Issuu

JULY 2020

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

SUMMER IS STILL ON!

NILE RODGERS: THE CELEBRITY WE NEED

FUN PICNIC IDEAS

WESTPORT'S WORST KEPT SECRET

OUR BEST SAV SAVINGS A INGS PLAN EVER. AV

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

JULY 2020 PUBLISHER

Marisa MacLean | marisa.maclean@lifestylepubs.com EDITORIAL SUPERVISOR

Robin Moyer Chung | robin.chung@lifestylepubs.com

Summer is still on! AS I WRITE THIS (ON MAY 20TH), WE TAKE OUR FIRST TENTATIVE STEPS TOWARDS REOPENING OUR STATE, OUR TOWN, OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR BUSINESSES. We pray for health and safety as we navigate the new normal. When this issue arrives in your mailbox, I hope it finds a Westport that has regained some semblance of normal life though compassion, caution and respect. I have no doubt that the people of Westport and Weston will come through on the other side of this pandemic with honor and grace.

AD DESIGNER

Kaylee Draisey LAYOUT DESIGNER

Emily Stout CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Robin Moyer Chung, Brandon Epstein, BookTrib.com, Saugatuck Financial CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Maya Porrino, John Videler, The Virtual 203, Nancy Hunt, Alan Hamilton, Jill Furmanovsky

So let’s welcome summer, sunshine, nature and, thankfully, the beach! In this issue we bring you all things summer! If you’re worried about getting too hot this year, don’t be. We have some ideas to retreat from the heat along with some book recommendations you can read poolside, in the sun or in the shade. We also have some great backyard picnic ideas! Missing summer concerts? So are we! But we got you the next best thing, an interview with Westport’s own Nile Rodgers! He is the anti-celebrity celebrity we need right now.

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

We’ve all been spending more time at home than ever. If you’re curious about the

AD MANAGER Chad Jensen

current real estate market, you’re in luck. Mindy Wolkstein weighs in on new trends

REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eric Williams

in real estate and sales.

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

We take great pride in bringing you the GOOD NEWS of our community each month and we will continue to do so. This complimentary community magazine would not be possible without the continued support of our wonderful local advertising partners. As you resume normal activities please consider supporting these non-profits and businesses for which we are so grateful. Wishing you and yours health, happiness and loads of summer fun!

Marisa MacLean, Publisher 514 W 26TH ST., KANSAS CITY, MO

CityLifestyle.com/Westport ON THE COVER Longshore Sailing School PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAYA PORRINO 10

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

Proverbs 3:5-6 Westport Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Westport areas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Westport Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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INSIDE THE ISSUE JULY 2020

FEATURES 22 Summer Picnic Ideas Break out the blankets and baskets, it's that time of year!

28 The Celebrity We Need is Right Here Nile Rodgers rocks

38 How Agents Sell Shelters... While we shelter in place.

22 28

44 Westport's Worst Kept Secret JR's offers delicious food and beautiful outdoor eating. Seriously.

DEPARTMENTS 10

Lifestyle Letter

Good Times

Financial Buzz

22 Food & Wine 28 Local Limelight 34 Page Turners 38 Open House 44 Hot Spot 48 Culinary Creations 50 DIY

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GOOD TIMES 1.

Porch Project Westport Museum for History & Culture teamed up with local photographer Jerri Graham, the creative eye behind the lens of the Metastatic Breast Cancer AWARE campaign to document the corona virus crisis through images and words of fellow Westporters. An Oral History project, the photos will be stored in the Museum’s archives for future generations. More information at VIRTUALHISTORYWESTPORT.ORG PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRI GRAHAM

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11.

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FINANCIAL BUZZ

Financial Tips for Our New Economy

ARTICLE SAUGATUCK FINANCIAL

FINANCIAL UNCERTAINTY IS VEXING US ALL DURING THIS TIME OF COVID. We turned to Saugatuck Financial, a full service financial advisory firm (conveniently located across the street from JR’s, which we wrote about in this issue), for advice on how we can keep our finances healthy in our current reality.

DON’T SELL BASED ON EMOTION OR FEAR. While market volatility often impacts emotions, the COVID-19 situation carries with it an unprecedented variety of non-market related stressors including: social distancing, working from home, home-schooling of kids, concerns over job security and/or income, concerns about our health being at risk, etc. However, as has been the case with the dozen bear markets we’ve had since 1926, the economy will eventually recover and the market will eventually attain new

2. 3.

highs. The real question is around timing. ACTIVELY REBALANCE YOUR PORTFOLIO. As market volatility increases, a disciplined approach to trimming portfolio holdings that have performed well to add to positions that have been harder hit, allows investors to benefit by “buying low and selling high.” LOOK FOR TAX-LOSS HARVESTING OPPORTUNITIES. Strategically selling depressed positions allows investors to realize losses that can be used to offset gains and up to $3,000/yr of ordinary income. And unused losses can be carried forward indefinitely. A key element to this strategy is not losing exposure to the asset class you’re selling out of, which would put you at risk of missing a bounce back. Typically one would move into a similar investment that is different enough to meet IRS requirements and the 30 day wash-sale rules.

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

Justin Charise, Founding Partner and Wealth Management Advisor. saugatuck-financial.com

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

AVOID SELLING INTO MARKET LOWS TO RAISE CASH. Investors who rely on their portfolios for living expenses should ensure they have adequate cash reserves to meet liquidity needs without being forced to sell during a market decline. Some alternatives to cash include having a low interest HELOC and/or life insurance cash value that can be used to meet short-term liquidity needs until invested assets recover. FOCUS ON THE OPPORTUNITIES. For investors with cash on the sidelines, market volatility presents an opportunity to invest. While investors should not try to time the market (as no one knows where or when the bottom will be) we view the current bear market as a buying opportunity for investors with longer-term time horizons. ENSURE YOUR ASSET ALLOCATION FITS YOUR LONGTERM FINANCIAL GOALS. If your allocation is not reflective of your risk tolerance or time horizon, it is a great time to speak with an advisor who can help you strategically rebalance to a more appropriate allocation.

IF YOU HAVE A LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLAN THAT FITS, STICK TO THE PLAN. If you don’t, you may want to speak with a reputable financial advisor who can help you create one. MAKE SURE YOU ARE COVERED FROM A RISK PERSPECTIVE. Is the life, disability and long term care insurance you have in place adequate to cover the loss of income that could result from a death or disability? A reputable financial advisor can help you stress test these scenarios and ensure that the planning you have in place will protect you and your loved ones in the event of the unexpected. This article is not intended as, and financial representatives do not give, legal or tax advice. The opinions expressed are those of Saugatuck Financial as of the date stated on this article and are subject to change. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. All investments carry some level of risk, including the potential loss of principal invested. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Saugatuck Financial is a marketing name for Justin Charise and Alfred Schor and is not a broker-dealer, registered investment advisor federal savings bank, subsidiary or other corporate affiliate of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, including its subsidiaries, nor is it a legal partnership or entity. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, Wis. (NM), and its subsidiaries. Charise and Schor are representatives of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company®, NMWMC Milwaukee, Wis., a subsidiary of NM and limited purpose federal savings bank, and registered representatives of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (securities), a subsidiary of NM, registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, and member, FINRA and SIPC. CityLifestyle.com/Westport

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FOOD & WINE

Fun Picnic Ideas BREAK OUT THE BLANKETS AND BASKETS, IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR!

THE SUN IS SHINING, BIRDS ARE SINGING, SUMMER IS BACK AND THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE THAN A BACKYARD PICNIC. I’ve always been a fan of the classics—checkered blankets, chicken drumsticks, pasta salad—but true greatness comes from innovation. We’re here to help with three stellar picnic ideas to level up your summer celebration. ARTICLE BRANDON EPSTEIN 22

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

Stargazing

Peach sangria.

PEACH SANGRIA

Ingredients:

+ Pour into ice-filled glasses and top with a

+ 2 to 3 white peaches, sliced and separated

couple of fresh peach slices and mint sprig.

go-to, but recently its acquired a mixed

+ 3/4 cup peach or apricot brandy

Can’t find brandy? Peach schnapps work

reputation. Maybe it’s the sweetness, or

+ 1 (750-ml) bottle white wine, chilled

just as well! But be cautious and taste

maybe people are just tired of scrubbing

(Moscato for sweetness or try a Sauvignon

early, schnapps can be much sweeter than

red wine out of white pants. Whatever the

Blanc for a nice complexity)

you expect.

reason, it’s time to spruce up this picnic

+ 1 liter peach seltzer water, chilled

Take it up a notch: Fresh mint sprigs

classic. Try ditching the apples and oranges

+ Fresh mint (optional)

add a refreshing aroma and make for

for ripe peaches and switch out red wine for

+ Ice

delightful garnish!

refreshes your palette without staining your

Instructions:

STARGAZING

teeth. Plus, adding white peaches instead

+ Place 3/4 of the sliced peaches and

of yellow gives this sangria a light, bright

brandy in a pitcher and gently muddle.

day? Cool midsummer nights make for per-

sweetness that’s the ideal complement to a

+ Add the Moscato and seltzer water and

fect stargazing weather and Grand Central’s

lazy weekend afternoon.

stir to combine.

Sangria has always been my summer

white to make a perfect picnic pitcher that Who says every picnic has to be during the

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

FOOD & WINE (CONTINUED)

Dessert pizza.

DESSERT PIZZA

famous ceiling can’t compare to the con-

Perseids put on a show all through July

stellations you’ll find in your own backyard.

and August, peaking in the early hours

In this time when people need human con-

Nighttime star parties are a great way to get

of August 12th with more than a hundred

nection more than ever, it’s important to focus

kids interested in space and science (a star-

shooting stars every hour. Keep the kids

on the things we all have in common. An abid-

gazing app and a green laser pointer makes

awake for a special summer treat, or leave

ing love of pizza and desserts likely tops that

it easy to spot planets, constellations and

them in bed and sneak out for a late-night

list. Whether you like a classic pepperoni pie,

more), but it can be even nicer to simply

date all your own.

or prefer to match a gluten-free quinoa crust

sit back and enjoy the scenery. Lay down a

Take it up a notch: The International

with vegan cheese and basil, pizza has a spe-

blanket, munch a tasty snack and cozy up

Space Station orbits around the whole

cial place in everyone’s hearts. And we all have

for a tranquil starlit evening.

planet, and that includes your house!

a sweet tooth to some degree. This picnic treat

Look online to see when you can spot it in

brings the best of both worlds together. Guilty

your backyard.

pleasure? Maybe, but I think we’ve earned it.

For a night that really shines, stay out late for the Perseid meteor showers. The 24

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

+ 8 oz Nutella

+ For the topping, Nutella is a family favorite

adaptable it can be. Mix-and-match your

+ 4 cups assorted fresh fruit such as

that tastes great and is super easy.

favorite dough, spread and toppings to make

strawberries, bananas, peaches, raspber-

+ Finish with your favorite fruit. I like straw-

your perfect pie, or do a whole batch! You

ries, etc.

berries, banana slices, peaches, or even

can even get guests involved. A dessert

Note: For station-friendly personal pies,

cherries if I feel like putting the work in to

pizza-making station is a hit with kids every

halve all ingredients.

de-pit. You really can’t go wrong!

What I love about this recipe is how

Take it up a notch: Feeling adventur-

time (and adults always manage to find their way in too). No matter what, it’s always a

Instructions:

ous? Try tart fruits like kiwi or guava for

good time, and eating it is even better!

+ Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll

an elevated bite.

Ingredients:

out your cookie dough to a 12” circle about

+ 16 oz refrigerated sugar cookie dough,

1/4” thick. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until

packaged or homemade

golden brown. Then allow to cool. CityLifestyle.com/Westport

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LOCAL LIMELIGHT NILE RODGERS ROCKS ARTICLE ROBIN MOYER CHUNG

At the iconic Glastonbury Festival in the UK, 2017 (Photo: Jill Furmanovksy) 28

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

THE CELEBRITY WE NEED IS RIGHT HERE HERE’S YET ANOTHER THING ABOUT A COUNTRY-WIDE

of sophisticated, fashionably-dressed adults, all well-versed in litera-

QUARANTINE: IT FREES UP PEOPLE FOR INTERVIEWS WHO

ture and music and drugged to stone-cold stupors.

OTHERWISE MIGHT NEVER GIVE YOU ONE. Such as Nile

These memories taught him to stay clear of heroin, so he pivoted

Rodgers, Westport resident of 40 years. After a year of leaving letters

to cocaine, alcohol and denial. Even after a near-death overdose he

at his home and e-mailing his publicist, Fran, they finally relented. I’d

rejected any notion of being an addict. He tied this thread of convic-

like to think my charm won them over but, realistically, they probably

tion to his not drinking brown liquor, the alcohol of alcoholics, and his

wanted me to stop bugging them.

ongoing ability to create music. (He’s now sober for 26 years.)

(What was Nile doing when he had to stop and shelter in Westport?

Thanks to the junkie cognoscenti in his house and his father, a

He was on tour with Cher. How cool is that? If I can say only one more

virtuoso Percussionist and addict, life was filled with music and

thing in my life, I want it to be that I was on tour with Cher.)

drugs. At age eleven he was sniffing amyl nitrate and playing the

Right now you’re either wildly absorbed or mildly confused - who is

clarinet and flute in the school orchestra. At 15 he picked up a guitar

Nile Rodgers? According to Wikipedia, he’s a “guitarist, singer-song-

(to wow a babe) and tasted blood. In a few short years he mastered

writer, record producer, arranger and composer. [He has] written,

the instrument and went on to a career in which he contributed sig-

produced, and performed on albums that have cumulatively sold

nificantly to the short-lived but transformative disco songbook, then

more than 500 million units and 75 million singles worldwide.” He’s

produced numerous iconic and seminal albums, such as Madonna’s

also the anti-celebrity celebrity we need right now.

Like a Virgin and David Bowie’s Let’s Dance.

Quarantine has highlighted the grey area in which stars dwell in

He’s also the cat behind CHIC’s 1978 hit song, the vibrant and

their relevance. The moment COVID touched down, they practically

slightly irreverent “Le Freak”. When I asked him about it he responded,

toppled Twitter in their efforts to comfort we mortals by proffering

“That hit single happens to be one of my own by a stroke of luck.”

sacrosanct idioms from the comfort of their petal-strewn bubble baths and pricey estates.

Okay, regardless of expertise it’s almost impossible to know what will leap into popular consciousness or limp into the sunset. Yet his

I mean, we all enjoy movies, but just because someone makes

appreciation of the journey and the simplicity with which he ascribes

millions starring in them doesn’t make them a philosopher king. It

success to good luck, without self-deprecation or false modesty,

stings, I know, but it’s true.

is surprising. After all, he’s racked up enough wins to comfortably

Which brings me back to Nile.

enshroud himself in rock star status.

Born to a 14-year-old mother and 16-year-old transient father,

He concedes, “I don’t speak of these life gifts in a braggadocios

he grew up poor among a cosmopolitan clutch of hard-core heroin

manner because I mainly view them as just doing my job.” He insists,

addicts, his mother and stepfather included. He recalls a home full

“I’m just a worker.”

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

LOCAL LIMELIGHT (CONTINUED) Nile at the 2014 We Are Family Foundation Gala.

Waving to fans at the 2018 Gay Pride Festival Weekend in Brighton, England.

So if you don’t know Nile Rodgers, that’s why. The limelight was never his thing. Though his band, CHIC, wrote and produced some of disco’s archetypal hits, like “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Good Times”, he and his music partner, Bernard Edwards (now deceased), deliberately side-stepped the spotlight. According to Nile, “Even at the height of the political ‘60s and early ‘70s, no matter how much we tried to say it was about peace and love, people would make fun of you if you didn’t fit in.” Though record labels loved their sound, they were skittish to sign a black rock-funk band. Nile and Bernard decided to play “faceless back-up [band] professionally,” according to Nile. They signed on a lead singer who looked white (he was actually Puerto Rican), and got signed. Though relegating themselves to sidemen was necessary to obviate racism, they threw no tears. Music was their goal, not lapping up the adulation of adoring fans. Nile adds, “We knew we didn’t know how to come off as stars even if we tried.” After only a few years the Disco Sucks movement sharply curtailed CHIC’s run, scraping their signature sound from the predilection of American culture. Still smarting from the backlash, Nile accepted a writing/producing gig with Diana Ross. The resulting album, diana, became her best-selling album. This project launched one of music history’s most prolific, though often tumultuous, writer/producer careers, propelling him to enviable success if not stardom. Still, in his acceptance speech at the 2015 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards he states, “It is the greatest job in the world. I am the luckiest man in the world to be up here with y’all and thank you for my [award].” Well, fortune is fickle. In 2010, Nile’s doctor diagnosed him with aggressive prostate cancer, offering the musician scant hope of survival. To cope, as always, Nile dove into writing, ultimately creating “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk and Pharrell and heralded as “one of the most famous dance music songs of the decade.” Though the 30

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

Nile in the studio. (Photo: Nancy Hunt)

At the iconic Glastonbury Festival in the UK, 2017 (Photo: Jill Furmanovksy)

meaning of this song seems obvious to everyone but the most blessedly innocent, Nile’s songs always contain an inner truth: his Deep Hidden Meaning (DHM). “Get Lucky” contains two DHMs. First, the fortuity with which its creators banded. Second, the song enabled Nile to lose himself in creation instead of fixating on his cancer. In SPIN he says, “I don’t think I’ve ever had a more exciting time in my life.” In July 2013, three months after the release of “Get Lucky,” he was declared cancer-free. But don’t call him a hero or a fighter, “I am just lucky. I never said that I beat cancer. I said that I’m a cancer survivor. My doctors helped me beat it and the only thing I think I did was have a good, positive attitude.”

Performing at the 2018 Gay Pride Festival Weekend in Brighton, England.

He embraces each trauma and achievement not as a victory or failure, but as life. Straightforward, honest and authentic. He never invites pity nor solicits praise. We’re all born oblivious to our attributes and circumstances. To be born with a smart mind and a strong work ethic, then, is good luck. To be born into poverty or addiction is bad luck. By acknowledging our good luck we better appreciate our success, freeing ourselves from the insidiousness of “entitlement” and the need for plaudits. Conversely, recognizing our shortcomings and problems as bad luck makes them separate from ourselves, enabling us to reject and overcome them or, in Nile’s case, accept them and move on. Whether we’re at the end of a pandemic or in the middle of one, none of us know. We’re experiencing unprecedented events, just as Nile has dealt with his entire life. However, we do know this: we are lucky to have whatever it is we needed to get us here, in Westport, on this day. Hopefully we can appreciate what brought us here, and have the fortitude to overcome or accept whatever happens tomorrow. So, yes, Nile is who we need now. “Life isn’t about surviving the storm, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”* -Vivian Greene *As quoted in his auto-biography, Le Freak

At the 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame 50th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner. Inducted in 2016, he was unanimously elected Chairman in 2018.

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

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saugatuck-financial.com 203.221.5275 | 274 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT

Al Schor | Justin Charise, CFPÂŽ Comprehensive Financial Planning Wealth Management | Estate Planning Insurance, Retirement and Tax Strategies

All investments carry some level of risk, including the potential loss of principal invested. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Saugatuck Financial is a marketing name for Justin Charise and Al Schor and is not a broker-dealer, registered investment advisor, federal savings bank, subsidiary or other corporate affiliate of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company including its subsidiaries, nor is it a legal partnership or entity. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM), and its subsidiaries. Charise and Schor are representatives of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management CompanyÂŽ, NMWMC Milwaukee, WI, a subsidiary of NM and limited purpose federal savings bank, and registered representatives of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (securities), a subsidiary of NM, registered investment adviser, broker-dealer and member FINRA and SIPC. All NMWMC products and services are offered only by properly credentialed representatives who operate from agency offices of NMWMC.

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

FEW SUMMER PLEASURES ARE MORE DELECTABLE THAN DIVING INTO AN IRRESISTIBLE BOOK. We asked BookTrib.com, a website for people who loveÂ books and learning about new authors, to recommend five diverse reads to distract us from social distancing and help us escape into fascinating new worlds.

FIVE GREAT BOOKS TO READ AT HOME UNLESS YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SCORE A SPOT ON THE BEACH.

" B e a c h " Re a d s

PAGE TURNERS

ARTICLE BOOKTRIB.COM

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

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BEACH READ by Emily Henry (Berkley). How’s this for a title to start our list? A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may upend everything they believe about happily ever afters. Acclaimed literary fiction author Augustus Everett and bestselling romance writer January Andrews are polar opposites. The only thing they have in common is that for three months they live in neighboring beach houses, are broke, and suffer from writer’s block. Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another…

TINY IMPERFECTIONS by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (G.P. Putnam’s Sons). All’s fair in love and kindergarten admissions. At 39, Josie Bordelon’s modeling career as the “it” black beauty is far behind her. Now director of admissions at San Francisco’s most sought after private school, she’s chic, single and determined to keep her 17-year-old daughter, Etta, from making the same mistakes she did. But Etta has plans of her own. If only Josie could manage Etta’s future as well as she manages the shenanigans of the over-anxious, over-eager parents at school.

THE LION’S DEN by Katherine St. John (Grand Central Publishing). Betrayal and intrigue. Belle thinks she’s immune to the dizzying effects of fabulous wealth. But when her best friend, Summer, invites her on a glamorous getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend’s yacht, the only sensible answer is yes. But once she’s aboard, it’s clear this jet-setting holiday is not as advertised. Belle realizes she’s going to have to keep her wits about her if she wants to make it off the yacht alive.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

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PAGE TURNERS (CONTINUED)

DERAILED by Mary Keliikoa (Epicenter Press.) A dying wish. A secret world. Can this grieving investigator stay on the right track? PI Kelly Pruett takes on an unsolved case of a young woman struck by a train. The closer she gets to the truth, the longer her list of sleazy suspects with murderous motives grows. Can Kelly pinpoint the murderer or is she on the fast track to disaster? Full of intricate family dynamics, sensuous secrets, and twists and turns that’ll keep you guessing.

THE SWEENEY SISTERS by Lian Dolan (William Morrow). An accomplished storyteller returns with her biggest, boldest, most entertaining novel yet about books, love, sisterhood and the surprises we discover in our DNA. Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in Southport, CT. They drift apart after their mother’s death and return to their childhood home when their father passes. But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, crashes the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister. For more great reading ideas visit BookTrib.com.

................ 203.216.1287 mindy.wolkstein@raveis.com mindywolkstein.raveis.com 47 Riverside Avenue | Westport, CT

................

The Best of the Best! Mindy very simply is a top notch realtor. She was extremely knowledgeable and was very helpful throughout the entire search process. Mindy is professional, efficient, personable and listens to her clients. She does not waste her time or yours. I would not hesitate to use her again. A true gem! You will be lucky to have her on your team! - J.D.

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ARTICLE ROBIN MOYER CHUNG

WHILE WE SHELTER IN PLACE

How Agents Sell Shelters...

OPEN HOUSE

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

Home exterior. (Photo: Alan Hamilton)

THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY GROUPS OF HOME-BUYERS DURING QUARANTINE: 1. City residents stacked into a high-rise for two months while the specter of corona swirls through the dirty streets like the hot wind of a Manhattan summer. 2. Fairfield County residents whose fantasies have been singularly reduced to never having to look at their home again. Which had us scratching our heads with two disparate but pressing questions: How does the real estate machine work at a time when we’re loathe to venture from our sanctums of immunity? Also, is COVID kicking out any new trends in personal property? We turned to Mindy Wolkstein, broker/ realtor at William Raveis Real Estate. The answers? Carefully. And yes. Mindy sent us photos of a new, beautiDramatic central staircase. (Photo: Virtual 203)

ful listing: 68 Myren Street, Fairfield. The house is airy and spacious, incorporating many of the trends we learned about when creating our 2020 Home issue: large outdoor living space with fireplace, French doors in the master bedroom, floor-to-ceiling windows to bring the outside inside. The property also includes the two newest trends: home office and pool/ beach access. “People are working from home now and need an office,” Mindy explains. They want a pool or the beach because “kids may not have camp or they may want to avoid crowded areas.” Now let’s pretend you’ve spent hours pouring over real estate, you fall in love with her listing, and you show absolutely no signs of having corona. Now what? According to Mindy, “First, if they’d like, either I or the homeowner can do a FaceTime showing, going around the house with a selfie-stick. If they want to visit, I have a protocol.” Wearing a mask, gloves and booties, Mindy enters the CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

OPEN HOUSE (CONTINUED) Home office desks. (Photo: Virtual 203)

Beach access. (Photo: Alan Hamilton)

Outdoor living area with fireplace. (Photo: Alan Hamilton) 40

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

Min

dy Wolkstein

WOOD BIN Solid Wood Furniture

home before you arrive for the tour to turn on lights and open cupboards. “I’ll

This Summer ENTERTAIN AT HOME

open any doors, closets or drawers if they wish.” Next, only the people involved in the selling of the home are allowed in: no kids, piles of cousins, or dubiously-related realty-peepers. If you don’t have a mask, gloves and booties (because why would anyone carry spare booties) she provides them. Thus attired, your socially-distant walk-through commences. After you leave, Mindy re-enters to disinfect, close cabinets, turn off lights, and lock the doors, possibly leaving the house cleaner than it has ever been before. She laughs, “I take care of other people’s houses better than my own. I did that even before corona.” Let’s say you love it, put in an offer, then freak out. Mindy understands and tells this story: “I rented a little cottage in Westport but would go back to the city every weekend. On Memorial Day weekend I said to myself, ‘Why am I in the city? I could be at the beach in Westport!’ So I stopped coming to city as often. Then I found a beautiful home and I was so nervous to put in an offer. I figured I’d wake up in the middle of the night screaming about what I had done. But I didn’t. That was 22 years

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS Founded in 1980

ago. And my whole life changed for the better.” For more information on this listing, visit

305 Federal Road Brookfield, CT

(203) 775-1770 | woodbinfurniture.com

MindyWolkstein.Raveis.com CityLifestyle.com/Westport

Distinctive Fine European Art

Westport River Gallery One Riverside Ave, Westport 203.226.6934 WestportRiverGallery.com 42

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

SMILE WESTPORT. ITâ€™S JOYRIDE TIME!

1200 Post Road East joyridestudio.com

Custom Tailor and Shirtmaker #WESTPORTSTRONG WE ARE OPEN AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES. 5 Post Road West, Westport CT | 203.557.6644 | stephenkempson.com

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CityLifestyle.com/Westport

HOT SPOT

JR's three great guys: Frankie Henriquez, Owner Eric Johnson, Staples Junior Sam Seidemen.

Award-winning chili dogs.

Westport's Worst Kept Secret JR'S OFFERS DELICIOUS FOOD AND BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR EATING. SERIOUSLY. ARTICLE ROBIN MOYER CHUNG | PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN VIDELER

Jennifer and Neal Seidemen enjoying drinks and lunch by the water.

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

Super fresh grilled chicken salad.

JR’S DELI & GRILL LACKS CURB APPEAL. Like, really lacks. This is unusual for Westport. A quick jaunt around town will show you that most business owners

“WE GET TOMATOES FROM ERIC’S DAD’S GARDEN. WE GET EVERYTHING FRESH EACH DAY.”

place value on appearances. I mean, JR’s isn’t ugly per se. It exudes a certain retro-charm, thanks to its original 1976 signage which includes the term “weenie.” And perhaps its light brownish/ochre color was considered quite tasteful among a population clad in three-piece corduroy suits with a penchant for wood-paneled rec rooms. But JR’s appearance never enticed me enough to wander in. Westport resident Alison Reilly agrees, “I’ve lived here 22 years and have never thought to go inside.” Then why this article? The deli & grill has been open for 44 years; no small feat for a town rife with openings and closings of hip eateries. My son told me, “Yeah. It’s really good.” Mostly, though, JR’s is on the river (warm weather view, outdoor eating) and I needed a story for our summer issue. So on a quiet afternoon, JR’s facade looking no less meh in the early spring sunlight, I safely pushed open the door and peered inside. Not to be overly-dramatic, but it was a bit like my first glimpse of Oz. What I expected to see: weenie-stand equivalent of Auntie Em’s dusty farm. What I saw: three guys hard at work, a menu so vast it fills four chalkboards, a policeman, tables loaded with condiments. Not beautiful, no, but friendly, bustling and inviting. Even the policeman was smiling! The owner of JR’s, Eric Johnson, is one of those energetic people for whom, I suspect, doing nothing requires great effort. He’s also a rugby coach at Staples and former catering partner of Jay LeBlanc’s, before LeBlanc opened Knot Norm’s. What Eric and his tiny staff of three create within these aged walls is amazing. Truly. To paraphrase one of the un-matching signs out front, they serve a lot more than weenies. They still serve varying permutations of hot dogs, with sauerkraut or award-winning chili and more, along with everything from chicken Milanese to Philly cheese steak (my family’s favorite) and phenomenal grilled chicken salad. Honestly, who knew? Evidently most everyone else. “The traffic is crazy,” says Eric’s protégé Staples junior Sam Seideman. “CEOs from Bridgewater and lawn mowers. We had a famous actress here. There’s a wide variety and a lot of older people. Some come twice a day. Mr. V is 92 and comes in every day.” “We get tomatoes from Eric’s dad’s garden. We get everything fresh each day,” continues Sam. “His dad is the shellfish commissioner for Norwalk so we get the best seafood.” JR’s has another fabulous secret: the back patio, with a rare and enviable view of the Saugatuck River. They’ve transformed the space into an even better patio with new furniture and Adirondack chairs. Not only does this patio make JR’s perfectly pandemic-friendly, but it’s also a super-cool place to sit on a summer day, maybe even bring a fishing pole or two. It’s BYOB now but they’re getting a wine/beer license and plan to host parties and private events. “We’ll cook steaks, lobsters, whatever you want,” Eric says, having forced himself to sit still for a few minutes. He’s also adding a separate breakfast nook to accommodate his egg-sandwich enthusiasts and construction workers. “The first thing we do at 6:30 a.m. is put on a pot of coffee.” Finally, he popped up. Though restaurant traffic is down, Eric, Sam and Frankie are busy preparing food for Homes with Hope and free lunches for students from

JR'S DELI & GRILL 265 Riverside Avenue, Westport JRsHotDogs.com

Eric’s alma mater, Brien McMahon High School. Their website has their full menu. Word of caution: it’s not beautiful, either. But one obviously can’t judge a deli by its décor. CityLifestyle.com/Westport

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What’s happening in Downtown Westport? Visit westportDMA.com

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CULINARY CREATIONS ARTICLE ROBIN MOYER CHUNG

MISS AMERICAN PIE FAMILY FAVORITE APPLE PIE RECIPE

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

CRUST: + 2 1/2 cups flour + 1 teaspoon sugar + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 cup Crisco, frozen and cut into cubes (I use sticks) + 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water Measure and mix flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add Crisco cubes and blend for about 20 seconds, until cubes are pea-sized and mixture remains dry. Drizzle ice water into flour mixture and blend until barely mixed. (The more you mix, the less flaky it becomes). Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Filling: + 5-6 medium-large apples (Golden Delicious or Pink Lady) + 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1/4 white sugar + 2-3 tablespoons flour + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/8 teaspoon salt + Butter Peel and slice apples ~1/4-1/8” thick. Mix with other ingredients except butter. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften. Preheat oven to 425. Place rack in lower 1/3 of oven. Divide dough. Roll 1/2 into a circle and somehow get it into a 9” pie pan. Fill with apple mixture. Dot with small slices of butter. Roll other 1/2 of dough into a circle and somehow get it on top. If it rips, and it will, repair with extra dough and a bit of water. Crimp edges to seal and slice off any excess. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar (if desired) and slice 5 vents on top. Or not. I forgot to cut vents when making a pie for this article and nothing

Near to all of our hearts is a family recipe for something we love.

major happened as a result. Still.

This apple pie is an iteration of my Mom's incredible French ap-

Bake for 30 minutes. Slip a cookie sheet beneath pie and reduce oven to 350.

ple pie which I ate throughout my childhood, and which inspired

Bake 30-45 until apples are just tender. Remove and cool for 3-4 hours.

me to create an apple pie for my own family.

EXPERIENCED. OBJECTIVE. PASSIONATE. 1265 Post Road East Westport, CT 06880 203-429-0450 clapboardhill.com Investment advice offered through Stratos Wealth Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor, DBA Clapboard Hill Private Wealth.

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

DIY

COOL OFF THIS SEASON WITH CHILLING ICE POPS, NO-BAKE SWEET TREATS + HOW TO USE HEALING ALOE

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

ARTICLE NICOLETTE MARTIN

beat the summer heat

AS THE WEATHER STARTS HEATING UP, WE’RE ALL ABOUT COOLING DOWN. And what’s more refreshing than ice pops filled with your favorite fresh fruit? Don’t get in a rut—here are some options that you can enjoy all summer long. Don’t be afraid to try your own! Simply freeze your favorite fruit juice and chunks of fruit in popsicle molds and enjoy. Here are some of our favorites.

frozen fruit pops P E AC H Y K E E N .

S T R AW - B R R -Y.

H 2 0 M E LO N .

+ Combine simply peach juice

+ Puree strawberries with your

+ Combine watermelon,

and sliced peaches

favorite fruit juice

cucumber and lime

TEA TIME: Change it up by

LIME IT UP: Combine pureed

HYDRATION STATION:

using sweet tea and peach juice

strawberries with homemade

Did you know watermelon

as your base and some ginger

limeade (water, limes + simple

and cucumber are two of

ale for a little fizz or add some

syrup) for a frozen twist on a

the most hydrating fruits +

lemonade for a tart twist!

summer classic.

veggies? Load it up!

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

DIY (CONTINUED)

F R E S H E N U P. Put your plants to use by harvesting aloe gel from the leaves of your window plant rather than option for store-bought.

Thereâ€™s some yellow sap that will come out of the leavesâ€” this is the aloe vera latex. Go ahead and just dispose of it.

Choose thick, healthy leaves from the

T I P T W O.

outside, trim the edges with a knife, then

Store your fresh aloe longer by transferring the gel to ice

separate the interior gel from the exterior

cube trays. Then use the frozen cubes anytime on sunburns

of the leaf.

or dry skin.

awesome aloe 52

TIP ONE.

Westport Lifestyle | July 2020

no-bake icebox cake

INGREDIENTS + 3 cups heavy cream, cold + 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1 tsp. vanilla extract + Chocolate ice cream + Cookie crumbles, pre-made cake, chocolate candies, crushed graham crackers and anything else you want to layer your cake with

1. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form in the mixture. 2. Start with a thin layer of whipped cream on the bottom of a springform pan (determine the size by how large or small you want your icebox cake to be). Then top with an even layer of chocolate (or your favorite kind of ice cream). 3. For the next layer, top with an even layer of cookie crumbles, cake crumbles, chocolate candies, crushed graham crackers or anything else you want to layer your cake with. 4. Continue with layers of whipped cream, ice cream and toppings until you have reached the top of your pan. 5. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, top with more cookie crumbles or chocolate sauce, slice and enjoy!

CityLifestyle.com/Westport

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Westport Lifestyle | July 2020