Some of the best gatherings are those spent with friends celebrating special occasions.
Over the weekend, my neighbor, designer Andy Yu, hosted a birthday dinner for me and his partner, Dr. Evan Goldstein. Chef Eyal Shani prepared a delightful modern Israeli summer menu themed "How to Think Like a Tomato." There were 24-guests in attendance. Among the many flavorful dishes - gazpacho, grilled fish and fresh vegetables, seafood risotto, lamb shish kebab, Jerusalem focaccia, tomato flatbread pizza, and several delectable desserts including the famous vanilla meringue cake from Cipriani. We also enjoyed music by Jack West. It was a wonderful feast and a most delightful celebration.
Here are some photos.
It was a lovely day for a summer party at the home of Dr. Evan Goldstein and Andy Yu. Here I am with Evan and Andy shortly after arriving. (Photo by Charles Wills)
The event was the first gathering in Andy and Evan’s newly renovated barn – I’m sure the first of many.
As part of the “How to Think Like a Tomato” theme, Chef Eyal Shani brought hundreds of beautiful heirloom tomatoes to decorate the barn entrance.
Here’s a view from above – each tomato is gently placed on the ground flanking the doors. Guests took home tomatoes after the party. (Photo by Charles Wills)
Here’s another photo showing the summer palette of red, yellow, and green tomatoes – big, medium, and small. (Photo by Charles Wills)
Inside the barn was a long table set for 24.
And in the nearby kitchen, more fresh organic vegetables being prepared for dinner. (Photo by Charles Wills)
Do you recognize who I am standing next to in this photo? On my left is Clive Davis, the great music impresario. We are joined by designer Greg Schriefer, Andy, and Evan. (Photo by Charles Wills)
At one end of the barn is musician Jack West, who entertained all the guests with his excellent guitar playing. (Photo by Charles Wills)
More photos are taken outside – this one of Chef Daniel Boulud, his wife Katherine, Andy, and entrepreneur Roy Tin. (Photo by Charles Wills)
Glasses of flavorful gazpacho are handed out to start.
Fish and vegetables are plated individually before cooking outdoors. (Photo by Charles Wills)
Here I am with Evan, Andy, and co-founder of the As Promised Magazine, Cassie Arison, who also helped host the gathering.
Most of the cooking was done outside. Chef Eyal spreads tomato sauce on the pizza dough.
Here is Chef Eyal putting the finishing touches on the seafood risotto. (Photo by Charles Wills)
And here’s the tomato flatbread pizza just out of the oven.
The Jerusalem foccacia is made with a very soft and fluffy dough topped with olive oil tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables. (Photo by Charles Wills)
After everyone sat down for the meal, Chef Eyal made a welcoming toast. Chef Eyal is an Israeli celebrity chef noted for creating the Miznon restaurant chain. His New York City establishment Shmoné earned a Michelin Star last year. (Photo by Charles Wills)
Here is Executive Chef Nadav Greenberg preparing the lamb shish kebabs. (Photo by Charles Wills)
Chef Boulud takes a photo of the fish and vegetables fresh from the outdoor oven. (Photo by Charles Wills)
And what a nice surprise – my favorite cake made by Cipriani, the Vanilla Meringue Cake made with layers of sponge cake, vanilla mascarpone cream, and a shell of meringue brulée.
After a delicious feast, there’s always room for dessert. Guests gathered around the dessert buffet for birthday cake, flourless chocolate cake, sweet zucchini bread, banana bread pudding, and cookies. (Photo by Charles Wills)
It was such a fun party and a wonderful gathering with friends, old and new – thanks Andy! (Photo by Charles Wills)
Do you have a favorite classic neighborhood restaurant? One that's known for its delicious homemade dishes and traditional and relaxed décor?
I've been dining at New York City's Elio's for 35-years. In fact, it was where I had my first date after my divorce in 1989. Elio's is a charming old-world Italian establishment on east 84th Street that has been delighting loyal guests for decades since the late Elio Guaitolini and his business partner, Anne Isaak, first opened it in 1981. Recently, I shared a most pleasant and delicious business dinner at Elio's with dear friends - longtime publicist, Susan Magrino, and Kevin Sharkey, EVP Director of Design at Marquee Brands. Among the plates we enjoyed - Lasagne Bolognese, Soft Shell Crabs, and Beef Carpaccio with Salsa Verde.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
On this day, I was the first to arrive and took a seat at a corner table. It was a warm summer evening, so I ordered a refreshing iced tea and a martini. Thankfully, Susan and Kevin came in just a few minutes later – Kevin with his phone camera ready.
Often described as a neighborhood “clubhouse,” Elio’s is a classic old-fashioned Italian restaurant. Elio worked as a waiter at another well-known eatery, Elaine’s, before becoming a restaurateur. He opened Parma in 1977, and then Elio’s in 1981 with Anne, who previously worked as a sous chef at Chez Panisse.
Elio’s shows off a friendly atmosphere with both outdoor and indoor seating.
Here is the entrance to Elio’s, which has looked the same for decades.
Longtime bartender extraordinaire, Brian Drew, and all the staff greet guests with “buono sera” or good evening. Brian makes one of the best icy cold martinis.
The dining room is intimate with tables placed closely together. I took this photo before the busy dinner rush.
Here is my view from the corner table. The classic décor includes dark wood paneling, coffered ceilings, and old-fashioned light fixtures.
Here’s the cozy outdoor dining area as seen from the inside.
We started with mixed green salads and a light vinaigrette dressing. The greens are always so fresh and hand-selected every morning from local farmers.
This is Beef Carpaccio, an Italian appetizer of raw beef that’s thinly sliced and traditionally served with olive oil, lemon juice, capers, and onions. Elio’s serves it with salsa verde.
Waiter Manuel sprinkled just a bit of pepper on the Vitello Tonnato. This is another classic Italian dish of cold, thinly sliced veal covered in a creamy sauce. The dish originated in Piedmont, Italy, and is often served chilled or at room temperature during the summer.
Thanks Manuel. The wait staff is always so friendly – I just had to take a photo.
I had Lasagne Bolognese. It was so delicious, I decided to make my own lasagne a few days later for my crew at the farm.
Susan ordered Soft Shell Crabs Meunière.
And Kevin had Faroe Island Cold Poached Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Mayonnaise. We all cleaned our plates.
And here’s a photo of my perfect martini made by bartender Brian. If you’re ever in New York City and want a special and classic Italian meal, visit Elio’s. You won’t be disappointed. And maybe I’ll see you there.
Another good pruning job is in progress at my Bedford, New York farm - this time, on the hedges surrounding my swimming pool.
Around the outside of the pool fence, I have a hedge of two dark-colored burgundy-black leafed specimens - Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ and Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple' shrubs. Both are fast-growing shrubs that create a natural enclosure around the pool area. My resident tree expert, Pasang Sherpa, started pruning the hedges yesterday - a task I like to do once a year to keep them healthy and looking their best.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I wanted my pool area to look as natural as possible, where I could enjoy the gardens and panoramic views of the landscape with my family and friends.
Earlier this year, I planted six Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees around the pool. I also have some potted fan palms positioned along the pool’s edge.
Mixed in are some potted agaves. I always take out many of my tropical plants and display them in beautiful ornamental urns around the farm during summer.
There is also lush green lawn on all four sides of the pool. All surrounded by the necessary pool fence disguised by tall hedges. The inside hedge is made of columnar beech trees. These are fastigiate meaning their branches slope upward more or less parallel to the main stem.
On this day, Adan Morales, my mower extraordinaire, cuts the pool lawn using our STIHL RM 655 VS push mower. This 21-inch gas powered mower provides really sharp, accurate cutting and easy bagging. It’s perfect to use in this enclosed area.
I chose these Physocarpus and Cotinus shrubs for the outside. These have grown quite a bit since last year – it’s hard to see the beech trees behind them.
They’re planted alternately and close together to create a hedge and to add interest. They can grow up to two feet per year.
Physocarpus is commonly called ninebark, and is an upright, spreading, somewhat coarse, deciduous, Missouri-native shrub which is closely related to the genus Spiraea. It boasts a deep burgundy foliage with ovate to rounded, usually three to five lobed leaves that are dull green in summer changing to an undistinguished yellow in fall. Then its color veers toward bronzy red by the time the leaves fall in late November.
After the white flowers of the physocarpus bloom, what follows are these seed pods – a favorite food of small birds.
Also known as smoketree or smoke bush, Cotinus is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. They are a great choice for massing or for hedges. The foliage turns scarlet in autumn and has plume-like seed clusters, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze to branch tips.
In fact, the name “smoke bush” comes from this – the billowy hairs attached to the flower clusters which remain in place through the summer, turning a smoky pink to purplish-pink.
Pasang starts to prune the outside shrubs. Pruning means to lop or cut off any superfluous branches or shoots for better-shape and better growth. These look fuller every year – in part because of our regular pruning and grooming.
Pasang cuts off any dead or crisscrossing branches first. The rule of thumb when pruning is to cut the dead, diseased, damaged, non-productive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted plant material.
Pasang also grooms the bottom of the hedge – shaping and removing unnecessary branches. All shrubs can benefit from pruning every other year or so to maintain their shape, improve air circulation, and encourage new growth.
Pasang uses his Okatsune hand pruners. Pruning shears, hand pruners, or secateurs are a type of scissors used on plants. They are strong enough to prune hard branches of trees and shrubs, sometimes up to an inch thick. Everyone on the crew has a pair.
Here’s a look after a section of it is cut – it looks so much better. They’re the perfect height and disguises the fence very well – in fact, I instructed Pasang to cut them as tall as the fence – one cannot see it at all.
It doesn’t take long for the ground to fill with clippings.
Always work on a tarp to collect the cuttings. This makes cleaning up fast and efficient.
Here is one section of the outside hedge all done. One can see the beautiful layers of both the inside hedge and the outside hedge.
I’ve worked hard to develop the pool’s surroundings and am so pleased with how well everything has grown. This is one of my favorite summertime areas of the farm.
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