at home.
In 2012, a dog died after drinking water from Georgica Pond. Soon after, there were reports of thousands of fish perishing in our local waters due to inadequate oxygen, or too much nitrogen. Earlier this year, residents of Suffolk County with well water were notified that their water should be tested for elevated levels of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), both of which have been identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as contaminants of emerging concern. Alarming levels of contaminants—including lead, arsenic, excessive manganese and radio-nuclei—have also been found in the Suffolk County aquifer, our source of water on the East End. As a resident of Suffolk County, I drink filtered tap water, and frequently question the safety of our local water supply. Our water-treatment facilities weren’t designed to filter modern contaminants including pesticides, ingredients from industrial and consumer products, pollution from our waste treatment systems that weren’t designed to handle our local population boom, and toxic exposure from commercial activities. What can we do? First, we need to support efforts fighting to protect our water quality. If you rely on well water, have your water tested often. Even if your well water has tested normal, the contaminants in our aquifer can affect your well water in the future. Consider that filtered municipal tap water may be safer. President and CEO of Group for the East End, Bob DeLuca, explained that municipal water is tested regularly, and contaminants are proactively addressed. State Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. described the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) as “outstanding,” adding that people should have a “high level of confidence” in SCWA’s testing. Curious about what local experts choose for their families, I reached out to my favorite organic farmers: Jo Halsey of Green Thumb and David Falkowski of Open Minded Organics (as well as Dr. Frank Lipman) use whole-house water filtration systems for their tap water. Farmer Frank of Bhumi Farms, who is on well water, uses glass-bottled water. If whole-house water filtration isn’t an option for you, then visit the EWG Tap Water Database (ewg.org/tapwater) for more options. Me? I will continue to drink filtered tap water, since studies have found that bottled water is often just filtered tap water with the additional risk of hormone-disrupting chemicals leaching into the water from the plastic bottles. I’ll keep investigating waterfiltration options and I’m contacting our elected and appointed officials to help protect our water. I hope you will too. Visit nontoxicliving.tips for more information.
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health experts says The Latest on Lyme
Cristina Cuomo sat down with Lyme disease expert Dr. Nevena Zubcevik of Harvard and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Dean Center for Tick Borne Illness to discuss the rise of Lyme disease.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Nevena Zubcevik in Boston to discuss her incredible progress with Lyme at Chestnut Hill’s LIFETIME fitness and wellness center. She spoke to their health-conscious community about how to eradicate the disease. CRISTINA CUOMO: What do we need to know about Lyme disease now? DR. NEVENA ZUBCEVIK: It can be acquired anywhere—even in city gardens, in backyards of people living in urban environments. It’s not that you have to go to the woods to get this disease, as it used to be in the past. The number of people who have been exposed to it has increased exponentially in the past 10 years. This illness is very difficult to diagnose, and it’s also difficult to even know that you’ve acquired it, because the ticks who carry Lyme are so small. They have a numbing medicine in their mouths, so when they bite, you never really experience that pain or itchiness that you would from a mosquito. CC: Is this an epidemic? NZ: Not quite an epidemic, but cases are increasing at a rapid rate. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that about 300,000 Americans get Lyme disease each year, but only about 35,000 diagnoses are reported. We don’t have the tools to really stop it. CC: How long does the tick need to be attached before it releases its poison? NZ: We don’t really know. The truth is that we thought it had to be attached for a very long time, but there have been case reports published saying it’s less than 16 hours. We have to remember that ticks can also transmit many other illnesses. Fifteen minutes is enough for the tick to transmit Powassan virus, so any amount of attachment is concerning, and should be discussed with a doctor. CC: When is the season for ticks? NZ: It’s all year round. We thought that in the winter, ticks would stay dormant, but the snow actually protects the ticks from the cold. Instead of freezing in the soil, they are buffered by the snow. They survive cold winters, and can emerge in massive numbers in early spring. CC: Why is Lyme disease so difficult to diagnose? NZ: The current testing we have is quite ancient. It was developed in the late ’70s, early ’80s, and what it relies on is just antibody response. It’s basically asking the patient’s immune system, “Have you seen this pathogen?” Lyme disease is an illness that damages the immune system, so a lot of the time asking the immune system isn’t very accurate, because the immune system might not be able to respond. The holy grail of diagnostic medicine and what we should be striving for is something called the direct detection test, meaning you’re looking for traces of the bug somewhere, like in urine or blood. Testing is unreliable otherwise. Even the CDC is working hard to find alternative testing methods. CC: How important is it to test for co-infections? NZ: Very, very important. When you go to a doctor’s office, the gut feeling is to test for Lyme, but really what we need to be educating our physicians on is that they have to test for coinfections. For example, there’s anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan, heartland, the bourbon virus. It’s important that we’re also on alert for various infections.
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CC: What about the environmental issues surrounding Lyme, like heavy metals, mold and other viruses? NZ: The more burden that the organism has from any of these other infections, the sicker people will be. Getting people to live in a healthy environment where there is no mold in the air, and no heavy metals is important. These days, a lot of people are living these lifestyles where they want to be healthy, so they’re eating less meat, more fish…[so they’re ingesting] a lot of metals, mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and other things. It’s really important for us to be mindful of our food intake. CC: You are the Co-Director of the Dean Center for Treatment, Rehabilitation and Recovery of Tick Borne Illness at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. What does the Dean Center offer Lyme patients that other centers don’t? NZ: We’re the only center in the United States that is an academic center offering patients a comprehensive approach to their health. We look at the whole person— mental health, physical health, and the needs of rehabbing the brain and the body. The first visit is two hours, because we listen to the patient and try to understand what all the components are that contribute to their sickness. Then we try to tackle all of those independently, and build a team, which most patients don’t have. CC: What are the best preventative measures? NZ: The number one thing I always tell patients is, wherever you’re going to spend most of your time, like your yard, should be sprayed. A lot of patients opt to use organic oils like peppermint, lavender or rosemary. Unfortunately those haven’t been studied very much, so it’s hard for me to recommend those because I don’t know the success rate. I have had patients acquire bites in their yards when they’ve used organic oils. The pesticide that’s been studied the most is permethrin, which is sprayed on the grass and on clothes. But there are companies that actually make clothing pretreated with permethrin, and those last longer because the chemical has been embedded inside the fibers. Sleeping with your pet is another big no-no. They could have a tick that’s hanging on a hair, and then as you sleep, the tick can crawl over and bite you. CC: What are some of the myths? I know my son climbs trees and I always tell him, “That’s OK, it’s safe up there. You’re above ground. Ticks don’t climb up,” right? NZ: Not unless they’re in birds, which they are. They travel on migratory birds, but generally, they tend to live in lower bushes and grass. CC: What do you do if you find a tick? NZ: If you find a tick—if you’re lucky enough to find it— try to save it, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it. But if you unfreeze it and you leave it on your counter, and there’s a hole, it could wake up and defrost itself and walk away. Ticks are incredibly resilient. Treat the wound with an alcohol swab and antibiotic ointment, and report it to your physician. The current national guidelines that are published by the National Guideline Clearinghouse recommends prophylactic treatment with antibiotics for a tick bite.
CC: What are you specifically doing in your practice to change the treatment landscape that exists today? NZ: We have started doing something called the translational data collection. Anytime a patient comes in, we collect laboratory data and symptom data. We then analyze the data to try to look at patterns. Data is an incredibly powerful tool that we have in medicine. Validating the patient experience and showing biomarkers will hopefully lead us in the right direction for treatment options. CC: What is the HSS (Health and Human Services) Tick-Borne Disease Working Group? NZ: The HHS is an effort to start consolidating information from a variety of stakeholders, and understand what the impact of this disease has been from patients, representatives in the government, military, science, to understand it all and try to create a plan of how to improve the field at large. CC: Does that include vaccination? NZ: The tick saliva vaccine would really revolutionize how we’re protected from any tick bite, because you would actually be immunized against the saliva of the tick before it’s injected any pathogen into the body. A Lyme vaccine alone won’t protect you from the co-infections. There’s a European pharmaceutical company currently working on a tick saliva vaccine. It would be very exciting if that becomes a reality in the next few years.
Home
30 Tours
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Creators
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home
A
tours
s a college student in the ’90s, Kristen Farrell would arrive on campus two days early to deck out her dorm room. “Back then, it was Laura Ashley prints in every shade of blue,” she says. “I had no idea what I was doing, but I had some interest, so, you know, I’d spray-paint a chair and refinish the seat.” It was the first hint of her knack for designing a space top to bottom, and on deadline. But first came a career as a lobbyist, followed by work in construction design and home staging. “I liked the problem-solving aspect—having a vision and then executing it to create a totally cohesive end result,” she says. So it makes perfect sense that earlier this year, she launched Kristen Farrell Home, with the goal of bringing turnkey homes to clients with equal concern for time and money to spend on a vacation retreat. “It’s really conception to completion in a whole new way,” says Farrell of the parcel-to-percale approach. Functionality comes first, and price points and delivery time are key. “Let’s get product here in four weeks, not 12,” she says. “Let’s buy a sofa for under 10 grand, not 20 as a starting point.”
Castles on the Sand The launch of Kristen Farrell Home celebrates the talents of the stylish, detail-oriented designer and builder.
The open floorplan allows views into the dining room, with its glittering modern chandelier.
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A view into the dining room
Which brings us to last October, when Farrell was at High Point, the famed furniture industry trade show, and happened to run into Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, whom she’d never met. Turns out they’d always wanted to work with each other. “We followed up with a fantastic lunch,” she says, “and tossed around some ideas and by January 1, we had agreed to team up.” Today, Farrell curates Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams product for Kristen Farrell Homes; a Kristen Farrell Home furniture collaboration is in development. The first results were on display this summer at a stunning 8,000square-foot show home in Water Mill that came together in just six months. Every detail, from the pickled-oak floors to the pearlstitched sheets, was overseen by Farrell and the MGBW team. The furnishings were all Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; the paint, from Farrell’s just-launched 24-color line for Sherwin-Williams, featuring a palette that reflects the soft neutral hues—Salt Bay, Montauk Gray—of the East End. What’s next? Farrell, who recently bought an Airstream trailer, says, “They have no customized program, so, who knows? There may be a little Airstream custom development in the future, starting with my own!” farrellhome.com
The well-appointed patio, with furniture covered in chic grey indoor-outdoor upholstery
The kitchen contrasts marble and steel against a warm wood floor.
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creators
Watchcase Factory: Good Time The former Bulova Watchcase factory in Sag Harbor has been transformed into luxury condominiums with up-to-theminute features.
D
riving up Route 114 from East Hampton—past charming houses fit for turn of the 20th century whalers, gently updated to suit young families too cool for Hamptons potato fields—one could always mark Sag Harbor proper’s entry point by the sight of a majestic (if dilapidated) 5-story structure, a former factory of odd angles on the left, ivy creeping along its red bricks and hollowed, arched windows. Now refashioned as luxury lofts with adjoining townhouses, the Watchcase has stepped up to modernity with a sweet tinge of nostalgia—New England red brick an image of solid structures, in mills depicted in Beat writer Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, as visions of the American Dream. That’s how the edifice started: In 1881 an immigrant from France, Joseph Fahys, moved his successful watchmaking factory from Carlstadt, New Jersey, marrying a local woman. The building replaced a cotton mill that had been destroyed by fire. Legend has it recruiters, seeking skilled machinists, signed them up fresh off the boat at Ellis Island, transporting them directly to Long Island. With economic collapse in the Depression, the site was sold to Bulova in 1936. The watches were made elsewhere, but the metals were smelt and cases hand-constructed here, until the Bulova Watchcase factory was shut down in 1981.
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Living room design: Iconic Modern Home
home
Elsa Soyars’ townhouse designs at Watchcase. Photo by Eric Strifler. An Elsa Soyars-designed bedroom
That early care and expertise distinguishes the factory’s redesign by architects and interior designers, after a decades-long cleansing of contaminants from the drainage system, and transformation into living units. On a recent visit, Dave Thommen manned the lobby’s front desk; third generation from his family working at the site, his great-grandfather arrived from Switzerland in 1890. A fifthgeneration villager, Thommen was a firsthand witness as the project, built by Cape Advisors, a Manhattan-based developer, and designed by the architectural firm Beyer Blinder Belle, the firm that oversaw the restoration of the historic Grand Central Terminal, went through its long transformation.
Atop an underground garage, a workout room, gardens and renovated townhouses encircle a swimming pool. In a private penthouse, a Victorian-era water tower has been converted into a pavilion, a perch for panoramic views: of church steeples, the Peconic Bay and the waterfront. Sure, there are plenty of yachts. Yet, just a stone’s throw from Bay Street Theater, The American Hotel, and the Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center planned for the town’s vibrant yearround community, Watchcase is grounded in industrial practicality, without losing romance. thewatchcasefactory.com
No detail is missed: The original factory smokestack has become a two-sided fireplace in a lounge area off the main lobby; a preciousmetal vault is now a refreshment alcove. Hip, refined and modest, hallways keep the factory vibe, and condos with 11- to 14-foot woodbeamed ceilings feature state-of-the-art kitchens, bathrooms and exterior space. Sotheby’s International Realty, which represents the remaining units for sale, enlisted design firms such as Elsa Soyars, Iconic Modern, Meridith Baer and Lynda Sylvester to put their stamp on the jewel-like rooms: plush pillows in geometric patterns adorn linen couches, and bamboo throws add color to beds, to give future residents a picture of how they might apply their own personal style. Iconic Modern enhances the spaces with one-of-a-kind, authentic furniture.
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Food
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Seafood
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food
seafood
The Fisher King
Citarella owner Joe Gurrera turns beginner fish fans into big fish (at least in the kitchen) with his first cookbook, Joe Knows Fish.
If anyone knows fish, it’s Joe Gurrera, owner of the famed seafood emporium Citarella. And he’s finally found time in his busy schedule (Citarella today has seven locations across Manhattan, the Hamptons, and in Greenwich, Connecticut) to help fish neophytes whip up delicious seafood specialties. In Joe Knows Fish, his debut cookbook, Gurrera vows to take the intimidation out of preparing seafood, including high-pressure tasks such as sourcing from the best fishmongers and serving guests whole grilled fish. (In his typical no-holds-barred manner, Gurrera recommends simply serving fish whole, and eaters picky about bones will have to deal with it.) “I’ve been wanting to write this for 15 years,” he says of his book, which was photographed entirely at his Bridgehampton home. “I never had the time when I was growing my business. This was the time.” Seafood is his lifelong passion. “I can honestly tell you that I’ve never said that I need a vacation,” Gurrera says. “I love what I do.” The son of an Italian immigrant fishmonger, he grew up tagging along with Dad as he shopped New York City’s bustling fish markets. “I graduated from St. John’s and was planning on law school,” Gurrera recalls. “Then I just said, ‘Sorry, not going.’ I stayed in the family business. My father couldn’t stand it. But I became an entrepreneur and applied myself.” Aside from hosting issues like “Will they eat a whole fish?” Gurrera says that cooking seafood is intimidating because it demands more tender loving care than throwing a burger on the grill. “It requires more precision,” he says. “You have to pay attention—but for such a short period of time. If the cellphone rings, don’t answer it! The fish will be done in a matter of minutes. It’s so easy!” With Joe Knows Fish, “Mr. Citarella” also vows to bring more diverse seafood meals to fish fans in landlocked states by showing exactly how to source everything from salmon or skate to calamari or lobster. (He’s quick to point out that Citarella also ships.) Joe Knows Fish also features photos of raw and cooked seafood to illustrate exactly what to buy: “All fresh fish should look like it does on your HDTV—bright and sharp,” he says. Gurrera’s favorites include (you guessed it) whole fish, plus soft-shell crabs and mussels. But he savors it all, from heartier fish steaks to omega-3-rich salmon skin. “Grilling, poaching, baking—if you eat like that every day,” he promises, “you’ll be very happy within a month.”
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Clams & Monkfish Brodetto
A tasty dish for any time of year from Joe Knows Fish Serves 4 4 dozen raw littleneck clams 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 16 garlic cloves, finely minced ½ cup dry white wine 1½ lbs. skinless monkfish fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces Put the clams in a colander or directly in the sink and rinse them thoroughly (use a sink sprayer if you have one). Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat and add the garlic. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic turns light golden brown. Add the clams and wine and cover the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and steam the clams until they open, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, remove the open clams, still in their shells, from the pot and set aside. There may be some clams that take longer to open than others, so continue cooking those for a few more minutes. After that, discard any clams that do not open. Increase the heat if needed to bring the clam broth back to a gentle simmer, add the monkfish to the pan, and cover. Allow the fish to cook in the broth for 5 minutes. Transfer the fish, clams and broth to a large serving bowl or four individual bowls. Serve hot.
last look
In Search Of The Best Seafood
Today contributor and Knicks broadcaster Jill Martin finds the freshest catches of the day throughout the East End. I come out to Southampton year-round, and consider my home out East my happy place. I love to eat, and eat healthy, so I am always up for finding creative new dishes at our local spots. What better time to enjoy seafood than the waning days of summer? Here are six places not to be missed on your seafood crawl throughout the East End.
Le Bilboquet, Sag Harbor What to get: Crab and avocado salad Why you’ll love it: The scene, the view, the food…this is a gem located on the Sag Harbor marina. The crab and avocado salad is light, fresh and big enough to share—the perfect appetizer. 631.808.3767
E.M.P Summer House, East Hampton What to get: Lobster bake Why you’ll love it: Wow! It is a lobster boil served at a picnic table in a covered patio for 6-8 people, which includes whole lobsters, clams, shrimp, andouille sausage, potatoes, corn, summer vegetables, wood-fired bread and a seasonal cobbler served warm (that will make you break whatever diet you are on!). The waiter comes over with two very large pots of what seems like an endless amount of seafood for all to enjoy. empsummerhouse.com
Duryea’s, Montauk What to get: Lobster Cobb salad Why you’ll love it: Now this is what I call a salad! It is as big as it is fabulous, served with a housemade tarragon dressing and topped with shaved Fairview Farm cheddar cheese, smoked bacon crispy bits, diced avocado, chopped hard-boiled eggs and local heirloom cherry tomatoes. Definitely a share plate—serves 2-3 people. duryealobsters.com
Shinnecock Lobster Factory, Southampton What to get: Make-your-own lobster roll Why you’ll love it: Very casual and super fun for everyone to be able to pick what they want. Choose from a selection of toppings including local tomatoes, fresh lemon, marinated mixed peppers and applewood-smoked bacon, to make your own roll however you like. Be sure to order a side of corn with secret seasoning. shinnecocklobsterfactory.com
Sunset Beach, Shelter Island What to get: Steamed mussels and French fries (definitely worth splurging on) Why you’ll love it: Feast on a plentiful pot of mussels in white wine and garlic, at such a beautiful location. Make sure to pack your appetite and dance moves, as lunch quickly turns into a party. Feel free to dance, and burn off those calories! sunsetbeachli.com
Cowfish, Hampton Bays What to get: Mahi mahi sandwich Why you’ll love it: Cowfish is one of my go-to places year round for the freshest mahi mahi sandwiches. You can always skip the bread and order the fish atop their legendary North Fork salad composed of Brussels sprouts leaves, dried berries, manchego cheese, macadamia nuts and bacon. cowfishrestaurant.com
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