As we gear up for a busy season ahead in Palm Beach, here’s a look back at some highlights from the “Summer of Travel.”
The urge to get up and out was undeniable. Whether is was just to head north to the Hamptons, Nantucket, Newport or Antibes, Capri or Lake Como — it seems just about everyone caught this bug!
Back Stateside, we got a taste of good old New England while visiting the late Slim Aarons’ daughter, Mary Aarons, at home in Gloucester, MA.
Meanwhile, on the “left coast,” Martha Stewart opened her first restaurant in Las Vegas — The Bedford. Designed by Martha herself, it offers guests an authentic glimpse of how Martha lives and entertains in her own home — a 1925 country farmhouse, located in Bedford, New York. The Bedford’s menu features flavorful dishes from fresh ingredients sourced locally.
The restaurant boasts French-inspired cuisine and a combination of Martha’s favorite recipes, including Classic Niçoise Salad, made with olive oil-packed tuna, haricot verts, vermouth-dressed potatoes, hard-cooked egg and topped with an anchovy vinaigrette; Oysters Rockefeller, baked with Pernod cream, spinach and watercress, and finished with a crunchy parsley breadcrumb topping; Whole Roast Herb Chicken, carved tableside and Martha’s Smashed Baked Potato, smashed tableside and served with crème fraiche, chives and bacon lardons or for those looking to indulge, Golden Osetra caviar; and an Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie, which consists of a crisp meringue crust, tart lemon filling and a whipped cream topping.
Guests can also enjoy signature cocktails, including the Martha-tini, made with Żubrówka bison grass vodka, dry vermouth and a lemon twist, and the delicious Frozen Pomegranate Martha-rita, created with Casa Dragones Blanco tequila, Cointreau, pomegranate juice, and a salt and sugar rim. If that’s not enough to make your mouth water, the restaurant features Martha’s Chard, her California chardonnay from 19 Crimes.
But the real action this summer was clearly in the Hamptons (see Lee Fryd’s amazing and all-encompassing coverage if you missed any of it). Of the many highlights one of the stand outs had to be The Colony x Christie’s Summer Pop-up in Southampton featuring the artwork of Francesco Clemente from the Collection of Thomas & Doris Ammann with floral design by Lewis Miller and rosé wine from Wolffer Estate Vineyard.
The Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation (DRIF) held its second annual Hamptons Garden Gala on August 13th to raise awareness and funds toward developing a biological cure for diabetes. Hosted and Chaired by Patricia & Roger Silverstein in their Water Mill home, and vice-chaired by Doug Donaldson, Maria Fishel, Marc Leder, Abigail Pollak, Jean Shafiroff, Susan Shin and Pamala Wright, the intimate gala was more in the nature of a festive dinner party at home, with friends and friends of friends, to celebrate the strides made by DRI and to inspire support for Dr. Camillo Ricordi’s game-changing stem cell research with far reaching applications for reversing diabetes, viral
infections and even anti-aging protocols.
Guests were treated to white and blue trucker hats glitter-embossed with a new verb — “JustDRIF? — designed by fashion philanthropist and designer Libbie Mugrabi, who flew in from London on the heels of her Fashion in Motion fete for the V&A Museum, just for the Garden Gala. For more information on DRIF, click HERE.
Kohler hosted “Cocktails and Canapés” at Christie’s Southampton to honor the designers of this summer’s Hampton Designer Showhouse. After the usual last minute frenzy leading up to any designer showhouse, it was a welcome evening of camaraderie in a breathtaking venue — an Art Deco one-time automobile showroom, meticulously renovated by Simone & David Levinson.
It’s been Christie’s Hamptons summer home for several seasons now, and was the perfect setting for a memorable evening made even more so by a glorious sunset, a squadron of model-handsome bartenders and Stephanie Vakay’s irresistible old-school hors d’oeuvres.
On a sad note: Shortly after the event, Kohler patriarch Herb Kohler, Jr. passed away at the age of 83. His son David Kohler and daughter Laura Kohler will carry on his life’s work of inspiring leadership and innovation at one of America’s largest privately held companies today. Herb’s daughter Rachel lives in Chicago with her husband Mark Hoplamazian, Chairman & CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Together, they are passionate philanthropists.
And finally, a beautiful end of summer party produced by Lewis Miller, Jennifer Zabinski and Darcy Miller, all of whom are heading to Palm Beach for the busy season ahead.
Photographs by Rob Rich/SocietyAllure.com (Kohler)
