Fine Living in Litchfield County, the Berkshires, Dutchess County and Beyond
Passport Summer 2015
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Contents: Summer 2015
Departments 7 Passport Picks S weet sounds at Music Mountain, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and the Litchfield Jazz Festival, and racing and fireworks at Lime Rock Park. 14 Prime Passion March Farm in Bethlehem, Conn., marks its centennial as an agri-culture destination.
66 Denouement Nothing says summer like walking around Little Pond at White Memorial in Litchfield, Conn.
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24 Past Perfect Treasures for all, and homemade cookies and tea, at Rolling River Antiques in Kent, Conn.
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Features 18 Arts Space West Street in Litchfield, Conn., is home to a serious new art gallery.
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44 Seeking the Sun Maywood in Bridgewater, Conn.; it’s Eden with a purpose.
Fine Living in Litchfield County, the Berkshires, Dutchess County and Beyond
Passport SUMMER 2015
58 Highly Palatable Under British chef Annie Wayte, The White Hart in Salisbury is brilliantly delicious.
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22 Distinguished Discourse Meet the couple that wants to create a restaurant, retail shops and lofts in the former Litchfield County jail.
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Summer in the Berkshires 26 Culture Connection From art to dance to music, theater and more, the Berkshires is the place to be.
Passport to Country Properties 36 A Real ‘Dreamgirl’ Broadway legend Bob Avian’s Kent, Conn., lodge is on the market. 40 Kemble Street A chance to acquire a Gilded Age cottage in Lenox, Mass.
Arts • Dining • Gardens • Style • Properties • Summer in the Berkshires
On the Cover: Chef Annie Wayte at The White Hart. Photo by Julie Bidwell.
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Passport Style 48 Style, First Person Anne Fuchs is a media ‘mogul’ who’s always in vogue. 50 Style Picks Visiting Harney & Sons tea in Millerton, N.Y.
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Style File York Street Studio abides. ➤
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Editor’s Note
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Dazzled by Our Own Backyard
s this issue was being designed in late May, with summer weather already in residence and hummingbirds visiting hot pink rhododendrons in bloom as the late-flowering lilacs faded from deep to pale purple, someone I encountered remarked, “I wish I could go for walks in the woods right outside my door.” It was one in a steady stream of reminders about how much — and at how lofty a level — we have right “outside our doors” in this magical landscape where northwestern Connecticut meets eastern New York and the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
Passport A Magazine of The Litchfield County Times 59 Field Street Torrington, CT 06790 Telephone: 860-489-3121 Fax: 860-489-6790 Website: countytimes.com EDITOR
Douglas P. Clement Director of sALES central connecticut
John Gallacher
We had just visited The White Hart in Lakeville, Conn., and enjoyed a dinner so divine that British chef Annie Wayte’s new restaurant has to be declared one of the very best in Connecticut (and beyond).
Alyson Bowman
Only days earlier we had toured the Harney & Sons tea headquarters, production facility and warehouse in nearby Millerton, N.Y., and then stopped at the Harney tasting room, shop and café — and had one of the top tea, and lunch, experiences available anywhere.
Deyan Ranko Brashich, Daniela Forte, Tovah Martin Joseph Montebello Alice Tessier John Torsiello
ART DIRECTOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
On a regular basis we stop at March Farm in Bethlehem, Conn., which has been there for 100 years but manages to be revelatory every time, especially if you’re lucky enough to stop at the farm store when the homemade apple pies are still warm from the oven.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Strolling on West Street in Litchfield, Conn., this spring, in addition to seeing the Casa Bacchus wine shop open in its new home on South Street and the stylish clothes of R. Derwin relocated to a shiny new spot, we also found a great new art gallery, Andrea S. Keogh Art & Design.
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None of that mentions what’s to come this summer. We’ll be enjoying world-class music at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, at Music Mountain and at the Litchfield Jazz Festival — and enjoying everything from world-class art to dance, music and theater in the Berkshires. Among all of that we’ll be shopping, dining, touring glorious gardens (like Peter May’s Maywood in Bridgewater, Conn.), and going for walks in the woods “right outside our door” in the idyllic place we’re fortunate enough to call home. Where else could we possibly want to be this summer? Enjoy.
Walter Kidd, Tovah Martin
Howard Hassan Mindy Hobson Donna Musler Ronnie Vasko
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jgallacher@ registercitizen.com The Litchfield County Times makes every effort to ensure that all advertising copy is correctly printed. The publisher assumes no responsibility for typographical errors. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without express permission of the publisher. © 2015, all rights reserved
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Passport Picks
Racing at Lime Rock Park, above, and fireworks, below. Photos by Casey Keil/Lime Rock Park.
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Action Packed Summer At Lime Rock Park
he place to be for an action packed summer is Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. July in particular will be busy month, and the highlight is July 4th, which brings NASA (National Auto Sports Association) races — and fans are encouraged to stay for the fireworks presented by the Salisbury Rotary Club and Lime Rock. “A 35-year tradition at Lime Rock, this is the Rotary Club’s most important annual fundraiser,” said Rick Roso, spokesperson for Lime Rock Park. “Lime Rock Park donates the facility, workers, EMS, etc.” The Salisbury Rotary Club collects $15 per carload. Infield and outfield gates open at 6 p.m. for the fireworks. All concession stands are open and Summer 2015 Passport 7
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Passport Picks entertainment is presented prior to the fireworks, which begin at 9:20 p.m. “People bring lawn chairs, picnic baskets and coolers and have fun on the hillsides,” said Roso. “Lime Rock is a gorgeous, beautiful venue for the fireworks and people love coming here for that.” Later in the month are the IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship Races, featuring the IMSA Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona. They take place July 24 and 25. “IMSA is back after a one-year hiatus, which a super quick PC Prototypes and the GT Daytona (GTD) production-based sports cars racing together in this mid-summer spree of speed,” said Roso. He said the ORECA FLM09 prototypes reach more than 150 mph on the Sam Posey Straight, and the GTDs include everything from Aston Martins,
Audi R8s and BMW Z4s to Ferraris, Porsche 911s and Dodge SRT Vipers. “It’s fun to watch a race at Lime Rock,” said Roso, who noted that both classes of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, including some of the best stock car road racing in the world, will be at Lime Rock. There will be big, loud and fast Camaros, Porsches, Mustangs, Aston Martins, BMWs and 370Zs, banging fenders in the GS, while the ST race has the quick and agile Hondas, VWs, BMWs, Mazda 3/MX-5s and Porsche Boxsters. IMSA has been racing at Lime Rock since the early 1970s, and the tradition continues. Tickets are $27.50 on Friday and $66 on Saturday, or $88 for all weekend. Lime Rock Park is located at 60 White Hollow Road in Lakeville. For information, call (860) 435-5000 and visit online at www.limerock.com.
Music Mountain In Falls Village
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usic Mountain in Falls Village, Conn., will have an extraordinary summer this year, with the addition of a new series and a lot of teaching taking place from June through August. “The place will be hopping all summer,” said Nicholas Gordon, the president and board manager at Music Mountain. There is the Chamber Series concert with the Juilliard String Quartet on June 28. The Quartet will play Haydn in G Major, Op 33 No. 5, Webern’s Five Movements for the string quartet Op 5, and the Schubert String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, D. 810, “Death and the Maiden” On July 5, Music Mountain will welcome the great cellist Colin Carr
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Passport Picks with Arianna String Quartet. They will play the Mozart in D Minor, K. 421, Boccherini, a Cello Concerto in G Major, G. 480, and Grieg No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 27. On July 12, Peter Serkin and Julia Hsu will play the piano four-hands. The duo will play Schumann-Bizet, six etudes in canonical form for pedalpiano opus 56. They will also play Bizet, Jeux d’Enfants Opus 22, the Mozart sonata in B Flat Major, K. 358, Schubert’s Lebensturme in A Minor, D. 947, the Schubert Rondo in A Major, D 951, and Brahms’ Hungarian Dances. Gordon calls the pair the “most distinguished pianists today.” The Enso String Quartet arrives July 19 with pianist Soyeon Kate Lee. The group will play Moravec’s “Dialogue with the Past I,” the Schumann String Quartet in A Major Opus 41, No. 3, and Dohnanyi’s Piano
The Enso String Quartet, above, is coming to Music Mountain this summer. Left, guests on the grounds at Music Mountain in Falls Village, Conn.
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Passport Picks Norfolk Chamber Festival Celebrates 74th Season
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The Arianna String Quartet is coming to Music Mountain this summer. Quintet #1 in C Minor, Opus 1. The Avalon String Quartet performs July 26 with bass-baritone Jan Opalach and Jonathan Yates on piano. They will perform Fauré’s Mandoline, Opus 58 #1, Debussy’s Mandoline L 29, Fètes Galantes II (La Faune), L 104, and String Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10, Lili Boulanger’s Elle ètait descendue au bas de la prairie, and Ravel’s Don Quichotte
a Dulcinee and String Quartet in F Major. “As July shows you, we have an extraordinary group of artists,” said Gordon. “The July schedule is really strong both in chamber music and jazz music.” Music Mountain is located at 225 Music Mountain Road in Falls Village. For information, call 860-824-7126 and www.musicmountain.org.
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ooking for a reason to travel to the Northwest Corner this summer? The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, presented by the Yale School of Music, is celebrating its 74th season, which is definitely a reason to make the trip. The festival is filled with performances by internationally esteemed ensembles and chamber musicians, who are joined by students and young professionals from around the world. The festival runs from July 3 through Aug. 22 and this year will host ensembles including the Alexander Quartet, Artis Quartet, the Brentano Quartet, the Emerson String Quartet, Emanuel Ax and others. “We have something for everyone this year at Norfolk. For those who might be new to chamber music, opening night with a program of Mozart and Cesar Frank is ideal,” said Paul Hawkshaw, director at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. “The Mozart is exciting and virtuosic; the composer regarded it as one of his very best pieces, and he wrote some of the finest ever.” Hawkshaw added, “The Cesar Frank is lush and romantic — one of the all-time favorites in the repertoire.” Hawkshaw said people have heard the Brentano Quartet in the soundtrack of the hit movie “The Quartet,” and Norfolk is delighted to welcome them back for their second season as the quartet-in-residence. Guests will have the opportunity to hear them twice — on Saturday, July 25, in a program of string quartets, and on Saturday, Aug. 15, when they perform with Robert Blocker, Dean of the Yale School of Music, in a concert featuring Mozart’s piano concerto in A Major. There will be 12 concerts, held each Friday and Saturday night in July and August, along with a family day
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Passport Picks on Aug. 2. It will feature music from Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Brahms, along with Durufle, Thomson, Nielsen and Copland, among others. Featured works will include Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ, performed by Vienna’s Artis Quartet with tenor James Taylor, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, coupled with vocal works by Dominic Argento and Virgil Thomson, and a program of wind music by Beethoven, Klughardt, Nielson and Spohr. The Norfolk Festival also includes a New Music Workshop led by Martin Bresnick, a Wednesday evening lecture series, a Young Artists’ Performance Series on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, with free admission. The festival concludes Aug. 22 with a performance of works for chorus
The Artis Quartet, above, is coming to the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival this summer.
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Passport Picks and orchestra from the Renaissance to the contemporary by the Norfolk Festival Chorus and Orchestra. There is also an annual gala on Sunday, Aug. 16, featuring distinguished pianist Emanuel Ax, who will perform with violinist Pamela Frank. He will perform a recital for the benefit of the Music Shed Restoration
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Fund. He will be joined by a quartet of Norfolk Fellows to perform Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op 44. “The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival is the summer program of the Yale School of Music, and as a school of music, we are a graduate-level program,” said Jim Nelson, general manager of the festival. “As such, we are a ‘teaching festival’ and invite students from all over the world to come for a summer of intense study of chamber music.” Nelson said these students are the cream of the crop, coming from the finest conservatories, including Curtis, Juilliard, Eastman, the Royal Academy of London and Paris Conservatoire, Moscow Conservatory, Toho School in Japan and other top institutions. “One of the hallmarks of the Norfolk Festival is the outstanding
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artists who perform each weekend, no summer festival anywhere can boast a finer roster of talent, and the programs each Friday and Saturday night are interesting, impeccably prepared, beautifully performed and entertaining. ” said Nelson. Guests can enjoy beautiful surroundings of the festival grounds all on the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate in Norfolk. They can come for picnics before the concerts, and enjoy a nice summer evening in the natural environment of the Music Shed. This spring, The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival announced the completion of the Phase 1 of renovation of the Music Shed, the performance home of the festival since 1906. To celebrate, the festival will held an open house on the festival grounds on Sunday, June 21, which included a children’s concert, followed by an
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Passport Picks ice cream social, tours of Whitehouse and children’s games and free public concert by 2014 Norfolk Alumni standouts, and Allant Trio. Ticket prices for the festival’s Friday & Saturday series concerts range from $10 to $55. Ticket prices for the Emanuel Ax Music Shed Benefit Recital on August 16 range from $30 to $500. The festival is located at the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate, 20 Litchfield Road, Norfolk. For tickets and additional information, call 860-542-3000 or visit online at www.norfolkmusic.org.
Litchfield Jazz Festival Celebrates 20th Year
Above, the Litchfield Jazz Orchestra. Below, images from last year’s festival.
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ne of the most distinguished festivals in Litchfield County is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. The Litchfield Jazz Festival takes place Aug. 7 through 9 at the Goshen Fairgrounds in Goshen, Conn. That’s two decades of what critics have called one of the best small festivals in the country, noted Vita Muir, the executive director and founder of the Litchfield Jazz Festival. “This is an all-star true jazz festival, with the likes of Anat Cohen, Mike Stern, Sean Jones, Wycliffe Gordon, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gregoire Maret, Christian McBride and many more,” said Muir. It begins with the the 20th anniversary “Friends of the Festival Opening Night Gala” on Aug. 7, which supports the future of live jazz by helping the groundbreaking Litchfield Jazz Camp continue to provide scholarships for students with financial need. Muir said opening night also features a tribute to the late, great Thomas Chapin, a Connecticut native who died at the height of his powers at 40 years old. The tribute will be performed by the festival’s own Litchfield Jazz Orchestra. Opening night concludes with
Anat Cohen Quartet. Cohen is an established saxophonist, bandleader, clarinetist and composer. The weekend continues with performances by Wycliffe Gordon and Friends, a salute to the great drummer Charli Persip, the Christian McBride
Trio, Matt Wilson Topsy Turvey, and Sharpe Meets Tharpe: Avery Sharpe’s New England Gospel Choir Salutes Sister Rosetta Tharpe, among many other performers. According to Muir, those attending the festival can look forward to more artist’s talks and even more food choices. This year the artist’s talks will be hosted by DownBeat Publisher Frank Alkyer and held on the grounds of the Litchfield Jazz Festival inside the Student Stage Tent. People can expect everything from this jazz festival — great jazz, great sound, great food, student sets, artist’s talks, fine arts and crafts, and a KidZone. For information on the Litchfield Jazz Festival, call 860-361-6285 and visit the website www.litchfieldjazzfest.com. Summer 2015 Passport 13
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Prime Passion
The Lay of the Land
March Farm in Bethlehem, Conn., Marks Its Centennial n Written by A l ic e T e s si e r
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or March Farm in Bethlehem, Conn., 2015 is a banner year, marking 100 years in continuous operation as a family farm. The 150-acre farm is known throughout Litchfield County and beyond as an agritourism destination and was chosen as Connecticut Magazine’s #1 Orchard/ Farm Experience in its 2014 Best of Connecticut annual compilation. “Why it’s the best: There’s fun for the whole family, from apple picking to hay rides,” it stated. The pickings are far more bountiful than this might suggest. March Farm, located on Munger Lane not far from the center of town, grows 14 varieties of apples, yellow and white peaches, strawberries, blueberries and pumpkins for pick-your-own opportunities during the season. Its large enclosed farm stand stocks not only fruit, including cherries, but also corn, tomatoes, other vegetables and herbs as well as pies and pastries prepared at the farm, apple cider pressed on site, jams, honey and more. The Hayloft Playscape, Pondside Animal Yard and hiking trails encourage families to visit for a while, and seasonal attractions include hayrides, corn mazes, a haunted maze, and harvest festivals. Tom March owns the farm with wife Sue and runs the business with their son Ben and Sue’s brother and nephew, Bill and Shane Collett, as well as the assistance of the couple’s other three children, Heather, Emily and Tom Jr. Ben March, the fourth generation to work the land, provided the following
Above, the long view of March Farm; photo by Jack Huber. Below, Ben March; photo by Alice Tessier.
crop totals for the farm’s main production crops for 2014: greenhouse tomatoes, more than 100,000 lbs.; strawberries, 2,000 pints at the farm store and 2,500 pints pick your own (PYO); blueberries, 2,000 pints at the farm store and 5,500 lbs. PYO; peaches, 13,000 lbs.; sweet corn, more than 12,000 bags (60
ears per bag); apples, 27,000 at the farm store and 57,000 lbs PYO; and pumpkins, 100,000 lbs. “The steady stream of customers come for more than the produce. They come for the peace and beauty of March Farm and to interact with the farmers,” said Bethlehem resident Nancy McMillan, author of “March Farm: Season by Season on a Connecticut Family Farm,” a wellresearched and visually appealing book that details the keeping of an individual farm and delves into the broader issues of farmland preservation and the “increasing attention to the connection between food production and the health of not only consumers but communities and the environment as well.” How It Began March Farm marked its 100th year on Feb. 9. Thomas and Rose Marchukaitis, Tom March’s grandparents, Lithuanian immigrants who came
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to this country a few years earlier, bought the original farmstead of 114 acres, which supported 15 cows and two horses, in 1915 for $2,500 from Nathan Hurd Bloss. They raised nine children there. Matthew, their ninth child and Tom’s father, took over the farm when he was 16, said Tom March. Matthew and his wife, Anastasia, bought the land and stock in 1937, going on to diversify the farm’s operation and adding barns to accommodate their increasing dairy herd and chickens, according to the farm’s website (www.marchfarms.com). Tom said he and Sue took over running the farm from his father in 1976, three years after they got married, and they went on to build the farmhouse where they live today, adjacent to the site of the original house. The name had been shortened to “March” in the early ’50s, for sake of convenience, he said, pointing out that this was also the decade when his parents added 14 acres to the farm and his father planted apple orchards. Down through the years, fruit, vegetable and hay crops were increased, and greenhouses were added. “My father had a route in season with more than 110 stops in Waterbury until the 1970s,” said Tom March, referring to the farm’s selling its produce in the Brooklyn section of Waterbury, known as the Lithuanian section of the city for many decades. “Fresh eggs was the big thing,” he said, noting that it was not a milk route, even though the farm had a dairy herd. “We sold milk to a co-op until 1987.” The farm ceased its dairy operations around that time, when it also started growing tomatoes in greenhouses, and stopped keeping chickens about five years later, turning its attention to diversification of its crops, according to Tom March. “It’s a business, you’ve got to keep it going. You have to be able to want to, and to change with the times. If one crop fails, there has to be something else that you’ve got going — it can’t be just one thing,” he said. “From 2005 to 2012, we were hit by
Above, Tom and Sue March; photo by Alice Tessier. Below, a working with corn on the farm; photo by Stuart Rabinowitz.
hail six times,” which took its toll on the growing season, he said, “and in 2012 we lost 80 percent of the apples.” Sue March noted that, fortunately, the farm has crop insurance. “We’ve had it for years – for apples, peaches, sweet corn and blueberries,” she said. “It helped a lot, but it doesn’t equal what you lose.” The Farm Today “Everybody knows how hard farmers work, but seeing it up close — the amount of constant work — was a surprise. They are constantly moving, constantly doing things, constantly switching gears and putting out fires,” said McMillan, who spent a lot of time down on the farm getting to know and understand its operation for her book, a project she was inspired to undertake. She wrote the book, according to her introductory note, “because I fell in
love with the farms in Bethlehem and became passionate about saving them. The loss of farmland is a problem in this state, as it is across the country. If we are to preserve our heritage and keep our food source safe, as well as support our communities, we need to both understand and cherish our farms.” Tom March, now 71, has spent all but two years (time out for college) at the farm, and there’s no place else he’d rather be, according to his wife. “I’m glad I grew up on a farm,” he said simply. “It was right for me. It still is.” He remains fully active, starting the vegetable plants from seed on growing trays in the farmhouse basement from the beginning of the year and then moving then moving the young plants on to any of 12 greenhouses clustered in the knoll down the hill. When asked what his favorite place is on the farm, Mr. March responded “the greenhouses.” He recounted that when he first pitched the idea of constructing one to his father, the elder farmer didn’t see the utility of it. “I wanted it,” he said, “to have more control over the growing conditions. We have a lot of control now — one crop will make up for another to a degree.” Summer 2015 Passport 15
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No matter how much science is applied inside the greenhouses, “You just have to keep on improving,” said Ben March. The farm is the right place not only for Tom March but for Ben as well, who came back to help run the farm in 2004, much to his parents’ joy, after earning a degree in business management and pursuing a business career in Norwalk for two years. “I would have had to work 70 hours a week to get ahead in that, and the difference is that every hour is worth it here,” he said. “It’s hard work, but that’s fine. You can’t do everything at once, but we’re always looking for a way to do something better.” Standing among tomato plants in one greenhouse, he pointed out for example that the heating system, temperature controls and air circulation are better now and that the rows of alyssum indoors along the sides of each greenhouse are more than a visual pleasure. “Sweet alyssum is valued as an insectary plant, which is a flowering plant cultivated in crop fields because it attracts insect predators to feed on pests,” the farm stated on its Facebook page. Last year this natural initiative was a huge success in a greenhouse where lettuce and cucumbers were being grown. “It was amazing to watch & we hope to enjoy the same results across the board [in each greenhouse] this year!” While Tom March credits Ben for forward-thinking, Ben is quick to call attention to his uncle Bill Collett. “The farm would come to a screeching halt without [him.] He’s the farm’s master mechanic, electrician, plumber, carpenter all wrapped into one … everything you saw on your visit was a direct results of his efforts,” Ben March wrote in a message. Harvesting is labor intensive, in the orchards and fields as well as the greenhouses. “Everything is picked by hand,” except for most of the corn, said Tom March. After the previous year’s growing season, March said, he prunes all the
Fruit pies fresh out of the oven; photo by Stuart Rabinowitz. fruit trees. “You’ve got to do it, for yield and better quality fruit,” he said, and to keep the trees healthy. And, new trees are always being planted — “500 last year,” he said. Apples are a major crop, and 14 varieties bear fruit in the orchards of semi-dwarf trees: Cortland, Crimson Crisp, Empire, Gala, Ginger Gold, Gravenstein, Honeycrisp, Idared, Macoun, McIntosh, Paula Red, Red Delicious, Rome and Yellow Delicious. Not only are they picked by hand, they are also sorted and graded by hand. They are sold at the farm and farmers markets, such as the Litchfield Hills Farm-Fresh Market held Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the season at Litchfield Center School on Route 202, to retail outlets and restaurants. Some are used to make cider, an endeavor the farm established in the early ‘90s and some end up in the vast number of pies and cider doughnuts made by Sue March and her assistants. That’s just one crop. Tomatoes and corn are the other main crops. March Farm has employed seasonal help for decades, local and Jamaican workers. Sue March, who has had a teaching career, said that students in the vocational agriculture program at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury
have helped at the farm, for example. And her husband pointed out that Jamaican workers have labored at the farm since the early ’50s, when his father first hired them. They arrive in April, living in quarters on the farm, and stay until the fall. The Marches depend on seasonal help, given the substantial annual yields of all their crops. Demand is constant, by customers coming to the farm and elsewhere. The farm offers a CSA (community supported agriculture) program, whereby participants pick up select produce weekly. Its Facebook page stated that tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, arugula, beets, cucumbers, carrots, celery, leeks, kale, lettuce, peppers, spinach, string beans and herbs were growing in the greenhouses. Eyes on the Future As involved as the Marches are with the everyday operations of the farm, they don’t lose sight of the future. “Just keep on improving,” Tom March said. He said he would like to have a greenhouse for strawberries and to update the cider mill, and his wife hopes the bakery will be expanded and updated as well.
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Tom March is pleased that the farm he loves is now a fourth-generation family business with a surer grip on the future. “If I was going to do anything, it was to preserve this farm,” he said, a goal that has been realized. The state purchased the development rights to the land, which ensures that it will remain for agricultural use. “The landscape of Bethlehem is still 50 percent forest and farmland, lending it a rural beauty that never ceases to elicit comment from visitors,” Ms. McMillan states in her book. “But I also know how many farms have been lost here, succumbing to the pressure of development and the economic realities of farming. … They used to say there are more cows than people in
Bethlehem.” She stated that the farms that successfully apply in the state’s Farmland Preservation Program remain privately owned, continue to be taxed locally, and still can be sold or leased. “In Bethlehem, we support our farms,” said McMillan, a former member and eight-year chairman of the town’s Conservation Commission and current co-chairman of its Open Space Committee. “The March Farm is a treasure — all the farms are, but it is different because it has great visibility through its farm stand and other activities. Not only that, it is the first farm of that size selling the development rights. It is an example for others to possibly take that step. We are encouraged by that, as it’s
easiest to plop houses down on our biggest open lots in town.” To learn more about March Farm and its offerings, visit its website or Facebook page or call 203-266-7721. Nancy McMillan’s book, “March Farm: Season by Season on a Connecticut Family Farm,” which includes recipes using the local produce, may be purchased at the farm stand, through Amazon.com, and at Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot.
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Arts Space
Andrea Keogh in her gallery on West Street in the center of Litchfield, Conn.
An Artistic Point of View
“
B
New Gallery Brightens Center of Litchfield, Conn.
een there, done that” often carries a negative connotation, but in the case of Andrea Keogh, the proprietor and driving force behind the gallery bearing her name across from Litchfield’s historic Green, “been there, done that” comes in recognition of a notable career devoted to art. In any field one has to pay his or her dues, slog through tedium and hardship to gain experience. Keogh has done that in spades. Starting with CitiBank Art Advisory Services for a
n Written by de ya n r a n ko br a sh ic h Photographed by wa lt e r k i dd
n basic understanding of the financing of art acquisitions and collections, she moved to the mundane but critical fields of management/sales/public relations with Chris Beetles [London] and Altman/Burke [New York], and then for years she was owner/princi-
pal/dealer with Scully Keogh Fine Art and Keogh & Riehlman in New York, dealing with collectors and instrumental in acquiring works for the Salvador Dali Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Harvard Art Museum. Since 2003 she has successfully run solo as “an experienced gallerist … buying and selling Fine Art … [to] other dealers, private collectors, corporate collections and museums,” and then opening the Andrea S. Keogh Art & Design Gallery at 43 West Street in
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Litchfield, Conn., in the summer of 2014. What her résumé omits is that Keogh possesses a highly developed eye for art. One is born with such an eye — you either have it or you don’t. It cannot be acquired by study or experience; it can only be enhanced, trained and finely honed. You do not need this talent to identify the masterpieces of the art world, as they have all been discovered, displayed and catalogued. What a person with Ms. Keogh’s gift does is identify works of art that have been overlooked, set aside, or forgotten, and bring them to the world’s attention. Consider her recent show, “Peaceable Kingdom: A Collection of Carved and Painted Folk Art.” The works were exhibited in a warm, intimate, well-lit space. The show catalogue’s cover photograph is “Brown Rabbit,” a carved whimsical study of an animal pondering its uncertain fate with its chin resting philosophically on a forepaw with antenna ears fully
“A Young Girl, Her Dog and a Hat of Flowers in an Arcadian Landscape,” from the spring show at the gallery. extended [Pennsylvania Dutch, c. 1870, carved wood with paint, exhibited at Brandywine River Museum, Chads Ford, PA in 2005]. It grabs your attention and won’t let go, with your eyes returning to the piece time and again.
nicole alger
To single out this piece and many like it requires talent few of us possess. Carousel horses are clichés of Americana kitsch. Keogh’s eye throws us a pair of German curve balls — carousel animals, a zebra and a leap-
nicolealger.com
[email protected]
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The spring exhibit at Andrea Keogh’s gallery in Litchfield. ing stag, marked departures from the expected. The animals are not your docile, muzzle down, bit and bridle, toy poodle carousel ponies. They are carved in a “bold, masculine style” exulting in their undomesticated
freedom [“Exotic Carousel Zebra”, “Leaping Stag Carousel Figure,” German, late 19th or early 20th century, both carved by Karl Muller, exhibited Musée des Arts Forin, Paris]. Unless you’re a kid, you don’t want
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to mount these steeds. You want to see them run, see them leap in your mind’s eye — you don’t want them chained to a Coney Island midway attraction, endlessly turning circles; you want to bring them home. Things made for everyday use can morph into art when chosen by a discerning eye. Witness the “Trumpeter Swan Decoy” [American, c. 1900-1920, painted wood, canvas stretched over metal hoops, Eastern Shore Virginia, North or South Carolina] and “Arrow Weathervane” [American late 19th century, probably J. Fiske Company, molded copper with bullet hole]. Once removed from their intended surroundings, the roof of a house or barn, or the local marsh, the purity of design and the lack of pretension elevate these mundane objects into works of art. The bullet hole in the weathervane puts it all into perspective — just a kid with nothing better to do, plinking away with a .22 in the yard. On the other hand, I didn’t cotton to Ron Archuleta Rodriguez’ animal carvings. While “Cheetah” and “Bobcat”
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are striking, their rustic style appears contrived — and anyone with as sophisticated a web site as Rodriguez has isn’t folk enough for me. If you didn’t make the show, you can visit it online at akeoghartanddesign.com and also view other prior shows and exhibits. You won’t be able to fully appreciate the art, but it’s a start. The point is to visit in person, to make art a destina“Afternoon Sun at Black tion. There is no Beach,” Hillary Osborn. substitute for an onsite perusal and that’s why millions visit museums. The scale of the art is lost when you bring it up on your screen. As the seasons change so do the shows. In time for sum“Provincetown,” mer, starting Hillary Osborn. June 19 and running through August 30, the gallery will feature “Sea/Shore”, an “exhibition of paintings, prints and works on paper 18552015.” “Annisquam Marshes,” I was fortuGeorge Loftus Noyes. nate to be given a preview of some of the works that will be on display. You should not miss James Buttersworth’s “Black Squall at Gibraltar” [c. 1855]. It’s a small painting but it is high drama on the high seas. Look for the lightning bolt that “serves to illuminate and freeze the drama of man struggling against nature.” I am told that Buttersworth “was the greatest and most successful American marine painter of the nineteenth century.”
Having seen just one of his paintings I am convinced of the fact. In contrast the show will feature Fairfield Porter’s abstract print “Ocean, Second State” [1973]. Abstract art takes some mental gymnastics to be properly appreciated. You have to detach yourself from the here and now, from reality, to get into the print and the artist’s mind. Get past that hurdle and the print evokes the waters off New England with their muted gray and surf whites lapping faded yellow sand.
ND R A R E A D L O
S B O ONK A D SOLD BOUGHT
Bringing you back to land and reality will be George Loftus Noyes’ impressionist take on Massachusetts unique tidal saltwater marshes “Annisquam Marshes” [c.1905]. I will not go into further detail. I do not want to spoil your fun by disclosing all that’s on the menu. So make the gallery a destination this summer and treat yourself to an hour of visual pleasure. To learn more see the website at akeoghartanddesign.com. TWO SHOPS! THE COLEBROOK BOOK BARN 657 COLEBROOK ROAD (RT. 183) COLEBROOK, CT. 06021 860-379-3185 • COLEBROOKBOOKBARN.COM AND THE COLEBROOK BOOK BARN AT WHITING MILLS 100 WHITING STREET, WINSTED, CT 06098
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“On the Green” 41 West St., Box 857, Litchfield, CT 06759 Hours: Wed. - Sun 11-4pm • 860-567-1059 www.psgallery.com Country Garden 26x40 Acrylic on Linen
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Distinguished Discourse
Indulging an Urge to Acquire
Russell Barton, Susi Stone See Dining, Retail in Litchfield Jail n Written by jo se p h mon t e be ll o Photographed by wa lt e r k i dd
F
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rom the time he was a child, Russell Barton has dreamed about owning land and renovating buildings. “Popular Mechanics was always my favorite magazine, that and the United Farm catalog,” said Barton. “I couldn’t swing a hammer and I couldn’t build anything on my own, but that didn’t stop me from being interested in properties. I bought my first house in Southport when I was 16.” Barton hasn’t stopped since then. He loves buying and is always surfing the Internet looking for interesting things to buy. Not just land or houses. “He once bought a Bentley online at three in the morning,” said his fiancée Susi Stone. “Unfortunately it rolled off a flatbed as it was being shipped and he never got it. But that didn’t deter him.” Barton has been purchasing and developing properties in this area for several years now, everything from restaurants to condominiums to shopping centers to houses, including one of the period houses on North Street in Litchfield, Conn. He is passionate about what he does and seldom takes a misstep. He has a capacity to see both the visual aspect as well as the financial aspect of any project he approaches. “I’m not a visionary,” he said, “but where others may see a potential risk, I see a possibility. Most people buy for the aesthetic value, I see the financial pitfalls as well. If the property doesn’t have a combination of both it’s not going to work.”
Russell Barton and Susi Stone, above, at their White Bridge Farm in Litchfield, Conn. Below, other views of the farm.
Barton, a tall, robust man who is always smiling, knows the ins and outs of buying and selling real estate. He always does his homework and knows what he is getting into. And while he loves what he buys, restores it and stays with it for a while, he is not inclined to hold on to everything. At one point, he owned The Rocks, designed by American architect Ehrick Rossiter, which had been owned by theatrical producer Scott
Rudin. Barton lived in the guesthouse, overwhelmed by the size and number of rooms in the main house. The Rocks has had several owners since then and Barton has gone on to own many other houses — but none quite so impressive or imposing. One property that Barton seems intent on keeping is White Bridge Farm in Litchfield. It was originally known at Thunder Ridge Farm and owned by James B. Irwin, Sr., who
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committed suicide in 2009. “I’ve always loved this farm,” Barton said. “I had made several offers to Irwin before he died, but he always turned me down. I wound up buying it for much less than my original offers. It is a spectacular spread and I knew I had to have it.” Stone wasn’t so sure. A horse farm? Not an easy task to maintain. But, as a horse person herself, it was hard to resist. Stone and Barton, who have been together seven years, met over a piece of property he was trying to buy in Woodbury. “I had made a deal to buy this restaurant and the owner and I had come to terms. One evening she introduced me to her friend Susi Stone. The deal eventually fell through, but by then Susi and I were together,” recalled Barton. Prior to meeting Barton and becoming involved in his work, Stone spent time as head chef for Ina Garten at The Barefoot Contessa, thanks to her education at the Culinary Institute of America. She also worked with the Olympic Torch organizers for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid. From those media contacts Stone found her way to the National Equestrian Federation, where she became Director of Marketing. Since horses and riding had been the backdrop of her life, this was an ideal place for her to be. She now works for The Reputation Institute, the world’s leading research and advisory firm for reputation, a job she can do from home. She is the perfect balance for Barton. While he is on the go from the minute he wakes up and is constantly working on a deal, an idea, or a problem, Stone is the calming force; she is easy-going and manages to maintain a certain degree of serenity. “We have a wonderful relationship,” said Stone. “Keeping him grounded is something I work on every day. Russ couldn’t do all of this at the same pace if he didn’t have a soft place to land.” That place includes the renovated farmhouse in which they live, just down the road from the stables and horse stalls. In addition to the horse
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paddocks, various outbuildings, and the house, the property includes 68 acres on one side of Beach Street and some 36 acres across the street. That acreage has been gifted so it will never be developed. It is a picturesque setting, the vistas extraordinary, the atmosphere idyllic. “People are always worried; a developer buys a big piece of property and they expect there will be dozens of new houses built. But that’s not going to happen here,” Barton said. “I love this land too much to ever do that.” White Bridge Farm has been up and running for a few years and is now a thriving enterprise. “The first two years were really hard,” Stone said. “The place was terribly rundown and it took some time to understand what motivates horse people and to build the right facility. We’ve now created a place where a 2-year-old can learn to ride and so can a 70-year-old.” In addition to riding lessons, the farm boards about 50 horses; they also buy and sell horses that they import from northern Germany. White Bridge Farm also has expert trainers and instructors in multiple disciplines including dressage, hunters, hunter/jumper, and equitation. The grounds are also available to rent for special occasions. “We’re trying to brand the farm so that everyone will learn how much goes on here,” said Stone. Meanwhile, Barton is far from idle. Every day he is bombarded with calls from people looking for investors or trying to sell properties. He has become his own real estate agent. He is negotiating to purchase retail spaces in Washington Depot. Like several local towns, the Depot has recently been suffering due to the demise of a spate of stores. Recently Barton has also purchased shops in Woodbury, one of which has been rented to a purveyor of high-end antiques. Meanwhile, there are so many other things to pursue, including a new horse farm in Wellington, Fla. With so many opportunities coming his way, Barton is a happy man.
And Then There’s the Old Jail
A
mong Russell Barton’s projects is the former Litchfield County Jail in the center of Litchfield. He purchased the property last year for $130,000 and has submitted renovations plans to the Historic District Commission. They include developing sites for a restaurant, coffee shop, small retail shops, office space, and three loft apartments on the top floor. But it has not been a smooth ride. “Quite honestly I’m surprised I’ve gotten as much resistance as I have,” said Barton. “Litchfield has been wonderful to me and I am trying to give back by transforming the jail into usable space. There is a need for some smaller retail spaces; everyone can’t afford the rents on the Green. I think the town could use some energy, some gasoline to get things going again. It’s a beautiful town but things could be better.” Whatever the outcome Barton doesn’t give up easily. He has a vision and he will do everything he can to see it through.
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Past Perfect
Rolling River Antiques
Kent Shop Has Something for Everyone and Tea & Cookies n Written by d ougl a s P. C le m e n t Photographed by wa lt e r k i dd
T
n
here was a time when the Litchfield County antiques trade was buoyed by its own version of irrational exuberance. Everything from artwork to period furniture with a pedigree commanded lofty prices, while exhibit openings and newlyfreshened shops were occasions for wine-and-cheese receptions that might draw collectors from Greenwich who arrived in a shiny Aston Martin. While the stock market and the type of money that begets more money seem to be speeding down the growth and exuberance track again, it seems as if some combination of the financial roller coaster and the digital age have left the antiques scene changed and more muted. Karen Shaw listened politely to that theory being spun one morning in her shop, Rolling River Antiques, tucked in the back of a commercial building on Main Street in Kent, Conn. Whether on target or not, the scenario has little impact on her shop. The welcoming and charming former elementary school teacher from California has several “secret weapons” at her disposal that make Rolling River successful enough to have marked its fifth anniversary with its own brand of exuberance. For starters, Shaw says in gesturing to her café-like welcome, “I do gluten free cookies every day, and tea.” That’s right. The shop is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on all of those days there are homemade cookies and tea to greet customers.
Above, Karen Shaw in her Kent, Conn., shop. Right, the dress form that had pride of place this spring. Left and below, more treasures to take home.
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Cookies are a nice icebreaker or welcome back, but they don’t sell antiques and vintage items. “My main goal when I started the business was to make sure to have a shop that had nice things that were well-priced,” Shaw says, so anyone can come and take home a treasure. And they do come — in person — despite the somewhat hidden location of the shop, and they do take home treasures, and then come back for more. “I do a big turnover,” Shaw says, and there are “lots of repeat customers.” What they find at Rolling River, which was located in the Gaylordsville section of New Milford for a couple of years before coming to Kent, is a nice selection of costume jewelry, some furniture, and really nice quality glassware at a reasonable prices — which is Rolling River’s biggest seller, with many customers giving it as gifts. Two of the most interesting things
in the shop when we stopped by this spring were a gorgeous vintage dress form — the perfect conversation piece for someone who loves style and fashion — and an intricately-formed chest/ desk from the Sharon estate of Paul Leka, famous for the song “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,” which became a sports arena anthem. “I really like the Victorian things,” says Shaw, who attributes some of her success to digital media (“I post on Facebook every day.”) and the fact that the demographic for antiques is evolving. “I am seeing a little bit more of the young people getting into it,” she says. According to the Rolling River website, “Shaw grew up mostly in Southern California, and graduated from UCLA. She moved to San Diego and taught elementary school for 27 years. Upon retiring from the teaching profession, she decided to embark on a new adventure in life … that of a retail shop owner specializing in an eclectic mix of antiques. The quaint
small town living in Warren and Kent fit perfectly with Karen’s personality. When not at the shop, you will find Karen perfectly content tending her gardens, knitting, crocheting, or enjoying a great book.” Her husband Jim grew up in Larchmont, N.Y., and was a Naval officer before practicing law for 26 years in Southern California. “Upon retiring, he became a member of the Warren Vol. Fire Company,” the website says. “He currently serves with both the Warren Vol. Fire Company and the Kent Vol. Fire Company.” Their son Michael is a psychology major at Ithaca College. “It’s wonderful. I absolutely love it,” Karen Shaw says of her “second act.” That sense of fulfillment is evident at Rolling River Antiques, especially when the cookies and tea are served. Rolling River Antiques is located at 25 N Main St. in Kent (in the back). The phone number is (860) 927-3100, and the website is rollingriverantiques.com.
Books Gifts ~ Stationery ~ Toys ebooks Serving the readers of Litchfield County for over 60 years Open 7 Days a Week! Mon - Sat 9-5:30 and Sun 11-5 T 860-868-0525 www.hickorystickbookshop.com 2 Green Hill Road • Washington Depot, CT
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summer in the berkshires
Above, sculptures at the Williams College Museum of Art. Below, works by Van Gogh at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass.
Culture Saturation Station
From Art to Dance &Music to Theater, the Bershires Has It All
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n Written by A L IC E T E S SI E R Contributed Photographs
n
Cultural riches abound in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, long-established as a summer playground for visitors coming from around the globe and residents alike.
T
Art he Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown offers visitors a rich visual feast, in more ways than they might expect. The Clark was cited as one of 10 “Buzz Worthy New Museums” in the world by Architectural Digest in a March slide show on its website (www.architecturaldigest.com), and the institute has just mounted an exclusive new exhibition featuring works by Vincent Van Gogh. The Clark is not new, however, having opened in 1955. Its remodeled main building, a project undertaken by architect Annabelle Selldorf, and opened last summer, and the new wing designed by Pritzker Prizewinning Tadao Ando’s firm created the aforementioned buzz. The significant additional gallery space enables the institute to display more of its permanent collections of Impressionist, American and Old Master paintings. “Van Gogh and Nature” opened June 14 and will continue through Sept.13. Featuring 50 paintings and drawings, it is said to be “the first exhibition devoted to the artist’s abiding exploration of nature in all its forms,” which led to his creation of “a body of work that revolutionized the representation of the natural world at the end of the nineteenth century,” according to an event release. “The exhibition focuses on Van Gogh the serious artist, not on the mythic ‘tortured painter’ of film and fiction.” “Van Gogh has long been a subject of great interest to me and I am thrilled to be able to present a fresh view and greater understanding of him to the public,” stated curator at
Above and below, images from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.
large Richard Kendall, who undertook the project with Van Gogh scholars Chris Stolwijk and Sjraar van Heugten as co-curators. “Working with these exceptional scholars has been a tremendous experience as we have learned so much about Van Gogh that has been lost in all of the hyperbole
about his life and career. This exhibition allows us to clear up many of these misperceptions and helps people to understand Van Gogh in a new light,” Kendall stated. Some of the works are on loan from notable collections around the world, including the Van Gogh Summer 2015 Passport 27
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Museum in Amsterdam; the KröllerMüller Museum in Otterlo; the Museé d’Orsay in Paris; the National Gallery in London; the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen; and The Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. For more information about the Clark, located at 225 South Street, visit online at www.clarkart.edu or call 413-458-2303. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge is one of the most popular cultural attractions in the Berkshires. It houses the largest collection of original works by well-known illustrator Norman Rockwell, along with a chronological display of 323 original tear sheets of his Saturday Evening Post covers and Four Freedoms art, photographs, letters and artifacts. The museum was founded in the town in 1969 with the illustrator’s assistance and moved to its current 36-acre site in 1993, with the collection now housed in a building designed by architect A.M. Stern. The illustrator’s studio has been relocated to the site. The museum mounts changing exhibitions of work by other master illustrators. It is currently showcasing, through Oct. 26, the work of Roz Chast, prolific staff cartoonist for The New Yorker and author of “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?,” a graphic memoir that was nominated for the 2014 National Book Award for nonfiction and received the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography. Chast was recently named the recipient of the Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities category “for her uncompromising body of work, bringing wry humor and wit to some of our most profound everyday anxieties, brilliantly translating the mundane into rich, comical observations that reflect her acute observations of the human experience,” according to the award’s website. For more information about the Norman Rockwell Museum, which is located at 9 Glendale Road (Route 183), visit www.nrm.org or call 413-298-4100. Williams College Museum of Art in
Above, Andy Warhol, Andy Warhol’s Index (Book), 1967, Courtesy of Williams College Museum of Art. Below, the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Williamstown, said to be regarded as one of the finest college art museums in the country, houses collections that span the history of art. With its permanent collections and changing exhibitions, it focuses on American, contemporary and modern art as well as the works of world cultures, according to its literature. Its holdings include the largest collection of works by Charles and Maurice Pendergast. In line with its mission, its current exhibition, “Warhol by the Book,” which runs through Aug. 16, showcases the book work of artist Andy Warhol, and the exhibit “Three Centuries of American Art,” running through Oct. 4, includes “Edward Hopper’s “Morning in a City” and new work in the museum’s collections.
The museum, founded in 1926, is located at 15 Lawrence Hall Drive in Williamstown. For more information, visit the museum’s website, www.wcma.org, or call 413-597-2429.
M
Music usic, whether classical, rock, popular or jazz, is the main event at Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, which is said to draw crowds of 300,000 annually. The summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) since 1937, Tanglewood is also the summer home of the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center (TMC), the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Music Academy. The 75th anniversary season, which extends through Labor Day weekend,
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Above, Tanglewood in the evening. Below right, Sondra Radvanovsky, a featured performer this season. features concerts by both the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras, TMC and acclaimed guest artists, including Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett performing together, as well as special programs and theatrical presentations. Jacques Lacome will conduct the BSO in an All-American program July 3, the opening night of the 75th anniversary season. In another anniversary special event on July 6, the Tanglewood Brass Spectacular!, the Boston Pops brass and percussion sections will perform a one-of-a-kind concert with the Boston Crusaders, the third-oldest drum corps in America, celebrating its 75th anniversary, and the Drum Corps International World Champion Blue Summer 2015 Passport 29
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Devils from Concord, Cal. The festival will celebrate the inaugural season of BSO musical director Andris Nelsons, who will lead six concerts, and TMC’s 75th anniversary. It will also honor cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax, each as a Koussevitzky Artist, a new honorary title in recognition of “their performance and teaching commitment” this season and more than 30-year involvement with the BSO at Tanglewood and at Symphony Hall in Boston. TCM is committed to creating and performing new music, according to an event release, and more than 30 newly commissioned works will be presented in its 75th anniversary season. Tanglewood is located at 297 West Street (Route 183). For a full schedule and details of all programming and artists, visit online at www.tanglewood.org. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 888266-1200. The Aston Magna Music Festival is the oldest annual summer festival in America that presents Baroque to early Romantic music played on period instruments. The mission of the Aston Magna Foundation For Humanities, Inc., which is based in Great Barrington, is to foster an appreciation of this music and “understanding of the cultural, political, and social contexts in which it was composed and experienced,” according to its literature. Now enjoying its 43rd season, Aston Magna will offer “Wind Power: Schubert, Boccherini and Mozart” on July 2 to 4 and “Eternal Seasons: Vivaldi and Bach” on July 16 to 18. Artistic director Daniel Stepner, who plays baroque violin, will give a pre-concert talk an hour before each program. Concerts are being held at several venues: Thursdays at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.; Fridays at Bard College in Annandale-onHudson, N.Y.; and two in Great Barrington—Saturday, July 4, at Bard College at Simon’s Rock and July 18 at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Mass., has an exciting season for lovers of dance.
through Aug. 30, features more than 50 dance companies, from around the country as well as Canada, Cuba and Europe, including France, Germany and the Netherlands. Some highlights are The Blues Project, by Dorrance Dance; contemporary works by Nederlands Dans Theater 2; Daniil Simkin’s “INTENSIO,” performed by dancers from American Ballet Theatre and others; Malpaso Dance Company from Cuba; and Martha Graham Dance Company with a 90th anniversary program. Jacob’s Pillow, which is a professional dance training center, offers free performances as well, including talks and other events. It is located at 358 George Carter Road. For its full schedule and program details as well as tickets, visit www.jacobspillow.org or call 413-243-0745.
Kyra Sedgwick.
Visit the website, www.astonmagna. org, for festival program details and tickets or call 413-528-3595 or 800-875-7156.
J
Dance acob’s Pillow in Becket, renowned as the country’s longest-running dance festival, has the distinction of being a National Historic Landmark and the recipient of a National Medal of Arts. The prestigious dance center’s program for the 2015 festival, which runs
W
Theater illiamstown Theatre Festival, founded in 1955 as the Williamstown Summer Theatre, is a Tony Award-winning seasonal program dedicated to presenting classic and new plays featuring top American talent and to training emerging talent and engaging a diverse community. Golden Globe and Emmy awardwinner Kyra Sedgwick will make her festival debut in the world premiere of William Inge’s drama “Off the Main Road,” a lost work found in 2008 by the late playwright’s estate, June 30 to
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Blair Underwood.
July 19. The world premiere of Daniel Goldfarb’s drama “Legacy,” running July 1 to 12, will feature Tony nominee Jessica Hecht and Drama Desk Award winner Eric Bogosian. Cynthia Nixon, recipient of Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards, and Emmy winner Penny Fuller will star in the American premiere of Cary Perloff’s drama “Kinship” July 15-25. The world premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s drama “Paradise Blue” will be presented July 22 to Aug. 2, featuring Tony nominee De’Adre Aziza, Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood and Andre Holland. Another world premiere, the musical “Unknown Soldier” with book and lyrics by Daniel Goldstein and music and lyrics by Obie winner Michael Friedman, will be offered July 30 to Aug. 9. Eugene O’Neill’s “A Moon for the Misbegotten,” with Tony winner Audra McDonald and award nominee Will Swenson will run Aug. 5 to 23. The festival will also present two American premieres of works by British playwrights in a double bill Aug. 12-23: award-winning “Chewing Gum Dreams” by Michaela Coel and “An Intervention” by award-winner Mike Bartlett.
For details and tickets regarding these productions as well as other festival events, visit www.WTFestival.org or call 413-5973400. The festival, which received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 2002 and the Commonwealth Award of Achievement in 2011, is located at 1000 Main Street (Route 2 East) in Williamstown. Shakespeare & Company in Lenox is presenting six mainstage shows this season. The Bard’s “Henry V,” “The Comedy of Errors” and “Hamlet” will be staged as well as the regional premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti’s “Red Velvet,” about Ira Aldridge, the first African-American actor to play Othello on the English stage in the 19th century, and the world premiere of “Jane Anderson’s “Mother of the Maid,” the latter starring the company’s founding artistic director, Tina Packer, as Joan of Arc’s mother. The season opens with “The How and the Why,” a new play by Sarah Treem, writer/producer of the TV series “House of Cards” and “In Treatment,” and it will also present Yasmina Reza’s drama “The Unexpected Man.” “From the most intimate and unex-
pected encounters, to timeless themes of parenthood and leadership, our season will take audiences to many different places, historical and emotional; always with a focus on language,” stated Rick Dildine, executive director, in an event release. The season will also include Kevin G. Coleman’s “Shakespeare and the Language that Shaped a World,” presented under the tent on the company’s campus in Lenox, and “Hamlet” in the open air at the Dell at the Mount, acclaimed author Edith Wharton’s former home and now a National Historic Landmark and cultural center in the town. Once again there will be a free Fourth of July community event, with a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Two special events are also on tap: “Broadway in the Berkshires,” a benefit for the education and training programs, will be held Aug. 3 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center; and Stephan Wolfert’s interactive play “Cry Havoc,” on Aug. 28 to 29. The public is invited to enjoy stopping at the cafe and shop on the grounds and picnicking on the 30-acre campus at 70 Kemble Street. For dates of mainstage productions and ticket information for all events, visit
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Barrington Stage’s summer season features a thriller by Conor McPherson. www.shakespeare.org or call 413-637-1199. Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield is known for award-winning quality productions — musicals, comedies and dramas — as well as recognized for its educational programming. The theater group, whose 20th season last year attracted 55,600 patrons, according to its annual report, was founded in 1995 in the Berkshires. It staged its productions at a high school arts center in Sheffield for the first 11 years before buying an old vaudeville theater in Pittsfield, now the state-
of-the-art Boyd-Quinson Mainstage; seven years later, it acquired a former VFW building, which is now the Sydelle and Lee Blaff Performing Arts Center and houses the St. Germain Stage and Mr. Finn’s Cabaret, which features a variety of entertainers. The offerings of the 21st season, again under artistic director Julianne Boyd, include the musical “Man of La Mancha” and thriller “Shining City” by Conor McPherson, running through July 11; Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers,” July 16 to Aug. 1; “A Little More Alive,” an original folk-pop musical by Nick Blaemire, July 17 to Aug. 8; “Shrek, the Musical,” July 22 to Aug. 9; “His Girl Friday,” adapted by John Guare from “The Front Page,” Aug. 6 to 30; and “Engagements,” a black comedy by Lucy Teitler, Aug. 13 to Sept. 6. “We pride ourselves in the unbelievably talented group of actors which grace our stage every year, … [but] This year, let’s celebrate the greatness of playwrights,” Boyd stated on BSC’s website, www.barringtonstageco.org. For details about Barrington Stage Company’s 21st season and tickets, visit online or call 413-236-8888. Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) continues to deliver on its mission “to sup-
port wide-ranging artistic exploration and acclaimed performances in theatre, dance, music and entertainment.” In 2010, Berkshire Theatre Festival, founded in 1928 in Stockbridge and one of the oldest cultural institutions in the Berkshires, joined The Colonial Theatre, built in Pittsfield in 1903 and extensively restored a decade ago. Under artistic director Kate Maguire, BTG presents quality live theater, music, dance and visual arts productions on four stages, in Stockbridge and Pittsfield. Berkshire Theatre Group’s summer’s offerings include Ira Levin’s cat-and-mouse thriller “Deathtrap,” playing in Stockbridge July 1 to 25; Betty Comden and Adolf Green’s musical “Bells Are Ringing,” with lyrics by Julie Styne, July 9 to 26 at The Colonial; Terrence McNally’s bittersweet comedy “Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune,” directed by Karen Allen, July 29 to Aug. 22 in Stockbridge; musical “Mary Poppins” Aug. 13 to 23 at The Colonial. In addition, it will present two world premieres, David Adkins’ one-man play “Thoreau, or Return to Walden” through July 11 in Stockbridge and Susan Heathcote’s “I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn’t Even Smile” July 1 to Aug. 15 in Stockbridge, and entertainers such as veteran talent Robert Klein Aug. 1 at the Colonial. For details of the productions and tickets, visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org or call 413-997-444. Chester Theatre Company (CTC) takes to the stage again at Chester Town Hall in presenting four plays for its 26th season. The theater group, whose co-founders include the late Vincent Dowling, artistic director of the prestigious Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, is dedicated to presenting “intelligent, contemporary, language-rich, thoughtprovoking plays,” according to its literature. This is the last season for Byam Stevens, its artistic director since 1998. He stated on its website (www.chestertheatre.org), “Since my first season
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at CTC, I have voiced my belief that Theatre should function as a forum that addresses both the lasting questions facing us as humanity and issues that face us as a society. … We will support these explorations with our signature TalkBacks and Sunday Panels. Chester Theatre It looks to be Company Artistic an exciting, Director Byam engaging and Stevens. thoughtful summer.” Scott Carter’s “The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord” will run from June
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24 to July 5. A comedy of ideas that unfolds as the American founding father, British Victorian novelist and Russian revolutionary find themselves locked in a room and must collaborate. The New England premiere of “Halcyon Days” by Irish playwright Deirdre Kinahan will run from July 9 to 19. Set it the conservatory of a nursing room, the play focuses on a developing relationship between two of its inhabitants. “Memory House,” by Kathleen
Tolan explores a mother-daughter relationship during one New Year’s Eve in a New York apartment. The play will be presented July 29 to Aug. 9. “Blink,” a darkly funny look at love in the digital age by British playwright Phil Porter, will be the final production of the season, from Aug. 13 to 23. For more information about the summer season and tickets, visit online or call 413354-7771.
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Passport to country properties
Above and left, great room spaces in Robert Avian’s The Lodge at Flanders Mountain in Kent, Conn.
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A ‘Dreamgirl’ Country Estate Broadway Legend Robert Avian’s Lodge Can Be Yours n Written by Joh n T or si e ll o Photographs courtesy of S o t h e b y ’s I n t e r nat iona l R e a lt y
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heater legend Robert Avian is known for the unique style, class and poetic depth of his works. It is no wonder why some 40 years ago he took what was a hunting lodge that needed some tender loving care in the bucolic town of Kent, Conn., and turned it into a impeccably tasteful, idyllic retreat, one that meshes wonderfully with its natural environment. Avian, 76, a dancer, choreographer, theater producer and director, purchased what is now known as The Lodge at Flanders Mountain in the 1970s. The Tony Award-winner (choreography for ‘A Chorus Line,’ ‘Dreamgirls,’ ‘Ballroom’) quickly began a renovation of the main building, as well as several other structures on the property, and set about creating a magical manmade landscape that rivaled the natural one surrounding the main home, which, of course, is the centerpiece of the 252-plus-acre estate. The property boasts the main house, guest quarters, a pool, sumptuous gardens and specimen plantings and a pond. The main house was built in the 1930s and is embraced by unspoiled land. Beyond the main house are a guest cottage, caretaker’s house, cabana, garage and a barn. In the main home, the lodge-like feel is preserved in a post-and-beam great room that features a soaring ceiling, a stone fireplace and a rich infusion of natural light from ample windows. The spacious room encompasses a living room and dining and gaming areas. A kitchen has its origi-
The dining room, above, and an outdoor patio, below.
nal beehive oven. On the second level is another great room, which enjoys expansive views of Flanders Mountain. The main house has four bedrooms, including a luxurious master
suite. Near a Gunite pool is a cabana with a kitchenette, bar, an entertaining area, a full bath and changing rooms. The property’s two-bedroom guest cottage has a kitchen, living Summer 2015 Passport 37
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Above, an aerial view of the property.
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room and full bath. A barn could be used as a studio or provide additional garage space. The grounds, are, well, glorious. There is a two-acre, spring-fed pond with a float that holds a screenedin gazebo, a simply magical, almost fairytale-like spot to while away a summer’s day or evening. The abundant gardens that weave throughout the property provide a vast array of blooms from the earliest spring field of daffodils to the last rose of summer. Avian was born in New York City, and spent his early career dividing his time between dancing in such Broadway shows as ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Funny Girl,’ and ‘Henry, Sweet Henry’ and working as a production assistant on projects like ‘I Do! I Do!’
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and ‘Twigs.’ He met Michael Bennett when they both appeared in ‘Nowhere to Go But Up’ in 1962, and over the course of the next two decades the two collaborated on ‘Promises, Promises,’ ‘Coco,’ ‘Company,’ ‘Follies,’ ‘Seesaw,’ ‘God’s Favorite,’ ‘A Chorus Line,’ ‘Ballroom,’ and ‘Dreamgirls,’ Avian’s first credit as a solo producer. Additional Broadway credits include ‘Putting It Together’ and the 2006 revival of ‘A Chorus Line,’ which he directed. In London’s West End, Avian choreographed ‘Follies,’ ‘Martin Guerre,’ ‘The Witches of Eastwick,’ ‘Miss Saigon,’ and ‘Sunset Boulevard,’ repeating the assignment for the Broadway productions of the latter two. He also staged ‘Hey, Mr. Producer!,’ the Cameron Mackintosh tribute. The Lodge at Flanders Mountain, naturally, became a gathering place for Avian and his friends, some of them famous beyond the theater, such as Julie Andrews and Andrew Lloyd Weber. “It was said that every time Bob had a hit show something got added or redone at Flanders Lodge,” says Ira Goldspiel of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, the listing agent for the property, which is offered at $3.62 million. “Bob has been here for 45 years and it is time, he believes, for the next owner to take charge and care for the home and property the way he has.” To create the present state of the property was no easy task, says Goldspiel. “I think there must have been people telling Bob that he couldn’t fix up the house and property the way he envisioned. But he invested so much time and money on its restoration and renovation that it became what it is today, a very unique property. Some of the original portions of the interior of the home, the post-and-beam construction, the original fireplace, and a beehive stove that is still in use in the kitchen, were preserved. The interior of the home is a mix of modern and traditional, which is very popular these days.” The living space of the home encompasses 5,102
square feet, with three bedrooms and three full baths. A significant piece of the charm of The Lodge at Flanders Mountain is the surrounding property and the views that the home and grounds afford. “Once you are on the property you see nothing but nature,” Goldspiel says. “There are these wonderful views and fabulous pond and Flanders Mountain that you can see when standing on the back deck. The
pond is incredible, with a floating gazebo that moves with the breeze. It really is something special.” Goldpsiel says the property can be farmed, or not, depending upon the whim of the new owner. “You can hike and cross-country ski on your own property also.” For information on The Lodge at Flanders Mountain, contact Goldspiel at 860-927-7724 (office), 917-626-3481 (cell), or visit www.williampitt.com.
VAN GOGH AND NATURE JUNE 14–SEPT 13
WHISTLER’S MOTHER JULY 4–SEPT 27
Van Gogh and Nature is made possible by the generous contributions of Denise Littlefield Sobel and Diane and Andreas Halvorsen, with major support from Acquavella Galleries and the National Endowment for the Arts. Whistler’s Mother is presented in collaboration with the Lunder Consortium for Whistler Studies. The exhibition is generously supported by a grant from The Lunder Foundation and by Katherine and Frank Martucci. Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), A Wheatfield, with Cypresses (detail), 1889. Oil on canvas, 72.1 x 90.9 cm. The National Gallery, London, bought Courtauld Fund, 1923 Image © The National Gallery, London 2014
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Passport to country properties
Above and below, Clipston Grange has plenty of grand spaces.
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Walk Into Lenox Center
Clipston Grange Is a Grand Gilded Age Cottage n
I
Written by Joh n T or si e ll o Contributed Photographs
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t’s still about location when it comes to real estate, right? Of course the home and grounds have to be spectacular and it helps it the property has a unique provenance. Well, a special home in Lenox, Mass., has it all, that property being what is known as Clipston Grange on Kemble Street, within walking distance of the charming town (ahh, the importance of location). Clipston Grange is one of the last privately-owned Gilded Age “cottages.” It was built in 1850 and expanded by wealthy socialite Franklin Sturgis. But this important property and home had almost been forgotten until the once festive country house of Frank K. Sturgis and Florence Lydig Sturgis was rescued and restored in 2007 by the Jurney family in conjunction with their plans for adjacent “Spring Lawn.” In 1998 James and Gwendolyn Jurney founded Seize sur Vingt on Elizabeth Street, in the NoLita (“North of Little Italy”) neighborhood of Manhattan. Following the tradition of the bespoke clothier, they began making finely tailored clothing for men and women. “We have lovingly restored the house to its original condition wherever possible, while creating an updated chef’s kitchen and large pantry in the portion of the house where the historic elements were missing,” Jurney says. The couple selected unique paint colors and combinations for each of the main rooms with a precise notion of the history and function of each room. They designed the interiors with the appropriate period and replica pieces so that the end result gives a genuine sense of stepping back into the Gilded Age of
A bedroom in Clipston Grange. the Berkshires. The paneled core of Clipston Grange is an old village house, which originally stood at the junction of Main and Cliffwood streets. George G. Haven, a New York stockbroker and a Lenox real estate speculator, moved the old house to Kemble Street in 1893. Frank and Florence Sturgis enlarged the house in 1894 in the Colonial Revival style, adorning the roofline with a parapet,
installing elegant bow windows in the dining room and study, and adding a new reception room at the south end. The architect is still unknown. A childless couple, the Sturgises were devoted to animals. Florence Sturgis’ family property is now the Bronx Zoo, and Sturgis was a founder of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He served a term as president of the New York Stock Exchange,
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Above, a view of the property from the drive.
and on the building committee of Madison Square Garden, and on the boards of the Jockey Club and the New York Coaching Club. Florence Sturgis died in 1922, and four years later Frank Sturgis left Clipston Grange to the Lenox School for Boys, which was at the time based in Sunnycroft, next door to Clipston Grange. “What makes Clipston Grange such a special property is that it is one of the very few original late-19th century Berkshire Cottages that remains a single-family residence, as well one of the
only ideally situated near the center of Lenox,” says Jurney. “It is also the only property that has permanent access to all 30 acres of the adjacent Spring Lawn Resort property, including the property’s pond, a sledding hill and forest trails. The entire ground floor is a uniquely perfect grand entertaining space of seven contiguous rooms with five working fireplaces.” And Clipston Grange is one of the few properties specifically mentioned in the Lenox By-Laws allowing the by-right use as a “Great Estate Inn.”
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While every room on the ground floor has magnificent original historic details and grand settings, the “Grange Room” of Clipston Grange is the highlight of the house. It is an enormous 30-by-30-foot room with a 17-foot vaulted ceiling and all original wood floors and paneling, not to mention a working “walk-in” fireplace. Says Jurney, “This room is truly meant for grand entertaining. A close second to the Grange Room are the original curved bay windows with the original and very rare curved glass on the ground and second floors on both the East and West facades.” The home, which sits on three acres, has a total living area of 6,738 square feet, 13 rooms, six bedrooms, five full baths, and one half-bath, and several original fireplaces. The first level of the home contains, in addition to the great room, two other living rooms that can be used for parlors or rest and relaxation, a large dining room, a library with a fireplace, a kitchen and pantry, and a cozy breakfast nook that can seat up to eight people. The first floor is accessed through a foyer that has an oversized entry door and a window seat. The second level contains the bedrooms, including a 16-by-18-foot master bedroom that has a vaulted ceiling with a loft. The master bath is fash-
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ioned in marble with double sinks and a soaking tub. The home’s floors are a combination of ceramic, wood and marble. There is a full basement with a concrete floor. The exterior of the home is wood and clapboard and the roof is asphalt/ fiberglass. The home has modern heating and cooling systems and an alarm system. The grounds are lovely and the property affords views of the Berkshires and pastures. Jurney believes those who would be interested in owning Clipston Grange, which is listed for $1.995 million, would be “any lover of historic architecture, anyone who likes entertaining guests in grand spaces with bedrooms to spare.” The owners would be afforded easy walking access to the historic center of Lenox with its many fine restaurants and shops, Shakespeare & Company, Canyon Ranch, the Kemble Inn, Trinity Church, and Ventfort Hall, while Tanglewood is a short distance
Where great rooms begin
Clipston Grange is located on a prime site in Lenox, Mass., and in a gorgeous setting.
away. Jurney adds that others interested in owning his house would be those who would enjoy and take advantage of the special access to the adjacent Spring Lawn Resort property, and anyone who would like to establish an elegant
bed and breakfast in the house, taking advantage of the by-right Great Estate Inn use.” The property is listed with Tucker Welch Properties, and the listing agent is Cindy Welch. She can be contacted at 413-3293999, or email info@tuckerwelchproperties.
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Seeking the Sun
Above, a formal aspect of Maywood. Below, a greenhouse.
Maywood: Eden With Purpose Peter and Leni May Nurture a Special Landscape n Written and Photographed by T ova h M a rt i n
Y
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our first glance of Maywood says it all. Rather than pomp and ceremony, Maywood greets guests with a parade of immaculately groomed grapes all linking arms to dance up the hill. Instead of snarling stone lions at a gate, border collies roam the fields. When Peter and Leni May came to Bridgewater, Conn., in 1974, they delved deep into the
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roots of the land and totally understood it. Realizing that the region was once agricultural, the Mays wanted to honor the land’s past. That mission to work their acreage has produced some wonderful results. Most recently, the pursuit of the land’s potential has prodded Maywood to produce its own wines. That goal hasn’t been so easy in what was until very recently Connecticut’s last dry town. Although Maywood’s agricultural facet is what first greets you upon arrival, that’s not to say that this estate lacks gardens. Just the opposite. The vineyard frames a custom greenhouse that is a strong contender for the dreamiest glass structure you’ll ever behold. Tall and regal, it is an expansive 4,000 feet of hard-working, light-filled space deftly orchestrated to pump out blossoms for the gardens and nurture the Mays’ collection of begonias and other tropical plants. The greenhouse produces the adornments for the bedding gardens that stretch around the greenhouse as well as annuals for accent containers surrounding the house. It supplies fillers for the parterre gardens on the terraces beyond the loggia. Gardens are everywhere, but they all focus on framing farther views, lightly enhancing the natural majesty all around, and merging the architecture into the Litchfield Hills. As Greg Bollard, Maywood’s estate manager explains, “From the very beginning, Maywood’s mission has been horticulture, agriculture, and architecture.” They take that mission seriously, but with 1,000 acres of land, there is a lot of potential to harness. The vineyard is just the most recent initiative in the ongoing agricultural thrust of Maywood. When the Mays first took the land under their wing, they began with apples. Because nurseries rarely offer large caliper-sized apple trees, he acquired mature, bearing trees of ‘Red Rome’, ‘Stayman’, ‘McIntosh’, ‘Empire’, and ‘Jona Red’ apples from a Red Hook, N.Y., orchard. With only a two to three-week window to successfully
Above, blooms at Maywood, and below left, some of Maywood’s wines.
transplant the orchard to Litchfield County, a hasty retrieval was key. But the results were worth the nail-biting relocation of trees that are notoriously difficult to move due to their taproots. “They were immediately productive and ornamental,” Bollard recalls of
the newly adopted trees that were installed in a highly visible location on the property. In subsequent years, pear and peach orchards followed. And it wasn’t only about fruit. Maywood has always planted vegetables for the family’s eating pleasure, and excess produce is never wasted. Rather than overlapping the efforts of local farmers, Maywood focuses its efforts on “value added” products such as jams and preserves or producing boutique crops for target niche markets such as dried herbs, mushrooms, and dried fruit. Going the “value added” route also works well with their organic approach. Harvesting a totally perfect, organically grown fruit that might compete favorably with conventionally produced supermarket fare can be dicey. Maywood crops might not win a
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Above, a Maywood perspective. Below, grape viness.
beauty contest, “But they taste great,” Bollard explains. When they become ingredients in jam, nobody worries about their appearance. Going the organic route is rare for a multi-faceted estate with greenhouses, orchards, ornamental gardens, and production gardens. In fact, Maywood gardened conventionally for years. “I was old school,” Bollard admits. Shortly after NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers Association) began offering courses in organic land care, Bollard signed up to attend and earned his certification as a practitioner in 2003. Maywood’s conversion started shortly thereafter. “It was a major philosophy switch. But we take stewardship of the land seriously here.” Making the shift took only three seasons. Of all the elements in the configuration, the greenhouse proved to be the stickiest wicket for conversion. In fact, it remains difficult-vergingon-impossible to find suppliers who offer organic plugs of bedding plants. In addition, when Maywood first went organic, only two insectaries supplied beneficial insects. Fortunately, more suppliers have jumped into that field, allowing Maywood to order the numbers of beneficials needed to patrol its land. Twice a year, they dispatch billions of beneficial nematodes to control Japanese beetles. Those nematodes must be dispersed over 20 acres of land during a prolonged rainy weather sequence. Part of that semi-annual deployment of microscopic insects is put to work in the vineyard and has become a critical component toward producing Maywood’s wine. Ask Bollard about the wine initiative and his eyes light up. Clearly, the wine is his baby. Starting with a first planting in 2002, Maywood began its journey toward producing Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc wines. It was Peter May who first made the request to go for grapes. “He was intrigued with the possibility and suggested starting with 10 to 20 acres,” Bollard recalls. “Instead, I began with two acres. Like everything we do here, it was a huge learning curve. Okay, to
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be honest, making wine scared the living daylights out of me.” A lot of hurdles stood in the way between growing grapes and distilling a Maywood-quality wine. To begin with, Vitex vinifera is not ideally suited to growing in Connecticut. Prone to powdery mildew and marginally hardy here, there were challenges — and Japanese beetles were among the major stumbling blocks. Deer and wild turkeys were also an issue. A grape cluster requires 15 leaf clusters to ripen. Unlike most plants, when a grape leaf is marred by nibbling insects or predators, the plant no longer benefits from its photosynthesizing input and the grape cluster does not receive the oomph it needs to ripen. Within the organic realm, Bollard selected solutions that include beneficial nematodes for Japanese beetle larvae and border collies to chase off turkeys and deer. Alas, the oldest border collie of the original ultraefficient crew recently passed away. Maywood might be relying on netting for its grapes this coming season while replacements are trained. Thanks to vintner Dave Lambert and Wayne Stitzer, an outside wine consultant from Morris, Maywood was bottling its first vintage three years after planting. Aged in barrels made by a Pennsylvania cooper from trees cut in Maywood’s own oak forest, the taste is signature and deliciously local. In 2009, Maywood went commercial, a goal that was not easily achieved in a dry town. Basically, although a farmer has the legal right to make a product from their crop, Maywood could not sell its product in its own town. Fortunately, those old laws have been re-evaluated. Although Bridgewater remains only partially wet, the town has voted to allow wine to be sold in restaurants. Furthermore, Bridgewater has also recently voted to allow restaurants in town. “The town has been overwhelmingly supportive,” Bollard beams. Beyond the Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc from locally grown grapes, Maywood began producing a
line of fruit wines in 2013. In the base of the homegrown apple and pear wine, they add peaches, berries, maple syrup, or honey in different ratios to achieve a very unique experience. Not meant to be a dessert wine, the result is not cloyingly sweet. Instead, it is subtle and sophisticated with an adventuresome aftertaste. The buoyant Maywood fruit wines have won several awards. The wines distill the essence of
what Maywood is all about, letting everyone drink in the nectar of a New England estate that bases its mission on land stewardship. In the gardens, in the buildings, in the fields and vineyards, Maywood strives to craft excellence — urging the land to achieve its fullest potential. The result is beautiful on all levels. Maywood Gardens will be open for tours on September 13, 2015. Check www. gardenconservancy.org for more details.
captivating landscape solutions
since 1973
we thank you
KENT GREENHOUSE & GARDENS
design landscape services garden center
30 south main street kent connecticut 860.927.4436 tel kentgreenhouse.com Summer 2015 Passport 47
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Style, First Person
She’s Always Been In Vogue
Anne Fuchs, Media’s Secret Weapon, on Life in the Country n Written by Jo se p h Mon t e be ll o Contributed Photographs
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ecoming one of the most accomplished and recognized businesswomen and publishers in the country was never Anne Sutherland Fuchs’ intent. In fact she might have thought it impossible. But that’s exactly what happened. Fuchs was born in Brazil to, as she described them, an English mother and a very American father. When she was still a child the family moved to the Midwest and she grew up in Chicago. She graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French literature. When she went to study at the Sorbonne Fuchs decided that she wanted to live out the rest of her days in France. But that didn’t happen. “I had a life-threatening accident,” Fuchs said. “That’s when I became a serious person and began confronting a lot of issues. Before that I never took anything seriously. I had no business skills and my background in French literature didn’t present many career opportunities.” Fuchs arrived in New York flat broke and in need of a job — quickly. She went to a personnel agency that advertised in The New Yorks Times, hoping to find a job at an art gallery or similar institution. “The interviewer looked at my résumé and noted that my degree was in French literature not art,” Fuchs recalled. “’But, she said, you’d be perfect for Hertz,’ as in rent-a-car.’ I don’t know how she determined this would be suitable for me, but I said yes. This is called survival; I only had five dollars to my name at the time. “At Hertz I interviewed with this wonderful Irishman who hired me as his assistant. When he asked if I could type I
Anne Fuchs at home with Toka, her Labrador Retriever. said no, but I quickly learned how to be a customer relations manager by listening to him deal with clients.” A fast learner, Fuchs was offered a job in sales, She begged off at first since she knew her boss always fired people in sales who didn’t make their numbers. But then she took the job anyway and became the number one salesperson in the country and the only woman in the industry to reach that mark. “To me everyone was a potential client,” Fuchs explained. “So I went after insurance companies, like New York Life, which was huge. I understood the
margins and would rewrite contracts to make them more attractive — but still profitable. And I just kept bringing in new accounts.” Word was out that Fuchs was a phenomenon in the business and job offers came pouring in. “I didn’t even have a briefcase!” she said. “I didn’t know I was going to be successful in business, I was just trying to survive. When I used to give speeches to women’s groups they always asked who my mentors were. My mentor was survival. It teaches you a great deal fast.” After three years in the car rental
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business, Fuchs went on to work with The New York Times as manager of the National Food Business, to sell media to regional sales managers, an untapped resource that proved very profitable for everyone. “My jobs always seemed to be for three-years or so,” Fuchs said. “The first year was spent figuring out the job, the second year would be working and selling; by the third year I was successful and then something else would come my way.” Her next opportunity came from the publishing industry. She was offered a job with Charter Publishing which owned the Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, and Sport Magazine. She began producing inserts for the magazine with special promotions and eventually started a division called Charter Contest where they put all their special interest publications. As she approached each new challenge — and became known for her business expertise and her willingness to try something new — Fuchs carved out an incredible career path. She became publisher of Cuisine, which led to her work with two magazine publishing titans, Hearst and Conde Nast, where Fuchs became the first female publisher of Vogue. At Hearst she served as Senior Vice-President/Group Publishing Director of Hearst Magazines, which included management of the publications known as the “Women’s Group”: O, The Oprah Magazine, Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Redbook, and Victoria. She also launched the American edition of Elle. She was responsible for an incredible assortment of some of the most prestigious magazines in the country. “It was a very exciting time for me,” Fuchs said. “In the magazine business you’re creating a product you want someone to like all the time. Each issue has to be a different flavor, but you need some consistency so the consumer isn’t confused.” A challenging task at best. In order to raise sales, the product always had to be right. “I love being around creative people, but my strength is the business side. I’m
not capable of producing extraordinary photo essays and understanding the nuance of things. Editorial is the driver,” Fuchs explained. “I have to applaud the extraordinary editors I was privileged to work with. I don’t create the product; it’s the editors who do that and if they can come up with a product that consumers want, I can do the rest. “Women’s Day is a perfect example. When I was there newsstand sales were at five-and-a half million copies. Women purchased the magazine because they saw something on the cover they wanted to read. And buying at the newsstand is so much faster than taking out a subscription. You want to grab the consumer immediately.” As Fuchs talks about her publishing experiences one can see that she clearly loved being involved in the industry and is proud of what she achieved. But how does one keep up the momentum? “I love the challenge of taking something to a new level,” Fuchs said, “changing the format, trying something no one else has done before. It’s risky, but terribly exciting. It’s wonderful to feel the muscle twitch across the country for the product you’re involved with.” Fuchs became known as an innovator with extensive branding experience within the media industry and has been recognized for her achievements with numerous awards, including, the Matrix Award for Magazines by Women of Communication, Advertising Women of the Year, and the Woman of the Year Award by the New York Police Athletic League. She was also named one of the “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women eNews. Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, she was made chairwoman of the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues, serving as a liaison between the mayor and the female community. In that capacity she worked to brand New York City as a desirable place for women to thrive, raising opportunities for education, and a place to build both a career and a family. Balancing a career and family was of great concern to Fuchs when she decided to have children. It is a dilemma many career women face.
“Children are not for every women,” said Fuchs. “But all along I always wanted children. It was a challenge. I was used to working 24/7. When my boys were younger I still worked all the time, but running home to attend school meetings, sports events, helping with homework — in between appointments. When I became a single mom I just stopped. I put my briefcase and my ambition on a shelf — where I could easily pick them up again. You have to decide with kind of parent you’re going to be. My only way was to be there, to be a wall of constant strength.” Her sons, Nicky, 21 and Slater, 20, are both at Southern Methodist University in Texas. “It was their idea to attend the same school. It’s perfect — they are wonderful friends and support each other. I feel very blessed,” Fuchs said. Eighteen months ago Fuchs made Washington, Conn., her permanent residence. “My life in New York had changed,” she explained. “I had worked with JC Penney and started online retail stores for them. I was going back and forth to Dallas and Chicago, but I didn’t need to be in New York City. I decided I wanted to wake up to beautiful. So, here I am in this wonderful place — it was a big decision but it seems as natural as daylight for me to be here all the time.” But living in the country has not affected Fuchs’s energy and need to be involved in new projects. Locally she was named to the board of directors of The Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut. She is also on the board of Greenwoods Counseling Referral, Inc. In this idyllic setting, with her many commitments, Fuchs does manage to do some recreational things she loves most. “I love to entertain,” she said. “’Entertain’ being the operative word, because I am not a great cook. And taking long walks with our black Lab, watching her splash in stream, so much energy!” However, Fuchs is always looking for the next challenge. “If you are open to people as well as opportunities, you never stop learning. And that’s what I love.” Summer 2015 Passport 49
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Style Picks
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Above, big, heavy, branded teacups at the Millerton shop. Below, tea and the curry bowl in the café.
The Enchantment of Tea
Harney & Sons in Millerton, N.Y., a Stylish Destination n Written and Photographed by d ougl a s p. c le m e n t
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ike the summer weather, tea is hot (whether literally hot or iced tea). “Tea Culture Blossoms in New York,” The New York Times reported in a May food story, and if the trend suggests images of little old ladies in sweaters daintily taking cream tea in dusty English cottages or urbane settings as rarefied and delicate as bone china, pause and take a different mental sip to see the reality. Today’s tea drinking demographic is flavored heavily with young, empowered women who “don’t want to drink their grandmother’s tea,” says Michael Harney, who, with his brother Paul, heads Harney & Sons, Master Tea
Blenders, the company their father, John Harney, launched 30-plus years ago in his basement in Lakeville, Conn. While the latest flowering of
enlightenment about the pleasures and benefits of tea may be unfolding now in the Big Apple, the ascendance of tea culture has been happening for Summer 2015 Passport 51
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Above, a view of the Harney & Sons shop in Millerton, N.Y. Below, a festive picnic with tea, in an image provided by Harney. some time — with Harney & Sons being one of the best, most stylish and most innovative American companies at the forefront. The company has grown from a one-passionate-man operation in 1983 into a global operation with a 90,000-sqaure-foot headquarters, production facility and warehouse in Millerton, N.Y., a brand new production facility for its ready-to-drink bottled teas in Hudson, N.Y., and 181 employees and growing. (This comes against a backdrop, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., Inc.,. in which “tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, and can be found in almost 80 percent of all U.S. households.”)
r GO-TO You regional resource for
ARTS & CULTURE
Promoting the arts, artists & cultural resources in Northwest Connecticut
artsnwct.org
You can explore the realm of Harney & Sons online, through Harney’s gorgeous catalog or via specialty food stores and even the national chain Target, but for those fortunate enough to live anywhere near the magical landscape where New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts meet, the best way to connect is a visit to the tasting room and shop in Millerton — and even take a tour of the production facility. The Millerton location features a tasting bar where you can try different teas, and a gorgeous shop full of teas and tea-related gifts and accessories (the big, heavy, stylish and branded Harney tea cup is a must!). The gilding on this (modestly-sized) tea culture gold mine is its small and charming café, where you can pair Harney teas with food that marries perfectly with them in a delicious lunch and enjoy the “Harneyesque experience of eating food with the tea,” as Michael Harney says. (We highly recommend the curry bowl with free range chicken or shrimp.) We sampled, shopped and dined after a chat with Michael Harney at the headquarters — and after an impressive tour of the warehouse and production facility that revealed how the teas are envisioned, tasted and tested, how they’re blended, and how state-of-the art machines create tea bags, or sachets, and more, in a process that moves seamlessly from loose tea to finished boxes. Harney had just returned from China (“We buy a lot of Chinese tea.”) but the big news was the advent of a new company-owned facility in Hudson, N.Y., for the bottled teas, which had previously been produced at an outsourced location in Pennsylvania. “That’s only been up three days. It’s our largest investment ever,” said Harney, who went to the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and has been in the tea business for 27 years. It was a little over 30 years ago in Salisbury, Conn., when John Harney, who was the proprietor of the historic
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White Hart Inn, developed his passion for fine teas. Michael Harney recalled how his father caught the tea fever from his friend Stanley Mason, who had been in the corporate world of tea before creating his own tea blends. In 1970s John Harney bought the tea business with his White Hart partners, but soon enough he moved on alone to foster Harney & Sons, whose hallmarks remain the fact that it sources, blends, and packages all of its own products from start to finish, and its commitment to providing customers with the finest quality tea possible. John Harney died in June 2014, leaving two subsequent generations of Harneys impassioned about tea in a position to thrive. The Harney company moved from its original location in Lakeville 15 years ago, and 13 years ago transitioned from an initial focus on loose teas to creating tea bags, then sachets, and now even capsules for Keurig machines. Some may turn their noses up
Above, hillsides of tea, in a photo provided by Harney & Sons. at the latter approach, but Michael Harney says, “My dad was never a purist … He wanted tea to be an everyday luxury.” In that vein, Harney’s top-selling tea isn’t one of the more rarefied or traditional blends but its hot cinnamon spice tea.
To learn more, visit the shop at 13 Main Street in Millerton, a town with a wealth of shopping, dining and lifestyle amenities. The phone number is (518) 789-2121, where you can inquire about scheduling a tour of the production facility, which is best done on a weekday when things are humming. The website is www.harney.com.
2015-2016 SEASON on the MaIn Stage
NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT November 7-15, 2015
ROCK OF AGES February 6-14, 2016
BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS May 7-15, 2016
SEUSSICAL July 30-August 7, 2016
In the nancy MarIne StudIo theatre ASSASSINS September 26-October 4, 2015
INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL October 15-17, 2015
LOST IN YONKERS March 5-13, 2016
RACE April 9-17, 2016
OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS June 11-19, 2016
860-489-7180 • www.warnertheatre.org • Torrington, CT Summer 2015 Passport 53
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Style File
A display sample board is being designed to send to a showroom.
Nourishing a Design Legacy
York Street Studio Evolves After a Founding Partner’s Death n Written by Jo se p h mon t e be ll o Photographed by wa lt e r k i dd
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tephen Piscuskas was larger than life, not only in stature, but also in talent and in his love for his family and friends. When he died suddenly of cardiac arrest two years ago,
he left an enormous hole to fill. It fell to his wife Linda Zelenko to carry on York Street Studio, the successful furniture and accessories design business they owned. “We had been partners in life and business for some 30 years and suddenly I was alone and in charge,” Zelenko explained, “and I was traumatized. This is the first time Zelenko has publicly talked about Stephen and what it was like to be on her own
“Stephen died on a Saturday. That Monday we had scheduled a meeting with a big client. I kept the appointment because I was afraid if I canceled people would think I couldn’t do it alone and I had to prove that I could. I didn’t even tell them that he had died.” Piscuskas and Zelenko had known each other since high school. In fact, his father was Zelenko’s tennis coach. In the early ‘80s, she was attending the Rhode Island School of Design
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and he was at Brown University. One day they ran into each other in a local sandwich shop. “I walked in and literally smacked right in to him,” Zelenko recalled. “There was always some kind of connection and we became soulmates. He graduated before I did and he wound up living in my parents’ brownstone in New York.” And the two began a relationship that eventually led to a marriage. Zelenko’s parents were graphic and industrial designers and she has been around creativity her whole life. From the time she was a child she was intent on becoming a shoe designer. After graduation from RISD, she applied for a job with Charles Jourdan, one of the hottest companies at the time. The interview was less than satisfying. “I had a meeting with a man named Arnold Dunn at the General Motors building,” Zelenko said. “He is flipping through my portfolio, obsessing on the fact that I could speak French but not Italian and that
Linda Zelenko working on a design. I’d never get the job if I couldn’t speak the language of the manufacturers. He is going on about this and not really focusing on my work, so I reached over, slammed the book shut and walked out. He followed me out to the elevator, which was taking forever to arrive, and he said that he had never
seen anyone so passionate about their work and he would help me get the job — and he did.” After Jourdan, when the sneaker rage was in full force, Zelenko started designing for Adidas and Reebok, creating sports shoes that no one else was making. “At Adidas I worked with 40 designers around the world and I was always coming up with new ideas, making factories do things they swore couldn’t be done. If you don’t have someone pushing the envelope, then it doesn’t get pushed and nothing happens.” Meanwhile, Piscuskas, an industrial designer, opened the original York Street Studio in Brooklyn, and began working with Giorgio Armani, Ross Bleckner, and Julian Schnable. One of his box designs was bought by the Museum of Modern Art, and he was doing what he loved. Meanwhile, Zelenko was traveling 36 out of 52 weeks a year. By this point there were two children to care for and Piscuskas’ business was thriving, so it was time for a change.
Custom designed dining room chairs for a local client in production. Summer 2015 Passport 55
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Linda Zelenko makes a leather selection for client approval. “I wanted to cut back on traveling and spend more time with my family, so Stephen and I decided to work together,” Zelenko said. They were both driven and passionate about what they were creating. Although they were both designers, their roles quickly became defined. “Very often I was behind-the-scenes,” Zelenko explained. “Stephen was brilliant, but he had never been in a collaborative situation. He was a master craftsman so his approach was always finite and specific. I put all of my creative ability on hold to navigate Stephen’s ideas into something that worked both creatively and commercially.” York Street continued to expand, and with leases on both house and office expiring they decided it was time to move out of the city and into Connecticut. Zelenko had gone to Rumsey Hall in Washington, Conn., so she knew the area and had friends there who encouraged the move. It was a great place to raise their daughters and have access to a larger working space. From the original Brooklyn space, the studio relocated to its current
12,000-square-foot facility in Woodbury that houses a wood shop, metal shop, and leather shop, seamlessly merging these operations under one roof. York Street’s products are represented in some 22 showrooms across the country. Can a business that was so driven by one design force continue to grow? In the two years since Stephen’s death Zelenko has been confronted with that dilemma. “It’s dealing with sudden change,” she said. “It’s not just his death, it’s his legacy and I need to honor that but continue to grow the company and myself. While he was here Stephen did amazing work and created incredible things. And he lived life to the fullest. He wanted to become a scratch golfer and so he did. He had his goals and he always met them. He had great perseverance — that’s the operative word for me at the moment.” Over the past year Zelenko has taken on some major projects in Greenwich, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, where she created a leather room, one of York Street’s signature pieces. “Stephen was supposed to be doing
this curved leather wall, which he started but we had to finish,” Zelenko said. “Then that same client wanted two elevators done in leather. So I had to go to Los Angeles and stay there and really work hard. “One day I am in the car driving to the airport and I didn’t think I could get through this. I pulled off the road, and just missed hitting a car in a rush of craziness. But I knew I had to get on with it — and my life.” Her friends have been amazingly supportive, pushing her because they knew she had to survive. And her daughters have provided inspiration. “It’s my kids. Ana and Sacha are both in college now. They give you a certain amount of drive,” said Zelenko. “They lost their father, which is a horrible thing to experience. They needed to have a normal life, to continue to reach their goals and follow their dreams. So many things could go wrong if they couldn’t. I had to keep going even though I was falling apart and had to pretend everything was all right.” It’s been a long road for Zelenko. Running a business solo is never easy,
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VAN GOGH AND NATURE
JUNE 14–SEPT 13
WHISTLER’S MOTHER JULY 4–SEPT 27
THE CLARK ART INSTITUTE Williamstown Massachusetts clarkart.edu
THE CLARK
especially after the loss of someone as powerful as Piscuskas. But now she seems to have it under control. She works nonstop most days and never sits still for very long. For this interview she was excited about all that is happening, jumping up and down, pointing out new accessories she’s adding to the decorative hardware line, men’s accessories for Neiman Marcus, which wants more product immediately. And then there’s Swarovski, one of the firm’s major accounts. It’s hard work and totally challenging but Zelenko is now feeling up to the task. “I’ve opened the door to more local jobs, so I don’t have to travel as much. And I am trying to make it a more collaborative environment,” she explained. “It was never supposed to be just Stephen but we each fell into our roles and stayed there. I have some amazing people working with me and I want to encourage the creativity.” Among the new projects Zelenko is working on a house at Lake Waramaug. It enables her to stay close to home and concentrate on the day-today business. She is now the business side and the visionary, roles she is slowly but successfully merging. Piscuskas was such a strong presence; does Zelenko ever feel he’s watching over her? “He yelled a lot,” she laughed. “He definitely had his point of view. He was so real and sometimes you wanted to say you don’t have to be that real! I do hear him in certain respects because his approach to the process was so intense and sometimes it overshadowed everything else. We operate very differently, for Stephen there was only one way of doing something. But I learned so much from him and I think that’s what keeps me going right now. “Since the day he died, I have this intense drive to make it all work. I can either falter and collapse or take a deep breath and carry on. His spirit is still all around me. I need to continue the success of York Street because I know that’s what he would want.” To learn more see the website at yorkstreet.com.
Van Gogh and Nature is made possible by the generous contributions of Denise Littlefield Sobel and Diane and Andreas Halvorsen, with major support from Acquavella Galleries and the National Endowment for the Arts. Whistler’s Mother is presented in collaboration with the Lunder Consortium for Whistler Studies. The exhibition is generously supported by a grant from The Lunder Foundation and by Katherine and Frank Martucci. Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), A Wheatfield, with Cypresses (detail), 1889. Oil on canvas, 72.1 x 90.9 cm. The National Gallery, London, bought Courtauld Fund, 1923 Image © The National Gallery, London 2014
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Highly Palatable
Brilliant British ‘Invasion’ Dazzling New Dining At The White Hart
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ith British chef Annie Wayte at the helm, fellow Englishman Paul Pearson cooking alongside her, and pastry chef Gabby Rios sculpting gorgeous desserts, The Dining Room at The White Hart in Salisbury, Conn., is as brilliant as it is new, and instantly one of the best restaurants in Connecticut.
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Wayte, who opened fashion designer Nicole Farhi’s namesake restaurant and 202 Café in London and New York City, also worked with Sally Clarke — the Alice Waters of England — and she’s passionate about cooking with the best local and seasonal ingredients produced sustainably. Pearson “has a very high style of cooking,” Wayte says, and the results of their collaboration are dishes with lush, painterly artistry that embody purity and integrity and taste amazing. As with the wine selections, the constantly evolving menu is small, fitting on just one page. For gourmets this is often a sign of bliss to follow — but only in the hands of the most talented chefs. (“You shouldn’t have to spend most of your time reading the menu,” Wayte says.) Choosing brevity is like a high-wire act; no missteps are allowed. And every dish on Annie Wayte’s menu is just right and perfectly balanced. The Dining Room, meanwhile, exudes a quiet country sophistication
n Written by d ougl a s P. C le m e n t Photographed by J u l i e bi dw e ll
n and is festively open, which makes it happily noisy when full — and in warm weather you can dine outdoors on the genteel porch. In mid-May, with local asparagus just becoming available, one appetizer featured warm asparagus with garlic cremini mushrooms, crispy farro and Parmesan. The flavors were as fresh as spring, with complexity and richness building with every bite. (Choosing the asparagus meant forgoing green gazpacho with king crab salad and lime yogurt, which sounded delicious.) Tempted by the crispy pork belly with sautéed ramps and cheddar grits, we opted instead for another appetizer, smoked Arctic char with garlic mustard cream, lemon, radishes and
Chef Annie Wayte at The White Hart. Opening page photo, the amuse bouche. Below, scallop crudo.
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grilled toast. Think of a smoked salmon flavor profile ennobled by something like divine intervention. The fish was velvety perfection and every element stood out individually while also blending expertly (which seems to be an Annie Wayte/Paul Pearson/ White Hart trademark). Among entrees, the roasted halibut with braised chickpeas, artichokes and nettle chimichurri has to be one of the prettiest dishes anywhere, and it paired perfectly with the sauvignon blanc on the wine list. Lamb saddle — two pink, thick, juicy pieces of lamb loin with no bones attached — was served with apricot-pistachio couscous, cucumbermint salad and avocado; amazing flavors that made beautiful music with the Benton Lane pinot noir. It was difficult to pass up the plate of local cheeses, almonds and chutney for dessert, but how can you not order the chocolate cremeux, which is soft and dense pudding, with graham cracker ice cream and (an alchemized) marshmallow? We’ll go to the vernacular on this one: So yummy! Ditto for the passion fruit curd with vanilla chiffon and raspberry granita. “The dining room is all about working with local purveyors, seasonal flavors,” Wayte says when we chat by phone later. “We embrace anybody who walks through the back door who’s growing anything locally … [and] Paul goes foraging. He picked up some violets last week, which he’s made into a vinegar.” In late May, Wayte said she was looking forward to working with local tomatoes in season, and noted, “We always tend to do something for two on the menu. I just love sharing when I’m eating with people.” In mid-May the dish for two was a roasted pork rack with arugula, shaved fennel, citrus dressing and red rice. Guests this summer might look for something like a whole tail of monkfish wrapped in Meyer lemon. “I grew up eating savory pies,” like steak and veal, Wayte says in reference to her British heritage, while
Rhubarb sorbet with green strawberries. noting that she has done large format savory pies for two in The Dining Room, where the menu changes to some degree every weekend. Pairing with the food are six or seven red wines by the glass and an equal number of whites. “We focused on keeping the price point good for
the area. We focused on small producers,” says Wayte. While The Dining Room is the best place to experience the Wayte/ Pearson magic, The White Hart has another beloved space that may well be more popular. It’s the wood-paneled Tap Room.
2015 Best Restaurants Statewide
On the river or in the tavern by the fire
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A halibut entree. “I wouldn’t dare touch that tavern. I’d be in big trouble,” says Wayte. “The Tap Room is less formal,” she
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adds. “It belongs to the people. It’s a wonderful room. It’s a room I fell in love with years ago. The Tap Room is a place that should [have] accessible food, very simple. I often say ‘typical tavern food.’” In this case, Wayte says, “typical tavern food” translates into things like snacks and burgers, but “amazing snacks and burgers.” On the Tap
Room menu you can also find things like Maine mussels, shepherd’s pie made with duck, black bean chili with cornbread and fish-and-chips with peas. In the near future, The White Hart will present a third option for fine dining, as Wayte has plans to open a shop in a vacant space behind The Dining Room that will have a café
Gluten Free Pasta and Pizza Available
NOW OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY Lunch: 11:30-2:30 Dinner: 4:30-10:00 SATURDAY 4:00-10:00 Closed Sunday’s
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62 Passport 220 MainSummer St. So., 2015 Southbury
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aspect with pastries and savory pastries, where people can also stop for freshly-prepared food to take home for dinner. Wayte is working with a graphic designer who creates cool household gifts and that sort of thing for the shop, so stay tuned. The White Hart — once owned by John Harney of Harney & Sons teas and most recently owned by Scott
and Roxanne Bok — was reopened in May 2014 by the husband-and-wife team of Conley and Meredith Rollins and a group of friends that includes best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell and Wayte. Last year on Memorial Day, Wayte previously told Passport, “I made 500 cookies and put lemonade on the porch of the inn, thinking a few people might wander by after the parade
to see what was going on. Well, about 1,000 people descended on us and it was wonderful.” Now, almost 210 years after it opened as a pub in 1806, The White Hart has 16 distinguished guest rooms and new country-sophisticated dining without parallel. To learn more see the website at www. whitehartinn.com. Call (860) 435-0030 for reservations.
CAROLE PECK’S
GOOD NEWS Litchfield Hills’ Premier Seafood Des�na�on Yankee Magazine’s Best of New England
Music on the Pa�o Thursdays at 7PM Jazz on the Pa�o Sundays at 5PM
Passionately committed to offering the freshest organic & local ingredients Possible, free of Pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides and gmo’s Come and enjoy our Re-Designed Dining Room and Bar
Open 7 Days at 4PM Lunch Friday — Sunday at 11:30AM
Call 860-567-4900 Join us for Wine Dinners, Paint Night, Comedy & More litchfieldsaltwatergrille.org
facebook.com/litchfieldswg
Reservations:
(203) 266-4663 694 Main St. S., Woodbury 3½ miles from Exit 15/I84
Visit our website at www.good-news-cafe.com You can purchase our most appreciated gift certificates online or at the restaurant.
26 Commons Drive (just off 202), Litchfield, CT 06759 Summer 2015 Passport 63
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ADVERTISER INDEX Abrash Galleries.................................... 25
McTeigue & McClelland...................... 68
Appletree Design.................................. 33
New Morning Market............................. 3
Aqua Pools.............................................. 4
Nicholas-Tobin Insurance..................... 12
Arbor Services...................................... 17
Nicole Alger.......................................... 19
Bantam Market...................................... 11
Northwest Arts...................................... 51
Colebrook Book Barn........................... 21
Peter M. Ledda...................................... 10
Concept Interiors................................... 25
Phil Watson Antiques............................ 38
Country Carpenters............................... 31
PS Gallery............................................. 21
CT Winetrails........................................ 33
Put It Together....................................... 33
Decker & Beebe, Inc............................. 17
Robertson's Jewelers............................. 67
Dolphin Pools....................................... 45
Saltwater Grille..................................... 62
Ducci Kitchens...................................... 34
Samaha Oriental Rugs........................... 42
Gallery 315............................................ 41
Scott Pools.............................................. 7
Good News Cafe................................... 61
Sharon Hospital....................................... 2
Green River Gallery.............................. 20
Sotheby................................................... 9
Hatfield.................................................. 32
Sterling & Francine Clark Art............... 57
Hickory Stick Bookshop....................... 25
Stone & Tile.......................................... 43
Invisible Fence...................................... 17
The Clark.............................................. 39
JKL Consulting..................................... 41
Warner Theater...................................... 51
Joe's Hair Salon..................................... 13
Washington Business.............................. 7
Julios Restaurant................................... 63
White Horse Pub................................... 61
Kent Greenhouse................................... 47
Wood's Pit BBQ.................................... 63 Summer 2015 Passport 65
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Denouement
Around the Boardwalk Text and photo by Douglas P. Clement To the initiated nothing makes summer feel more special than late afternoon or early evening walks on the trail around Little Pond at White Memorial in Litchfield, Conn., and pausing on the little bridge over the outlet of the Bantam River to watch
kayakers pass under, before walking atop the boardwalk around the pond and then heading home in the afterglow for a late dinner with a bottle of nice wine picked up in one of the shops in town. Go online to www. whitememorialcc.org to connect.
66 Passport Summer 2015
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Buyers and Sellers of Fine Vintage Jewelry
Come see us if you have jewelry that you are interested in selling. McTeigue & McClelland purchases fine diamonds and jewelry. With generations of experience, we offer confidential, expert evaluations at no charge, competitive prices and immediate payment. Offices in Great Barrington, MA and New York City.
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