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Category Archives: Albany

01
March
2013
Tags: Albany, Art
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Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Love

One of the best parts of not having to host 1st Friday anymore is the freedom to see any and all of the shows that go on every 1st Friday in Albany. Today, that means getting to take my time and peruse the Upstate Artist Guild’s ‘Skin Show’. It is especially fun for me as the featured artist will be none other than one of my favorites, Newbold Bohemia, and his allegorical figure photography, which must be seen to be believed.

Check out his website at http://www.newboldbohemia.com/, where a more descriptive analysis of his work is explained:

For Newbold Bohemia, an image is not captured in an instant, it is cultivated over time. While other artists exploit the documentary nature of photography, Newbold subverts reality by creating falsified and forged documents. His images are openly staged and/or manipulated after being captured.

“Photos are just a material like paint, wood, or clay,” says Newbold. “I plan, create, and capture images in my studio or in the field. I color them, paint them, and combine them — either physically or digitally — to create something new. I try to create not only an image, but an entire world within my image,” explains Newbold, “a world that is fictional but hopefully truthful. As Emerson said, ‘Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.’ ”

Even the name Newbold Bohemia is a fabrication. The name reminds Newbold to create art dedicated to the four pillars of Bohemian society — “Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Love.”

The Skin Show, with featured artist Newbold Bohemia, will be on display today at the Upstate Artist Guild, 247 Lark Street, Albany, NY 12210, from 6 to 9 PM. 

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10
February
2013
Tags: Albany, Food
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A Little Bit of Italy in Albany, Via Utica

Matt Baumgartner has already brought bits of Mexico (Bomber’s), Germany (Wolff’s Biergarten), and England (The Olde English Pub) to the Albany area, and his latest – Sciortino’s – aims to bring a little bit of Italy, by way of Utica, to Broadway. Housed in the former Miss Albany Diner space (and right next door to the Biergarten), Sciortino’s keeps things simple and casual, drawing on Mr. Baumgartner’s Italian heritage (the restaurant was named for his grandparents) and his upbringing in Utica (there is even a Utica Special, featuring any beverage, Utica greens, your choice of riggies, and Pizza Frita).

The pizza is a big part of the place, served in ample square slices for easy take-out (two make for more than an average meal), or in a larger size for more mouths. The tomato pie (with its simple red sauce and Pecorino Romano cheese) is another Utica classic, but there are other offerings, including a white pizza (broccoli, ricotta, and mozzarella) and a BBQ pizza, along with standard toppings that you can add for an additional cost.

A few Italian staples are also on hand, from a chicken or eggplant parm dish to the aforementioned riggies (chicken, sausage, or shrimp), as well as baked hats.

At such a comfort-food place, a smattering of sweet treats for dessert is expected, and the towering ice cream sundae certainly delivered. Give me a cherry-topped mound of ice cream and whipped cream, and I’ll practically cream my pants. It’s my favorite kind of happy ending.

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15
January
2013
Tags: Albany
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Upon Entering the Doldrums

The Best Dressed Man of the Capital Region (if that’s still even my title) is most likely to be found in something like this comfy get-up until the return of Spring. Yes, I wear sweat-pants and tank-tops when no one’s around, and the weather is getting me down. That lack of style is in full-force for this season. It struck me as I was walking outside the Plaza yesterday, heading up the street to El Mariachi: the gray doldrums of winter are here. Along the way, that nasty mix of salt and dirt and snow mirrored the cloudy sky. From now until April, this is what we in upstate New York will have the displeasure of seeing. It seems like such a long soul-sucking stretch to then, and every year – usually about February or so – I wonder how we will make it. This year that dispiriting moment seems to have arrived even sooner.

I paused on the sidewalk and let the wind rush around me. The thought of a margarita did not hasten my step. The notion of a cozy dinner with my husband did not quicken my pace. The dullness of Albany was having its way, eroding the shiny and sparkly veneer I try to keep so polished. Even my red messenger bag, chosen to highlight the crimson accents of the Burberry plaid of my coat, did not manage to elicit the slightest of smiles. When Burberry fails to thrill, you know the winter, or the location, has you whipped.

The wind pushed me on, toward the fuzzy warmth of a salt-rimmed tequila pool, into which I dove to divert myself, and there I closed out a mundane Monday.

 

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17
October
2012
Tags: Albany, Gay, Gay Marriage
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No Liberty At Liberty Ridge Farm

It’s one thing to hear about places that turn down same-sex weddings at their venues – I assume, disappointedly, that it happens far more than we’re aware of – but it’s quite another to hear about it happening in your own backyard. Say what you will about upstate New York, there are still a great number of wonderful people and places here that you can’t get anywhere else, and I take a certain amount of pride in living and having been raised here. Yet when I hear about something like this, it makes me sad to be a in a place where such beliefs still exist.

Liberty Ridge Farm recently turned down a same-sex couple who wanted to have a wedding at their venue. In a story reported at Kristi’s On the Edge blog and on WNYT, the owners of Liberty Ridge Farm politely turned down not just one gay wedding, but a total of three gay weddings, at their site in the past year.

If it is indeed a private establishment, does Liberty Ridge have the right to refuse service to someone? Absolutely.

Do I have the right to object to that decision and recommend a boycott? Absolutely.

That’s the beauty of the liberty that this country is founded upon. Unfortunately for Liberty Farms, it’s just bad business. It’s also hypocritical, as I have no doubt that at least a few of the folks who have been married there had been divorced previously, so if you’re going to espouse religious beliefs, at least be consistent about it. Picking and choosing is where the bigotry and discrimination come into play.

It’s upsetting to think that there are businesses that still refuse service to certain people based on their sexual identity. That is no different than denying service to someone based on their race, gender, religion, or other aspect. And if being gay is a choice, where does that leave religion? Surely that is more of a choice than being gay. What if a company were to deny service to someone because they were Mormon or Jewish or Catholic? Would you support a business like that, no matter how much you liked what they were offering? Would you support a business that turned customers away or refused service because they were black? Personally, I can’t, and I won’t.

What may be most insidious about this whole thing is that all reports indicate that the owners of Liberty Farm Ridge denied this couple their wedding in the most polite and nice way, even apologizing to the two young women that they couldn’t accommodate them. As if that excuses homophobia. As if it’s okay to say, “I hate gay people and don’t believe they deserve the same rights as me,” so long as you do it with a smile and an apology.

Well I’m sorry too. Sorry that Liberty Ridge Farm is such a homophobic establishment that they chose to turn down at least three loving couples who wanted only to get married in a beautiful place. Sorry that though they may have the right to deny the use of their land to anyone, they chose to do so based on someone’s sexual identity. Sorry that I refuse to just accept it and pretend it’s not a homophobic act. And sorry that thanks to the news of social media (and their own website, FaceBook page, and Twitter account), people know exactly what sort of hateful, homophobic practices go down at Liberty Ridge Farm, and how to get in touch with them. Most of all, I’m sorry that while I am sincerely asking any and all of those who decide to reach out to them to be polite and respectful (and doing so with a smile on my face), some simply won’t listen.  (Super sorry about that last one.)

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09
June
2012
Tags: Albany, Boston, Gay
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A Very Gay Parade

This weekend, in what may be a completely foolish move, I’ve committed to attending both the Boston Pride Parade (Saturday) and the Albany Pride Parade (Sunday). Last year I only made it to Boston, and recuperated on Sunday (not really necessary, but a nice buffer). This year I’ve agreed to judge the Albany Pride Parade floats (I assume) so I have to be there. No guarantee on my status or outfit (I haven’t had time to do up two pride costumes, so the Albany one is decidedly simpler. In fact, it’s probably the simplest thing I’ve ever worn in public – and those are usually the ones that make the biggest splash – think Madonna at Cannes circa 1991.)

The parade always reminds me of a story I’ve told here before. While working at the Rotterdam Structure over summer break, I encountered a co-worker who had only met one other gay person in all his life. He was well-built, wore tight t-shirts and gold chains, and had the Italian guido look down pat (and I mean that in the best possible way.) On our first shift together we were folding shirts when he asked me if I liked parades. It was out of the blue, not related to anything else going on, and I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly.

“Umm, not particularly,” I answered. “Why did you ask me that?”

He proceeded to explain that his Uncle, who was gay, always liked parades, and he wondered if all gay guys did. His genuine and earnest, if slightly stereotypical, question touched me. He was not saying it any derogatory or mean way, he was genuinely curious and wanted to expand his understanding. I will never ridicule anyone for inquisitiveness.

I do still have a chuckle at the whole exchange, but that’s the sort of thing that brings people together, bridging our differences and forming a bond beneath the common joy of laughter. In the same way that I lumped him into what I viewed as a classic Italian Stallion stereotype and had to reconsider my views when he turned into a sensitive person, so too did he manage to reconfigure his take based on his limited experience with gay people.

We were young and foolish then, but we had hearts and open minds. Has the world changed so much, or have I?
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23
October
2011
Tags: Albany, Cocktails
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The Vesper

This is the Vesper, as expertly crafted by the folks at dp – An American Brasserie – which has one of the best bars in downtown Albany, thanks in no small part to the brilliance of Dominick Purnomo. He has seen to it that not only is there an extensive wine selection, but also a comprehensive cocktail list, and a cadre of bartenders who know their craft. (It is the only bar in the Albany area where I have not had to explain how to make a proper negroni. I literally can’t say that about any other establishment here.)

The Vesper packs a deceptively-powerful punch, and the unlikely combination of both vodka and gin, tempered with a dose of Lillet. Garnished with an all-important twist of lemon, this cocktail was reportedly created by the fictional Bond – James Bond – yet it is very much the real deal. While we no longer have the original version of Kina Lillet as he used, I’ve read that a few drops of orange bitters to a modern-day Blanc Lillet will do the trick. (Anything that incorporates orange bitters is a winner in my book.)

Personally, I prefer Boodles Gin, but the traditional Tanqueray is said to more closely mimic the gin of Bond’s time. For the vodka, Mr. Bond favored one made with grain instead of potatoes. I’ll leave such delicate distinctions to the Fussy Little Blog, and simply enjoy a close approximation.

Vesper:

3 oz. gin
1 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Lillet blanc
Lemon peel garnish

Shake with ice, then serve straight up with lemon peel.

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17
October
2011
Tags: Albany, Fashion, Underwear
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My First Awards Dinner

The Pride Center of the Capital Region celebrated its annual Awards Dinner this past Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, and I was honored and humbled to be chosen as their ‘Volunteer of the Year’ for my work at the Romaine Brooks Gallery. The only glitch was that I was expected to make a little acceptance speech – and I do not do public speaking. However, right before we left for the night, a rainbow appeared over our front yard, so I took it as a good omen and started getting ready.

The trick to pulling off any decent outfit – and to feeling confident and secure in said outfit – is to start with a pair of underwear and socks that make you feel good, and as if you have a secret that no one will know about. In this case, a bright canary pair of Emporio Armani briefs and some matching argyle socks from Hugo Boss provide the necessary shot of fun to counteract any insecurities. And they’re my secret boost of confidence needed to pull off The Suit.

Yes, it’s a little bit plaid. Yes, it’s a little bit garish. And yes, it’s a little bit questionable – but for all those reasons and more I loved it. But what I loved more was the fact that some of my favorite people got to be there with me that night, including my Mom and best friend Suzie – who surprised me with a trip up from Brooklyn. I normally don’t like surprises – at all – but this was a good one, and Suzie always sets my mind at ease. It was exactly what I needed as the minutes leading up to the Awards ticked on, and my heart started to beat faster and faster.

According to the schedule, I was going to follow the Paul Postiglione Youth Services Award, given to Joshua Dunning Powell. Unfortunately for me, Mr. Powell gave the most moving and powerful speech of the night, recalling his days as a bullied child, and how no one had helped him. The whole room was choked up, and I was on the verge of balling. It was incredible – and easily the moment I would take away and remember from that night. I looked helplessly over to Suzie as if to ask ‘How the hell can I follow that?’ and chugged a glass of wine.

Luckily, there was a Silent Auction interlude, and some fundraising to be done, that both distracted and lightened the mood before I had to accept my award, and thank God. The always-entertaining Penny Larceny introduced me, and before I knew it I was at the podium.

“The only thing I hate more than public speaking is a pair of crocs,” said the man in the plaid suit, and then I quickly ticked off a brief list of people who helped me in managing the gallery, and then I was off. It was the briefest of speeches that night, but I survived it and could enjoy the rest of the evening worry-free.

And it was indeed a grand evening. Being that this was our first time attending the Pride Center’s Awards Dinner, I didn’t know what to expect. Surely not so many wonderful, supportive people from all communities – and certainly not so many moving moments that made me proud to be a gay man in the company of such fine citizens.

The best part of the night was seeing my family and friends gathered together to support me. That meant more to me than anyone would ever guess. Thank you Mom and Dad, Suzie, and Andy

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