Ian Rankin - Set in Darkness

Book description

In the 12th novel in the increasingly engaging Inspector Rebus series (Knots and Crosses; Dead Souls; etc.), Gold Dagger award-winner Rankin has woven a plot grittier and tighter than ever. When a body, long dead, is found on the site of the new Scottish Parliament and is soon followed by another, fresher kill, this time that of a leading candidate for the new governing body, Rebus is convinced of a connection between the two. Det. Siobhan Clarke witnesses a third death, the suicide of a surprisingly wealthy homeless man; the question of where his wealth came from seems related to the other deaths. Clarke, a determined young woman trying to make her way in the male world of police work, is a refreshing, complex addition to this series. Meanwhile, Big Ger Cafferty, arch foe of our hero, has been released from jail; he's terminally ill (or is he?) and apparently wants some quality time with Rebus in his final hours. By incorporating other strong characters, Rankin has saved the series from burrowing too far into the maudlin introspection associated with Rebus's drinking problem. Topical Scottish nationalism and the new Parliament, along with Rankin's consistently fascinating view of Edinburgh's seedy side, give the novel interest beyond its plot. And the plot is worthy of the series: raging and racing and teetering on the edge of falling apart, before Rankin slams the reader with a final masterful twist

The del Balso's get trendy - BLT Market

TO MARKET, TO MARKET, TO.......

Eat--of course! Food is always of such interest to both

Paul and I so you will not find it surprising that we follow the news of new"RESTAUS" (French slang) with interest. We seldom go after the better reviews because getting a table is next to impossible once it receives favorable mention in New York Magazine or the Times. Last week, however, I took a chance and called immediately after reading about the new "BLT Market" in the "Dining In" section of the Times. What a coup to snag a table before the news got around. We even got a 10% discount during the "soft opening" period. Our experience was outstanding! We went with our friends, Joe and Sheila who like an eating adventure as much as we do.

BLT Market is the latest entry in the BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) empire (this is the 6th in NY). At this new facility, the focus is on seasonally prepared foods at peak freshness from local markets. They're located in an attractive and welcoming space in the Ritz Carlton on Central Park South with HUGE colourful paintings of fruits and vegetables on the surrounding walls. Like Bistro's in France, there's a weekly menu posted on a chalk board as you come in the door complete with cocktail suggestions. On this day, the specialty cocktail, an Apricot-Mint Caipiroska was a winner, it was less sweet than it's cousin, the "Caiparinia", and tasted like summer.

Our dinner began with the usual treat from the kitchen which was good (if only I could remember what it was!) Now for the hard part; making a selection from a list of items that all sounded so good, they made us want to come back again and again until we'd tried them all. After much discussion, our appetizer selections included 3 cheese stuffed zucchini blossoms (these came out looking like beautifully sculpted pears), black mission figs wrapped with prosciutto and topped with goat cheese, soft shell crab over corn/date relish, pickled ramps and other tasty morsels, and grilled baby octopus with fresh greens.

For the main course, two of us ordered the loin of lamb served with artichoke/gnocchi, and a minted Fava Bean Puree. This got rave reviews from those who said they seldom ordered lamb because it tends to be overdone. A roasted plum duck confit was served on some type of root veggie we think might have been potato or perhaps Jerusalem artichoke got a thumbs up as did my langoustine risotto served perfectly creamy with just the right amount of herb seasoning.

Joe, our sommelier of choice, selected a 2001 'Negromaro' from the Puglia region of Italy--drinking two bottles was not all that difficult!

Dessert will make your mouth water if you think about a warm Peach Tart Tartin with frangipane, black currant and frozen almond milk. For the purists, the ice cream was a creamy mix of flavours that included three perfect scoops; enough for everyone to taste.

This is a gem and being within walking distance from home, I can see it becoming a favourite.

Thomas Cook - The Cloud of Unknowing

Paul says...

This was a really good read. He handles the psychological elements really well. It develops with flawless logic without being a predictable 'train wreck."

Book description...

Jason Regan, a severely schizophrenic child, is found drowned in a pond behind his family's home in this unusual, chilling mystery from Edgar-winner Cook (Red Leaves). Jason's mother, Diana, believes that her ex-husband, Mark, has murdered their son. The story is narrated by Diana's brother, Dave Sears, who comes to believe Diana has gone insane. Dave has good reason to think so; their father was a raving paranoid schizophrenic. Cook employs a curious narrative structure, dividing the story into two alternating sections: one in which Dave is being interviewed by a police detective about an unnamed crime, written in second-person, and another that Dave narrates in first-person. In the beginning it's unclear if a crime occurred at all; the police rule that Jason walked into the pond on his own. Then it appears that there was not only one murder but possibly two, three or even four. Cook reveals all the pieces of the shocking story with an absolutely steady hand. It's a bravura performance.

Cara Black - Ile Ste Louis

Book description...

At the start of Black's gripping seventh mystery to feature Parisian computer expert Aimée Leduc (after 2006's Murder in Montmartre), a distraught, late-night anonymous phone call distracts Aimée from her deadline and sends her to the courtyard of her Ile Saint-Louis building, where she finds an infant girl. After the caller never shows up for her baby (whom Aimée decides to care for), Aimée wonders if the woman may have become an "Yvette," a Jane Doe dragged from the Seine. She follows a tenuous lead to discover the caller's identity, bringing her Samaritan impulses into direct conflict with her business sense. A wonderfully complex plot is lent immediacy by environmental activists agitating against a proposed oil agreement—secondary characters who play a crucial role in the intrigue. This Paris has a gritty, edgy feel, and Black's prose evokes the sound of the Seine rising with the spring thaw. Aimée makes an engaging protagonist, vulnerable beneath her vintage chic clothing and sharp-witted exterior.

HAIR IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES!

While I've experienced the effects of aging somewhat gradually, there's one thing that makes me crazy--it's the little surprises that seem to sneak up on you when you least expect them. The other day, when I was trying to pluck my eye brows (which by the way now needs to be done with XXXXX magnification), I saw a long UGLY BLACK HAIR GROWING ON MY CHIN!!!! How did that happen ???? Where did it come from?????? Isn't it enough to be plagued with hot flashes, sleepless nights, and adolescent mood swings ?????? not to mention the insidious effects of gravity!

Having eliminated the above hair, I began to examine my face for other offensive growth and was relieved to see nothing more then some stray eyebrow hairs. Since then, I've noticed that hair is one of those things that seems to afflict others of this age group. Have you noticed how it sprouts from the ends of some men's noses??? How about those tufts resting inside the ear??? I now find myself running my hand under my chin looking for other offenders--what if I start sprouting hairs on my upper lip, or worse yet, what if those little sunspots turn into ugly hairy moles!

Further examination of my face made me cringe. When did those lines running upwards from my lips appear??????? If this gets any worse, it could soon look like I had pleats under my nose! The 'helpful' young girl at the lipstick counter recently noticed these lines and offered a new product for a mere $35.00 to solve the problem of 'bleeding' lipstick. I bought it right away, after all, how could I possibly risk having the lipstick run up to meet my nose?? As time marches on, I'm wondering what other surprises are in store. One of these days it would really be great to find a welcome surprise!

Some hard lessons

Shortly after we retired, it became clear that we (especially me) needed to change the way we ate; and the way we stayed in shape - or things could get out of hand.

First, we decided to get serious about exercising daily. The first step was to make sure we had all the appropriate equipment. After outfitting the basement in Otis with all the same equipment we had in NY, we were ready to get serious! It's very important to have the right equipment. I've been able to cut back to only 5 days a week by having the right equipment. Chris isn't as "efficient" and needs at least 6 days. Unfortunately, even 5 days is terminally boring. It's the longest hour of the day. The only way I can get through it is to listen to downloaded pod-casts of NPR programs while exercising. It's like TiVo for the radio. You 'subscribe' to any programs that interest you (they're all free) and then they automatically download when you sync your i-Pod. I currently subscribe to 10 programs. Chris also subscribes to some French language pod-casts. Bicycle riding also falls into the exercising category. So far, the only weight I've lost doing that is through the removal of skin from hands and knees!

The other major change we made is in the way we eat. Surprisingly, this has proved to be the easiest change to make once we got serious. We realized that we each had some bad habits; and that between us we had them all. For instance, I am pretty good at selecting the right foods but awful at portion control. So I order grilled chicken but then eat the whole thing like it was a "free" food. Chris has good portion control. She eats only one piece; but it might be fried or stuffed with rich sauce. Between us we did everything wrong - Chris made sure we got the delicious (but bad) foods and I made sure we had a lot of them.

We decided our goal would be slow, but steady weight loss. No crash diets, but a real change in the way we ate that would make a real difference over time. Food is a big part of our enjoyment of life. We didn't want to change that. We decided to go with the "You on a Diet" book by Drs. Roizen and Oz. It gives you the tools you need to eat healthier. We bought two copies and read them separately. Then compared notes. Since then, we have been much more attuned to what we eat and make better choices.

Some key lessons learned:

1. Portion control is the most important factor. I now let Chris select what we buy. I eat smaller portions; but I'm never hungry.
   
2. Emphasize preparations that are inherently more healthy rather than trying to substitute low fat or low cal ingredients for the "right" ones. Roasting, baking, stir frying are inherently better. All vegetables are good (including potatoes), just don't cover them with cheese or butter.
   
3. Eat home more often. This was a big one for me. My goal was to increase the number of times we ate out. But Chris has developed a number of "healthy" meals that we both like and we try to have the "right" foods in the house so we don't snack. For example. Chris makes a wonderful gazpacho that we always have available for lunch or with dinner.
   
4. When we do eat out, avoid restaurants that specialize in fast food or huge portions. The first part of this is easier than the second. Most restaurants serve larger portions than we "need" but not more than I can eat!
   
5. Don't deprive yourself! We still have a cocktail or a bottle of wine (usually not both) and splurge occasionally. When we do splurge, we try to be sensitive to what else we are eating and limit the damage. Also, We often have an appetizer (not just salad) but rarely a dessert. When we do splurge on ice cream (a shared weakness) we try not to also have a big meal.
   

All in all I think we have successfully changed the way we eat and have both lost weight (and inches). We have also been successful in not making this a crash diet. Slow but steady has been our watchword - probably more slow than steady - but always in the right direction.

Summer in the city

SUMMER IN THE CITY

Summer is the time when everyone who can, leaves the city. But we make a point of staying home and splitting our time between the City and the Berkshires. On Saturday, we went to see Grey Gardens. The streets around Times Square were packed with excited crowds - most were probably tourists but there was still a palpable excitement in the area. There’s nowhere in the world like Times Square with the lights and the theaters and the visitors. On a warm summer night it was great to be alive and walking in NY. We were like two kids staring at everything. It was exciting and fun.

We started the day in a nearby pocket-park where we sat beside a waterfall with our morning coffee reading the newspaper. It was too nice a day to go back home so we headed towards Central Park, (Chris had gone there the previous night with neighbors on a “Bat Walk” - don’t ask)! Today, we ended up at the Boathouse Café bar for a late lunch. This is such a great place. You can sit by the edge of the water watching the baby ducks and laughing at the people trying to row (Paul could laugh because Chris recently decided not to buy a boat just yet),. We come to the Cafe quite often; and frequently are the only locals. Sometimes the tourists do know the best places!

Summer in New York City really is wonderful. The crowds thin out, the traffic lessens and you can usually find a spot at those restaurants that are hard to get into during the rest of the year. This summer we’ve made a point of taking advantage of all being here. From theatre to cabaret and new restaurants; we just keep discovering new places. The weather’s been great, we’ve found new benches to linger on and walked miles to be able to indulge in the occasional ice cream!

Enjoy the rest of this season.

Thomas Perry - Silence

Paul's comments...

This left me a little dissappointed. The concept of working through how someone dissappears in the current environment was good through his first novels, but has been difficult to sustain. Overall, not a very thrilling thriller.

Book description...

Edgar-winner Perry (Pursuit) delivers another intelligent, literate thriller. Jack Till, a retired LAPD detective turned PI, has settled into a somewhat monastic existence, at the center of which is his 21-year-old daughter, Holly, who has Down syndrome. Six years earlier, Till helped restaurateur Wendy Harper escape from would-be assailants. Showing her the techniques the police use to track down fugitives, Till taught the woman to assume a new identity and begin a new life. When Harper disappeared, many assumed she was murdered. Now, years later, someone is trying to frame Eric Fuller, Harper's business partner and sometime boyfriend, for her murder. The only way for Till to prove Fuller's innocence is to produce Harper in the flesh, but first he has to find her and persuade her to come back while evading assassins Paul and Sylvie Turner, who have been hired to kill Harper when she resurfaces. As always, Perry excels at the procedural details, keeps up the pace throughout and will have readers guessing until the end.

Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon

Paul's comments...

Well, I almost finished this 800+ page opus. My interest in WW II, cryprography and math carried me through 600 pages. Ultimately, I realized I just didn't care what happened to the characters and just stopped reading.

Book description...

Computer expert Randy Waterhouse spearheads a movement to create a safe haven for data in a world where information equals power and big business and government seek to control the flow of knowledge. His ambitions collide with a top-secret conspiracy with links to the encryption wars of World War II and his grandfather's work in preventing the Nazis from discovering that the Allies had cracked their supposedly unbreakable Enigma code. The author of Snow Crash (LJ 4/1/92) focuses his eclectic vision on a story of epic proportions, encompassing both the beginnings of information technology in the 1940s and the blossoming of the present cybertech revolution. Stephenson's freewheeling prose and ironic voice lend a sense of familiarity to a story that transcends the genre and demands a wide readership among fans of technothrillers as well as a general audience. Highly recommended.

Tim Weiner - Legacy of Ashes

Paul's comments...

I know he believes that the "truth" must come out to make the CIA a better organization but that's hard to remember as the catastrophe's pile up. He also doesn't really offer a coherent solution beyond better oversight and Presidents.

Book description...

Is the Central Intelligence Agency a bulwark of freedom against dangerous foes, or a malevolent conspiracy to spread American imperialism? A little of both, according to this absorbing study, but, the author concludes, it is mainly a reservoir of incompetence and delusions that serves no one's interests well. Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times correspondent Weiner musters extensive archival research and interviews with top-ranking insiders, including former CIA chiefs Richard Helms and Stansfield Turner, to present the agency's saga as an exercise in trying to change the world without bothering to understand it. Hypnotized by covert action and pressured by presidents, the CIA, he claims, wasted its resources fomenting coups, assassinations and insurgencies, rigging foreign elections and bribing political leaders, while its rare successes inspired fiascoes like the Bay of Pigs and the Iran-Contra affair. Meanwhile, Weiner contends, its proper function of gathering accurate intelligence languished. With its operations easily penetrated by enemy spies, the CIA was blind to events in adversarial countries like Russia, Cuba and Iraq and tragically wrong about the crucial developments under its purview, from the Iranian revolution and the fall of communism to the absence of Iraqi WMDs. Many of the misadventures Weiner covers, at times sketchily, are familiar, but his comprehensive survey brings out the persistent problems that plague the agency. The result is a credible and damning indictment of American intelligence policy

John Burdett - Bangkok Haunts

Book description...

At the start of Burdett's superb third mystery-thriller to feature Thai police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep (after Bangkok 8 and Bangkok Tattoo), Jitpleecheep shows old friend Kimberley Jones, an American FBI agent, a vicious snuff film he's received depicting the murder of an ex-lover of his named Damrong. Jitpleecheep and Jones maintain their complex platonic relationship as, helped by Jitpleecheep's assistant Lek, they pursue Damrong's killers. The trail leads them to an important banker, an American teacher, a Buddhist and an exclusive men's club called the Parthenon. Jitpleecheep, who now lives with Chanya, a former prostitute pregnant with his child, is visited in an erotic way by Damrong's ghost, while his corrupt superior, police colonel Vikorn, orders Jitpleecheep to help start a porn film business. Expertly juggling elements that in lesser hands would become confused or hackneyed, Burdett has created a haunting, powerful story that transcends genre. 75,000 first printing; 6-city author tour.

As easy as falling off a bicycle

There's a really nice bike trail on a former railroad track near Pittsfield. Chris discovered it last year and had been wanting to try it out ever since. Fortunately, we didn't have any bikes in Otis and the one Chris inherited from Scott, was safely locked away in the basement in NY. Safely, because she couldn't find the key for the impregnable Kryptonite lock (no, I did not throw it away!). I haven't had a bike since I was 12!

You can probably tell where this is leading; because after a recent, stay at a Inn in Rhode Island we encountered not only another rail trail, but a shed filled with bicycles! After an initial trial run, Chris embarrassed me into coming out for a ride with her. It was a lot of fun! Needless to say, after that it wasn't long before I was sure that I really needed a bike of my own! AND, buying a bicycle seemed like a good comprise given the other options of a kayak or a rather large rowing boat Chris recently fell in love with. So, I decided to take the plunge so to speak--nothing fancy mind you. Comfortable hybrids with big seats and shocks and the all important hand brakes.

With our cycles loaded on the rack this past weekend, we set off for the trail. We started out slowly (or at least I did) practicing starting, stopping and steering. Stopping seems to be my big problem. I just can't get the timing right and have a tendency to precarious dismounts. The first day I was doing fine until Chris stopped in front of me, and over I went in the gravel; on my knee. It looked worse than it was. Unfortunately, we hadn't thought to take a first aid kit; fortunately, we were only about a block away from the car. The next day we went out again. This time with gloves, helmet and the first aid kit. I carefully practiced the big three (above) and off we went. Four miles into the trip, we prudently decided to not overdo it and turned back. Although there are no cars to worry about on the trail, no one told us about the flocks of geese who, like some drivers, "think they own the road". In this case, they were blocking the path with no intention of moving despite oncoming traffic--both the wheeled kind and people on foot! My indecision about stopping caused me to spill over and ruin my other knee--OUCH! Fortunately, this time we were ready--we had the first aid kit. Unfortunately, the ride back to the car was a little over three miles.

It's taken only three days for me to be able to walk normally again and my scabby knees resemble the war wounds of an active 6 year old. Chris says I won't have to ride again for another week. I'll keep you posted.

Val Mc Dermid - Last Temptation

Book description...

British author McDermid brings back DCI Carol Jordan and psychological profiler Dr. Tony Hill from The Mermaids Singing (1995) and The Wire in the Blood (1997) and thrusts them into a psychologically chilling and multifaceted thriller. Jordan goes undercover in Germany as part of a dangerous operation to capture Tadeusz Radecki, an international smuggler of drugs and illegal aliens. Meanwhile, her contact in Berlin, Criminal Intelligence Officer Petra Becker, is helping her Internet lover, Dutch Brigadier Marijke van Hasselt, on a grisly case whose victims, psychological researchers, are sexually tortured and murdered. Jordan suggests that Dr. Hill work with them in Berlin. The suspense builds as scenes alternate among the two English crime fighters, Becker, van Hasselt, Radecki and his henchman, Darko Krasic, and the anonymous serial killer, whose grisly tactics echo Nazi psychological experiments. McDermid gives depth and individuality to all seven characters and each city. With consummate skill and pacing, she braids together the complex story lines through surprising revelations, heartstopping suspense and cruel double-crosses. The two major plots don't mesh, but they crisscross, creating even more tension. McDermid's writing and her understanding of the criminal mind get better with each novel. With its European locales, depiction of Nazi mind experiments and hints at another Jordan/Hill novel, this may well be her breakout book. She certainly deserves it.

Laura Lippman - The Sugar House

Book description...

Glue-sniffing teen Henry Dembrow goes to prison after confessing to killing a young Jane Doe found with a small rubber hose tied in a bow around her neck. A month later he, too, is dead. Coincidence? Ruthie Dembrow, Henry's sister, has her doubts and asks former Baltimore reporter Tess Monaghan, the heroine of this first (and first-rate) hardcover in a justly acclaimed series, to investigate. Tess agrees only because her father, Patrick, says he owes Ruthie one. Going over the facts of the crime, Tess realizes that she needs to identify the victim and to learn how the victim came to know her alleged killer. On the home front, Patrick's disapproval of her current love, Crow, strains their relationship. Edgar and Agatha winner Lippman (Charm City; In Big Trouble), a feature writer for the Baltimore Sun, really knows her town. She takes Tess far from the tourist stops into crumbling, neglected parts of the historic port city and beyond. Annapolis, a questionable clinic on the Eastern Shore and Philadelphia all figure in Tess's struggle to uncover the connections between a sordid killing and the pursuit of wealth and power in the state capital. As she digs deeper with assists from her wealthy pal, Whitney, major players begin to squirm and lives and reputations are in danger, including her own. Far from perfect, Tess finds she must carefully consider the compromises others have made for good or ill while not straying too far from her own principles. Nobody gets away clean, but some scores are settled, which at times has to be enough.

Elizabeth George - What Happened Before He Shot Her

Paul's comments...

I couldn't get through this book. I gave up after a 150 pages! It is the portrayal of a dysfunctional family and of the ways its members can go tragically astray but the plot is disconnected and overly complicated. Too much detail, and bleak and hopeless tone. It's too bad because I've enjoyed her Inspector Thomas Lynley books. But he is all but missing from this one. The majority of critics cite this psychological crime novel as a deeply disturbing and unrelenting, yet illuminating, . There are, of course, no surprises about how the novel ends: Elizabeth George has already told that story in With No One As Witness.

Book Description

Bestseller George (With No One as Witness) departs from the usual investigative nuts and bolts of her Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers mystery thrillers with this searing examination of the lives of one horribly dysfunctional family and their immigrant London milieu. Switching uncomfortably at times from dialogue in a rough patois to exposition in a language both formal and sociological, George delivers a stinging indictment of a society unable to respond effectively to the needs of its poorer citizens. Kendra Osborne, a 40-year-old woman with modest ambitions and plans to achieve them, has no idea how to cope when her mother "dumps" her sister's three children on her doorstep and heads for Jamaica. Fifteen-year-old Ness, 11-year-old Joel and seven-year-old Toby each have a wealth of problems exacerbated by their mixed-race heritage. It's no accident that George refers to Dickens on the first page of this earnest but perhaps overly didactic novel, which focuses on the burdens borne by Joel as he's swept by forces he can neither understand nor control into a fatal encounter.

Michael Gruber - The Book of Air and Shadows

Paul's comments..

A pretty good book but a little too complicated. It's told through three concurrent flashbacks - one in Old English from Shakespeare's time. Interesting backstory about the history. A little on the long side but a good read if you have the time. We were on vacation and it rained so it was perfect.

Book description...

In this ingenious literary thriller from Gruber (The Witch's Boy), the lives of two men are changed forever by William Shakespeare and the letters of Richard Bracegirdle, a 16th-century English spy and soldier. Jake Mishkin, a Manhattan intellectual property attorney and a bit of a rake, goes on the run from Russian gangsters. Albert Crosetti, an aspiring filmmaker working for an antiquarian bookstore, finds that life is more exciting than movies—perhaps too exciting. Together, Mishkin and Crosetti travel to England in search of a previously unknown Shakespeare manuscript mentioned by Bracegirdle. Though the pace sometimes slows to allow Mishkin, Crosetti and Bracegirdle to divulge interesting aspects of their personal lives, these digressions only make the story more engaging. The suspense created around the double-crosses and triple-crosses works because of the close connection readers forge with Crosetti in particular. The mysterious murder of a Shakespearean scholar, shootouts in the streets of Queens and an unlikely romance all combine to make for a gripping, satisfying read.

David Ignatius - Body of Lies

Paul's comments...

A pretty good spy novel. Intricately plotted with lots of deception and doublecrosses.

Book description...

Displaying his trademark expertise and writing skill, Washington Post columnist Ignatius (Agents of Innocence) has crafted one of the best post-9/11 spy thrillers yet. Subtly framing a highly elaborate plot, Ignatius tells the story of idealistic CIA agent Roger Ferris, newly stationed in Jordan after being wounded in Iraq. After a failed initiative to flush out a terrorist mastermind known as Suleiman, Ferris, who's dedicated to forestalling further al-Qaeda attacks, develops an intricate scheme modeled after a British plan used successfully against the Nazis. Ferris's plot to turn the terrorists against each other by sowing seeds of suspicion that their leaders are collaborating with the Americans puts his personal life in turmoil and threatens his professional relationship with the head of Jordanian intelligence. Few readers will anticipate the jaw-dropping conclusion, and the pairing of first-rate espionage suspense with fully developed characters should propel this onto the bestseller lists and possibly attract Hollywood interest.

59E59 - Off Broadway Theater in New York

We go to a lot of theater both in New York and the Berkshires; even though we probably only really like less than a quarter of what we see. The reasons we continue to go are complicated but include a sense that when it is good, it can be very good; and a desire to support programs that we believe offer a valuable cultural diversity. Among those programs are Roundabout Theater and Manhattan Theater Club in New York and Shakespeare & Co., Barrington Stage and the Mahaiwe Theater in the Berkshires. We also go to a lot of other venues for individual productions. We tend to emphasize Drama over Music for a number of reasons that I won't discuss here.

This is all by way of introduction to a new find (for us) in our neighborhood. 59E59 is a moderately sized venue with three small theaters just a few blocks from our house. They host a number of different companies during the year. We passed it all the time but not until some neighbors encouraged us did we actually decide to try a couple of productions.

During the early summer they host the "Brits Off Bradway" festival. We decided to start with two pruductions that sounded interesting:

1. RABBIT - Nina Raine's witty, battle-of-the-sexes where a friendly, twentysomething's birthday party turns to a funny and painful exploration of the relationship between the sexes.
   
2. RADIO - Al Smith's coming-of-age story about a farmer's son in rural America, whose youthful dreams of spaceships parallel the beginning and end of the Apollo Program
   

We've now seen both and really enjoyed them although they could not have been more different in style. Rabitt is a Friends on steroids with with very British sensibility. Radio is set in the US and is about 1950's 1960's angst in middle America. Painful but touching.

The productions were entertaining but have the definite aura of slightley less polished off-Broaday - but at $25-$35 a ticket e'll definitely be keeping an eye out for upcoming productions here.

59 E 59 Theaters

59 East 59th Street (bet Park and Madison Aves)

212-753-5959

Piano Due and Palio

Downstairs at the Equitable Center on West 51st Street is one of the most spectacular bars in New York, Palio; named after the famed horse race in Sienna. It contains a spectacular mural depicting the race in vibrant colors. The bar itself is in the center of the room and here is where our celebration began with Champagne before going up to the restaurant. The bar is worth the visit and the drinks were not overly expensive ($20 for two).

A small elevator took us to the restaurant on the second floor where the room is quite nice, although not up to the standards of the bar. The restaurant, called Piano Due (second floor in Italian) has only been open for a little over a year. It specializes in classic Northern Italian cuisine at prices somewhat less than its sister restaurant Scalini Fedeli in TriBeCa. So far it is not crowded and the room was only 2/3 full on Tuesday.

Both Chris and I started with "Rucola Con Funghi" (sauteed parmigiano crusted portobello mushroom, with the jus of roasted chicken with orange, served along side baby arugula topped with shaved parm). It was absolutely wonderful. The mushrooms were tender and only lightly dusted with cheese. The sauce was just the slightest bit sweet from orange bits. We asked for more bread to sop up the sauce it was that good!

Given that we both started with the same thing (very unusual) we decided to share a pasta course "Rigatoni con Rapa" (sausage and broccoli di rapa with sun-dried tomato and olive oil sauce, caramelized pecorino romano). This was pretty good, but a little too much oil made it heavy.

I then followed that with "Anatra al Porto" (slow roasted duck breast with an apple-shallot puree in a port wine and mushroom reduction over vanilla braised endives). It was delicious and served perfectly rare. Chris, who didn't like her swordfish, shared it with me. In addition to the breast, it was served with a separate "leg confit" that was tasty but unnecessary. It could have easily fed two people (a good thing as it turned out). Chris had the Sword Fish over broccoli rabae, Tuscan style cannelli beans, shelled musseles (they were the best part of this dish) in orange reduction. She thought the fish was a little over-cooked and too salty and the beans just o.k. making it not so tragic to leave it on the plate.

We had a very nice 2004 Pinot Grigio recommended by the Captain. It was just rich enough to complement the Duck. It's notable that it was half the price of the red wine I had selected--that doesn't happen very often.

Since it was our anniversary, we shared a Torte Di Limone (warm lemon cream tart set in a vanilla scented crust with seasonal berries and artisanal honey) that I thought was just about perfect and Chris left all to me. However, since it was our anniversary, they also brought us Strawberries Romanoff (with zabaglione). Chris just loved that. So much for eating on the lighter side!

Overall, a very nice restaurant in a lovely room with attentive friendly service. Too bad about the swordfish!

Piano Due

Equitable Center

151 West 51st Street (bet 6th & 7th Aves)

212-399-9400