Category: Restaurants

Carolina Comments: Novel, Play & Dinner

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In this post, I share my thoughts on Elizabeth Strout’s latest Maine novel, report on seeing a powerful and timely play, and share a tidbit about dinner at a very local eatery.

MAINE LIVES

Author Strout (spectator.co.uk)

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Sharing individual’s stories and lives through the seasons, Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel, Tell Me Everything, returns to Crosby, Maine, and a cast of familiar characters.  Olive Kittredge is now 90 and still crochety and direct, while novelist Lucy Barton is her friend and recipient of Olive’s tales.   Lucy lives with her ex-husband, William, but meets Bob Burgess regularly for long walks and talks.  

Attorney Bob still does some legal work and is married to his second wife, Margaret, pastor at the local church.  When Matt Beach’s mother, a former teacher and the butt of her students’ cutting humor, is murdered, Matt is the primary suspect. Bob Burgess takes the case and slowly unravels that family’s history and relationships.

While Olive, Lucy, and Bob are the central figures, their spouses, families, and friends are integral to the various stories being shared.  It’s a peek into smalltown life and a depiction of regret, grief, and love that almost everyone experiences to some degree.  

“Oh” seems to be Strout’s favorite word as it’s regularly voiced, “Oh, Bob, “oh, Lucy,” anytime someone is subdued, hurting, or unsure.  Despite its overuse, I still found things to like about this novel.  It isn’t my favorite Strout book but engaging enough to keep me reading.  (~JWFarrington)

THOUGHT-PROVOKING DRAMA

What the Constitution Means to Me (Playmakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill)

Julie Gibson as Heidi (playmakersrep.org)

Heidi Schreck’s play, What the Constitution Means to Me, is a powerful piece of drama.  One might think, given its very relevant content, that it was just created.  In fact, it was first presented on Broadway in 2019 and was nominated for two Tony Awards.  It had runs across the country and was named Best Play of the Year by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other publications.

Two characters dominate the first two-thirds of the play set in 1998, Heidi recreating her 15-year-old self and the Legionnaire who is MC of a contest about the U.S. Constitution.  What starts out as some factual questions on the specific sections of the document quickly devolves into Heidi’s reflections on the rights that are or are not granted to women, Blacks, and others.  She shifts into the present and digresses on the lives of her mother and her grandmother and their experiences of abusive men.  She then shares some of her own life choices.  

Later, both characters transition to the present, and there is a live debate between actress Julie Gibson and high school senior Amari Bullett.  The audience is encouraged to react to what’s being said, and one person is chosen to be the deciding judge. 

We found the opening 15 minutes setting up the contest to be drawn out and verging on tedious.  However, once Heidi got immersed in her family and how individuals’ rights are limited, we were fully engaged.  Playmakers is based at UNC, and performances run through November 3rd.  Well worth seeing!!

DINING OUT

Istanbul Restaurant & Cafe, Cary

Chicken shish kebab

Istanbul is literally right outside our door, and we had been meaning to try it.  We went for an early dinner and were very pleased.  I ordered the chicken shish kebab which came with bulghur and a mixed salad.  The Chief Penguin had the adana kebab (chopped lamb and beef with spices) which also was accompanied by bulghur and salad.  The portions were generous and tasty.  

We were tempted by the fried calamari but will try that appetizer on another visit.  While Istanbul does not have a liquor license, they were happy to provide glasses for wine.  Open for lunch and dinner and takeout seven days of the week.  Recommended! 

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

Sweden: Dining Around

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EATING OUT IN UPPSALA AND STOCKHOLM

One does not expect a northern country like Sweden to offer outside dining, but it does. Here in Uppsala, there are many sidewalk cafes and glassed-in cafes, some overlooking the river and others just on ordinary streets. Most have heat lamps, extending both the dining hours and the days on which it is possible to eat outdoors.

Iberico, Uppsala

Entrance to Iberico

Set alongside the river, Iberico is a tapas restaurant that serves in a café space in pleasant weather and across the street indoors the rest of the time.  The Chief Penguin discovered this gem, and we were delighted with what we ordered. From a plate of three different hams to shrimps in chili ginger oil, to patatas bravas, and lovely patron peppers sprinkled with salt, to a bomba filled with minced lamb and in a Swedish twist, a bit of truffle, everything was delicious!  Add in some Spanish wine and you have a tasty light meal.

 We liked this restaurant so much, we returned for a light meal after lunch in Stockholm.  We enjoyed the three Iberico hams a second time, the padron peppers, and this time the cheese platter complete with Marcona almonds, small toasts, and mini wedges of cantaloupe. 

Our waiter, a young man who grew up in Moldova, was the youngest son in his family who got “blamed’ for everything. He lived for some years in Dubai, but tiring of the noise and bustle there, moved to Uppsala. He was charming and engaging, adding to our dining pleasure on both occasions.

Saluhallen, Uppsala

Fish counter, Saluhallen

Saluhallen is an elegant food hall.  Not overly large, it is divided into sections and counters devoted to one food group or another.  A lovely selection of cheeses in one case, fish and shrimp preparations at another counter, beef and other meats at another, and fancy pastries at yet another.  You can order items to take home or sit nearby or at tables in a separate attractive light-filled area with big windows.  We didn’t eat or buy here, just wandered through, salivating all the way, promising ourselves a return visit.

Operabaren, Stockholm

Housed in the Royal Swedish Opera House complex, Operabaren is the little sister to Operakallaren, a one Michelin star restaurant also here.  Coming by train from Uppsala (about 45 minutes), we met our friends from Los Angeles.  It’s a small comfortable space with lots of wood and both traditional and elegant in feel.  White tablecloths and white linen napkins, for sure, and all male servers.  The menu is mostly traditional Swedish cuisine, beautifully plated.

Swedish shrimp sandwich

I had the half open face shrimp sandwich as my starter, while the Chief Penguin indulged in herring with little round potatoes. 

Herring and potatoes

For mains, we both ordered Swedish meatballs.  They were little balls in a rich sauce accompanied by puréed potatoes, lingonberries, and pickled cucumber slices.  A perfect rendition of this classic dish! 

Swedish meatballs!

Our friends tucked into a beef and potato entrée and gravlax with potatoes on the side.  Dessert was a buttercream meringue confection for the CP, raspberry sorbet for me, and a cheese plate for the others. 

Meringue confection

It was leisurely meal where we caught up with each others’ lives over the past several decades.

OF NOTE

Street with Hanging lampshades

Smedsgrand Street

I fell in love with the hanging lamp shade lights on Smedsgrand Street in Uppsala.  The shades are large and colorfully patterned and almost all different.  I noted only one pattern that was repeated.  I was curious about them and Googled, but was unable to find any information about them or why and when they were installed. 

TRAIN STATION

Uppsala Train Station

The Uppsala train station is a striking long building.  It is modern, with good signage, and is meticulously clean! Finding where to buy a train ticket, however, is almost impossible.  No signs or obvious ticket machines or service counter.  Finally, the Chief Penguin entered a convenience store to ask.  The helpful man there told him he sells the tickets, and he provided useful details on the schedule and travel times. We later bought tickets from him. Friends told us you can buy tickets online, but we haven’t tried that.

This station also includes an upscale restaurant, a café and a grill.  The restaurant is a separate enterprise from the station management. 

Note: Header photo by the river and all other photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Maine Moments: Blogging & Dining

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This week I’m sharing some blog history, an early blog post, and comments on a new favorite restaurant.

10th ANNIVERSARY FOR JAUNTING JEAN!

On July 29, 2014, I published my first blog post from Maine.  I signed up to purchase a domain name, jauntingjean.com, and set about learning WordPress.  The Chief Penguin and I were ready to retire in August and then move to Florida in September.   Trying my hand at a blog seemed like a timely project.  In 2014, I published five posts, roughly one a month from July to December.  In January 2015, nicely settled into our Florida life, I committed to publishing weekly.  When we travel, I post almost every day. 

This was the beginning of Jots & Jaunts.   After ten years, I’m still at it and still enjoying the challenge and the discipline of this weekly mental exercise: organizing, writing, and then sharing my thoughts.  To date, I have written and published 638 posts; this latest one makes 639!  

Each post is categorized, and also has relevant tags assigned to it.  Both attributes are searchable on the www.jauntingjean.com website and the most recent posts show up on the sidebar.

A PAST REFLECTION:  A Room of One’s Own [a la Virginia Woolf]

Original post from Sept. 20, 2014, with additions July 28, 2024

It is now 2 weeks and a day since we arrived at our Florida place!  And what a whirlwind! We unpacked and sorted, made two trips to Ikea, and delivered ten loads of kitchenware, linens, and books, etc. to Goodwill, continuing our downsizing from a large 4-story home to a spacious 2-level townhouse. And we thought we’d given a lot of books away on the west coast—and we had, hundreds of them.

Now I’ve had the pleasure of arranging our remaining books, quite a few, on the shelves.  Deciding which books should be downstairs on the den shelves, which on the common shelves in the 2nd floor loft area and which ones in my, note that, my, study.  I found old favorites like Cold Sassy Tree, thought-provoking and insightful books like Mary Catherine Bateson’s Composing a Life, and the perturbing but elegant memoir, An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison.  As well as many books I have not yet read.  Some of these get prime, front and center space on the shelves, to remind me of their presence and to nudge me to make the time to read them.

Almost as long as I can remember, I’ve had a desk of my own, from the time I was about seven or so, with drawers in which to secret away pens and papers and stuff.  In our various houses, I’ve generally had some sort of space for my desk and a few shelves for favored books.  

In Swarthmore, that desk was in a room my spouse and I shared, and each of us had a desk facing the window separated by a file cabinet.  (We gave our then teenage son the larger other bedroom complete with fireplace.)

In the Bethlehem house, my spouse had a generously sized study (he had a very big job!), and I had the servant’s cubbyhole. It was connected to a bedroom, but had room enough for a desk, file cabinet and chair, with some handsome old-fashioned built-in cabinets and blessedly, a door.  Tiny, but functional.  

In San Francisco, the top floor was wide open space, and I claimed the smaller end of this room for its windows and its peephole view of the bay.  The Chief Penguin had more space (he has more things), but less of a view.  I think I won out on this one!

My study in Florida

Here in Florida, I have a room that was a bedroom, now my study, all to myself.  I have my working desk and computer, a desk chair, a tripartite bookcase seven shelves high on one wall, two file cabinets, and a very simple table-like desk with just a center drawer.  This simple desk is where I write personal notes or work on my laptop.  There is a window and a door and the whole thing is just heavenly!  I truly have “a room of my own.” He says I can close the door and write a novel.  I probably won’t do exactly that, but I will revel in the space, the quiet, and possibly be inspired to do more than just write this blog!

Ten years later, we’ve moved from Florida to North Carolina downsizing yet again.  The Chief Penguin has generously ceded to me the second bedroom as my study while he has the cozy den.  Here again, I have several sections of shelving, a comfortable place to sit, and my desk with computer and printer. There is also a large window.  

Shelving in North Carolina study

While his space (his lair) is smaller, he too has a window, and both rooms have doors. They are on opposite sides of this light-filled apartment—offering an escape if togetherness becomes too much.  All in all, it’s lovely, and from here I can blog on for years to come!

MID-COAST DINING

Carriage House Restaurant (East Boothbay)

The Carriage House combines rustic Maine charm with delicious food.  There are picnic tables and an upper-level porch for outside dining.  Inside is Maine cozy:  blond wood tables in alcoves with folding doors that can divide what could be a cavernous main floor into semi-private dining.  

Carriage House interior (yelp.com)

Thanks to our friends, M and J, we’ve now dined here twice and consider it a new favorite.  Three of us enjoyed the shrimp scampi at our first meal, while the Chief Penguin dove into the luscious, seared scallops.  At a later visit. I tried the salmon piccata; it was a perfectly cooked piece of fish on a bed of risotto topped with sauteed spinach.  The Chief Penguin sampled a cup of the haddock chowder and the pickled chicken wings appetizer.  We also shared one of the best renditions of a grilled romaine salad we’ve ever had. Highly recommended so do make a reservation!

Note: Header photo of Maine rocks and interior photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Manhattan: Colorful Art & Tempting Turkish Fare

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ART:  THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE 

Street Life, Harlem, ca. 1939-40, William H. Johnson

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s retrospective, The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism, is a stunning exhibit of African American paintings from the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. These years in New York and elsewhere brought forth a revival of interest in African American art, literature, and music.  This exhibit is a celebration of Blacks portrayed on canvas.  

The colors are often bright and bold, human figures are occasionally flat, and some paintings are individual portraits.  There are also groups enjoying cocktails, dancing, or just hanging out. Many artists are represented, but Archibald Motley Jr., and William H. Johnson figure prominently.  I liked the dressiness and the larger than life appearance of the couple in Johnson’s Street Life above.  Here are a few other favorites, such as this jitterbugging couple.

Jitterbugs V, ca. 1941-42, Johnson

African American women were often depicted as the New Negro Woman. Very dark, almost defiant, always feminine, and beautiful. I like Alston’s strong female below. Also Motley’s stylish women socializing over drinks.

Girl in a Red Dress, 1934, Charles H. Alston
Cocktails, ca. 1926, Archibald J. Motley Jr.

The exhibit also includes portraits of famous people like the poet Langston Hughes and this one of a statuesque Marian Anderson.

Anderson, by Laura Wheeler Waring, 1944

Variations in Black skin tones were also evident in some works. Laura Wheeler Waring makes starkly clear the difference in a racially mixed family in the following piece.

Mother and Daughter, 1927, L. W. Waring

There is much to see and appreciate in this exhibit, and it runs through July 28th. Highly recommended!

MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

Sea Salt (Upper East Side)

With pink blooms surrounding its entrance, it’s hard to miss Sea Salt on 1st Avenue.  This Turkish/Greek bar and grill has been open for about three years, but this was our first visit.  The space is light and attractive, and the staff gave us a warm welcome.  

Sea Salt interior

For dinner, we began with fried calamari rings dusted with oregano with an aioli sauce on the side for dipping.  Nicely crisp.  For mains, the Chief Penguin tried the lamb kebab with rice and greens, while I ordered the whole branzino with lemon and capers.  The lamb was lightly spiced while the branzino was delicately delicious.  Specialty cocktails and wines by the glass are also on offer. 

Branzino at Sea Salt

On a second visit, we sampled the Greek salad (lovely and fresh), manti (mini dumplings with beef in a yogurt-based sauce), and adana kebab (spiced ground lamb patties) with rice.  Sea Salt is well on its way to being a personal favorite!

Note: Header photo is Mom and Dad, 1944 by William H. Johnson. All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)