FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 7, 2021 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 49
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@schnepsmedia.com
I call myself a “fl ipper” because
I move from my East End
world to my “up island”
world, living on the city border.
My heart is in both places, and
on Sunday, I touched both.
On the sunny, bright and warm
morning, Todd Shapiro and I
had breakfast on the outside
patio of Eckart’s Luncheonette,
a landmark in the Westhampton
Beach community serving breakfast
and lunch seven days a week.
I had never met the owners
behind the sign until Todd began
talking with what turned out to
be the grand dame of the Eckart
family: 95-year-old Shirley
Eckart — who is still driving!
I loved how she was smartly
dressed in a purple print top
standing with an almost matching
purple print cane. Her welcoming
smile enchanted me as
she spoke about her life living
above the “store,” located just off
the traffi c circle on Mill Road.
Shirley shared how she met her
husband, who was born above
what was once a bar and grill,
when she lived in Easthampton.
Her husband’s family bought
the free-standing building in
1911 and a family member has
worked there ever since.
Shirley’s daughter Dee works
the kitchen with her daughter
Danielle, so it’s a true multi-generational
family aff air. I felt the
friendliness upon entering the
old-fashioned environment,
which feels and looks like the
decades-old place it is.
One wall holds racks of old
Life magazines and objects the
family has collected over the
years. I really felt the history
with every step inside the space,
which has a long, ice cream parlor
style counter with stools and
wooden tables.
I walked through the restaurant
to sit outside, because
during the COVID-19 pandemic,
their contiguous parking lot
was divided up to make an outdoor
cafe with tables sporting
umbrellas. It was the perfect
place for a perfectly prepared
old-fashioned breakfast!
Th en I was off , going “up
island” to watch my grandchildren
play in their individual fl ag
football games.
Although I love being in the
Hamptons, I miss being so close
to my marvelous kids. With all of
our busy lives, if they can’t come
Life in two worlds
Shirley Eckart, grand dame of the Eckart family. Morgan and Gianna were ready to play!
Trendsetters! A festive
to me, I go to them!
It was a perfect day to be a
spectator sitting on the sidelines
as Morgan and then Blake
played their hearts out. Sadly,
Blake injured his leg, but it didn’t
stop his being on the winning
side, as was Morgan.
So joy reigned. I don’t know
who was happier — me or them!
Th ere’s something about love
that warms my heart more than
anything else.
I tradition t’s the season of
the leopard and
three friends
— Sandy Cahn,
Connie Rubin
and Janet Mittler
— unknown to each
other, pulled a similar
look from the
closets. A trend has
begun!
I was celebrating
Simchat Torah
at Hampton
Synagogue, run
by Rabbi Marc
Schneier and
President
Carol Levin.
Delightedly,
part of the service
included congregants
holding the
precious and historic
torahs and
marching eight
times around the
sanctuary. For the
fi rst time, Carol
carried the torah,
leading a group of
women around the
sanctuary.
A delightful dinner
It was my treat to
have a wonderful
meal with Dan
Rattiner and his wife
Chris Wasserstein, who
joined Mary Mulvihill
— the sister of my
beloved, late COO Bob
Brennan. I can see his
face in hers, feeling I
can capture him again.
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