What happened to Ed Ruscha?

I have always admired Ruscha's scintillating usage of words in his paintings.
But, his latest show at Gagosian in Chelsea was a conundrum. It seemed like a desperate attempt to remain relevant. The gallery space couldn't have been better designed for the pieces in the show, but the problem was the work on view. What were you thinking, Mr. Ruscha?

Gagosian Gallery
555 W. 24th St.
http://www.gagosian.com
Ed Ruscha will be on view through January 12, 2013.

Pace Gallery hits the mark with Michal Rovner show

Yesterday, on a windy and cold Saturday afternoon, I checked out the latest shows in Chelsea. The exhibition that I kept thinking about once I returned home was Michal Rovner: Topography at Pace's new gallery space at 508 W. 25th St. It was refreshing to view a show that was current, compelling and worth a second look. I loved the kinetic images of figures, cypress trees and desolate landscapes projected onto slabs of black limestone. Go see it!


Michal Rovner: Topography will be on view through December 22, 2012.
http://www.pacegallery.com

Franz Kline painting sells for over $40 million

Kline's Untitled (1957) sold for $40,402,500 at Christie's last night in New York (see previous two posts). The painting isn't close to being Kline's best work. So foolish to spend $40mil on that piece!

NY Contemporary Auction Viewing Update

Don't waste your time going to Bonham's unless you feel that you must view the Soulages painting (see previous post).

I had higher expecations at Christie's, but I was quite disappointed with the works on view. The contemporary auction was spotty in quality. The two big Klines weren't his best work. The Still and Rothko were overpriced. I thought that the best piece was a small Jasper Johns from Doug Cramer's collection. The Kelly, Ryman and Diebenkorn paintings were important, but not brilliant. Gallery 7 featured smaller works from the Cramer collection and should not be missed. I found two objects sublimely captivating and neither one was in the contemporary auction. A stunning Fang sculpture near the entrance to Gallery 7 and a sensational yellow diamond on display across from the elevator on the ground floor were worth the visit to Christie's. Celeb sightings this afternoon included Ralph and Ricky Lauren and Peter Brant.

Up next will be visits to Sotheby's and Phillips de Pury.

Soulages at Bonhams & Kline at Christie's

The November contemporary art auctions in New York are almost here.

I can't wait to see Peinture 116x89cm, 22 mai 1958 by Pierre Soulages at Bonhams this weekend. Estimate is $500,000-$700,000. It'll be a featured work in the November 12th auction. Viewing will begin on Friday, November 9th.
http://www.bonhams.com


Also on view this weekend will be works from Doug Cramer's superb collection and Masterworks of Abstract Expressionism at Christie's. Franz Kline's Untitled, which he painted in 1957, has received considerable coverage in the media. Estimate is $20 million-$30 million. Even though I don't think that it's his best work, I have a passion for Kline's paintings and can't wait to see it. Viewing will begin on Saturday, November 10th.
http://www.christies.com

Rimpa in New York

There are two outstanding shows in New York right now that explore the Rimpa artists of Japan. Even though my blog normally focuses on contemporary art, I had to share these extraordinary exhibitions with you:

Designing Nature: The Rimpa Aesthetic in Japanese Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through January 13, 2013
Silver Wind: The Arts of Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828) at Japan Society through January 6, 2013

At Japan Society, you will see Hoitsu's magnificent Waves (1815), which is on view in the U.S. for the first time and will be on display only through November 4th. However, the final painting in the show, Suzuki Kiitsu's Morning Glories, which is on loan from the Met, will take your breath away!

http://www.metmuseum.org
http://www.japansociety.org

Must-see New York Contemporary Art Shows: Fall, 2012

Calder: The Complete Bronzes
L&M Arts
45 E. 78th St.
http://www.lmgallery.com
on view through December 8, 2012

Richard Serra: Transparencies
Craig F. Starr Gallery
5 E. 73rd St.
http://www.starr-art.com
on view through December 15, 2012

Lee Friedlander: Nudes
Pace Gallery
32 E. 57th St.
http://www.pacegallery.com
on view through December 22, 2012

Cy Twombly: The Last Paintings
Gagosian Gallery
580 Madison Ave.
http://www.gagosian.com
on view through December 22, 2012

Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Ave. (at 82nd St.)
http://metmuseum.org
on view through December 31, 2012

John Cage: The Sight of Silence
National Academy Museum
1083 Fifth Avenue (between 89th & 90th)
http://www.nationalacademy.org
on view through January 13, 2012

Cape Cod Getaway

The Scoop
You'll need a car on the Cape. I rented a car in White Plains, NY because the rates were twice as much in Manhattan. My destination was the village of Dennis and I allowed five hours to get there. The historic town of Dennis is centrally located on the Cape. I started my journey on an early Friday morning in August and drove home on Sunday. On summer weekends, it is best to get an early start home and cross Bourne Bridge before noon.

Hotel: Book a room at the Isaiah Hall B&B. The innkeepers, Jerry and Judy, are superb hosts and prepare scrumptious breakfasts!

Dinner: Make reservations at The Red Pheasant in Dennis and Pisces, which is close to the Chatham/Harwich border. At The Red Pheasant, request a table in the Garden Room. At Pisces, order the calamari and lobster ravioli. The Red Pheasant, which is in a 200-year-old barn, attracted mostly older couples. Pisces was lively and appealed to a younger clientele with families.

Day Trip to Provincetown: I drove to Ptown to see the Robert Motherwell exhibition, Beside the Sea, at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. The show is on view through September 30, 2012. Parking is tight in Ptown and it is best to arrive before lunch and park in a lot because you can walk everywhere. I parked in a lot on Bradford Street. After enjoying a lobster roll at The Lobster Pot, I went on a self-guided tour of the town. I walked by the Pilgrim Monument, Franz Kline's studio, Hans Hofmann's house, Jack Tworkov's house and the site where the Pilgrims first landed. There's a walking tour booklet that you can purchase at the PAAM for $4. On my drive back to Dennis, I stopped at a beach on the Atlantic side of Truro.

If you are on the Cape for a week, explore Chatham and Hyannis and take the ferry to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Tennis: I booked an hour with the pro, Mark Brown, at The Harbor Club in East Dennis. You should be flexible in scheduling a lesson because members have priority on court time.

On my drive home, I stopped in New London at the Submarine Base and toured the USS Nautilus. My Dad was trained in sub operations during WWII in New London. The museum and Nautilus were fascinating and definitely worth a visit.



http://www.isaiahhallinn.com
http://www.redpheasantinn.com
http://www.piscesofchatham.com
http://www.paam.org
http://hylinecruises.com
http://www.ussnautilus.org
The Harbor Club: (508) 385-2628

Weekend Getaway to Washington, D.C.: Restaurant Nora, Richard Diebenkorn & kayaking on the Potomac

Toss the guidebook to D.C. If you are looking for a weekend getaway with fine dining, superb art and outdoor adventure, then the following itinerary is for you!

The Scoop
Saturday morning train from Penn Station in Manhattan to Union Station in D.C. Take the Metro to the Foggy Bottom station.

Hotel: The River Inn, which is on a quiet residential street in Foggy Bottom. The hotel has reasonable rates and I recommend booking a junior suite, which has a full kitchen. My room needed to be updated but it was commodious and clean. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are nearby if you want to pick up some groceries.

Saturday Dinner: Restaurant Nora, which features high-end American organic cuisine in Dupont Circle. Order the scallops for your starter and the soft shell crab for your main course. Enjoy a bowl of berries and homemade whipped cream for dessert.

Sunday Morning: Go kayaking on the Potomac. Rent a kayak at the Thompson Boat Center, which is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. This is a relaxing and different way to experience D.C. After kayaking, order a crepe and bubble tea at Snap in Georgetown.

Sunday Afternoon: Stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Then walk over to the Corcoran Gallery of Art to view Richard Diebenkorn: The Ocean Park Series. Have a drink on the P.O.V. Roof Terrace at the W Hotel.

Evening train to Penn Station.

For more info.:
www.amtrak.com
www.theriverinn.com
www.noras.com
www.thompsonboatcenter.com
www.corcoran.org
www.wwashingtondc.com

Summer Art in New York: Josef Albers, Robert Rauschenberg & Frank Stella

Don't miss Josef Albers in America: Painting on Paper at The Morgan Library & Museum. It is a gem of a show. Sixty oil studies on paper include sketches from the 1930s-early 1940s for his Adobe series and preparatory works for Homage to the Square from the 1950s-1970s. The painterly quality, intimate scale and color experimentation reveal a rarely seen side of Albers's work. The studies are strikingly different from the cool and austere paintings that represent the final stage of the artist's process. The Morgan is the only U.S. venue for the exhibition.

Also check out two superb gallery exhibitions on the same block on the Upper East Side: Robert Rauschenberg: North African Collages and Scatole Personali c. 1952 at the Craig F. Starr Gallery and Frank Stella: New Work at FreedmanArt. Then stop by Via Quadronno for a cappuccino and panini.
Enjoy!

The Morgan Library & Museum
225 Madison Avenue
http://www.themorgan.org
Albers on view through October 14, 2012

Craig F. Starr Gallery
5 E. 73rd St.
http://www.starr-art.com
Rauschenberg on view through August 10, 2012

FreedmanArt
25 E. 73rd St., 3rd Floor
http://www.freedmanart.com
Stella on view through September 27, 2012

Via Quadronno
25 E. 73rd St., 1st Floor
http://viaquadronno.com

Architecture Getaway to Philadelphia: The Barnes Foundation

As I walked through the entrance gate of the newly relocated Barnes Foundation in downtown Philadelphia, I wondered if I were about to enter a contemporary art museum. But, no, this was actually the Barnes with the astounding collection of 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 46 Picassos, 59 Matisses, 18 Rousseaus, extensive Asian, African and American Indian artifacts and decorative ironwork. The architects, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, tried hard to match the aesthetic magnificence on display in the new building, but substantially missed the mark.
I was familiar with the extraordinary collection and controversy about its relocation. The major conflict about moving the art to downtown Philadelphia from the suburb of Merion was the subject of a superb documentary titled, The Art of the Steal. The new building opened in May, 2012 along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and within walking distance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Rodin Museum.

Dr. Albert Barnes grew up in Philadelphia and died in 1951. His pharmaceutical company invented Argyrol, which prevented eye infections and blindness in newborns. It was the source of his wealth and he sold his company before the crash of 1929 so that he could focus on art, which he began to collect in 1912.


Driveway entrance

The driveway entrance at the new site was quite understated. Once inside the gate, I did not expect to see a 40-foot stainless-steel sculpture by Ellsworth Kelly at the head of the reflecting pool. What was the Kelly piece doing there? It was not created for the Barnes. It was donated by the Neubauer Family Foundation. 

Tree-lined path and reflecting pool leading to museum entrance

My first view of the museum was in profile. Negev stone panels with bronze accents formed the exterior walls of the building. I walked along a tree-lined path that paralleled the museum and pool. When I reached the low bridge to the main entrance, I paused to contemplate the imposing void in front of me with an offset door and stone panels that surrounded the entry. Barnes was known for juxtaposing his art in unorthodox hangings and so I started to form a theory that perhaps the architects wanted to create their own juxtaposition between the museum and the collection.

Museum entrance

This Barnesian concept was severely tested once I stepped inside the building. The circulation and signage (or lack thereof) were a disaster. The foyer consisted of a redundant reception desk (the first was at the main gate), poorly marked restaurant entrance, stairway to the Lower Level, projected "welcome" sign in multiple languages on a concrete wall...where was the entrance to the galleries? I showed my timed ticket to a woman who failed the hospitality test of anticipating a visitor's needs and then I walked over to a security person, who said that I had to go downstairs to check my bag first. Here's a tip for visiting the Barnes: If you need to use the restroom, you will have to go to the Lower Level because there are no bathroom facilities in the exhibition area of the museum. The coffee bar was also located on this level. It appeared to be a design afterthought because it was tucked away in a corner and did not even have an espresso machine. 

When I returned upstairs to the main level, I had to traverse a cavernous "indoor court" that was pure wasted space. At that moment, I knew that this building could be summed up as big budget+big impression+misdirected focus=major disappointment. Who would want to sit down and linger in this soulless space? I observed only a few visitors on the sofas. How many people noticed the narrow, elevated water feature along one wall? Why do enormous panels block the view of the terrace? Was the ceiling "lightbox" supposed to engender awe at the diffused light?

The 12,000 square feet of exhibition galleries were recreated as they appeared in the original Merion location. In his will, Barnes stipulated that the art should always remain in Merion (which it obviously did not) and be displayed in the same way. The beautiful collection enabled me to forget about the rest of the building and concentrate on the art. After I finished viewing the first floor, I asked where I could find a restroom. I was told that I would have to leave the galleries and go to the Lower Level. Instead, I continued viewing the collection on the second floor. The art was visually overwhelming. Barnes would often rehang the works in groupings that he called ensembles. These juxtapositions were puzzles for the viewer to solve by discovering the connections between the works. The Card Players, The Dance, The Postman and Leaving the Conservatory will always draw the crowds, but there were other pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed viewing as well. The African sculptures, unfortunately assembled tightly together in display cases, were riveting and the small Pennsylvania Dutch works were charming.

When I finished viewing all of the galleries, I had a bite to eat at the Garden Restaurant. I had a delicious quiche and small salad. The museum should have done a better job in promoting the restaurant.

Irrespective of how hard Williams and Tsien may have tried to create an architecturally important structure for the display of the Barnes collection, they failed. The building could have been built anywhere. What a pity that it was for the Barnes.

Exterior of museum

Getaway to Halifax, Nova Scotia

In early June, I needed to recharge and get out of town for the weekend and so I booked a last minute, two-hour flight from New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was the perfect dose of clean air, history, superb seafood and beautiful scenery.

The Scoop
Hotel: The Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites (across from the Public Gardens) or The Delta Barrington (centrally located and you can walk everywhere)

Lunch: McKelvie's

• Order the lobster roll and seafood chowder

Dinner: The Press Gang

• Order the smoked salmon and halibut

The Press Gang

Sites:


Take a stroll through the Public Gardens



• The Citadel
• Public Gardens
• Harbourfront (have a drink at Hart & Thistle or ice cream at Cow's)
• Weekend Farmers' Market

Day Excursion: Lunenberg (lunch at the Dockyard Restaurant and order the scallops) and Mahone Bay

Lunenberg

Overnight: Bay of Fundy (if you have limited time, hire a driver and go for the day)

Eli Broad in conversation with Charlie Rose

Mr. Broad will discuss his new book, The Art of Being Unreasonable, on May 6, 2012 at 8pm at 92Y, Lex @92nd St. Tix start at $29. Doors open at 7:30pm.
He is the founder of KB Home and Sun America and a major contemporary art collector and philanthropist.
See you there.

http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Eli-Broad.aspx?utm_source=92Y_HP&utm_medium=Highlights_EBroad&utm_campaign=Adult_Lectures

Don't Miss Mark Rothko at Christie's NY in May, 2012

I stopped by Christie's at Rockefeller Plaza on Friday to view the highlights of the upcoming Post-War and Contemporary Art Sale on May 8, 2012.
Mark Rothko's Orange, Red, Yellow, which he painted in 1961, was truly sensational. The piece dominated the gallery with works by Richter, Hofmann, Marden, de Kooning, Calder.
The estimate is $35,000,000-45,000,000 but it won't cost you a dime to see it.
It will be on view again prior to the auction from May 4-8 and it is a must-see.

Christie's
20 Rockefeller Plaza
New York
http://www.christies.com

Architecture Getaway to Boston: Renzo Piano Links Past and Present at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Renzo Piano's addition includes a contemporary art exhibition space on the left and Calderwood Hall on the right at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

This getaway can be done in a day from Manhattan, but if you have time, I would recommend that you spend the night in Boston. Due to time constraints, I decided to jump on BoltBus to Boston last Saturday morning for a day excursion. I normally take the train to South Station, but I wanted to try Bolt this time. The bus was 20 minutes late for the 7:30am departure in front of the Tick Tock Diner on W. 34th St. at the corner of 8th Avenue. I was assigned boarding group C and the passengers crowded around the bus driver while he called out each group. We stopped for a break somewhere near Hartford and still managed to arrive at South Station in Boston on time four hours later.

Passageway from Piano's addition to "the palace," the original 1903 structure.

I took the T (subway) to the MFA stop and walked a couple of blocks to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The purpose of this brief trip was to experience the new addition to the Gardner's palace which opened in January, 2012 and was designed by Pritzer Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano. I had visited other Piano-designed museums, but was intrigued with how he was going to integrate a contemporary wing into the 1903 structure. Unfortunately the carriage house had to be demolished in order to create space for the addition, but I was impressed by the way that Piano kept his wing separate yet connected by a glass walkway to the original building. The passageway formed an umbilical cord from the present to the past or the past to the present, depending on your direction. The entrance to the museum is now through the Piano addition and so you enter the palace by passing through the enclosed path with the garden on either side of you. This feeling of being transported to another era was one of the most successful aspects of Piano's project at the Gardner. Piano created two striking and contrasting spaces within his addition. Calderwood Hall was built to continue the musical legacy of the Gardner. It replaced the Tapestry Room in the palace where concerts were formerly held. The other dramatic space in the new building was created for exhibitions of contemporary art. The wall of floor-to-ceiling windows in the main gallery was oriented to face the back side of the palace. Piano not only played off the contrast between past and present, but also between the concepts of enclosure and openness. The central space within the Venetian-inspired palace is the courtyard, which featured twenty-foot long nasturtium vines, a Spring tradition at the Gardner, at the time of my visit. Even though the skylight flooded the courtyard with light, the space exuded the feeling of a private world, an interior environment only visible from within the museum. In the Piano addition, Calderwood's enclosure echoed this concept in its design. Piano also contrasted Calderwood with the light-filled, open contemporary gallery, which was created to display the work of artists-in-residence. Two apartments for the artists are located in the front section of Piano's addition.

Side view of new entrance building with the greenhouse on the ground floor and apartments for artists-in-residence above.

If you need a bite to eat, then book a table at Cafe G on the ground floor of the Piano building. The Living Room on the same level was an attempt to create a space to rest, read and interact with a guest curator. There were only three other people in the area when I visited and I felt that it missed the mark in its purpose.
The one disaster in the building was the use of hideous green tiles in the bathrooms on the basement level. Do not go there.

Circulation in the Piano addition with glass passageway in the distance.

Before you leave the addition, walk up the broad stairway to a landing which will give you an elevated view directly above the glass passageway to the palace.
When I finished my visit to the Gardner, I walked around the perimeter of the museum. The dramatic slanted glass wall to the left of the new entrance was Piano's severe declaration of the new. While his creation updated the institution, it will never come close to the ineffable delight that I felt while viewing John Singer Sargent's El Jaleo, Whistler's Nocturne, Blue and Silver: Battersea Reach, Rembrandt's Self-Portrait, Aged 23 or Titian's Europa.


http://www.gardnermuseum.org

Must-see New York Contemporary Art Shows: Spring, 2012

Afro Burri Fontana

Haunch of Venison

550 W. 21^st St.

http://www.haunchofvenison.com/

on view through May 12, 2012

John Chamberlain: Choices

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

1071 Fifth Avenue

http://www.guggenheim.org/

on view through May 13, 2012

2012 Whitney Biennial

Whitney Museum of American Art

945 Madison Ave.

http://www.whitney.org/

on view through May 27, 2012

Frank Stella: Black, Aluminum, Copper Paintings

L&M Arts
45 E. 78^th St.
http://www.lmgallery.com
on view through June 2, 2012

Loris Greaud: The Unplayed Notes
The Pace Gallery
534 W. 25th St.
http://www.thepacegallery.com
on view through June 9, 2012

Jill Moser
Lennon, Weinberg, Inc.
514 W. 25th St.
http://www.lennonweinberg.com
on view through June 9, 2012

Atsuya Tominaga: Sphere
Ippodo Gallery
521 W. 26th St.
http://www.ippodogallery.com
on view through June 9, 2012

Cindy Sherman

MOMA

11 W. 53^rd St.

http://www.moma.org/

on view through June 11, 2012

Origins: Cui Fei & Taca Sui
Chambers Fine Art
522 W. 19th St.
http://www.chambersfineart.com
on view through June 15, 2012

Brice Marden: New Paintings
Matthew Marks Gallery
523 W. 24th St.
http://www.matthewmarks.com
on view through June 23, 2012

Lucio Fontana: Ambienti Spaziali
Gagosian Gallery
555 W. 24th St.
http://www.gagosiangallery.com
on view through June 30, 2012

Dan Flavin Drawing
The Morgan Library & Museum
225 Madison Ave.
http://www.themorgan.org
on view through July 1, 2012

Richard Avedon: Murals & Portraits
Gagosian Gallery
522 W. 21st St.
http://www.gagosiangallery.com
on view through July 6, 2012

NYC Dining Challenge Update: Maialino at Gramercy Park Hotel

A great way to start off your day is to have breakfast at Danny Meyer’s Maialino at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Order an olive oil muffin, the ricotta pancakes ($12) with cranberry compote and maple syrup, enjoy the view of the park from your table and you’ll be ready to tackle the day. Bar Maialino at the front of the restaurant is a coffee bar in the morning and serves the complete menu throughout the day. The trattoria at the back of restaurant, which is where I was seated, has blue-and-white-checked tablecloths and views of Gramercy Park. It is the preferable area for a business meal or quiet conversation with a friend.

Maialino means “little pig” and if you dine there for lunch or dinner, order the Malfatti al Maialino, which is malfatti pasta, braised suckling pig and arugula. Executive Chef Nick Anderer was formerly at Babbo and Gramercy Tavern.

The restaurant was designed by the New York-based Rockwell Group, which was the team behind the newly renovated Hotel Bel-Air, Trump SoHo, Nobu, The Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas, two recent Academy Awards shows and Catch Me if You Can on Broadway. At Maialino, Rockwell successfully created a warm and comfortable Roman-style trattoria environment with contemporary flair by using wood flooring, reclaimed ceiling beams and modern pendant fixtures.

When you finish your meal, be sure to stroll into the lobby of GPH and enjoy a libation in the lounge. Ian Schrager brought the artist Julian Schnabel on board to design the interior of the hotel. Prior to the opening of GPH in 2006, Schnabel said, “I built a place that I’d like to be in.” In fact, it reminded me of his home which I visited with a group of young art collectors in the early '90s. Works by Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cy Twombly and, of course, Schnabel have been featured at GPH. The hotel rotates the pieces and most of them are on loan.

Maialino

Gramercy Park Hotel

2 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10010

1.212.777.2410

http://www.maialinonyc.com/
http://www.gramercyparkhotel.com/

Rockwell Group: http://www.rockwellgroup.com/

NYC Dining Challenge Update: Lincoln Ristorante

If you have a passion for contemporary architecture and fine dining, I have a perfect recommendation for you. Make a reservation at Lincoln Ristorante at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Chef Jonathan Benno, who was the chef de cuisine at Per Se for six years, opened his modern Italian restaurant in September, 2010. Lincoln is located underneath the dramatically sloping Illumination Lawn, which was designed by Diller Scofidio + Refro and FXFOWLE Architects, and is situated between the reflecting pool on one side and West 65^th Street on the other. Diller Scofidio’s pavilion is steps away from the symphony, theater, opera, ballet and Fashion Week shows. The Lincoln Center Film Center is located downstairs from the restaurant. But, it is not imperative that you combine a dining experience at Lincoln with a cultural excursion. The restaurant is its own destination.

Dining at Lincoln during the day is a different aesthetic experience than at night. For lunch, the transparency of the floor to ceiling windows allows daylight to flood the interior and enhances the striking contrast between the serenity of the reflecting pool and monumental Henry Moore sculpture on one side and the cacophony of the kitchen on the other. I arrived early and the host offered to seat me right away. If you are an architecture buff, I highly recommend requesting a table in the middle of the restaurant between the reflecting pool and kitchen. This part of the restaurant allows you to truly appreciate the dynamism of the sloping roof. Seating areas on either end of the restaurant are still dramatic but in the middle area, you feel that you are completely subsumed in the space.  In the evening, Lincoln is cool and sleek. Neither visit will disappoint. 

The cuisine will not blow you away as much as the design, but Chef Benno’s interpretation of modern Italian cuisine is impressive. The Restaurant Week 3-course menu was very good and the portions and presentation were perfect. The staff was professional, attentive and friendly.  I started with the grilled calamari, braised potatoes, castelvetrano olives and caperberries. It was spicy but I enjoyed the different textures and flavors. My main course was the rigatoni with heritage pork, sage, cremini mushrooms and pecorino romano. This course hit the mark. The bosc pear and cranberry crisp with almond cream was good but not memorable.

I recommend Lincoln because of its synthesis of striking architecture and fine dining. The severely modern design makes Lincoln a unique dining destination.

Next up in the Dining Challenge: Maialino.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro: http://www.dsrny.com/

FXFOWLE Architects: http://www.fxfowle.com/

Lincoln Ristorante

142 W. 65^th St.

New York, NY 10023

212.359.6500

http://www.lincolnristorante.com/

NYC Dining Challenge Update: Junoon

I selected the modern Indian restaurant, Junoon, as my next dining destination for the 2012 Dining Challenge since it was featured in NY Magazine’s top 101 restaurants in NYC and I love Indian food. It opened in December, 2010 in the Flatiron District. The combination of the refined cuisine, elegant décor and professional staff resulted in a memorable experience for me.

I ordered the $24 three-course prix fixe lunch, which Junoon offers year-round, not just during Restaurant Week. I started with the Piri-Piri shrimp in a Goan chili sauce with an avocado and jicama salad. The Nadru Kofte main course of Kashmir lotus root and homemade fresh Indian cheese dumplings in an onion gravy with fennel powder and fenugreek leaves was superb. It was served with pulao rice and naan. The Cardamom Kulfi dessert was exquisite. I was impressed with the presentations of each course as well. It was fine dining at a very affordable price point.

I had read about the spice room downstairs where the spice blends are made daily. When I inquired if I could see it, my server, Erik, said that he would show it to me. He explained the different spices in the jars and how the Executive Chef, Vikas Khanna, blends them.

When I return next time, I will go for dinner. Scott Carney, the beverage director, created a wine list to synchronize with the Indian spices and sauces. I look forward to pairing his wines with Junoon’s sophisticated cuisine.

Next up in my Dining Challenge will be Lincoln Ristorante.

Junoon

27 W. 24^th St.

New York, NY 10010

(212) 490-2100

http://www.junoonnyc.com/

Atos Trio, Noon Recital, Rockefeller University

The Atos Trio from Berlin performed at the January 27, 2012 Noon Recital at Rockefeller University in Manhattan. The Trio was founded in 2003 by violinist Annette von Hehn, cellist Stefan Heinemeyer and pianist Thomas Hoppe. I attended with a Juilliard grad, who thought that the trio needed more coaching. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the program, which featured Schumann’s Trio Nr. 2 in F-Major, Op.80 and Beethoven’s Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (“Archduke”). The Beethoven piece was wonderful.

Atos Trio’s website: http://www.atostrio.de/

The free Noon Recitals are every Friday in the Caspary Auditorium at Rockefeller. Donations are always appreciated. Call the recital hotline a couple of days in advance for program information: (212) 327-7007.

Rockefeller University

1230 York Ave. at 66^th St.

New York, NY 10065

http://www.rockefeller.edu/

Sir Norman Foster: New Doc about the Architect

"How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?" is the new doc about Sir Norman Foster, the contemporary British architectural legend. The film is playing at The IFC Center in Manhattan. Looking forward to seeing it this weekend.

NYC Dining Challenge Update: Boulud Sud

I had late lunch yesterday at Boulud Sud, which specializes in Mediterranean cuisine from Chef Daniel Boulud. It's located around the corner from Epicerie Boulud and Bar Boulud on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Since it was Restaurant Week, I took advantage of the 3-course menu for $24.07. The baby squid appetizer was superb, marmitako albacore tuna cooked medium rare was on the mark and the grapefruit coupe dessert was the perfect way to finish the meal. The service, however, needs some polishing. I was completely ignored until I asked to see a menu. During the meal, I had to ask for another iced tea and more bread. I paid the bill in cash and I never received any change. The waitress disappeared and I couldn't wait any longer and so I left the table. As I was putting my coat on, my server motioned to me that she had change and by then I was on my way out the door. Furthermore, the hostess didn't say goodbye or smile as I left. Boulud Sud needs to raise the level of its service if it wants to seriously compete in this city.

Next up in my 2012 Dining Challenge: Junoon, Lincoln.

Boulud Sud
http://www.danielnyc.com/boulud_sud.html

NYC Dining Challenge Update: Danji




Danji

After viewing the just-opened Alfred Jensen/Sol LeWitt show at The Pace Gallery and the James Brooks/Dan Flavin exhibition at the Greenberg Van Doren Gallery in Midtown, I went to Danji for a late lunch this afternoon. I had read favorable reviews of Danji last year, including in The New York Times which named it one of the top 10 new restaurants of 2011, and in New York Magazine's list of the top 101 New York restaurants. Since my goal is to dine at all 101 restaurants this year, I was eager to try it.

Danji is located in the theater district, so if you're going to a Broadway show, it would be convenient for you. It's also very affordable. Nothing on the menu is over $20. It's a small place, with only 36 seats and most are at communal tables. Danji will take reservations for parties of six or more. My server advised me to come early for dinner.

I ordered the dup-bop (over rice) set menu of brisket bulgogi ("fire meat" or marinated beef), daikon (Korean radish) beef soup and two kimchi for a total of $14 plus tax and tip. Alternatively, I could  have ordered several small plates, such as the bulgogi beef sliders ($12). Vegetarian items are available as well.

Chef Hooni Kim is doing a terrific job and I look forward to returning soon.

I have 99 restaurants to go in my dining challenge and will keep you posted on my progress.

Danji
346 W. 52nd St. between 8th & 9th Ave.
New York, NY 10019
212-586-2880
http://www.danjinyc.com/

My 2012 NYC Dining Challenge: Eat @NY Magazine's Top 101 Restaurants

It is an impossible undertaking, but I have created a challenge for myself. How many restaurants on New York Magazine's list of the top 101 in NY can I dine at this year while watching the budget and calories? To make it easier on myself, I will include any visit to the top 101, whether it is for brunch, lunch or dinner. Restaurant week is included, too. This is a cool catalyst to revisit the restaurants on the list that I have dined at in the past.
I started on this project today with brunch at Wallse in the West Village. Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner's gem of an Austrian restaurant was perfect on a Sunday afternoon. I ordered the spatzle, braised rabbit and wild mushroom entree ($14) and iced tea. Superb! Total with tax (tip not included) was $21. Enjoyed the Julian Schnabel paintings, too.
Next on the list will be Danji, Boulud Sud, Lincoln.

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Must-see NY Contemporary Art Shows: Winter 2012

Damien Hirst: The Complete Spot Paintings 1986-2011