FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 29, 2021 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
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Have you ever had three lunches?
As I am eating my way
through the Hamptons,
I am meeting great people
along the way!
One of the wondrous things of
owning Dan’s Papers has been
meeting new people and visiting
new places. I did both this
past week!
Being on the South Fork, I
feel privileged to have gotten
to know Father Alexander
Karloutsos, the recently retired
Vicar General of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese and pastor
of Dormition of the Virgin
Mary Greek Orthodox Church
of Th e Hamptons.
Father Alex built his church
in Southampton with a vision to
be a vital part of the community
— and he did it!
I was delighted when he agreed
to let us use his stunning “ballroom”
to tape our Dan’s Papers
Power Women event and then
again at Christmastime, when he
off ered to host 95-year-old Dick
Stone’s wonderful works of art.
Th is week, Father Alex met
for lunch to catch up and I was
delighted when he modestly told
me that President Joe Biden had
called him aft er hearing of his
retirement.
His family and the Bidens go
back to when the church hosted
a fundraiser for the Beau
Biden Foundation in memory
of President Biden’s eldest son.
Father Alex has a smiling picture
of his family with the Biden family
that he keeps on his mantle.
We chatted away for a while
and then we were both back to
our busy lives.
My next stop was a second
lunch with my good friend
and respected colleague Dan
Rattiner. He had arranged for
me to meet the prolifi c and movie
star handsome Ken Auletta.
I have always admired his writing
style and substantial body of
work that has been featured in
Th e New Yorker. He is someone
I can learn from!
His latest book, which is nearly
complete, is about the now infamous
Harvey Weinstein (Ken
attended his trial). I was fascinated
to hear about his research
process, how he structures his
writing and how he decides on
a title for his books. He told me
choosing a title is the last and
fi nal part of his process!
We chatted for a while, but all
of us had to move on and for
me, that meant a third lunch,
this one with my all-time favorite
radio personality Joan
Hamburg, who now hosts
her show on WABC radio.
Angela LaGreca, a
wonderful writer and
former producer of Th e
Today Show, is now our
features and events editor
at Dan’s Papers. She
knew how much I loved and
admired Joan, who is Angela’s
“godmother.” So she invited me
to lunch with Joan, who is as fabulously
sharp and fi lled with fascinating
stories as I expected.
She has met and interviewed
anyone and everyone, but she
talked most proudly about her
children.
Her daughter Liz created a
website called candootech.
com, which is aimed at helping
mature people learn how to navigate
their electronics with a club
membership. I can’t wait to join
to learn the latest “tricks” my
iPhone can do!
Joan then “kvelled” (spoke
with joy and pride) about
her writer son John,
who has writing credits
for several hit movies,
including “Zoolander,”
“Meet Th e Parents,”
“Meet Th e Fockers”
and “Along Came
Polly,” among
others.
Listening to
Joan’s radio
show has left
an impression
on me
to this day. I even remember her
Yellow Door client from decades
ago because of their repetitive
commercials on her show.
My day ended with a remarkable
birthday dinner party for
Judith Kasen-Windsor and
Jay Schneiderman at one of
my favorite places to eat in
Southampton: Union Sushi &
Steak.
Judith’s partner was the late
Edie Windsor, the woman who
won the landmark case legalizing
same-sex marriage.
Th e birthday
celebration was also
their chance to offi -
cially announce the
sale of brick hearts as
the keystone of a marriage
garden being created
in Edie’s memory
behind Southampton
Town Hall.
What a great
ending for an
extraordinary day!
Barry Bernstein’s Salt & Loft
A tiny sign with the name Salt &
Loft sits above the entrance on
Main Street in Westhampton is the
creation of attorney, builder
and now-restaurateur
Barry Bernstein.
He built the restaurant
in Westhampton Beach,
his beloved town of 40
years, and now has
a world-class chef
to create top-notch
cuisine!
I brought some
friends to lunch
and we were dazzled
by the presentation
of the Big
Eye Tuna Tartar.
It was presented in
a carved out coconut.
What a showstopper!
Being born in Brooklyn, I couldn’t resist
ordering the Brooklyn Burrata served
with fi gs. It was as good as burrata gets!
Th e “small plate” off erings also included
addictive and mouth-watering crispy fried
zucchini chips.
I also ordered the Big Fat
Greek salad, which was
perfect! All their salads
are off ered with additional
toppings, and I was
surprised to see
grilled tofu as an
option, along with
shrimp, chicken
and salmon.
The paninis,
tacos and
burgers blew
me away. Th e
unusually tender
swordfi sh tacos
mixed with house
slaw, pickles,
avocado
and pickled
j a l apeños
is not to be
missed!
In fact,
the food
was so delicious
that I
came back the next day to sample their
superb S&L Smash Burger, along with
the Beyond Burger (a plant-based burger)
and the Bigeye Tuna Burger! All burgers
are served with crispy, fresh-cut fries and
we upgraded to truffl e fries!
Salt & Loft , located 145 Main St. in
Westhampton Beach, until Memorial Day
is open Th ursday for dinner and Friday
through Sunday for both lunch and dinner.
Call 631-288-2000 to make your
reservation and you, too, will become
addicted to their great food!
Salt & Loft owner Barry
Bernstein (r.) with Chef Patrick
Fromm, the former chef of the
famous Nick & Toni’s.
Salt & Loft’s
delicious Big Eye
Tuna Tartar is served
in a coconut!
Joan Hamburg is a radio
legend and is now on
WABC radio.
Meeting the prolifi c Hamptonite Ken Auletta.
Jay Hershenson and
Rebecca Seawright
Judith Kasen-Windsor introduces
The Edie Windsor Heart Project.
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