My heart burst with joy this week, when I had my son Josh visit during the week and my precious grandchildren on the weekend.
April 16 is my daughter Elizabeth’s birthday and I got to have my 10- and 12-year-old grandchildren for a visit to my Westhampton retreat/workplace. It was a treat!
Their mom celebrated her birthday with a weekend away to Newport, Rhode Island, and my gift was being with her children!
I met them at Exit 70 on the Long Island Expressway and took them out to dinner at one of my favorite places: the newly opened Brunetti Pizza on Main Street. But to my disappointment, their small seating area was at capacity, so we did second best and placed an order to go. Within minutes, we took home our mouthwatering cheese, meatball and sausage pizzas and salad home to enjoy.
As their visit began, I could see the rain begin to subside, but the sun shone in my heart as I drove them up my driveway into the house. In fact, on Saturday, the sun did finally shine brightly and we ventured into historic Sag Harbor for lunch.
The unique and bustling historic village is famous for its having been a whaling and shipping port since 1707. Many historic homes are being restored and the art scene just added a stunning arts venue in an 1832 Methodist church that was lovingly restored by Eric Fischl and April Gornick. It is now named “The Church.”
For me and the kids, our destination was LT Burger, a fantastic and popular restaurant that is known for — what else — their mouthwatering, juicy burgers. But what I didn’t know is that they also offer delectable and delicious desserts!
I must have gained 10 pounds eating the Fried Oreos — Oreo cookies that are surrounded by donut batter. Addy had a float that is served with a scoop of ice cream on top of a pile of fresh whipped cream, to add to the decadence. The outside rim of the float is coated with Oreo filling and pieces of the outside of the cookie are scattered all around.
LT Burger is a must-go! And I was happy to learn that they are adding another location in Westhampton, where I expect there will be long lines to be seated!
After our joyous lunch, we wandered into several of the shops including the 100-year-old Variety Store with a thousand items, ranging from sweatshirts, to art supplies, to toys, stationery and much more! The kids loved it!
Then we were off to the neighboring town of Sagaponack for a visit with the incredibly talented world-class sculptor and new friend Hans Van Bovenkamp at his 8-acre Sculpture Farm, a magical place filled with his remarkable works.
We are hoping to bring two of his pieces to Westhampton and then Southampton for the launch of our SculpTour. More details coming soon!
The kids were mesmerized by Hans’ large and powerful pieces strategically placed throughout the property! What fun!
To end the day, we went to the famous Shock Ice Cream in Westhampton for a tasty treat and dinner from Margarita Grille, their favorite place for gazpacho and chips! What a day it was!
Then, I was so lucky to have my son to myself out East!
We had a visit with Bryan Polite, the chief of the Shinnecock Indian Nation who was recently re-elected by his peers. The tribe is based in Southampton and Hampton Bays and he has great hopes to bring economic independence to his historic tribe dating back to the 19th century. We look forward to bringing their history and ideas to the community!
Josh and I rarely get quiet time together so I was grateful for the precious days! How lucky can a mom be, but how sad that they’re leaving.
