In the meantime, let's live, laugh and love! Since it is Winter and cold we are staying close to home these days. But I was lured out for dinner last week at Bin 5 (1233 Bay Street at Maryland), the new establishment that took over the space occupied by long-time Island favorite Aesop's Table. The new owners are part of the Da Noi Italian Restaurant group and what they might turn this charming dining spot into was causing me great apprehension.
I'm happy to report my fears were unjustified. The interior has been totally revamped, replacing the bright pressed-tin walls with dark wood and paneling. The bar area has (rightly) been moved to the front of the main dining room and the areas once taken up with tacky window arrangements has made room for cozy, romantic seating. The room has been transformed into a warm, inviting boîte. The menu has a foothold in Italy, but is brave enough to venture into other culinary worlds. The duck and scallion rolls with hoisin sauce aren't the most imaginative thing on a menu, but they were crisp and hot, the duck was juicy and the sauce didn't overwhelm the dish. Salad greens were crisp and clean. My entree of Veal Cannellini, veal scalloppines stuffed with white beans, was simple and flavorful, as was the nightly special of Shepard's Pie! There is an extensive bottled wine list, and the by the glass selections were very good! Looking forward to a return visit soon.
Last night was the first Second Saturday Staten Island of the new year and if it was indicative of what's ahead for the arts on the Island, then I foresee an interesting and provocative year. We were finally able to find the DOORWAY gallery where Gayil Nalls had an installation called "The Smell of a Critical Moment". The few grids of photographs showing people silk-screening and wearing T-shirts designed by Nalls identifying the wearer as part of the 99% does not prepare you for the impact of the main part of the installation. Nalls worked with Occupy Wall Street protesters, providing them with white cotton T-shirts to wear and adorn. Each shirt hangs pristine on a rack in the rear gallery, along with a tag that shares some of the wearer's experience. Nalls is an artist who has been interested in olfactory experience as art and after two minutes or so in the rear gallery you begin to fully take in the invisible ambiance that takes over the space. I appreciated the effort to collect a moment in time; the idea that the 99% is characterized by sweat and perspiration may not be new, but the slightly antiseptic showroom quality of the display, along with (some of) the wearers' tags helps to brings a face and focus to a movement many in the Media call vague.
At Deep Tanks (150 Bay Street), Island artist DB Lampman performed a piece called "Brain Furniture". I had encountered some of Ms. Lampman's work out at the Freshkills Park not long ago, but I missed the performance she did with the strained bio-morphic figures she installed there. Here, working in a small confined space, she interacted with four torso-like light sculptures. Dressed in a youthful pinefore, Ms. Lampman interacted with these objects, controlling their light levels, raising them up and down and generally exploring and creating a neural network. Well scored, the piece was bright, fun, and concise, all positives in the world of performance. The piece had a strong feminist voice that was neither strident or clichéd. Drawings and paintings accompanied the installation and performance. Brava!!
1 comment:
A good read.
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