follow me on Twitter @arttravelsavvy

Aspen Dining: L'Hostaria Ristorante

Last week, I spent a few days in Aspen and had dinner at a fun Italian restaurant called L’Hostaria Ristorante. It had been recommended to me by my hotel and it was the perfect spot. I sat at the bar rather than in the dining room since I was dining alone and wanted a relaxed atmosphere. I had the option of ordering from the bar menu or the dining room menu. I selected the Tagliatelle ai Gamberi e Pomodoro, homemade fettuccine with sautéed shrimp in a light tomato sauce, from the bar menu and it was superb. I would not recommend the Chianti by the glass, but the Pinot Noir was good. I had an interesting chat with some Aspenites who were seated next to me while a cool three-piece band played in the background. If you go, be sure to arrive by 7 p.m. because it’s very popular with locals and tourists and sit in the bar area if you want a lively, but loud, scene.

L’Hostaria Ristorante

620 E. Hyman Ave.

Aspen, CO 81611

http://www.hostaria.com/

970-925-9022

Live music every Tuesday night

Dining in the Hudson Valley

Hudson House River Inn

I was looking for a special place on Thanksgiving and after reading some favorable reviews, I decided to try the Hudson House River Inn in Cold Spring, New York. They were able to accommodate my last minute reservation in the Tavern Room. The quality and service exceeded my expectations and I will return soon. I am still thinking about the divine bourbon sweet potato mash and butternut squash soup. Bravo to Chef John Guererro and his team!

The 1832 landmark building is within walking distance of the train station. If you stay overnight at the inn, be sure to request a river view room or suite.

Hudson House River Inn

2 Main St.

Cold Spring, NY 10516

http://www.hudsonhouseinn.com/

845-265-9355

What CNN didn't see at Zuccotti Park: Mark di Suvero's "Joie de Vivre"

I watched a segment on CNN yesterday about the eviction of the Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park. The video footage was shot from a helicopter overhead, which showed the empty park surrounded by barricades with protestors gathered around the perimeter. The economist Jeffrey Sachs was commenting on voiceover about the OWS movement marking change in America. No one mentioned the park’s 70-foot-tall sculpture, Joie de Vivre, by Mark di Suvero that was repeatedly shown in the footage. The CNN video was shot before the protesters were allowed to return to the park.

There is a fascinating story to be told which the major news organizations have egregiously overlooked. This monumental red steel work was created by an artist who lives in New York City and opposed the wars in Vietnam and Iraq. Think of di Suvero’s sculptures which directly addressed the two wars, Peace Tower and Mother Peace. Joie de Vivre was installed at the corner of Broadway and Cedar Street in 1996. di Suvero is married to Kate Levin, who is Mayor Bloomberg’s Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs. On November 7, 2011, the OWS Arts and Culture Group sent a letter to di Suvero asking him to urge the city to remove barricades around the work that had been set up after one of the protesters climbed on the sculpture.

I was struck by the fact that there has been a paucity of discourse on the metaphorical role of a sculpture that was made by an antiwar protester and inadvertently situated in the middle of the OWS camp. The protesters and media will eventually move on but Joie de Vivre will remain in Zuccotti Park as a silent, powerful and resilient presence.

Watch the November 15, 2011 video clip on http://www.cnn.com/:

“Sachs: OWS movement marks change”

Hudson River Valley Getaway



Lover's Leap overlooking the Hudson River at Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa

While I was enjoying the fall foliage this past weekend in the Hudson River Valley, I found a gem of a spot called the Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa in Milton, NY. I had heard about the inn’s restaurant, Henry’s Farm to Table, but had not visited the property.

Henry's Restaurant

I took the morning train from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie and then a 15-minute cab ride across the Mid-Hudson Bridge to Milton. I had called Henry’s in advance for a lunch reservation and I was seated at a window table overlooking Swan Pond. The chef utilizes organic produce from Millstone Farm, which is located onsite. I ordered the fresh grilled vegetable wrap greens with Fontina cheese. The service was very slow because Henry’s was short on staff. I heard my server apologize to guests at a nearby table that only two chefs were in the kitchen. But the dining room did not have enough wait staff, either. It took an inordinate amount of time for my glass of wine to be served. My veggie wrap tasted fresh and light. For dessert, I ordered the apple crisp, but I was later informed that it was not available and so I selected the poached pear with a scoop of ginger and cinnamon ice cream. The pear was uninspiring but the ice cream was worth the calories.

Buttermilk Falls Inn

After lunch, I walked over to the inn to pick up a map of the property. The inn was built in 1764 and includes 10 guest rooms. Additional accommodations include four guesthouses and a former barn. A private party had booked the entire property for that evening which precluded me from viewing any of the rooms.

View from the inn's patio overlooking South Pond and the Hudson River

I began my stroll of the 75-acre estate from the inn’s patio, which had an exquisite view towards the Hudson River. It looked like an autumnal painting. I followed the path towards the river to Lover’s Leap, where I observed a couple of lovers enjoying the serene view from their Adirondack chairs. I then stopped by the tennis court before heading to Swan Pond.

A new friend

Organic Garden and Barn

I crossed the bridge over the pond to Millstone Farm, which encompasses the organic garden, barn, beehives, llamas, Angora goats, alpacas, peacocks and chickens.

The Spa

I then walked over to the Spa, which was taking advantage of the fall harvest of herbs by incorporating them into handmade oils in signature treatments. I was given a brief tour of the pool, which had a delightful view overlooking the garden.

The beauty and serenity of the property, the indulgent spa treatments and charming variety of accommodations entice me to return as an overnight guest. But the restaurant needs to raise the level of service if they want to have repeat business. 

http://www.buttermilkfallsinn.com/
845-795-1310

Jean Nouvel & Jane's Carousel in Brooklyn, NY



Jane's Carousel in Jean Nouvel's Pavilion

In December, 1999, I visited the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris with my Dad. I distinctly remember the striking transparency and lightness of the Jean Nouvel-designed building. His “glazed barrier” of glass dissolved the delineation of the interior and exterior spaces. 

I read an article in The New York Times in September, 2011 about the opening of Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Nouvel, a Pritzker Prize winner, had been commissioned to design a $9 million transparent pavilion to house the carousel. It was originally made in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and installed in a theme park in Youngstown, Ohio.



Looking into the pavilion

The carousel was purchased at an auction in 1984 by David and Jane Walentas for $385,000. David was the original developer of the Dumbo area of Brooklyn and Jane, who is an artist, began the restoration of the carousel soon after they bought it. The original idea was to include the carousel in a marina and shopping complex along the waterfront between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. The plan was later abandoned and a park was created instead. Once the Walentases received political support for the park, they hired Nouvel. The carousel is their gift to the city. 

My initial view of Nouvel's pavilion in the park

My first impression of the structure was its dramatic location along the East River. From a distance, it looked like the carousel was in a glass-enclosed box. However, as I got closer to the pavilion, I could tell that the walls were made of acrylic instead of glass. Nouvel wanted to create a slight distortion as you look in and out. The acrylic panels cost over $1 million.

Looking out of the pavilion at Brooklyn Bridge

The Walentases originally asked Nouvel to design a round building, but the architect said that it would not look appropriate on that site and he wanted a square shape instead with each wall 72 feet long and a ceiling height of 26 feet. Nouvel considers the carousel to be a bijou in the middle of the box. This jewel is in stark contrast to the surrounding warehouses and bridges. 

On the carousel

The carousel itself is quite beautiful. It is a 3-row machine with 48 carved horses and two chariots. The scenery panels, crests, center pole and platform are original. Each ride is only $2 and I couldn’t resist going three times. The adults seemed to enjoy it as much as the children. Being in motion on the carousel while looking out through the acrylic walls at the bridges and buildings was a bit surreal but great fun. Because the weather was warm, the side of the pavilion facing the park was completely open and thus there was no barrier between indoor and outdoor space. At night, images of horses are projected against white shades within the pavilion to give the effect of a magic lantern.

http://www.janescarousel.com/

Must-see New York Contemporary Art Shows: Fall 2011

Please note that the following exhibitions are listed by closing dates.

Andreas Gursky
Gagosian Gallery
522 W. 21st St.
http://www.gagosian.com/

on view through December 17, 2011

Barnett Newman: Paintings
Craig F. Starr Gallery
5 E. 73rd St.
http://www.starr-art.com/
on view through December 17, 2011

Calder:1941

The Pace Gallery

32 E. 57^th St.

http://www.thepacegallery.com/

on view through December 23, 2011

Howard Hodgkin
Gagosian Gallery
980 Madison Ave.
http://www.gagosian.com/
on view through December 23, 2011

Joan Mitchell: The Last Paintings
Cheim & Read
547 W. 25th St.
http://www.cheimread.com/
on view through January 4, 2012

de Kooning: A Retrospective

The Museum of Modern Art

11 W. 53^rd St.

http://www.moma.org/

on view through January 9, 2012

Carsten Holler: Experience
New Museum
235 Bowery
http://www.newmuseum.org/
on view through January 15, 2012

Maurizio Cattelan: All
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Ave. (at 89th St.)
http://www.guggenheim.org/
on view through January 22, 2012

Ray Parker: Simple Paintings from the 1960s
Washburn Gallery
20 W. 57th St.
http://www.washburngallery.com/
on view through January 28, 2012