MoMA will be closing in June for about 4 months for a slight re-do. We opted to take advantage of our membership and walked the 20+ blocks from our apartment. Since we like their café on level 2, we had an early lunch of paninis—an Italian one and the chicken with cheese one.
Opus 217…Portrait of M. Felix Feneon in 1890 by Paul Signac
With little in the way of special exhibits, we headed to the 5th floor for a tour around some of the permanent collection. New since our last time were some gifts from David Rockefeller’s estate including a whimsical, punchy one by Signac that caught my eye.
Portuguese Market by Delaunay-Terk
I was also taken with one by Sonia Delaunay-Terk as well as The Olive Trees by Van Gogh.
The Olive Trees
Also here are his Starry Night, some bathers by Matisse, and a gallery showing off Monet’s water lily panels. It’s a veritable treasure trove!
On First Avenue, this restaurant is small and a bit cramped in feel, but obviously popular as it quickly filled up. The roasted tomatoes (instead of the usual sliced ones) with fresh mozzarella and basil were luscious, and the pasta dishes very satisfying. The Chief Penguin tucked into gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce and walnuts (one of his most favorite dishes) while I indulged in an order of pappardelle in a beef chunk ragu. Thus sated, we appreciated the tiny plate of complimentary biscotti and cookies to finish. There are a number of wines by the glass including some special pricier ones.
Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo taken in Rockefeller Center.
We left 85 degree plus temperatures and bright sun in Florida for the cool gray of Manhattan. We’ve had several days of cool weather with one bright warm bit of sun on Friday.
Tulips in Jefferson Market Garden
After settling in and purchasing supplies, we spent the next two afternoons with our granddaughters. At their ages (3 and almost 7) seeing their grandparents is still a real treat. F. danced and spun around and just beamed as she told Grandpa all about an adventure making pretend pizza for one of her dolls. Later E. trotted down the steps of the school bus and leaped into my arms to give me a hug. What could be better than these greetings!
E. loves art and is quite creative. One project was creating a museum in a large empty carton to display all the furniture and other objects belonging to her Calico Critters collection. Of course, F. had to assist, but I was impressed by how cooperative she was and how much more controlled in her efforts than several months ago. It was a joint effort and only near the end did the older sister become a bit frustrated with the younger one.
It’s a routine that the girls read or are read to while they eat their dinner. F. enjoyed hearing her new train book again and again while E. could easily have read the Clementine chapter book herself, but preferred to have Grandma sit next to her and read it aloud. Being a grandparent and being able to spend lots of time with them several times a year is a gift and a pleasure at this stage of life.
NEW KIND OF ROM-COM
This is not the best season for catching new movies. The available crop is not as appealing or wide-ranging as is the case leading up to the Oscars. That said, “Long Shot” had good, if not stellar reviews, and seemed like it could be fun to see. We showed up at a nearby theater for the 9:15 am show only to discover that it was truly upscale, and also that since it was Saturday there was no senior rate. Nixing tickets at $25 each, we opted to wait and go to Union Square for an early afternoon showing.
Long Shot is silly, funny, preposterous and a mixed bag. First the good stuff: Charlize Theron as Charlotte Field is wonderful as the immaculately groomed, exquisitely turned out U.S. Secretary of State. And the scene of her in the situation room high on drugs sitting on the floor dealing bluntly over the phone with a foreign leader is priceless. The romance between her and Seth Rogen as Fred Flarsky, a schmo of a journalist in cargo pants and a turquoise windbreaker, is improbable. I think the filmmakers realize this since there is a very long lead-in before these two encounter each other as adults.
But the film does turn the usual trope of the successful man and the less achieving, less talented woman on its head. Charlotte is clearly the “alpha male” here, and that’s fun to watch. The dubious elements: the F word embellishes or degrades every line, depending on your perspective; I found its overuse tiresome. Also, the humor is often sophomoric, particularly related to a video used to mock Fred as a suitable mate. Overall, I’d give the film a B, but then I’m probably not the target audience.
At Highlands, a Scottish-influenced restaurant in the West Village, the bar was packed with a noisy crowd watching the lead up to the Kentucky Derby. We were gratefully ushered to a quiet table in the empty dining room. The very pretty coral sea trout mousse was a tasty and different starter and the beer brined chicken breast with grilled asparagus and artichokes delectable. Their penicillin cocktail was a hit as well as a glass of Central Valley chardonnay. Less memorable was the fish and chips.
This Upper East Side tapas place is very popular and always excellent. This time we sampled the roasted red peppers and asparagus (wonderful!), smoked salmon fillet, and the chorizo sausages plus the Chief Penguin’s customary order of patatas bravas.
On First Avenue at the Queensboro Bridge, this cozy Greek restaurant is also a favorite of ours. Service is efficient to brisk, but once you have all your food, they don’t rush you out the door. We generally order small plates rather than entrees and again enjoyed the shrimp in tomato sauce with feta crumbles, a tomato and cucumber salad topped with a nice-sized wedge of feta, grilled halloumi cheese, and plenty of crusty bread. We liked the complimentary strips of honey cake so much, our waitress brought us another plate! Wines by the glass and also cocktails are available.
I purchased this novel since I had recently visited Cuba and figured I would like the setting. Cleeton has written several contemporary romances, but this book and her newest, When We Left Cuba, take place in Havana and were inspired by stories of her own family. Adopting the popular trend of parallel plotlines, the book focuses on Elisa, a young woman in Havana in 1959, and on Marisol, her 30ish granddaughter who visits Havana in 2017, ostensibly to scatter her grandmother’s ashes. Each woman meets and is attracted to an unconventional man, either not of the right class and/or involved in politics she doesn’t fully comprehend.
I recognized many of the Havana streets and monuments and enjoyed reading about them and the city’s natural beauty. I also appreciated the author’s weaving in detail about the current state of Cuban society. The plot is somewhat predictable, but overall, it’s a good read, perfect for the beach or a long flight. So much so, that I’m ready to read the new novel too! And for those who might care, this title is one of Reese Witherspoon’s picks for her book club. (~JWFarrington).
SOPHISTICATED DINING
Indigenous in downtown Sarasota has been on our list for several years and, in celebration of my birthday, we dined there this week. The gray wooden building is somewhat rustic in appearance with a welcoming wraparound veranda for outdoor dining. Not knowing what to expect, we had requested inside and were taken to a small adjacent structure called the wine cottage. It had a small bar in the back and just a few tables. One wall was attractively paneled with sides from wooden wine cases showcasing a variety of different vineyards. Chad, our waiter, was both experienced and very knowledgeable about the menu. It’s built around seafood and is both innovative and sophisticated. But for diehard meat eaters, there’s also an elaborate burger.
Pork Belly Kimchi
We sampled the pickled peppers to start and then the Chief Penguin enjoyed the wild mushroom bisque (robust and rich), Thai green curry fish dip with crackers and veggies (nice tang to the dip!) and the pork belly kimchi (he’s a devotee of kimchi). I ordered the ocean crudo appetizer which had cobia as the base and elements of vanilla, some crunch, and a bit of hot pepper. It was interesting, but I thought there were too many flavors competing which made the overall effect a bit muddy.
Red Snapper
For my entrée, I tried one of the fish choices of the day, delicate red snapper on a bed of peapod risotto with some tiny cherry tomatoes and micro greens. It was exquisite! Other entrees include baked scallops and a shrimp dish. For dessert, we indulged in a dish of their milk chocolate ice cream, smooth and soothing to the palate—the perfect finish.
I have known of Boyd’s work and watched the TV production of Any Human Heart, but until now had not read any of his novels. Love is Blindwas a very satisfying read. Set in the years from 1894 to 1906 and in a variety of venues ranging from Edinburgh, Paris, Nice and a remote island, it details, as the subtitle states, The Rapture of Brodie Moncur. A Scotsman with a domineering and abusive father, Brodie is a gifted piano tuner who escapes his gray tumultuous home life for the light and beauty of Paris.
(thetimes.co.uk)
His talents enable him to find a job wherever he goes, and with a diagnosis of tuberculosis, he often needs to seek out warmer climes. But what really propels and drives him is his obsession, call it love or infatuation, with a young Russian singer named Lika Blum. The fact that Lika is in a relationship with one of his clients, the past-his-prime pianist John Kilbarron, doesn’t deter Brodie, and they enjoy brief periods of togetherness.
Scotsman Boyd is a good storyteller and his prose provides enough local color to differentiate the various locales while detailing the changing times as automobiles replace horses in the early 20thcentury. I found myself caring a great deal about Brodie and his peregrinations. (~JWFarrington)
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
In today’s news, there are more reports of prisoners wrongly accused or punished being released or having their sentences reduced. Prisoners on death row for decades for crimes they didn’t commit or those whose punishments far exceeded what was just for the nature of the crime. This was not always the case. Author and lawyer Stevenson was a pioneer in these efforts with his creation of the Equal Justice Initiative in the early 1980’s. Based in Alabama, Stevenson and his small team challenged the death row sentences of innocent individuals and those who were sentenced when they were mere children, thirteen or fourteen.
Bryan Stevenson (the sunflower.com)
An account of Stevenson’s work over more than twenty-five years, the book offers up details about some of the people whose cases he appealed, some successfully, some not. The heart of it, however, is the story of Walter McMillian, one of his first cases, and a man who’d already spent several decades on death row for a murder he did not commit. What Stevenson uncovers about faulty justice, indifferent lawyers and law enforcement officials, lying eyewitnesses, and easily led townspeople is chilling; what Stevenson is able to achieve for Walter and his family is a testament to perseverance and dedication. This book, published in 2014, won several awards and appeared on six best books of the year lists. Thanks to our Pennsylvania friend Mark for recommending it. (~JWFarrington)
LOCAL COLOR
MUSEUM EXHIBIT
If you’re a fan of animals, then you might trot over to the South Florida Museumto see the new National Geographic “Photo Ark” exhibit by Joel Sartore. Gorgeous up-close photos of fifty animals (mostly taken in zoos) against stark black or stark white backgrounds. The exhibit just opened to the public and runs into July.
POWERFUL THEATER
Set in Reading, Pennsylvania, against the backdrop of the 2000 presidential election and the financial crisis of 2008, playwright Lynn Nottage’s Sweat at the Asolo, packs a punch. The language is raw and the emotions even more so. Focusing on three women who are union workers in a local factory, two young men who are the sons of two of them, and the local bar where they all hang out, it’s a portrait of working-class America that many of us haven’t experienced. The bar set is realistic-looking and TV videos overhead as a transition between scenes make for effective staging. I thought the acting was uniformly excellent. We came out exhausted, but appreciative of the high caliber performances we see here. It’s a play that could be required viewing for all adults—it’s that good!
DINING NOTES
A friend and I had lunch at Mar Vistarecently and it was lovely! This waterside restaurant on Longboat Key has been totally remodeled and is almost unrecognizable. It’s been spiffed up and is very inviting with three options for seating—inside, in the open air on a covered terrace, and fully outside at tables on the sand. We opted for the terrace and both enjoyed Cobb salads which were very fresh and tasty. Service was pleasant and efficient. To learn more, see the write-up in this week’s Herald Tribune.
Poke salad (courtesy TripAdvisor)
If you’re enough of a stalwart to brave St. Armand’s Circle during the season, then lunch at Shore is a great choice. Located upstairs almost next door to Chico’s, the outside tables are airy with a view of the street. The menu offers lots of fish and plenty of salads and sandwiches. We three friends opted for a poke salad and the fish tacos with a green salad (instead of the menu fries). The tacos were tasty and the service super-efficient. Perfect for getting on with more shopping!
Note: Photos by JWFarrington unless otherwise noted. Header photo is a white-fronted lemur from the “Photo Ark” exhibit.
