Have you ever seen flying fingers? I have! The extraordinary pianists at Pianofest did just that — but over their grand piano’s keys!
Thanks to my friend Lou Meisel, I was introduced to his passion for bringing talented pianists from around the world to show off their superb skills in the Hamptons.
The treat before each performance is a few words from mentor and director Paul Schenly talking about the history of the piece we are about to hear.
When the performance came to the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Konstantin Soukhovetski — their artist in residence — spoke eloquently about my favorite work from Tchaikovsky, the Nutcracker Suite. He also performed his own works in his stunning style!
As I was watching the pianists, it brought back memories of my childhood piano lessons from Mrs. Skoller. I remember hating practicing for a concert we had at Steinway Hall in Manhattan. My brother Bob froze on stage and couldn’t move his fingers. Piano playing is not for everyone!
Dede Gotthelf invited the pianists and some guests to dinner after the first concert. It was fascinating to hear the stories of these young musicians who have journeyed from so far away to attend school and work on their craft.
They live together for weeks in an Easthampton home, where there are 11 pianos — even one in the kitchen — for them to practice and perfect their skills.
There are a few more Monday performances in Southampton. Run, do not walk, to get tickets. After all, it’s not everyday you can see flying fingers!
The reasonably priced tickets are available at pianofest.com.
Love to you my dear readers.
Dining to die for
When I was introduced to Kyky Conille, the new operator at Il Pellicano restaurant and Bijoux nightclub, it was love at first sight.
He has reimagined the Southampton building at 136 Main St. and my friends and I went there and had an incredible dinner — but I shouldn’t have been surprised because Kyky is a very wise man and hired the incomparable talented Chef Rocco DiSpirito, who has written over a dozen cookbooks, to run his kitchen. The celebrity chef has earned his reputation because each dish from raw, to appetizers, to main course, to dessert was spectacular.
Rocco will be featured at our Dan’s Taste of the Two Forks on July 6, but Wednesday to Sunday you can see him at Il Pellicano and relish his every dish!
The menu features a variety of delectable dishes presented as works of art and with his investor, old friend Sandy Rubenstein, joining our table we ordered multiple dishes.
Being an oyster lover, we ordered a dozen of them from New Brunswick, Canada, accompanied by a cucumber mignonette and smoky tomato cocktail sauce adding a great flavor topping the oysters.
We added the local royal red shrimp crudo that was so good, we ordered a second plate!
I couldn’t resist being “good” and ordered the farm stand crudités and what appeared was a work of art pretending to be veggies. Spectacular!
Because I’m a charred Brussels sprouts fan, I added that to the main course and was delighted to see it accompanied by a long, mouthwatering wicked bone marrow. The sprouts were topped with a creamy cashew sauce. Remarkable!
For our main courses, we were delighted by the perfectly cooked Alaska wild salmon and the halibut with a sweet nut crust. It made me a halibut fan!
To close the dinner, we ordered what the chef calls “Really Rich Basque Cheesecake” surrounded by Amarena cherries. It was to die for! And the chocolate Gianduja crunch cake was accompanied by what looked like a scoop of ice cream but was really a shaped scoop of fresh whipped cream — also to die for!
It was a remarkable meal I’ve had and can’t wait to go back.
And if you choose to linger after dinner, at 10 p.m., the reimagined Bijoux night club opens until the wee hours of the night.
Try it to dine or dance, and you, too, will love it! Enjoy!
Make your reservation by calling 631-488-4570.
