Jack LaLanne, Fitness King and SINGER!

A few years back, I was hired to play the piano for a private party at The Everest Room. I was told that the event was for a celebrity exercise guru. Erroneously, I assumed it would be Richard Simmons.

Imagine my surprise when I arrived to find Jack LaLanne the guest of honor with his decades-long wife Elaine LaLanne. The company marketing his juicer was throwing a bash for Mr. Fitness. My father used to exercise every morning to Mr. LaLanne’s TV show so I was suitably impressed to meet him. One of the hosts asked if I would be amenable to accompanying Jack on a couple of songs. “Certainly,” I replied.

Knock me over with a feather, this guy could really sing, rendering top notch renditions of “If You Were the Only Girl In the World” and “I Believe.” He could have been on Broadway! His wife also sang a number, making them the cutest couple I had met in quite some time. Hearing of his recent passing brought back this indelible memory as I silently wished him well in that great big gymnasium in the sky.

Bistronomics

     I recently had a delicious lunch at Bistronomics, a cozy restaurant in the Rush Street area, owned by stellar French chef Martial Noguier who used to helm the Pump Room kitchen when I was there. This  makes a wonderful addition to the restaurant choices in walking distance of Water Tower Place. A Chioggia Beet Salad with white truffle oil, hazelnut vinaigrette and capriole goat cheese was the perfect starter along with a cauliflower veloute with brioche croutons, creme fraiche and shavings of Pleasant Ridge cheese. The “everyday brunch” selections have a French flair, but Noguier tips his beret to American cuisine and Chicago in particular. The Gold Coast salad boasts ingredients of lobster, fennel, French beans and beets. Housemade gnocchis, raviolis and pastas lend a whiff of Italian cuisine.

Chocolate hazelnut bars capped the meal with their bittersweet chocolate mousse, crispy praline and orange sauce. Bistronomics has cheese flights from “less than 300 miles” and “more than 300 miles” if you’re in the mood for a dairy dessert. I can’t wait to go back for a dinner of filet of beef au poivre with carmelized endives and cognac sauce with a white bean cassoulet side. Zut, alors!

Hugo in 3D

I see very few movies in theaters these days, but Martin Scorsese’s movie, “Hugo” in 3D may have drawn me back to the group viewing experience. Wow. What a visual difference the glasses make!

The movie is based on a popular book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” about an orphan who sets the clocks in a Paris train station. The boy’s story line may be fiction, but the character arc of Georges Melies, one of the pioneers of film is based on real fact. He was given a career retrospective at Salle Pleyel in Paris after having spent years in virtual eclipse running a toy and candy shop.

I was engaged with the story, but the use of three dimensional imaging was the real delight for me. A vicious Doberman feels like he is in front of your face. When Hugo is on a high ledge, I felt vertigo. Paris panoramas make you feel you are looking out a window with the incredible sensation of depth. Trailers for 3D versions of “Titanic,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Star Wars” whetted my appetite for more three dimensional viewing. Can “Blade Runner” in 3D be far behind?!

Generation Kill

Now that we’ve militarily pulled out of Iraq, many people have been reviewing the last nine years. Look no further than HBO’s incisive production, “Generation Kill,” a seven episode series based on the experiences of Rolling Stone’s writer Evan Wright who was embedded with a group of U. S. Marines at the onset of the Iraqi invasion. Several of the actors are known for other popular TV programs: Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood), Jon Huertas (Castle), Lee Tergesen (Oz). Like the Oscar-winning war film “The Hurt Locker” directed by Kathryn Bigelow, “Generation Kill” is also directed by a woman, Susanna White.

Of particular note is Rudy Reyes, an honest to God Marine who plays himself in the series. Please, someone cast him in something else. We need to see more of him.

Contempo presents Hiromi at Harris Theater

It was with real pleasure that I attended Contempo’s double-bill concert at Harris Theater last November 15, 2011. The always wonderful chamber music group Eighth Blackbird was featured in the first half along with the  Pacifica Quartet, Anima and pianist Amy Briggs, but it was the second half of the concert featuring Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi that brought out a very young hipster crowd to sit with the  regular new modern classical music aficionados.

You knew immediately that this was not to be a sedate performance as the petite piano dynamo bounced out on stage in her red shoes and wild hair sprouting from a top of the head ponytail. She was joined by the estimable skills of electric bass player Anthony Jackson (sideman to Chick Corea, Paul Simon, Sadao Watanabe, Pat Metheny, et. al.) and British drummer Simon Phillips (of Toto, Judas Priest, The Who, etc.) in what was called “The Trio Project.” This music was a wonderful stew of jazz chords, improvisation with injections of classical, rock and world music. All three players were musically inventive with an energy that literally drove the audience to their feet. Hiromi is currently playing a lot of material from her 2011 recording “Voice.” Check her out on youtube or itunes. Happy listening!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/voice-feat.-anthony-jackson/id440923034

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4q8Ts8Lsm0

Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa

Snap up this seasonal delight before it disappears from grocery shelves.
Rick Bayless’ Frontera brand has devised a delicious recipe, Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa in a limited edition. The salsa is good with any Mexican dish, but I eat mine straight up with Ak Mak sesame crackers and raw vegetables. This stuff is addictive so do yourself a favor and buy at least two jars, if not more. I found mine at Treasure Island, but I hear tell it is available at Costco, too. Look for additional on-line sales sites or bricks and mortar venues to find your autumnal treat.
http://www.fronterafiesta.com/discuss/344-frontera-chipotle-pumpkin-salsa-on-good-morning-america.html

DVD Beat: “The Tourist vs. Anthony Zimmer”

I rented “The Tourist” because of its beautiful cinematography of Venice, but had to give it a one star (out of a possible 5). The scenery was not enough to compensate for a bad execution of a potentially good plot.

It was with delight that I found the original French version, “Anthony Zimmer”, written and directed by Jerome Salle, now available on netflix instant viewing. Set on the southern coast of France near Nice, this version is clever, taut and finely made. Sophie Marceau and Yvan Attal may not have the international star power of Jolie and Depp, but they deliver the acting goods. As an added benefit, the film score by Frederic Talgorn is deliciously reminiscent of the old Hitchcock sound tracks of Bernard Herrmann and the like.  As a final ironic note, the original French version was a box office flop while the negatively reviewed “The Tourist” was deemed successful in its public release. Excuse me while I make separate lists of movies in which Johnny and Angelina really shine.

Venice Notes: #1

Venice is now officially my second favorite city to visit. (Paris is still number one.)

I wanted to share some of the things I have gleaned in hopes that you too can have
a wonderful vacation in this unique Italian maritime city.

Having heard horror stories of bad times to visit Venice (one couple’s hotel had a flooded first level,) I tried to determine the optimal times to make a trip to this most unique city.

July and August are to be avoided due to crowds, mosquitoes and possible odors from the canals.

“Acqua alta” or high water can occur from late September to April. That leaves May, June and most of September as better bets for a first time visit.

Unbroken, a non-fiction stunner

One of the most engrossing non-fiction books currently on the best seller list is Laura Hillenbrand’s “Unbroken,” a gripping account of the life of Louis Zamperini, from his Olympic running and brushes with Hitler, to his saga as a prisoner of war in the Pacific arena during World War II. Lovers of history will appreciate how Berlin, Tokyo and various islands in the Pacific provide the backdrop for this compelling journey of a remarkable man.

Hillenbrand herself deserves a biography, having written the fantastically successful “Seabiscuit” as well as this one while suffering a debilitating form of chronic fatigue syndrome.

As a final suggestion, those that like their books in audio form will especially delight in the narration of actor Edward Herrmann who brings this compelling tale to vivid life.

Pump Room Redux

I happened to be in the vicinity of the old Ambassador East Hotel now called Public since Ian Schrager took it over and was prepared to absolutely hate it.
Wow! Was I wrong. Having been a fan of Schrager’s Paramount Hotel in New York, I guess I should not have doubted his magic touch in re-imagining an institution.

Gone are my beloved experienced doormen, replaced with handsome callow young fellows in hip clothing.

The lobby is done in a light no-color palette that is restful to the eye while conducive to productivity with it’s computer area and seating arrangements inviting informal business meetings.

The former Byfield’s is a coffee bar by day with board games and light bites and a bar/entertainment nexus by night. The word that struck me was “inviting” with its plush furniture, fireplace and neutral color scheme.
Having been an entertainer there for six years, my real focus of curiosity was, of course, The Pump Room. (In fact, the public voted on keeping the name the same.) The entrance has been returned to a previous doorway to the left of the elevators where a big picture window used to reside.

Upon entering, I could readily see the bones of the old girl, but the decor has been modernized with all of the old wood colors being unified in a light neutral palette. The big square bar that provided  parking spots for so many regulars has been replaced with one long bar to the left and several seating arrangements throughout the cocktail area.

The restaurant host station is where the old bandstand used to be with the dining areas remaining pretty much spatially intact. The over-all effect is one of elegance and clean, restful design.

Having been a fan of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Prime in Las Vegas, I look forward to road-testing the food and service at a time in the very near future.
Bravo Mr. Schrager for bringing this grand dame of Chicago history into the current day without gussying her up beyond all recognition.

1301 N. State Parkway, Chicago, IL 60610

(312) 787-3700

http://www.publichotels.com/chicago/home/