An Abundant Life - Touching The Sky

There is a song by Juan Carlos Calderon titled "Touch The Wind" that I first heard when my brother recorded it on acoustic guitar more than ten years ago. The way that my brother plays it, with layer upon layer of rhythms moving in and out of the lovely and simple melody, it is one of the most beautiful songs in the way that it makes you feel - it is open and expansive and uplifting, and listening to it makes it seem like anything wonderful is possible. My brother loved playing guitar. I think that the way music sounds must have something to do with the emotion of the musician playing it, and that it must have given my brother great joy to play this song. He titled it "Touch The Sky" on his recording, and through the interweaving of melodies it brings a sense of a breath of fresh open air opening out into a limitless horizon.

Whenever I walk into the restaurant Halifax, I have a feeling like the feeling of that music. Although it is part of the W Hotel and has the protection and comfort of the solid building around it, it seems like a space that is open to the harbor and the sky, and from the first moment when I had the opportunity to meet the Manager Carlos Arteaga and try the expertly mixed Cuban Redhead, a craft cocktail that he and the Mixologist Roxann De Armas had created with Misunderstood Whiskey, I knew I'd found a place where it would be possible to take some time and reflect and find a moment to enjoy. I asked if I could write about the restaurant, and Carlos arranged a meeting with the Executive Chef Seadon Shouse. A native of Novia Scotia with a vast experience in the finest restaurants all along the Eastern Seaboard, he brings his love of the land, the sea and the sky into the kitchen and the dining room of Halifax.

From my first look at the menu I was delighted. As beautiful and luscious cocktails were served by the lovely mixologist Tatiana De La Rosa and dish after dish of colorful, creative and delicious food was presented by Chef Shouse and the expert staff, I found myself thinking that I could eat at Halifax every day and always find something new and wonderful to enjoy. From local vegetables and meats to in-house smoked fish and  house made bacon, sea salt made from Montauk water and the authentically created vermouth that is one of Chef Shouse's specialties, every item was so carefully and excellently prepared that they were like gifts being presented on platters. Pastry Chef Stuart Marx served two of the wonderful desserts, each one with a whimsy that felt like childhood wrapped up in something any adult could enjoy. Cassoulet is one of my favorite things, and the one that Chef Shouse created with locally produced sausage is spectacular. From the mouthwatering and tender sea scallops to the fresh local squash served over fall grains, the choices Chef Seadon Shouse makes create beauty and evoke memories that brought me to that place of lovely tranquility that I find when I go to the sea. Sitting in that beautiful room overlooking the Hudson, it felt almost spa-like - a vacation in a home away from home.

With gorgeous design featuring the colors of the ocean and living wall murals, Halifax is a place to dream and relax, a place for warm conversations and leisurely afternoons that stretch into luxurious and lovely nights. With a champagne brunch service that showcases some of the finest cuisine, craft cocktails, light bites and a full dinner menu, every choice is sure to please. In whatever the weather and whatever your mood, spending a moment or an hour or many, at Halifax you can find your way to touch the sky.

Halifax

At The W Hotel

225 River Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

http://www.halifaxhoboken.com/

Chef Seadon Shouse
Brings His Love Of The Sea
And Expertise In The Finest Of Foods
To Grace The Space

Luscious And Lovely Craft Cocktails

An Excellent Selection Of Wines By The Glass

The Sublime Sea Bream Tartar 

With Lime Emulsion

Radish, Fennel, Caviar And Sunchokes

A Beautifully Light Yet Hearty Duck Flatbread

Made With Duck Confit

Butternut Squash, Ricotta And Arugula

The Glorious And Delectable Fall Grains

With New Jersey Squashes

Kale And Fulpers Aged Gouda

White Bean Cassoulet So Delicious

With House Made Bacon

New Jersey Pork Sausage And Frisee

Tender And Precious Barnegat Sea Scallops

Served Like Jewels

With New Jersey Cauliflower, Shallots

And Mixed Nut Romesco

A Few Of The Many Delights

From Phenomenal Pastry Chef Stuart Marx

Warm Apple Fritters

With Seasonally Inspired Dipping Sauces

Seasonal Fruit Crisp With Toasted Oat Crumble

And Fresh Seasonally Inspired Ice Cream

Manager Carlos Arteaga And Mixologist Daniela

Creating Delightful Craft Cocktails At The Bar

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Beautiful Gift

I met Randy Noojin my first week in New York City. I had just started an internship with the Circle Repertory Theatre Company, and the Production Manager had told me that there would be two men stopping by the theater one night to pick up some set pieces from the production of Sam Shepard's "Fool For Love" to bring back to Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, where they'd be turning around to bring back the set pieces for Lanford Wilson's "Burn This." As I write this, I am reminded once again that because of a particular confluence of time and space, I just happened to be working with Circle Rep, as we affectionately called it then, at a time when it was a golden time in New York City Theatre and for that company. "Fool For Love" is in my opinion one of the most amazing plays ever written - Sam Shepard had blown onto the scene and into my consciousness and forever changed the way I thought about theater. Lanford Wilson, a Co-Founder and Playwright In Residence of Circle Rep whose work had been first produced at Cafe Cino starting in 1964, had received the Pulitzer Prize for "Talley's Folly" in 1979, and continued to find success Off-Broadway and on with plays that contained some of the most beautiful writing and deeply moving stories of his reflections of people and places he knew and experienced in his every day life. These were playwrights who wrote in rhythms that were a dream for an actor like me who loves language. The term for their style was lyrical realism, and it was like music and dancing and painting on a stage. I will never forget the visceral experience of watching John Malkovich take over the stage on his first entrance in "Burn This" - I had never seen anything like that before. And the story and dialogue, with rhythms both lifelike and like poetry, mesmerizing the audience for the three hour running time, something that seems an impossibility today when it's hard to keep an audience focused for more than a few minutes. I remember leaving the theatre that night exhilarated, uplifted with the beauty and excitement of what I had just seen. And to be a part of the theater company that had produced that wonder was enough to keep me going through many a difficult and dark time in the life of a struggling young artist.

It is wonderful to write this now and remember that time - because of the wealth of beauty and exciting new voices, anything seemed possible in New York City. My friends and I over the years wrote plays and produced them in bars and restaurants and galleries, we acted together, cooked together, made films together, laughed and loved and explored new styles of art and fashion, and we lived. I don't know if that exists in New York City any more, those days that were so full of life and love of art. I don't know if they exist anywhere, but recently when I shared some precious time with Randy Noojin at the Signature Theatre, with a mural of Lanford Wilson as a backdrop, I started to feel like they might be possible again.

There's a story about Randy that I love to tell, and these days with all the bad news we keep hearing about men behaving badly, I wanted to tell it again to share the good news that there are some wonderful men out there. I had met Randy that night when he arrived in a truck to pick up the set pieces for "Fool For Love," and I knew right away that I'd met someone very special. He had a glow about him, something more than just simply being attractive. He was very handsome, but there was something more, a light that lingered after he left that made me look forward to seeing him again. We became friends that night, talking about theater, our lives and what had brought us to where we were then, and when he returned from Chicago, we continued to see each other on a pretty regular basis because he was part of the LAB, the black box theatre within Circle Rep. In those glorious days we all practically lived in the Theatre, either working on shows, hanging out in the Green Room, or doing readings or workshop productions in the LAB. Circle Rep held regular readings on Friday afternoons and the LAB did a new play in workshop production every weekend, with a reading every Tuesday of new work. The internship I had was a production internship, learning every aspect of running a show from start to finish for a full season of five plays. We'd start with the auditions, move through the Company full cast reading of the play, and were assigned to work with a different designer from props to lighting to sound or costumes, attending rehearsals and working with the Director, Playwright, Actors, and Stage Manager. We ran the shows and understudied the plays too, and some people actually did have to go on so we had to take it all very seriously - it was a full immersion in professional theater life.

One night after an opening or closing night party, someone offered to share a cab with me. He said he'd take it to his apartment and then give me money to pay the cab driver to continue on and take me home. I was used to taking the subway at night by that time, but with our tiny stipend even the subway fare was alot of money, so the offer of a free ride home in a cab was priceless. What I didn't know was that he was known by everyone but me to be aggressive with women, so I agreed very happily and got into the cab with him. He did just as he said he would do and there were no problems or altercations. I got home safe and sound and very thankful for the ride. But a few weeks later, Randy told me that he'd seen us leaving that night and jumped into a cab of his own and followed us to make sure that I would be safe, and he followed me all the way to my apartment and made sure that I got in the door. I know at that time that he didn't have money like that to throw around on a cab to a neighborhood he didn't even live in, but that's just the kind of thing Randy does. In his eyes I was walking into a trap, and he did whatever he could to protect me. As I think of that story, it seems in my memory that there were other times and other ways that he saved my life, some seemingly large and others perhaps smaller - showing up when I needed a friend, making me laugh when my heart felt broken, playing poker all night, bringing life to the party, and always, always talking about theater and music and art. And I know that there were other people he helped, in many ways. I won't share his secrets, but I know from experience that there are so many people whose lives were made better, who were helped when they were down to nothing, who always found a friend in Randy when they were in need.

The first play of Randy's I saw was "Boaz," and I can honestly say it was one of the loveliest plays I'd ever heard. I use that word purposely - not just seen but heard - because Randy has a way with words like the lyrical realists I'd fallen in love with from the time I first began reading the plays of my first theatre love Tennessee Williams. I remember that night so vividly, sitting in the LAB, watching the play of this new friend of mine, and being overwhelmed with its beauty. His play "Unbeatable Harold" I remember for its sweetness, the characters so real and yet so extaordinary, salt of the earth that caught you unawares when they spoke from a life experience so moving.  And "You Can't Trust The Male," winner of Applause Books Best American Short Plays - a story so original that I asked Randy where it came from because I was so prepared to have the answer be that he had written from his own experience, which is something that many of us who write do. But no, these characters came from somewhere else, a beautiful imagination that is able to bring something personal into the lives of the people he dreams up, people who perhaps are based on a combination of many, and through his eyes become people we all can relate to and feel their emotions as if they were in some way our own. And on stage as an actor, he is one of the finest. He does the work of acting, something that not very many people really know how to do. He is well versed in every style - from classical to slapstick to comedy and drama - I once cast my own dream cast reading of "Burn This" and knew he would have to read the role of Burton, originated by the phenomenal actor Jonathan Hogan on Broadway, because I knew that he'd be perfect and he was.

In the past few years, among other projects he's worked on as an actor and director, Randy has been performing around the world in "Hard Travelin' With Woody," the award-winning multimedia solo play that he wrote about Woody Guthrie that includes Guthrie's music and artwork. Backstage.com wrote: "By equating the conditions of Depression-era America with those of today, writer-performer Randy Noojin invests "Hard Travelin' with Woody" with topicality and urgency, rescuing it from mere homage and transforming it into a call for united action against greed and selfishness . . . blows the dust off Guthrie's standards . . . restoring their sting and deepening their soulfulness." Will Kaufman, author of "Woody Guthrie American Radical" said, "Randy Noojin's Woody Gurthrie is a revelation. He captures the spirit of the man like no others have done onstage. His Guthrie is not just some folksy cardboard caricature; we've seen enough of those. Noojin's Guthrie is ornery, pugnacious, sly, and driven by the twin forces of anger and love." And the rave reviews go on and on - you can read more on the website, HardTravelinShow.com.

In 2016 he started touring in a new show he'd written about Pete Seeger, www.SeegerShow.com. I haven't seen this performance yet, and when I went to the website I watched a video that showed me a side to my friend that I hadn't known. I grew up listening to the music of Pete Seeger, watching shows like the Smothers Brothers in a home where that kind of thought and music was a part of life. I saw Pete Seeger perform live every time he was anywhere near where I was for as long as I can remember, and I met him once, a little more than ten years ago, at a benefit I attended for the Clearwater, the Hudson River Sloop he had built for sailing and education and as a symbol of environmental awareness to help begin the clean up of the Hudson River and encourage cleaner waterways nationwide. As I watched the video, I can say in all honesty that I couldn't tell where Randy Noojin ended and Pete Seeger began. He even had his body language and vocal cadences. My friend's voice I know so well and that I've heard so many times in so many ways over the years became Pete Seeger's voice, and musically it was perfection. Randy has always been a wonderful musician - I remember so many nights and so many parties both large and small when he showed up with a guitar and played so many favorites like the Rolling Stones "Love In Vain" with brilliance, but I had no idea that he would be that amazing with the amazing oeuvre of Pete Seeger. The banjo playing was flawless, and the songs and presence were the songs and presence I've known and loved for years, beautifully combined with the beautiful voice and presence of my dear friend.

A few weeks ago I asked Randy if he had any time to meet and talk for a blog post. I hadn't seen him for a while because he's been so busy traveling and performing, and just as the confluence of time and space brought us together all those years ago, we were able to spend several hours together one night. From the first moment I heard his voice I was laughing - the spirit of joy he carries with him is contagious. He's known hardship and loss and pain and struggle, but somehow when I am with him I feel no darkness, only the light of life. We talked over dinner at Hibernia Bar And Grill, and then went to see a play he had tickets for at Signature Theatre, but when we arrived for the play, they told us that they could not seat us - something unexpected had happened and they had a full house of press people arrive that they had to honor tickets for. The Manager offered to reschedule, and said he'd be happy to buy us a drink at the bar, and when I looked over and saw a mural of Lanford Wilson on the wall, I told Randy that missing the play would be fine with me - I had been missing my old friend and would enjoy the time to sit for a while longer and talk. As we talked about old times and memories, my laughter kept bubbling over. So many years, so many people, so much history, so much water under so many bridges. He told me that Marshall Mason, the Director and another Co-Founder of Circle Rep who had directed all of Lanford Wilson's plays over the years, was introducing him to a venue in Mazatlan, and just after he mentioned it his phone rang and there was Marshall, calling from Mexico to talk. A mural of Lanford Wilson on the wall behind him, Marshall Mason on the phone, and my friend the brilliant Playwright, Actor, Director and Musician sitting in the lobby of the Signature Theatre with me - all those rivers meeting, from the past, the present and the future, reminding me that when we have shared a deep connection in our creative lives, something will always remain of the beauty we shared even as it flows ever onward into something new.

I've come to know in this life that having a friend for a long time is not easy. People come and go, sometimes they are wonderful, sometimes not so much, sometimes the beginning is better than the end. To have a friend like Randy Noojin, someone who is there in the good times and bad, honest and true and with a heart to help and the ability to make light is a rare and beautiful gift. The fact that he's also one of the best of the Playwrights, Actors, Directors, and Musicians in New York City and beyond makes me all the more thankful for that confluence that brought us together in the Circle Rep lobby all those years ago.

Randy Noojin

In New York City

www.RandyNoojin.com

In The Lobby Of The Signature Theatre
https://www.signaturetheatre.org/

In Conversation With Marshall Mason

Who Called From Mexico

To Discuss The Upcoming Play

Just After His Name Was Mentioned

Outside Of Hibernia Bar And Grill
In Front Of The Amazing Mural
Featuring UFC Champion Conor McGregor
By The Transcendent Artist Jeremy Wolff
401 West 50th Street
New York City
JWolffStudios.com
www.HiberniaBar.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - The Art Of Perfection

Within a few weeks of each other, two people who know my taste in vintage style, historical places, cooking and flavorful foods told me I had to go to Antique Bar & Bakery. I'm used to seeing historically wonderful places and spaces I love be turned into something else - I lived in Manhattan for many years and I'm always walking by an old haunt and lamenting what it is now. Usually if there is something kept from the old space or place it is along the lines of an old rolling pin or maybe if we're really lucky, portions of the tin ceilings if they're still in good repair. But what the owners of Antique Bar & Bakery have done is something that is rare to see - they've kept what is wonderful in the space and improved on it by opening up what was once the enclosed area of the 100 year old bakery straight back to the kitchen for dining, and kept the porcelain brick coal burning oven for cooking practically everything on the menu. The amazing Chef Paul Gerard, the wonderful Filmmaker Joe Castelo, and the legendary Tastemaker Rocco Ancarola have created a space for enjoying the finest of foods, craft cocktails, beers and wines while celebrating the history of this venerable old bakery and bringing it into something completely new. With classic rock mixing with pop, jazz, some golden oldies and a little bit of blues as a soundtrack and a 1970's theme to recall the people and places and things that Chef Paul and Joe Castelo loved from that time, each space and place has special touches and lighthearted jokes sprinkled with classic memories, movie memorabilia, art and design that would make any vintage lover feel like they were in heaven. In words that weren't suggestions, my two friends talked about it in all out fan club recommendations. "You'll love it!" "You have to go there!" "I haven't had food like that in I don't know when!" If exclamations like these had come from other people, I might have been skeptical - if there's anything that will keep me away from something it's to hear that everyone is raving about it. But these two people are people I consider to have excellent taste and a history of knowing the wheat from the chaff, and so one day when I was walking by I decided to walk in and introduce myself. I loved what I saw when I walked in the door - fresh and delicious baked goods piled high on the front counter with healthy and savory take-out items available in a simple and classic refrigerated case, all surrounded by beautiful vintage design pieces in a comfortable and inviting open space. I introduced myself to the Manager who gave me Chef Paul Gerard's card, and one afternoon shortly afterward I found myself at Antique for a lunch where my life was definitely changed.

I've written before in these pages that I'm a foodie who loves to cook, and that though I love to eat out, I don't do it often because, unless it's something that is truly unique that I've never made before, I sometimes find myself thinking that I could do the same thing myself. I don't make many complicated things in my own kitchen, but I do try sometimes, and I appreciate the skill it takes to be a Chef because I know that it takes much more than my own enjoyment of cooking to create meals for exacting customers day after day and to run a kitchen on that kind of high quality, high volume basis. But even though I may admire their skill and enjoy what they prepare, there are very few people whose food I could eat regularly because I enjoy preparing my own. All that changed when I met Chef Paul Gerard. Not only is he one of the nicest people I have ever met, the way he cooks is so sublimely delicious that I could be happy eating in his kitchen any and every day. It is very hard to describe what he does because he is a consummate master of culinary arts. The items he prepares are the perfection of comfort food with that exquisite touch of true brilliance that makes a meal memorable. Using seasonal fresh ingredients in ways that are colorful, fun and accessible, he serves meals that help everyone experience the finest cuisine while still feeling right at home. Squash blossoms, made to order smoked mozzarella, home made pastas with ingredients like nettles - these are all things that in other settings and in other hands have never been so delicious and full of delight because of the pure love he has in cooking and sharing them.

At my first visit for lunch he showed me the menu explaining that some items were named for his and Joe Castelo's children. As he described certain things, I told him that everything sounded like perfection, and though I told him he could choose what he wanted me to have, he said he liked to let people look over the menu to see what things spoke to them. At that point everything was saying yes, please, so we finally decided on a meatball sandwich with tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes that had been baked in the wonderful oven, topped with a delectable mixture of melted fresh homemade smoked mozzarella and parmesan cheese and served on bread from the original Antique Bakery which has re-located to Jersey City, and a salad that he'd named after his lovely daughter Grace made with roasted chicken, fresh peaches, tomatoes, avocado and goat cheese with the perfect light touch of his own recipe of white balsamic vinegar instead of the heavier usual variety to start. I don't think I've ever seen anyone make a salad with such care - the way he cut the avocado was pure poetry. And the taste of everything was divine, with textures and colors and scents and tastes of so many delectable flavors and spices and herbs all melting together into a glorious whole. I had a lovely slice of cake afterward, and when I asked who made it I was directed to the loveliest of Pastry Chefs who said she was the Assistant to Erick who I then spoke to. He showed me photographs that he had taken of some of the things they had made, and when I saw them they were so beautiful I asked him if he could share them with me which he was kind enough to do so that I could share some with you.

As I was finishing my lunch, Chef Paul and Joe Castelo suggested that I come back for dinner one night. It was an invitation so kind and generous and the meal I'd had was already so wonderful that I knew I'd be experiencing an even lovelier adventure, and it was beyond anything I could have imagined. I invited Chef Allison Fasano from the Urbani Truffle Lab to join me, and when I introduced her to Chef Paul at the beginning of the evening, he had the staff set up a table right in front of his kitchen work space, giving us the opportunity to watch him prepare food all night. I can't tell you how inspiring it is to see him working in that kitchen. He has a wonderful staff, but from everything I see and hear, in addition to their own hard-work and skill, they are as wonderful as they are because they like and admire and respect him so much. I've heard that from everyone I've talked to who works there, and you can see it on everyone's faces. Restaurant work is tiring, exhausting in fact, and so often people can get burned out. But there's something about working with Chef Paul Gerard that keeps people happy, and though they're working hard, he's working even harder right along with them.

That night for dinner, I basked in the warmth of the coal fired oven and enjoyed a meal that was sublime. Everything was cooked to perfection, fresh, hot and so full of flavor that it seemed like the best it could ever be. Hot Oil Shrimp grilled with roasted lemons, that lovely house made smoked mozzarella topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and basil, and Rice Balls Milanese that made any others seem meaningless served with a mushroom and sausage ragu that was unlike anything I've ever tasted in its sweet complexity. Oysters Rockefeller served hot and bubbling from the coals, followed by a pasta course of Roaming Razorback Boar Ragu with Pasta Rags and home made Cavatelle with fresh greens and Preserved Lemon Ricotta, and everything served with that wonderful Antique Bakery bread in great wedges drenched with olive oil and garlic, and in everything some hot peppers or charred lemon wedges to add color, flavor and fun. At that point I thought we'd be finishing up, but we had only just begun. While he had been creating and serving and describing the indescribably delicious foods he had been preparing for us, he had been roasting a 2 pound Rib-Eye. Cut bone to bone and served directly from where it had been resting from its preparation in that magical oven, it arrived with smashed golden potatoes and garlic chimichurri, charred zucchini with romesco and lemon, and roasted french onions. All followed by the most delicious desserts I have had in years if ever, a Frozen Cannoli Sundae and an enormous soft baked peanut buttery cookie topped with chocolate and sweet milk ice cream. It's a dream just to think about that dinner, and to have been there watching him prepare it was a priceless gift.

The fact that Chef Paul is creating that kind of meal every day for so many people is astonishing, and that he took the time to spend with us that evening was so kind and generous that I was amazed even more. And the other owners are as wonderful as he is. Joe Castelo bought the former Antique Bakery with an eye for preserving its history, and with his expertise for great film and wonderful fun, he plans events with his two partners that bring even more life to the party. The menus Chef Paul creates are written in the form of movie scripts, with wonderful Director's notes describing the delicious ingredients, seasonal cocktails, and additional menu items. Monday nights are for Movieoke, a talk along, talk back, sing along extravaganza of some of the most memorable films from years gone by, and Joe invited me to the first of their Silent Disco nights on Halloween, greeting me with a craft cocktail in one of the greatest all time outfits I've ever seen. His lovely wife was with him, and a more wonderful couple as hosts I can't imagine. I had a chance to speak with Rocco Ancarola that night - a legend in New York City nightlife, he has been part of so many esteemed restaurants and nightclubs and his taste is only the best. He told me that when he first met with Joe and Chef Paul, it was the food that won his approval, echoing my own experience and that of so many others who have been blessed to walk through the restaurant doors. I have known some wonderful Chefs in my life, and I come from a family of bakers, with people all over my family who are known for their way in the kitchen, but Chef Paul Gerard has a divine gift when it comes to the art of cooking. He's had many years of experience in some of the top kitchens in New York City, New Orleans and other parts of the world, but there is something that he has within him that goes beyond what anyone can learn - he understands how to bring out the best of the best ingredients and create something truly beautiful with food.

A few weeks after the memorable dinner I'd had, Chef Paul invited me for the Thanksgiving celebration, a holiday meal planned with the additional generous community-minded touch that much of the food would go to local shelters and the proceeds would go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hoboken. I had the opportunity to watch another unbelievable feat of ingenuity that day - almost a 1/4 ton of local humanely raised turkeys from Fossil Farms cooked in that coal fired porcelain brick oven along with delectable side dishes of fresh turnips, string beans, tobacco onions, carrots, collard greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, oyster stuffing, roasted cranberries, creamed onions and biscuits, and pies and cookies and fresh whipped cream. When he'd set the schedule for the day he'd said the bar would open at noon and that dinner would be served at 3:00pm, and though I have no idea how it is possible, it was exactly 3:00pm when it was served. When I said that later to Chef Paul, he said in his incredibly modest way, "That's from doing this for so many years," and though I understand that a Chef of his caliber and experience would know how to do that in another very differently appointed kitchen, I have no idea how it could possibly be done on that scale in the chambers of that coal burning oven. Everything was of course more than perfect, and I am as I've said before in these pages a snob when it comes to certain things. Though I'll eat it to be polite, I usually don't like anyone's turkey but my own, and my Nana's oyster stuffing recipe I've never known anyone but me and my parents to make the right way. Creamed onions and vegetables I rarely think anyone does right, and my father's biscuits no one could top. But the Thanksgiving dinner Chef Paul Gerard created was above and beyond everything I've ever had and loved. I grew up in a house that was built in 1723, and my favorite place was to sit by the fire. With the design sense, the love for creating community spaces and the hospitality industry experience of the three partners, each place in the space has a wonderful feeling of home, and with the classic favorite songs of my younger years playing, I'd be happy all day long to sit by that coal burning oven, watching and enjoying Chef Paul Gerard's artistry.

Last Friday afternoon I met with the beautiful writer Lucella Campbell at Antique for lunch to talk about a wonderful book she has just published. Sitting in a cozy corner by the windows that look out onto the street, we whiled away the afternoon with delicious delights and craft cocktails. At her first bite of the Antipasto, a combination of cold roasted fennel, apples, turnips, beets, broccoli, prosciutto bread and home made herbed yogurt, she looked at me with the amazement that everyone who eats in that kitchen has and said, "I didn't think it would taste as delicious as this." When I had arrived I had seen Lucille Casulli, a community leader with a heart of gold who is a charter member of the St. Mary Advocates and who has served twice as President of that wonderful organization that runs the Hoboken Thrift Shop that I have written about in these pages before and that does so much in the community. As I was finishing up with the lovely "Stones throw From Manhattan", a luscious craft cocktail made with coal smoked cherries and burnt orange peel, Lucille was on her way out. She is such a busy woman with all of the wonderful things she does that I was surprised to see her still there, and she shared with me that she had stayed much longer than she had anticipated because she and her friends were so busy enjoying so many delicious things. Julie Hartigan was also visiting that afternoon. An amazing Chef I met and wrote about in these pages when she was co-hosting a wonderful tasting and pairing event at Cheese + Wine Hoboken with Tom Kobylarz, she is writing a blog post about Antique Bar & Bakery for Jersey Bites that will be up in a few weeks. These kinds of community connections are part of the experience that Chef Paul Gerard, Joe Castelo and Rocco Ancarola have created and that are daily nurtured in their wonderful space. Karina Gonzalez, the beautiful lead singer for Lip Service, the wonderful band that performed at Thanksgiving, can be found meeting and greeting at the front counter and working as Hostess when she's not making life more beautiful with her lovely voice and presence elsewhere, and the lovely artist, designer and creative force Danielle-Marie Muneca Mullins shares her gorgeous style and beautiful presence as she serves and manages a variety of shifts.

I could have stayed all afternoon on Friday, but I had a gallery opening to attend at Prime Gallery, an amazing space I wrote about a few months ago. Danielle-Marie Muneca Mullens was one of the artists in the group show "Wandering Motion," and Chef Paul and Joe Castelo took time out of their busy schedules to stop by in support of her work and the other artists and the gallery. Their kindhearted spirits added a special touch to the evening, bringing the warmth of the space they have created at Antique out into the community. The motto on their website says "Keep The Fire Burning", and in so many ways and for so many people they do.

Antique Bar & Bakery

122 Willow Avenue

Hoboken, New Jersey

http://antiquebarbakery.com/

Chef Paul Gerard Preparing The Exquisite Grace Salad

Named For His Lovely Daughter

A Perfectly Crafted Cocktail

With A Perfectly Crafted Salad

Perfection In A Meatball Sandwich

Served On Antique Bakery Bread

With Seasonal Greens

And Melted Fresh Home Made Smoked Mozzarella
Sprinkled With Rich Shavings Of Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Bringing A Little Bit Of The Spirit Of Julia Child

With Every Splash Of Olive Oil

Home Made Sweet And Savory Baked Goods

Made Fresh Daily

To Eat In Or Take Out

Fresh And Healthy Lunch Selections

Available For Delivery Or To Go

Decorative Beauty That Is Part The Restaurant Service

Ingenious Film Script Menu Design

A Perfect Slice Of A Perfect Cake

Served With A Perfect Cappuccino

And A Lovely Amaro Cocktail

Perfection In A Pastry Chef
The Beautiful Endiah Jones With Her Perfect Creation

Beautiful Photos Courtesy Of Pastry Chef Erick

Fresh Lemons Waiting To Be Roasted, Cooked With
And Added As Garnish To Amazing Dishes

The Perfect Hands Of The Perfect Pastry Chef Erick

Creating The Perfect Pie 

Filmmaker Joe Castelo With His Lovely Wife

Dressed To The Nines For The Halloween Costume Party
And Silent Disco

Dinner With The Amazing Chef Paul Gerard

Oysters Hot And Bubbling From The Oven

Sharing Some Inspiration

With Chef Allison Fasano Of The Urbani Truffle Lab

A Bartender's Choice Craft Cocktail

Made With Misunderstood Whiskey

A Pasta Course That Delights Every Sense

A Steak To Remember
The Perfectly Seasoned 32 Oz. Rib-Eye

A Perfect Warm And Soft Peanut Butter Cookie

Served With Chocolate And Fresh Cream Ice Cream 

The Perfect Frozen Cannoli Sundae

A Perfect Evening

A Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

Starting With A Perfect Menu Printed On A Singed Book Leaf

With A Perfect Quote By Charles Bukowski

Preparing The Perfect Pies

And The Perfect Vegetables

With Lots Of Olive Oil

Lots Of Care

And Lots Of Love

Perfectly Basting The Perfect Turkeys

Giving The Perfect Band "Lip Service" Center Stage

Perfect Whipped Cream

Made By The Perfect Staff

In The Perfect Mixer

Thanksgiving Dinner Perfectly Prepared And Perfectly Served

Exactly At 3:00pm

A Perfect Friday Afternoon Lunch
Begun With The Perfect Johnny Friendly

Lucella Campbell, Author of "Link"
Takes A Moment To Savor The Perfect Antipasto

 A Perfect Serving Of Mussels
Made With Bacon And Hard Cider
And Served With The Perfect Spiced Fries

The Perfect "Stones Throw From Manhattan"

The Lovely Danielle-Marie Muneca Mullins
Shares Her Gorgeous Style And Gorgeous Artwork
At Prime Gallery
https://www.facebook.com/primereggallery/

Joe Castelo And Chef Paul Gerard
Taking Some Time To Support Artists In The Community

Keeping The Fire Burning

Blessings,

Jannie Susan