MOM MADE

You can go back
There times when one just
wants to go home to Mom.
The older I get the more that
I appreciate the food of my
forefathers. Hardly a night
passes that I don't think of
those nights when we all sat
down to a feast of Swiss Steak
and Apple Brown Betty. Thus
at times we all must satiate
our inner child. Why not go
for it? When's the last time
you had a Fluffer Nutter?

Snick snacks
During the holidays, my Aunt Millie loved
"horses doovers". For weeks in advance
she and my mother planned these delights.
Both were tea totalers, therefore booze was
off the menu. Instead we nibbled on tasty
delicacies always accompanied by an iced
glass of Pepperidge Farm Firehouse Tomato
Cocktail. "Chicken in a Biskit" was another
favorite. Have you had said savory tidbits?
Crisp yet akin chewing on a bouillon cube!

If it ain't ham it's wham
As a kid there was no epicurean
delight better than Taylor's Pork
Roll - i.e. "Taylor Ham." A few
slices of said meaty melange
fried in butter and placed on a
bun simply makes me happy.
No wonder I keep a package in
the fridge ready and waiting!

Missed congeniality
In olden days there is no more
festive accompaniment to any
special occasion than a Jello
salad. Without these quivering
mounds of congealed color one
doubts we could have survived
our misspent youth dining on
our  Mother's overcooked meat
and veggies. Those gelatinous
gems saved us from starvation!

Mystery meals
Savory concoctions created
from canned soup, veggies,
and cubed protein were de
riguer in the fifties. What's
a mystery is how legions of
Americans survived these
ungodly combo casseroles
of overly processed food.

Skettie

My dearly departed Mother was
not the best cook (I'm being kind).
One of her best was a concoction
of spaghetti, tomato  juice, sugar,
and spices. All were placed in a
pressure cooker. After ten minutes
a sweet, doughy meal was ready.
She proudly boasted that it tasted 

"just like Franco American!" No
I occasionally still dream of it!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Down and out
Yesterday I returned home to discover our street
corner cordoned off. Long story short, a guest
of the hotel next door had "checked out". As in
jumping off the roof to their death. Beyond a sad
and sobering sight - it was a harsh reminder that
one can literally go off the edge. Leaving those
they love to clean up whatever wreckage they
leave behind. All of which could be deemed as
a coward's way out. However I can't help but feel
that deciding where, when, and how to end it all
is also rather brave. If for no other reason being
that one finally reaches their own conclusion. Or
at least puts an end to their pain and suffering.

Pain management
It's rather easy to lose hope. Especially when
it seems as if all are against us. However the
agony of defeat is often the best form of adult
education. At some point we hit a dead end
and realize we're in the wrong place - at the
wrong time. And that the only person who
can get you out of such a mess is you alone.
Obviously taking one's life only limits your
options. Whereas taking control of even the
worst of situations allows for a future. If one
subscribes to the theory that we control our
individual destinies - it's up to each of us
to propel ourselves into the right direction.

Against all odds
As I've shared prior - that last months haven't
been the best for me. Due to nobody's fault but
my own I made the wrong decision. Leading
to circumstances beyond my control. Once
I realized that nothing was going to make it
better, I patiently waited for others to come
to the same conclusion. Fortunately late last
week we finally agreed that I was better off
anyplace but there. Therefore I'm no longer
part of the team. And much like any gambler
I played my cards and lost. But in no way am
I sorry for taking such a risk. If only for the
fact that I've once again learned my lesson.

Recipe for success
Seasoned leaders know that success requires
the skills of a mixologist. Like a cocktail a
company succeeds when all the elements are
in perfect harmony. Even post an occasional
shakeup, the right mix of people, strategy,
and circumstances can create magic. Yet if
anything throws said stars out of alignment
disaster can be imminent. Leading a team is
akin to being a juggler. You must know when,
where, and how to add or subtract. Changing
direction requires a carefully orchestrated
transition. Sadly it seems that the majority
of business leaders lack a sense of balance.

Back in the saddle again
Once things come crashing down it's best to
pick up one's pieces and move on. Which is
exactly my strategy for "next." Today I'm on
a plane back to Montana for at least a month
of recuperation, restoration, and renovation.
The fact is I really don't like to err. Nor do I
enjoy wasting my valuable time on a losing
proposition. Hindsight may be twenty twenty
but recent events have simply reinforced that
I really shouldn't rely on others alone for my
success. And that even the best of intentions
can't guarantee insure it. At this point I've no
doubt it was worth it. Or... at least I hope so.

Ready for anything
Everyone makes mistakes. Yet the majority of
us benefit from the error of our ways. Rather
than be downtrodden by recent events I will
consider this failure a success. My return to
Manhattan got me back in the mix. Proving
that even this old dog can learn a new trick or
two. The question is what will I do with my
newfound wisdom? And where do I go from
here? Could another professional "gig" be in
my future? Or has all of this confirmation that
I'm better off on my own. The jury is still out
as I sift through the debris of what happened.
All I know is I'm glad it's over and I'm out!

OLD ACQUAINTANCES

Standing reservations
As a creature of habit I prefer to
hang with the old guard rather than
huddle with the masses at the latest
hot spot. While that may seem old
school, I've been this way since
I was a boy. Maybe it was those
many luncheons with Auntie at the
Colony Club. I prefer to bask under
the aura of complacency instead of
amidst the harsh din of popularity.

On the line
I've always been old for my age.
In my youth I hosted business
luncheons at 21. During which
I'd have my secretary call at an
appointed hour. A waiter would
plug a black phone into a booth
jack. All to prove that I was as
important as I wanted to be.

Picture this
Ken Aretsky ran 21 for many years.
When it was time for next, he opened
Patroon on 46th Street just off Lex.
An elegant oasis, it's simply one of our
favorites. The walls are adorned with
Ken's photography collection which is
certainly museum quality. I can think
no better evening than sharing a fresh
broiled stuffed lobster and absolutely
rare cote de boeuf with friends there.

Gone but not forgotten
I must not forget to lament an old friend.
Sadly the Oak Room Bar has been closed
for sometime. Nothing makes me sadder
than to walk past it's shuttered windows.
A melancholy reminder of times gone by.
As a junior honcho I loved to pop in for
a quick lunch of corned beef hash topped
with pair of perfectly poached eggs. All
of course accompanied by a Gin Martini,
straight up with a twist, EXTRA DRY.

Strike a cord
There's nothing I like more than
a cold cocktail and slab of steak.
Upon moving to Chicagoland I
quickly found my comfort zone.
The Anvil Club was located in
an old stable in Dundee Illinois.
A "members only" dining club,
it insured me a captive audience
once I stood next to the piano to
sing my SLOSHED heart out!

Most popular
Crickets at the Tremont was my
Gold Coast haunt. A blatant 21
knock off, the dining room had
Chicago ephemera poised above.
While an impostor at best it was
chic. Bartender Al held the title
of the Windy City's Best. Trust
me post sipping his mixes who
wouldn't have voted to give him
a lifetime achievement award?!

Home comforts
No matter where one dines, the best
recipe for success is good company.
At this point I'm over anybody trying
to impress me. Rather to me what is
most important is having a good time
with people I actually like being with.
Booze and food are no more than just
support players to the main attraction.
Where one dines isn't as important
as what one consumes in the process.
Thus my preference is for tried and
true old favorites. No surprises but
guaranteed to show us a good time!

VIEW FINDER

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Miracle mile
Natives from metro New York can at times
be a tad delusional. Especially as relates to
our perception of the world beyond our tri-
state borders. Years ago after I moved to
Chicagoland I was myopic at best. You see
all I did was compare everything there to
things back home. Thus perception warped
reality. Ultimately I came to see things for
what they truly were. Theres NO doubt that
Manhattan is beyond compare - especially
as relates to art. The other day I walked
a Museum Mile down Fifth Avenue from
103rd down to home. Heres what I saw...

Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at East 103rd Street
www.mcny.org/
In my youth this establishment was stuffy
at best. Now it's as hip as it's namesake.
Within it's colonial revival halls one can
experience all that this city has to offer.
This week I reviewed innovative displays
on this city's history of social activism,
Aids home care, and historic and modern
Tiffany silver. I strongly recommend that
you see the twenty eight minute video
"Timescapes" which chronicles this city's
growth. Click here for a preview.

Cooper Hewitt
Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street at Fifth Avenue
www.cooperhewitt.org/
In 1859 Peter Cooper, an industrialist founded
the Cooper Union. Which still provides FREE
quality college educations for the less fortunate.
In 1896 his granddaughters founded a museum
dedicated to the decorative arts. Closed in 1963
it was reopened in 1970 under the leadership of
the Smithsonian Institute in the former Andrew
Carnegie mansion. The space alone is worth the
visit. But the exhibits within are quite amazing!
Click here to see why museum haters love it!

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue at East 89th Street
www.guggenheim.org/
While most of our museums are architecturally
impressive - it's rare that the structure itself is
truly a work of art. This modern masterpiece
was the final building designed and supervised
by Frank Lloyd Wright. Opened in 1959 it
was a gift from businessman and modern art
lover Solomon Guggenheim to New York. It's
unique ramp design allows visitors to view art
as they descend from top to bottom. Art aside,
the experience itself is beyond life-changing.
Click here for a sneak peak of it's magic...

Neue Galerie New York
1048 Fifth Avenue at East 86th Street
www.neuegalerie.org/
Not every New York art philanthropist is dead.
Ronald Lauder is a devotee of Viennese and
German art created before World War II. So
much so that he purchased Klimt's  "Lady in
Gold" portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer from her
niece Marie Altmann for $135 million. Housed
in a former Vanderbilt Manse - it's Viennese
Cafe' Sabarsky is the perfect place to take a
quick energy break before proceeding down
Fifth Avenue to tour even more museums.
Click here for a taste!

Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue between East 80th to 84th
www.metmuseum.org/
Rarely is bigger better. Yet Manhattan's mega
art museum is obviously a rare exception. At
over a quarter of a mile long it's two million
square feet displays one of the world's most
amazing and varied art collections. Spanning
everything from Egyptian mummies to totem
poles to Greek gods, to iconic Impressionist
masterworks it's ALL beyond compare. But
the view from it's rooftop sculpture garden
just may be it's most inspiring experience.
Click here for a sneak peek.

The Frick Collection
1 East 70th Street at Fifth Avenue
www.frick.org/
Last but not least I stopped by my favorite
of museums - the Frick. Originally home
to the Pittsburgh coke (as in coal) baron  -
it's intimate environs are the perfect place
to escape the hustle and bustle of the city
that never sleeps. Then of course there is
the collection itself. From Rembrandt to
Turner to Boucher to Corot to Whistler it's
ALL truly amazing. Proof that money well
spent can truly make a difference.
Click here to see for yourself.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Group dynamic
Yesterday's furor over the eclipse of the sun
left many of us in a daze. Frankly I was not
ready for such a disruptive event. When the
realization of it's immanent arrival finally
dawned on me - I rushed downtown to buy
protective glasses. Upon arrival at Adorama
on West 18th I realized I was not alone in my
angst. Post waiting on a line that stretched far
down the block I walked out with five pairs
of eclipse glasses for twenty dollars. Only to
later be offered a free pair by two Chiquitas
standing near a gigantic banana on Madison
Square shouting "the banana sun cometh."

Top banana
Life is if nothing else a gamble. Thus much
like what happened to me last Sunday - one
can easily bump into an interloping banana
peel. Like it or not we're often blindsided by
events beyond our control. Much like some
wayward moth we can get burned if events
ignite and we happen to be all too close for
comfort. As was the case with our Treasury
Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week during
President Trump's incendiary press conference.
Subsequently asked by three hundred of his
Yale Alumni to resign, he again stood behind
his man. Plus millions of other Americans.

Blind ambition
Obviously in manic times such as these those
blind can easily lead the blind. Just last week
when confronted by a blatant display of our
President's hidden agenda - corporate leaders
resigned from his advisory boards en masse.
Yet only one member of President Trump's
evangelical advisory enclave did just that. As
Reverend Jerry Falwell Junior defended our
President's myopic delusions. Sadly piety can
often fuel hatred and bigotry. Thus one might
ask where God is in all of this. Pray tell why
we shouldn't supremely rise to the occasion
against bigotry and unbridled blind ambition?

Near sighted
Often we can't see the forest for the trees. For
the first half of my life I purposefully limited
my world view in order to conform to other's
expectations. Good intentions aside, the end
result was a realization that it's impossible to
be someone or something you're not. Now we
live in a world where it appears that freedom
and equality have finally usurped prejudice
and isolation. Sadly recent events reopened
many of our eyes to the fact that some of our
fellow Americans do not share that vision.
So was all of the progress we've made over
the past few years simply smoke and mirrors?

STREET SMART

Summer streets
Saturday I took a stroll down Park Avenue -
literally. Thousand of New Yorkers plus
visitors took advantage of "Summer Streets."
Said boulevard was closed to vehicular traffic
for seven miles from from the upper eastside
down to the financial district. Normally one
wouldn't dare tread said path thus it was fun
see our city from a different vantage point.
Yet given recent events worldwide - I kept
an eye out for a speeding vehicle or terrorist.
And prayed for the victims of the horror on
the streets of Charlottesville and Barcelona.
Will we ever be able to feel safe again?!

Hit and run
Just a week ago Saturday a speeding vehicle
crashed into a group of counter protesters
marching against a White Supremacist -
Neo Nazi rally being held in a downtown
Charlottesville park. By the end of the day
three were dead, thirty five injured, and
America's sense of security was horribly
shaken. Leaving us to wonder how such an
undercurrent of hate, bigotry, and derision
could rear it's ugly head in our midst. All
we needed was for our President to refocus
and reassure us in the right direction. Rather
than down the wrong path to a dead end.

Bigot go home
Sadly, that's exactly happened. Over the next
days President Trump spewed out a series of
statements. On Saturday - his first denounced
hatred and bigotry while placing blame on
"many sides" - not naming those responsible.
By Monday he returned to the podium post
outrage over said response to name names.
Yet on Tuesday he defended the "good people"
he'd previously denounced. Leaving many to
be shocked and angered over such his blatant
support of racism. No wonder that during his
return to Manhattan thousands came over to
Fifth Avenue to demonstrate their disfavor.

United we stand
On Friday another vehicle drove into a crowd
on Barcelona's Las Rambla - a promenade of
restaurants and shops. Filled with tourists and
residents enjoying a late summer afternoon -
within minutes it became a site of death and
carnage. This terrorist act to date has a death
toll of fourteen with countless others injured
and many still missing. Proof that nobody is
safe from those who choose to inflict anger
and hatred on others. A day later their King
and leaders stood together on the same street
to protest terrorism. Will Americans step up
to insure our enemies never rule our roads?

Safety in numbers
In times like these one could lose their faith
in mankind. Yet we're also reminded of the
power of good versus evil. Upon my return
from my walk down Park Avenue I turned
on the TV. There were THOUSANDS of
anti-racist protestors marching in Boston.
Their destination Boston's historic commons
where a "free speech" rally was being held
by the same types who had wreaked havoc
in Charlottesville. Soon it was obvious they
were outnumbered. And once again, we the
people proved that America is the land of
THE FREE AND THE BRAVE!