Dan's Papers - August 1, 2008 - New Kids On The Block

Melody's Kitchen Table
At Zaluski's Farm Stand
129 Seven Ponds Road, Water Mill, NY

If you travel along Seven Ponds Road, you just cannot pass by Zaluski's Farm Stand that sits all by itself in the middle (front) of a farm field. No matter what you purchase here, you leave with a smile. Well, if you want to keep on smiling, the label that will do the trick is Melody's Kitchen Table. The products are homemade by Melody Kniley Tierney, who has been canning most of her life. This year, her products are more popular than ever and Melody will be devoting most of her time to producing these seasonal treasures for Zaluski's until the stand closes down in late October. Patrick at Zaluski's has been a great fan Melody's since the 1990s, when she dabbled in canning her goodies, especially her famous spicy and crunchy Bread and Butter Pickles - pint jar $8, Spice Corn Relish - pint jar $8 and the Peach Jam that's flying off the shelf, 1/2 pint at $6. They are beautifully presented in a mason jar with a colorful checked cloth under the seal, making it a great hostess gift as well. The farm stand is always a pleasure to visit; Patrick always has a smile, except when he runs low on Melody's Kitchen Table products. The very next time you pass by, stop in and pick up one of your favorites. My favorite? All three!

SOLSTICE Sunglass Boutique
30 Main Street, East Hampton
631-324-4591 - solsticestores.com

Solstice Sunglass Boutique, the upscale luxury sun wear specialty chain, has just opened its first location in on the East End in East Hampton. This new boutique features an innovative and upscale European store design, a unique "hands-on" retailing approach and chic store ambiance. Specializing in upscale, high-end designer fashion sunglass brands, Solstice offers more moderately priced bridge collections and active sport sun wear lines. Prices start at $75 and can range up to $500 or more, depending on brand and style. The collections include Dior, Giorgio, Armani, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs, Valentino and YSL, just to name a few. Priding themselves on offering "boutique-y" sunglass brands such as Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bottega, Veneta, Boucheron, 55DSL and Diesel, which isn't widely available elsewhere.

There are so many different reasons to open a shop in the Hamptons. I find something special about each one and this New Kid that I'm about to introduce to you is really something special. About three years ago, Dan Rattiner ran a contest called Hampton - "Best Slogans" and we were bombarded with hundreds of e-mails with all kinds of slogans, good, bad and ugly. After a few months of sorting emails and making lists for Dan, he finally announced the winner. And the winner was Eileen Sharkey-Bellini from Southampton and Manhasset. Her winning slogan was "The Hamptons - where the sea greets the stars." A few years have passed since the contest ended. Recently, I received an e-mail from Eileen Sharkey-Bellini asking me is she qualified to be in my New Kids On The Block column, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, announcing all the new stores that have opened, been renovated, closed and reopened, you get the idea....... Well our winner did something that took lots of time and effort, she decided to spread the word with her slogan that won Dan's contest, via Internet sales online at cafepress.com/hamptonshop selling merchandise that she has designed and trademarked ranging from mugs, T-shirts, baseball caps, to baby clothing, at affordable prices. I felt that I would let my readers know that every dream can come true...just follow it. If you would like to contact Eileen Sharkey-Bellini at: esharksing@aol.com or log onto the website - www.cafepress.com/hamptonshop and start shopping!

E-mail me at newkids@danspapers.com or via fax at: 631-726-0189. I would love to hear from you!