My friend Tiffany Rolfe, the global chief creative officer of R/GA, is an advertising visionary who has done clever things like brand baby carrots as junk food so kids will eat them. She took part in a Google project called “The Small Brief,” which had three modern Mad Men create commercials for small businesses they love using Google Flow, an AI creative studio. Rolfe chose Shelter Island’s family-owned South Ferry, and animated images from the Clark family and Shelter Island Historical Society to make her commercial. Here’s the finished commercial and the making-of documentary, both worth watching.

Another Shelter Island institution that hardly needs a shoutout—but I will give one anyway—is late artist John Chamberlain’s private exhibition space in a converted stable, which I wrote about for a recent issue of Sotheby’s magazine. Last night, head of Sotheby’s Media Kristina O’Neill hosted a dinner with Chamberlain’s super-stylish widow and stepdaughter Prudence and Alexandra Fairweather at the stable. It ended with guests including Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars sprawled out on Chamberlain’s giant foam couch (or “barge”) during the torrential downpour. Alexandra said that they rotate between green, pink, and white couch covers for the “barge.” Chamberlain didn’t really care which one. But the guests of her vodcast “On the Couch” do: an artist specifically asked for the pink one for his upcoming appearance.

In today’s newsletter, a charmingly thirsty young singer-songwriter on his mission to score an invitation to next week’s John Mayer gig; a Hamptons Ten with fashion designer Joseph Altuzarra; and the surprising signature snack of an East Hampton art institution. This newsletter is free, but the next one is for paid subscribers only, so I’m running my first promotion: If you subscribe via this link by Sunday, an annual subscription is 20% off, and I’ll send you both print issues at the end of the summer.

For the Love of God, Let This Kid Into the John Mayer Show

Everyone knows the John Mayer concert at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett is impossible to get into, with the 250-capacity room mostly filled with Mayer’s friends and SiriusXM contest winners. His Deadhead bestie Andy Cohen will be doing a pre-show Q+A session. Frankly, it sounds like a lot of fun, and I’m sure the paps will have a field day out front. One man who is not resigned to sitting this one out is Taylor Thomas Lane, a 22-year-old Long Island musician who has been singing a John Mayer song every day since July in the hopes of getting a ticket. Lane, who is, if it’s not clear, a superfan, tells me, ”It’s hard, because I’m just a regular guy. I don’t really have connections or anything like that. Other than the sweepstakes, doing a song a day is the only thing I could really think of.”

So far, it hasn’t worked, but Lane’s undaunted. And the silver lining to his mission is that he’s getting more bookings and social media followers. Lane says, “Even if I don’t get a ticket, it would be cool just to know that [Mayer] saw it.”

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Joseph Altuzarra’s East Hampton Grill Order

Joseph Altuzarra, the French-American designer behind the elegant, whimsical fashion brand Altuzarra, has been coming to the Hamptons for twelve years with his husband, real-estate investor Seth Weissman. When they built their current home in Water Mill, Altuzarra told Architectural Digest that his vision was very Diane Keaton in “Something’s Gotta Give”—”Gambrel rooflines! An ultimate kitchen! Hydrangeas!” The result was a Hamptons-y yet sleek compromise of a home with his minimalist husband, which they now share with their three children. In the thick of preparations for his spring 2027 show, Altuzarra shared his characteristically flawless Hamptons Ten list.

Describe your perfect Hamptons day.
Waking up with the kids, going horseback riding. Then lunch at Babe’s in Sag Harbor, spending the afternoon by the pool, and dinner and s’mores at home with the whole family.

What’s your favorite spot for a drink?
I’m not a big drinker— but I highly recommend Carissa’s in Sag Harbor for its unbelievable Iced Strawberry Matcha. It’s worth braving the traffic for.

What’s your secret shopping spot?
Bloom in Sag Harbor has the most exquisite tableware. [Ed. note: Cosign Bloom, with its excellent selection of Astier de Villatte! And amazed this is the first time it’s come up in THC.]

Who would you love to bump into at the farmer’s market?
Ina Garten.

What would be your dream dinner: spot, order, company?
East Hampton Grill dinner date with my husband— shrimp cocktail, followed by the tuna tartare entree, and the sundae for dessert.

What’s your advice to newbies about a visit out East?
Spend as little time on the road as possible.

Where do you go in the Hamptons to be alone?
The Hampton Library in Bridgehampton. [Ed. note: Another cosign. The library revealed a stunning $2 million interior renovation in July.]

What’s your go-to gift for hosts/hostesses?
A G.McGee Backgammon Towel set for the beach.

Who makes the best lobster roll?
The Dockhouse in Sag Harbor.

What’s the perfect book to read in the Hamptons?
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.

What’s your favorite thing to do in the off season?
Apple picking and hayrides with the kids.

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A Rock Solid Snack

Lisa Perry’s impeccably restored East Hampton mid-century gallery, Onna House, is filled with art from undersung female artists and craftspeople. But I zeroed in on the chocolate. In the kitchen, Perry’s signature snack is a bowl of chocolate bits that resemble colored rocks—an inspired novelty. When I discovered that they came from Nuts.com, I was excited. A pound of these cute nuggets could be mine for the low price of $15.49. Chocolate rocks were first developed by Joe Dutra for his Sacramento company Kimmie Candy in 2000. The “ChocoRocks” won “product of the year” at the 2003 Candy Grammys.

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Standing near a pack of girls in miniskirts snarfing some knots, I overheard them saying some Knicks were rumored to be on their way. Like Justin Bieber, who rented a house in the Sagaponack area this summer, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have become white whales. In June, the pair joked that OG Anunoby should float their Hamptons house, given his $212.5 million contract. Since then, Brunson has been spotted dining at Alex Rossi’s great new East Hampton spot Lion’s Nook Bar & Grill, at Duryea’s Montauk, and working out with East Hampton varsity ball players. Hart went to Babe’s Diner and posed for selfies. Something tells me they’re not staying in Anunoby’s guest room.

In other feel-good news, I was heartened by a North Fork couple buying 40 acres of Cutchogue land for nearly $10 million with plans to preserve it. Call them the anti-Solovievs. The Suffolk Times reports that their family trust is named “What Am I, a Farmer?” after a line from “30 Rock,” which makes me like them even more.

In today’s newsletter, for paid subscribers, a deep dive into the secrets of one of the most talked about home flippers in the Hamptons, Blythe Graham-Jones, plus our elite events of the week from Ballerina Farm matcha to rare Peter Hujar photographs.

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The courts are buzzing too, with Chanel filing a new motion in its counterfeit case against New York and Southampton store Taroo. While the Upper East Side branch of Taroo is still open, its Job’s Lane outpost has closed. It was once The Hamptons spot to buy purses that resemble designer bags—for less.

You know who else doesn’t take an Aperol spritz break in August? THC. I’m hard at work on our second print issue of the season. In the meantime, here’s a juicy free newsletter, with updates from Bethenny Frankel’s viral East Quogue bagelry, The Hamptons Ten with Tinx, and the rarest grails from Long Island friends and vintage hounds James Acierno and John Troha.

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A Stop-Work Order at Bethenny’s Pop-up

Yesterday, Real Housewife turned businesswoman and chicken-salad influencer Bethenny Frankel opened her pop-up Supermodel Cafe in East Quogue. The shop is a way to test Frankel’s upcoming line of what she calls “better-for-you bagels, flavorful dips, schmears,” in partnership with Goldberg’s Bagels, launching this fall. As lines formed down the block, employees came out with samples, and Bethenny herself appeared in a pink lace gown. Real supermodel Molly Sims came by, and an endless stream of influencers filmed content. In a video, Frankel said, “It just felt very real, interactive and fun. We made friends on the line. The coffee and the cheesecake and the bagels are totally secondary.”

However, the Town of Southampton has issued the pop-up a stop-work order, Newsday reported. The violations cited include “dangerous and unsafe work conditions.” Frankel’s team said, “The notice does not require the cafe to close and there is no anticipated disruption to business.”

The pop-up was, by Frankel’s own description, hastily developed in four weeks. In a July video, she said, “I basically want the peoples’ opinion. This was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down even though I didn’t want to work this hard during the summer. I said, ‘Fuck it and let’s find out.’”

Tinx No Longer Shares a Bed in The Hamptons

Christina Najjar—a.k.a. Tinx—is part of the early wave of women who started as influencers and content creators and parlayed their fame into businesses beyond the feed. She went from creating “rich mom” satirical content on Instagram and TikTok to hosting the podcast “It’s Me, Tinx” on SiriusXM and writing two books: her self-help book “The Shift: Change Your Perspective, Not Yourself,” and her novel “Hotter in the Hamptons” (which was optioned by Sara and Erin Foster for TV). I’ve always been into Tinx’s funny, candid perspective and have interviewed her about everything from fancy flip-flops to diamond tennis bracelets. After many years sharing a bed with three or four girls in Montauk group houses, she’s graduated to renting a house in East Hampton. She’s the latest insider to complete THC’s signature questionnaire, The Hamptons Ten.

Describe your perfect Hamptons day.
I wake up next to my crush and we decide to go get coffee on our bikes. It’s a gorgeous day with low humidity and UV8. We drink iced flat whites by the pool and tan but don’t burn. My best friends come over for lunch and we grill hot dogs and have a dance party. After lunch, we swim in the ocean and drink margaritas. Dinner at Blue Parrot, then dancing at a house party all night long.

What’s your favorite spot for a drink?
A dirty martini at The Crow’s Nest.

What’s your secret shopping spot?
I love Amagansett Wine and Spirits. They always have some good funky oranges.

Who would you love to bump into at the farmer’s market?
Andy Cohen.

What’s your main gripe about the Hamptons?
All of the “hot takes” online. If you don’t want to come, don’t come, but I try to skip over the online debates as it will always be a happy place for me.

What would be your dream dinner: spot, order, company?
My backyard with a chef who makes crab dip and grills steak and all my best friends!

What’s your advice to newbies about a visit out East?
Have fun and don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong. And check for ticks!

Where do you go in the Hamptons to be alone?
My bed.

What’s your go-to gift for hosts/hostesses?
Good quality olive oil.

Who makes the best lobster roll?
Lunch!

Who should fill out this questionnaire next?
Jennifer Fisher, ultimate cool girl.

Grail Tales

In THC’s first print issue, we ran a portfolio of some of the rare T-shirts sourced by Long Island friends James Acierno and John Troha of Old Soldier. Here’s an extended interview with the duo, who started their company as a side hustle in 2013.

What was the genesis for Old Soldier?

James: My dad has been in the antique boat business forever. As a kid growing up our family boat was a fully restored 22’ 1957 Chris-Craft Sea Skiff named Night Heron that we’d take to Talisman/Barrett Beach or Davis Park on Fire Island. I remember no matter where we went people would always come over and ask about the boat. He eventually sold it, but an appreciation for old boats, history and the bay were ingrained in me from the start.

Later, he bought a 1946 Consolidated, a type of commuter yacht originally built in New York, to restore, and the boat came with the name OLD SOLDIER. When John and I started talking about starting a brand around 2011, all of the inspiration and direction we were pulling came from the boat’s history and these earlier experiences, and so it was kind of inevitable that we landed on that name. We have a boat house on the Patchogue River, and inside is a life ring hanging from the Night Heron that my grandma, an artist, painted two crossed flags on. We ended up using those flags in our logo, which is what you see in the crossed ‘NY’ today. So it all kind of came full circle.

What is your connection to the East End of Long Island?

John: I’ve been coming out east since I was a kid, it’s always been a special place for me. My dad is a big fisherman, so we fish a lot out of Moriches, Shinnecock, Montauk, Orient Point. When I was in high school I worked some of the offshore fishing tournaments at Star Island Yacht Club, which was really cool to be exposed to big tournaments like that.

I’ve also spent a lot of time in Montauk over the years camping, running and biking. It’s become an annual tradition for me to do a big run or ride out to the lighthouse. Last year I ran from Fire Island Lighthouse to Montauk Point Lighthouse. I’ve also done Orient Point to Montauk Point through Shelter Island and I think you notice a lot more about a place when you’re seeing it on foot. There’s so much to take in.

Where do you find these pieces?

John: It’s really a mix of classic in-person thrifting, estate sales, private collections, and spending a lot of time online. I know the vintage purists would dismiss sourcing anything not IRL, but the reality is going online broadens your reach and definitely has led us to some great deals. We’ve sourced stuff from all over the country and it’s always interesting to me to see where in the world an item ends up.

James’ dad is also a part of our sourcing crew - he travels all over the country working on boats and sees all sorts of great stuff at boat shows. He recently pulled us 2 NOS (New Old Stock) antique wood boat show tees that the original organizer never sold through from the early 80s.

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It’s enough to make me nostalgic for the 32-ounce $4.50 Razzmatazz I’d order from Jamba Juice in Berkeley in the early 2000s. It lasted for several hours and was at least partially responsible for my freshman fifteen.

In today’s newsletter, for the paid subscribers who keep this smoothie-analysis factory running, a poetic profile of Chris Kelly, the Hamptons’ most in-demand beekeeper; a $90-million-dollar flip of Lee Radziwill’s former estate on East Dune Lane; and our Elite Events roundup, with everything from the star-studded “The Big Chill” to a pop-up of one of the best vintage stores in the world.

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Today’s newsletter, for paid subscribers, is bursting with news you’ll read later in other publications. And you’ll think, thank god for THC, keeping me ahead of the curve on local happenings with global import. In today’s edition: a roundup of the best Hamptons food with a cult following and no storefront; a comical clam “crime”; our Elite Events section including the perfect Authors Night itinerary from Robert Caro to Neil deGrasse Tyson; a Sag Harbor institution returns; and a shocking blind taste test of Jamagansett’s $80 pie.

Damn Clams!

On July 30, a young man called 911 to report a pile of smashed clams on the pavement near Georgica Beach. Moving shellfish from one area to another, and dumping shellfish waste are both forbidden. The East Hampton police department reported “what appeared to be roughly eight crushed clams in the area.” (This may very well have been the work of a seagull.) The police report concluded: “Negative signs of commercial dumping at this time.”

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I was straining to identify other big fish at my first visit to The Bridge, one of the country’s most exclusive golf clubs, with a reported $1 million-plus initiation fee. I couldn’t tell the bigwigs on the golf course apart, but it was easy to spot the art: Founder Robert Rubin is pals with secret golf enthusiast Richard Prince (do read Nate Freeman’s great Vanity Fair profile of the elusive artist). As you drive into the club you’re greeted with a Prince billboard of “Vanishing Point.” The modernist clubhouse is filled with pieces by artists including Prince and Tom Sachs, much of it car-themed. The Bridge is located on a former race track and hosts a high-end car show in the fall.

The first print issue of THC is out, and I’ve been dropping it at coffeeshops and galleries and movie theaters all over the east end. If you nab one, please tell me what you think, and let me know if you’d like me to drop one at your business. (I’m putting every dollar I earn from paid subscriptions into printing the paper, so today would be a great day to upgrade!) In today’s newsletter, for paid subscribers, a look at the devoted tree stewards of East Hampton, the most extravagant valet situation in Southampton, and elite events from a Jocelyn Wildenstein documentary to a Belle Burden talk.

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The Palo Alto-based Pivotal is doing a public demonstration of its one-person flying cars in the Shagwog Marina area through Saturday. In a promotional video, a Pivotal rep described driving as boring, and said,…

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The influencer crosswalk was in full effect this Sunday, as Sunset Beach set up a giant outdoor screen for the World Cup finals (a generous gesture that was only slightly undercut by the screen freezing at a few key moments). Sunset Beach upheld its “Mediterranean” reputation, with women in thong bikinis and men smoking giant cigars wandering by. The hotel’s proprietor, André Balazs, held court in yellow-tinted Jacques Marie Mage-ish sunglasses and striped sneakers.

High summer means stogies and skimpy swimsuits, but it also means a clusterschmuck of traffic—especially across Route 27. In addition to a car smashing straight into the beloved Elaia Estiatorio restaurant in Bridgehampton (everyone’s OK, minus some chairs and tables), Jay-Z and Beyoncé had an unexpected visitor at their estate. More on that, as well as a fire-sale of the Mugrabi mansion, for paid subscribers below. Plus: the launch of our “Elite Events” section, with a carefully curated list of things you’d actually want to do, including talks by Maggie Haberman, Derek Blasberg, and John Waters and a Julian Schnabel screening.

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This weekend, I stumbled over a young woman in Sag Harbor who was, for some reason, crouched on the ground balancing an iced coffee and a ludicrously tiny Jacquemus purse. Her friend/photographer was dressed in an identical baby-blue minishorts outfit.

Speaking of performative social media, the New York Times wrote about the Hamptons Chicken Finger Boom. I’m not sure this trend is specific to the Hamptons. Adults who spend a lot of time at the gym love eating off the kids’ menu on cheat days wherever they are, from Miami to L.A. But I understand the urge to story-ize the $150 Popeyes chicken-finger tower at Surf Lodge. Elsewhere in tender content, is anything cuter than this tween-friendly Babe’s nugget served at the Olive & June and Katie J event in Sag Harbor a few weeks ago?

This weekend gala season hit its peak, with David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris hosting a God’s Love We Deliver fundraiser at their home complete with synchronized swimmers performing in their pool. New York City Hamptonites come east to relax, but that often dovetails with their businesses: In today’s newsletter for paid subscribers, Soulcycle co-founder Elizabeth Cutler talks about her latest venture, and the New Yorker’s Ken Auletta previews his doubleheader of media events with Tina Brown, Tom Freston, and Maureen Dowd.

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Over at Lulu Kitchen & Bar in Sag Harbor on Sunday, a group called East End for Peace and Justice staged a protest against the restaurant’s owner, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan. The billionaire Rowan also owns Duryea’s Montauk and Duryea’s Orient Point under his hospitality umbrella Montauk Asset Holdings. The activist group, which describes its gathering as a “weekly vigil demanding an end to the U.S.-supported Israeli occupation of Palestine,” chanted anti-Rowan rhetoric while distributing “menus” supporting their position.

Somewhat calmer was Jane Lauder Warsh’s Independence Day dinner party at her oceanfront home in Wainscott. The former Clinique president turned pet-longevity investor, whose birthday is July 1, goes big on Fourth of July, with an elegant dinner for over a hundred—including dogs and ladies who lunch—right off the beach.

In today’s THC, for paid subscribers, a deep dive into the personal microvineyard phenomenon; the return of Amagansett fashion legend Tiina Laakkonen; and a shoplifting epidemic.

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If you are hosting a party today, may I suggest that you wear a black bodysuit and black tights to perform the Little E…

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But sweet strawberries are no longer the main indication of peak summer in the Hamptons; brand activations are. Peppy ambassadors hand out electrolyte water and “functional coffee” samples at workout classes, and alcohol companies clamor to pop up at liquor stores and bars. Skincare brands compete to be part of gift bags given to women who will pass them directly to their nannies.

Now we’ve hit Peak Branded Car. They’re everywhere, from Jamagansett’s green vintage Benz to the Via Carota Cocktails wicker-seated Fiat to the Jones Road pickup truck to the Dune Skincare dune buggy. Last week at the NOMAD art fair, I saw designer Stuart Parr’s 1961 Coca Cola Fiat, which was used by the soda company as a promotional car, a precursor to today’s rolling ads. Charming in the sixties, cloying in the 2020s?

In today’s newsletter, for paid subscribers, some only-in-the-Hamptons curiosities: the wild story behind Multi Aquaculture Systems, a hidden Amagansett hatchery with great food; a be-toweled alley flasher alarms an East Hampton woman; Jennifer Fisher trusts her gut for her new collaboration with Maison Close in Southampton.

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I spent part of my weekend undertaking the Herculean mission of ordering fried shrimp and ribs at Shelter Island’s legendary Commander Cody’s fish market. Commander Cody’s, which was opened by Jimmy Hayward in 1993, is a rustic seafood and barbecue spot with long waits and great beach grub. (I have a group chat whose signature emoji is the “🍤” in honor of Cody’s.) Hayward, who is 91, still mans the cash-only till. My father’s day gift to my long-suffering husband was handling our Cody’s order and the subsequent wait, while he had a massage at another Shelter Island institution, the Bonheur Supreme Spa across from Sunset Beach.

In today’s newsletter: the jetsetter art fair NOMAD—complete with a Giorgio Armani exhibition—arrives in Water Mill; Alex Gilbert; Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte; Robert Wilson; the cocaine chronicles; a Montauk cab driver; Lizzie Grubman; Stefan Soloviev; New York’s Hamptons issue; Jamagansett’s $80 pie; Sam Pezzullo; Kristen Wiig; Rukmini Callimachi; Marit Molin.

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