palisade magazine

2 WINTER 2009-10 palisade

Publishers Lucha Malato, David Unger

Editor in Chief Kate Rounds

Art Director Jennifer Martiak

Copyediting Christopher Zinsli

Advertising Manager Tish Kraszyk

Sales Staff Toni Anne Calderone, Paul Cohen, C. Barbara Dillon, Ron Kraszyk, Jay Slansky, Christine M. Youngclaus

Circulation Manager Roberto Lopez

Circulation Luis Vasquez

Accounting Christine Caraballo

Palisade is a publication of The Hudson Reporter Assoc., L.P.1400 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030.

Submissions welcome, but please query first.

Phone: 201.798.7800 Fax: 201.798.0018Sales inquiries: [email protected]: [email protected]

Palisade Magazine is published by the Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P.,1400 Washington St., Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (201) 798-7800, Fax(201) 798-0018. Subscriptions are $20 per year, overseas are $40 per year,single copies are $7.50 each, multiple copy discounts are available.VISA/MC/AMEX accepted. Any subscription information should be sent toPalisade Subscriptions, 1400 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Notresponsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other unsolicited materials.Copyright ©2009-2010, Hudson Reporter Associates L.P. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Volume 4 Issue 1WINTER 2009-2010

l i f e a l o n g t h e H u d s o npalisade


CONTENTS

6 CONTRIBUTORS

7 EDITOR’S LETTER

8 SPOTLIGHT ONHOBOKEN

14 IN GEAR For the sporty set

20 GREEN SCENEUp on the Roof

22 HOME ON THE HUDSONMary of Maxwell Place

24 WEEKEND GETAWAYLake Placid’s Olympian Experience

26 FEELING GOODThe Sky Club community

30 WATERWAYSWinter on the River

33 FUR, FINS, AND FEATHERSAre pets good presents?

36 CHILD’S PLAYKids driving you crazy?

38 BACKYARD ADVENTUREMeet you in Morristown

40 QUIXOTICArt at the Secaucus stop

42 DISHHelmers’

48 IN PERSONPhotographer Benedict J. Fernandez

50 DATES

departments

30

PHOTO BY ANDRE MAIER

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CONTENTS

10 ARTSECHO MEANSBUSINESS An arts organization stays vital

COVER16 DECONSTRUCTING LIDIAChef Lidia dishes with Palisade PHOTO BY PAUL GELSOBELLO

28 A FINE ROMANCE?Valentine’s Day Blues

34 NETWORK YOUR WAYBACK INTO SPORTSTeaming up

features

PHOTO BY DEXTER LANE

10

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CONTRIBTORS


ARLENE PHALON BALDASARRIhas worked as an actress, for a literary agency and bookpublisher, and in the restaurant industry. She lives in Hobokenwith her husband Mike and daughter Sophie.

ROBERT E. CALEMhas covered technology and business for more than twodecades. He was a founding editor of This Week In Consumer Electronics and holds a Master’s degreein journalism from Columbia University. He writes extensivelyabout automobiles and is a regular contributor to Palisade’s InGear department. He lives in Hoboken.

KENNETH CHEN’sfive-year-old son Freddy snapped this picture of his dad, usingan iPhone camera. Ken photographs kids at still momentsfrom the point of view of “intimate innocence.”KennethChenPortraits.com/blog.

SALLY DEERING is a writer and playwright who still believes in happily everafter.

BENEDICT J. FERNANDEZis a world-renowned photographer, best known for his documentation of the 1960s protest movement and his portfolio Countdown to Eternity, the last year in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He lives in Hoboken.

AMANDA STAABis a graduate student at Columbia University’s JournalismSchool. A New Jersey native, she currently lives in Hobokenwith her husband.

TONY SUCHONis a freelance writer and editor from Manhattan. He attendedSt. Peter’s College and later lived in Newport in Jersey City forseveral years.

ANDREW TAVANIhas written for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and DiscoveryChannel’s Cash Cab, for which he won a Daytime EmmyAward in 2009. He has also contributed to NYmag.com, the New York Press, TV Guide, and Time Out New York.tavaniwork.blogspot.com

TRICIA TIRELLAis a staff writer for The Hudson Reporter. When not on the beat, she enjoys skiing on Northeast slopes and beyond.She currently lives in Jersey City.

E. ASSATA WRIGHTlives in Jersey City and is a staff writer for The HudsonReporter.

ARLENE PHALON BALDASARRI

ROBERT E. CALEM

KENNETH CHEN

SALLY DEERING

BENEDICT J. FERNANDEZ

TONY SUCHON

ANDREW TAVANI

TRICIA TIRELLA

E. ASSATA WRIGHT

AMANDA STAAB

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

palisade WINTER 2009-10 7

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Warmingup toWinter

Every editor has her bucket list. Oneitem on mine was snagging an interviewwith television chef Lidia Bastianich.What’s the angle for Palisade, you ask?Well, it turns out that Lidia once lived inNorth Bergen. With Lidia, what you seeis what you get. Don’t miss our profile.You’ll find her to be just as warm andexpansive as she is on TV.

Speaking of warm, we’re always look-ing for ways to take the sting out of win-ter. Most folks don’t think of heading tothe harbor for a cruise, but many of ourlocal cruise companies offer festive har-bor cruises for your holiday parties.Nothing’s more beautiful than a boatwith colorful lights moving through theicy waters, and guests partying to thehilt in a toasty cabin.

But there comes a time when you wantto just wave sayonara to winter—espe-cially if you’re the parents of small kids.“Cabin Fever” to the rescue. This event,sponsored by the Hoboken FamilyAssociation, gets kids out of the houseand into an activity-crammed venue.

Adults looking for their own activitieswill want to check out our story on

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SPOTLIGHT ON

Hoboken

In this issue we focus on the Mile SquareCity. What it lacks in size, it more thanmakes up for when it comes to fantastic

places to live, its array of restaurants and bars,entertainment offerings, and spectacular water-front locales. Last fall saw the long-awaitedopening of the walkway over Long SlipCanal connecting the Hoboken train sta-tion and the Newport section of JerseyCity. Now you can bike or walk all theway from the Goldman Sachs buildingin Jersey City to northern Hobokenwith just a few interruptions.

Another waterfront asset is the two-and-a-half-acre Pier C Park betweenThird and Fourth streets, which offersrecreational opportunities for kids andadults, including fishing. Coastalplantings and great views of Manhattandistinguish this inviting patch of green.

Eagerly awaited was the five-screenmovie theater on 14th Street betweenGrand and Adams, which opened inthe fall.

The winter issue of Palisade offers anumber of Hoboken-centered stories. Our“Child’s Play” department gives a previewof the Hoboken Family Association’s“Cabin Fever” kids’ event. We visit SkyClub Fitness & Spa in our new “FeelingGood” department. In “Home on theHudson” we’re welcomed into the digsof Mary Valestra, mother of the famedCarlo’s Bakery Cake Boss, in MaxwellPlace. “Green Scene” captures thegreen roof on Garden Street Lofts on14th and Bloomfield. We enjoy afabulous meal at Helmers’, and sitdown for an “In Person” interview withlongtime Hoboken resident andrenowned photographer Benedict J.Fernandez.

We’re all lucky to live along theHudson, arguably one of the world’smost historic and scenic rivers.Hoboken is just one of the stellar com-munities that Palisade readers callhome.—Kate Rounds



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sports networking, which will help youteam up with fellow soccer, tennis, orFrisbee players—you name it, there’s ateam for you.

Thinking of giving a pet as a holiday gift?Think twice. “Fur, Fins, and Feathers”gives you the dos and don’ts.

It’s hard to live in Hudson County with-out hearing from the Union City artsgroup ArtsEcho. Our feature “ArtsEchoMeans Business” tries to get to the bottom(line) of how an organization devoted tothe arts can stay alive in a bad economy.

Our “Spotlight On” section this issuefocuses on Hoboken. Almost every foot ofthe Mile Square City has something tooffer—whether you’re looking for condos,cafes, or fitness clubs.

Cooking over a hot stove isn’t a badplace to be in winter. Try out one ofLidia’s recipes from her new book, LidiaCooks from the Heart of Italy, and whileyou’re waiting for your bread to bake, curlup with Palisade.

Kate Rounds

FROM PAGE 9

palisadel i f e a l o n g t h e H u d s o n

Wedding StoriesFor its spring wedding section, Palisade Magazine is looking

for personal stories about:

Please e-mail your stories and pictures to: [email protected]. Photos

must be 300 DPI, or the image size must be 1500 x 995 or higher. Files larger than 5

MB must be zipped. Write “Wedding Stories” in the subject line. Snail mailers

please send your photos to: “Wedding Stories,” Palisade Magazine, 1400

Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030

Popping the QuestionIn-laws/OutlawsName Changes

ArtsEcho Means BusinessHow a local arts group is bucking the tide and staying afloat

“HELLO, COME IN, HAVE A CHOCOLATE!”Sandra Bendor calls out to a couple who’ve wandered intoArtsEcho Galleria. The Union City store is a profusion of unusu-al items, a wildly eclectic, overstuffed living room just calling outfor a treasure hunt. There is a Sputnik lamp and a simple wood-en bookcase that has been embellished with a swath of beads andbits of colored glass. Racks of meticulously pressed clothinginclude some pretty impressive designer labels. I notice a VersaceCouture top marked $28, a lovely cotton dress for $16, and anentire rack of little black dresses. Jewelry includes a vintage set inits original box featuring the image of an impossibly youngElizabeth Taylor, handcrafted sterling and semiprecious stones,and a display of inexpensive but beautiful necklaces from all overthe world. Hand-lettered signs point out 2,000-year-old Romancoins, and there are props used in the movie The Producers. Theartwork on the walls is a diverse collection of photographs, water-colors, fiber arts, and paper sculpture. The aforementioned dish ofchocolate kisses is at the door, and more spill out of an antiquecash register. For dedicated flea-market shoppers, finding a placelike this would feel like hitting the jackpot.


BY ARLENE PHALON BALDASSARI

PHOTOS BY DEXTER LANE

How does Bendor choose her merchandise? “It has to be some-thing that I love,” she says. “It has to be high-quality, affordableand irresistible. I can’t stand the ... plastic gadgets we are trainedto consume and throw out.” She haunts estate sales and costumehouses, and prevails upon a wide network of friends to find close-outs such as a recent coup of discontinued Paloma Picasso purs-es, brand-new and at a fraction of their original price. Often, she’llfind a beautiful designer garment with a tiny flaw. A metallic dressby Kate Moss for Topshop had a pull in the knit, so she sewed onsilver beads to disguise it. A simple red sweater was transformedwhen she embroidered a cascade of flowers down the front.Sometimes she simply switches out buttons to give an item moreflash. “It’s beyond recycling, it’s upcycling,” says Bendor. She doesmost of the repair work herself but has recently partnered withtwo emerging local designers, who will repurpose fabrics from herhuge collection, entirely reconstructing the clothing.

As Bendor leads me through the store, stopping to tell the storyof each artist, stroking an embroidered velvet jacket, and holdinga graceful glass ewer up to the light, I realize that there’s moregoing on here than meets the eye. Considering the visual over-load, that’s saying a lot.

AT A TIME WHEN MANY RETAIL STORES AREgoing out of business, ArtsEcho Galleria is not only thriving butturning a profit, which supports the art gallery andperformances—the store is also a performance space, art gallery,and nonprofit touring children’s theater. Salaries and rent are get-

ting paid, the gallery is able to give 100 percent of the proceedsfrom the art sales to the artists, and the performances are still freeand very well-attended. The stage, currently displaying shoes, hasheld as many as seven musicians, and the store up to 60 people,with another 40 on the sidewalk.

The organization calls itself a “rendezvous of the arts.” Not onlydoes each component influence the others, they subsidize oneanother as well. The story of how this successful, complicatedventure came about has little to do with a business plan, andeverything to do with a shared vision of bringing the arts intoeveryday life, accessible to everyone.

Because ArtsEcho is a nonprofit corporation, the Bendorsbrought in Judy Bro Pinhasik as its marketing and developmentdirector. She has 15 years’ experience in all aspects of fundraisingfor nonprofit arts organizations. A kindred spirit, having original-ly moved to New York to pursue a career as a cabaret singer,Pinhasik has contributed mightily to the group’s high profile andlong reach. Pinhasik knows how to put the sizzle in her grantwriting, and Bendor lined up two Internet-savvy college internslast summer, who worked on putting ArtsEcho Galleria in moresocial networking locations than I’d ever heard of. Its mailing listreaches 900 people from 30 countries.

BENDOR HAS BEEN PERFORMING SINCE THE AGEof three. In 1973, the LaMama Experimental Theater sent her toIsrael to perform for a month, and she stayed 15 years. Whileteaching acting and singing at the Actor’s Theater of Israel, she


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met and married her student Ben Bendor.Their prodigious careers in Israel includedacting, singing, writing, and directing hitshows such as Flairy Tales and The DreydlWill Rock. In 1987, the Bendors and theirthree children returned to the UnitedStates, where they founded ArtsEcho as achildren’s theater company. Over theyears, they produced 20 original worksaimed at educating as well as entertainingschoolchildren. In 1996, Ben developed anaudience-participation, curriculum-basedmath show called Arithmetickles, whichhas been approved as a vendor by theNew York City Board of Education, itsonly out-of-state arts organization thisyear. Last year, the popular showstaged 695 performances across 26states—Program Administrator CrystalHargreaves handles all bookings.

IN 2008, BENDOR WAS SEARCHINGfor a new office space big enough to han-dle the organization’s growing needs. Shecame upon a run-down storefront inUnion City. “It had been a dance studio,and it was a wreck,” she says. “Out frontwas a sign that said, ‘For Rent, Call Jose.’”The changing room in the back wouldmake a great office, she thought, and outfront, she envisioned a gallery, a perform-ance space, and a shop for affordabletreasures. Like many things that Bendor

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dreams up, it didn’t take long to become areality. ArtsEcho Galleria opened inOctober 2008 and has since hosted suchdiverse events as Noche Cubana, anevening of Cuban music, art, and food; ajazz brunch, and the Roses of New JerseyPhoto Contest, which culminated in arose-themed evening. Says Bendor, “Wehad rose cookies, rose tea, rose-flavoredTurkish delight, the winning photos wereprojected on a screen, and a sing-along ofrose songs was led by Judy Bro.”

THE OFFICE, LIKE THE STORE,is alive with activity. Magazine files housedozens of projects, ideas, and works inprogress. Bendor, Pinhasik, andHargreaves multi-task, exchanging ideasand comments as they work. Store manag-er Lil Rodriguez enters with a package,and Bendor calls out for everyone to seewhat’s arrived. It’s a metal implement withthe store’s logo embossed on the end. Shegrabs a hammer and a scrap of leather andstarts banging. “At least once a day, Sandraneeds to hammer something,” Pinhasikjokes. It turns out to be an embossing toolfor when the store launches its line of over-sized bags made from recycled leather. Weall gather to admire the impression. Thecreative atmosphere here is infectious—I’dlike to see a fashion show of the bags, withthe store’s clothing modeled by realwomen as opposed to models. “Becausewe’re a nonprofit, we can do things thatothers can’t,” says Bendor. “I don’t want tosound highfalutin, but I think we are pio-neering a new business model for thearts”—one that some arts institutions withmuch deeper pockets would do well totake a look at.—PM

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IN GEAR

14 WINTER 2009-10palisade

No Break in the ActionBY ROBERT E. CALEM

Goose PuffsGet the warmth of a down jacket without the puffiness and perspiration. The new HellyHansen Atlas Flow Down men’s ($700) and Silverrush Flow Down women’s ($600)jackets introduce HH’s Flo2w Down System on the interior: Hexagonal 800 fill powergoose down pillows (15 for men, 26 for women) to keep your core warm, separated byair flow channels that allow excess heat and moisture to escape, keeping you dry. Low-bulk PrimaLoft insulation is in the shoulders, arms, and seat area. It’s all hidden behinda smooth exterior shell made of fabric that is both breathable and waterproof. The jack-ets also feature a removable powder skirt, a removable hood, and a RECCO reflector (an

avalanche rescue aid).hellyhansen.com

Handy CandySkiwear maker Spyder has teamed up with audio gear maker Skullcandy to produce a newline of jackets and pants featuring Diode Switch technology, which lets the wearer remote

control a cellphone, Apple iPod, Microsoft Zune, or other digital media players. It pairs awaterproof six-button control panel on the outside of the garment with a device-specif-ic electronic control box that plugs into the garment—and attaches to the device — ina small interior pocket. The men’s and women’s Godfather jackets ($379), the men’sGodfather pant ($289), and the men’s Corleone jacket ($349) all feature the technol-ogy. Prices for the control boxes will vary with the devices and are expected to rangefrom $25 to $40.

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Growth ProofYou can stop buying your growing children new ski

pants every season if you buy The North Face EZGrow-equipped pants for boys and girls, such as theboy’s Insulated Bruin Pant ($99, pictured). It’s simple:Removing a red seam on the inside of each leg cuffadds two inches to the length. EZ Grow is now inall The North Face youth pants, which range inprice from $89-$119.

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Don’t hibernate, get out and play! From an indoor tennis match to skiingadventures or just a run on the treadmill, this cool new sports gear will

help you warm up to winter workouts.

IN GEAR


Cool Kicks If you’re searching for an extraordinarily

lightweight running shoe, pick up the PumaL.I.F.T. Racer SL ($75), which is uniquelyconstructed from one piece of two-coloredEVA foam that forms the midsole and theupper. (L.I.F.T. is an acronym for Lite InjectedFoam Technology.) Perforated syntheticleather is stitched to the foam to complete theupper. The Cell L.I.F.T. Trainer ($85) is aversion equipped with Puma’s Cell bubble-likecushioning technology in the heel for addedsupport and comfort.

Puma is also debuting an all-new cushioningtechnology named 10CELL, which is com-posed of two levels separated by a membrane.The more pliable bottom level absorbs

impact, while the firmer top level rebounds andcreates an energy return to the foot. The membrane creates ten-sion between the two levels, allowing them to function separate-ly during impact. The new 10CELL collection includes theVoltaic ll ($80), which features the technology in the heel; theCell Volt ($90), which has it from the heel to the mid-foot; andthe Cell Voltra ($100), which includes it along the full length ofthe shoe, from heel to toe.

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Super ShotsSmash the ball, not your arm, with a Prince EXO3 tennis rack-

et ($180-$300). Its Energy Bridge design suspends the stringsfrom the racket head, sharply reducing the low-frequency (bad)vibrations that emanate from the strings—and migrate from theframe to your wrist—upon contact with the ball. The result:noticeably better feel for the player and up to 25 percent moreenergy directed back into the ball, for more spin and greater con-trol.

Wilson [K] Factor FX tennis rackets ($210-$300) feature asplit yoke to bring more control to your stroke. Each side of theyoke is split in two, forming four pillars that connect the handleto the head, adding mass that keeps the racket more stable if theball is hit off-center—so the player gets a better handle on wherethe ball goes.

Oversized rackets usually compromise control in pursuit ofpower, but Babolat engineered its Y Line models ($229-$249)to provide both. Y Line rackets feature oversized arms called SideDrivers that extend the yoke and connect it to the head at the “3”and “9” positions—adding stability for greater control and boost-ing power by delivering more energy to the middle of the headfrom the base of the throat.

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Home on the Range:Deconstructing LidiaFrom Hudson County to haute cuisine—for Lidia Bastianich,it’s been a labor of love.

I’d know the voice anywhere, warm, low,comforting—maybe she suspects I’m the kind of per-son who would make Campbell’s soup without

adding the water. She is so encouraging, in fact, that shecharmingly misunderstands one of the most importantquestions I ask her: Why, among your 3 million-plus week-ly national television viewers are there so many like mewho have zero interest in cooking but can’t get enough ofwatching you do it?

She thinks that I’m too insecure to cook—”Everybodycan cook, it’s an innate capability.” The truth is, I don’twant to cook; I want her to cook for me. On her TV series,Lidia’s Italy, she gives the impression that this is not such afar-fetched notion—one of the ingredients that’s arguablymade Lidia Bastianich the most beloved chef in America.

IN 1958, AT THE AGE OF 11, LIDIA MATTICCHIOimmigrated with her family to the United States. Theywere considered political refugees since they came fromIstria, the part of Italy that was given to Yugoslavia. Afterspending a few months in New York, they landed in NorthBergen. “I remember especially the house perched on thecliffs,” she says. “It was fantastic in retrospect, now that Ithink about it. We were across from the Empire StateBuilding. I remember sitting on the rocks with my brotherlooking at the boats.” Her mother worked at the Evan-Picone factory in North Bergen, doing piecework.

In many ways it’s a classic American success story. Shewent on to create a brand and reign over an empire—phrases that probably make her cringe—like Julia Childand Martha Stewart. [See p. 19 for details.] Yet, everyonebecomes a culinary rock star in her own way. Flash backfor a moment to those two kids sitting on the palisades.“We’d lived by the sea,” she relates. “I missed Italy and mygrandma. We were looking at the beauty but thinking

about home.”This is the thread that will run

through Lidia’s life story:Her dual love for twoplaces at once. She isardently American. “Assoon as I turned 18, Iwanted to beAmerican,” she says. “Icouldn’t wait to sub-merse myself in it. Icouldn’t get enoughof it.” A very slightaccent recalls herroots, yet she loves to

use American idioms like, “We’ll just fish this out of thepot” and referring to a bunch of little pastries as “theseguys.”

I LIE ON THE COUCH IN MY APARTMENTwatching Lidia wrestle with an artichoke. It starts the sizeof a softball and in her skilled, built-to-last, sensual—moreabout this later—hands, it becomes the size of a golf ball. Ican’t believe she would do battle with enough of thesethings to actually make a dish—a dish that involves pota-toes, which she pronounces “potatahs,” like an Idaho farm-hand.

That chefs—like pianists and sluggers—have great handsis much remarked upon. The frontispiece of Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen is a collage of these hands at work. DavidDenby, writing about Julia Child in The New Yorker, said,“American home cooks may have mastered Child’s recipes,but her hands, in their sureness and speed, were unmatch-able by anyone but a pro.” Lidia, who sometimes cookedwith Julia, is certainly one of those pros. A story in Timeriffed on her “powerful momma’s hands.” Indeed, Lidiaacknowledges that she’s often viewed as a “motherly per-son who calms and soothes.” She gets emails from parentsof autistic children who respond to the “tonality” in hervoice. “I can’t isolate it,” she says. “It’s comfort, I’m forgiv-ing. I couldn’t be anything out of context.”

Well, exactly. She would never concoct anything out ofcontext, either. “I don’t like contrived food,” she says, “foodthat’s so manipulated you don’t recognize the source—camouflaged.” Whatever food it is, she says, would be bet-ter “fresh, left alone with a little olive oil” and not “put in ablender and made into a mousse.” In the Lidia Bastianichaesthetic, to separate who you are from how you cookwould be like unmixing a cake or un-roasting a goat. Toher, it’s a matter of being secure. “You need to take yourselfout of the equation,” she says. On Lidia’s Italy—a mélangeof cooking tutorial and travelogue—authenticity is an arti-cle of faith. She’s never “on,” she just is. “Don’t give me afood stylist,” she says. Her tagline at the end of every showsays it all: Tutti a tavola a mangieare—”Everybody to thetable to eat!” And that means everybody.

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU NOTICEabout Lidia is how forgiving she is of her adopted country’s“Italian” cooking. Spaghetti and meatballs and veal parmi-giana are uniquely American, not usually found in Italy. Butinstead of consigning these dishes to the garbage disposalof bad ideas, she’s tried to parse it out. “I felt there wassomething real in that cuisine,” she writes in Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen. “I just needed to get to the bottom of this

COVER

BY KATE ROUNDS


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phenomenon.” Bottom line? She’s not a snob.Included in the litany of just regular stuff she’ll eat: A good

Nathan’s hot dog with sauerkraut, a good hamburger orcheeseburger with a whole wheat bun (“I love the littledetails”), and caramel-encrusted popcorn.

Lidia has given this non-cook an inordinately long inter-view. I want to ask her a lot of angst-y, Woody Allen typequestions, like does she have any food phobias. I refrain but Ido ask if she likes beer (yes, and she makes a mean beer-roasted chicken.) And is it déclassé to order well-done meat?“It’s not bad,” she says, “but it is bad when it’s in betweenbecause it gets tough.” Some cuts, she says, you can “cook along time ’til it falls apart.” Again, her bred-in-the-bones egal-itarianism has led to a slight misunderstanding: My fear isthat if you order well-done meat in a restaurant the chef willstorm out of the kitchen brandishing a carving knife—butapparently not this chef, or “cook” as she sometimes callsherself.

SPEAKING OF RESTAURANTS, I ASK LIDIA IFshe will open one here in Hudson County—she owns or co-owns six already. I’ve got it all planned out—a waterfronteatery specializing in fish with glorious views of the city, blah,blah, blah. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,the way to Lidia’s heart is through her kids. Basically she tellsme I have to ask them. “At this point, after 28 years,” she says,“I’m not looking to open new restaurants.”

Those children are Joseph V. Bastianich (bastianich.com), awinemaker and restaurateur (among many other things), andTanya Bastianich Manuali, an art historian who partners withher mother on numerous projects, including their upscale trav-el company. Movers and shakers in their own right and in theirmother’s enterprise, both appear on her show from time totime. They’ve blessed her with five beloved grandchildren.

OK, BACK TO THOSE ARTICHOKES. NOW SHE’S“squeaking” the leaves. “I love touching food,” she tells me. “Ittalks to me when I touch it. I feel for a message from the food.You want artichokes to squeak and asparagus to snap, thingsthat you get by touching. I hear from people that when I eatit’s quite sensual. I really get into food, closing my eyes. Itspeaks to me in my mouth—it’s a reference library of flavors.”

So, there you have it—the elephant in the cucina: In thesmorgasbord of television chefs, there may be younger ones,there may ones who are more overtly glamorous or flamboy-antly sexual. But what Lidia has succeeded in doing in a kindof subversive way is to make the sensuality of the food and

the sensuality of the chef organic, all ofa piece, like a perfect stew. As

Lidia herself might say, toseparate the cook fromthe cuisine is out of con-text.Whatever else is said

about this motherly,matronly—Time hascalled her the Matron

Saint of Pasta—salt-of-the earth chef, she and her show arereally about lust and love—for food and friends and life. Asone viewer told her, “You turn me on when you bend over.”

Eat your heart out, folks. She reveals, “I have a mate in Italywho I see on and off when I do my travels.” But in the end,isn’t that as it should be? If she were cozily married in a man-sion on Long Island, there would be nothing left for us. Wewant Lidia where we want her—in our kitchens, calling us tothe table.—PM


Lidia: The Essential Ingredients

Websitelidiasitaly.com

TelevisionLidia’s Italy televised nationally (NJN)

Books

Hot off the Press Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy (Alfred A. Knopf, 2009)

Lidia’s Italy(Alfred A. Knopf, 2007)Lidia’s Family Table(Alfred A. Knopf, 2004)Lidia’s American Kitchen(Alfred A. Knopf, 2001)Lidia’s Italian Table(William Morrow, 1998)La Cucina di Lidia(Doubleday, 1990)


Restaurants(owned or co-owned by Lidia)

Felidia Ristorante243 East 58th St.New York City(212) 758-1479felidia-nyc.com

Becco355 West 46th St.New York City(212) 397-7597becco-nyc.com

Esca402 West 43rd St.New York City(212) 564-7272

Del Posto85 Tenth Ave.New York City (212) 497-8090delposto.com

Lidia’s Kansas City(816) 221-3722lidias-kc.com

Lidia’s Pittsburgh(412) 552-0150lidias-pittsburgh.com

PlusPasta SaucesLidia’s Flavors of Italy

Travel CompanyEsperienze Italiane

WineriesAzienda Agricola BastianichLa Mozza bastianich.com

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ON THE HUDSONHOME

Cake and CoffeeHow a legendary Hoboken bakery owner foundhappiness at the site of a former coffee factory

Mary Valastro: the name should ring a bell. Her familyhas owed Carlo’s Bakery across from City Hall inHoboken since 1964 and her son is, well, the Cake

Boss—star of the reality show on TLC. So, watch it or he’ll breakyour Neapolitans.

Valastro moved into Maxwell Place about two and a half yearsago. The Toll Brothers condo complex on the site of the oldMaxwell House coffee factory has 12 stories and breathtakingviews of Manhattan.

Valastro says she chose Maxwell Place because of its location—she sometimes walks to the bakery along River Road—but adds

that if the building didn’t have an underground parking garage itwould have been a deal breaker. “On a bad day, I love to pull inwith the car and take the elevator up,” she says.

Her three-bedroom unit is on the 11th floor. Above her is onlyone other floor and that, says Valastro, is where GovernorCorzine has taken up residence.

She did make some changes. “The kitchen that came with it wastoo modern,” she says. “I wanted a more traditional design, myown personal kitchen, my own way.” She does spend time in thekitchen: “I’m an Italian girl from Italy, and you’ve got to eat.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEAN MARCHETTO ARCHITECTS


ON THE HUDSONHOME

She made one bedroom into an office andanother is a private space for herhusband—she’s remarried.

By far, the best thing about the unit is theview: “You can see up to the GeorgeWashington Bridge, the Empire State build-ing, the Manhattan skyline, Weehawken,and to the south Jersey City.”

She loves this part of Hoboken becauseit’s not congested and you can walk torestaurants.

“Everyone wants to come to Hoboken,”she says. “It’s the hot spot right now.”—Kate Rounds

PHOTOS BY CATIE TUPPER

WEEKEND GETAWAY


In the midst of the Adirondacks is a community that hasremained a quiet respite through the years: Lake Placid.Renowned for its clear, deep lakes and rushing rivers, sur-

rounded by towering, majestic mountains—beautiful no matterthe season—this town is home to awe-inspiring scenes aroundevery bend in the road.

From this resort community, you can experience all theAdirondacks have to offer. Ice skate or ski, hike a mountain trailand drink in the view, or take a hair-raising bobsled ride. After aday of outdoor adventure, the area’s restaurants, spas, shops,hotels, and attractions will provide recreational adventures of amore relaxing kind.

Though quaint and serene, Lake Placid and its environs are cos-mopolitan as well. Restaurants with international cuisines, craftshops, galleries, and museums are eclectic and easy to reach.

The world’s attention focused on Lake Placid when it was hostcity to the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980. At the OlympicCenter and Museum in town, you can see where the 1980 U.S.hockey team upset the Russian team and where, in 1932, figureskater-turned-movie-star Sonja Henie grabbed her second ofthree consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Aside from preserving history, the center operates four rinks forhockey players, speed skaters, and figure skaters. Evening skating(including skate rentals) is available for visitors. For sports histori-ans, the museum features changing exhibits, video booths, plus

the sleds, skis and winter-sports equipment used by some of theworld’s greatest athletes.

The Olympic Regional Development Authority operates venuesthat are not just for elite winter athletes, but also for enthusiasts.Visitors can meander over cross-country ski trails and hurtledown the ice-covered bobsled track or the snow-covered slopes,or tromp about in snowshoes or glide on skates. You can use thesame facilities as world-class athletes.

On the weekend starting Dec. 11, Lake Placid presents AHoliday Village Stroll to celebrate the year-end spirit, with twin-kling lights and unique Adirondack holiday decorations. Familiesare offered a variety of children’s activities and special events cou-pled with specialty shopping and gourmet food, and a number ofevening entertainment options.

There are also Yuletide Family Weekends at Santa’s Workshopdesigned to provide the old-fashioned tradition of family, friends,and the spirit of Christmas. Learn more about Yuletide FamilyWeekend Packages by calling (800) 806-0215.

At the Winter Cup Sports and Events at Olympic Venues, visi-tors can see internationally known athletes train and compete inbobsled, luge, skeleton, and freestyle skating throughout the win-ter.

The 30th Annual Empire State Games are scheduled for Feb.19-21. Families can enjoy the world-class athletics as spectators orqualify for events that include Alpine and cross-country skiing,

An Olympian ExperienceBY TONY SUCHON

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAKE PLACID/ESSEX COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU

WEEKEND GETAWAY


figure skating, women’s hockey, and other winter sports.The 5th Annual Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge is scheduled

for January, during which Nascar race drivers will pilot speciallymade bobsleds down Lake Placid’s track. This event is designedto raise money for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project that builds bob-sleds for U.S. teams. Visitors are welcome.

Don’t overlook Lake Placid’s larger next-door neighbor, SaranacLake. Named an all-American city in 1998, outdoor adventuresabound right in the center of town. For a slower-paced outing,take a ride on the scenic railroad that connects the two towns andspend the afternoon exploring the historic downtown shops, artgalleries, and parks of Saranac Lake. The 113th Annual WinterCarnival is scheduled for February; Saranac Lake is the site of oneof the oldest winter carnivals in the country complete with an icepalace.

To the south is the Town of Keene, home of the Great Rangeand Mount Marcy. More laidback than its neighbors, Keene haslong been a haven for artists and outdoors enthusiasts alike.

It’s an easy drive, mostly on I-87, to Lake Placid and surround-ing towns. The locals are ready and waiting to welcome families,

couples, and city dwellers eager to experience this mountainresort area, filled with winter fun.—PM

RESOURCESThe Lake Placid area is about 285 miles from Hudson County.

If you don’t want to drive, you can take an AMTRAK train toWestport, N.Y., which is 40 miles from Lake Placid. The ride isabout six hours but it takes you through some of New York State’smost scenic countryside. Call (800) 888-8478 to make a reserva-tion. You can rent a car at the AMTRAK station. Trailways alsooffers bus service. Visit trailwaysny.com or call (800) 776-7548 to

make a reservation. The following websites can help you findresorts, hotels, restaurants, transportation, and attractions.—TS

lakeplacid.comorda.orgempirestategames.org/wintersaranaclake.comnorthpoleny.com bodynbobsled.com

Lake Placid PostcardFormer Hoboken resident Lori Van Houten, anartist who worked out of the Neumann LeatherBuilding, sends this personal note:

We are back from Lake Placid, and I would recommend a num-ber of sights for folks who may not be sports enthusiasts. Stop inat Candy Man Home Made Adirondack Chocolates. There’s noplace to sit with your coffee, but the chocolates are great. TheAdirondacks Museum Store on Main Street has many fine craftitems—and the storefront is pure Adirondacks. History and abo-litionist buffs won’t want to miss John Brown’s farm and burialsite, only a short distance by car from Main Street. We enjoyedour weekend in the northlands. Next time, we’ll bring our cross-country skis!—Lori Van Houten

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MIRROR LAKE INN RESORT & SPA

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If you’re looking for a workout with a view, Sky Club Fitnessand Spa is the place for you. Within spitting distance of theSecond Street light rail stop, it’s located on the seventh floor of abuilding that offers sweeping views of the New York City skylineas well as Hoboken’s rooftop cityscape. “The views help take yourmind off the workouts,” says membership adviser CandiceRamirez. The pool has an outside deck with gorgeous vistaswhere members sunbathe in summer. “They just check in and layout,” Ramirez says.

One of the things that sets the club apart is its commitment tothe community. Its “challenge for charity” program gets members

involved. Losers have to donate money to charity. The proceedsof “pool parties with a purpose” go to the Susan G. Komen for theCure, which combats breast cancer. The club also sponsors asummer book drive for the local Connors Elementary School, afood drive, and a winter coat drive.

“The business community has an obligation to the communityin which it prospers to give something back,” says GeneralManager Cynthia Walker. “It’s an honor to be able to provide afun service for our members while contributing to such causes asthe Susan G. Komen Foundation. Sky Club is steadfast in ourcommitment to help those in need.”

PHOTOS BY AMY HAND

FEEL ING GOOD


Responding to Hoboken’s kid-centered community, the clubhas made it easy for the many young parents who want to join afitness club. If you’re on one of the exercise machines, you can setyour terminal to channel 1 and watch your child playing in thekids’ club, which has everything that kids from two months to 10years could possibly want.

Among the club’s newest offerings to help recession-stressedclients deal with day-to-day life is a boxing studio. ConsultantTony Santomauro says members use boxing as “stress relief. Theyhit the bag and get their frustrations out.There’s no sparring or combat.” After three tofive minutes with a professional Everlast bag,“they release negative energy, and after a niceshower they get the bad things out of their sys-tem, feel good about the day, and enjoy therest of the night.” Folks also choose boxing ifthey’re just bored with the same old exerciseroutine or if they want to learn self defensetechniques.

Sky Club prides itself on little details thatmake members feel pampered. You can get arobe at the front desk, so there’s no need toparade around the public areas in skimpybathing suits. The floors in the fitness studioare built to absorb shock, saving the joints fromexcessive pressure. Almost everything in the

locker rooms is sensitive to motion, so that you don’t have totouch knobs, faucets, or other surfaces.

In tough economic times, a lot of folks may be thinking twiceabout joining a fitness club, which is understandable. But Ramirezpoints out one advantage of putting yourself in a lively, commu-nity-oriented environment. “There are a variety of people to talkto,” she says, “CEOS, recruiters, people who come to pool par-ties.” No need to be alone in your zone. “It’s a great place to net-work.”—Kate Rounds

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A Fine Romance?Valentine’s Day Blues

BY SALLY DEERING

Flipping through my Sex and the City desk calendar, I practically coughup my 210-calorie garden salad when Feb. 14 sucker-punches meright in the kisser. I’ve barely pulled through the dark days of January

and now that humiliating, horrible holiday is fast approaching, pointing itsfinger and mocking me just because I’m single and don’t have a date.

Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy Valentine’s Day! My friend Lucy says I’m turning into a bitter old shrew. Can you believe it?

Just because I think Valentine’s Day is a nasty, cruel and vicious holidaywhere all the pretty young things get to show off their tall, dark and hand-somes while us lonely-hearts sit home, watch Casablanca, and blubber in ourBen & Jerry’s.

It’s not fair that every Valentine’s Day women my age are forced to com-pete with younger girls who attract older men like they were giving out freeViagra. Where does that put us? Sidelined. Wallflowered. Pushed aside like a


“OH GEORGE, GEORGE, GEORGE!”

pile of soggy peas. How can we be Valentine material if we’reregarded as the crazy lady covered in cat hair?

I’m so over Valentine’s Day I want to set my bed on fire. But maybe there’s still time to save this Valentine’s Day—turn

this single girl’s tale of woe into a happily-ever-after. I know, I’llgive that guy I dated last year—Fred, the angry stand-up comic—a call. He was kind of nice when he wasn’t drunk on tequila.(Although after that salsa episode, I don’t dare show my face atTaco Bell.) And we did kind of break up last Valentine’s Day whenhe thought one of my stretch marks was a tattoo of New Jersey.But he was fun, sometimes, and I don’t think he’s seeing anybody,so who knows, maybe we can rekindle the romance? Wait, I justremembered. Fred got engaged to a cocktail waitress and pro-posed with a diamond ring stuck inside a hard-boiled egg.

I want someone romantic to be my Valentine: a fella who recitespoetry and writes his own card instead of buying one at the 99-cent store. A guy who professes his love with a touchstone fromhis heart and not some goofy-looking Teddy Bear made from dis-carded shag rugs. I want a Valentine who considers kissing an artform and not a tongue-wrestling slobberfest. My Valentine shouldbe suave and sophisticated. I want to wake up on Valentine’s Dayto George Clooney making me pancakes…

I open my eyes and there he is at the foot of my bed staring atme with his big brown orbs. He smiles that killersmile, leans over and kisses me so passionatelymy thermal knee-socks roll up and down undermy nightgown.

“Oh George, George, George!”He pulls back.“Not so fast, you tigress. Breakfast first.”He disappears into the kitchen, giving me just

enough time to fluff my hair, dab on some lip-stick, and chew a breath mint I find on the floor.He returns with a tray adorned with a yellowvase filled with red roses and a stack of blueber-ry pancakes.

“Here ya go, my pussycat. I made them myself.”I lick my lips. He pours the syrup.

“Would you like more syrup, my little sexpot?”“Yes, yes, yes,” I say, hungrily.He raises a forkful of dripping pancake to my

lips and shoves it in. I chew—sensuously. Then Ibite down on something hard. Oh no, a rottenblueberry. But wait. It doesn’t taste like a blueber-ry. It tastes like … like … a diamond. I spit thering into my hand. He wipes it off and slips it onmy finger.

“My darling, will you do me the honor of beingMrs. George Clooney?”

“Oh yes, George, yes. This is the bestValentine’s Day ever.”

He leans in to plant one on my lips.“Any pancake left?” I murmur as he takes me in his arms…I snap back to reality. I must get a grip. I mean really, what’s the

big deal if I don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day. Remember whatthe Wizard of Oz told the Tin Man: “A heart is not judged by howmuch you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” Well,this Valentine’s Day I’m gonna love myself so much I might evenpropose.

I’m going to take a tip from my Sex and the City calendar andgive myself a night on the town. I’ll pick up a new pair of shoes,maybe not the Manolo Blahniks that Carrie Bradshaw wears, butI hear Payless is having a sale. And I’ll wear a sexy dress, too, a redone with a slit up the side. So what if it’s one of my old brides-maid dresses. If I rip off the purple ruffles, lose the green patentleather belt, and bag the bustle, it might work.

I’ll dine at a cozy bistro, looking all mysterious at a table for one.I’ll sip wine, get seconds on the bread, and after my big fat entréeI’ll order a big fat dessert. Then, who knows? Maybe my Valentinewill be there, too, dining alone and hoping to meet the woman ofhis dreams.

If not, I’ll always have George.—PM


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Taking a boat ride in New York Harbor is not just a summeractivity. Cruise and charter experts keep it in season all winterlong. They make it possible to sail around the Big Apple whileenjoying holiday parties, jazz concerts, wine tastings, and more,all in the comfort of luxury yachts.

“People just tend to hibernate in the winter, and this gives thema piece of the outdoors without having to bear the cold,” saysCamille Cerria, owner of Smooth Sailing Celebrations chartercompany.

Boats with climate-controlled cabins can be booked for corpo-rate and private events with up to 1,200 guests, and public cruis-es are offered for special winter occasions.

Cold-Weather CruisesWarm up with hot chocolate and seasonal tunes on Classic

Harbor Line’s evening Cocoa and Carols and Holiday JazzCruises on the 1920s-style yacht, Manhattan. The 90-minutetour features music by the Chelsea Opera on Saturdays, and theLive Holiday Jazz Trio on Fridays and Sundays. The cruise boardsat Chelsea Pier 62 and is $50 per person. (212) 209-3370.

Kids board Circle Line Downtown’s one-hour HolidayCruise for free with the donation of a new, unwrapped gift for

Toys for Tots until Dec. 22. The tour, departing several times aday at Pier 16 in Manhattan, is $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, and$15 for kids. (212) 809-0808.

New Year’s YachtingFor an intimate celebration, Classic Harbor Line offers a New

Year’s Eve Fireworks Cruise for 50 guests on the luxury yachtManhattan. Dress in black tie and board at Chelsea Pier 62 at 9p.m. The cruise is $325 per person. The line also offers a NewYear’s Brunch Cruise aboard the Manhattan for $125. Thethree-hour trip includes a buffet and tour around Manhattan.(212) 209-3370.

NY Waterway’s New Year’s Harbor Cruise offers an all-night dance party with a cash bar. Noisemakers, a champagnetoast, and dessert are included. Pickup is at 10 p.m. on both sidesof the Hudson River, at Port Imperial in Weehawken and Pier 78in Midtown. Each yacht carries up to 125 partygoers, 21 andolder. The cruise is $99 per person. (800) 533-3779.

You can also watch the ball drop aboard the New Year’s EveCruise on Circle Line Downtown’s Zephyr. The yacht features10 flat-screen TVs, an open bar, and spacious dance floor. Horsd’oeuvres and desserts are also part of the package. Passengers

Winter on the RiverBY AMANDA STAAB

EASTERN STAR, PHOTO BY STEPHEN SERIO

must be at least 21. Boarding starts at 9:30 p.m. at Pier 16 inManhattan. Tickets are $209. (212) 809-0808.

Open to all ages, the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Cruise onthe Skyline Princess features a buffet, champagne toast, and liveentertainment. Boarding starts at 9 p.m. at the World’s FairMarina in Flushing, New York. Ticket prices vary according todrink preferences. (718) 446-1100.

Cupid’s CruisesShare the moment aboard the Skyline Princess Valentine’s

Day Dinner Cruise, Feb. 14, 7-11 p.m. The tour features a for-mal buffet and live DJ, and boards at the World’s Fair Marina inFlushing, New York. Prices vary according to drink preferences.

For singles, the Skyline Princess offers the Anti-Valentine’sCruise with a club vibe. The four-hour ride features a cash barand boards at 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 13. Tickets are $50.

The Valentine’s Brunch Cruise aboard the Skyline Princessincludes a buffet and four-hour tour. Boarding starts at 11:30 a.m.at the World’s Fair Marina. Ticket prices vary according to drinkpreferences. (718) 446-1100 for all three cruises.

Additional OutingsStep back in time with Classic Harbor Line’s turn-of-the-cen-

tury Afternoon Tea Cruise around Manhattan. “It’s a high-soci-ety ritual,” says manager Sarah Greer. The elegant three-hour teais offered on select weekend afternoons until Dec. 27 and is $85per person. (212) 809-0808.

Get a lesson in wine while cruising the Hudson River withClassic Harbor Line’s Wine Regions of the World TastingSeries. With an intimate setting aboard the Manhattan, the pro-gram features Wine and Cheese Pairing 101 on Dec. 4 and 5, andBest of the Best Red, White, and Bubbly all over, on Dec. 18 and19. Tickets are $85. (212) 209-3370.

NY Waterway’s 90-minute Skyline Cruise offers history, funfacts, and a short, optional documentary on the rescue of USAirways Flight 1549, dubbed “The Miracle on the Hudson.”Ferries board multiple times a day, depending on the weather atPier 78 in Midtown, and cruise around the tip of Manhattan. Thetour is $26 for adults, $21 for seniors, $15 for kids, and free for tod-dlers. (800) 533-3779.

WATERWAYS


EASTERN STAR, PHOTO BY MICHAEL JACKSON

WATERWAYS


Private PartiesSmooth Sailing Celebrations, with access to ports on both

sides of the Hudson River, offers 40 boats to choose from, includ-ing the Cornucopia Majesty for up to 1,200 guests. The Eastern Staroffers dining, dancing, sightseeing, and parties on its largeenclosed climate-controlled deck, no matter what the weather.Relax in its library, cozy salon, or in front of a wood-burning fire-place. Event planning and catering services are available for pri-vate and corporate parties. From January through March, expect10 to 30 percent discounts on some of the boats. (973) 409-4456.

Prestige Yacht Charters, with 20 years’ experience, featuressingle- to triple-decker boats for parties for two to 750. Holidaypackages include a three-hour tour around Manhattan, open bar,and several entertainment options. The company can also arrangefor casino tables, card readers, and caricaturists. Passengers maychoose to board in New York or New Jersey. (212) 717-0300.

NY Boat Charters customizes grand events for up to 200guests on the Royal Princess, a double-decker yacht, and smalleroccasions for up to 80 on the Festiva. Charter either of the boatsand 5 percent of the cost before dockage and tax will be donatedby the charter company to a charity of your choice. Chef MichaelMadigan, owner of Farm 2 Bistro in Nutley, N.J., prepares the cui-sine for larger parties, and this season, eggnog will be served toeveryone upon boarding. “The yachts are fabulous in the spring,summer, and fall, but during the winter, they are magical,” saysowner Lezlee Peterzell-Bellanich. (212) 496-8625.

Sail NYC, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, offers pri-vate parties and corporate events for up to 350 guests aboard theRomantica and Atlantica yachts. The company has access to sev-eral ports in New Jersey and New York, and onsite planners helpwith every occasion. (201) 915-4398.—PM

EASTERN STAR, PHOTO BY MICHAEL JACKSON

FUR, F INS & FEATHERS


The Gift that Keeps on GivingHere are some dos and don’ts if you’re thinking of giving the gift of a pet

Nikki Dawson remembers the moment as if it were yesterday.Dawson, currently president of the Animal Welfare Federation ofNew Jersey, was working years ago at a shelter in New York City.It was a busy Saturday, and the waiting room was filled with fam-ilies looking to adopt pets. All of a sudden, “four teenage boyswalked in with a 20-foot python. It took four of them to carry it.One of the mothers made her son get rid of it because of its size—it was now eating large animals versus the mice that it requiredwhen they first got it.” Chaos ensued. “Forty people scattered sofast. Mothers jumped on their children, they were climbing onsoda machines, grabbing their animals, it was a little scary.”

To say the least. This story may be extreme, but it certainly canserve as a cautionary tale about giving that cute little gift thatcould grow into, well, if not a nightmare, at least not what you’dfantasized when you acquired it.

Dawson says, however, that progressive animal welfare organi-zations are now “encouraging people to make adoptions part oftheir holiday celebrations. People are more aware of the respon-sibilities that go with adoptions.”

And what are those responsibilities if you’re considering a holi-day gift that lives and breathes?

Aurora Piacentino, shelter manager, Liberty Humane Society,Jersey City, says “the connection between animal and owner isvery personal.” She joins others in the animal welfare communityin suggesting that rather than picking out a pet as a gift, offer topay the adoption fee and the first vet visit and let your gift recip-ient pick out his or her own pet.

“Around Easter,” she says, “we commonly see rabbits.Everybody thinks rabbits are cute and cuddly, but it takes just asmuch care to feed, water, socialize, and clean the cage of a rabbit.Rabbits, like any animal, can be skittish and aggressive.”

Liberty Humane receives animals of all kinds, including snakesand iguanas, Piacentino says. “The animals get too big, and peo-ple weren’t prepared for the level of care. They get small mam-mals and reptiles, put them in a cage or tank, and they think ittakes care of itself, but they have very sensitive systems and theyneed specific kinds of care,” she says.

Another thing to remember when buying pets for kids is—they’re kids. “Adults have to understand that the care is in theirhands. You can’t expect nine, 10, or 11-year-olds to be responsi-ble for the care of animals,” Piacentino says.

Easter is also a time when parents like to give chicks and duck-lings to their kids, according to Dr. Cindy Fede, a veterinarianwith the Jersey City Animal Hospital. “There are health risks asso-ciated with these types of animals, such as salmonella and avianinfluenza,” she says. “Pocket pets like hamsters, gerbils, ferrets,and chinchillas could get sick or die if special requirements are notmet, and a child could become very attached to them.”

Bottom line? Avoid surprises.“The person getting the gift may never have had an animal,”

Fede warns. “They may not know they shed, require housebreak-ing, chew things, bark, meow, or require costly medical care. Geteducated from a shelter rescue group beforehand on the perfectmatch for the family’s lifestyle.”—Kate Rounds


Don’t let your college hockey heroics be your last greatmemory of playing team sports. Instead of curling up onyour coach this winter waiting for the cold to pass, join

a sports organization that will get you back in the swing. The Bergen, Hudson and Passaic division of i9 sports, an online

sports franchise, offers adult leagues for folks 18 and over and hasa heavy presence in the Jersey City and Hoboken area. Winterindoor basketball, flag football, and slow-pitch softball allow seri-ous competitors and weekend warriors to mingle. There aremen’s and co-ed teams.

A group of friends might start its own team in the league, orsomeone needing an after-work outlet can sign up and be placed.Visit i9sports.com.

“It’s a little ESPN for the amateur athlete,” says Jake Ross, direc-tor of i9’s Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic division. “We try to makeit really exciting.”

This league is one of many in the area. The Hoboken/Jersey City/Union City Tennis Meetup Group,

founded online in 2008, allows Hudson and Bergen Countyplayers to sign up for matches held at free public courts andmeet tennis buddies of all abilities. Visit www.meetup.com/hoboken-tennis. Another option is www.HobokenTennis.com.This Stevens Institute of Technology program features free adsfor tennis buddies and weekly indoor tennis parties.

Looking for an ultimate Frisbee game or a challenging hike?Find others with similar interests without committing to a leagueon social networking sites like meetup.com.

You may not even have to leave your couch to sign up for a skiouting.—PM

RESOURCES

Bayonne Rugby Football ClubThe Bayonne Bombers were formed by ex-college rugby

players from the U.S., and others brought the love of the sportwith them from their home countries in 1989. It’s composed of 60players from 12 nations. Contact Kyle Mallory [email protected] or call (551) 206-1029.

Hoboken Adult Soccer LeagueTeams play eight games and playoffs each season.

Visit hobokenadultsoccerleague.com.

Hoboken Ski ClubA ski and snowboard club, Hoboken Ski is active all year. When

the snow has melted, trips range from mountain biking to paint-ball. Winter trips include everything from weekend getaways tointernational ski trips. Visit hobokenskiclub.com.

Network Your Way BackInto SportsBY TRICIA TIRELLA


North American HockeyLeague

This adult hockey league plays at Rick KorpiIce Rink, behind Bayonne High School. Call(201) 858-5566.

Urban Escapes NYCThis adventure-based group was launched to

get city folks out of the urban grit. It originallyorganized weekend hiking, biking, and whitewa-ter rafting excursions to the Catskills and nowoffers everything from cave spelunking to inter-national trips, with transportation from NewYork City and back provided.Visit urbanescapesnyc.com.

Zog Sports NJA 21-and-over sports league, Zog Sports NJ offers co-ed kick-

ball, dodgeball, and indoor soccer, among other sports. Visitzogsportsnj.org.

(TOP) LEFT PHOTO, HOWARD STONE(L) AND KEVINDONOGHUE OFTHE HOBOKEN SKICLUB AND HOCKEY (BOTTOM) LEFTPHOTO BY TRICIA TIRELLA

CHILD'S PLAY


CabinFever

It’s February. The snow has melted into gray slush, the new toyshave become old hat, and your kids are bickering nonstop.Slogging your way home in the mid-afternoon dusk, a brightlycolored poster in a store window catches your eye, and suddenlythere is relief in sight. It’s time again for the HFA Cabin FeverFestival.

For the last seven years, the Hoboken Family Alliance has puttogether a day of entertainment and activities for kids of all ages.Last year’s event spread over two floors of the Elks Club and

included live music, food, a cash bar, and dozens of raffle prizesdonated by local merchants. Hoboken’s business communitysponsored activities including face-painting, balloon animals, anda play castle. Some favorites were “The BabyLounge,” a safe,padded space where little ones could crawl freely, arts and craftsactivities by Smocks & Giggles, and beautiful portrait photogra-phy by Kenneth Chen.

Performances ran almost continuously on both floors. You couldsee a puppet show by Puppetonia or groove along with The

BY ARLENE PHALON BALDASSARI

PHOTOS BY ©KENNETHCHENPORTRAITS.COM

CHILD'S PLAY


Fuzzy Lemons. Garden Street Music, the Little Gym, Let’sDance with Louie Miranda, and the Traveling Tumblers allwowed the audiences of excited kids as clusters of happy (andrelieved) parents chatted in the back. There were also education-al activities, such as a demo of infant CPR.

The Hoboken Family Alliance launched in 1999, when a fewHoboken mothers started meeting at the park to share informa-tion and set up play dates. They put together an Excel spread-sheet with contact information and their kids’ names and birth-days.

“We got to talking about how winter was the absolute worsttime to be stuck inside with a baby or toddler,” says AmyKleisner, one of the founding members. “What was so nice aboutit was the support we got from the businesses. The first year we

had 20 sponsors, and by the next year we couldn’t fit them all onthe flyer.”

The HFA has grown to more than 400 member families andnow organizes an Easter egg hunt, harvest festival, Christmas car-oling, the all-school open house, and clothing swap. It is still anon-profit, volunteer-driven organization, and takes an active rolein community affairs and philanthropy. Its website, hobokenfam-ily.com, is an invaluable resource for parents.

As always, the HFA wants you to get involved. You can findinformation about membership and volunteering on the website,as well as details about this year’s event. Cabin Fever 2010 is ten-tatively scheduled for Feb. 6 at the Monroe Center for the Arts.See you there!—PM

Morristown: History, Horses,and Hiking

Acorn Hall

BACKYARD ADVENTURE


Having grown up in MorrisCounty, I often took for grantedthe splendid woods, the mani-

cured lawns, and historic sites that pepperthe small town. Yes, George Washingtonslept in scenic Morristown, but that isn’tthe only lure. Within the town’s two andhalf square miles lie the 300-year-old greenin the town center, reportedly one of twosuch areas left statewide and unchangedby time. “Morris Town” was named afterColonel Lewis Morris and is known as themilitary capital of the AmericanRevolution.

Off 24 West to exit 1-A, you’re transport-ed to the sprawling hills on WhippanyRoad, passing picturesque houses and theFrelinghuysen Arboretum. Today, manyhistoric mansions once occupied bywealthy businessmen in the 19th centuryremain unchanged and are now museums.

In winter, Morristown looks picture per-fect. Victorian homes flanked by 100-year-old evergreens, maples, and oaks are oftencovered with snow, making it easy to imag-ine guests pulling up in a horse-drawnsleigh, ready to enjoy a holiday party.

One such estate that keeps the traditionalive is Acorn Hall, which is part ofMorristown’s annual Holly Walk inDecember, a tour of area museums deco-rated for Christmas. Included on thisyear’s tour is Macculloch Hall, a Federal-style mansion built in 1810 that has worksby the famous political cartoonist ThomasNast.

Built in 1853, Acorn Hall has the original19th century furnishings. It was donated tothe Morris County Historical Society in1971 by Mary Crane Hone and was namedfor the majestic oaks on the property.During the holidays, the museum shineswith lavish Victorian decorations that canbe viewed through early January. Thoselooking to be active can walk a trail fromAcorn Hall that leads to the grounds of theFrelinghuysen Arboretum. The 127-acrearboretum has numerous gardens andtrails. Don’t be surprised to see deer, squir-rels, or chipmunks along its many paths. Ifnature isn’t your thing, the arboretumhosts the annual Gingerbread Wonderlandcompetition in December.

BY DIANA SCHWAEBLE

Morris Museum interior

STRIP OF PHOTOS BELOW BY DIANA SCHWAEBLE

Another impressive site is the Twin Oaks mansion onNormandy Heights Road, once the private estate of Peter H.B.Frelinghuysen and now the Morris Museum. While many knowMorristown was pivotal during the war, they may not know it wasa former site for horse racing. Currently at the museum is theexhibit Horseplay: A History of Equestrian Sports in New Jersey curat-ed by Mary Chandor on display until Jan. 3. The exhibit of morethan 150 pieces came from private New Jersey collectors and dis-plays the proud history of the sport from flat racing, steeple chas-ing, and the traditional hunt tea to the local families who rode orbred horses. Horses have very broad appeal, says Chandor, notingthat riding is the only Olympic sport where men and womencompete against each other. Also worth a look is the GuinnessCollection, an exhibit of musical instruments that is part of themuseum’s permanent collection, as well as the popular modeltrain exhibit.

After sightseeing, a quick trip to Morristown’s center provides aselection of eateries. Cafes, fine dining, and pubs are within walk-

ing distance of the green. Save room for dessert. The Swiss Chalet,a specialty bakery on South Street, has been making homemadepastries and cakes since 1970. Bill Moran took it over in 2000 andcontinued with the traditional recipes created by Swiss masterbaker and former owner Charlie Wurster. It’s hard not to getgreedy sitting at a café table, eyeing all the fresh-baked goods.I recently sipped coffee as I sampled a cheese Danish and a coffeeroll. Both items are popular with the morning crowd, Moransays—and luckily, easy enough to walk off on the wide sidewalkssurrounding the green.

A daytrip to Morristown feels like a gateway to a different time,a time when afternoon strolls and tea were meant to be lingeredover.—PM

BACKYARD ADVENTURE


Villa Fontana, once the home of Thomas Nast

Swiss Chalet Bakery Swiss Chalet baker, Bob Sicknick"Blaze" by Lynn Vergano at Morris Museum

Acorn Hall68 Morris Ave.(973) 267-3465acornhall.orgTours, Monday and Thursday10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday 1-4p.m.$6 adults, $5 seniors, $3 stu-dents

Frelinghuysen Arboretum53 East Hanover Ave.(973) 326-7600morrisparks.netMonday-Sunday 8 a.m.-dusk

Macculloch Hall45 Macculloch Ave.(973) 334-3665maccullochhall.org

Open by appointmentWednesday, Thursday, Sunday1-4 p.m., gardens open daily

Morris Museum6 Normandy Heights Road(973) 971-8117morrismuseum.orgWednesday, Friday, Saturday11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 11a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m.$10 adults, $7 seniors/children

Swiss Chalet Bakery176 South St.(973) 267-0092swisschaletbakery.comMonday-Friday 6 a.m.- 6 p.m.,Saturday 7 a.m.-6 p.m.,Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

RESOURCES

QUIXOTIC


In the hustle and bustle of daily life, art can slip through thecracks between business meetings and grocery shopping.But those who are willing to slow life’s frenetic pace for even

a few moments can discover art almost anywhere: a chalk draw-ing on a Jersey City sidewalk; a hamsa near a cash register in aHoboken café.

In fact, the Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station in Secaucus offersa bounty of visual art, though much of it is easy to miss when run-ning to make a connection.

Four paintings by Valeri Larko at the north end of the stationhighlight the early history of railroads in the region. “ThreeWeeks in September,” a series of murals by Hoboken painter TimDaly, grace the station’s south mezzanine and are meant to evokereal-world images found throughout NJ Transit. Twin mosaics,titled “Wetlands,” by British artist Mac Adams, depict theMeadowlands in winter and summer. Cork Marcheschi fashionedthe atrium’s signature “Cat Tail” sculpture from aluminum, titani-um, glass, and steel.

It’s a little-known fact that federal law requires all transit proj-ects to have some artistic flourish, no matter how small. So thenext time you miss the 8:35, spend a few moments viewing yourtax dollars at work.—PM

StationCreations

PHOTOS BY E. ASSATA WRIGHT

BY E. ASSATA WRIGHT

“THREE WEEKS IN SEPTEMBER” BY TIM DALY

“CAT TAIL” BY CORK MARCHESCHI


“WETLANDS” BY MAC ADAMS

“THREE WEEKS IN SEPTEMBER” BY TIM DALY

DISH

42 WINTER 2009-10palisade

Helmers’Winter is a great time to feast on hearty German

favorites, and what better place to find themthan at Helmers’ in Hoboken. This legendary

eatery was established in 1936 and was completely refur-bished after a fire in 2006. Word of caution: Go hungry. Thefood is plentiful and filling.

My friend wanted to be sure to try German specialties andselected an order of potato pancakes to start. Four to a plate,they come with both applesauce and sour cream. They’retasty and the outside crust is light and crispy, not at all greasy.

She tried two different wines, a Shiraz and Pinot Noir.Though both were good, she pronounced the Pinot slightlymore to her liking. I chose the Radeberger on tap, a German-style pilsner, touted as having a “firm bodied malt characterwith a distinct hop finish.” Served in a tall, slim glass, it wascold and just right—not too heavy, not too light. I’ve occa-sionally enjoyed a beer at this friendly bar, frequented bylocals and newcomers alike. The TV overhead often has thegame on, but it’s not overbearing if you’re not a sports fan.

Our waitress rattled off a slew of specials, including peasoup, escargot, mussels, goulash, lobster, oysters, tilapia, andsalmon. Though German fare is front and center, there is

DISH


plenty to please the palate of folks looking for more traditionalchoices. I decided to try the goulash. This classic beef stew withvegetables was served on a bed of noodles. The meat was tender,the seasonings subtle, and there was more than enough for oneperson.

My friend ordered wienershnitzel ala holstein, described assautéed milk-fed veal with egg over easy. I was ignorant about thisvery popular dish. It looks a lot like a cutlet and was served witha veritable mound of mashed potatoes—you could also chooseFrench fries. From a selection of sauerkraut, carrots, or beets, shechose a small side dish of beets.

We split a slice of German chocolate cake with a generous sideof whipped cream, served with fresh hot decaf coffee.

On a cold Wednesday evening, the dining room was full but notcrowded and the wait staff was able to handle the crowd withouta hitch. Our waitress suggested dishes and elaborated on others,pointing out that those to-die-for potato pancakes are made toorder.

Helmers’ is on the corner of 11th and Washington. In fair weath-er you can sit outside, enjoy the island on 11th Street and thepassing parade of people on Washington.

Inside, the restaurant has an inviting, warm, woody feel. Thelarge bar has lots of mirrors and polished mahogany, and thereare several comfortable booths in the dining room. Beer steins,figurines, and a large Bavarian cuckoo clock recall the restaurant’sGerman roots. Plants, stained glass, and holiday decorations givethe dining room a festive feel. Visit at Christmastime, and you’llsee a tree in the window and a wreath outside. Go online to findout about seasonal beers, music, and special holiday events.

One note: The restaurant’s open-faced steak sandwich, large orsmall with fries, is legendary. If you want a blowout lunch, youmight want to give it a try. Raise a beer to belt-loosening!—Kate Rounds

Helmers’1036 Washington St.Hoboken(201) 963-3333helmersrestaurant.com


palisade’s dishrestaurant highlights along the hudson

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americanZIN BANQUET/RESTAURANT/LOUNGE1150 Paterson Plank RoadSecaucus(201) 330-3341www.zin-brl.com

Zin, the perfect spot for a casual lunch, weekend breakfast, Sundaybrunch buffet, or delicious dinner, has introduced a new menu. Itscontinental cuisine is sure to please the entire family. And be sure tocheck out Zin’s happy hour on Thursdays and Fridays. A grand ball-room accommodates up to 180, and there’s plenty of free parking.AMEX, D, MC,V, $$, X,åå

fusionPARK AVENUE BAR AND GRILL3417 Park AvenueUnion City(201) 617-7274www.parkavenuebarandgrill.com

Sleek, chic, and unique, Park Avenue Bar and Grill offers an exquisiteexperience with unobstructed views of the New York City skyline.Enjoy fine dining or sensational tapas from a perfectly fusedAmerican/Latin menu in six distinct multi-level, indoor/outdoor diningand lounge areas.AMEX, MC,V, $-$$$, X,åå


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Sleek, chic. & unique. Experience exquisite, non- obstructed views of the NYC skyline while enjoying fine dining or sensational tapas from a perfectly fused American/Latin menu in a multi-level, indoor/outdoor montage of six dictinct dining and lounge areas. Our original yet historic bar opens to a beautiful private courtyard, while the chic second story dining rooms leads to a wonderful open-air deck. Wind your way upstairs to the lounge and step outside onto the rooftop with a glamorous backdrop for enjoying a cocktail while admiring the Manhattan skyline.AMEX, MC, V, $-$$$, ,Ç

www.parkavenuebarandgrill.com3417 Park Ave., Union City(201) 617-7275

Park Avenue Bar & Grill

Rated The Record 2/23/2009. Bergen Health & Life Magazine Award - Best Chef, Best Martini, Best Wine Bar, Best Calamari. The Record Readers Choice Award - Best Martini. Tapas Menu at the bar and drink specials Monday - Friday, 12-7 pm. Live entertainment, Wednesday - Saturday. Minutes from Teterboro Airport. Extensive Menu and Wine List.Restaurant • Bar • Lounge.AMEX, MC, V, $$, Ç

187 Hackensack St., Wood-Ridge(201) 939-2000

Martini Grill

palisade’s dish SPOTLIGHT

Owner/Chef Antonia Vene brings her international talents to thislocal favorite restaurant in North Bergen on Palisade Avenue. Sheoffers fine Italian Cuisine in an elegant surrounding. Look At ourweekly specials and challenge your taste buds with such as venison,rabbit, quail or duck, along with italian favorites such as pasta,chicken, veal, fish, steak... Antonia’s By The Park specializes in partiesfor any occasion. Contact the special events manager to make yourevent a successful one. Open seven days a week, Monday throughSaturday for lunch and dinner, and Sunday for brunch and dinner.Come in and enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday. Explore allthat this lovely restaurant has to offer. Take a few minutes to browseour website and contact us for any comments or suggestions.AMEX, MC, V, $$, Ç

Antonia’s By The Park

www.AntoniasbythePark.com 9011 Palisade Ave., North Bergen, NJ(201)868-0750

german-american HELMERS’1036 Washington StreetHoboken(201) 963-3333www.helmersrestaurant.com

Helmers’ has been a family run restaurantfor three generations, offering 16 Belgian,German, and other European beers on tap.Its menu features many homemade Germanand American dishes. This Hoboken favoriteis also famous for its thin-sliced steak sand-wich along with thin cut onion rings. It’s wellworth a visit to bustling Washington Streetto experience Helmers’ hearty offerings andwelcoming ambience. AMEX, D, MC,V, $$, X,åå

italianANTONIA’S BY THE PARK9011 Palisade AvenueNorth Bergen(201) 868-0750www.AntoniasbythePark.com

One of the best authentic Italian restaurantsfeaturing the freshest pasta, seafood, andsteak along with daily specials. From ourexceptional cuisine to our elegant ambi-ence, Antonia’s is second to none. Comeand enjoy live music Thursday-Saturday.Private party room available for up to 150. AMEX, MC, V, $$, åå

CASA DANTE737 Newark AvenueJersey City(201) 795-2750www.casadante.com

The new Casa Dante retains its classiccharm while featuring a modernized, morecosmopolitan style. The new bar, lounge,and revitalized interior create an atmos-phere that combines live music, dancing,and of course, the finest Italian cuisine—and valet parking.AMEX, D, MC,V, $$, X,åå

italianGP’S RESTAURANT24 - 69th Street (1/2 block fromBoulevard East) Guttenberg(201) 861-6588www.gpsrestaurant.com

Serving traditional homemadeItalian/American food for more than 30years, GP’S is a local favorite. Its Greekhouse salad and hearty family meal keepcustomers coming back year after year.One important detail … GP’S has valetparking! AMEX, MC,V, $$,åå

MARTINI GRILL 187 Hackensack StreetWood-Ridge(201) 939-2000

The restaurant received three stars fromthe Bergen Record. Bergen Health & LifeMagazine awarded it the best chef, bestmartini, best wine bar, and best calamari.The Record Readers Choice awarded it thebest martini and tapas menu. Drink spe-cials are offered Monday-Friday, noon-7 at


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ZINZINBanquet • Restaurant • Lounge

is IN!New Facility in the Heart of the Meadowlands!

Modern, Chic Style on 3 LevelsSkyline Views from Hip Lounge, Outdoor Terrace

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1150 Paterson Plank Road • SecaucusClosed Mondays • Tues-Thurs 11am-10pm • Fri 11am-11pm

Sat 7am to 11pm • Sun 7am to 9pmWeekend Breakfast Menu • Ample Free Parking

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LIVEEntertainment Friday

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starting at 9:00 PM

Cocktail Hour with hors d'oeuvres

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1416 River Road, Edgewater201-224-2013

Serving Lunch

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other locations Mahwah & Fair Lawn

Rated by ZagatNJ’s Top Steak House and oneof America’s Top Restaurants

est. 1983

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Edward’sS T E A K H O U S E

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the bar. Enjoy live entertainmentWednesday-Saturday. The Martini Grillis just minutes from Teterboro Airport. If it’s good enough for Britney Spears,Steven Spielberg, Johnny Depp,Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, SeanPenn, Martha Stewart, and executivesof the world’s top companies, then itmight be worth checking out. Live jazzFriday and Saturday.AMEX, D, MC,V, $$, X,åå

japaneseKOMEGASHI103 Montgomery StreetJersey City(201) 433-4567

KOMEGASHI TOO 99 Pavonia AvenueJersey Citywww.komegashi.com(201) 533-8888

Fresh, beautifully presented sushi andtraditional Japanese fare is the order ofthe day at two of Jersey City’s favoriterestaurants. Komegashi too sits on thewaterfront with a spectacular view ofthe Manhattan skyline, while the origi-nal has been serving the financial dis-trict for 15 years. AMEX, D, MC, V, $$, BAR

steakhouseEDWARD’S STEAK HOUSE239 Marin BoulevardJersey City(201) 761-0000www.edwardssteakhouse.comEdward’s Steak House offers steak,seafood, and other sumptuous farewith an elegant bistro flare. Tucked intoan historic townhouse in downtownJersey City, Edward’s is comfortablyupscale. The menu includes all the clas-sic steaks and chops—aged prime sir-loin, porterhouse, filet mignon, andmore. You’ll enjoy the atmospherewhether you’re celebrating a specialoccasion or stopping by for a steaksandwich at the bar. AMEX, MC,V, $$, X,åå

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Q

IN PERSON


Did you shoot the city hall corruptionprotests in Hoboken last summer?

No, my legs are not as strong as they used to be and I’m back-ing off a bit. I photographed the Italian festival. I photographedthe PATH tubes protest a couple of years ago.

How has Hoboken changed?Bethlehem Steel closed down, Maxwell Coffee disappeared,

Lipton Tea … all of those buildings were derelict for a long time.Many of the new houses here used to be factories. Those facto-ries employed people who lived in Hoboken. Hoboken haschanged 180 degrees since the ’70s. I got pictures of a PuertoRican Day parade up Washington Street. A little block of build-ings on 14th between Park and Bloomfield, those were all PuertoRicans [Fernandez’s father is Puerto Rican], and I photographedpeople in their houses.

How did you get to shoot those now-famous pictures of Dr. King?

I was coming back from Canada and stopped at the CBC[Canadian Broadcasting Corp.] and showed them my portfolio.And they said, “We’re doing a thing on Martin Luther King. Areyou interested?” I said, ‘Of course!’” He’s giving a talk on April15th, 1967, at the U.N. I made a sequence of photographs at theU.N. [Gesturing to a published book of his photos of King]. In thisone he was deep in thought, going to speak, and all of a sudden Iwent click! The next picture on the contact sheet is terrible. He’ssmiling. This one, he doesn’t see me. He’s deep in thought. That’swhat I like.

How did you get to know Dr. King?After that shot, I said, “I’m the photographer from Canada to

photograph you.” And he says, “Oh, I was wondering where youwere.” Then he says, “Well, I have to leave now.” And I said, “CanI see you in Atlanta?” He said, “Fine. Come any time.” When Iwent to Atlanta, I went to his house. And he ended up loving mypictures. What he really liked was that I didn’t bother him. Hegave me tremendous access. He told me where he was going tobe in Chicago. I would’ve been in Memphis, but it was my birth-day on April 5 and he was killed on the fourth. I was home formy birthday. I was going to meet him in Atlanta after Memphisto photograph him for a book called Trumpets of Freedom.

How did you meet Leni Riefenstahl?She saw a picture of mine that resembled hers. She was very

huffy about me stealing one of her pictures. And then I pointedout the difference. She looked carefully and agreed there was verymuch a similarity.

She directed Olympia, the famousdocumentary about the 1936Olympics.

She did things with film. For example, they put the cameramanon roller skates and she would push him, before they had a dolly.And then they got rid of the roller skates and used a wheelchair.Very innovative.

QQUESTIONS FOR

BY ANDREW TAVANI

BENEDICT J. FERNANDEZ

In 1953, a 17-year-old Benedict J. Fernandez moved with his parentsfrom East Harlem to a brownstone in uptown Hoboken. In his early20s, Fernandez worked as a crane operator at the Bethlehem Steel

Shipyard. Pursuing his childhood interest in photography, Fernandez pho-tographed his coworkers laboring at the shipyard and created his first port-folio. Eventually, Alexey Brodovitch, a prominent New York photographerand graphic designer, got wind of Fernandez’s work and inspired him topursue a career in photojournalism and teaching.

Fernandez found an early niche shooting protests during the turbulent1960s and wandered into milieus of colorful historic figures, including filmdirector and Hitler friend Leni Riefenstahl, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., andphotography luminaries such as Richard Avedon and Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was head of the photography departments at the ParsonsSchool of Design and The New School and founded the Photo FilmWorkshop, where he gave free training to underprivileged youths. Severalof his workshop students became award-winning photographers.

Last September, three of Fernandez’s photographs were featured in abook celebrating New York City’s 400th anniversary, published by theMuseum of the City of New York. The lively 73-year-old recently sat downwith Palisade [for which he has also done work] at his parents’ old brown-stone, which now serves as his studio.

LENI RIEFENSTAHL WITTH FERNANDEZ PHOTO BY RIEFENSTAHL’S ASSISTANT

Qpalisade WINTER 2009-10 49

Who are your influences? Minor White and Alexey Brodovitch. Minor White was part of

the Ansel Adams school. He [White] was teaching at MIT and Ibrought students up to talk with him.

Why did you stop shooting protests?I got burned out in about 1970. I had other things I wanted to

do. I wanted to photograph Ellis Island. I went to Puerto Rico. Iwanted to photograph bikers. I didn’t give up the photojournalisttechnique, I gave up the politics of the protests.

How were you able to photographEllis Island?

I became friends with the ranger—we once had a chili and sour-dough bread cook-off. My wife and the kids came over to theranger’s house. I gave him a chili recipe and he gave me a sour-dough recipe. If you make people feel comfortable they’ll sharewith you.

Some of the biker images are veryprovocative.

The bikers are people who do outrageous things because theyget enjoyment out of being outrageous. The more they got pho-tographed the more outrageous they got.

What sparked your interest in pho-tography?

Because of dyslexia, reading has always been a problem. Mymother had very little to do with me. But I was curious and had

an enthusiasm for education, which is why I went to theMetropolitan [Museum of Art]. Photography fed that and gaveme purpose.

How would you describe your style?When I’m working, my mouth is shut and I’m observing. And

when I see something that you’re doing that interests me, I take apicture. So, my style is, “how do you fill the frame?”

Did your shot of Allen Ginsberg withthe “Pot is fun” sign affect yourcareer?

Personality Posters made a poster of this. The poster was sellingfor a dollar and I got a nickel. This particular picture has beenstolen and used so many different times. At one time, I was send-ing letters saying, “Pay me for it” because they would publish it.

Can you take a picture with a simplepoint-and-shoot camera?

I recently did a thing for Time Out New York, “NYC In Pictures.”They sent me a 28-frame point-and-shoot Kodak camera and Ishot a series of pictures of Times Square.

Does your work have an agenda?With all my pictures—the protesters, the bikers, the nudes—I

want to provoke people to think. A good painting and a goodphotograph cause thought. And that’s what I’m interested in.—PM

PHOTO BY ANDREW TAVANI


DATES

December11,12,18,19Hoboken Holiday Crafts FairLots of artists selling unique giftsHoboken Historical Museum1301 Hudson St., Hoboken(201) 656-2240

16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27Oprah Winfrey PresentsThe Color PurpleNew Jersey Performing Arts CenterPrudential Hall1 Center St., NewarkCall (888) GO-NJPAC for times njpac.org

January15Journal Square RestorationCorporationPerformance in the SquareRhythm and Blues, Duke RobillardLandmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre54 Journal Square, Jersey City8-11 p.m.thenewjournalsquare.com

January23

Art House ProductionsSnow BallCelebrating AHP’s Jersey City arts programsLocation TBA8 p.m.- 12 a.m.arthouseproductions.org

Winter Photography Contest:“Statues in Winter”Awards ceremony for Hudson County camera bugsArtsEcho Galleria3809 Park Ave., Union City(201) 617-8585artsechogalleria.com

25-Feb. 5Hudson Restaurant WeekParticipating venues in Bayonne,Hoboken, and Jersey Cityhudsonrestaurantweek.com

February2Black History Month Exhibit opening partyThe Brennan GalleryWilliam J. Brennan Jr. Courthouse583 Newark Ave., Jersey City6-8 p.m.(201) 459-2070visithudson.org

19Evening of Cabaret MusicRobert Gonzales Jr.Debaun Center for Performing ArtsFifth Street between Hudson and River streets, Hoboken8 p.m.(201) 216-8937debaun.org

New York MinuteJanuary 29Yo-Yo MaCarnegie Hall—Isaac Stern Auditorium881 Seventh Ave., New York8 p.m.(212) 247-7800carnegiehall.org

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