Brew's Cafe

It's one thing to watch tv and see the footage of whatever most recent disaster is in the news cycle. Jim Cantore has left whatever hurricane zone he'd flown into, on to the next one; the news crews have hit the scene looking for drama to send to their producers; we see a couple of reports and think "how awful". And then the sports reporter comes on to tell us what happened in the game. On the ground, the reporters leave, chasing the next disaster story. But on the ground, these natural disasters change peoples' lives in ways the tv news shows never bother to truly show: lives and love ones are lost, homes, businesses and entire communities disappear in an instant, and those still standing are left to clean up the mess. And then something amazing happens: before the big organizations come in, before the government responds, individuals start pouring in to help the people rebuild. Individuals like Levi Bennett, a real estate agent from an area nearby, who loaded up his truck with whatever he thought people might need-- water, tools, supplies and the like-- and drove until he couldn't drive any more. And then he got to work. And then another amazing thing happens: these peoples' lives, the lives of those who come to help, are also forever changed. Levi was generous enough of his time and energy to spend days helping people sort through the mess that Hurricane Helene left in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina. And he was generous enough to share his story with us, the story of how this area of the world was forever changed, and how he was forever changed as well.

He's Back!! Our resident science expert is here for a third time to help us understand the world we live in, especially here on the east end. Beach erosion, the eclipse, the earthquake, and, of course, the movement of water in the ocean all get his special treatment! Erik's unique perspective and expertise make him the perfect person to help us to know what's going on in the natural world around us. As a middle school earth science teacher, Erik has the knowledge and the ability to explain natural phenomena in a way that not only middle schoolers can understand, but their parents, grandparents and other interested adults. But as a surfer, photographer, advocate and general lover of nature, it's his passion for the subject matter that makes it so engaging and entertaining. So join us for this extremely informative and interesting episode!

Who knew he was funny?!? For many of us in this community, Pete Cestaro is "Coach Pete"-- the guy who has been teaching our kids to love the game of baseball, as well as getting good at it. Many others know him as a guy we play golf with, surf with , have coffee with or just generally enjoy his company. And who knew he was funny? Well, all of us, and especially the kids he's taught baseball to, and even more so, their parents. But we didn't realize he was REALLY funny until he started showing up in comedy clubs all up and down the west coast on our Instagrams. And now he's back here on the east coast, bringing not only his clever brand of humor to NYC clubs, but also to a couple of venues on the east end. One in particular is "Comedy at Pox", Pete's own production. Once a month, at Fairway Restaurant at Poxybogue (YES, THE DINER AT THE GOLF COURSE!!) Pete brings a few of his favorite headliners from the city to bust up a small crowd in the diner. They've all been sold out. And as someone who'd been there multiple times, let me tell you: IT'S FUNNY!!

For the Executive Director (i.e.-CEO) of such a sophisticated institution as East Hampton's very own Guild Hall, one might not expect to start the session with talk of "salty balls" before segueing into an in depth analysis of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". But Guild Hall is not like other arts institutions, and Andrea Grover is not your basic nonprofit CEO. Eventually the conversation finds its way to Guild Hall and all its wonders, including the just completed $30mm renovation/restoration as well as this weekend's coming standup show featuring The Daily Show's Dulcé Sloan. Naturally, we dig into what it takes to renovate a nearly 100 year old arts building in East Hampton, how it differs from any other arts institution in the country (probably the world, but we didn't go that far), as well as its history, its future and some delicious upcoming features this fall. No further mention of "salty balls".

Think of the word "lifeguard", and one name typically comes to mind: Ryan. Think of the name Ryan and one word comes to mind: lifeguard. The Ryans have been protecting the beaches of East Hampton (and Southampton) for three generations. To prove it, we gathered three generations of Ryans to come to the Cafe and chat about lifeguarding. Of course, nowadays, lifeguarding in East Hampton involves far more than sitting on the beach watching to see if anyone needs assistance. Today, the Hamptons Lifeguard Association is involved with and supporting so many programs that I can't even list them here. Most famously, they support the town's Junior Lifeguard program, definitively the most successful youth sports program on the east end. Each summer over four hundred locals and visitors between the ages of 10 and 16 gather on the beaches to learn, compete and have fun while developing respect for the ocean and the confidence to swim in it-- not to mention the wisdom to NOT swim when or where conditions dictate. As usual, we stray from the appointed topic into such areas as education (another three generation tradition for this family), issues concerning local families and businesses, and just one or two reminiscences of "the old days". So join Big John, Johnny, and Hayley as we dig into what it takes to "waterproof" the East End.

Get checked. And get checked again. And if you're not sure they checked correctly, have someone else check. Because the last thing you want to hear is that you have stage 4 cancer and they "missed it" on the mammogram, or whatever scan or screening they use. That's exactly what happened to Ty Wenzel. Ty was going about her highly interesting life as creator and editor, writer, chief cook and bottle washer at the wonderful new style magazine, "James Lane Post", when she got the awful news. So get checked. Fortunately, though it's become a big thing for her, Ty's story  doesn't begin or end with cancer. Writer, performer, editor, style maven and mother, Ty leads a busy life. She even has a book out, called "Behind Bars", which I swear I'll read before I have her on the show again. A former NYC bartender, Ty has many stories to tell, and I'm sure you'll enjoy hearing them as much as I did.

You know those helpful signs at the East Hampton Village beaches that tell you how to get out of a deadly rip current? Or the surf cams that surveil the beaches 24/7, reporting data to surfers across the world, not to mention Stony Brook University and NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration). Ever wonder how they got there, and who monitors them? Wonder no more. Jimmy Minardi is on the job. Many know Jimmy from his day job as a fitness coach, yoga instructor, lifeguard, dad and longtime East Hampton fixture.  You may know that Jimmy spends a fair amount of his "spare" time accomplishing the aforementioned tasks. And that also includes raising the (considerable) funds to make it happen. Jimmy tells us all about his work here in this episode, as well as some Minardi-isms, a few great stories and, naturally, some of his worldly philosophizing. And no conversation would be complete without a few tips on how best to stay in shape, no matter your age or situation. Enjoy!!

Twenty-three years ago, before "Women Owned Business" was cool, before pre-owned vintage clothing was more valuable than new, Tisha Collette struck out in business. In a small shop on Jobs Lane in Southampton, she opened "Collette", a consignment shop featuring a curated collection of previously owned, designer fashion goods. Not long after, she opened another outpost. Then another. And soon, another. Today, mention the name "Collette" anywhere on the South Fork, or the upper east side for that matter, and the image of a gorgeous store selling gorgeous home goods and high fashion in any one of five locations comes immediately to mind. In fact, she has achieved the ultimate symbol of success: "Collette-ing" is now a verb, meaning to shop for previously owned treasures in The Hamptons. The Collette Empire now includes four stores in the Hamptons totaling over 30,000sf and another 5000sf on Madison Ave and 93st. And she's managed to achieve all of this without outside investors or partners, forging ever fearlessly ahead. Join us as she shares with us the challenges, rewards, and some secrets of her success.

When we think of East End architecture, and new building and development in general, we often gravitate toward the obvious: the large, new, cutting edge design that makes magazine covers and lifelong name recognition. Erica Broberg certainly doesn't shy away from taking on large projects, but her business mission holds firmly to one critical  ethic that separates her from the more famous names: half of her business consists of local projects, designed for year round residents and business owners. She looks at architecture a little differently. Rather than building only the newest, latest and greatest, she sees the architect as having a duty to the community in which they live. Erica got her start on the East End in what might be considered "neediest cases". She took on projects that had major challenges, either from regulatory restriction, logistical challenges or some other difficulty. That experience serves her well, as she has a unique understanding for the process, the constraints, the needs of the community, as well as the client. In this conversation, Erica gives us lots of insight into what informs her work today, as well as how she arrived at it. We also cover some of the interesting, often controversial elements that building on the East End now face.

To make ends meet on the East End, these days, it helps to wear a lot of hats. It helps even more if those hats are all for roles that aren't being worn by lots of others around town. Need a digital marketing expert? No, you say? Well, you're wrong. It doesn't matter what you do, nowadays, if you're not in the media business, you're not in business for long. And that's where Ryan comes in. It starts with photography and videography. It goes a little further with digital marketing. Another step is social media. If these are all concepts that make you cringe, Ryan might be your guy. Podcaster, photographer, videographer, digital media maven, social media expert... there's not much in the world of modern media that Ryan can't do. And if you need a bartender for your next function he may be able to help with that as well!!