Sign of Summer…Chefs and Champagne

I know it’s truly summer when it’s Chefs & Champagne time. Each year the James Beard Foundation holds a summer fundraiser by that name at Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack in mid-to-late July. The basic premise is this: chefs from Manhattan come out to the Hamptons to show their stuff, and foodies from the metro area come to feast. Yes, you pay money and the money supports the foundation’s mission, which is to: “celebrate, preserve, and nurture America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence.” I think James Beard would be very pleased.

The people-spotting is fantastic – especially if you’re a foodie. One time Martha Stewart practically knocked me down to get some gazpacho. This year the JBF honored award-winning restauranteurs Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini of the Four Seasons for 50 years of running the Four Seasons. In the past, I’ve had the honor of meeting Julia Child, Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud, Alfred Portale, Thomas Keller and Ruth Reichl. Put the event on your list for next summer.

A couple of local restaurants are invited each year, and this year Chef/owner Damien O’Donnell of Harbor Bistro (up on Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton) killed em with local lobster and mango crisps with citrus nam pia (awesome) and Citarella adjunct, Jeremy Culver of Fulton could barely keep up with the demand for his delicious grilled octopus. I hit Rebecca Charles’ (Pearl Oyster Bar) table about three times for her mini-lobster rolls. And I went back to Vermilion’s table for Chef Maneet Chauhan’s Indian street food (Latin duck vindaloo; Indian Chaat Pani Puri and cucumber-watermelon gazpacho). Yum. The Harrison’s Amanda Freitag and her pastry chef Colleen Grapes wowed me with grilled heirloom tomato soup with poblano sour cream and cilantro and tri-star strawberry shortcake with corn biscuit and basil.

To top the evening off, I scored a Blenheim cigar (co-produced, if you will, by Winston Churchill’s grandson and Davidoff) at the VIP after-party. The tobacco is Dominican grown with Cuban seed. Smoked like it was straight from Havana. Nice. Thank you James Beard Foundation.

Tags: Alex von Bidder, Alfred Portale, Amanda Freitag, Chefs & Champagne, Citarella, Colleen Grapes, Damien O'Donnell, Daniel Boulud, Davidoff, East Hampton, Four Seasons, Fulton, Hamptons, Harbor Bistro, Havana, James Beard Foundation, Jeremy Culver, Julia Child, Julian Niccolini, Maneet Chauhan, Martha Stewart, Pearl Oyster Bar, Rebecca Charles, Ruth Reichl, Sagaponack, Thomas Keller, Vermilion, Winston Churchill, Wolffer Estate Vineyard, Wolfgang Puck