By Lauren Clarke-Bennett & Heather Bryce
VIPs ascended on the South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center (SOFO) in Bridgehampton, celebrating its 26th Summer Gala to raise money, interest and appreciation for the area’s natural environment. Actor (Entourage), director, producer and musician Adrian Grenier was on hand to receive an honor for his conservation efforts along with artist, April Gornik and philanthropist, Willi Salm.
A super scrumptious tasting menu was served by leading chefs and restaurants that included; Chef Kyle Koenig of Topping Rose House handed out fried oyster po’ boy sandwiches with house-cured bacon and ramp remoulade topped with a pickled okra.
Chef Colin Ambrose of Estia’s Little Kitchen served spiced-just-right chili-chicken taquitos baked in a wood oven. Andrew Reice of Swedish Culinary Summer was back with more delightful samples of Swedish cuisine, this time from chef Elisabeth Johansson, who made scrumptious beetroot and licorice-cured salmon and a cauliflower cream with white truffle, Nick & Toni’s, Colin Ambrose, Estia’s Little Kitchen; Todd Jacobs , Grand Banks; Kerry Heffernan, Fresh Hampton, Topping Rose, Bell & Anchor, The East Hampton Grill, Swedish Culinary Summer; Joe Trembley, Bay Burger and Almond Restaurant. Patrons also perused the museum’s exhibit as they sipped beverages supplied by Channing Daughters and Amagansett Wines and Spirits. Museum founder Andy Sabin told guests how the museum had managed to reintroduce a species of rattlesnake back to the area, which had not been seen since the ‘30s. Though most thought it a good thing, others wondered why. A delectable dinner was served in the main tent as the awards were doled out and later the guests enjoyed dancing to the Nancy Atlas Project Band.