Category: Manhattan

Return to Manhattan & More

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RETURN TO THE BIG APPLE

The Chief Penguin and I are back in Manhattan after almost a year and a half.  And it’s different.  Covid-19 has taken its toll with more empty storefronts, favorite restaurants shuttered, fewer people on the streets, and less traffic all around.  But, and it’s a welcome but, the city is becoming alive again!  The Upper East Side seems more active than the West Village, possibly the difference between residents and schools in one area and more tourists in the other.

Dining space at Via Carota

Restaurant dining is reviving.   We appreciated and benefited from the creativity shown in the various outdoor structures that have been built in the street or on the sidewalk. 

 We dined at two favorites, Sel et Poivre, very distanced from other diners, and Via Carota, which is serving exclusively outside.  Sitting at a sidewalk table, we also sampled a Mediterranean restaurant new to us called A la Turka.

Fancy dining structure at JoJo

Reservations are essential since dining capacity is still limited by NYS rules.  That can mean you need to reserve farther ahead (2 weeks out) or not until a day before.  Overall, we’re delighted to be here, enjoying the bustle of the city and spending time with our marvelous granddaughters.

WATCHING AND READING

IN-DEPTH BIOGRAPY SERIES

Hemingway (PBS)

Ernest Hemingway was an incredibly complex man.  Product of a dysfunctional family, whose father committed suicide, he, nonetheless, was a superb storyteller and masterful stylist whose novels made an indelible impression on American literature.  Filmmaker Ken Burns has a reputation for delving deeply into whatever topic he presents from baseball to the Civil War.  Here, this attention to detail and nuance is focused on one man’s adventurous life.  

Hemingway had four wives and other women along the way, he fought in several wars, he loved Spain, and he lived in Cuba.  Aside from his personal life, this 3-part series provides a close examination of each of Hemingway’s works from early novels to his account life in Paris (A Moveable Feast) to late works such as The Old Man and the Sea.  Literary scholars offer additional analysis, but I found most intriguing the comments from other writers like Tobias Woolf and Mary Karr, but especially those of the Irish novelist, Edna O’Brien.  It’s a fascinating journey from beginning to end!

WORLD WAR II MYSTERY

Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear

I’ve read all the Maisie Dobbs mysteries, and this is one of the best.  I’m even wondering if it’s Winspear’s swan song for Maisie.  But there’s an historic event at the end that leaves the door open.

Freddie, a young messenger boy, witnesses what appears to be a murder.  Did he really see it?  No body is found.  While haunted by Freddie’s experience, Maisie is primarily working for Scotland Yard vetting special agents for Resistance work in France.  Two young women she knows are among the interviewees.  Maisie’s personal life is also more complicated. She has a young daughter and an American friend and love named Mark Scott.

This novel details more about what’s involved in fighting a war in 1940 when England is regularly being bombed.  It feels more personal than Winspear’s earlier works with a minor theme of friendship and love. There’s a poignant quote about whether war makes one too brittle to relax and accept love.

If you like mysteries that focus more on the people and procedures with less high drama, then this is for you.  I find Maisie endlessly fascinating! (~JWFarrington)

More colorful tulips!

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Manhattan: Art at the Met Breuer

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ART: FIBER, BRONZE, PAINT

On our recent trip to New York, we spent some time at the Met Breuer.  As it happened, two featured exhibits were by female artists, one a retrospective of a living artist’s career and the other a focus on the fiber art and sculpture of an Indian artist.  

I was captivated by Phenomenal Nature by Mrinalini Mukerjee.  The larger than lifesize intricately woven flax, hemp and cotton pieces range from gods of the forest to nymphs to a flower.  They are usually one muted or dark color, but a few incorporate other color strands.  Later in her life (she died in 2015), Mukerjee did a series of bronze sculptures that are rounded or based on a dome shape. 

Van Raja (King of the Forest), 1981
Aid Pushp II (Primal Flower), 1998-99

Untitled, 2002

To Fix the Image in Memory is a review of Viji Celmins’ more than 50 year career and encompasses the top two floors of the museum.  Her early works are a mix of paintings of common appliances like a space heater, a hot plate, or a lamp, as well as sculptures of familiar objects such as a pink eraser.  These are very accessible to the viewer.  

Heater, 1964

I found the later works, endless studies of the ocean’s surface, starry skies, and webs, which are shades of gray and black, much more challenging and less visually appealing.  They are stripped down and there are only subtle differences between some of the works in a series.  But this exhibit has garnered a lot of publicity and praise including the lead article in a recent New York Times’ Art section.

Untitled (Web #1), 1999

Note: Header photo is one of several horse sculptures in Freedman Plaza at the entrance to Central Park. Text and photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Manhattan Finale: Frick & More

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FASCINATING FRICK
We made two visits to the Frick Collection and highly recommend two current exhibits. Unfortunately, there was no photography allowed. On our first visit, we discovered that Wednesday afternoons beginning at 2:00 pm, it’s pay what you wish, and the museum was packed. We took a brief tour around some of the Moroni exhibit and decided to return the next day in the morning.
Giovanni Battista Moroni is a lesser known Renaissance painter noted for his portraits of mostly wealthy and high-placed individuals. This is the first major exhibit of his work in the U.S. These people of means have great facial expressions, and he made wonderful use of shades of red and pink in their clothing with very finely detailed jewelry and ornamentation. There is one portrait of a tailor.

Elective Affinities: Edmund de Waal at the Frick Collection.
 Mr de Waal is a ceramist whose favorite medium is porcelain, but he is also attracted to working with steel and gold for his art. A longtime lover of the Frick, he has created a series of small sculptures in vitrines that are placed in front of specific paintings. Some of the works are white porcelain while others incorporate several shapes and thicknesses of black or gray steel. There is a short film showing the artist in his London studio and talking about what he’s trying to achieve in terms of light and form. I found it instructive to see the film before touring his work in the galleries. This exhibit runs into November, the first one closes soon.

What made our visit even more interesting was that a breakfast for press had just ended and I chatted very briefly with two of these individuals about the exhibit. It turns out we were present on opening day for de Waal. For those who don’t know it, you might want to check out his fascinating memoir cum history entitled, The Hare with Amber Eyes. I found it fascinating.

CLASSY DINER
 We had lunch at Three Guys on Madison, and we quickly decided it was the most pleasant, brightest and cleanest diner we’d eaten at. It’s a welcoming space with a mix of booths and tables and can easily accommodate groups. Several families with small children were in evidence and it’s obviously family friendly. Their menu is extensive with lots of breakfast fare, but also plenty of sandwiches, salads, and burgers.

We opted for a Reuben with fries and the tuna salad platter which came with a mound of cole slaw and some sliced tomatoes and cucumber and a hard boiled egg. The platter was a large portion (I didn’t finish it), but very good. The diner is located across the street from Met Breuer so would be a good destination after visiting their exhibits.

FABULOUS THEATER

We were able to squeeze in seeing Kiss Me Kate and are so glad we did.  What a fun, lively, energetic, performance it was!  Even with the understudy playing the lead role of Fred Graham/Petruchio, it was superb. Growing up, I was exposed to the LP record version of a much earlier performance which my folks had seen on Broadway in the 1940’s.  They played this record often, and consequently, I was familiar with the songs and knew most of the words.  The level of fitness and acrobatic skill required for the dancing, especially by Lois Lane and Bill Calhoun, was awe-inspiring.  There was some additional stage business and asides which made this a more contemporary “Kate.”  The song, “Tom, Dick or Harry” will never again be the same.  (~JWFarrington)

PRE-THEATER DINING

Nocello on W. 55, a block from the Roundabout Theatre, was an ideal place for an early dinner.  It appeared to have a regular clientele, even one family group, and not just tourists.  We had the nicest corner table on the lower level and were especially pleased with the fried artichokes and the chicken cutlet encrusted with Parmesan in a bit of lemon white wine broth.  

Artichokes

The Caesar salad was an acceptable rendition and the veal saltimbocca provided a slightly different variation on that classic.  The Chief Penguin sampled the nocello liqueur (made from walnuts and hazelnuts) and it was lovely, deeply smooth with a hint of sweetness.  The small plate of mini biscotti was just right.   We will remember this restaurant for another pre-theater meal.

Note: All contents and photos ©JWFarrington.

Manhattan Meals: Eating Around

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Italian cuisine dominates the dining scene today, but here and there you can locate a good French bistro. I’ve also discovered that many folks on the Upper East Side eat early.  By 6:30, tables at small restaurants will all be taken. Here’s a selection of Manhattan restaurants we’ve enjoyed this past month, most that I haven’t previously covered.

Brasserie Cognac

This is a small French restaurant that was always full when we would walk by. Over the Memorial Day weekend, it was practically empty enabling us to easily book a table. We weren’t in the mood for a big meal and found the appetizer section of the menu much to our liking. My goat cheese and tomato tart on puff pastry was scrumptious while the Chief Penguin ordered and liked their famous tuna tart.

Sample of goat cheese and tomato tart

He followed his tart with the salmon croque monsieur which was rich and mouth-filling. I opted for the spinach, pine nut and parmesan salad which was enhanced by a generous number of avocado slices. With these two smaller dishes, delicate gougeres, and some wonderful holey olive bread, we were very content!

Jean Claude 2

This cozy French bistro is popular and we were pleased that we arrived a bit ahead of our 7 pm reservation.  The Chief Penguin ordered the beet and endive salad graced with a few walnut halves which was both very pretty and very tasty.  He then had the skate which was on the dry side, while I sampled the roasted cod over vegetable risotto and a yellow pepper puree, a yummy combination.  Bread pudding is his one weakness (to quote a TV character who had many “one weaknesses”) and this rendition was appropriately satisfying.

Barbaresco

This is one of the many Italian restaurants around.  Brick side walls and a sea of white linens on small tables make for a charming ambience.  Service is old style male waiters who recite the specials with dramatic briskness.  Listen carefully or you’ll need a repeat.  We shared a Caesar salad which was just right.  I then ordered the special swordfish entrée, Livorno style or bathed in a tomato-based sauce with capers and black olives.  It came with a vegetable medley and some roast potatoes. The Chief Penguin tried their veal saltimbocca which was good, but not the equal of the version we get in Maine. In addition to meat and fish entrees, there’s a good selection of pasta dishes.  This is another very popular eatery and one will visit again.

Tony’s Di Napoli

This red gravy+ Italian restaurant is a locus for family groups.  We dined here the night before Mother’s Day and thought that was the reason for all the tables with families with small children.  Apparently, not; this is a regular occurrence.  It’s a boisterous dining experience so avoid it if you were looking for a quiet meal. That said, the service was pleasant and efficient and our food very good.

Most dishes are offered in half and full portions with full designed to serve 2-3.  Believe the menu, they are large and will!  We ordered the full Caesar salad and would have been equally happy with a half portion.  It’s prepared table side and the dressing was a lovely balance between piquant and mellow and not over garlicky.  We then ordered half portions of veal saltimbocca (Chief Penguin), which here was topped with some sautéed spinach, and the veal piccata.  The latter was lovely with just the right tang of lemon in the sauce.  

The crusty bread was perfect with the veal dishes, but if you wanted potatoes or a veggie, then you had to order a side.  They have a full bar (one Old Fashioned coming up!) and wines by the glass. In the interest of full disclosure, it was good enough that we returned the next night (it was raining and the restaurant close by) for another dinner, and this time asked to sit upstairs which was a less frenetic scene.

The Beach Café

We had no dinner plans and decided to just stroll and see what might tickle our fancy.  Almost a misnomer with its dark wood interior, dark bar and tables, Beach Café on Second Avenue feels cozy and perfect for a cold winter’s day.  But they have outside tables and a whale on the wall that evokes Nantucket or some other east coast beach.  We opted for inside and were most pleased with the service from waiter Nick, a poised young man with a welcome beyond his years.  My pan roasted salmon with broccoli and mashed potatoes was perfectly prepared.  Even the broccoli was just the right amount of doneness.  The Chief Penguin’s chicken compagna platter could have easily fed a lobsterman and came with a side of spaghetti with a slightly spicy and smoky sauce.  

A.O.C.

This West Village French bistro is a longtime favorite of ours and never fails to please. We like it so much, we often order the same entrees time and again. This time I tried the roast chicken rather than the chicken paillard and substituted mixed vegetables for the french fries. The chicken was perfectly done with nicely crisped skin, and the vegetable medley of carrot cubes, spinach leaves, asparagus tips and green beans was healthy and flavorful. The Chief Penguin again opted for the merguez sausages with fries and enjoyed them as much as on previous visits. We don’t care for mussels, but if you do, they are one of their specialities.

Via Carota

I have enthused and enthused about this favorite of ours so suffice it to say, we returned for a third meal and were once again delighted! Alas for us, it has been discovered and wait times are long—-unless you deign to dine at unfashionable times, which we do.

Note: Contents and photos ©JWFarrington.