Photo: Nicole Freezer Rubens, “Women Dressing Women” exhibit at the MET

Grab the last seats and join me Monday night for a special author’s event. Email tomato@thethreetomatoes.com for details. Tomorrow is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and there is a special event at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. The James Beard nominees for best new restaurants across the country have been announced, and three are in NYC. If you haven’t been to Grand Central Madison yet, it’s worth it to see the art. And our roving photographer is at the Costume Institute at the MET for their “Women Dressing Women” exhibition.

Jan. 28. A Community Reading of “Night”

This year, for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Museum will host a community reading of Elie Wiesel’s seminal memoir Night. The book will be read in its entirety throughout the day by well-known figures, accompanied by music and speeches. The Museum will also host a meditation space run by Rabbi Marc Margolius of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, and a reflection wall. The event will live and streamed.

This event will feature special guests reading from Night, listed below:

John Avlon
Lisa Belkin
John Berman
Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Stephanie Butnick
Ann Curry
Marshall Curry
Jackie Hoffman
Maira Kalman
Carol Kane
Adam Kantor
Rabbi Amichai Lau Lavie
Neal Lerner
Caissie Levy
Joshua Malina
Eric Marcus
Julianna Margulies
Mosheh Oinounou
Sarah Podemski
Eleanor Reissa
Peter Riegert
Jessica Shaw
Regina Spektor
Ari’el Stachel
Elisha Wiesel
Elijah Wiesel

James Beard Nominees for Best New Restaurant

The James Beard Foundation has announced their 2024 best new restaurant nominees. Three are in NYC: Foul Witch, and FoxFace Natural, both in the East Village, and Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi at Lincoln Center. All three are getting rave reviews from restaurant critics too. So hurry and get your reservations before there’s a long wait to get in.

Here are the semi-finalists for best new restaurant in NYC

Foul Witch

15 Avenue A, East Village

Foxface Natural

189 Avenue A, East Village, NYC

Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi

10 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC

Established in 1990 and first awarded in 1991, the James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards are one of five separate recognition programs of the James Beard Awards. The awards recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.

Women Dressing Women at the MET

Women Dressing Women, on view at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through March 3rd, is a bold and innovative feminist statement. The curator selected over 70 designers from the museum’s own collection, and the work ranges in apparel from 1910 through today. What surprised me the most was how many dresses from the 1930’s looked so contemporary. Some of the featured fashion designers include Elsa Schiaparelli, Bonnie Cashin, Claire McCardell, Isabel Toledo, Coco Chanel’s original little black dress, Tory Birch, Norma Kamali, Donna Karan, Diane von Fürstenberg, and Vivienne Westwood.

Several of these pieces are on view for the first time. The detail and craftsmanship is impressive. Viewers can truly get up close to the fabrics, beads, sequins and embroidery detail and absorb the labor of love these women have for making other women shine. It is evident that at the heart of these constructions their creators have a personal understanding of what women want and how they live. The pieces work as clothing, textiles, commentary and even sculpture. After viewing this exhibition, I definitely felt inspired to get dressed up for a celebration. I was reminded that what one wears always sends a message, and female designers have a lot to say.

~Nicole Freezer Rubens is the author of poetry/photo book, “The Long Pause and the Short Breath.” Follow her on https://www.instagram.com/nfrconsult/

Two New Digital Artworks at Grand Central Madison Celebrate New York’s Natural and Man-Made Wonders

Grand Central Madison, the new MTA hub for the Long Island Railroad, is a wonder, including art. MTA Arts & Design just announced the debut of two new digital artworks by artists Eirini Linardaki and Zach Horn. Linardaki’s Diaphanous Pareidolia uses kaleidoscopic patterned fabrics in collaged scenes of landscapes, trains, buildings, and commuters on the move, while Rockaway is Horn’s harmonious homage to the crashing waves of the New York City coastline.

Blending hand-rendered materials with digital technologies, both artists seek to remind viewers of the natural and human-constructed landscapes that are within easy access of the station complex, from majestic mountain vistas of the Hudson Valley and the energetic coastal waters of Long Island to the soaring concrete jungle of midtown Manhattan. The artworks are displayed for two minutes at regular intervals across five monumental LED screens near the 47th Street entrance to Grand Central Madison.