They erected a tipi on the cobblestones outside the museum, and had some children's games around it. The banner for the festival was so bright and colorful!
Inside, kids could make a stick pony and do ledger art, and hear stories about horses, downstairs. Upstairs, there were dance performances by Native Pride Dancers and the resource center staff had handling and teaching collections about the buffalo. This was where I worked.
These parts all come from the buffalo. Do you know what they are and how there were used?
I also took the chance to run through a small exhibit which we'd had in Washington and which was done by one of my project management colleagues on skateboard culture in Indian country. It has been a huge sleeper hit, and is very very cool.
Yes, skateboarding has its origins in surfboarding, so of course I had to get this photo of Duke Kahanamoku.
Now it was time for one of the dance performances. As always, a huge crowd!
Above, hoop dance. Below, grass dance.
Above, fancy shawl. Below, fancy dance. And, teaching kids some dance steps!
The weather this weekend was glorious, and I was determined not to miss a moment if I didn't have to. When I finally left the office, I walked up to Tribeca and Soho. I had dinner reservations at one of Aarón Sanchez's restaurants, Céntrico, which is in Tribeca, and Athena was meeting me for dinner! So I wandered Soho for a while, then we caught up for a few hours over a tasty and wonderful dinner. She had the "comfort food" (chicken mole) while I went with the tapas-style, having scallops, grouper ceviche, and octopus. Chef Sanchez is from Mexico, and his food is rich in flavor and style. We shared a molten spicy chocolate cake for dessert. What a fabulous evening!
The next morning I opted to go in late to the office. The festival didn't start until noon, and I wasn't getting credit for working the day anyway. And, the Museum of the City of New York had an exhibition on Charles Addams's New York (yes, of the Addams Family creation) that was closing this day. So I headed north and spent a magnificent hour at the museum feasting on his macabre sense of humor and thoroughly enjoying myself.
This one is for Greg. If you can't see the captions, the lady on the right is selling stamps; the gentlemen in the middle handles special delivery and money orders, and the left window is for express mail and is staffed by the eagle.
This was done before there was a Z train in NYC, and is a bit of a spoof on the subway, but also includes some of the characters that later became part of the Addams Family.
The gallery was small, but well done, with images from some of his well-known works "removed" and used as wall decorations.
This was his desk and working area.
Another fun one, with a group of characters all descending on the city, from witches to the owl and pussycat, from American Indians to the Addams Family. Look out!
Hehe! Halloween fun. Haven't you ever thought about doing this? That's what's so delightful about his work.
And my FAVORITE! Mr. Addams was staying with a friend, and the sun came through the window and bothered him. So he went to the store and bought some canvas. He put it in front of the window and painted it with this image of Morticia Addams serving armadillo, then left it for his hosts. Honestly, I think I may enact a policy like this at our little "hotel."
We had another good day at the festival, but quieter. It gave me a chance to catch up with some folks though, which was wonderful. Then, I had dinner reservations again, but this time up in mid-town, in the theater district. A friend suggested that I check out the new Hudson River Trail which has been under construction for some time and now runs up the entire west side of Manhattan. Again, the weather could not have been better. I'd spent the morning walking the northern end of Central Park, waiting for the museum to open, so why not the southern end of the island now? So I did.
They have done remarkable work on this trail/park, especially in the southern part. Picnic areas, kids' play areas, benches, paths, it's gorgeous. And with the sun and the breeze, the boats on the water, people out and about, it couldn't have been better. So I walked and kept walking, straight up to 43rd. And then, I got to have the most fantastic of meals.
My destination was Esca, the fish house that is part of Mario Battali's restaurant empire. I opted for the tasting menu, and it was SUBLIME. I can tell you here what I had, but I will not be able to convey the sheer magnificence of the meal. The quality of the ingredients, the impeccable service, the melding of flavors and textures, the exquisite combinations. It was too bad that I didn't have anyone to share the experience with -- although it wasn't a cheap experience! -- because it was that amazing.
Menu
Amuse bouche: mackerel and white bean bruschetta
* paired with a rhubarb bellini
Crudo del mercato (crudo is Italian sushi): diver scallop, orange marlin, hamachi
Calamari due modi (calamari two ways): pan-seared and fried and I've never had better fried calamari
Spaghetti neri: squid ink spaghetti with cuttlefish, green chili, and scallion
Capesante: sea scallop with fiddlehead ferns, guanciale and sugar snap peas
Pesce Mattonella: spotted sea bass with morels and young leeks
* Drat, I can't find my wine note! It was a lovely full-bodied Italian red too
Palate cleanser: buffalo ricotta with wildflower honey
Dessert sampler: pannacotta (amaretto-sour flavor) with lemon gelatin, caramel and blood orange, and biscotti
* paired with my new favorite dessert wine, a lovely Moscato d'asti
The spaghetti neri was by far the most amazing of this amazing menu. I was so full didn't think I could get out of the restaurant afterward, but I determined to walk the rest of the way back to my hotel at 57th and Lexington. It was a fantastic way to end this wonderful adventure. Yes, I had to work the next day, but I really like the NY office and staff, so was no hardship.
No comments:
Post a Comment