Brew's Cafe

When we think of East End architecture, and new building and development in general, we often gravitate toward the obvious: the large, new, cutting edge design that makes magazine covers and lifelong name recognition. Erica Broberg certainly doesn't shy away from taking on large projects, but her business mission holds firmly to one critical  ethic that separates her from the more famous names: half of her business consists of local projects, designed for year round residents and business owners. She looks at architecture a little differently. Rather than building only the newest, latest and greatest, she sees the architect as having a duty to the community in which they live. Erica got her start on the East End in what might be considered "neediest cases". She took on projects that had major challenges, either from regulatory restriction, logistical challenges or some other difficulty. That experience serves her well, as she has a unique understanding for the process, the constraints, the needs of the community, as well as the client. In this conversation, Erica gives us lots of insight into what informs her work today, as well as how she arrived at it. We also cover some of the interesting, often controversial elements that building on the East End now face.

From digital marketing to social media, Ryan Sherman wears many hats in the modern media world. He's a podcaster, photographer, videographer, and social media expert. The podcast also delves into the importance of local advertising and the rise of long-form podcasts.

Amanda Merrow, co-founder of Amber Waves Farm, shares the journey of turning a small land into a thriving farm and iconic fashion piece. Topics include farm-to-school connections, condiment love, challenges for women in agriculture, seasonal living, childhood freedom, crop planning, composting benefits, and the flavors of wild cherry tomatoes.

Jeremy Blutstein is NOT a local. He makes that clear several times in the course of our conversation. He wasn't born here, only moved here when he was a kid, used to be a summer kid. All the bona-fides of a non-local. But you'd be hard pressed to find someone more dedicated to promoting and contributing to the local economy than he does as current and former chef of several restaurants whose menus center on locally sourced products. He drops names like Alex, Amanda and Marilee as if he were referring to the summer glitterati, rather than the local farmers with strong hands. As a restaurant manager, which is what a chef really is, he's also intensely familiar with the many challenges facing anyone trying to not only make a living, but provide the space for others to make a living, too. So while we cover some familiar ground of housing, labor and transportation, Jeremy also provides some fresh insight into ways he's working to make these challenges less difficult. So while he's not actually a local, he certainly acts like one. Another thing he's not? A fan of "The Bear"! Tune in to find out why....

A recurring theme for many of my guests, is that they knew what they wanted to do from an early age. When Nick Epstein was very young, he knew he wanted to perform onstage. Today, Nick can be seen onstage as the lead singer and guitar player in Roses Grove Band, a group that plays songs from the Grateful Dead songbook, mostly on Long Island and very often on the East End. I've had the good fortune to know Nick for some time, and when I had a recent birthday party at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, Roses Grove happened to be headlining and Nick offered to play a song (or two... or three) in honor of my birthday. That's just one of the stories that Nick and I share about music, performance, and figuring out who we wanted to be. In this episode, Nick tells the tales of his adventures in music and life, and even plays us an original song while he's at it!

In lots of the pictures I take, my guests have their eyes closed. I usually delete those. But in the case of spiritual healer Angel Santamarina, it's only fitting that I use a photo with his eyes closed. After all, the name of the book he co-wrote with Erica Broberg is titled "I See Better With My Eyes Closed", and after a read of the book or a long conversation, I can understand why. Angel operates in a realm most of us are unaware of. It's a part of existence many will doubt even exists. But Mr. Santamarina has NO doubts. Not one. "One hundred percent", he describes his ability to see and understand the spiritual world where his healing takes place. At this point, I really can't describe any more. You just have to listen to the episode. Or read the book. Or both!

East Hampton Village mayor, Jerry Larsen, discusses facing criticism while implementing positive changes in the village, including new events and infrastructure improvements. He highlights the challenges of balancing public and private interests, addressing housing affordability issues, and embracing innovative solutions for wildlife management.

Just because Minerva Perez tackles some of the most critical issues facing some of the most vulnerable East End residents, doesn't mean she can't be a little silly sometimes. And even though she has a degree in theater from NYU, her movie credit might be a little less highbrow than you would think. But... you'll have to listen to the end to find out in what famous comedy she played. In the meantime, you'll hear about the serious business that occupies her days as Director of OLA- Organización Latino Americana of Eastern Long Island. Services they provide (to all citizens, whether of Latin American origin or not) include helping with everything from illegal evictions, wage theft, health services, legal direction and so much more. High on Minerva's long list of achievements is the establishment of a youth services  initiative which provides assistance to young people throughout our schools and communities in whatever areas they might need it. I was fascinated by not only the depth and intensity of their work, but also Minerva's clear love for the projects, and more importantly the people she serves.

Walker Ward, the 'Wall Street Intern' from the summer of '23, discusses his journey from obscurity to social media fame. He explores creating entitled characters, summer experiences in Montauk, and the influence of social media on recognition. The podcast also dives into his efficient video content creation process, character voices in content creation, and nostalgia for old-school trends. Finally, they touch on navigating comedy careers and social media influence.

Brian Halweil has been a mainstay in the East End local food movement since before "Locavore" was even a word. For many years, Brian brought the sights and stories of local producers and their food products directly to our hands via "Edible" publications, "Edible East End" and "Edible Long Island" being the most relevant locally. But a few years ago, Brian made the jump from reporting on local food to actually participating in producing it. Only rather than working for a local farm or producer, Brian went more large scale, consulting with companies investing in organic, sustainable and otherwise responsible production, and, more recently, working with Belltown Farms to secure, cultivate and produce organic grains on local farms throughout the US. Join us as Brian tells us his stories of moving from reporting to producing and of the challenges and rewards of working to convert the agricultural world to a more sustainable model.