A must see at the Museum of Art and Design (always a fascinating stop in Manhattan for a culture monger) is the recently opened exhibition of over 450 pieces of costume jewelry that belong to Barbara Berger. The scope of the collection is fantastic, both in number and in diversity. The wow pieces – all in perfect condition – come from haute couture designers, contemporary Belgian, Dutch and American jewelers, and the classic houses we know well like Trifari, Haskell and Coro. They are all fabulous fakes but, in many instances, while they are all fabulous, you can often not even tell that they are fakes.
I have loved costume jewelry for decades now and have been collecting signed and unsigned pieces since I first lighted on a small Haskell pin at a vintage show. Since then my weekends have often included trawling through outdoor markets and, as I became more knowledgeable and more focussed, I developed relationships with dealers who would call me when something I was looking for came on the market. It was so much fun.
But my collection looks like Woolworth’s Best compared to Barbara Berger’s beauties. Some of my favorites are above and they come from St. Laurent, Gripoix, Haskell, Coro. Here are more from Coppola & Toppo and Schreiner.
There is much, much more and while many of those are smaller in size or less “serious” in style, they are all the best of their type. If you like jewelry, real or fake, this show is a must.
Metta, Norberto Piattoni's Fort Green neighborhood restaurant[/caption]
Francis Mallmann, the revered Argentinian chef made famous by his many restaurants around the world, a couple of books on his cooking style and a hit television series, Chef's Table, has ensured his legacy with a diaspora of chef proteges, two of whom have rolled up in New York. Norberto, better known to his friends as Negro, recently opened Metta, a neighborhood restaurant located on a quiet corner two blocks from the Fort Greene farmers market in Brooklyn. It offers sustainably sourced, vegetable-forward dishes all cooked in a custom designed, open-fire kitchen, using South American asado techniques, utilizing all aspects of the fire (smoke, flame, ash and embers) to create layers of flavor in dishes. Packed with happy diners the night I went, it is relaxed, delicious, interesting and fun.
[caption id="attachment_8248" align="alignnone" width="500"]
Flora Bar, Ignacio Mattos' third opening in New York[/caption]
Ignacio Mattos was born in Uruguay and learned to cook in the kitchens of Mallman and Slow Food legend, Alice Waters. His two other restaurants in New York, Estela, with its bold, Mediterranean-inspired cooking, and Altro Paradiso, with its Italian cuisine, are favorites of mine. Now, Ignacio has come with his team to the Met Brauer on 76th and Madison, offering small bites as well as main dishes in a comfortable setting either indoors or on the open terrace. Service is superb, wines delicious and the food captivating. The space, in my opinion, could do with some tlc - easily accomplished. If you can serve food like that, a bit of flower planting and decorating should come easy.
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