Brew's Cafe

You've heard the description before, of course: journalist, editor, publisher, newspaper founder, podcaster, etc. Nowadays it's a pretty typical professional byline. But what if that were to apply to a 16 year old? You might not believe me. Or, if you're familiar with The Ditch Weekly, you might already know Billy Stern. And you'd know that Billy Stern is not your typical sixteen year old. The Ditch Weekly came about two years ago, when Billy needed something to do. One thing he learned from his job at a beach food truck was: he didn't like working for other people. So at 14 he set out to begin his entrepreneurial journey. And before too long, his story was picked up by the New York Times. Yeah, the Ditch Weekly made the Times. Crazy story, better told by Billy himself, so dig in and enjoy the ride. And I'm sure we'll be hearing plenty more from this young man in the near future.

Please don't think of Ryan McMahon as another one of those city "influencers" to come to the East End and tell everyone what's right or wrong with the Hamptons. Ryan actually has deep roots here, in Bridgehampton specifically, although apparently not deep enough to know that the Pizza Place is not actually named the Pizza Palace! In fact, probably best not to call Ryan an "influencer" at all... maybe not even a "content creator". Ryan's goal is to create a media company which can help businesses, and individuals, navigate the ever changing, never simple world of social media marketing. In the meantime, he makes a lot of fun videos where he does actually give his opinions on local treasures like the best latin lunch food (looking at you, Pizza Palace!), and the best new places and yes, the best chicken salad (not saying a certain "Real Housewife" stole the idea from him, but maybe she was, let's say... "influenced"?). Anyway, Ryan puts out a ton of very entertaining content on Instagram, and has lots of great takes on all kinds of cultural, tho mostly food and drink, indulgences. 

During the course of this episode, I make a confession. I confess that my knowledge of horses, horse riding, horse racing and anything else related to the horse centered sports came from two books: "Seabiscuit", by Laura Hillenbrand; and "Horse", by Geraldine Brooks (both brilliant, terrifically informative books, by the way). Well, after today's episode, that is no longer true. I now know far, far more about horses, their constitutions and personalities, the skills and disciplines necessary to ride them both enjoyably and competitively, and the culture of the horse riding world. I found it fascinating. Far from the big, oafy beasts some of us may consider horses, they are actually brilliant, interesting, individual creatures, capable of thought, communication and behavior far more intricate than I had ever given them credit for (especially the one who threw me three times as a kid in Ireland). So give a listen, and hear a master-- and lover-- of his craft bring us into his world. 

You may notice a common theme running through these conversations, but I promise it is purely coincidental: many of my guests have known what they wanted to do with themselves from an early age. Painter and visual artist Perry Burns falls squarely into this category. It's no surprise then, that when these people do end up in their chosen fields of discipline, that they become not only successful, but otherwise fulfilled. Perry Burns invites us into his world of visual art, but it's much more complex than just what he likes to paint. Perry's works are filled with influences from not only other cultures, but also from issues and events taking place in the world that he finds compelling. So the work becomes layered with influence, depth and meaning, and in this conversation, Perry helps us unravel where that all comes from. 

It's hard to get through an episode without the topic coming around to housing. There appears to be something of a housing shortage throughout the country, as anyone who's tried to buy a home in recent years can tell you. But here on the east end, it's actually a crisis. Pierre Debbas is a partner at his eponymous law firm in New York City and Southampton, Romer Debbas, which specializes in real estate law, specifically transactions. And while the conditions which affect the real estate market in NYC may differ from here in The Hamptons, there are many parallels. So I hit up my friend, Pierre, for some ideas that might help alleviate the pressure, particularly on buyers and renters; he had some interesting, and some surprising, things to say on the matter. Of course we riffed on plenty of other topics from local restaurants to things to do on a rainy weekend, so please, check out this week's episode.

I always feel a special kinship with those who've "grown up" in the restaurant business. It's hard. I don't mean just the restaurant business, though that is very hard. I mean growing up in the restaurant business. It's hard but I wouldn't change it for the world. I get the feeling based on our conversation that Robyn wouldn't either. You grow up different... and differently. You see the world differently, you understand people differently, you view responsibility differently. So when Robyn's private chef clients throw curveballs at her, she swings easily and hits them out of the park. Cause that's what you learn to do when you grow up in a restaurant. Of course, that doesn't mean life is easy, quite the opposite. It just means that when you're used to dealing with a million things, all at once, handling them one at a time doesn't throw you off track. I'm not sure what any of this has to do with the conversation we had on this episode. That's the impression I got, not having known Robyn at all, previously, after we finished the podcast. Great conversation with a fascinating person. Please enjoy!!

One thing I've learned while doing these episodes, is that the last thing anyone wants to hear about from a couple of real estate brokers is... real estate. And since Patrick McLaughlin has made a name for himself not only selling real estate, but being at the forefront of the local goings on in the villages of The Hamptons-- particularly as concerns restaurant and nightlife comings and goings-- we managed to avoid the subject of real estate for almost the entire show. Although we did manage to sneak in a couple of anecdotes about celebrity real estate misbehavior, we otherwise avoided the subject (with both of us being Irish, avoidance was not tough to pull off). So if you don't know already, there are plenty of new openings this spring, and the landscape should look a little different come July 4th weekend. So hop on in and let's see where Patrick plans to try out this coming season!

The Talkhouse. Peter. Institutions. Very few establishments on the East End have had the staying power of Stephen Talkhouse. But the iconic bar and nightclub in Amagansett remains more vital than ever, even if Peter slips out by 10pm nowadays. The Talkhouse has become famous on a level that no one, especially not Peter, would have imagined 39 years ago when he bought the divey little bar with only a jukebox for music. More than 80 members of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame have played the Talkhouse. Global megastars like Coldplay, Dave Matthews, Jelly Roll, Brandi Carlisle, and most recently, Metallica, have performed onstage. Despite the worldwide notoriety, The Talkhouse remains a deeply local, deeply soulful establishment. Local and regional acts have played there as unknowns, only to become huge-- and continue to play there. Some performers have been returning year after year for over thirty years. Employees, too, have stood the test of time. Over a dozen employees have been there for more than twenty years. No one is quite sure how long Larry has been working there, but it's longer than anyone, himself included, can recall. And then there's the generosity. Soldier Ride was conceived here, and has become a nationwide foundation to raise money and awareness for wounded American combat veterans. And again, locally, any time anyone in need comes to Peter to help raise money or other support for a cause, whether a local family or a worthwhile organization, Peter is eager to help. So please listen in to this very special episode.

On November 7, 2025, East Hampton High School's football team won a playoff game. For most of the schools that they competed against this year, that wouldn't be a big deal. But for East Hampton, this was something that hadn't happened in 34 years. In fact, only six or seven (see what I did there, parents?) years ago, there was no football program at all. It had withered and all but died for a lack of interest. But Joe McKee was interested. And almost single handedly, over the course of the next few years, Joe brought football back to East Hampton. First with a limited high school team, then with an extensive community flag football program, culminating in this year's county semi-final defeat at the hands of the eventual All Long Island Champion Sayville Golden Flashes. It's been a long road, with lots of twists and turns, bumps and roadblocks, but neither McKee, nor the players of this most recent team of players, led by a stellar group of dedicated, talented and motivated players, would be denied. Hear Joe tell the saga in his own words, as he brings us behind the scenes to hear the story of how it all fell apart, and then was brought back together. 

Ironically, it all started with the Girl Scouts. When Marit Molin couldn't find a scout troop for her daughter on the east end, she started her own. Now, many years later, she is the ultimate girl scout. Marit's organization is called Hamptons Community Outreach. Their mission is simple. If someone in our community needs something, Marit and her team find a way to fill the need. Sometimes it's fixing a roof, or a floor, or a heating system. Sometimes it's finding housing to begin with. It's always about providing food-- her operation handles 20 tons of food at a time and distributes it to those who need it. More and more, it's helping young people get the resources they need to succeed in school-- things like tutoring, supplies, college counseling and the like. It's shocking to many of us how much need there is in this community, particularly with the backdrop of so much abundance and even excess. But the need is there, and Marit, her organization and their volunteers, are there to help bridge the gap. Her story is amazing, but what she manages to do, and how much she and her group provide is nothing short of fascinating. So tune in and hear her story of starting a girl scout troop, and becoming a grown up girl scout gone nuclear