Watercolors and Wallpaper at Cooper-Hewitt

On a blustery, rainy Saturday, the best place to be is indoors. Better than indoors in your apartment, however, is indoors in a museum. And best of all is when admission to said museum is free. That was the case this past Saturday, when my mom and I ventured to Cooper-Hewitt, taking advantage of the museum’s last day of free admission in honor of National Design Week.

Upon entering the Carnegie mansion, the historic home turned innovative museum on 91st and Fifth, we were immediately welcomed by rich wood paneling, comfortingly creaky oaken floors, and a staff member who greeted us with two free admission tickets. Our coats and umbrellas checked, we were immediately drawn into the main exhibition room on the first floor, in which "House Proud: Nineteenth-century Watercolor Interiors from the Thaw Collection" is elegantly displayed. Featuring nearly seventy watercolor drawings, "House Proud" provides a glimpse into the everyday lives of the European middle- and upper-classes during the nineteenth-century, a time during which the home became not just a dwelling place but a source of status, inspiration, and pride.

During this time period, interior design evolved from a matter of function to one of fashion, and the upper and middle classes began not only to express their tastes through the décor of their homes, but to commission watercolors of their finely appointed interiors that could then be collected in family albums, given to friends and family as gifts, or put on display. The drawings included in "House Proud" are a result of this trend. All meticulously done, they showcase the rooms found in most middle- and upper-class nineteenth-century homes: the sitting room, salon, library, study, and bedroom, to name a few. Some rooms, meant for the lady of the house, possess a delicate feminine design; while others are clearly intended to be masculine spaces. All, however, convey the era’s appreciation for the arts, featuring exquisite furniture, ceramics, sculptures, and paintings; intricate woodwork and wall patterns; and extensive resources for the furthering of one’s own studies, whether musical, literary, or artistic. Each watercolor captures every detail of the featured room with precision, making the exhibit an inspiring peek into a time past.

After making our way through "House Proud," my mom and I went up to the second floor, where we found "Wall Stories: Children’s Wallpaper and Books." A whimsical exhibit that examines the relationship between wallpaper design and children’s books, "Wall Stories" was a pleasure to explore. The exhibit traces the origins of the children’s wallpaper industry, which began in the 1870s as families started to expand into larger homes and give children their own rooms. At the same time, books designed specifically for children began to grow in popularity, and the book and wallpaper industry converged in order to provide children with stimulating environments and quality entertainment.

Classic children’s book characters such as Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, and Alice in Wonderland, as well as a variety of fairy tales and fables, have been the influences behind the children’s wallpaper industry from the turn of the century through present day. The enchanting illustrations and captivating friezes that resulted from this collaboration of book and home interiors graced the walls of many a nursery for the amusement of some very fortunate children, and, fortunately for us, they are now gracing the walls of Cooper-Hewitt. From Dick Tracy to Mother Goose, Popeye to Cinderella, the museum has chosen a delightful assortment of characters and designs, many of which I wouldn’t mind having on my own walls. In addition, the exhibit examines the evolution of the children’s book from instructional guide to fictional piece of entertainment, and includes a number of the earliest moveable and pop-up books, which were simply amazing to see.

With "House Proud" and "Wall Stories," Cooper-Hewitt managed to turn a dreary afternoon into a fascinating adventure, and my mom and I left with quite a bit of inspiration for interior design projects of our own.

"House Proud" is on display at Cooper-Hewitt until January 25; "Wall Stories" until April 5.

Wine-Tasting...Right in Your Kitchen

For many of us, wine-tasting is a favorite fall activity. Yet getting to the city’s nearest wineries upstate, on Long Island, or in New Jersey requires the careful coordination of train schedules, cab fare, and car rentals—and often means that more time will be spent in transit than in the enjoyment of your favorite varietals. So, rather than trekking out of the city for a tasting, why not bring the wine-tasting to you? This is what my friend Michele did on Friday night, in what turned out to be a fun and clever event.

Around seven p.m., twelve women poured into Michele’s kitchen, six with bottles of red wine and six with white (Michele asked us each what we’d be bringing beforehand to ensure that reds and whites would both be well-represented). We gathered around her kitchen table, where she had a spread of at least ten different kinds of cheeses. On one side of the table, to go with white wines, there were Brie, fontina, goat cheeses, and goudas; on the red side of the table were sharp cheddars, blue cheeses, and gorgonzola; and in the middle was an assortment of crackers and olives. We settled in, trying to refrain from doing too much damage with the cheese knives before Michele finished explaining to us which cheeses went with which wines.

Next, we were given slips of paper that Michele had prepared so that we could rate each wine we tasted. On the left side were the letters A through E, which would correspond to the six whites we were about to taste. On the right were blank spaces in which we could give each wine a rating from one to five, where one meant “I don’t care for this wine at all” and five meant “I love this wine!”

Once we were all set up with pens and rating sheets, the tasting began. Michele came around with several Rieslings, a few pinot grigios, a sauvignon blanc, and a chardonnay, and we swirled, sniffed, and sipped, then rated, nibbling on cheese and crackers in between. We weren’t told which wines had been brought by which guests, and, once we were done with the whites, the ratings were tallied, and the winner of the highest rated white—a Kris pinot grigio—was given a wine stopper as a prize.

Then it was on to the reds. While pouring the wines one by one and tasting together had worked well for the whites, the increase in volume and chattiness that is bound to occur when twelve females are plied with six bottles of wine led Michele to take a different tactic with the reds. She marked each bottle with a letter from A through E and then set them up on her counter and let us help ourselves. We tasted at our own pace, trying several pinot noirs, a gamay noir, cabernets, merlots, and a zinfandel and then giving each wine a rating on a new set of sheets just like the ones we had used for the whites.

By the end of what turned out to be a delightful evening, we had tasted an ample assortment of wines, each of us finding at least one new favorite, and some of us even going home with prizes.

So, the next time you’re in the mood to do a little wine-tasting, consider hosting a tasting of your own.

Your friends will be glad you did.

Vero Vino

This past Sunday evening, I finally made it to yet another of the UES wine bars that I’ve been eager to try. Vero, a wine and panini bar on 2nd Avenue between 77th and 78th Streets, was the perfect place to meet my friend Cari, a New Yorker who recently transplanted to the Midwest and was back in the city for the weekend.

Vero’s tiny entrance gives way to a long and narrow space that gives patrons the option of sitting at the black granite-topped bar or at one of a number of small round tables surrounded by a leather banquette. Harvest-orange walls and dark wood paneling create a warm and cozy ambiance that is complemented by soft, low lighting and, at least on Sunday, what sounded like some sort of smooth French jazz.

Cari and I found a table, where we were brought a pair of book-like menus that listed Vero’s wide array of martinis, sangrias, specialty drinks, appetizer plates, bruschettas, salads, panini, and, of course wines. Faced with a much wider variety than we had anticipated, we browsed over items like the spicy passion fruit margarita, mango bellini, and watermelon mojito. There was a caramel appletini, a passion pineapple martini, and a key lime martini; plus watermelon, tropical fruit, and white sangrias.

The wines, meanwhile, were grouped by type and region, with several sparkling wines and champagnes, a nice selection of whites, a few roses, and then reds from Italy, Spain, Australia, France, Argentina, California, and Oregon, plus a few ports and selections of grappa. Most wines were available either by glass or by bottle, with prices ranging from $9 to $13 per glass and $30 to $80 per bottle. Flights of three wines were also an option, for $18 each.

And then there was the food. Featuring mostly light fare, Vero offered selections that paired well with wines. There were several meat, cheese, olive, and hummus plates, plus warm appetizers like braised mushrooms, truffle egg toast, or the Vero pizza. We could choose any three types of bruschetta for $10 from a list that featured braised chicken and arugula; roasted zucchini, tomato, and goat cheese; fig and prosciutto with ricotta fresca; and three cheese, among others. Also extensive was the list of panini, which included selections with spinach, olives, roasted tomatoes, fontina cheese, and cumin aioli; smoked turkey with fontina, pesto, and beefsteak tomatoes; braised chicken with frisee, sweet onion, and pancetta; and Portobello, tomato, balsamic onion, and basil aioli. If that wasn’t enough, there were also several main dishes, which included stuffed meatballs, Mediterranean couscous, and yellowfin tuna. That’s a lot of options for a little place.

Undaunted, Cari and I tackled the menu and made our choices rather quickly: a glass of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo for me, red sangria for her, and a plate of assorted meats and cheeses to share. More than enough for the two of us, our platter was artfully arranged with sliced prosciutto, sopressata, and salami; ricotta, provolone, asiago, pecorino, and fontina cheeses; plus dried apricots, sliced apples, toasted pita triangles, and honey for dipping. Each item was delicious whether alone or paired with something else on the plate, and everything went well with our drinks.

All in all, Vero was the perfect place for catching up on a crisp fall evening. And, this fall, if that evening happens to be a Monday, Vero features a free panini with the purchase of any glass of wine, beer, specialty drink, or martini.

On Saturdays, Vero offers a Weekend Wine School, a wine-tasting class that includes two hours of guided tasting along with a selection of appetizers for $55 per person. For more information, visit Vero online at http://veronyc.com/.

Whether for panini, wine-tasting class, or just drinks with a friend, I will certainly be heading back to Vero before this fall is over.

"Conventioneers" to Air this Weekend

The Upper East Side has got talent. And, this Saturday, Channel Thirteen/WNET will be showcasing that talent when it airs "Conventioneers", an independent film written and produced by UES native Joel Viertel, as part of its REEL 13 series.

Released in 2006 to highly favorable reviews, "Conventioneers" is the fictional tale of a romance that ignites between a Republican delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention and an old college friend, a Democrat who is in town to protest the event. Co-written and directed by Mora Stephens, who also happens to be Viertel's wife, "Conventioneers" was shot during the convention and uses real people, places, and action to enhance its fictional storyline.

In many scenes, lead actors Matthew Mabe and Woodwyn Koons were filmed in the midst of actual protests and police round-ups, infusing the film with the dramatic tension and raw energy of the controversial events. In fact, the crew was so close to the action that many of its members—Viertel included—were mistakenly arrested during police sweeps and spent time in jail alongside protestors.

Also featured in "Conventioneers" is actor Alek Friedman, who served as the real sign language interpreter for President Bush at the 2004 convention. Friedman plays sign language interpreter Dylan Murtaugh, and Viertel and Stephens have woven actual convention footage of Friedman into the film.

The result of Viertel and Stephens' collaboration is a fictional tale with a documentary feel, one that explores the results of the partisan divide in American politics and clearly captures the passion and energy of both sides involved in the history-making event.

"Conventioneers" premieres on Saturday, October 4th at 11:15 pm on REEL 13.