Why the Candy Kitchen is Cash Only
More mischievous local news by Rory Satran: Katie Couric on The Hamptons' charms and challenges; the Nap Dress snoozes in Sag Harbor; a rooster triumphs.
Yesterday, The Hamptons Chronicle held its first “office hours” at Bridgehampton Candy Kitchen, where the fictional Logan Roy told his 7-year-old son Kendall he’d one day run Waystar Royco in “Succession.” Early on Monday mornings, the Candy Kitchen is a mix of construction workers, neighborhood retirees, and a few local Roy types in baseball caps. The median age is about 75.
One of my favorite things about the Candy Kitchen is that they carry all the newspapers, although owner Gus Laggis, 80, told me they’re nowhere near as popular as they used to be. He said these days they sell about 60 papers every weekend. While I was there a man in a suit stopped by to pick up the “Financial Times” before snapping a picture of the quaint 100-year-old diner and hopping on the Jitney across the street. Laggis, who immigrated from Greece, said the top menu item is Greek salad with grilled chicken.
Laggis bought the business (although not the building) in 1981. He gets offers from potential investors and buyers but, he said, “We’re not for sale.” As for the whole cash-only thing, Laggis said that’s the way he’s always operated and it works just fine. He called credit cards a “pain in the neck.” He showed me a pile of handwritten receipts behind the register, from people who forgot cash when they came and promised to come back when they did. “Everybody knows me here, and I trust everybody,” he said.
I asked if I could throw a bigger party there one day and Laggis told me they’d never allowed a private event in his 45 years as owner. “If I do it for you, I’d have to do it for everybody,” said Laggis. Sounds like a challenge!
The Nap Dress Queen Comes to Sag Harbor
I first met Hill House Home’s Nell Diamond by Zoom in the thick of the pandemic, when I interviewed her about the success of her brand’s viral Nap Dress. The romantic, stretchy “Ellie” dress was everywhere in 2020, and it still is: Today, nearly two million Nap Dresses have been sold.
Back in 2020, Eva Chen, the vice president of fashion partnerships at Instagram, told me the dress was “Instagrammy” meaning “it has an ‘I want it in my life right now’ effect.” She said it had “an amazing ripple effect,” when people posted it online.
But Diamond didn’t just want an Instagram brand. She’s opened nine stores with plans for even more before the end of the year. The most recent opening is in a charming cottage in Sag Harbor Village, which will be open year round. On the same block as Dôen and LoveShackFancy, the shops now form a murderer’s row of romantic summer-dress brands.
Diamond told me that online data had shown that Hill House Home already had a sizable customer base in Long Island, so she sees the Sag Harbor store as a “home base” where they can come in and try on clothing in person.
The shop has vintage books from Sag Harbor Books on the shelves, decor from nearby home-goods store Via Coquina, and penny candy for $6 per bag. A mermaid weather vane was sourced for the rooftop, and a mermaid mural was commissioned for the interior. Diamond, who’s known for her romantic pallor, said, “My dream summer aesthetic is this very romantic, almost ghostly maritime whalers’ village look.”
Diamond is no stranger to beach communities. Her first permanent store was in Nantucket, where she vacations with her family. But the Hamptons is personal to her too; she has a home in Amagansett where she goes during the on and off seasons with her husband and three kids. She likes going to Vicki’s Veggies farm stand on Montauk Highway for zucchini bread and pints of John’s Drive In ice cream, and Carissa’s bakery and Cavaniola’s Gourmet for cheeses. She said she’s been looking for a space in the Hamptons for years.
Sag Harbor village is currently going through something of an identity crisis, with villagers debating the pros and cons of bigger businesses coming into Main Street (lots more to come on this in THC). At raucous town halls and panels, Nantucket is often referenced as the closest parallel to Sag; the two villages have similar protections in place to preserve their look and feel. Diamond said, “These towns have done such an incredible job of preserving what makes them special while still allowing newness in.”
The town of East Hampton has ruled in favor of a rooster’s right to crow. After a nearly three-year battle between part-time resident Marc Auerbach and his neighbor Efraîn Mayorga, the East Hampton Star reported that Town Justice David Filer ruled on the side of the rooster Brownie (who belongs to Mayorga’s granddaughter). Mayorga’s daughter, Ana Núñez Cárdenas of blue-chip law firm Latham & Watkins, told the Star that Auerbach’s renters were overheard saying, “Next time the rooster crows, take a shot.” Auerbach, who appears to be the founder of a recently shuttered venture called “Neovuu—Media for the Next Age,” did not respond to a request for comment.
In a similar case in Pennsylvania in 2020, Batchelor v. Schwartz, the rooster was not so lucky. The court ruled that the unwelcome alarm clock caused “significant harm,” including sleep disorders, for the bird’s neighbors.
Our signature questionnaire where we ask Hamptons insiders about their favorite spots. This week, East Hampton fixture, early adopter of the weighted vest, Sarah Palin’s worst nightmare, and media mogul Katie Couric on where she buys gag gifts and monogrammed cocktail napkins, and the best place to go to be alone.
Describe your perfect Hamptons day.
Getting up in the AM, going to Goldbergs for an iced coffee the size of my head and an everything flagel with tofu scallion cream cheese. Taking it to the beach and sitting with my husband John Molner and watching all the dogs frolic in the surf. Going to Hampton Racket for an intense pickleball game (or five) with my friends who I have met through the game. I love them and they are really good! (And competitive!) Then cutting some flowers in my backyard and putting them in bud vases arranged on the outdoor dining table. Checking the progress of my vegetable garden. Running to Balsam Farms to pick up some fresh produce and maybe Stuart’s for salmon on a plank. Heading to the beach with a really good book. (John doesn’t like to come there until later). Enjoying the golden hour with friends. Going home, taking an outdoor shower, sitting on my balcony with just a towel and putting lotion on while soaking up the last few moments of setting sunlight. Making dinner for friends. Falling asleep because after all that, I’m exhausted!
What’s your favorite spot for a drink?
Bostwick’s in the Springs or The Montauket in Montauk. I also love going to The Crow’s Nest for a drink on the beach before dinner.
What’s your secret shopping spot?
I LOVE The Monogram Shop! I love buying hostess gifts there and I love Valerie the owner (and her beautiful golden retriever!). I always buy my summer glasses, cocktail napkins etc. there. I also love Fishers in Sag Harbor. I’m late to the game but they have some great pieces, including beautiful bud vases (Are you sensing a theme here?). Serena and Lily has pieces tailor made for a home out here and the people who work there are so nice. I also think Clic Home has some great things for gifts.
Who would you love to bump into at the farmer’s market?
Paul McCartney and his lovely wife Nancy Shevell.
What’s your main gripe about the Hamptons?
Traffic!!!! And the rude drivers!!!! Take a chill pill people—this isn’t NYC or wherever you’re coming from!
What would be your dream dinner: spot, order, company?
-Nick and Toni’s: the fish special.
-East Hampton Grill: I love their chicken kale salad. I could eat it every day.
-Serafina: Artichoke salad and penne with tomato sauce.
-Highway: I like their eggplant parm. It’s an appetizer (I think?) but with a salad it’s plenty!!
-I also love the ribs at Smokin’ Wolf. The people who own it are Arthur and Michelle and they are two of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.
(All with good friends.)
What’s your advice to newbies about a visit out East?
Try to avoid the crowds! If you go to Round Swamp, go early and preferably on a weekday and bring lots of cash. Eat dinner early or late and call way in advance for reservations. Rent a bike and drive down Georgica, one of the prettiest streets on the East End and check out the houses suitable for Jay Gatsby. Go to Bookhampton to browse. Sag Harbor is so fun and happening, but be careful, people will kill you for a parking spot. (I LOVE Kites of the Harbor and the gag gifts. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve purchased several fart machines there.) If you’re brave, go to the Stephen Talkhouse and see my friends in Rubix Cube, an 80s cover band fronted by my good friend Cherie Neve. And of course, get a bagel or flagel by Goldbergs. Preferably wearing a Body by Goldbergs t-shirt.
Where do you go in the Hamptons to be alone?
The beach. I don’t want to say which one because that’s where I go to be alone.
Who /what can’t you live without in The Hamptons?
Andrea Mason who is such a talented landscaper and her whole crew. Josh, my caretaker who helps me when things break. Paul at Goldbergs who sometimes lets me cut the line. (Paul, I hope you’re reading this!) Carissa’s honey wheat bread that they only sell on Sundays!
Who makes the best lobster roll?
I like Gosman’s. The setting makes it more delicious.
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A perfect newsletter, Rory. See you Wednesday ❤️✌️
On Friday, within five minutes, three drivers in Amagansett stopped their cars to enable me to make turns. That gave me a real lift. So there's hope in the Hamptons for decency!