CONCERT NOTE
Kudos to the Ladies
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was a talented and precocious composer and pianist. But, she was female, and as sister to her talented brother Felix, she was relegated to the back of the room. Their father declared that Felix would have the musical career and she would not. In her day, some of her more than four hundred compositions were attributed to Felix. It is only recently that her work has been rediscovered.
We had the great pleasure recently of hearing a performance of Fanny Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D Minor by three very talented women, Carmit Zori, violin, Natalie Helm, cello, and Jean Schneider, piano. Pianist Schneider got the biggest workout on this demanding piece. It concluded the concert and was a fitting end to our set of Sarasota Music Festival concerts!
RECENT READING
When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
This is Cleeton’s second novel related to Cuba, this time featuring Beatriz, one of the sisters in the sugar rich Perez family who fled Havana for Palm Beach after Castro took over their government. Beatriz is determined to avenge her activist brother’s death in that revolution and very much wants to return to their Havana homestead. On the periphery of Palm Beach society, restless and bored by the endless round of parties, Beatriz is easily importuned to get involved in espionage.
Discouraged by what she sees as feeble efforts by the Americans on Cuba’s behalf and quickly becoming involved with highly regarded U.S. senator, Nick Preston, she never knows for sure whom she can trust and to what degree. This novel about the Cold War and the Cuban crises of the early 60’s is absorbing, suspenseful and romantic. The perfect beach read! (~JWFarrington)
Exposure by Helen Dunmore
Helen Dunmore was a British poet, novelist and author of children’s books. A prolific writer, she died of cancer in 2017 at only 64. This novel is one of her last works. Exposure is a look into London in 1960 during the Cold War when there were still secrets and spies. But it is not a conventional spy novel; rather Dunmore focuses on the details and minutiae of life for three individuals all impacted by the misplacement of a top-secret file.
Giles Galloway, middle-aged, works for the Admiralty, as does Simon Callington, a younger married father of two children. Simon’s wife Lily, who emigrated from Germany as a child, is a part-time schoolteacher. When Giles falls in his flat and calls Simon to retrieve the file and return it, but Simon doesn’t, life unravels for all of them. Giles ends up in the hospital, Simon is arrested, and Lily leaves her job. What secrets they hold close, how they cope with dire straits, and how each puzzles out what should be exposed and what not, make for a multi-faceted novel—part love story, part human drama, part thriller. (~JWFarrington)
CASUAL DINING
Metro Diner
A friend introduced me to Bradenton’s Metro Diner, one of several local locations for this chain. The restaurant is airy and attractive with a mix of booths along the walls and tables in the middle of the space. A large American flag (made of tile?) graces much of one side wall. Specials of the day are on a blackboard at the rear and included a green tomato BLT, beef pot pie, and two soups of the day (loaded potato and their version of Manhattan clam chowder). The menu is a mix of traditional diner fare (meatloaf, hot turkey sandwich) as well as fried chicken and waffles, salads, and variations on eggs Benedict for breakfast. We sampled the beef pot pie and the white meat chicken salad sandwich with cole slaw (one of several choices of sides). Both were very good. Portions are generous to very large so go with an appetite. Our waitress was friendly and helpful and took good care of us.
Blue Marlin Seafood
This deep blue cottage is cute inside with nautical notes that would be as right in Maine as they are here in Bradenton Beach. Our dining partner knew the ropes and had requested a table in the front room—and we got the best one. This room is quieter and a bit more open than the back room and bar. For a livelier crowd and a more boisterous experience, there are also outdoor tables and live music.
Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious and exceeded my modest expectations. The house salad had a tasty Caesar-like dressing, and my steamed clams were luscious in a broth that included nubs of bacon and a dash of hot pepper along with the requisite garlic. My companions ordered fish nuggets prepared Thai style, exquisite scallops on roasted Brussels sprouts, and the black grouper (fish of the day). We ordered mostly small plates and small salads which are very reasonably priced; the fish entrees tend toward the mid-30’s. This was a great discovery and we’ll put it on our regular list!
Note: Text and photos ©JWFarrington except as noted.
