Category: Culture

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Toasted with the Children 2014

Tonight was a good night. Spent some good money on charity for the Children of Bellevue, a non-profit organization that is devoted to “leveling the playing field for New York City’s vulnerable youths” as they say but I see it as an opportunity to just spend some time (and money) with children that just don’t have the parental or monetary support in the NYC community.

Tonight was the Toast to the Children 2014 event at the Riverpark Restaurant, all the way out on the FDR, but where no normal cab knows how to get to….

It was a smaller venue than the previous location I’ve been to, which was Mandarin Oriental NYC hotel. Riverpark is more intimate but this year had definitely less people in attendance; and I’ve noticed a much “cheaper” clientele…

Venue was modern but a sort of functional labyrinth for the event, however, no one seamed to mind. The wine and food were great as usual (thank you Tom Colicchio and Staff for putting this together!). My favorites were Jonathan Waxman’s contribution of grilled shrimp with beans and grains (Barbuto), the octopus from Frankies Spuntino, the Rappahannock River Oysters, Peasant’s take on razor clams, and Colicchio & Sons (or maybe it was Craft’s) tapioca pudding… Honorable mention to Fairway market for their cheese, charcuterie, oils and spreads table which of all the tables besides Pearl Oyster Bar’s lobster roll table, had the lines.

Wine was on point this year (I wish I had a list as the french table wines were excellent) and I’m happy they had a mix of hard liquor (I took on the bourbon, skipped the vodka and gin) and beers for the event.

I was a little disappointed in the turn out for the silent auction… this year they did a digital display “silent auction” which everyone could log into via their smart phones and bid, however, response was lack luster. My recommendation of the developers, is that you need to post ALL the bidders (as if you’re looking at a clip board of who’s voted) and you can gauge if 1 person has bid or 30, but at least it gives a bit of competitive nature to the process…

I won tickets to The Killer play that I had never known about until today… I hope its good, however, even if it’s not, happy my donation goes to the Kids.

I say that the response was lack luster this year because there wasn’t the crowds I had been used to, there wasn’t demand at the live auction (Tom had to bid on his own item to get the price up! fuck you guys!), and man of the people I met had made it through donated tickets and thus those that paid didn’t show or were given access.

I hope the event continues for many years of success and look forward to several more. If you are in NY (or even if you’re not) please spend some time looking into supporting this very beneficial charity:

http://childrenofbellevue.org

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Should you Friend your Mom and Dad?

Many of my female friends are pregnant this year. I hear they come in threes… and while writing this, my woman is on the phone to the third of our friends who’s just birthed a third. Confirming the theory (for now) and providing reassurance to the new parent about her eldest, now a new teenager, explicitly angry at her mom whom has retaliated by de-friending her father from Facebook. She’s 14 and pulling away from the parents; it happens.

So “defriending” has replaced storming down the hall and door slamming in the eyes of teenagers today? First it was calling your Mommy a Pooface (see note at left – thanks PassiveAgressiveNotes.com) to

I don’t yet understand the pain felt when your child is disappointed or just angered at you for your parental orders but I do understand it takes a lot of trust for a teenager to allow insight into their lives by “friending” them on a very public online social network. Social media is very personal and it’s becoming an online window into your personality, feelings, state of mind, intentions and outlooks on life.

When I was a teen, my life was a complete mystery to my parents. School was “fine”. “No I don’t have a girlfriend”, but I did have serious crushes on Mandy and Kierra who’s lockers were near mine. I really did like most of my teachers, even Mr. Moore who didn’t deserve all the hazing from the kids because of his “Jew-fro” as the kids teased, coaster size glasses and suffering from kyphosis which caused his hunched over demeanor. I was very smart, but I was also very socially awkward (stereotype achieved). I had bullies, but I also lashed out.

None of this was public knowledge except for private conversations with my friends. Today those social barriers of privacy are gone thanks to Google, Myspace, Twitter, Facebook and other internet services. Parents are now connected more than ever to their friends. I just received a friend request from my Mom’s best friend. 10 [no more like 5] years ago, I would never consider sharing more than a hello with her, and now she wants to read my weekly status messages and see what photos I post publicly? Maybe she doesn’t but it’s what that type of request means to me…

I’ve changed my views of social networking in the last few years and today believe if you’re using your real name and posting information about yourself on the very public internet, there should be no reason your parents, neighbors or boss shouldn’t be able to see that information. If you want to talk about illicit, uncomfortable or private matters on a public forum, learn to adopt an alias :P . Family is blood and no matter how embarrassing, private or painful your thoughts and actions are, that bond should never (seldom) break between the parent and child, and puberty aside, there should be no reason to keep anything from either in that family bond. This all being said while I’m well past my teenage years and playing a little “Monday Morning QB” on this subject….

Facebook has started to add some security where you can create a limited view group for people, allowing the child to virtually close the door on discussions they want to have private. But it takes a bit of knowledge and intent to keep this virtual wall up. Growing up you never really understand what your parents went through during parenthood until you’re several years past college graduation.

So sure, send that friend request for your parents but maybe… keep a few things still to your private self…

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Rocco Ristorante

Italian food and culture is rooted everywhere in New York. Rocco Ristorante is one such traditional Italian joint, operating in the Greenwich Village since 1922 that not only has years of history still worn on their unchanged walls but was also a starter kitchen for the Mario Batali. An establishment of this age and character usually caters to die-hard regulars, neighborhood locals and a few well-researched tourists as a walk by doesn’t sell the uninitiated on the traditional style. Fortunately the family style decor and friendly service are still as much a priority as the quality southern Italian food typical 90 years ago today.

Legend has it Anthony “Tony Bender” Strollo operator of several illegal gambling parlors and nightclubs in Greenwich, ordered a hit here back in 1952. While dining in old restaurants such as this in New York, you can’t help wonder what illicit activities and patrons frequented their front and backrooms. Dean Martin and the Rat Pack crew may have graced Rocco’s doors, taken a card game in their backroom or indulged in a traditional meal at the very table you’re eating your Penne Arrabiata and Veal Piccata.

“Nel blu dipinto di blu” (“In the Blue Painted Blue”), popularly known as “Volare” (Italian for the infinitive form of the verb “to fly”) was originally sung by Domenico Modugno, and is the only non-English language song that has reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in America. Modugno became the first Grammy winner for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1958 for this recording. Here’s Dean Martin’s version, probably sung in one of Tony’s clubs in the Village.

Dean Martin – Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu)
[audio:https://austinvegas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Volare.mp3]

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