Manhattan Potpourri

JWF Leave a comment

NAVIGATING MANHATTAN

Manhattan is beginning to come back to life and there is something approaching normalcy.  But, it’s hard to be spontaneous.  Museums require some form of advanced ticketing or reservation, there are usually lines to enter, masks and social distancing are the norm, and you will most likely have your temperature taken.  

Unfortunately, some of our favorite restaurants are gone, there are too many empty storefronts, and reservations for dining are almost always a must.  There too, they take your temperature, often request contact info, and sometimes require that you sign a health form.  Strange times we’re living in, but at least it’s possible to see an exhibit and eat a meal at a restaurant, either outdoors or inside.  It’s been a long wait, but we are enjoying both:  viewing art and eating well!

CANVASES IN BIG SPACES

Frick Madison

During renovation and expansion of its home building, the Frick has re-located to what was the Met Breuer and is now called Frick Madison.  It was both a surprise and something of a shock to see these works, normally hung close together in very decorated furnished rooms, spread out on vast walls.  Some works stood out in a new way which I appreciated.  I especially enjoyed seeing the four Fragonard pieces on the progress of love in this venue.  Another standout was the portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger. And I loved the tiered displays of ceramics—jugs, vases, teapots—arranged by color, one of blue and white pieces, the other works in shades of magenta.

There is a printed guide to the collection, but it isn’t that easy to follow, so I recommend downloading the Bloomberg Connects app before you visit.  It includes guides to this museum and others in NY and the U.K. There is a QR code at the museum to do this, but that didn’t work for us.  

Although the museum shop is closed, the café is open.  With our friends, we enjoyed coffee and cookies before our entry time. Since the Frick doesn’t allow any photos, you must visit to see the art!

BLACK LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE

Whitney Museum of American Art

The Chief Penguin was particularly interested in the special photography exhibit at the Whitney.  We got tickets for opening time; the entry line was short and moved quickly.  

A Couple in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY, 1990

Dawoud Bey is a contemporary photographer.  This exhibit was entitled, “American Project.”  Using a variety of different techniques and camera sizes, Bey focused on Black life in several cities, Syracuse, NY among them.  He also made a series of portraits of teens from different schools paired with written statements from each.  Many of the photos are black and white.  

Cupboard VIII, 2018 by Simone Leigh

We also spent some time looking at paintings and sculpture from the permanent collection.  Some we’d seen before; others were new to us. I particularly liked the larger than life Black woman with a raffia skirt.

OUTSTANDING TV SERIES

Philly D. A. (PBS Independent Lens)

This eight-part series focuses on newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner’s first term in office.  It is excellent!   Krasner campaigned on structural change and reducing the high figures for mass incarceration in the city of Philadelphia.  Statistics showed that Philadelphia had a very high prison population, many Black or Brown, and sent youthful offenders to reform institutions at a much higher rate than almost anywhere else.  Krasner’s goal is to undo 30 years of practices that don’t work and bring about cultural change.  It’s an incredibly difficult and complex challenge; watching him struggle to be successful on several fronts is fascinating.  

You get to know some key staff, meet several police district captains, follow a long-term prisoner petitioning for early release, and learn about the entrenched and powerful Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police.  It’s a study in how municipal government does and doesn’t work for the community and how so often perception prevails over reality.  

I worked in Philadelphia for almost twenty years so the attitudes and some players were familiar.  But even for those elsewhere, the issues will resonate and are at the forefront of Black Lives Matter.  As a footnote, Larry Krasner is being opposed in the Philadelphia Democratic Primary election next week; we will be following his fate. Highly recommended series!

PERFECT LUNCH!

Meme Mediterranean

In the past, we had frequent dinners at this small restaurant on Hudson Street in the West Village.  It’s only a short walk from the Whitney.  On this day, we had a delicious lunch at a corner table inside, with the door to the outdoors wide open.  We shared our favorite fried artichoke, sampled the meatballs with yogurt and mint, and loved the chopped salad with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, and grilled chicken.  To top it off, abandoning noontime restraint, we each had a glass of a refreshing Albarino.  

Note: Header photo by Dawoud Bey is entitled A Man at Fulton Street and Cambridge Place, Brooklyn, NY, 1988. Photos taken by JWFarrington.

Manhattan: Art, Food & More

JWF Leave a comment

STUNNING ART EXHIBIT—People Come First

I feel as if I should have heard about the American artist Alice Neel long before this.  She lived from 1900 to 1984 and was active on the political scene in Manhattan.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a retrospective of her work on display until August 1, and it’s stunning.  Her paintings are largely people, one or two women or men and some of her children and grandchildren.  

Sam

She was one of the first women to paint male as well as female nudes, and they are not prettified at all, but real and frank in their sexuality.  The exhibit indicates that perhaps she didn’t become as well known in her prime since the art world had turned more toward abstraction and away from representational works.  In addition to the paintings of humans, she did some still lifes, which I also liked. 

Elizabeth in a Red Hat (1984)
Light (1980) painted in Spring Lake, New Jersey

NEW NOVEL—Missing Girls

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

Paula McLain is known for her historical novels, particularly the one about Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley.  This novel is a departure as it’s something of a suspense novel about a homicide detective who specializes in locating missing children.  Anna Hart has suffered recent tragedy in her personal life and is hiding away from her family in Mendocino where she grew up.  There she becomes obsessed with a missing teenage girl.  This disappearance is reminiscent of an unsolved case from her childhood and consumes her.  Anna offers her assistance to the local police detective.  They do not know if they will find a body or a girl still alive.  McLain details the acute tension of the search along with Anna’s internal struggles and her identification with certain aspects of the missing girl’s life.  

The arc of the narrative is shallow which means there is much debate and discussion, but not lots of action.  It feels like a very personal story, and to a great extent it is.  McLain herself spent much of her childhood in foster care and is a sexual abuse survivor.  I found the novel engaging, but not gripping, but appreciated why, especially after the author’s endnotes she was compelled to write it.

DINING DELIGHTS

Petite Boucherie

For lunch in the West Village, Petite Boucherie perfectly fit the bill.  Mourning the demise of A.O.C., we tried this little bistro and were delighted.  Excellent merguez sausages, delicious salmon over white beans, a pot of mussels, and delicate greens with warm chevre toast satisfied four discriminating diners.  

Eat Here Now remains the Chief Penguin’s favorite diner on the Upper East Side, and they didn’t disappoint.  He always orders a grilled bacon and cheese sandwich with a side of cole slaw.  I had tuna salad in a pita which was also good.  For a more upscale lunch, but still casual, Three Guys on Madison near Frick Madison is another good bet.  The food is even better, but the vibe is shinier and less atmospheric.

Via Quadronno is well located for a simple lunch before or after visiting Frick Madison.  They don’t take reservations, so we went early and were able to snag a corner table for four inside in the window.  While their specialty is panini and other types of Italian sandwiches, they also serve pasta and salads.  We enjoyed the lasagna Bolognese, the lasagna of the day (spinach), a lovely mixed greens salad with tuna, and asparagus with vinaigrette.  Service was relaxed and unhurried.  We were surprised when we left at the length of the line waiting to be seated.  More outside seating than inside and they don’t take reservations.  

For tasty Lebanese fare, we had dinner at Naya on Second Avenue. The wait staff were all very welcoming, took our temperatures, and asked for contact info. We had grilled halloumi followed by the kafta kebab (nicely spiced ground lamb) served alongside grilled onions and sweet pepper and a mound of rice with vermicelli strands.  We also shared the chicken shish taouk, cubes of grilled chicken with the same veggies and rice.  And we tried their baklava.  Worth a return visit!

With a hankering for some good Indian food, we ventured to Chola on E. 58 St for dinner.  Years ago, we enjoyed their sumptuous lunch buffet.  No buffet this year.   The tables were very widely spaced, and our temperatures checked upon entry.  The menu was so tempting we over ordered to try more dishes and had some to take home.  The chili shrimp in red sauce were very hot and the Chief Penguin was delighted.  Pickled tandoor chicken was appropriately piquant and sharp, while the samosas were a tad disappointing.  I found the ratio of dough to filling to be out of balance.  For an entrée, we sampled the lamb rogan josh with some buttered naan.  A very satisfying meal!

Note: All photos by JWFarrington.

Return to Manhattan & More

JWF Leave a comment

RETURN TO THE BIG APPLE

The Chief Penguin and I are back in Manhattan after almost a year and a half.  And it’s different.  Covid-19 has taken its toll with more empty storefronts, favorite restaurants shuttered, fewer people on the streets, and less traffic all around.  But, and it’s a welcome but, the city is becoming alive again!  The Upper East Side seems more active than the West Village, possibly the difference between residents and schools in one area and more tourists in the other.

Dining space at Via Carota

Restaurant dining is reviving.   We appreciated and benefited from the creativity shown in the various outdoor structures that have been built in the street or on the sidewalk. 

 We dined at two favorites, Sel et Poivre, very distanced from other diners, and Via Carota, which is serving exclusively outside.  Sitting at a sidewalk table, we also sampled a Mediterranean restaurant new to us called A la Turka.

Fancy dining structure at JoJo

Reservations are essential since dining capacity is still limited by NYS rules.  That can mean you need to reserve farther ahead (2 weeks out) or not until a day before.  Overall, we’re delighted to be here, enjoying the bustle of the city and spending time with our marvelous granddaughters.

WATCHING AND READING

IN-DEPTH BIOGRAPY SERIES

Hemingway (PBS)

Ernest Hemingway was an incredibly complex man.  Product of a dysfunctional family, whose father committed suicide, he, nonetheless, was a superb storyteller and masterful stylist whose novels made an indelible impression on American literature.  Filmmaker Ken Burns has a reputation for delving deeply into whatever topic he presents from baseball to the Civil War.  Here, this attention to detail and nuance is focused on one man’s adventurous life.  

Hemingway had four wives and other women along the way, he fought in several wars, he loved Spain, and he lived in Cuba.  Aside from his personal life, this 3-part series provides a close examination of each of Hemingway’s works from early novels to his account life in Paris (A Moveable Feast) to late works such as The Old Man and the Sea.  Literary scholars offer additional analysis, but I found most intriguing the comments from other writers like Tobias Woolf and Mary Karr, but especially those of the Irish novelist, Edna O’Brien.  It’s a fascinating journey from beginning to end!

WORLD WAR II MYSTERY

Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear

I’ve read all the Maisie Dobbs mysteries, and this is one of the best.  I’m even wondering if it’s Winspear’s swan song for Maisie.  But there’s an historic event at the end that leaves the door open.

Freddie, a young messenger boy, witnesses what appears to be a murder.  Did he really see it?  No body is found.  While haunted by Freddie’s experience, Maisie is primarily working for Scotland Yard vetting special agents for Resistance work in France.  Two young women she knows are among the interviewees.  Maisie’s personal life is also more complicated. She has a young daughter and an American friend and love named Mark Scott.

This novel details more about what’s involved in fighting a war in 1940 when England is regularly being bombed.  It feels more personal than Winspear’s earlier works with a minor theme of friendship and love. There’s a poignant quote about whether war makes one too brittle to relax and accept love.

If you like mysteries that focus more on the people and procedures with less high drama, then this is for you.  I find Maisie endlessly fascinating! (~JWFarrington)

More colorful tulips!

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

Movies: Oscar Nominees

JWF Leave a comment

We have made a concerted effort to see as many of the Oscar nominees as possible and continued this week with three more films.  All were noteworthy in some way, although I can see why Nomadland is favored by a number of critics for best picture.  I agree with them.

Time (Amazon Prime $)

Ms. Fox Rich on the phone to the prison (decider.com)

Time is nominated for best documentary feature and was made in conjunction with the New York Times.  It is an especially relevant film as this country re-examines our prison system and inequities in the sentencing and treatment of Blacks and other minorities.  Combining home movies going back twenty years with contemporary film footage, Time documents one mother’s challenge to raise six kids alone.  

Sibil Fox Rich’s husband Rob was sentenced to 60 years in jail for robbing a bank.  As the driver of the getaway car, she herself served three years.  Over the years, she visits him in prison and works tirelessly to try to gain him a reduction in his sentence and early release.  Sibil is an amazing study in fortitude, determination, and love as she works hard at her jobs and instills in her boys good values and the importance of education.  

Shot in black and white, the opening scenes are almost dizzyingly jerky given that they are home movies.  I hesitated initially and then got caught up in this family’s story. 

Promising Young Woman (Amazon Prime $)

Carey Mulligan as Cassandra (variety.com)

I had put off viewing this film since I wasn’t sure I liked the overall revenge premise. But I kept reading about Carey Mulligan’s great performance and felt I needed to give it a try.  I found it painful, even shocking, but watched to the end.  

Cassandra, a medical school dropout working in a coffee shop, plots ways to get revenge on the individuals who played a role in the tragedy of her friend Nina.  Cassandra’s schemes are clever, but then verge on outrageous, and you realize she is somewhat unhinged.  Even her boyfriend Ryan does not emerge untarnished.  The film is billed as a comedy thriller and is one answer to the #MeToo movement. Despite its black humor, I didn’t find it funny, especially given the ending.  

The opening scenes made me think of the vulgarity of Carnal Knowledge which appalled me (I was young when I saw it).  Later scenes in Promising Young Woman echo testimony given at Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate hearing.  My advice:  approach with caution, as I don’t think it adds up to a cohesive whole.

Nomadland (Amazon Prime $, free after 4/27)

Fern and her van (harpersbazaar.com)

This is a quiet film with some gorgeous scenery.  No violence, no sex, no great events, just the wide outdoors and folks living rustic lives on the road.  When her husband dies and the plant where she also worked closes, Fern leaves Nevada in a van and wanders the country. She tells people she is houseless, not homeless. Picking up temporary jobs here and there: at an Amazon warehouse, as a host at a van park, and as kitchen help, Fern occasionally joins up with other van nomads.  The life is hard and often not a choice, but folks are genuinely kind to one another and amazingly resilient.  

Frances McDormand is superb as Fern.  She is joined by actor David Straithaim as well as by real-life nomads playing versions of themselves.  Nomadland is definitely deserving of the Best Picture award and director Chloe Zhao of the Oscar for Best Director.

CULINARY CORNER

Bridge Street Bistro

(opentable.com)

After the long year of Covid, we returned to Bridge Street Bistro for dinner with friends.  This upstairs restaurant in Bradenton Beach is both popular and very good.  In fact, the food was even better than my recollection.   Grilled salmon over herb risotto with spinach and shrimp alongside was wonderful!  Although a bit overdressed, the tasty Caesar salads easily served two.  Others in our party ordered crab cakes, lobster mac and cheese, and the stuffed chicken.  Service was good despite it being mostly full.  We were happy diners!