An Abundant Life - New Year's YES

As the year draws to a close and the new year celebrations approach, I find myself thinking back to other years and other times and remembering people I knew and may know now, and places where I went and may still go now, and things that I did once upon a time that may still be a part of my life. I say may in all of these cases because things do change, people come and go, and places where we once loved to be or maybe didn't want to be in change, are not around, or we ourselves have changed and moved and things have been shaken up and turned around and made into something new.

A while ago I was thinking about some of the people and places and things in my past that had beens such a big part of my life but are not now, and I realized that I have no regrets. It's not always been an easy road and at the time when things began to shift and change it felt sometimes as if nothing would ever feel right again, but one thing I am understanding now is that having faith in the goodness of God and taking in the love that God offers to us freely can help us understand that thought things and people and places we loved may change or cease being a part of our life, whatever the transition is that happens, though painful, will find us in the end at a better place than where we were before. Every experience I've had has brought me in some way to the place where I am now, and that includes the challenges and heartaches and hardships. If I dwell on the pain of the past I am not seeing the beauty of the present and the possibility of the future, and so as I go into this new year I find myself asking God for more faith and more hope and more courage to believe that good things can and will happen, even within and around the difficulties we face.

I add courage into that list because it's not easy at times to believe in hope and love and goodness. When we have lived a life that at times has shown us that people can do all kinds of things, it can be hard to believe that no matter what they may do we will always have an ally and friend to help us if we have the faith and presence of mind to keep doing what is right for our part. It can also be frightening to care and to love when we have lost and been hurt by loss of friendships, loved ones, romance, and things that we cared about and may still care about. How can we love in the face of fear that we may have what we love taken away from us? And that is where courage comes in, the courage to keep walking forward in faith, loving and caring and hoping and doing all that we can to do our best to do what is kind, and right and true.

As I prepare for the new year at YES Gallery, I'm excited for what has already happened there and I feel so much joy for the possibilities in the future. Someone who has visited the gallery several times before stopped in and told me how inspiring it is to walk by and wished me a happy new year, and a happy new year it will be, with the help of faith and hope and love and belief in God's goodness and grace.

Happy New Year!

From YES Gallery

408 6th Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - 'Tis The Season

When I was very young I received my first bottle of Chanel No5 because my Mother always wore it and she said that every woman should own a bottle of Chanel No5. If I am remembering correctly, it was at the table when I had breakfast in the morning of a birthday, and my Father had been the one who bought it. I still have that bottle, and as I've written in this blog at other times before, I have since then had the opportunity to add new bottles of not only No5, but additional scents from the history and the present of Chanel fragrances.

When I heard from the Beauty Advisor who I know who works at the Chanel Counter at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City that there would be a special fragrance event, I made an appointment. I knew it would be a wonderful experience, and it was even more special than I had expected. From the invitation I had thought that it would be a kind of party atmosphere, and though it was very celebratory because of the holidays and the displays, it was much more personalized in the way of other events that I've gone to when there have been makeup consultants or other individual appointments to meet with specialists from the company. Jawn, the fragrance specialist who I met with took me through the line of fragrances from the Les Exclusifs de Chanel collection, sharing the history behind each scent and so much fun and useful and interesting information that though I had known some of the history and definitely have my own memories of stories I've heard and things that have been shared with me, I learned so much and the brand that I'd always loved since childhood has really come alive in new ways.

At the end of our time together, I was invited to come back for another appointment. Jawn had added another day to his schedule, and so I decided to meet with him again. This time we went through some of the Les Exclusifs, but he also added in the other fragrances that are part of the brand, and so by the end of our afternoon I had learned about and had the opportunity to explore every Chanel fragrance that is available. I love perfume, and wear it daily, but I'm very selective about the scents I wear and different fragrances from Chanel are often the ones that I've selected on a regular basis. Having the opportunity to explore and learn about the entire line has not only given me some beautiful reminders of how the stories from Chanel have been a part of my own life, but have added some new memories and new possibilities for future experiences.

An Adventure With Chanel Fragrances

At Saks Fifth Avenue

New York, New York

https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/ 

 https://www.chanel.com/us/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - New Life

This past week I had the anniversary of the day that I was born again. December 12, 2005, was a day that before it happened I would have thought was like any other during that time which was a very difficult and dark time in my life, but after God stepped in everything changed, and what had been darkness was given new light and new life. I've written about the testimony of that time before, so I won't go into the story of it now, but one thing that I started doing six months after that was helping in a soup kitchen on Manhattan's lower east side. When I first walked in the door to volunteer and I saw how awful the experience was for the people coming in and how terrible and unhealthy the food was, I heard the voice of God saying, "Only the best for my children," and I began the journey at that moment that has become a passion of my life, to help bring the best quality food possible to people everywhere, regardless of their background, income level, age or anything else that might keep them from having healthy, wholesome, delicious high quality food.

A few weeks ago I was introduced to Ron Tornari by David Meltzer at a an event he was hosting in Hoboken. Ron is the Founder of an organization named Chefs For Seniors that began as a way of providing older adults healthy and delicious meals cooked in-home by Chefs. After starting the organization, Ron understood how much need there is in communities of all ages and backgrounds, and so he started a not for profit to help provide meals and food for people who couldn't afford the service. The work he is doing aligns so closely with my Love & Plenty project that I've written about in these pages before, and so I kept in touch with him and suggested that we begin collaborating on events to help raise awareness and bring his services to Hoboken. This past week I scheduled an event with him that was in two parts, the first part at YES Gallery and the second at a private club nearby that was kind enough to let me use their space for the gallery event guests to share a meal. There were so many wonderful people that responded in so many wonderful ways, including some lovely press that I will write about in future weeks, but for now I want to share a very sweet moment that I videotaped on the night of the event when one of the visitors to the gallery, Joy the Founder of Be The Difference LLC, began interviewing guests about how they make a difference. It is something that she does as part of her brand's message and I had seen posts about some of the interviews she has created before, but it was a very unexpected and impromptu part of the evening. It had not been planned, but it seemed to flow beautifully with the energy and spirit that were in the space. So many people involved with YES Gallery are making a difference in their communities, and it was a lovely experience to have someone like the gorgeous Joy, who herself makes such a difference, document just how wonderful these wonderful people are.

Making A Difference

At YES Gallery

With So Much Gratitude To

The Gorgeous Joy

Founder Of Be The Difference LLC

The Gorgeous Katia Biassou

And The Gorgeous Katie Duffy McGeehin

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - In Memory of La Dolce Vita

This was originally posted in 2018. When I heard the news this past week that the world had lost this wonderful man and friend to so many, I had a difficult time thinking of what tribute I could write for him. There is so much to say, and no way to express what it feels like to think that he is not going to appear, walking down the street, sitting outside of one of his favorite restaurants, or hosting one of his famous parties. I keep waking up in the morning thinking I need to go see him at some club or party or event, and then I remember. And as I remember, I begin to think about the Rocco I knew, and I want to tell the world all the good things he brought to life. This blog post was Rocco approved. When I wrote it I sent it to him and asked for any edits as I always do when I write about people or places because I want to make sure that the way I am writing about them is the way they want to be shown. He was happy with it and that made me so happy at the time, because I know that though he was always kind, he was honest too, and he would have told me the truth of what he felt about my writing. I'll share it here again because he liked it and shared it with people at the time, and though there have been several years and more wonderful things he's done since then, it will give a view into the life of someone who I admired, loved, and who was extraordinary in so many wonderful ways.

Notes From The City - An Abundant Life - La Dolce Vita

May 20, 2018

The first time I met Rocco Ancarola, he was wearing a costume. I was writing a blog post about Antique Bar & Bakery, and one of the owners had invited me to the Halloween Silent Disco, the first Silent Disco in Hoboken. I am not big on costumes or Halloween - I will admit that my vanity doesn't allow me to do anything that I think will make me look foolish. A designer friend once arranged for a group of us to go to a party in a cornfield dressed as the entire cast of "The Wizard of Oz" and she made me the most beautiful Glinda The Good Witch gown, but it is rare that I will dress up in a costume for anything. Years ago I used to love to dress up, and after I met Rocco and experienced his joie de vivre I started to wonder what had gotten me to start worrying so much about what anybody else thought. He is a very handsome and charismatic man, an icon in New York and international nightlife, and yet there he was, wearing an outfit and a wig and looking as if he was having the time of his life. Since I've gotten to know him more in the months since then, I've started to understand that whenever Rocco is in the room it's a party. Costume or not, holiday or week night, he brings a sense of laughter and fun wherever he goes that is contagious. The night of the Silent Disco a friend of his introduced us when he found out I was writing a blog about the restaurant because I had met the other two partners and had not yet met the third. Rocco gave me his telephone number and email address and said I should call him, and we spoke a bit about Antique Bar & Bakery and his reasons for joining that restaurant partnership. I had known that he was involved in the nightlife and restaurant business in New York City, but it was only after I got home and started doing my research that I realized who I'd been talking to, and I immediately called a friend up in amazement. It was inconceivable to me, and magical, that someone with a pedigree like Rocco Ancarola would be so friendly, so kind, and so generous as to take the time to talk to me. When I said that to him later, as we sat down to talk for this blog, he laughed at first in his charming way, and then he said something that is a key to the phenomenal success that he is. He told me that he never really thought about himself or his ideas as being extraordinary in any way. He works hard, and when he has ideas, he works towards accomplishing them. In his words, "It's just another day at the office," but in my experience of who Rocco Ancarola is, he and his office are capable of extraordinary things.

As I've written in these pages before, I lived and worked for a long time in downtown Manhattan, and my earliest memories of City life include the places that Rocco Ancarola started, was a part of, and made great. When we sat down to talk one beautiful afternoon at Antique Bar & Bakery, I asked him a few questions about why he moved to New York and what made him decide to start the restaurants he started, because I am simply in awe of the fact that New York City nightlife, and indeed New York City itself, would not be what it is today without him. Currently a partner with the Tao Group in one of Manhattan's hottest restaurants and nightclubs LAVO, his illustrious career includes Mezzaluna, Boom, and Ciaobella in Manhattan, and numerous parties and events that are legendary worldwide. Growing up in South Africa as the son of Italian parents, he came to New York to pursue a life-long dream. He told me that he had always wanted to be an actor, from the time he was a very little boy, something that I can completely relate to because from the earliest memories I have I dreamed of being an actress. His mother came from a butcher's family, and both his father and mother gave him a love for fine food and wine. Growing up with the experience of having wine barrels around the house because his father made his own home-made wine, he saw an excellent possibility in New York with the vision that is his trademark, and he decided to start a wine importing company with a friend. Then, when an opportunity came to work at Mezzaluna, he took it, learning the art of restaurant service from a waiter he admired. Over time, as he continued to pursue his acting career, he also continued to make friends in the restaurant industry, and after working together and creating a nightlife scene at one place after another, they decided to create a restaurant of their own.

In one of the themes that seems to be an integral part of who he is, Rocco was always looking for ways to do something that no one had ever done before. When he was at Mezzaluna, he and his friends created such an enchanting and desirable environment that many of the other Italian restaurants tried to copy them. The first restaurant he and his partners started, Ciaobella, was such a success that it forever changed the way that people thought an Italian restaurant should be. For a time he left New York for Hollywood to follow his acting dream, and while there he had an inspiration for a new nightlife experience. When he met Chef Geoffrey Murray who had traveled the world surfing and working in restaurants, magic happened. After coming back to New York his next restaurant, Boom, opened to acclaim and went on to win awards and be the place to be seen because of the ecclectic and delicious menu of cuisines from around the world created by his partner and Chef Geoffrey Murray, and a chic party atmosphere that was completely new to SoHo in those years. Other restaurants and lounges and clubs sprang up to try to match the success, but they could not. The phenomenal success of Boom swept across the country, starting a trend by defining the "world food" concept. Using the term "fusion" became synonymous with contemporary haute cuisine as others tried to define themselves in ways that reflected what Rocco and his partners had created, but the fact that set Rocco and his vision apart was always his love of the classics. His DJ's play original classic songs and not the remixes that others use, and even when he opened the acclaimed Rabbit In The Moon, an English Gastro Pub, he kept the theme of authentic English Pub food and classic dishes while always using the best, freshest and highest quality products. Following Boom, Rocco and his partners started Bang in South Beach, creating another incredible cuisine and nightlife experience with food from the Islands of the World, and bringing South Beach to the forefront as a global destination and one of the world's hottest spots. Outposts of Boom and Bang opened in Bridgehampton, Madrid and Mexico City.

Continuing to win prestigious awards, among many others for Boom the Esquire Awards and The John Mariani "Best New Restaurant in the USA", and for Bang the Silver Spoon Award for Best New Restaurant in Florida, Rocco then opened another completely unique restaurant, Two Rooms on Manhattan's Upper East Side in an old house from the 1800's with a white picket fence that featured African design and food from all over Africa. Two Rooms drew crowds that lined up around the block and visitors included Madonna, Seal, U2 and the New York Rangers. In Sag Harbor he opened Rocco's A La Playa, a first of its kind for the Hamptons, serving Cuban and Brazilian food, that became a legendary Jet-Set hotspot destination; and his club Pink Elephant in New York City was nominated as the Best Club in the USA, with Pink Elephant in the Hamptons considered to be in the top ten Best Summer Clubs in the World. He currently runs one of the longest and most successful New York Sunday night parties at LAVO, called Riviera Sundays, and all of this while producing events abroad in the international arena, in such illustrious places as the Cannes Film Festival. His first event at Cannes was for the Camera D'Or award winning film "Slam," with many other events at Cannes yearly after that; he produced yearly events at the Havana Film Festival, bringing among others Actor Matt Dillon's directorial debut film "City of Ghosts" to Havana; at another time he brought Actress Marissa Tomei and Actor Norman Reedus for an exclusive party he produced at the famous landmark "El Moro." For New Years 2000 he produced the magnificently star studded "New Years Eve Millennium" event in Havana with 1,500 people from all over the globe and 500 of the Cuban elite attending, and which was referred to by many in Cuba as one of the most memorable events since the revolution. He has produced events in Sao Paulo for the opening of his club Pink Elephant and the New York club Chaos, and Pink Elephant events in Punta del Este, the playground of the rich and famous of South America and Jet-Setters from around the world; he has also produced events on the exclusive island of Hvar in Croatia and Sibenik, and in the Dominican Republic's exclusive Punta Cana. For five years he produced one of the most exclusive New Years parties in the world in Rio de Janeiro with CARAS Magazine, the most famous celebrity Magazine in Brazil and South America, and he also produced the exclusive yearly top party of the Winter Music Conference in Miami with his friends the world renowned DJ's Paul Oakenfold and Pete Tong. He has produced parties in Ibiza, in Paris for Fashion Week, and in Venice. He has been nominated as one of the Top 10 Promoters in the World by top Italian Magazine Max Italia; one of New York's 100 Coolest People by the Daily News; and he still has time for acting, appearing in Madonna's GRAMMY nominated video "Oh Father" as a lead playing her father as a young man; with Mark Ruffalo in Director Terry George's film "Reservation Road"; the film "Cathedral Canyon" directed by Paul Douglas; and he currently is appearing in the Reality show "Real Housewives of New York." As with everything else he does, he takes his acting work seriously, and has studied with Uta Hagen and Shelly Winters, two of the most well respected and excellent actresses and teachers in the history of New York City theater. He is also writing a film script based on his parents' love story, and a book about his life.

And his story will go on as the legend that he is. Time and time again, as he branched out and created new spaces and new events, they would be so phenomenally successful that there would be others who tried to copy them. But Rocco is Rocco - there is only one, and just as he strives always for a unique and memorable excellence, he keeps people around him who strive for excellence too. As I have written before about Antique Bar & Bakery, I won't go into detail here, but for anyone who hasn't read that post, it is from December 3, 2017 and it is called "The Art Of Perfection" for many reasons, from the Executive Chef and Partner Paul Gerard and his glorious food to Partner and Filmmaker Joe Castelo who brings his film experience to create a perfect scene, the convivial atmosphere, the beautiful and carefully detailed design, and the friendly staff who make everyone feel at home. Rocco shared with me that it was because of its uniqueness and theatricality that he decided to become involved, in his words "With the 100 year old oven it doesn't get more unique than that. A bakery by day and restaurant by night, with food cooked in the 30 ton coal oven by the super talented Chef Paul Gerard, and the visual films of real classic home movies from the 70's arranged by Partner Joe Castelo, and with very friendly staff who sing and dance as they work, this to me is the cherry on top, of what gives the place the Gold Medal for originality and exemplifies uniqueness, from the decor, to the food and the music and the biodynamic organic wines and bar chefs that create cocktails with only fresh ingredients from oven fired roasted fruits and to fresh herbs." I had wanted to meet with Rocco and talk a bit more before writing that post, but as with all things, patience can make timing perfect when we allow it to. Having the opportunity to meet with an icon was made even more special by a beautiful spring day and a wine pairing dinner at Antique that Rocco hosted, introducing Chef Paul Gerard's new spring menu and featuring biodynamic and organic wines shared and paired by Wine Expert Phil Cerrito from Wilson Daniels, that was the first in a series of monthly dinners titled "Wine & Dine With Rocco Ancarola" celebrating family style service, delicious food and delectable wines. The invitation showed a photo of Rocco looking very much like an even more glamorous Marcello Mastroianni with the caption "La Dolce Vita", and the day of the dinner when we met to talk, Rocco was wearing his "La Dolce Vita" t-shirt in homage to that same wonderful film. When I wrote about Antique Bar & Bakery, I used their tag line "Keep The Fire Burning" as an ending note, saying how much they do just that for so many people. For Rocco Ancarola, I can echo that and add the words "The Sweet Life," because of how much he has done and still does to keep life sweet for us all.

Rocco Ancarola

At Antique Bar & Bakery

122 Willow Avenue

Hoboken, New Jersey

https://www.antiquebarbakery.com/

With Executive Chef And Partner Of
Antique Bar & Bakery

Chef Paul Gerard And His Son Frank

Wine & Dine With Rocco Ancarola

At Antique Bar & Bakery

With Phil Cerrito

Wine Expert From Wilson Daniels

www.wilsondaniels.com

And The New Spring Menu

Created By Executive Chef Paul Gerard

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Connecting In Conversation

I've written about the project "Education = Power In Choice (EPIC): Empowering Communities Through Food System Education" in these pages before and how it all began through the Food Systems Game Changers Lab and the project Love & Plenty that I submitted as an idea in 2021 that was accepted into the Lab and led me to being connected with a wonderful group of people around the world to come up with an answer to the question, "How can we make a more equitable food system through education?" A few months ago I was contacted by Hana McMahon-Cole, one of the wonderful people who has continued to be a part of the EPIC project moving forward, and she was in the process of creating a speaker series for youth food system education that is part of the after school and out of school time program Beyond School Bells. As I wrote at the time, we had such a wonderful conversation that really was so inspiring and affirming of all of the importance behind the work we have been doing together. Times like those are so precious as reminders that the work of education and sharing information and connecting communities to their food system is making a difference for the better in so many lives.

I heard from Hana last week that they had finished editing my conversation with her as well as the introductory video for the series, and when I had a chance to review it I was delighted. It's so wonderful to be a part of such a stellar group of beautiful souls who are doing so much excellent work in their respective communities and in the world, and to have the opportunity to speak with Hana after all these months of working together on EPIC and have the chance to speak about the things we are doing in our own work as well as our collaborative project. I'll post the actual videos when they're ready to be seen publicly, but for now I'll share the landing pages to show the other people involved and the project as a whole. In a very fun surprise for me, the photograph the team creating the videos used for my landing page profile photograph is one of the very special and beautiful photographs taken by Victor Kaminsky at the one year anniversary celebration of YES Gallery. Having the two worlds of my life meet together in this way makes so much sense to me because the combination of art and life and health and wellness, healthy food, and community and youth development have been somehow connected in everything that I do, and what I always find when I try to describe to people my vision for different projects, they all seem to interconnect and reflect all of these many seemingly different areas. Holistic health is for me the most exciting and inspiring idea to investigate and aspire to, and connecting people together in community based settings around the topics of food, wellness, art, design and sustainability seems to be something that helps communities to connect and heal and grow in healthy and dynamic ways.

In Conversation With

Hana McMahon-Cole

Beyond School Bells

Food Systems Speaker Series

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

  

An Abundant Life - Gratefulness

A few weeks ago a lovely woman named Caren Lissner stopped by YES Gallery one afternoon and asked me if she could take photographs. I invited her in and as we spoke she told me that she is a staff writer for New Jersey Patch, and that she wanted to write about the gallery. Experiences like this, when people just happen to walk by and feel welcomed and are interested in the art and environment in the space are so encouraging to me. It's a place that is not like any other and to hear that people enjoy seeing it and being there is such a wonderful confirmation that what has been created in this place is inviting, beautiful and inspiring.

When I began planning the event for the Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour, I sent information to Caren, and she responded that she had been busy with other local news during the election season, but that she would have more time again after that. The Studio Tour was a little over a week after Election Day, and when I sent out the invitations the the event at YES Gallery, I sent one to Caren and heard back that she was just then in the process of writing about the Studio Tour.

With everything that was happening around that event and that day as well as some other projects that have been keeping me very busy I didn't have a chance to follow up about the article. Caren was kind enough to take the time to attend the evening event at the gallery, but it was such a busy day and a full evening and I didn't ask her about the article that night. There's a part of me that doesn't ever want to bother anyone, especially when they're doing something kind for me, and so I felt it better to wait until we both had more time to talk. She posts beautiful photographs and fun posts on her own Instagram page, and I had been enjoying seeing them and commenting, and then one evening I thought to just look up the article to see if I could find it and I did immediately. It had been posted on November 9, and it was so beautifully written and photographed that I was filled with gratitude for this wonderful writer and photographer who had taken the time to write about YES Gallery and me when her time and schedule were so busy.

Over Thanksgiving I was finding that a practice of Gratitude that I'd begun around 18 years ago was coming into my mind again as a way of reflecting during the holiday. There is so much to be grateful for, and the beautiful people who walk in the door to YES Gallery and share their time and inspiration and encouragement is a joyful experience. When someone takes the time to write about the gallery, it's truly a gift. I know from my own experience over the years that writing takes time and effort and to have that time and effort taken for YES Gallery is a very special gift. With so much gratitude I share the article Caren Lissner wrote, and I give thanks for the beautiful gift she shared with me.

A Beautiful Article

About The Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour

Written By Karen Lissner

In New Jersey Patch

Including Photographs And Information

From Her Visit To YES Gallery

https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken-art-tours-give-visitors-rare-look

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Performing Art

Last week I wrote that on Sunday there was a celebration at YES Gallery during the Fall Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour and because the date of the celebration was the date when I was posting for the week, I wanted to follow up today with some of the videos from that gorgeous day. The marvelous Visionary Module had put together a wonderful line-up of musicians and performers, and all afternoon and into the evening there were wonderful people and Artists and performers visiting and making music and enjoying the art and the music and the beautiful golden Autumn afternoon and cozy evening. There were so many illustrious guests in the space, including the marvelous Anthony Haden-Guest and the marvelous Linus Coraggio as well as the gorgeous Nancy August who brought them with her to see the gallery and their work that is on display. It's so exciting and such an honor to have Artists like these visit and enjoy YES Gallery, and to have such wonderful music and visitors for a gallery celebration. The videos I was able to create caught a glimpse of the beauty of that very special blessing of a day and evening.

Visionary Module Performing

At YES Gallery

Followed By Dale

With Anthony Haden-Guest and Linus Coraggio

Photograph By Nancy August

Tapalaga Performing At YES Gallery

Followed By Rose Image

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

 

An Abundant Life - Fall Festivity

There is just something about fall that makes me feel so happy. I love all the changing seasons and have very special memories and times within each of them, but for some reason fall just seems to be a time that always gives me a deep feeling of excitement and contentment rolled all into one. YES Gallery is so full of blooming plants still, and there are more that have arrived to grace the front steps. With the nights getting cooler I sometimes bring them inside earlier, but as long as possible I keep the door open to let the scent of the fall breeze fill the space.

Today is the Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour and I planned a celebration that would begin in the afternoon and go into the evening. The Studio Tour is always such a beautiful time to celebrate art and community, and as the days become more golden in their light and the air is filled with the sounds of whispering falling leaves, the celebration is also part of my own way to welcome the fall into the place itself.

The marvelous musician Visionary Module decided to curate a lineup of performers and bands for the YES Gallery celebration, and there was a familiar face who arrived at the gallery door a little over a week ago to say that he was going to be performing there. Rose Image had his first YES Gallery performance on the weekend of the Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour last year, and as I wrote about at the time he had also inspired me to find a vintage turntable for the gallery by lending me his portable turntable to play over the weekend when he wasn't performing. He had been such a wonderful addition to so many of the events I'd had monthly, and then his schedule changed and he hadn't been there in a while. It was so good to see him and to hear that he was going to be back again to share his wonderful creative spirit and inspiration!

I'll be posting more from this beautiful day, but for now here are a few of the images that have been created to celebrate the celebration of art and life that is filling the world of Hoboken and the world of YES Gallery.

YES Gallery Celebration

During The Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour

408 6th Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

Beautiful Visuals Created By

The Marvelous Hoboken Cultural Affairs

The Invitation I Created With The Wonderful Visual

From The Marvelous Hoboken Cultural Affairs

A Wonderful Flyer Created By

The Marvelous Visionary Module

For The Band and Performance Line-Up He Curated

A Beautiful Post Created By 

The Marvelous Hoboken Business Alliance

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Little Precious Jewel

I had been hearing from the marvelous Chef Seadon Shouse that he and the team of Halifax in Hoboken were planning a new small restaurant and bar with light bites on 14th Street, and I knew it would be wonderful so I kept watching to see when it was opening so I could go for a visit. When I heard from Chef Shouse that if I was available on a Wednesday night I could stop in, I enthusiastically said yes. It was such a wonderful invitation to receive, and because I know how wonderful everything is that Chef Shouse and the team at Halifax does I was so excited to go to this newest place they'd created.

Chef Shouse had told me where it was and described that it was on the corner of 14th and Shipyard, but I hadn't been by yet so I didn't know anything about it. When I first arrived at the door I felt immediately that I'd found something so wonderful, and as I walked in through the deep blue violet drapes the world outside seemed to be far away as I entered a very special and beautiful space. Everything inside was lovely, with an elegance and comfort and every attention to gorgeous detail creating an immersion of lovely and special hospitality where even the names of offerings on the menu bring a smile of delight, with history and local culture and lore updated in beautiful serveware and glasses.

I'm a lover of the waterfront and of sailing, and in some ways I felt as if I was on board a very beautiful ship, or perhaps in the private dining room or lounge of an ocean-front or seaside hideaway. Memories of lovely places I'd been in Europe and in my favorite seafaring coastal places kept rising up and being added to by the wonderful experience I was having in this very new and uniquely special place that has its own very special vision.  

To say that I could have ordered everything on the menu is a testament to the excellent curating of flavors by the marvelous Chef Shouse and the marvelous team at Halifax Hoboken who have created a place that is a lovely combination of charming, elegant, comfortable, welcoming, inviting and somehow both inclusive and exclusive. Anyone who knows me knows that those qualities are what I strive for at YES Gallery, and when I discovered them when I first met Chef Shouse a few years ago at Halifax, those qualities along with his marvelous culinary art made it a favorite destination. At Little Bar I took his advice and instead of ordering everything I chose a smaller selection of the delightful choices, knowing I can visit this very special jewel box of a place again and again.

I began with the selection of Serrano ham, salami and duck rillettes from the cures section on the boards menu and tried a marvelous "Did The New York Yacht Club Serve Grog?" that not only has a wonderfully and creatively fun name rooted in its seafaring history that was shared with me, but was also so lovely and enjoyable as a crafted Mixologist's dream creation could be. That was followed by a selection of artisan made salted anchovies, squid in ink, cockles in brine and eggplant caponata served with sesame thyme lavash crackers and house made hot sauce which hit every lovely layered flavor filled note, and the "I Think Tom Collins Lives On 14th Street" that was as refreshing as its name is joyfully fun.

As I finished the evening's selections with a chocolate pot du creme with ganache and a topping of chocolatey espresso cookie crumble that was honestly one of the most delicious desserts I have had anywhere, I was so grateful to have had this opportunity to visit this very wonderful oasis of culinary delight. The Mixologist's selection I chose to accompany it appeared with a cacao fish stenciled on top, such an inventive, fun and lovely touch in a creation that was as flavorful as it was beautiful. This is the place to be! It's such a dream of a space, and so beautiful to visit, and the food, service, and everything about it are wonderful and excellent in every way. The two small and simple words in the name Little Bar mean a very, very big success.

Little Bar

1401 Hudson Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

https://www.littlebar.com/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan