FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 4, 2021 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 35
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
The spider web widens
Aft er only a few months
of owning Dan’s Papers,
we’ve added to our
Power Women of Long Island
event with the Power Women
of Dan’s Papers event. It was
at the latter event where I met
honoree Nancy Burner, a lawyer
extraordinaire, with an offi ce
in Westhampton, who has
become a dear friend of
mine!
Not only did Nancy and I
bond personally, but I also
hired her law fi rm for a real
estate deal I was working
on in Westhampton.
My talented events
team, headed by Demetra,
Toni and sales manager
Stephanie Bitis, found
remarkable women on the
East End to honor and I
was lucky to get to know
them in my new “community.”
Meeting new people
is like expanding my spider
web of my life!
Nancy invited me to a
wine tasting dinner at the
Baiting Hollow Club,
where her stepson Brian is the
executive chef. Th e handsome
clubhouse is situated on the 186
acres of land overlooking the
Long Island Sound on the North
Fork in Baiting Hollow.
Nancy’s stepson welcomed me
and introduced me to his wife
Sandra and her friend and the
connecting began!
Th e 20-person gathering was
hosted in a large room with a
wall of windows facing out onto
the lush golf course. Th ere were
reserved seats and I was grateful
to be placed at the end of the
large table, where I set up a UVC
air sanitizer.
Being cautious with my mask
on, I mingled with the guests
as we waited for the six-course
wine dinner to begin.
I was introduced to
Christopher Vené, the general
manager of the club. He not only
operates this club, but multiple
golf clubs across the region.
Th e wine tasting that he was
off ering to club members featured
wine from the nearby
Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard.
Th e vineyard’s new ownership
was as courageous as Josh and I
— we had acquired Dan’s Papers
in the middle of the pandemic
in September, about the same
time the winery was acquired!
We both had visions beyond the
challenging times we’re in.
Our talented photographer
Barbara Lassen will be taking
weekly photos at the vineyard
that will record the vines’
regrowth and document how the
grapes grow back aft er being
drastically trimmed at the end
of the wine season. It’s truly a
remarkable gift of nature! Stay
tuned!
Th e banquet table was set with
multiple wine glasses and silverware.
We were about to be treated
to a great combination of
food and wines.
We started with a crispy
fried Blue Point oyster in an
Asian vegetable slaw prepared
by Dominick Scotto, corporate
chef at Sysco Northeast.
Th e dish was accompanied by
Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard’s
smooth and full-bodied Pink
Satin wine.
Th e next course was prepared
by Randall Wilson, the northeast
regional chef at Harvest of
the Sea. He created a scrumptious
pan-seared sea scallop in
a delectable sauce of apple,
parsnip and bacon hash,
served with a 2016 Riesling.
Next came a chopped
salad featuring European
cucumbers, heirloom
tomatoes and red peppers,
with Llano chili and
goat cheese. Th e tasty
salad was prepared by
Angelina de la Luz, who
is the chef garde manger at
the Baiting Hollow Club.
It was such a beautiful creation
that I almost didn’t
want to dismantle it. But
I did!
During the various
courses, great conservation
with my contiguous
new friends made the
night even more fun!
Th e small portions helped
Chefs that night were Brian Burner, Randall Wilson, Angelina de la
Luz, Juan Vargus, Dominick Scotto and Thomas Lopez. (Photos by
Barbara Lassen)
me feel able to continue
on to the next course,
a slow-cooked rabbit
cacciatore served with
a creamy polenta and
mushrooms prepared
by Th omas Lopez, the
executive chef of the
Vineyard’s Golf Club,
also on the North Fork.
Th e dish was served
with a 2014 Cabernet
Franc.
Th e next course was my favorite:
Braised Short Rib Wellington,
which was prepared with roasted
carrots and baby beets by
Baiting Hollow Club Chef Juan
Vargus. It was a showstopper of
a dish, paired with a 2018
Red Velvet wine.
To complete the
mouthwatering
meal, my host and
executive chef at
the club Brian
Burner had prepared
an apple
cinnamon cream
caramel cake with
a Vermont maple
crème anglaise
sauce. Th e delectable
dish was served
with Sweet Isis dessert
wine.
What a night!
Riverhead Town Supervisor
Yvette Aguiar, who recently
joined my spider web of friends,
joined the party, too.
In her off hours aft er running
the town, being a real
estate broker, a mother and a
wife, she also has a passion for
cooking. I saw a sample of her
expert “creations” in a video
that she has on her phone. I
was so impressed, I asked her
to create the desserts for our
July 10 Taste of the Chefs of
the North Fork event, which
will be hosted in the Sea Star
Ballroom, adjacent to the Long
Island Aquarium in Riverhead.
What fun lies ahead!
I am very grateful to Nancy
Burner for inviting me to an
evening fi lled with great food
and people, expanding my
spider web!
Christopher Vené and Dave Foltz.
Cucumber skin
housed the salad.
Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar with former
Brookhaven Town Supervisor John Jay LaValle.
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
