Notes from Manhattan: Film & Food

FILM

Marriage Story (Netflix and theaters)

This is a painful, and at times excruciating, excavation of a marriage unraveling.  As the film opens, it’s clear that there will be no grand reconciliation.  Instead Charlie and Nicole initially intend to handle their divorce themselves amicably, but, perhaps inevitably, the tensions and the disagreements lead them each to consult and hire high powered divorce lawyers. Their first lawyers are well played by a consoling Alan Alda and a falsely cozy Laura Dern.   After all, this is a successful bi-coastal couple, he a theater director and she an actress.  

Angry words and hate-filled invectives are tossed out, but, what makes it a convincing and compelling film is the moments of unexpected tenderness and even humor.  When Nicole cuts Charlie’s hair, you are touched.  Although they can no longer live together, these two still care about each other and are concerned about buffering their young son, Henry, from hurt as much as possible.  The final scene is a real punch to the gut.

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are superb as Charlie and Nicole, and while each party is partially to blame for the impasse, you might find it difficult to take sides, although I did not.  Reviews indicate that this film is semi-autobiographical as director Noah Baumbach was divorced from his first wife, an actress, in 2010.  Highly recommended!

FOOD

“Early Bird Special”

When you say “early bird special,” some folks will think of tired food served to past-their-prime senior citizens at 4:30 in the afternoon.  As a senior citizen myself, I will admit that when we are on our home turf, the Chief Penguin and I eat earlier than we ever did before.  In the city, not so much so.  Unless we want to dine at our all-time favorite West Village restaurant, Via Carota.  To snag a dinner table at this very popular eatery, you must arrive around 5:00 or submit to waiting in line or adding your name to a list and returning an hour or so later.  Ever since Via Carota received mention in a New Yorker column and their green salad was featured in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, their popularity has only skyrocketed.  They don’t take reservations.  Why would they when they are always guaranteed to fill their tables!

The other day, we arrived at 11:00 am, just when they opened, to have an early lunch.  We were not the only diners and well before 12:00, the aforementioned line had already formed.  The grilled artichokes with slices of lemon and onion are a standard order for us; with them we alternate between the mouth-watering Meyer lemon risotto or a pasta entree. 

 This time, it was the tagliatelle with Parmesan and prosciutto.  A mound of homemade pasta noodles arrived, covered with a thin blanket of prosciutto and showered with Parmesan threads.  Simply sublime, this dish is a tangle of a soft, but springy pasta strands coated in butter and cheese with a hint of nutmeg.  Add in the saltiness of the prosciutto and you have perfection.  The Chief Penguin dubbed this our “early bird special” and that phrase now has new meaning.    

Note: Text and photos ©JWFarrington. Header photo taken at Rockefeller Center.

Tidy Tidbits: Culture Notes

ON STAGE

The Sound of Music

You’ve probably seen at least one stage production of The Sound of Music or the movie starring Julie Andrews, but did you pay attention to the year and the context?  I don’t think I did until we saw the superb performance at the Asolo Theater.  This is a darker, more nuanced play and one that brings to the fore the rising Nazi presence in Austria in 1938.  The actors are great, especially Captain Von Trapp’s seven rambunctious children, the Mother Superior with a big voice that commands attention, and the always in motion, all arms and legs Maria.  Equally effective is the staging, particularly the last scene when the entire family performs in a competition.  If you live nearby, go see it!

ON THE PAGE

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

Fans of Shetland and Vera, TV mystery series seen on PBS, will recognize Cleeves’ name as the author of the works upon which they are based.  I’ve not read any of these mystery novels, but decided to try the first work in a new series.  The Long Call introduces Matthew Venn, a gay detective married to the manager of a community arts center.  When a troubled man is found dead on the beach and a disabled young woman goes missing, all the leading suspects have ties to the arts center.  

What drew Simon Walden, the dead man, to Barnstaple, and how was he connected to the mentally challenged teenage girl he regularly sat next to on the local bus?  Venn is a complex and fascinating character who grew up in the Brethren faith, but later rejected it.  In working to solve this case, he must re-visit individuals from his past.  I found this mystery intriguing enough to read to the finish and will probably look for the next one in the series.  

ON THE SMALL SCREEN

Unbelievable (Netflix)

On the subject of crime, I’m currently watching Unbelievable, a graphic account of the investigation into a series of rapes that occurred mostly in Colorado.  Based on real events, it’s about two female detectives from different cities who come together to find a serial rapist.  Several victims are portrayed including Marie, a troubled young woman, who under persistent questioning from two male detectives recants her initial account of the rape.  Difficult and disturbing to watch, it is, nonetheless, a painstaking exploration of how rape crimes are handled or mishandled.

ON THE WAY HOME

Appleton Museum of Art

On our way back south from St. Augustine last week, we stopped in the town of Ocala and paid a visit to the Appleton Museum of Art. This small gem of a museum has a voluminous collection of Christmas decorations and figurines which they bring out each December. But, what was of most interest to several of us, was their featured exhibit of paintings from the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania. Entitled Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism through the French Lens, it showcases 65 paintings of early French Impressionistic work along with pieces done by American artists several decades later. It is a lovely exhibit and one worth lingering over. The museum also has European and Asian pieces in their permanent collection.

It was almost noon when we finished our tour. We drove into the center of town, admired Ocala’s town square with its brightly decorated Christmas tree, and then had a most satisfying lunch at Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille. From the standard chicken Caesar salad to New Orleans style shrimp creole and the like, there is something for every taste. Service was lightning quick!

Note: Text and photos ©JWFarrington.

Florida Frolic: St. Augustine

FLORIDA FROLIC:  ST. AUGUSTINE

In our quest to become better acquainted with our home state, we’ve been taking short trips to cities not that far from us.  For the last two years, we and good friends made a December trip to Winter Park to visit the museums, cruise on the lake, and sample the local eateries.  This year, our destination was St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, located on the east coast, and about four and half hours away.  Christmas was the theme and there were several decorated trees in the square, plenty of holiday lights, and an overall festive feel.  

St. George Street is pedestrian only and the main drag in the historic district.  To be frank, our initial impression was a negative one.  Too many souvenir shops, too many hokey “historic” sites, and a plethora of pubs and bars.  It seemed a combination of Lake George Village and the worst of the Jersey Shore.  Add to that our inauspicious lunch at the Bull & Crown marked by glacial service and, with the exception of the delicious sausage rolls, food that was just average.

With a bit more poking around, life improved.  We discovered some attractive shops and galleries, we toured the main Flagler College building which was formerly the very luxurious Hotel Ponce Leon, and we signed on for an Old Town Trolley excursion around the city.  

Fountain in courtyard at Flagler College

This hour and a half ride (you can get on and off at any stop all day long, but we didn’t) gave us a good feel for what’s here—from the Fountain of Youth Park to the first Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, to the distillery, to the historic fort, to several architecturally distinguished churches, to the Lincolnville Neighborhood with its distinctive frame houses.  Our trolley drivers made too many references to discounts and which attractions were free, but otherwise they were informative.  

Given that we like good food, we selected restaurants ahead of our arrival.  The two dinners and our second lunch were all delicious.  Here’s where we ate. We’d happily return to any one of these restaurants.

Collage.  I’d call their food continental, rather than French.  In any case, the small dining room is an elegant coral-walled space and the dinner service was most professional.  Several of us had the yummy carrot datil bisque to start followed by bronzino on a bed of spaghetti squash and couscous with cherry tomatoes.  Others enjoyed the superb black grouper and the diver sea scallops.  Datil peppers, hot like Scotch bonnets, are grown locally. 

Black grouper entree

Sangrias Wine & Tapas Bar. We were the only diners at Sangrias at lunchtime, but the food exceeded expectations.  We ordered the chicken pesto wrap and the crab cakes with salad along with a few beers. Our food appeared quickly and everything was tasty.

Catch 27.  This is a casual place that serves excellent food, all very fresh.  We dug into the trio of dips (guacamole, pimento cheese fondue, and pico de gallo) with chips to start.  The guys began with Minorcan seafood chowder, and then we were on to flounder with risotto and sherry cream and red sorrel that was amazing, buttermilk fried chicken, and fish tacos with a house salad.  Everything was supremely good!

Penguin cheer

St. George Inn.  We stayed overnight here (this hotel consists of six buildings around the historic area) and found their wine bar, Bin 39, most inviting in the evening.  It was also the breakfast room each morning. We were pleased that the small buffet included bagels, croissants, bread, cheddar cheese, sliced ham, and salami with a selection of jams and spreads.  Just about perfect to begin a day of sightseeing!

Note: Photos and text ©JWFarrington.

Out & About: History in North Carolina

VISITING NORTH CAROLINA

How I spent my summer vacation.  Wrong season, how I spent Thanksgiving week.  The Chief Penguin and I were in North Carolina to visit my sisters and their families and spent time in both Greensboro and Chapel Hill with brisk walks to Greensboro’s Bog and Centennial Gardens, excursions to Winston-Salem, to the marvelous McIntyre’s Books in Fearrington Village, and to the Kidzu Children’s Museum for a morning with three lively little girls.  

REYNOLDA HOUSE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

Located in Winston-Salem, the former home of R. J. and Katharine Reynolds, of tobacco fame, is worth a tour.  The house was built in 1917.  R. J. died in 1918, and Katharine only lived until 1924, but she was both enterprising and ahead of her time and founded a school for the black children of the staff.   Of greater interest, perhaps than the house, is the range of special exhibits on offer throughout the year in the museum wing.  This season it is:  Leyendecker and the Golden Age of American Illustration.  J.C. Leyendecker and his brother, Frank, were both artists, but J.C. had the more notable career.

Couple on Horseback (1904)

Over his lifetime, J.C.  produced 322 covers for The Saturday Evening Post in addition to ones for Collier’s Magazine and illustrations for Arrow collars and men’s clothing.

Arrow Collar Man

  J.C. also introduced the idea of using a baby to represent the beginning of a new year and drew 40 New Year’s covers for the Post.  

Created in the early part of the 20th century, his depictions of African Americans and everyday people reflect the racial and social climate of the time.  This is a fascinating exhibit on many levels.

THE CAROLINA INN

Carolina Inn anticipating the Christmas season

Built by a University of North Carolina alumnus, opened in 1924, and later gifted to the university, this charming inn in Chapel Hill is a paean to the achievements of its faculty and alumni.  Throughout the halls are plaques and photographs testifying to the accomplishments of the many individuals who were educated here.  You feel a bit like you will turn baby blue in hue before you leave!  

There is lots of history recorded here, and it’s significant to note that while blacks worked in the hotel, the first black guest, for lunch, not overnight, was Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963.  Such a short time ago—so much has changed for the better, but not everything.  Fast forward to the present day, and I enjoyed watching family groups arrive for Thanksgiving Dinner, all ages and multiple generations, white, Hispanic, and black. 

It is not Christmas yet, but our family group was delighted with the inn’s creative, whimsical, and fun displays of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  The days were scattered out of order around the lobby and main floor, and my older granddaughter and I made many treks around finding each number and then reading about the artist.  

Five Golden Rings

Highlights for both granddaughters were Two Turtle Doves (live ones), Four Calling Birds, a display that included four ticking cuckoo clocks, and Five Golden Rings, five desk telephones spray painted sparkling gold. 

 It provided great post-breakfast entertainment along with this year’s tree with its theme of “visions of sugar plums.”

RECENT READING

America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

This is the first of two Colonial period historical novels by this pair. I read their most recent one, My Dear Hamilton, first and enjoyed it so much that I was drawn to this one about Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Martha, known to him and her siblings as Patsy.  Patsy’s mother died when she was only nine and she promised her mother that she would always take care of her father.  That promise to care for her father and, by extension, guard his legacy, led her to sacrifice her own happiness and to keep dark and dangerous secrets.  

The authors did extensive research for the novel and have used quotations from the archive of Jefferson’s correspondence to begin every chapter.  As the novel opens, Jefferson has died, and Patsy is going through his papers and deciding what letters may be kept and which ones destroyed in order to preserve his reputation as a great statesman. Through the years, we see Patsy mature from childhood to teen to adult as his helpmate, his confident, and as a skilled political hostess in Paris and Washington.  Later, as the wife of a Virginia plantation owner, she manages hearth and children (ten in all) at their home and some of the time at Monticello, always attended by slave labor and the ever-present Sally Hemings.  The result is a rich portrait of a woman who both chafed against the strictures of her time and simultaneously, ignored or denied unpleasant truths.  Reading this I came away with a perspective on a less noble, flawed Thomas Jefferson.

Note: All text and photos ©JWFarrington. Header photo taken at Kidzu Children’s Museum.