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Equine Lifestyles of Long Island

Posted on November 28, 2017 by NikkiOnTheDaily in Long Island, The Hamptons

(This article first appeared in the Fall 2017 issue of Luxury Living Magazine- a subdivision of Newsday Media Group)

The connection between horse and rider runs deep

THE WILD EAST

When envisioning the traditional American cowboy, the Wild West is sure to come to mind. However, factually speaking, it’s the “Wild East” that birthed the concept—Montauk, to be exact. Deep Hollow Ranch, established in the 1600s, holds claim as the first cattle ranch in the United States, and it’s still running today.

Fast forward, and the equine lifestyle on Long Island proves to be not only historic but also diverse. Horse races at Belmont, polo in Old Westbury and equestrian jumping in Bridgehampton are all held to be part of a lifestyle for the privileged. For a pastime that relies so heavily on an animal, though, without the vibrant community surrounding these events, it might all be as simple as bareback riding (with women perhaps riding side saddle).

George Fox, an equine enthusiast living in New York City, began taking weekly polo lessons in 2016. As living in a metropolitan area isn’t normally conducive to an equine lifestyle, Fox leases a horse named Bubbles from Country Farms in Medford, where it’s cared for throughout the year.

“I like being around things that are sophisticated; it’s an elegant type of activity,” Fox explains. “Everything about the equestrian lifestyle is interesting to me. It’s an open community where everyone is engaging and wants to have you involved.”

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Robert C. Ceparano is the owner of several equine corporations, but most locals likely associate him with Meadowbrook Polo in Old Westbury and also Country Farms, which is a camp, equestrian center and year-round polo facility. Like many in this circle, Ceparano comes from a long line of equine professionals. His grandfather was a horseman, as were his uncles, who taught him.

“I look at the families that have longevity in horses and that were able to make money. I learned a lot from my uncles and their business model and formed my own business model,” Ceparano states. “I really think that when my son gets in charge of this, he’s going to come in with a level of knowledge that I don’t even know about. I really believe he’ll be able to do it.”

Robert Ceparano, Jr., has become his father’s right-hand man for these multiple enterprises, as the guy who can fix anything, learning from the time he was 8 years old. Unlike other industries, being in the equine field is a round-the-clock commitment. It is not just about the horse itself but also the maintenance of equipment, programs and people. It’s only through sustainable resources, hard work and passion that an equine organization succeeds.

Having grown up in a family that surrounded themselves with horses, Juan Vasquez’s titles range from “farrier to the stars” to polo referee, with new roles emerging every few years. “I consider us [his family] the most fortunate guys in the world…I go to golf courses that I’d otherwise never be able to touch, but because I’m a friend, a farrier, because of my clients,” he confides, “I see things I’d never be able to see in my life.”

This Venezuelan native began his own farrier business 20 years ago. With time split between Wellington, Florida, and Long Island, Vasquez’s company is a new kind of B2B, a “barn to barn.” Working from his truck and trailer, he can be found horseshoeing for undisclosed celebrities and equine owners alike.

NO HORSING AROUND

Business aside, Vasquez is also a board member of HorseAbility. The not-for-profit organization was founded in 1993 by Kathleen Kilcommons McGowan and dedicates itself to providing therapeutic programs to individuals and families with special needs. HorseAbility, on the grounds of SUNY Old Westbury, is the only organization in Nassau County honored as a Premier Accredited Center of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International.

On the East End, Amaryllis Farm, located in Bridgehampton, is a not-for-profit equine rescue center. Established in 1989, Amaryllis is Long Island’s first horse sanctuary and largest rescue center. Granting sanctuary to former service horses who are unable to adapt to a new home or were scheduled to be put down, it is dedicated to these horses, while teaching the community the value of caring.

Mixing sanctuary with sipping, Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard in Calverton is also a horse rescue center and sanctuary on the same property where the proprietors grow wine. Co-founded by Sharon Rubin Levine and Richard Rubin in 2007, 100% of profits from a selection of wines support their cause.
RESPECTABLE DIFFERENCES

Matthew Donohue is a professional photographer who became enamored of horses while horseback riding in Cambodia in 2009. In 2015 he began snapping everything from barn stills to polo thrills and says it’s all about respect. “It’s fun, it’s thrilling,” he admits, “but I’m always fully aware of my surroundings when I approach a horse.”

Like any successful relationship, the codependence between man and horse requires dedication and trust. The equine lifestyle is more than the polo matches and horse shows; it’s the connection to a majestic being and building a beautiful community around it.

Tellers: An American Chophouse

Posted on November 28, 2017November 28, 2017 by NikkiOnTheDaily in Food, Hospitality, Long Island, New York

(This article first appeared in the Fall 2017 issue of Luxury Living Magazine- a subdivision of Newsday Media Group)
Attention to Detail
Tellers Chophouse dining room pays homage to the First National Bank, built in 1927, with a captivating entrance of the original 30-foot ceiling windows and carved moldings. The authentic vault, located in the back, is the beating heart of the establishment. As one of two wine cellars, it houses over 10,000 bottles, listing 1,000 labels from across the world.
“[The vault is] the keystone holding this place together,” Manager, James Foglia, announced. “It holds valuables in terms of money but also in terms of clientele.”
Clientele is of the utmost importance and therefor are provided with The Cocktail Club and The Connoisseur Club, both of which can be found on the restaurants website. Combined, the clubs add an essence of grandeur open to all.
Telling the Difference
Frank Ferraro, General Manager of Tellers Chophouse, explained “You want something you can’t make at home…it’s about the experience.” Ferraro hands a young man sitting with his family a gift card. “He’s celebrating a milestone birthday, 18 years. For our patron’s birthdays we provide them with a free dessert and an incentive to come back.”
Having enjoyed many options from the Tellers menu, it’s difficult to write about a select few. For an appetizer, the Black Pepper Bacon. Thickly cut, properly proportioned, the slice resembles pork belly. As the meat falls apart tenderly, black pepper and horseradish glaze are delectable on the palate.
For the main course, Tellers appeals to carnivores with a signature cut, 40oz Tellers Ribeye that is broiled to perfection, marbling the fat in a steak lover’s dream. To the vegans, a large plate of colored veggies; roasted romaine lettuce, spinach, grilled asparagus, cherry tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms.
Noted side dishes are the roasted Brussel sprouts with pancetta; homemade Tater Tots (closely resembling potato croquets) filled with Gruyere cheese, covered in panko breadcrumbs with a horseradish crème fraiche dipping sauce; the Lobster Mac & Cheese is a melting pot of flavors as five cheeses slide over the Cavatappi pasta with poached lobster chucks in a creamy, bechamel sauce.
The finale. Vanilla Crème Brûlée and homemade Cheesecake with liquid ice cream. However, the sorbet trio with fig, coconut and pineapple flavorings was a sweet ending
(Additional, unpublished in the original)

Cheers
A Smoked Manhattan, poured tableside, uses a food grade smoker with hickory wood chips. Sipping on the classic cocktail, the smell and taste of hickory hits you in a subtle, not remotely overdone, aroma.
My bartender, Stephanie Diaz, described the creation process as entertainment. “[People ask] ‘What is that? I want it.’ The whole bar crowds around the smoker and people don’t realize it takes the same amount of time to make as other drinks.”
On the lighter side, guests may opt for the Rose Collins. Initially reluctant by the sweetness a rose embodies, the Collins was light and crisp.

28 Days of Awesome: Find Your Local Adventure

Posted on March 30, 2017October 30, 2019 by NikkiOnTheDaily in Inspiring, Long Island, New York, Travel

Inspired by my Golden Birthday (turning 28th on March 28th), 28 Days of Awesome was created as a way to live local life to the fullest.

Initially, when a friend brought up that 2017 was my lucky turning of age, I envisioned a weekend away. Boston, upstate New York, maybe the Carolina’s. However, without a current substantial, steady pay check the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a small vacation conceptually created more stress than anticipation. On the positive side, no routine commitment allows me the flexibility to seek the unknown any time of day, spreading my dollar to daily, local activities. Thus, creating a ‘golden’ opportunity for an extended adventure (and blog series).

Eventually, as expected, planning something ‘awesome’ every day for four weeks became exhausting. By day 17 I started referring to it as the 28 Day Challenge but, in conclusion of it all, 28 Days of Eating would have been a more accurate description.

Amid my struggle to pull through to the end, a friend’s text message read:

“Isn’t that life? We start off doing something because we have a passion for it and it becomes a challenge to continue as each day passes. But that’s one thing you’ve proven me wrong on several occasions. You decide to do something because you’re passionate about it and you see it through no matter what obstacles get in your way.” – Anonymous Motivator

Without realizing it, my idea was spreading light to those around me. As though someone dropped a match in gasoline, the fire within me was reignited and I successfully accomplished something new every day for 28 days.

Finding Things That Are Free: In thinking up things to do I also needed to adhere to some sort of budget. Manhattan has dozens of talk shows that are free to attend. Be a part of a studio audience at no additional expense, just the transportation it takes to get there. On March 1st I sat front row at The Wendy Williams Show as a way to kick off my month long celebration. In a wonderful turn of events, they asked me to be on call for future projects. Still on a high from the previous day, I attended a press and industry event for the new Broadway musical Anastasia, courtesy of The Garden City Hotel, where I met several of the producers and cast member Derek Klena.

28 Days 8 — Left: Derek Klena from Anastasia the Musical / Right: Wendy William

On a Budget, Coffee Coffee Coffee: There’s something to be said about a well crafted cup of coffee situated in an uniquely decorated shop. Independently owned coffee houses draw in personalities similar to the engaging atmosphere they provide. In addition, you know that money goes directly back into the local community. When it comes to ‘cawfee,’ I say- Go small business or go home. One day, I stumbled into Toby’s Estate Espresso Bar located in the Flatiron, perfectly situated in connection to a sub-location of Strand Bookstore. Isn’t that the ideal combination, coffee and books? Another, I sought out Bellmore Bean Cafe, a place I’d passed countless times but for some reason or another never took the time to go inside. As it were, it was comedy night but turned out the joke was on us (at that point I realized why they had alcohol on the shelves next to the beans brewing). I also made a point to attend the Coffee & Tea Festival in Brooklyn. It was something I never experienced but found myself tweaking out from too much caffeine in the end (basically Kramer from Seinfeld).

Take Time to Disconnect: Tending to my physical health and disconnecting became important on my list. After hearing the benefits of floatation therapy, I did a 60-minute float at iChill. I’d been to the Dead Sea years ago and had an idea what floating felt like. What I didn’t foresee was the hurdle of mental disconnection. At Hand & Stone I requested my first male masseuse.

28 Days 9 — Left: iChill Salt Float / Right: Hand & Stone Massage

Philanthropy Feels Good: How ‘awesome’ could my days really be if all 28 were about myself? I participated in my first Zumbathon with my Long Island Crunch Crew benefiting Make-A-wish Suffolk County and learned how to line dance for the first time (Cotton Eye Joe doesn’t count) at Denim & Diamonds, benefiting The Ellen Hermanson Foundation. I then donated blood for the first time with the New York Blood Center.

28 Days 6 — Left: Zumbathon for Make-A-Wish / Middle: New York Blood Center / Right: Denim & Diamonds

Carpe Diem: When I was running out of ideas I stopped thinking and let the day progress naturally. I stumbled across a new Zumba instructor I hadn’t taken before, went to see a movie for the first time alone, received my debut article for Luxury Living Magazine and saw my friends acoustic session at Craft Kitchen (a place I see every time I ride the LIRR but hadn’t yet tried).

28 Days 3 — Up Right: New Zumba Instructor / Up Left: Beauty & The Beast / Down Right: Luxury Living Magazine article / Down Left: Craft Kitchen

Give & Take: Not everything panned out as planned, like a two hour wait for indoor go-karting (which I’d never done on Long Island). While we took a great picture the real experiences were exploring local bars, rather forgetful in documenting the ‘awesomeness.’ Luckily, some things are easy to rely on, like a complimentary pilates class for new students. Though I am a self-proclaimed fitness foodie, this was my first pilates experience.

28 Days — Top: Pilates / Bottom: Indoor Go Karting

When in Doubt, Eat…: Never one to turn down food, the easiest thing to do was discover new places to eat or drink. Grindstone in Sag Harbor had long been on my must-see list since its opening in summer 2016 as was The VNYL in NYC (complimentary Irish Coffee on St. Patricks day). Piecraft was a unique option for a late night dinner with a craft-your-own-pizza attitude and Kinha proved to be a good sushi option for a friendly catch up. Yet, when ‘snowstorm Stella’ came to town I had to prepare for things to do at home, and a new bottle of Natura Malbec wine tipsyed the scale in my favor.

28 Days 7 — Up Left: Grindstone / Up Right: Kinha Sushi / Middle: Natura Malbec / Down Left: PieCraft / Down Right: The VNYL

…And Eat Some More: As mentioned, not everything went as expected. As a backup, I revisited Bellmore Bean Cafe and tried their dessert with some Irish coffee (it was acoustic night, which was a nice change). But nothing, aside from my actual birthday, beat my final day of being 27 on the 27th. I waited three years to experience Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar as part of birthday celebrations and that dream finally came true. My admiration for the brand and love for polo made it an experience I hoped for and one that finally became a reality. Dream, dress, and dine like a Lauren!

17742284_1279342575490748_311429936_n — Left: Bellmore Bean / Right: Ralph Lauren Polo Bar

Every Day is a Day to Celebrate: Having never been to a brewery before, and admiring local craft brews, I did a tasting flight at Port Jeff Brewery (their Cold North Wind Barleywine was especially delicious). Finally, after a prior failed attempt, I made it to Crown Steakhouse where I sampled several of their nearly 200 different types of whiskey with the owner, Gerry (‘un-lushing’ my inner Irish).

28 Days 4 — Top: Crown Steakhouse / Bottom: Port Jefferson Brewery

Spontaneity Works: Alright, so having brunch at Jam or attending a Paint Nite was planned in advance. But spontaneously trying on Victoria’s Secret Angel wings directly off the mannequin was a spur of the moment decision. On my 28th birthday the store lent me them so I ‘could fly.’ Sadly, they were too heavy, so I requested a photo op instead.

28 Days 2 — Left: Victoria’s Secret Angel wings / Middle: Paint Nite / Right: Jam on Park

3 Things I Learned:

You Don’t Need to Travel Far to Get Away

Local adventures have the ability to shape our day-to-day lives. Over the course of 28 days my appreciation grew for my hometown and the surrounding areas. By committing to step outside my usual routine each day, even if for a moment, I discovered an unknown and felt a new sense of happiness.

Expect Less, Receive More

Money and people, two things where the more I rely on it the more disappointed I become. The value of an adventure isn’t measured by its price tag but by its impact. Free to low cost activities had a greater affect on me because I had low expectations, and if it wasn’t ‘awesome’ than I didn’t break the bank testing it out. The same went with friends. Over the course of 28 days I tried to involve as many people in my life as possible, to share in the experiences. Unfortunately, quite a few times I was let down and made to do things on my own. From disinterest in what I was doing, life getting in the way and even just flat out ditching me. It was when I committed to an idea, be damned who came with me, that others eagerly joined in. The less I asked the more I received.

Doing Things Alone is Awesome

I think I have an awesome array of interests, an awesome outlook on life, and an awesome ability to meet people anywhere I go. So why should I worry about doing things alone? Since I love who I am and what I am, doing things solo eventually became easy. As I mentioned in my blog about solo travel, doing things alone allowed me to be selfish and ignore other peoples noise.