Here at the SMP Building in Long Island City, up on the roof, Ben Flanner has created a one acre farm with a killer view. Ben has always wanted to run a farm, according to his mom. I don’t know if he ever imagined that farm to be on top of a former auto parts manufacturing building on Northern Boulevard but that’ s what makes his farm so cool.
We had a dinner for about fifty people followed by a screening of one minute videos created by local artists in their favorite restaurants in Queens.
This is a little film project we call the Moveable Feast. Do you want a peek at where artists like to eat? Check these out.
We had salad with greens from the farm and desserts made by aspiring pastry chefs from the food incubator program down the block. I nibbled on beet greens which are a beautiful deep red color and delicious in a mixed green salad.
Locals Rule
I love being a local.
I love buying local produce, working with local artists, supporting local businesses. There is an unmistakeable sense of pride that is part and parcel of local creative industries. It is a distinctive Queens edge that comes through.
Especially in the lettuce.
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On the first Saturday night at Boulud Sud, we descended with an unexpected crowd of eight.
Mais sans doute, it was a typically magnifique! Here we are, moi, Daniel and Mikki.
It is tres difficile for me to imagine the life of a successful restauranter as he continues to build his empire without wondering what the secret sauce is.
What is it about Daniel Boulud that brings him success, the three star Michelin rating, his restaurant’s ranking among the best in the world?
The vodka gimlet elegantly served in a slender carafe?
The Lamb Cleopatra that was simply delicious? The accompanying roasted beets in pistachio yogurt?
How about that Turkish pudding surrounded by some kind of rhubarb swirl?
The edgy grapefruit sorbet? The mint chocolate pave with pine nuts, jasmine flower and chocolate sorbet? Yum!
The smartly attentive staff?
All that, and Daniel himself, working the room and making all of us feel extremely especiale and enchantee. Of course, the food and the service are exemplary. The ambience is chic and inviting. But I think that intuitive ability to connect with with his guests is the cherry on the cake. It is what makes an evening out with friends memorable and it is what makes us his best word of mouth warriors.
Boulud Sud. The new star in the empire. Ask for Michael, the guy with the cool tie and glasses. He will make sure your evening is heavenly.
Bon appetit.
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We were out on the town for a night of flamenco and a Greek dinner. Seth, me and my mom. A triple date.
The American Bolero Dance Company presented a Tablao Flamenco in a packed auditorium in Astoria. Disclaimer: This group received a grant from the Queens Council on the Arts and we were invited to the performance as site auditors. My mother loves to dance and if you haven’t seen my little video of her cha cha class, here it is. She was delighted to have the chance to sit knee to knee among flamenco lovers at cafe tables to watch this passionate group of dancers. In fact, she has volunteered to do more of these performance audits.
“I could bring my dance class. They would love to see other dancers. And in Queens!”
Why Look Outside Your Own Backyard?
What did Dorothy discover at the end of the Wizard of Oz?
That’s right. There’s no place like home.
And if you live in Queens like I do, boy is that ever true. Not only is it home for me, it is home for people from over 147 different countries.
Do the math. That is 147 different types of cuisines, culture, music, art …
What a moveable feast!
Here’s What You Do
Gus and his brother Chris buy the wine and beer for Sanfords in Astoria. They have one of the most intriguing menus and drinks to go with it. You can usually find Gus holding court with local impresarios and characters in the back booth from the late afternoon to evening. When his dad, the original proprietor of the original Sanfords in its black and white photo days, is not cruising around Greece, he is also part of the character set of this very eclectic and uniquely Astoria establishment.
Check out Sanfords after work. Have a seat at the bar in the back and order a glass of Tres Picos. That’s what Gus put in my hands the last time we were there.
Delicioso!
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I fall, I crumble, I wait, I regain my composure, regroup, fix my glasses, ask myself a million questions, get excited about new ideas, call everyone I know to talk about what I am thinking about.
This is what happens to me when my eyes are bigger than my imagination at a Moveable Feast. I am overwhelmed and bewildered by the everythingness in a moment of wonder.
“Did you see that? Its a beehive.” Seth grabbed my arm excitedly and we broke away from the group grazing through rows of okra, lettuce, peppers, breakfast radishes and yes, way down in the corner there it was. A beehive.
What Jeffrey Rosenbloom has built is a beehive of creative buzz. Without hesitation he will take you up on the roof of the Standard Motors Building in Long Island City and proudly show you the one acre rooftop garden. And talk about the artistic tenants in the building and the vision he has for his million square foot tract along Northern Boulevard.
I am thinking – OMG! how cool! to feed the soul, to take care of the artist, to build a creative footprint…. and you know me, I’m all about the fashioning of the footprint. Love my shoes!
This is creative placemaking.
Later on, Seth and I found ourselves on a starry evening boat ride with other guests from the Socrates Sculpture Park benefit. Not to close to the UN and the crazy security mishegas going on around there but close enough to the ghostly lit lighthouse at the tip of Roosevelt Island. We roasted marshmallows, sipping St. Germain cocktails around elegant campfires dotting the deck of Mark Di Suvero’s brilliant yellow studio.
at Spacetime, me and Mark
I am thinking – of course! I smack my head with this caffeine induced insight. Deliver and over deliver a unique experience. It is all about you.
“Roller derby. In that old cigar factory.” Seth is good at remembering where he parks the car. This time, finding our car was easy. All we had to do was listen. We stopped to watch the skaters start, stop short, skate really really fast as a woman clenching a whistle between her teeth barked out commands.
I am thinking – how lucky I am to have someone to wander this earth with on magical nights. To talk with about endless possibilities and what-ifs. To take my hand and remind me to calm down. that I don’t have to be and do everything all the time. Its OK just to simply enjoy being alive.
There exists in every moment the promise of wonder. It is impossible to be captivated by it and not instinctively tug at someone’s sleeve to say, “Isn’t this amazing?”
Look for it and share it with someone you love.
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There are block parties and then, there are beach block parties.
Mardi Gras in Breezy Point is none of the above. It is an experience propelled by ocean breezes, big open skies, a parade and decorated beach walks dotted with partying locals on their porches and patios. Local pride runs fierce and family driven. Life moves at the speed of surf and single speed beach cruisers along the promenade except if you stop at the Sugar Bowl for a drink.
This time, Seth and I rode past the Mardi Gras madness and stopped by Joanne’s house. From her lovely porch you could see the prize banner awarded to her beach walk for Best Decorated Walk. This is a big weekend in Breezy Point and just like most homes, Joanne’s was filled with kids, cousins, sisters and brothers who were here for a glorious Mardi Gras/Labor Day weekend at the beach.
the prize banner!
Allie and me
Don’t know why but there are certain dishes that people will start international wars over how to make them. Chicken soup, brisket, ribs. I have been sworn into secrecy by some folks who consider their rib recipe patent worthy.
Allie, however, is not meshuganah (Yiddish for crazy) about her recipe and she is willing to share. We got to her house around dinner time and sat around with friends enjoying ribs Allie-style, good red wine and a lot of laughs.
Being a local on a Labor Day weekend is wonderful. Where did you spend your holiday?
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