Notes From The City

Sunday, January 14, 2018

An Abundant Life - Deliciously Crafted

A few months ago when I was writing about the wonderful makers of Misunderstood Whiskey, I took an adventure around Hoboken to try the different specialty cocktails that a variety of talented Mixologists were making with that very special Ginger Spiced Whiskey as their inspiration. Though a few of the restaurants I'd visited before, some of them I'd never been to, and thanks to the wonderful makers of wonderful Misunderstood, I was introduced to some amazing people. One of the restaurants on my list was Grand Vin which is a favorite of mine, and when I stopped by to try the specialty cocktail they were making, I was introduced to the amazing Mike Fikaris. I had written about Grand Vin before, and had visited there for several memorable meals, but every time I had been sitting outside and enjoying the wine selection and the amazing pairings the very knowledgeable and excellent staff had suggested, and I'd never thought to try a cocktail. As soon as I met Mike and saw the skill and focus he put into his craft, I knew I had met someone very special and I asked if I could spend some time with him after I finished writing about Misunderstood Whiskey so that I could write about the marvelous world he creates inside at the bar. He connected me with Anne Marie Adducci, who creates so many of the lovely touches in design that grace the space and who also graces the events with her lovely presence, and I was on to a new adventure.

The first taste treat I had on my next visit after that wonderful Misunderstood Whiskey adventure was on a Sunday afternoon, and though he'd been working a double shift, he worked double time with admirable good cheer to share some of his expertise. Then Anne Marie invited me to the Fall Cocktail Tasting, an event that I will always remember for the beauty of presentation and taste that introduced the lucky group of us to each cocktail. I had spoken with Dan Grey, the amazing owner who had so impressed me when I first wrote about the beautiful space and place he'd created, and as part of the focus piece on Mike Fikaris, I went back again for a dinner. In the meantime I'd heard from Laura McKelvie, another of the beautiful and talented presences there, that she was in the process of starting a new business as a tranformational life coach, and she was doing some foundational research by asking a few simple questions in conversation with volunteers who were interested in helping her on the journey. I suggested that she and I could meet on the same night I had my dinner with Mike, which led to a lovely Friday evening. I sat at the bar and watched Mike create his magic, even pairing my delicious cupcake dessert with a perfect cocktail. He's so professional and modest that I have to be quick to catch him creating - if I don't have my camera ready, the most amazing drink is on the bar in front of me before I've even noticed he's making it. A busy Friday night, a double shift on a Sunday - Mike Fikaris is able to keep the entire room happy and serve everyone with perfection. And my dinner that night was as perfect as it always is when I go to Grand Vin. They had just started serving oysters that week, so I ordered a combination of six that were divine, following that with a luscious serving of scallops and my favorite braised short ribs. Laura had just been involved with completing a new wine menu of organic wines, and she shared some tastes and pairings for each course. With those lovely cocktails and delicious wines, each taste was more than special. Although I love sitting outside at Grand Vin, I'm enjoying the experience of these colder weather months now that I know there's always a perfectly magical place at the bar.

Mike Fikaris Making Magic

At Grand Vin

500 Grand Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

http://grandvinhoboken.com/

The Lovely Laura McKelvie

Sharing And Pairing Organic Wines

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

Sunday, January 7, 2018

An Abundant Life - Enchanting The World

Agnes Collins Hunt is a beautiful and admirable young woman. When I first met her, I was enchanted by her thoughtful discussion about her exploration of women's roles in society, a discussion that was enhanced for me by the fact that though she is a young woman, she has wisdom beyond her years. I have worked for some time in the area of youth development, and often I find that I am the one who has to encourage the young women I meet that it's all right to question the status quo, that it's all right to be different from the mainstream, and that it's all right to question the societal and media pressures that try to make us fit into a mold. When I met Agnes and she showed me photographs of her work, she very clearly and carefully spoke of her creative vision in a way that allowed for her own continued experience of searching for answers, along with her discovery of how to express the questions that inspire her journey.

Perhaps one of the reasons that Agnes Collins Hunt is such a beautifully deep thinker is because of the world of the people who surround her. I met her because her Aunt, the exquisite Edla Cusick, who is an artist in many areas and genres, is the art teacher of the lovely artist Alberte Bernier who I will be writing about in a few weeks. It was at a gallery opening for Alberte's work where I met Edla and Agnes, and though the night was rainy and difficult to go out in, I was very glad that I did go out because in addition to seeing Alberte's beautiful work, I met Agnes and Edla and had the opportunity to visit with them a few weeks later at Edla's home where they have a studio. Agnes creates amazingly lovely collage pieces, working in fiber and mixed media, and she makes her home in London part of the year and in New York City at other times where she works in the studio where Edla has lived and worked for many years. Among other things, Edla has been a playwright and a designer, and she has worked in many forms of art from painting and drawing to collage to sculpture and mixed media. Her current work is created by using strips of fabric and paper to copy images from old photographs in small and sometimes miniature formats reminiscent of daguerreotypes, and the detail of the work is astonishing. As we discussed their work and I took photographs of the studio, Edla said that the focus should be on Agnes, and though I agree that Agnes' work and the maturity of her vision are impressive and exciting, there is so much that is so beautiful in both of them and the way that they work together to inspire and encourage each other that to talk about both of them in an integrative way is part of a beautiful whole.

Edla wanted me to make sure to mention that Agnes' Father Tim is a Nobel Prize winner in Physiology for his work in cell division, but when I met him at their opening at Jadite Galleries recently and asked how he would like me to list him in my posts, he said, "Aggie's Father Tim." This is the kind of family this is and why they are so enchanting. At the same time that they're thinking and creating great things, they're having fun and being delightfully down to earth. But don't let that fool you - the creative genius they share is enchanting and inspiring, and if you look beyond their charming friendly demeanors, you will find minds that are incisive, active, deep, rich and fertile.

Edla Cusick and Agnes Collins Hunt

In Their Studio

New York City

www.AgnesCollinsHunt.com