Category: Restaurants

Potpourri: Cypresses, Cold War & Meals

JWF Leave a comment

TREES IN ART

Van Gogh’s Cypresses (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Wheat Field with Cypresses

The last exhibit we visited in Manhattan this month was the small, but fascinating, collection of Van Gogh’s Cypresses.  Probably Van Gogh’s most famous painting is The Starry Night.  When we saw it here, we were made aware of the tall dark cypress trees on the left.  Something I hadn’t paid attention to in the past nor really noticed.  

Two Poplars in the Apiles

Other paintings from Van Gogh’s time in Saint-Remy, Provence highlight not only the brooding cypresses, but also show off poppies in a field (cypresses in the background) and in a canvas luminescent in yellows, two straight poplar trees.  The exhibit was crowded and occupied only a few galleries but was well worth the visit.

GERMAN DRAMA

Line of Separation (Amazon Prime)

Anna with her father (WGBH)

Line of Separation is a German series set in the divided town of Tannbach after WWII.  A brook splits the town between the Nazis and the Americans.  Families are at odds with one another, and past actions and differing political views make for tension, anger, and violence.  Young Anna, a young aristocrat, takes command of her family’s estate after the death of her mother when the Nazis threaten.  

Tannbach is a fictional village modeled after a real one.  There are two seasons of six episodes each.  We have watched Season 1 and found it a gripping piece of postwar history.

Deutschland 83 (Amazon Prime)

Martin with his aunt (The Hollywood Reporter)

In Deutschland 83, Martin Rauch is an ordinary border guard in East Germany.  He is recruited as a spy by the Stasi and sent to West Germany to infiltrate the army and gather NATO intelligence.  As Mauritz Stamm, he is the chief aide to a high level general.  Inexperienced and naïve, his bungling at the job makes for a series of close calls.  It also provides American viewers a different look at the Cold War years before the Berlin Wall came down.

This 2015 series starts out slowly but becomes more intense in the second and third episodes.  There are 8 episodes in all.  For those who get hooked, there are two more series which we have not yet watched:  Deutschland 86 and Deutschland 89.

DINING BITES

Valerie (Midtown)

Valerie, a comfortable dark bar and restaurant on W. 45th Street was just right for lunch with a friend.  We were seated in the back and, all was quiet initially until a boisterous crowd arrived, making conversation more challenging.  Nonetheless, we enjoyed the entrée salads we each had, two with ahi tuna and mine a tasty Caesar with freshly grilled chicken strips.  I’d go back, but probably book for 11:00 or 11:30.

The Bar Room (East 60th St.)

This visit the Chief Penguin and I dined at several bar cum restaurants.  The Bar Room was one where we dined twice.  The first time the back tables were quiet, and the happy hour drink prices most appealing.  We sampled the bar fries and indulged in lobster rolls, almost as good as in Maine.  On our second visit, we went for the guacamole, fries, and the fried chicken bites.  All tasty snack treats.  It was much more crowded and thumping music was an accompaniment.  Go, but proceed with caution!

Imli (1st Avenue, Upper East Side)

We returned to Imli after not having dined there for several years.  They offer delicious Indian fare in an airy, contemporary space.  We liked it so much we ate here a second time.  The tandoor chicken is nicely spiced, the veggie samosas large, the lamb logs a bit different, and the very spicy paneer as billed.  We happily took some home for lunch the next day! 

Barbaresco (Lexington Ave.)

Barbaresco is one of our regular go-to Italian restaurants.  It isn’t overly expensive and we like the vibe.  Recently we tried a couple of their daily specials and were delighted.  Vitello tonnato (thinly sliced veal with tuna anchovy sauce) has long been a favorite of mine.  The version I had here, topped with arugula and cherry tomatoes, was one of the very best ever!  

Vitello Tonnato

Note: Unattributed photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.) Header photo is Van Gogh’s Field of Poppies.

Watching, Reading, & Eating

JWF Leave a comment

FEEL GOOD MOVIE

Downton Abbey:  A New Era

Lady Mary with family and staff (TVLine)

The characters in the original Downton Abbey TV series, are the favorites of many, me included.  This latest movie, the second one, brings everyone together again prompted by Tom Branson’s wedding to Lucy.  There are several children running around, Lady Violet is hanging on, just, and Lady Mary has grown into her lady of the manor role.  A short trip to France raises some puzzling family history.  Against this backdrop, Lord Grantham grudgingly agrees to let the abbey be the set for one of the first talking films.  The filming provides fodder for several subplots.

Isobel Crawley (Baroness Merton) & Lady Violet Crawley (NPR)

Overall, this is a set piece rather than high drama.  There are sweet vignettes between Downton’s married staff and some couples who aren’t.  Add in nostalgia and the recognition that the mantle is being passed on to a new generation.  What would have been the logical ending was instead followed by a scene preparing the way for yet another film.  

The Chief Penguin and I thoroughly enjoyed this return to Downton.  It’s fun and affirming in a good way.  

CIVIL WAR NOVEL

Wild, Beautiful and Free by Sophfronia Scott

Author Scott (Rob Berkley)

E-mails from Amazon bring newly published titles to my attention.  A few are freebies while others are bargains from mostly unfamiliar authors.  This new novel from Sophfronia Scott came via that route.

It’s the story of a Jeannette, a mixed-race young woman in Louisiana.  Her slave mother died in childbirth, her white stepmother loathes her, and her rich landowner father dotes on her and oversees her education.  He also tutors her in the layout of the Catalpa plantation and tells her she will inherit a portion of it one day.  When he dies, his wife sells her and sends her to a distant plantation.  

Jeannette’s greatest wish is to someday return to Catalpa and claim her heritage.  Narrated in the first person, this is a compelling story of hardship, danger, determination, and love.  Boldness and daring acts shape Jeannette’s journey, making for a most absorbing book. 

Scott began her career as an award-winning magazine journalist and is the author of other novels and numerous essays.  Her young son was at school in Sandy Hook on that fateful day in 2013; Scott’s memoir, This Child of Faith, outlines how religion has played a beneficial role in his life.

WHITE LINEN ITALIAN

Lusardi’s (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

We returned to Lusardi’s for dinner after a long absence.  It’s traditional and elegant in an Old-World sense. Wait staff is all male and the service is impeccable, but not stiff.  It’s perfect for a special occasion, but so welcoming that I could easily dine here frequently.

On this night, we shared an order of tagliolini cacio e pepe to start.  These pasta strands coated in butter sauce with Pecorino cheese and pepper and the added ingredient of strips of zucchini were sublime. The zucchini elevated the dish.  

For our mains, I had delicious almond-crusted John Dory on sauteed spinach while the Chief Penguin went for the chicken breast with black truffle sauce accompanied by butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.  It was a lovely meal. The menu has so many temptations, we’ve vowed to go back again soon!

Chicken with black truffle sauce (Lusardi’s)

Note: Header photo of Lusardi’s dining room is from lusardis.com

Tidy Tidbits: Mostly Local

JWF Leave a comment

BOOKNOTES

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

Author Atkinson (The Guardian)

I thought Kate Atkinson’s Life after Life was a tour de force of a novel and I loved it.  I started Shrines of Gaiety about a month ago, read about a third, and then set it aside.  I wasn’t sure I’d finish it, but every time I picked it up again, I read a few chapters, getting to know the characters better and very much appreciating the writing.  In short, I finished the novel and am glad I persevered.

Overall, it’s a period tapestry, a portrait of a particular time in London in 1926 when nightclubs and glitzy parties were the rage.  Nellie Coker, owner of a string of clubs and mother of six adult children, rules strongly over her fiefdom.  The reader is introduced to all the children and to Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher and one time librarian, now aspiring detective, Gwendolen Kelling. 

Gwendolen comes to London to try and locate Freda Murgatroyd, a sister’s friend who has disappeared. Frobisher is involved in investigating the case of several missing girls who may be connected to dancers at these clubs.  Beneath the gaiety and glitz of the clubs (shrines to a good time), is a seamier crime-laden slice of London life. 

While the reader gets to know Niven, Nellie’s oldest son, I found the other characters more sketchily drawn.  There’s a large cast of notables and undesirables and layers of society both royal and aspiring interact.  Nellie is based on the real Kate Meyrick, an owner, and queen of Soho London clubs. I didn’t love this novel, but I was engaged enough to read it through.

LOCAL THEATER & DINING

The Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Asolo Repertory Theatre

Sisters Becky and Linda (Asolo)

As always, the sets and the overall staging of The Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help were excellent.  The problem as the Chief Penguin and I saw it, was with the material, the play itself.  Set in 1973, it is a memory play built around a series of key moments in one week.  The narrator, older daughter Linda O’Shea, is the focal character in this family of mother, father, and younger sister, along with live-in aunt Terri and grandmother.  Practicing Irish Catholics, the O’Sheas’ morality and their reputation are monitored by the local priest. Father Lovett takes a very personal interest in his flock.  The incident of the title arises after Linda gives her sister Becky a talk about the facts of life.  

Parts of the play are very funny, but I found the first act overdone and enjoyed the second act more.  The coda summing up everyone’s future life and death was of interest, but not relevant to the heart of the play.  I’d give the cast credit for their performance, but don’t think this play was Asolo’s finest dramatic choice.

The Ringling Grillroom

We returned to The Ringling Grillroom for another pre-theater dinner.  We’ve had several lunches here and one dinner.  The food is consistently very good and much superior to the fare when it was known as Muse.  The hummus starter was creamy and fresh, and my blackened salmon was excellent. The fish had just the right amount of blackening and spices, and the rice with red pepper bits, okra pods, and corn was different and tasty.  The Chief Penguin enjoyed shrimps and scallops on a bed of polenta with a side dish of blistered cherry tomatoes in a shallot sauce.  Highly recommended!

TOP NOTCH CHEESE SHOP IN OUR BACKYARD!

Artisan Cheese Company (artisancheesecompany.com)

In her latest e-mail, Louise Converse, owner of Artisan Cheese Company in Sarasota, reported that Wine Enthusiast has named them one of the top ten iconic cheese shops in the country. That’s in all of America. Opened in 2012, the store moved to its larger space in the Rosemary District in 2018.  Here’s what Enthusiast wrote:

Its expansive selection includes such all-American standard-bearers as Jasper Hill and Point Reyes, as well as hard-to-source European producers like Switzerland’s Gourmino and England’s Neal’s Yard. The airy, industrial digs also feature beer, natural wine, salumi and more, and the café serves grilled cheese, crostini and other small plates.

As my regular readers know, the Chief Penguin and I are great fans of and regular patrons of Artisan Cheese! With their red walls, they are unmissable! Do stop in.

Tidy Tidbits: Watching & Eating

JWF Leave a comment

PURE ENTERTAINMENT

The Three Musketeers

Sword play (Herald Tribune)

We had almost front row seats for the Asolo Theatre’s action-packed performance of Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers.  The early 17th century was the era of duels and only the slightest of slights could result in being called out.  Thus, there’s plenty of slashing and smashing of swords, leaping, and jumping about, and even the occasional fisticuffs.  This adaptation of Alexander Dumas’ work re-envisions and strengthens the role of women, especially Sabine.  This Sabine, D’Artagnan’s sister, is herself an accomplished swordswoman and won’t surrender to just attending a convent school.  She’s in there with the guys.  

King Louis is ineffectual, his queen is clever, and arch enemy Cardinal Richelieu is conniving, while the musketeers, along with the exuberant D’Artagnan, are ever ready to defend and serve.  It’s rollicking, fun, and even funny! Performances run through March 26.

MURDER IN THE AGE OF FREUD

Vienna Blood (Prime Video, 3 seasons)

Max & Oskar (Endor-Productions)

In 1906, the work of Sigmund Freud was the subject of debate and controversy in the Viennese medical world.  Young doctor Max Lieberman, a disciple of Freud, applies his theories and analyses to his patients and then to coming up with psychological profiles of murder suspects.  Shadowing a very reluctant detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt, Max’s insights help solve a case, and the two become “partners in crime.”  The murder scenes are graphic and even gruesome, and the crimes often revolve around religion, art, or the occult.  

Over the course of three seasons, the relationship between Max and Oskar evolves from strictly professional to comrades to a genuine friendship.  The title refers not only to the victims’ blood, but also to Viennese high society.  Great attention is paid to, and great concern is evinced about one’s standing and one’s reputation in the community.  

It took me a few episodes in Season 1 to become immersed in the series, but once I did, the Chief Penguin and I made it our focused viewing every evening.  I also enjoyed seeing the evolution of Clara Weiss, Max’s former fiancée, from society belle to emerging career woman.  Recommended!

DINING OUT—STEAK & MORE

Modern Chop

Interior (Restaurant Guru)

Modern Chop is a welcome addition to the west Bradenton dining scene.  Located close to Blake Hospital, it bills itself as a steakhouse, but it’s much more.  Yes, several cuts of beef are on offer, but also seafood, pasta, and vegetarian dishes.  

Short rib entree

The bar area was lively with lights and sound when we entered, initially giving me pause, but the hostess then led us to a slightly removed space with nicely spaced tables, large comfortable chairs, and quiet.

Our waiter was pleasant, and our foursome enjoyed everything we ordered.  We shared an appetizer of fried calamari which was excellent, and then individually we sampled the impressive short rib with truffled potatoes and carrots, almond crusted rainbow trout with Béarnaise sauce, and bucatini with chicken in a gorgonzola sauce.  It was an experience well worth repeating!

Rainbow trout with risotto and asparagus

Note: Header photo of Manatee County Map courtesy of whereig.com. Unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)