*going down to the crib, let all hang out
where soulful people knows, what it’s about
going down to the crib and let it all hang out
where soulful people knows, what it’s about
where people do the sign and take your hands
and dancin’ to the music james brown band
they dancin’ on the good foot
sometimes in the making of a magazine, all these rhymes start to happen. things that aren’t meant to go together start to link up—that’s how trends are discovered. and sometimes people who aren’t meant to go together wind up going together, too. in this issue we have a number of people in the restaurant business talking about food and their careers as a craft. the last few years the rise of the celebrity chef would have us believe food is an art form. and maybe it is for some. but for most of the chefs in this issue, dishing up a great meal is more of an elevated craft than anything else. food, not for the sake of the chef showing off, but for the sake of what it’s supposed to be: food.
every year for the last few years, i’ve had the pleasure of profiling leading restaurateurs. this year i decided to set my focus on the husbands and wives who are enjoying success both in their marriages and in their businesses. the couples were chosen because in all cases, the men are doing the cooking (though one lady is the master baker), and we found another rhyme: all the women in this segment are redheads. the couples who are attracting applause at such mainstays as trattoria diane in roslyn, the lake house in bay shore and the bellport are using their businesses as a platform to express their creative urges but also their love for each other, life, community and food. it would seem the opening of their eateries was kismet, as was the twists of fate that brought them together. whatever it was, lucky for us it happened.
two other chef/owners who have been honing their craft are eric lomando at orto and dennis young at pentimento. at lomando’s quaint, north shore hideaway, he’s been dishing up italian in the strictest sense of tradition. he tells us in his who’s cooking profile it’s all about respect and restraint. young took us into the kitchen to make it, providing us with a step by step for the homemade pasta he puts out in his stony brook restaurant. in the beverage world, long island’s clare rose, lead by third generation ceo sean rose, is paving the way for local craft brewers to get into the mainstream market. rose and his dedicated team of craft beer specialists are not just embracing the trend, they’re actively pushing it forward. (thankfully.)
for a more active connection to all things that are food and craft beer and spirits, contributor john capone gives us northern california three ways. capone explores weekend getaways that suit those for whom money is no object, the beer lovers and the tree huggers. november is also the month of the runner’s high. peter bronski uses the nyc marathon as a springboard for his feature on ultramarathoners. his quasi-narrative reportage gives us a look at “those weirdos” who go the distance running as much as 100 miles and as long as 24 hours.
believe it or not, november actually boasts a few things that won’t expand the waistline—just the consciousness. local amigos band has been making waves with their unique brand of americana and this month marks the release of their latest effort. talking walls, our art column, has nothing to do with food or wine, but its subject, rive gauche, recalls paris and all the glory of the city of lights.
extra: for an experience that is cultural and worldly and generously steeped in food, contributor alan semerdjian offers dining in queens, transporting us to countries as exotic as lebanon and thailand. and, at the risk of creating urgency, albeit for your own good, we present 18 things to eat right now. these “things” are standouts from the food that has appeared on our pages over the last year or so. consider this your shortlist of things to get out and eat before menus change.
*ho! on the good foot,
get on the good foot…
—nadA
*get on the good foot, james brown