It seems in poor taste, after a rough news week (the Oregon shooting, US airstrikes hitting a MSF hospital in Afghanistan, Hurricane Joaquin), to describe my weekend of pure indulgence. But life goes on, and here it is:
On Friday evening we experienced a new level of fine dining at the Institute for Advanced Study. The restaurant, run by Chef Michel Reymond, is Michelin star calibre, but is heavily subsidized and therefore affordable. So, of course it would be idiotic not to indulge in their 5 course meal - each course a distinct event - served in a totally elegant setting - just a 5 minute walk from our apartment. Our meal here easily ranks in the top 5 of any restaurant meal we've ever had. Choosing a wine from a "book" of the world's finest wines, many from France's most famous chateaus, would normally be an easy task for us. Go with a glass of the house wine - usually quaffable at a reputable establishment. But the alluring below retail prices presented us with a totally unfamiliar dilemma. We struggled with whether to splurge on something shocking like a 30 year old Chateau Margaux, or to go for a modestly priced New World vintage. We compromised on a 1997 Pauillac. Watching the deep purple liquid trickling through a filter into a crystal decanter made us a bit jittery. So this was how the 1 percenters lived all the time! The Pauillac turned out to be the perfect choice. Robust, yet smooth, dry with some fruitiness, and a deeply seductive fragrance. A delicate pastry encased amuse bouche got our meal into gear. Then came a citrusy cress and apple salad (for us vegetarians) in lieu of foie gras mousse. Tomato soup, hitting the tastebuds with the sweetness of hot September Jersey tomatoes, followed. Warm, crusty bread helped clean up every drop of soup. The main course was a mound of mushroom risotto adorned with roasted smoky chanterelles, crisp asparagus and other vegetables.
It was so beautiful and delicious, and so deserving of a fine wine. To round off the meal we were served a dessert of corn cake with blackberry jam and sweet corn ice cream artistically arranged on a narrow plate. A bit too experimental for me, but tasty. The meal ended with a bittersweet dark chocolate truffle and espresso. Then, when we finally got up to leave, hours later, a chocolate brownie in a gift bag arrived from the chef. We returned home in a heady daze. Wow!
On Saturday morning we were back on the Dinky, the little Princeton train that shuttles us to Princeton Junction, to catch the New York train. After a bagel and coffee at 'witchcraft, a café in an airy, contemporary Lincoln Center space, we were back at the sumptuous Met for our second opera this season. And boy, what a performance of Il Trovatore!
Two of the world's most formidable opera singers, Anna Netrebko and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, in the lead roles delivered beyond expectations. It was especially fun to watch them in the company of adoring fans. When each appeared on stage, thundering applause from the audience brought the performance to a brief halt. We savored every second of this magnificent performance, acutely aware of how lucky we were to be there. Cameras were set up for a live simulcast production, so thousands around the world were watching too.
We had a very interesting end to the day. I got in touch with a high school classmate who now lives in Manhattan. He works at the United Nations in a top level position that requires a lot of international travel. Over tea and a spread of snacks we reminisced about our Windsor High days in Ladysmith. It was the '70's in apartheid South Africa, post Soweto Riots, and we were rapidly becoming politicized then. There was a lot to talk about and laugh about and be bitter about ... Dusk turned to darkness, and from his high rise apartment we saw the Empire State Building bathed in white light.
We had a very interesting end to the day. I got in touch with a high school classmate who now lives in Manhattan. He works at the United Nations in a top level position that requires a lot of international travel. Over tea and a spread of snacks we reminisced about our Windsor High days in Ladysmith. It was the '70's in apartheid South Africa, post Soweto Riots, and we were rapidly becoming politicized then. There was a lot to talk about and laugh about and be bitter about ... Dusk turned to darkness, and from his high rise apartment we saw the Empire State Building bathed in white light.
On Sunday afternoon we were entertained by Signum Quartet, a young group of German (one was South African born) musicians, in the intimate setting of Wolfensohn Hall at IAS. This was part of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra's Chamber series. (The director grew up in Pietermaritzburg, less than a 100 miles from me!) They performed both experimental and traditional pieces and it was all quite pleasant. We were doing the Princeton thing - being all cultured and stuff.
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