Brew's Cafe

Brian Burns, a successful film and television writer, discusses the power of family storytelling, the legacy of family vendors at Yankee Stadium, choosing sobriety, and navigating story development in long-running TV shows. He also touches on binge-watching, business revival in the restaurant industry, and the evolution of a place from bar to restaurant in New York City, highlighting the opportunities and diversity in urban centers like New York.

"Watch till the End"!! In the course of my conversation with Josh Gladstone, I explain how, in the life of Brew's, the long running NYC bar and restaurant after which this podcast is named and formulated, every single day something would happen that had never happened before. And here Josh keeps the spirit alive by ending the episode with not just a soliloquy, but with an emotionally delivered, perfectly paced and entirely gripping version of one of The Bard's most beloved soliloquies (nope, no spoiler here, ya gotta listen). But in the meantime, Josh and I have a fabulously entertaining convo about, not only the many many goings on at LTV Studios, where he's now head of something or another (creative direction, programming... I don't know, listen to the episode), but the wealth of cultural events that happen all around us, often without our knowledge or involvement. He also delivers some hilarious personal anecdotes of his time in the East End performing arts scene, as an actor, writer, producer, promoter, program director and pretty much any other hat that's been required to put on a show around here. So please join Josh and me as he entertains and informs-- and honestly makes me feel a little lame for partaking in so little of all there is to do around here!

You probably won't recognized Doug Levin by name, but by the end of the day, he will likely have impacted your life in some small, unnoticeable but very important way. As the founder and CEO of Black Duck Software, Doug was responsible for creating a company that led to an entire segment of the industry focused on both making open source software license compliant and secure from malware and viruses -- something we all admittedly take for granted. Having sold the company several years ago, Doug now teaches a course at Harvard Business School called "Startup Academy", and writes a blog and records a podcast called "Lessons from a Startup Life". He also runs a venture fund which focuses on tech startups, specifically in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity. Doug was kind enough to sit down with me recently and explain the basic concepts, the importance and some other fun facts and features of both the world of AI and Cybersecurity the startups he’s nurturing and funding. I learned a ton from this conversation, and Doug has a knack for making a complex (and potentially boring!) topic interesting and entertaining. For more details about Doug’s interesting and varied work experience, his updated Wikipedia page is located here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Levin and his LinkedIn page is located here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bduck1/

You might recognize Debra Geller's name from construction signs outside several of East Hampton's more glamorous design projects. Working with builder Phil Kauffman, she has designed, built, decorated and sold (or is selling) two gorgeous homes here. But as you'll hear here, deep down she's really just a "sawx" fan raising a houseful of Yankees fans. Originally from Massachusetts, by way of New York City (of course) Debra has been living, working, raising kids and enjoying life on the east end for well over a decade. So it may not surprise regular listeners that, while we certainly cover her work interests, the conversation veers toward school, sports, the local housing shortage and lots of other non-work topics. So join us and I'm sure you'll find Debra to be as interesting, intelligent and entertaining as I did.

You've probably heard the stories over the years, the concerts, the events, the fundraisers.... the bars, nightclubs and famous names from Hamptons glory days. John Kowalenko not only was there, he probably put the whole thing on. Over the course of the past 35 years John Kowalenko has had a hand in some of the most iconic events and happenings on the east end. Today, as they have for the past three decades, John and his wife, local chef Cheryl Stair, own and operate Art of Eating Catering and Events. And perhaps no form of work is more prone to the ups and downs of Hamptons happenings, as well as the comings and goings of our more famous party people. Join John and me as he recalls some of the more memorable moments and classic stories of John's storied history.

It seems like not all that long ago, to me anyway, that potatoes were a big deal on the South Fork of Long Island. Throughout the past several decades, though, potatoes, and farmland in general, have given way to development of large summer homes, as the pressure to sell the exceedingly valuable farmland between Montauk Highway and the Atlantic Ocean became unavoidable for many local farming families. Lots of farmland has been preserved through the efforts of local governments and local NGO's such as Peconic Land Trust, but that pressure to turn over agricultural land to development persists. One way to preserve farmland, however, is to make good use of it. And while the sale of potatoes may not be able to economically justify farming the land here, distilling those potatoes into high quality spirits, which can fetch high prices among discerning spirits drinkers, may just be enough to push the value of those potatoes high enough to preserve the land. At least that's the plan for the Foster Family and the land they farm in Bridgehampton and Sagaponack. In order to convert those potatoes to high quality booze, they need a master distiller, and that's where Matt Beamer comes in. Formerly a craft brewer out west (actually still a brewer, since, as you'll hear, you must first brew beer to produce vodka), Matt has brought his skills to Sagaponack, where he produces vodka, gin, rye whiskey, bourbon and several other spirits to high acclaim and commercial success. Matt sat down with me to discuss the challenges and rewards, as well as the process of distillation, aging, bottling and selling those spirits. And if the Foster family has their way, they'll find a way to preserve their farms and their farming heritage.

By now, many have you have figured out that I'll pretty much go to any length to get a great guest. I mean, you might think I'd even change jobs and leave a well established firm to join an upstart company with little brand recognition in this market, just to get an interview with a guy like Ryan Serhant. In our business (real estate, in case you missed that), Ryan Serhant is kinda the big Kahuna: if not the most successful (actually, he is), then without doubt, the most visible, which is pretty much the name of the game anyhow. He's also the star of Emmy nominated "Million Dollar Listing New York" which ran for 9 seasons on Bravo TV, author of two best selling books, "Sell it Like Serhant" and "Big Money Energy", director of the highly successful "Sell it Like Serhant" business education program, and, since 2020, owner and CEO of SERHANT., the rapidly growing brokerage he started (at which I currently work!). Oh and he's got a podcast, too, called "Big Money Energy Podcast" (he gets amazing guests like Jay Shetty, Barbara Corcoran and David Portnoy, among many others). And while I'm grateful to Ryan for taking the time away from all of that, plus his family with whom he lives in Brooklyn, to spend a few minutes in Brew's Cafe. And despite all the fame and success, Ryan is a hands on business operator, an accessible leader, and an all around decent human being. So we sat and chatted for a while and made a podcast out of it. I hope you enjoy. Oh, and I'da taken the job anyway.

Just in time for Hamptons Whodunnit comes this very special episode with mystery novelist Randye Lordon. Randye, who lives full-time in Springs, walks us through the process of becoming a mystery writer, where her characters come from and how much fun it was setting this particular mystery in East Hampton. Randye will be reading and signing her most recent novel, "She's Dead, Who Cares" this Friday, April 14 at the Thomas Moran house in East Hampton at 11am. Find tickets to this event, and many others going on around town this weekend, online at Hamptons Whodunnit. I also recommend reading "She's  Dead, Who Cares", available at local bookstores and online. Locals will recognize many of the settings, and possibly even a couple of the lead characters whose names have been changed to protect the not so innocent. Meantime, check out this entertaining conversation with the highly engaging novelist.

Nancy Atlas, a prominent figure in the east end music scene, discusses her unique performances, songwriting, parenting, and community involvement. The podcast covers topics like ticks and treatment, overcoming writer's block, challenges in comedy, creating an unforgettable audience experience, personal experiences with anxiety, musical beginnings, cover song appreciation, photography challenges, and admiration for musician Lucinda Williams.

Local historian Hugh King, known for leading graveyard tours, discusses parades, Talk House history, and preservation challenges. Exploring memories, island legends, and diverse community stories, with casual conversations about yard work and previous guests.