pt at large

Run River, Run

Run River, Run
Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.
Correspondent

The Westport River Watershed Alliance’s third annual River Race last Saturday attracted a record crowd of entries including men, women, children, and one family pooch. For the record, the dog’s name was Toto…and yes, he knew he wasn’t in Kansas any more. The radiant sun, clear blue sky, and gentle zephyrs gliding in from the ocean made it a trademark Westport, MA kind of day.

By race time, 60 Family Fun race boats and 15 Challenge boats had registered, nearly doubling last year’s total. Paddlers hauled their boats from Plymouth, Lakeville, Fall River, New Bedford, Mattapoissett, and beyond to the River Run’s starting point at Hix Bridge Landing. And what a collection of boats it was. Meticulously crafted kevlar kayaks bobbed along side home-made plywood boats, owners of each equally proud of their aquatic choices. Several weekend water warriors took advantage of Osprey Sea Kayak’s offer and rented boats at half price for the occasion.

If padding once or twice a week all year round qualifies one as a die hard boater, Susan Fletcher of Plymouth is all that. “I paddle all winter in my 17 foot Surge Kayak,” she said. “It’s a fast touring boat. Last year I amazed myself and came in second in the Challenge race. It’s gonna be crazy with so many more high end boats here this year but more fun!” It’s safe to say Fletcher had fun. She was the first woman single kayak to cross the finish line this year.

The Family Race pitted brothers Ted Gibney of Fall River against his brother Tom of Lakeville. “If my brother wins, I want him drug tested, “ hooted Tom.

“Hey, all I want to do is finish without tipping over,” Ted retorted. Tom beat Ted by half a length. “You can’t beat youth,” said the younger brother. Their brother James, principal of Westport Middle School, begged off their attempt to join them in the fun.

Mark Welden, his ten year old daughter Janice, and twelve year old son Evan, entered their bright yellow home made canoe in the Family Fun race. Welden, of Assonet, labored about twenty hours to make “Buttercup,” the boat that he used in the annual Memorial Day Home Made Boat River Race in Mattapoissett. “This one’s got a quarter inch plywood frame, it’s the fourth one I’ve made. Today’s race is a tune up for next year’s Memorial Day race. If Janice likes it, she’ll paddle with me next year.” Lucky Evan went along for the ride. The Weldens came in second place. They will be a force to be reckoned with come next Memorial Day.

At 10:00 A.M Sam Ladd of Osprey Sea Kayaks organized the fifteen Challenge boats into starting formation just south of Hix Bridge and sent them off. They paddled south to Gunning Island and looped back past Hix Bridge and up to the Head of Westport, Some of them overtook boats tooling along in the Family Fun class.

In her 10:30 pre-race instructions to the large contingent of Family Fun boats, Sam Ladd said, “Remember, this is a fun race, if someone needs help along the way, stop and help them.” Although most of the flotilla probably agreed with this in principle, the thrill of competition the got the better of even those with the best intentions.

Case in point: Gerry Desrosiers of Westport. “I’ll spot you, don’t worry I’ll keep you company,” he was heard saying to two female friends in nearby kayaks. However, once he spotted two beefy paddlers in a canoe ahead of him, Desrosiers took off in hot pursuit. “Once I sniffed victory, every bend in the river was a challenge,” he said with a sly grin at the finish, which was where his two friends next saw him after the alpha dog mentality took hold of him.

By noontime, the narrow channel two hundred yards from Old County Road was like a beehive with the worker bees heading home for the day. Friends, family and race organizers welcomed the paddlers over the finish line that was brightly marked with colorful pennants.

Veteran racing kayaker Richard Rotnem, the first place finisher in the racing division of the Challenge race, praised the layout of the course. “It’s a good distance, especially at the beginning of the year,” said Rotnem, who has taken on challenges of 19, 9, and 6 miles.

“Since this is our third year organizing the event for the WRWA, it’s easier to organize and more fun,” observed co-chair Anne Fitzgerald. “We did more advertising, did it earlier and in more places. Today’s record numbers are an outcome of that.”

“We added kids activities that are fun and help kids learn about a the river. That keeps kids occupied while parents relax at the end of the race,” said co-chair Larry Hookey. Kids made osprey hats, played river animal twister and bean bag toss, and got faces, arms and legs painted.

“Sam and Carl Ladd of Osprey Sea Kayaks have been an integral part of this event.” Fitzgerald said. “They pick the date that will have the best tide and current conditions for the paddlers. They manage the pre race safety checks and get volunteers on the water spotters who monitor the race on the water.”

By day’s end, co-chairs Fitzgerald and Hookey, the Ladds, the Westport River Watershed Alliance, and over a hundred men, women, children, and of course that family pooch, all had a glorious day on the river.

Celebrating Westport in Central Village

Celebrating Westport in Central Village: Come Out and Play
Shorelines
Paul A.Tamburello, Jr.

A Big Top is coming to Westport on Saturday, July 8, and the whole town is invited to “Come out and Play” there, rain or shine. There won’t be a three-ring circus underneath the canvas set up behind the Town Hall Annex on Main Road but there will be enough fun, games, singing, and dancing between 5 pm and 9 pm for the whole family to enjoy. Tickets are $5.00. Children 14 and under enter free but must be accompanied by an adult.
(see sidebar)

Like the other eleven events in the Westport Arts Council’s ambitious 2006 “Celebrate Westport in Central Village” series, “Come out and Play” is intended to mix good old-fashioned fun with events that highlight Westport’s culture and diversity.

A Silent Auction between 5:00 and 7:30 pm, replete with everything from “bargains to treasures” will be the most sedentary part of the evening. One part of the silent auction is the traditional sign-up variety. Auction veterans know the excitement peaks a few minutes before bid time runs out. Luck plays a far larger part in the other auction. Participants simply buy tickets, raffle style, and plunk them into the buckets representing the item they’re keen on winning. Carol Vidal and Betty Fitton head the auction committee and had assistance from Selena Howard and Ruth Bournes with soliciting auction items.

Children and the young at heart get out of the starting blocks when the shindig begins at 5 pm with face painting, sack races, arts and crafts (tie-dye, for example), and games of four square, tic-tac-toss, outdoor checkers, and beyond hopscotch. “Chair massages” for kids will be provided by Linda Richter. Children’s activities coordinator Betty Slade, with assistance from Norma Sears and Dick Magovern, has a slew of experienced help from Rhonda Plourde (music), Toby Dills (tie-dye, either bring your own shirt or buy one), Melissa Danforth (face painting), and several other volunteers who will handle prizes and manage the games in progress.

Food, chairs, and blankets for a picnic supper are on a “bring your own” basis but food coordinators Selena Howard and Liz Collins say that food concessions will be open for those whose idea of a night out doesn’t include cooking food.

At 6:30 pm, celebrants can catch their breath while listening to nationally acclaimed performer Bill Harley, who in the past 20 years of singing, writing, and story telling, has managed to figure out exactly what entertains kids from age from Pre Kindergarten to Grade 6. Kids love his down to earth slightly goofy sense of humor. Teachers and parents enjoy the good-natured truisms that are embedded in his work. It’s not often these days that parents and kids can sit together and laugh at the same stories but Mr. Harley has found the common ground and mines it with relish.

After twenty-five recordings of songs and stories and five children’s books to his credit, you can believe that Harley provides lots of chuckles sandwiched between pearls of wisdom in his performance. Plenty of people would agree. He’s been nominated for two Grammies and has earned accolades from Parent’s Choice, The American Library Association, and other national organizations. The Westport River Watershed Alliance arranged Harley’s participation. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Harley claims the reason for his success - “I never grew up!”

The evening hits its stride at 8 pm with a chance for adults to polish their dance skills to the music of the Magnolia Cajun Band. Although Cajun music has its roots in the southwest bayous between Louisiana and Texas, this band has a local brand of “south coast” flavor. Three of the seven performers, Christine Ash and Richie and Maggie Moniz (who grew up in a French speaking household), live right here in Westport.

Many French Canadians immigrated to the United States in the 1800s and found work in the mills in southeast Massachusetts. Others made their way down south where they maintained their French culture and created a hybrid language known today as Cajun. The Magnolia Cajun Band may be singing in French, but the band's twin fiddles, accordion, guitar, bass, percussion and vocals will provide a universal language. No translations are necessary to waltz and two-step around the dance floor to their music.

Advance tickets are sold at Partners, Country Woolens, and Village Bicycle. To make reservations, call 508-636-2205.

Just as children are called home when darkness falls, the “Come out and Play” evening ends at 9 pm. By that time, if the co-chairs Barbara Bates, Liz Collins, and Selena Howard wish comes true, everyone who attends will be ready for a good night’s sleep.

American Watercolors, Small wonders at the Fogg Museum

American Watercolors and Pastels 1875-1950
Fogg Museum, Harvard University
32 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA
Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 5 p.m.
April 8 - June 25, 2006
http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/exhibitions/fogg/americanwatercolors.html

There are several reasons to catch this show. First, the art is immensely accessible. Remember the term “representational art”?  You don’t need an audiotape to “get it”. Next, you can contemplate what you’ve seen while sitting at tables scattered under the Fogg’s three-story replica of an Italian Renaissance courtyard based on a 16th century façade from Montepulciano, Italy.

And, oh, it ends Sunday.

The fifty-two works were executed by some of the heavyweights of the past. You’ll nod your head as you recognize the work of John Singer Sargent (4), Winslow Homer (9), Edward Hopper (3), and James McNeil Whistler (8), And you might wonder why museums don’t show more of the work of John LaFarge and William Merritt Chase.   

This is a “Goldilocks” show, just right in size. The fifty-two works, spread in three small rooms in the street level Straus Gallery, include landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and even a few abstracts. The image sizes are roughly from letter size to 18 x 24 inches. Within half an hour, the ardent gallerista can wander through all three rooms a couple times then stand in front of favorites. There’s no conga line of visitors snaking through the gallery.

Taken as a whole, the exhibit is a tone poem to a bygone era. They were all painted between 1875 and 1950, considered the “Golden Age” of the medium. Yes there are many bright, frothy images that come to mind when one thinks “watercolor” but the show’s power stems from how the painters expanded the medium. Read the bite sized notes accompanying the artists’ work and you’ll see how their watercolors were often charged with gouache, tempera, and ink. These artists were pushing the envelope of their craft.

Walk into the room with the nine Homers and you’ll be drawn to several he painted with a rich blend of opacity and transparent wash. His robust watercolors capture the deep shade under forest canopies or at river’s edge and don’t rely exclusively on watercolor to achieve their punch.

See the exhibit this rainy weekend. That Italianate courtyard in the Fogg’s foyer has a roof over it.

A few ptatlarge  faves:

John LaFarge, “Chinese Pi Thong”, 1870, described at the time as “a rich square of eye delighting color”… still is. (photo below)
Winslow Homer, “Pike, Lake St. John", 1897
James McNeil Whistler, “Sailboat and Fourth of July Fireworks”, 1880
William Merritt Chase, “Self Portrait”, 1884 (photo below)

River Run lures racers, relaxers

Westport River Watershed Alliance 3rd Annual River Run
By Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

“Which blade do we paddle with when there’s one on each end?”
Sam Ladd of Osprey Sea Kayaks has heard lots of memorable rookie questions in the three years she and her husband Carl have coordinated safety checks and race course management for the Westport River Watershed Alliance’s annual river race. This one should lodge firmly in her list of all time favorites.

The 3rd Annual River Race, a canoe/kayak race for all classes of paddlers, attracted a record 75 boats last Saturday, nearly doubling last year’s attendance. Under blue skies with nary a headwind to thwart their progress, serious racers, weekend water warriors, entire families, in one case including the family pooch, piled into all manner of floating plywood, Kevlar, and fiberglass products to test their mettle. Or not. Casual observers noted more evidence of laid-back fun than adrenaline.

“We have great weather, I hope we have enough numbers for everyone,” event co-chair Larry Hookey said as he watched an incessant stream of trailers and SUVs rolling down to the launch ramp at the Hix Bridge landing, the starting point for the race. It was a thought an organizer loves. “We advertised in national magazines and local outlets since last December,” he said as he smiled at the buzz of activity.

(Photo:Family Fun start)

The 15 entries in the 10 A.M. Challenge Race would head south to Gunning Island and loop back past Hix Bridge to the Head of Westport, The 60 entries in the Family Fun Race would line up, more or less, on the north side of the bridge, and whoosh for the Head at 10:30 A.M.

Before the starts, though, pre-race bonding was in full swing. Paddlers compared accessories, boat designs, and the thinking that got them to the water’s edge.

(Photo:Bush-Fass family prepares for launch)

Gazing at a two-person kayak, Jim Kelly, who lives on the west branch, struck a philosophical note. “We’re too old for the challenge race. You’ve got to know your limits”

“If we knew our limits, we’d go home!” Kelly’s wife Susan said with a chuckle. For the record, they didn’t go home until they finished the race.

A pair of paddlers self-described as “two ninths of the Westport Finance Committee” was getting acquainted with a white fiberglass kayak (rented half price by Osprey Sea Kayaks to contestants on race day).

“That’s a very safe stable boat. It’s the mini van of kayaks, an indestructible two-person boat.” Sam Ladd said, as she surveyed Lisa Arnold and Jane Loos readying themselves.

“We’re in the duffer race, it’s my first time in a kayak in my life. Jane Loos got me into this,” Ms. Arnold said. “We’re not athletes, our idea of winning is making it over the finish line. ”

“If we finish, it will be a miracle,” Loos said, her wry grin signaling otherwise.

(Photo: Loos and Arnold after miracle finish)<

A boat loaded with New Bedford’s Glen Guilbeault, his wife Toni, young daughter Tori, and little dog Toto heard a few jokes about “We’re not in Kansas any more!”

“My husband got us all up this morning and said, ‘Let’s get in this race today, and here we are’,” Ms. Guilbeault said. Toto, as able-bodied dog as was ever created, sat like a royal mascot and reveled quietly in the attention.

If there were a prize for the paddlers hailing from the most distant port, it would have been awarded to Ali Dietzgen of Tempe, AZ and her pal Susan Krauskoph of Phoenix, AZ. “Hey, girls, I signed you up for a canoe race,” was the first thing they heard from their local host Yvonne Zuther. Their response - “Cool!”

“Considering our zig-zaggy route, we probably paddled farther than anyone else,” Ali said.

“Plus there was food at the end!” Susan added. Spoken like true teenagers.

True enough, by the time boaters had paddled the 3.5 mile Family Fun course or the 8.5 Challenge course, there was plenty of food and drink spread out in the shade of the trees at the Head of Westport.

While paddlers told ‘war stories’ about the race, children were kept busy making osprey hats, playing river animal twister and bean bag toss, and getting faces, arms and legs painted.

Co-Chairs Anne Fitzgerald and Larry Hookey praised the on-the-water help from Carl and Sam Ladd of Osprey Sea Kayaks and their eight volunteer spotters who made sure everyone that started made it safely to the finish line. They also tossed kudos to the many volunteers who pitched in to supervise games, pick up trash, and drive contestants back to Hix Bridge Landing.

“Balancing a family fun event with a challenge race makes for a good race,” Ms. Fitzgerald said. “And watching families do this together is a real treat for Larry and me.”

It may be the wrong metaphor, but the Westport River Watershed Alliance’s River Run has taken root in the Westport River.

SIDEBAR
FAMILY FUN RACE
Single kayak: 1st Gerald Desrosiers, 2nd, Deb Grossley
Double kayak: 1st Peter Holmes, Dick Deyount; 2nd, Rob and James Pallock
Canoe: 1st Eric LaFrance, Tyler Carlson; 2nd, Janice and Mark Welden

Challenge Race
Racing boat: 1st Richard Rotnem
Single kayak (male): 1st Whitmore Boogaerts; 2nd Mark Edwards
Single kayak (female): 1st Diane Fletcher; 2nd Schweighardt
Double kayak: 1st John Poulton, Janet Sheridan; 2nd Peg Resnick, Robert Downing
Canoe: 1st Pete Olson, Ed Halpin, 2nd Tom Borges, Jacob Mello

Other awards:
Family Fun Awards: The Toth Family (all 5 of them), The Doerr Family, The Bartles Family
Young Paddlers Awards: Adam Doerr, Kristen Harper, Cody Flynn

ENTRIES BY CATEGORY
Challenge race
11 single kayaks
2 double kayaks
2 canoes

Family Run Race
39 single kayaks
10 double kayaks
11 canoes

TOTAL 75 boats

You're invited to Come Out and Play

When the Westport Arts Council decides to throw a party, it thinks big. On Saturday, July 8, the council invites the whole town to “Come Out and Play”, rain or shine, between 5 and 9 pm under a giant tent to be erected behind the Town Hall Annex on Main Road. Being an “all ages” party, there will be activities for children, music designed to entertain the whole family, and dancing for adults. Tickets are $5.00. Children 14 and under enter free but must be accompanied by an adult.

A Silent Auction between 5:00 and 7:30 pm, replete with everything from “bargains to treasures”, will be the most sedentary part of the evening. One part of the silent auction is the traditional sign-up variety. Auction veterans know the excitement peaks a few minutes before bid time runs out. Luck plays a far larger part in the other auction. Participants simply buy tickets, raffle style, and plunk them into the buckets representing the item they’re keen on winning. Carol Vidal and Betty Fitton head the auction committee and had assistance from Selena Howard and Ruth Bourns with soliciting auction items.

Like the other eleven events in the Westport Arts Council’s ambitious 2006 “Celebrate Westport in Central Village” series, “Come out and Play” is intended to mix good old-fashioned fun with events that highlight Westport’s culture and diversity.

As with many summer parties, “Bring your own” is the operative phrase. Participants are asked to bring their own chairs and blankets, but carting in their own food is optional. Food coordinators Selena Howard and Liz Collins say that food concessions will be open for those whose idea of a night out doesn’t include cooking food.

The fun begins at 5 pm. Children’s activities coordinator Betty Slade, assisted by Norma Sears and Dick Magovern, has a posse of volunteers, several of whom are experts in their meadow, managing a whole range of activities, including face painting, sack races, arts and crafts (tie-dye, for example), and games of four square, tic-tac-toss, outdoor checkers, and beyond hopscotch. Their deputies include Rhonda Plourde (music), Toby Dills (tie-dye, either bring your own shirt or buy one), Melissa Danforth (face painting), Dick Magovern himself (games) and several other volunteers who will handle prizes and manage the games in progress. “Chair massages” for kids will be provided by Linda Richter.

At 6:30 pm, singer/songwriter/story-teller deluxe Bill Harley, becomes the center of attention as he zeroes in on songs and stories that manage to tickle the funny bones of anyone who has been or is now a child. Over the past twenty years, the Seekonk native has acquired a national reputation for managing to figure out what makes kids laugh. Adults enjoy the universal and often humorous truths about childhood that Harley embeds in his stories and songs. It’s not often these days that parents and kids can sit together and laugh at the same stories but Mr. Harley has found the common ground and mines it with relish.

With twenty-five recordings of songs and stories and five children’s books to his credit, Harley knows how to navigate between wisdom and silliness. Plenty of people would agree. He’s been nominated for two Grammies and has earned accolades from Parent’s Choice, The American Library Association, and other national organizations. The Westport River Watershed Alliance arranged Harley’s participation. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Harley claims the reason for his success - “I never grew up!”

Adults get a chance to kick up their heels at 8 pm when the Magnolia Cajun Band takes the stage. Although Cajun music has its roots in the southwest bayous between Louisiana and Texas, this band has a local brand of “south coast” flavor. Three of the seven performers, Christine Ash and Richie and Maggie Moniz (who grew up in a French speaking household), live right in Westport.

In the 1800s, many French Canadians immigrated to the United States and found work in the mills in southeast Massachusetts. Others made their way down south where they maintained their French culture and created a hybrid language known today as Cajun. The Magnolia Cajun Band may be singing in French, but the band's twin fiddles, accordion, guitar, bass, percussion and vocals will provide a universal language. No translations are necessary to waltz and two-step around the dance floor to their music.

Advance tickets are sold at Partners, Country Woolens, and Village Bicycle. To make reservations, call 508-636-2205.

By the time the party’s over at 9 pm, event co-chairs Liz Collins, Barbara Bates, and Selena Howard hope that a sizeable chunk of the town will have heeded the call to “Come Out and Play” and will be ready for a good night’s sleep.

Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

Vicki Lee’s Café, Superb food on a small scale

Vicki Lee’s Café, bakeshop, catering service, and takeaway service
105 Trapelo Road
Belmont, MA 02478
617-489-5007
Open Tuesday - Saturday 8:00 am - 7 pm, Sunday 9 am - 3pm,  Closed Mondays
http://www.vickilees.com

A visit to Vicki Lee’s Café in Belmont transforms eating into a religious experience. There are no candles, religious icons, or stained glass windows in sight but plenty of hosannas can be heard coming from the lips of the diners. Vicki Lee Boyajian was put on earth to bless foodies and even subsistence grazers like ptatlarge with the metaphorical incense and myrrh of the food kingdom. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a star visible in the west pointing the way for food pilgrims to find her newest shop in Cushing Square on Trapelo Road.

In over 20 years that she’s operated her specialty stores, Boyajian has been on a peripatetic pilgrimage to find the finest ingredients on the planet and then infuse them into her offerings. Her newest café, open from 8 am till 7 pm serves light breakfasts and lunches, and the pastries, tortes, muffins, cakes, and croissants that have earned her a reputation as a perfectionist who can deliver on the promise.

Some signature pastries are served only Thursdays through Sundays because it takes time to achieve perfection. Case in point - croissants. One day before croissants sit temptingly at eye level at the order counter on Thursday, they’ve been started from scratch in the spotless stainless steel and glass open kitchen visible from the front. They’re hand rolled and punched down twice in 24 hours, placed in a climate controlled proof box,  then baked to a light and finely textured perfection. This process continues till Saturday, when Sunday’s croissants are being created. The Danish pastries are made in similar fashion. The café is closed Mondays.

The breakfast menu is rather continental, offering pastries, the aforementioned croissants in plain, almond and chocolate varieties. A substantial plain croissant filled with Black Forest ham and cheese should tide most patrons over till lunch. A slick coffee machine can steam or condense coffee the way you like it. The house coffee is Intelligensia Coffee, which Vicki sniffed out in Chicago and has ground to her specs and delivered aromatically fresh.  “Better than across the street,” said a patron, nodding to a nearby Starbucks. The tea menu is quite muscular and features black, green, white, herbal, and chai varieties.

Lunch, served between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm, marries familiar food with Vicki Lee originals and has choices of salads, sandwiches, and daily specials. Even the bowls and dishes in which they’re served give a visual lift to food that’s artfully presented. The goldenrod napkins match the awnings that shade the café ‘s nearly floor to ceiling windows that flood the café with light. The seating is limited and there can be a wait to sit at the noon hour, although the take out business is brisk. The interior design is filled with clean lines and imaginative curves, but it can be a bit clattery. “We’re working on softening the acoustics,” Vicki says. She needs to work out the service line as well, since patience can wear thin even when waiting for high quality food.

The soups change daily. A shrimp and corn chowder in a creamy fish stock had a slightly spicy accent. The white bean and pancetta soup, carefully balancing the gentle tastes of both, was just right on a recent rainy day. The roasted tomato soup laden with bits of tomato and onion with fresh basil and mint made one think of the promise of tastes to come in the summer.

On any given day, there are about four choices of pressed and traditional sandwiches. The Aram sandwich (display case, lower right) is a Vicki Lee original. Long rectangular pieces of dry Armenian cracker bread are covered with a moist towel to soften them. Then herbed cream cheese, romaine lettuce, plum tomato and fillings are laid on. The whole piece is then rolled and sliced. Fillings include roast beef, turkey, Black Forest ham, Norwegian smoked salmon, and BLT with applewood bacon, basil mayo, tomato and bib lettuce. You could buy a whole Aram yielding from 16 to 18 slices for between $32 and $35 or buy an individual roll-up from the case for $3.50. The  Aram I devoured recently was filled with melt-in-your-mouth tender roast beef and served with Vicki’s tasty “Trapelo Slaw,” jeeped up with fennel, lime juice, and spicy jalapeno bits.

The pressed sandwiches include “Nora’s Cubano” on a ciabatta roll. Filled with tender center cut pork, chipotle mayo, layers of fontina cheese and tiny spicy cornichons, it was gently pressed and browned. The bread had good ‘tooth”, was not dry or crumbly, and held up till the last bite. A chicken piccata sandwich was divine. Sliced skinless chicken breast that had been cooked with an egg lemon batter and drizzled with lemon garlic butter and parsley was served on a chewy baguette with lemon aioli and arugula. All sandwiches are served on Iggy’s bread and are accompanied by a small mesclin or arugula salad drizzled with lemon and lime juice, mustard, and olive oil.

Vicki Lee does a major take out and catering business. One look at the pastry counter with her specialty tortes and cakes is all you need to know about the care with which these rich creations have been produced. The same goes for the companion case filled with hors d’oeuvres, salads, pastas, and specially cooked chicken, lamb, and fish dishes sold by the pound. It’s pricey and worth it.

Over all of this, Vicki Lee is a presence. If you dine there, chances are the energetic, intense entrepreneur who strives for perfection will ask you if everything is done to your satisfaction. Ask her about the food and be ready for a passionate response about the provenance of the ingredients on your plate and why it belongs there. Rest assured it’s the best Boyajian could find.

Friends with money

"Friends with money", is a layered and ambiguous slice-of-life film about friends and couples, and the ties that bind them or knot them together like hostages.
The scenes of the three couples and one friend together have the feel of spontaneous ensemble acting. Worth seeing if you like films that arent neatly packaged with tidy beginnings and endings. Not recommended as a first date movie.