Washington Diary June/July 2008

July 4, 2008
Fireworks in the Mist

Despite intermittent thunderstorms, we gathered on the terrace of the Hon. William Feighan to watch the mall fireworks. Of course they never disappoint

Our gracious host supplied a very amusing guest list and lots of champagne.

Earlier on, Mary and I had a bite at Le Chat Noir. Surprisingly French and delicious.

Have a Happy Fourth and a wonderful weekend!

Thursday July 3, 2008

Recovering from a long summer's nap after a wonderful supper on Mary's terrace with my newest best friends. Bless her, I can't recall a moment when Mary was not opening another bottle of wine. Stayed up way past my usual bedtime but it was very worth it, and such alot of fun.

Back to business for long enough to get an offer out and help a new client find a place to live.

Onward, then!

Tuesday, June 23, 2008
Sex and The City

Mary and I saw Sex and the City and had a bite at Busara afterward.

The movie was cute - not great and I cried at the end.

Demolition has begun on the bathroom. For now I am the demolisher. Will keep you updated.

Sunday, June 22, 2008
Dinner For Eight

I had the pleasure of dining with seven other Washingtonians last night at the home of friends who likely have the world's best view of the National Cathedral.It was a musical crowd...I was probably the only one there who cannot carry a tune.

The food was delicious and the wine flowed.

We were all very saddened to hear the news that the on-again-off-again closing of the Cathedral greenhouse was indeed on again.

A lovely evening and a mere coast down the hill to home for me.

Hamptons Diary June 2008

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Last Night in the Hamptons

On Thursday we dined at the quintessential Hamptons restaurant, Della Femina at 99 Main Street in East Hampton. Drinks were in the white, airy bar, strikingly punctuated with black-framed celebrity caricatures. We were introduced to the Della Femina Gibson. This drink features large onions which have been marinated in a saffron infusion and resulting in two glowing globes per drink. A bit eerie but intriguing. Many attractive people.The food was wonderful and we left planning our return visit.

The long drive back to Washington was made better in knowing my charming neighbors werecoming for drinks on the terrace.

June 19, 2008
Another Beautiful Day Dawns in the Hamptons

And it is Elliot's birthday. I swear he does not look another year older than he did yesterday.

Did I mention that we had lunch at Cittanuova at 29 Newtown Lane in East Hampton? Their street-side cafe is prime real estate for people watching. Elliot tried to convince me that 80% of the passers-by were actually celebrities....unrecognizable without their makeup. Very funny.

Hamptons Excess Alert(HEA):The realtors out here are complaining about the shortage of oceanfront rental properties under $500,000 for the season.And two Wall Street hedge fund managers have just been arrested for misrepresenting the risk involved in investing in their funds. That's going to take a bite out of the Hamptons retail scene.

A demain.

Wednesday, June 18
Hamptons Shopping

After oceans of rain, a beautiful day dawned in Southampton. That called for some shopping.

The shops on Main Street and Jobs Lane never fail to delight. Notable and new are:Primrose Lane at 49 Main Street, Southampton, where you will find many fresh and original designs in women's clothing. Lots of white linen and other airy fabrics teamed up with cashmeres in the perfect shade of Hamptons pink. You must see this.

Il Sandalo of Capri at 10B Jobs Lane, Southampton, offers exquisite sandals miraculously handmade for you in twenty minutes! The designs are exciting, the workmanship superb, and the prices are down to earth. You can also visit their shops in Palm Beach, Nantucket and Porto Rotondo.

A longtime Southampton favorite is The Elegant Setting at 31 Main Street. This purveyor of fine china, crystal, linens, and paper is the Hamptons hostess' best friend. Their refined selection and sumptuous presentation are thoroughly correct and en pointe. They stock the very best, including Hermes, William Yeoward and Sferra Brothers.

Farther afield at 328 Montauk Hwy.in Wainscott, is the rather amazing Bellhaus. Less than one month on the Hamptons scene, this 5,000 square foot environment is lined with top designer labels: John Galliano, Prada and Manolo Blahnik among them. This is the go to for cutting edgeHamptons fashion.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I set off last Friday for the Hamptons in my zippy roadster.But first a stop at the venerable Seawanhaka Yacht Club in Oyster Bay for the Holland Society’s Annual Sailing Challenge. Two of the participants were named Van Winkle. That was enough for me. After learning that, I was content to sit on the huge porch and sip an iced tea. The view of the lawn and boats was incredible. I especially like the 1929 New Yorker cartoon hanging in the powder room. It depicted scores of nattily dressed people running from the clubhouse to the boats carrying picnic hampers and bottles of champagne. How lovely.

The north shore of Long Island has no shortage of Gatsbyesque estates. You can close your eyes and see the elegant phantoms. A mecca for the social diarist, one might say.

My friends have a wonderful house on a wildlife-protected cove in Southampton. We sat on their deck and watched the swan and duck families for hours. It was very interesting to see how protective the parents are of their young. A delightful experience.

On Saturday we were invited for croquet at four. Our hosts are just finishing the construction of their 1200 bottle wine cellar. They were kind enough to share several bottles of their finest rose’ with us. We had several croquet matches and much hilarity.

On Monday we had an excellent lunch at Bobby Van’s in Bridgehampton. I must try their DC locations, but I fear I will be disappointed after the Bobby Van’s Hampton experience.

Last night we had martinis and pasta at the bar with Karl at the Tuscan House in Southampton. I had a delicious and authentic Tuscan seafood pasta.

Several observations:We visited the summer rental of a thirty-something bachelor, who had cases and cases of Dom Perignon in the house. Thousands of dollars worth of champagne. Enough champagne for a sultan’s wedding. Now, I know Georgetown is not without its oenophiles and cellars, but there is nothing like Hamptons excess to drive a point home.

We were also surprised to learn that we had a $100 limit at the gas pump. Think about it.

Speaking of thirty-somethings, I have just perused the newly published Official Filthy Rich Handbook, written by Christopher Tennant. Washington DC is mentioned only once, in the restaurant section on page 122. He lists only Mortons and The Oval Room on downtown Connecticut Avenue. I must get in touch with him.Tennant is also guilty by omission in the restaurants he lists in Palm Beach: Ta-boo (which we love) only. So glad I am not young anymore.