Category: Restaurants

Holiday Fare: Food and Film

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CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS OLD AND NEW

When I was growing up, Christmas was celebrated with just my immediate family—parents and three siblings—since the relatives lived many miles away. Dinner then was often half a ham and scalloped potatoes or a reprise of roast turkey and mashed potatoes, both family favorites.  One year we drove to Ohio and Michigan to visit cousins and grandparents which meant we had Christmas three times, something that tickled us kids!

My mother liked to bake and each year made several kinds of cookies: sand tarts or sugar cookies, peppermint kisses, and walnut crescents; also chocolate fudge, foil packages of which her children and grandchildren received under the tree; and chocolate-covered toffee. These were her specialties, but some years recipes from my father’s side of the family crept in—schaben bratle (a rich cookie with ground nuts) and stollen, a German Christmas bread loaded with dried fruit, almonds and cinnamon. Aunt Marie used to make stollen too, but I didn’t like her version as well.

In the earlier years when my great aunts were alive, we’d also receive a box in the mail of homemade German cookies, a holiday treat we eagerly anticipated:  the aforementioned schaben bratle, lebkucken (molasses-based), Springerlie (anise-flavored and embossed rectangles) and simple S-shaped crumbly cookies.  Carrying on tradition, my husband now makes the stollen, drawing on several different recipes to create his rendition. He takes great delight in drenching the currants overnight in cognac before incorporating them!

Since our son is married with a family of his own, we are creating new traditions with a Chinese flavor.   For two years now, we’ve celebrated Christmas Day with his in-laws on the Connecticut shore.  After arriving this year we enjoyed a light Chinese lunch (not really that light) of delicious thin pieces of grilled pork and grilled beef, tasty sautéed cucumber, a hearty healthy green salad with persimmon and avocado slices, soft scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and, of course, rice.

After a brisk walk, followed by some downtime, we decamped to a local restaurant, Fuji, for more Chinese food. Our Chinese relatives do the ordering, in Chinese, of course, and a feast of many dishes quickly appears—everything from green beans to spicy beef with red and green peppers to spicy tofu to a whole fish, and then some. Plus rice!  Dinner is lively and convivial and the Chinese cuisine a welcome and very tasty counterpoint to what we normally eat.  I love this new tradition!

FLURRY OF FILMS

While in New York, when we weren’t with our granddaughter, we binged on films!  These are in the order we saw them, not in order of preference.

The Big Short. Fast paced with flashes of zany humor (a blonde in a bathtub drinking champagne and explaining what a “short is”), this movie based on Michael Lewis’ book of the same title aims to make understandable the events leading up to the financial crisis of 2008, specifically the home mortgage meltdown. The lead agents are hedge fund operators, wizards, numbers guys, and an oddball eccentric, Michael Burry, MD. It is a compelling lesson in what results when no one is minding the store, in this case, the banks. None of us escaped from being affected by this, whether it was a loss of a home or the sale of, loss of a job, or losses in one’s investment portfolio. Ultimately disturbing to witness so clearly what Wall Street was able to get away with and the callousness with which bankers and investors wrenched profits from ordinary folks.

45 Years. That’s 45 years of marriage and the line waiting to buy tickets for the 10:30 a.m. show was all seniors. Set in the English countryside outside a small village, this is a delicate and nuanced portrayal of a startling shock in what seems like a happy, stable marriage. The wife, beautifully played by Charlotte Rampling, is completely thrown by this event which pre-dates her, and fumes, frets, and reflects on their life. Her husband, played by Tom Courtenay is also good. I highly recommend it.

Carol. Cate Blanchett continues to amaze and impress me.  She is cool and elegant and finally passionate as Carol in this 1950’s period piece about a slowly blooming lesbian relationship. Rooney Mara who plays the younger Therese is luminously hesitant and we see her come into her own both as a woman and in her career as she finds her calling as a photographer. A beautiful film to watch and another one this year focusing on the women; Brooklyn and 45 Years being two others.

Son of Saul. I was reluctant to see this Holocaust film, despite praise from some critics, so definitely don’t go expecting to be charmed.  It is brutal and bleak with some of the most horrifying images I’ve seen on the screen. And loud. As one critic noted, sound plays a very important role, and I would add, perhaps a greater role than the meager dialogue. Motivated by a thread of human compassion toward the boy he considers his son, Saul and his quest liberate the film from total bleakness.

Header photo:  Chief Penguin’s Stollen, copyright JW Farrington

Winding Up New York: Mostly Food & Film

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For our last week in Manhattan, we sampled a few new restaurants and took in one more film.  We also had the pleasure of taking our granddaughter to pre-school one morning, more afternoon time at the playground plus a Friday night family dinner at Mario Batali’s super kid-friendly restaurant, Otto.  They have pizza and pasta dishes to please every palate.  Lastly, a visit to the new Whitney Museum.  More about that in a future blog.

Eating (A few more West Village spots)

I Sodi.  An early entrant on the West Village restaurant scene, this tight small space, bar on one wall and tables on the other, is wildly popular and deservedly so.  Their sage and ricotta ravioli were divine and the splayed Cornish hen grilled under a brick straightforwardly good.  The orange tart with chocolate gelato was the perfect finish.

Po.  A small Italian place, not as cramped as I Sodi, but equally good on the food.  Service here is polished and friendly and everything a notch up from some other small restaurants. Duck ragu over long pasta and the linguine con vongole were both superb as was the beautifully presented goat cheese tartuffo over slivered endive and radicchio.  Reservations here are accepted 30 days in advance; we got in the same day only because of a phone cancellation moments before!  Beginners luck, you might say!

Piadina. Another West Village cozy Italian dining spot with a slight tilt toward seafood.  The sole accompanied by broccoli rabe and slivered endive with cherry tomatoes was lovely. Short menu and friendly staff.  Cash only.

Malatesta. This became our neighborhood hangout where we ate three times!  Crowded, noisy, and very popular, with indoor and sidewalk seating.  We liked their homemade pastas and the salads. Go early for a seat inside and remember they too only take cash!  Strange to me in this age of cards for everything, but there’s an ATM 2 doors away.

Watching

The Martian.  Space movies are not my usual cup of tea, but I was persuaded to see this one and was glad I did.  From the opening scenes, I was captivated.  We paid the extra for the 3D glasses which put you right in the red Mars scape, but the film would still be good without them.

It is an intelligent film that portrays astronauts who are well trained and who think creatively.  Matt Damon, as Mark Watney, dominates the screen with his amazing ingenuity coupled with a nice guyness, a sense of humor and a let’s get on with it can-do attitude. Combined they make his dire situation bearable and engaging for the audience.  The crew who unknowingly leave him behind alive are a dedicated and perhaps unbelievably harmonious team.  Note that the mission commander is a woman, Capt. Lewis, played by Jessica Chastain.  The technology that Watney, the crew, and the ground staff have at their disposal is impressive, but it is still nail biting time as the days pass by and a rescue has not yet happened.  As a viewer, I knew what the ending had to be, but it’s a long tense time getting there.  See it!

Reading

Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cumming.  I have enjoyed watching Cumming as the manipulative Eli Gold on “The Good Wife,” am bemused at his dramatic way of introducing “Masterpiece Mystery,” and had known a bit about his other acting roles and that he performed at Feinstein’s in New York.

I found this, his memoir of his childhood and what he learned about his absent maternal grandfather and his father, a searing read.  He is honest and brave and unstinting in his portrayal of his more vulnerable, injured self.  Severely abused both physically and emotionally by his father, it’s a testament to his own spirit and to his mother’s love that he was able to emerge in middle age relatively whole and intact.  I got so caught up that I read it through in less than a day.  And, by the way, Cumming is a very good writer—graceful and nuanced, even when describing awful events.

Header photo:  www.kimberlybelle.com

Manhattan Month: Film & Food

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CINEMA

Continuing our German theme of last week, we went to see Labyrinth of Lies, a subtitled German film about bringing those who perpetrated crimes at Auschwitz to trial. This trial, held in Germany itself, is probably one most Americans don’t know about.  Even though I was barely a teen. I certainly remember when Adolf Eichmann’s trial ended with guilty on all counts.  This movie details the investigation leading up to a later trial of a number of individuals who committed crimes in the Auschwitz camp. The young investigator/prosecutor is dogged and relentless in his quest until he learns truths close to home that threaten to derail his pursuit of justice. Or, if not justice, then giving the survivors, those still living victims of the Nazis’ atrocities, the opportunity to tell their stories. This is a well-made film and depicts the German government’s resistance to exposure and society’s desire to keep this travesty deeply buried. Definitely worth seeing.

On Monday, we did back-to-back movies—nothing like getting to the new films right after they open. I think Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies is well done, but could have been better paced. The opening scene was too long and there were points farther on when the editing could have been tighter without sacrificing anything. That said, Mark Rylance is marvelous as Abel, the Russian painter spy of few words (one of those times when you like the “bad guy”).  Tom Hanks is appropriately serious and committed as the lawyer who defends him and then works to negotiate an exchange for Gary Francis Powers. I recall the newspaper headlines when Powers’ U-2 plane was shot down, but had not remembered the details of his release.  For us, this film resonated on another level from our having been in Berlin just a year ago and having visited the Topography of Terror museum and Checkpoint Charlie.

The second film was Truth starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford—very gratifying to see a woman with the leading role!  She plays Mary Mapes, the producer  who worked closely with Dan Rather on stories for the CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes. Rather is played by Robert Redford, some might say convincingly, but I kept seeing Redford himself. This is an account, based on a book by Mapes, of the production of the news story about George W. Bush’s service in the National Guard and the ensuing controversy over the documents and then CBS’s subsequent internal investigation. Like Bridge of Spies, Truth raises questions of values, of individual integrity versus government/corporate pressure, and what organizations do to save face. Whether you accept this version of the truth or not, it’s an engrossing film.  Cate Blanchett deserves to be nominated for an Academy award.

LECTURELESS LUNCH

Yesterday we headed to the University Club for lunch and a talk by Barney Frank. A stack of books, his latest one, was for sale on a table by the door. We hesitated, but did not stop. This event sold out several weeks ago, we were told, and we were eagerly anticipating hearing him. Lunch was lovely—micro greens and a stack of veggie rounds with goat cheese followed by a tasty chicken breast in mushroom sauce over polenta with some sautéed spinach. Dessert was a respectable crème brulee. We enjoyed getting acquainted with our table mates, two Brits with whom we talked politics and traded restaurant and viewing recommendations, and a threesome from Westchester, an elderly couple and their widowed friend.

Lunch proceeded and it was then almost one o’clock; a man got up to say that Barney Frank was expected. Finally at 1:20 or so, another gentleman, the chair of the lectures committee, rose to tell the audience that he had no idea where Rep. Frank was. He listed all the contact and cell numbers he had for Mr. Frank’s assistants and arrangers and reported he had tried them all without getting any answer. No Barney Frank, so we were formally dismissed. We did wonder if he just forgot us or if something more serious had happened. Oh, well.

FOOD NOTES

It was cool to cold the other day, only 50 degrees with a stiff wind. which meant that lunch called for soup, quite a tasty chicken vegetable from Gourmet Garage. We ate dinner in also—some hearty, but light, meatballs in marinara sauce from Citarella. This was after we spent a bracing half hour at the playground with our granddaughter and daughter-in-law and the other grandmother, recently returned from a trip to Ireland. One of the joys of New York is the ready availability of quality takeout items. No need to cook unless you really, really feel the need!

What makes a French bistro French? Hard to answer, other than being in France. But, here in the West Village, Le Gigot fills the bill. It was warm inside, felt cozy, and there was the fragrant aroma of garlic in the air. Tables are very close together (this is Manhattan where real estate is dear), and you can eavesdrop or even, as we did, engage your neighbors in conversation. (They were a couple about our age from New Jersey who have two grandsons in the city.)

Our meal was just about perfect. I sampled the spinach soup (a special of the day, essence of spinach with just a hint of cream), and my spouse loved his pate which was prettily presented on a plate with mustard, sliced gherkins, bits of carrot, and caramelized onions. Toasts on the side. Our main courses were equally satisfying: I had the chicken with perfectly crisped skin served with a mix of veggies (nicely seasoned) and potato gratin while he enjoyed his duck confit. He was into serious comfort food! Everything here worked and we look forward to a return visit this month or later in the year!

Header image:  Redford and Blanchett in Truth (www.hdvietnam.com)

West Village Rambles: Food for Body & Mind

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Since our arrival in Manhattan a week ago, we have spent considerable time with our delightful granddaughter, but we’ve also been walking and exploring, making a bit of the West Village our own. And walk we do—one day we did two long walks for a grand total of 25,000 steps. A new record!

For us, much of life revolves around food and, consequently, we are sampling cheese and deli items from Murray’s Cheese and Gourmet Garage, braving the bustle that is Eataly, and dining at restaurants new to us.

Some recent standouts of cuisine are the following:

Via Carota. This casual Italian place draws from all regions of Italy, has a comfortable vibe and at night is very lively. We had lunch here our first day—a yummy lemon risotto and a  plate of gnocchi with a piquant gorgonzola sauce—and liked it so much we returned that night for dinner. This meal, we shared some grilled artichokes (slightly and appropriately charred) and also grilled chicken with a lemon vinaigrette. All with some good white wine by the glass. Just perfect!

www.thenewpotato.com
Via Carota (www.thenewpotato.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gloo. This is a new French bistro, only  open a month or so, on Carmine Street and hasn’t really been discovered. We were its first Open Table reservation. The owner is from France and has several restaurants there, but this is his first U.S. venture. The space is small with a quiet ambiance.  I loved the upside down tomato tart to start (very pretty, looking somewhat like stacked red grapefruit sections) followed by a very satisfying boneless chicken breast in a cream sauce with small mushrooms served alongside mashed potatoes. Hard not to savor this comfort food!

Casa. A Brazilian eatery on Bedford Street, Casa has a small bar, about a dozen tables, and a mullioned window wall. Our entrees were excellent—fish fillet with lemon caper sauce and a slightly spicy, herby tomato stew of chicken and shrimp —both served with rice. My only advice, if you’re over fifty, go early! There are only hard surfaces and the noise level after 7:30 made conversation hopeless.

Casa (www.pinterest.com)
Casa (www.pinterest.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Culture Notes

On Thursday, we were at one of the first performances of Therese Raquin, a play based on Emile Zola’s novel of the same name ,and starring Keira Knightley. (The preview the night before had been cancelled due to Knightley having suffered a minor injury.) The set was minimal and the staging stark, but very effective given the themes of passion and guilt. Knightley as Therese was excellent as the seemingly meek and docile wife who later exhibits extreme passion and emotion. The supporting cast was also very good, especially Matt Ryan as her lover, Laurent, and Judith Light as her mother-in-law.

I really enjoyed Lily Tomlin in “Grace and Frankie” and today seeing her in Grandma, I thought she was fabulous. Playing Elle, a grieving, unemployed academic who is angry at most everyone and everything and demonstrates it, Tomlin takes on the challenge of helping her pregnant granddaughter Sage (played by the radiant Julia Garner) when she unexpectedly shows up. The film is an odyssey of visits to Elle’s past lives—old friends and acquaintances and old loves—that culminates in some touchingly funny and poignant scenes between grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter. (I loved seeing the career-driven daughter on her treadmill desk.) Each of these women is strong in her own way. Not a perfect film, but one with sharpness, wit, and heart. Rated R, partly for the strong language.

 

Cover image: www.everettpotter.com