Boston Common Magazine

C. Wonder Pops Up in Nantucket

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:38:00 -0400

Once again, lifestyle brand C. Wonder brings its colorful-chic home décor, clothing, accessories, and gifts to Nantucket, kicking off the summer season with a pop-up shop opening party on Memorial Day weekend. Shop warm-weather pieces while enjoying fun grand opening perks, from complimentary candy bars to a tote bag with any $50 purchase. A C. Wonder Prize Wheel with the chance to win summer staples and a $250 shopping spree will also be on hand. Keep an eye out for the brand's street team, which will be roaming around Nantucket this weekend passing out mini pop-up houses that, when returned to the store, can be redeemed for surprise gifts. C. Wonder Nantucket will be open through Columbus Day weekend. Hours are Saturday, 10 am-8 p.m., Sunday, 10 am-5 p.m., and Monday 10 am-6 p.m. 16 Federal St., Nantucket, 508-228-0803

BY DEVAN NORMAN

Label We Love: Mike & Ton

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: An architect and a dentist walk into a design studio...

But wait, this isn’t the opening line to a cheesy bar joke. Rather, this is how the womenswear collaboration of Tonya Mezrich and Michael De Paulo was born. The ready-to-wear line, called Mike & Ton after the designers’ first names, is the brainchild of an erstwhile architect (De Paulo) and a former dentist (Mezrich).

A shared love of couture is what brought them together. After graduating from Northeastern University with a master’s degree in architecture, De Paulo decided to follow his true passion: designing on a smaller scale, beautiful dresses in particular, which he’d been doing since he was 5. Mezrich, meanwhile, was on the hunt for knockout gowns to wear to red-carpet premieres (her husband is author Ben Mezrich, whose book Bringing Down the House became the film 21). It wasn’t long before Mezrich discovered De Paulo’s elegant, tailored pieces, and a friendship soon blossomed. “De Paulo was already thinking about doing a ready-to-wear line for himself, and I was interested in starting one,” Mezrich recalls. “So we decided to partner together.”

So how did this one time dentist find herself designing women’s clothing? “I’ve always been drawn to design. I became an architect of the mouth,” she says with a laugh. But her innate creativity found an outlet even as she was telling patients to open wide: “I learned how to make jewelry essentially at dental school. We were using all the same processes—making crowns out of metal, doing castings, bending wires for orthodontics. [So I] decided to start my own private jewelry label.”

With Mezrich’s jewelry line and De Paulo’s couture apparel both receiving rave reviews, they knew it was time to harness their creative power and launch Mike & Ton. Their first collection, which debuted two years ago, was lauded for the flattering fit of its garments. “We [use] stretch fabrics, which beautifully mold to the body,” De Paulo explains. “In Mike & Ton clothing, [women] feel sexy.” In addition, the duo have a discerning eye when it comes to fabric quality, choosing only the best silks and wools to ensure their clothing will last for years. Artisans in Boston and New York then transform the material into finished pieces.

While they design for the modern, busy woman, De Paulo and Mezrich are not afraid to play with color. Their most recent collection, dubbed City Lights, was inspired by the nighttime colors in a metropolis like Boston. “The bright citron yellow comes from the yellow stripe on the road.” Mezrich says. “Papaya orange reminds us of the orange cones in the street, and blacks and grays of the asphalt and navy of the dark blue sky.” The collection includes flirty silhouettes with fitted bodices and pencil or circle skirts, some with peplums at the waist and some with geometric cutouts. Yet De Paulo and Mezrich point out that the whimsy in their designs is always tempered with a clean and feminine aesthetic. The mix of classic lines and daring colors means Mike & Ton is as likely to be seen on a sophisticated Generation Y-er as it is on one of the city’s grande dames. “[Our line] can go from 20-something to 40-something,” says Mezrich. To wit: The designers say they’ would like to see Angelina Jolie in their creations as much as they’’d like to see an ingénue such as Jennifer Lawrence in them. ““But we also have 80-somethings wearing our clothes,” Mezrich adds. Says De Paulo, “The ideal client—she’s bold, she’s strong, and she knows herself.”

Locally, WCVB’s Liz Brunner and Bianca de la Garza have been seen in Mike & Ton, as has Linda Pizzuti Henry. Nantucket’s Dakota carries the line, and fans of the brand can look to The Tannery for private - appointment trunk shows; there’s also an upcoming trunk show at Moxie in Wellesley.

The designers now want to apply this “bold and strong” philosophy to other collections and have their sights set on an accessories label as well as men’s and children’s lines. “We’re creating a global brand,” says De Paulo, who then adds with a smile, “We happen to be based in Boston.” For information on purchasing Mike & Ton pieces, contact the designers at mikeandton@gmail.com

Pret-à-Surf Launches in Boston

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:10:00 -0400

Pret-à-Surf debuts in Boston with stylish swimwear perfect for the summer months.

The chic set will have another excuse to hit the beach this summer with the launch of Pret-à-Surf at The Revere Hotel’s rooftop bar this month. The brand, founded by Weston native Jillian Demling (the entertainment editor at Vogue) and Karen Mulligan (the studio manager for photographer Annie Leibovitz), is both fashionable and functional, and will take you from a late afternoon surfing session to dinner overlooking the water. The spring/summer 2013 collection includes gems like a short sleeve sweatshirt with a back zipper, a gingham retro bikini, and classic one-pieces.

How did you both realize you had a mutual passion for surfing and then design?
We both love outdoor sports and have spent our summers together in the Hamptons. It wasn't until we went shopping for a surf trip in Costa Rica that we saw a void in the market place. We did not want to wear logo'd out neon rash guards so we ended up buying the smallest sizes from the men's selection. As far as design, we have both have worked in the fashion industry for over a decade and had a clear vision of what we wanted. If that vision did not exist then we were going to have to make it ourselves; the decision was that easy.

Was there one piece in particular that made you want to launch Pret-à-Surf?
We needed to launch Pret-à-Surf because there was nothing out there with the design and fit we wanted, especially with rash guards. It seemed as if no surf brand was taking the woman's body into consideration when designing. We put zippers on the back of our rash guards to make them easier to get on and off and to keep them from riding up in the water.

You both work full-time. When do you fit in the creative stuff?
We are multitaskers! It is not hard to find time for something you are passionate about. We work on weekends and have surf meetings one night a week. We are never short of creative ideas. 

Is one of you more the creative side and the other the business?
We have been best friends for 12 years and have very similar taste. We are inspired by the same things and find designing together seamless. Everything is 50-50. 

Is it nice to be able to bring this line to your hometown?
I would love Pret to catch on in Boston. There are so many great beach towns in the area, from Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard. Our spring/summer 2013 collection is especially New England with the prints and colors. I can picture a girl in our gingham dress strolling the beach in Nantucket. 

What is your must-have piece from your summer collection?
We have our first collaboration with J.Crew launching this month and are excited to reach a whole new group of women.

Home Tour: A Martha's Vineyard Manse

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

It was midwinter of 2009 when Robin Pelissier made her first visit to the site of the future Martha’s Vineyard manse. Standing with her new clients in the middle of the frost-covered plot abutting the Farm Neck Golf Club, the designer talked through her vision for the summer retreat that, two years later, would fulfill her clients’ every wish. “We stood there in the middle of the snow, putting sticks and stones out on the ground,” Pelissier recalls. “I’d be holding up a two-by- four trying to show ceiling height and saying, ‘Can you see it?’”

Fortunately for Pelissier, they could. Charles and Anne Hajjar had long admired the Hingham-based designer’Šs work in friendsŠ’ homes near Boston, so they knew that Pelissier’Šs aesthetic fit well into their longtime dream. And when it came time to construct the seasonal home they would enjoy for decades——whether for family dinners and lazy August days or glamorous fêtes benefiting the many philanthropic causes to which they’’re dedicated, including St. Jude Children’’s Research Hospital and the New England Baptist Hospital —they knew that Pelissier could add just the right blend of upscale polish and friendly comfort.

But even for an accomplished designer like Pelissier, striking the perfect balance between glamour and approachability was no small task. At 14,000 square feet, the structure conceived by the Concord-based architecture and construction services firm Domus is undeniably grand. That’s largely due to the imposing exterior, a sharp contrast to the typical Vineyard home. “Anne didn’t want the Cape Cod gray,” explains architect Charles Rolando, Domus’s president and lead designer. Instead the team opted for oiled cedar shingles, round stone in variegated shades of gray, copper gutters, and a pool deck clad in moody bluestone. Hefty wood beams salvaged from a 19th-century sailing vessel traverse the basement, a detail chosen as a nod to the locale’s nautical history. Rolando also designed the main staircase to resemble a ship’s mast, the media room a boat’s underside. And then there are the home’s vast proportions: eight bedrooms (five with private balconies), 12 baths, soaring ceilings, and walls of windows throughout the space.

Fortunately, says Rolando, the property doesn’t read as behemoth. “From the street it looks like a normal two-story home, with three stories facing the water, including the basement.” (By “basement” he means a fullheight lower level complete with gym and sauna, wine cellar, guest suites, and media room.) Still, given the structure’s masculine air, Pelissier believed that adding color, softness, and texture was paramount. She also encouraged the homeowners to consider how they would inhabit the space. “I really get to know the family personally and learn how they will live in the house,” she says. “Things like materials and lighting are going to affect the way they live in their home.”

As designs were developed and Pelissier and Rolando quizzed the couple about their lifestyle, it became patently clear that family time with their four children was a priority. “They are by nature very gracious, and there’s a lot of food and entertaining in their home,” Pelissier observes. “I wanted to make the home very easy for entertaining.” A spacious kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, a glimmering mosaic backsplash, Regina Andrew pendant lights, and beveled marble counters now flows into the family room, creating a space ideal for holiday dinners and impromptu reunions. “I have a big family, and we always have friends down,” says Anne Hajjar. “I love the fact that you can have 50 people in the kitchen and family room and it still feels okay.”

Outside, the natural-stone pool deck and adjoining living areas maximize comfort, and the family spends nearly every waking hour savoring the open-air spaces. “The kids are in the pool all day,” Hajjar says. “There’s an outdoor kitchen, grill, and tons of seating. You can eat outside and even shower outside.”

While the house is rife with playtime amenities—wine cellar, billiards room, workout space, and a bunk room where visiting golf buddies can lay their heads—the goal was to blend recreation with refinement. “They wanted something lovely enough for hosting guests, but resistant enough to stand up to wet towels and feet and Popsicles and all the things that go with entertaining in the summer and beyond,” Pelissier says. “We used a lot of indoor/outdoor fabrics, which are mold-resistant and scrubbable.”

In the more polished common spaces, the designer selected furniture in neutral or solid textured fabrics, along with copious Phillip Jeffries woven wall coverings—soft surfaces that balance the architecture’s weighty feel. Imported Italian limestone accents one of the house’s fireplaces. Then came the vibrant accessories, like pillows, ottomans, and books. “[The couple’s] aesthetic is very Mediterranean, and they love Moroccan pattern and color,” Pelissier notes. Nowhere is this more evident than in the home’s 12 bathrooms—each with its own unique style, using tiles such as laser-cut marble, limestone, and simple ceramic—and in the gold-leaf monogrammed “H” on the custom black wrought-iron staircase. “With Anne, more is more, which was really fun,” says Pelissier.

“It’s on the Vineyard, so I thought we could experiment with colors I’d never use in my suburban house,” Hajjar says of the jewel-toned interior palette. Pelissier concurred, noting that rooms with such high ceilings and large windows tend to “eat up the color.” A few days before the installation, feeling that the walls still needed more life, Pelissier called the Boston gallery Jules Place, known for its vibrant artwork. “I said I was hoping they could send someone down with some art. They did, and it was amazing. I thought, We’re never going to be able to use all this, but we took every piece.”

While Pelissier shied away from delicate lighting, fabrics, and furniture in the main areas (“I wanted them to have a coffee table you could sit on!” she says), the master suite and Anne Hajjar’s dressing room were a different story. Deeply stylish and always on the move, she craved an indulgent personal retreat. Pelissier obliged, creating a separate dressing room and bath with two crystal chandeliers, gilded benches, and floor-length closets for the homeowner’s gala-ready gowns, accented by raffia wall coverings in an iridescent lavender hue. For the master bed, she layered a tufted headboard and Oscar de la Renta fabrics for a custom, couture look. “I wake up and can’t believe I’m sleeping in there,” Hajjar says. “The colors are soft, but it’s feminine and glamorous.”

Charles, who works in real estate and hospitality, was less particular about the details. “He said, ‘I don’t care; I don’t need a closet,’” Pelissier recalls with a laugh. “For him, family comes before all else.” Tailoring the design to suit such a dynamic yet grounded couple made the project one to remember, she adds. “That’s the fun of the business: the yin and the yang, the push and the pull.” Fine-tuning the design until everyone was thrilled—architect, designer, and both homeowners—made for an exhilarating journey.

In this case, “thrilled” wasn’t a hard place to get to. “They’re an exceptionally enthusiastic, fun-loving, joyous couple,” Pelissier says. And with a finished dream home filled with friends and laughter, it’s not hard to see why they’re smiling.

Exhale Mind Body Spa Hosts Fusion Fest

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:18:00 -0400

Exhale Mind Body Spa’s signature Core Fusion program is celebrating its tenth birthday with free classes during a Fusion Fest event on May 22. Guests can enjoy complimentary Core Fusion classes, check out a Sikara designs trunk show, and sip Vita Coco water and Cocobon wine. Come prepared to use your own weight as resistance, burning calories through the ultimate full body workout. Classes are exhilarating both mentally and physically, and you'll feel the effects long after leaving the studio. Visit exhalespa.com/fusionfest to schedule a class during Fusion Fest. 28 Arlington St., 617-532-7000; 2 Battery Wharf, 617-603-3100

Tissot Celebrates 160 Years with the Powermatic 80

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

—ROBERTA NAAS, ATimelyPerspective.com

This year marks the 160th anniversary of Swiss watch brand, Tissot. To honor the milestone, the brand has been very busy, and this year unveils multiple new movements and a host of really cool new timepieces that move it to the next level of sophistication.

Among the new pieces is the Powermatic 80—an automatic watch with 80 hours of power reserve. The watch was made possible thanks to the revolutionary new caliber, the Powermatic 80 movement. To achieve this technical prowess, Tissot strongly reduces the consumption of energy of the watch. The oscillation frequency of the Powermatic 80 is therefore brought down from 4 to 3 Hz. A high-performance synthetic material is used in the construction of the escapement to reduce friction. Thanks to a reduction of the diameter of the barrel-arbor’s core, the mainspring is stretched, thereby increasing the power reserve even further. Finally, the precision is increased with a new and innovative balance.

Making the watch even better is the fact that it is a COSC-certified chronometer. It is available in two sizes appropriate for men and women—33mm and 41mm—and is crafted in steel, steel, and gold-plated, and in versions with diamond adornments. The watch, which looks great and offers superb craftsmanship and precision, retails for a wow price of $1,075 to $1,575 depending on the model.

Founder and editor-in-chief of ATimelyPerspective.com, Roberta Naas is a veteran award-winning journalist in the watch industry with more than 25 years of experience. She was the first woman watch editor in the US market—breaking in to an “all boys network” with a pioneering spirit that would be her signature to this day. Naas brings responsible, factual—yet always timely and insightful—reporting of the watch industry to the forefront.

Get to Know Red Sox Player Jonny Gomes

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400


	The Sox hope to heal their clubhouse woes with the addition of upbeat new outfielder Jonny Gomes.

After their disastrous 2011 and 2012 seasons (including the clubhouse chicken-and-beer scandal of September 2011), the Red Sox went into the off-season last fall determined to acquire more than just the usual assortment of pitchers and hitters. The myriad acronyms that scouts use to evaluate players—ERA, OBP, BA, RBI, OPS—were not going to reveal the guy the Red Sox desperately needed. They did not need more numbers; they needed a good clubhouse guy. The Sox needed Jonny Gomes. Gomes, signed last November to a two-year, $10 million contract, won’t excite fans with his offensive numbers. He is not a dazzling defensive outfielder. He won’t be seen stealing a bunch of bases. But he has a unique and proven skill: He’s the glue.

In baseball, a good clubhouse guy performs a number of duties. He is a role model and a source of information for the younger players. He is a confidant or sounding board for the veterans. He can be another way for the manager to get a message to his team. He always seems to know when the guys need a good laugh or a kick in the pants and is capable of delivering both. A good clubhouse guy is a curious blend of motivator, psychiatrist, disciplinarian, co-conspirator, and comedian. He has a knack for keeping his teammates loose during a long season while still helping them stay focused. Most of all he is always seen as a great teammate, a guy you can trust. The last good clubhouse guy the Sox had might have been Kevin Millar—and we all remember how Millar and his “cowboy up” attitude played a part in reversing the curse. Jonny Gomes has all of that and more.

When you talk with the native Californian, you understand immediately why he is such a positive teammate. He is quick to share credit and cares more about the game and his team than he does his own stats. When asked about leadership he quickly responds, “This team has plenty of leaders. Everyone here brings something to the table.” Ask him about personal accolades and again he demurs: “Whether I go zero-for-four or four-for-four doesn’t matter. What matters is that we play the game the right way.” Now trust me, I have been around professional sports for a long time. I can recognize when athletes are telling the media and the fans what they want to hear. I did it myself at times. There is no hint of this when you talk with Gomes. He believes in and plays by what he says. He is a guy other players want to be around because of his positive attitude.

Gomes has the respect and admiration of nearly every baseball person who has met him, and he will soon have the same from Red Sox Nation. He will earn it as he always has. Not so much with his bat and glove as with his character, personality, and leadership.

Local Distillers Support Homes for Our Troops

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

Phil and Nick Mastroianni

Entrepreneur and distiller Phil Mastroianni fell in love with homemade limoncello while visiting extended family in Calabria, Italy. Along with his brother Nick, the Newton native now brings a bit of his ancestral homeland to the States with his hand-peeled Fabrizia Limoncello, which is made in New Hampshire and has been honored as a Gold Medal spirit above internationally produced limoncellos.

The Mastroiannis' success with citrus hasn’t stopped at lemons. Demand for a new liqueur prompted the brothers to introduce a new Blood Orange liqueur. During the month of May, $5 from the purchase of either Fabrizia liqueurs ($18.99) sold in a New Hampshire liquor stores will go directly to the nonprofit Homes for Our Troops. Additionally, the proceeds from the Mastroiannis' annual fundraiser will help build a new, specially adapted home for wounded veteran Corporal Kevin Dubois of Rhode Island.

Try Fabrizia Blood Orange liqueur straight from the freezer, or mix up a colorful Fabrizia cocktail, such as the Uncle Joe’s special, which combines two ounces of Fabrizia Blood Orange liqueur with one ounce of vodka, one ounce of fresh orange juice, and a splash of Sprite or club soda on the rocks. Hanover Wine and Spirits, 363 Hanover St., 617-723-3663; NH Liquor and Wine Outlet, 417 South Broadway, Salem, NH, 603-898-5243

Sycamore Marries Elegance and Gluttony

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

David Punch, co-chef and co-owner of Sycamore in Newton Centre, has a knack for producing big things from small spaces. We’re talking food, of course. The Natick native has been cranking out immensely flavorful fare from teensy kitchens all over the city—at Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain, then as co-owner of Ten Tables in Cambridge, and now at Sycamore. This 48-seat American bistro with a seasonal menu, in the former space of John Dewar & Co., joins a burgeoning list of restaurants offering downtown-quality cuisine in suburbia.

“I’d been looking for a place in Newton Centre for a long time because so many guests at Ten Tables, in both Jamaica Plain and Cambridge, were coming from Newton and Wellesley,” Punch says. “I was tired of the rat race in Cambridge and felt the city was becoming saturated with restaurants. Plus, I knew people [in Newton] were dying for a place that was hip, cool, and good.”

Indeed. Sycamore has drawn crowds almost every night since it opened last December, including folks from Boston. Young professionals, older couples, and downtown hipsters flock to the bar for artisanal cocktails, local beers, and wines by the glass or carafe off a list peppered with bottles from small producers. Candles glow against the brick walls, creating a cozy atmosphere for enjoying Punch’s insanely delicious food, whether it’s the crock of garlicky octopus cuddling fat white beans that he served shortly after opening; the slab of salt-cured foie gras he often puts on the menu paired with grilled bread and quince paste; or entrées like juicy boudin blanc and lusty seafood stew. His roast chicken? Yum. His steak frites with marrow butter? Double yum.
“I’ve always written menus based on what I like to eat,” says Punch, who’s quick to give culinary credit to his co-chef, Lydia Reichert, who was previously Tony Maws’s sous chef at Craigie on Main. “We use the same ingredients as No. 9 Park and Craigie on Main, apply the same cooking techniques, but our food is heartier and more rustic.”

Yet the menu is anything but dumbed down. “Initially I wondered: Should we offer more pasta? More chicken? But no,” Punch says. “Lydia and I decided to cook the kind of food we’re trained to cook.” Right now that means green garlic semolina soup cradling a gooey soft-boiled egg and wilted pea tendrils, succulent slow-roasted salmon with sauce gribiche, and those screamingly delicious cutting boards for two. One week it could be the Hudson Valley Duck Board, holding rare sliced breast meat, grilled duck sausage, and toasts heaped with smoked duck pastrami; another week the spring lamb board, laden with crispy grilled lamb leg, rosy roasted loin, and lamb belly. Meals end with simple offerings, like a plate of ripe local cheese and house-made fruit jam or chocolate pot de crème with crunchy peanut brittle and banana chantilly.

“You know, I don’t do this to make a ton of money,” says Punch, acknowledging that he can count on one hand the days off he’s had since opening. “But I love what I do. I love the intensity of the job, meeting different people, and making people happy with good food.” 755 Beacon St., Newton, 617-244-4445; sycamorenewton.com

Glow in the Dark Watches by de Grisogono

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Tondo by Night, de Grisogono ($9,400– $17,500).

As glamour-loving women know, not every timepiece is serious and conservative. Some are downright whimsical, such as the hit Tondo by Night watches from de Grisogono. Unveiled last year, the collection has just begun to make its way into luxury jewelry stores in the last few months. In addition to being mechanical works of art, these timepieces possess an unusual quality in the luxury watch world that begs them to be worn.

Designed by Fawaz Gruosi, the founder and president of de Grisogono, the Tondo by Night is intended to be a capricious, playful timepiece that stores light during the day and then frees it after the sun goes down. The case is created from a pearly photoluminescent fiberglass composite—with pieces of mother-of-pearl blended into the fiberglass for extra shimmer—then further bedecked with color-coordinated gemstones.

“It has such wide appeal because it is fashionable, hefty, and different from everything else on the market,” Gruosi says. “Still, I never dreamed Tondo by Night would be such an amazing success. The demand is much higher than what I produced, which was extremely unexpected.”

Each Tondo by Night watch is equipped with an exclusive in-house mechanical movement, specially developed to display the gem-set oscillating weight on the front side. Built in collaboration with an outside lab, the Tondo by Night timepieces are offered in an array of colors, each with a row of 48 gemstones on the bezel, plus another 60 on the dial (and a black diamond on the crown). The colors include white with white diamonds, yellow with yellow sapphires, pink with pink sapphires, green with tsavorites, purple with amethysts, and orange with orange sapphires. And three new shades were unveiled at the Baselworld show in April: a vivid green case with a tourmaline bezel, a blue case with a blue sapphire bezel, and a coral case with a spinel bezel. The most expensive watch in the collection is currently the white (diamond) version, which retails for $17,500.

“I dedicate this watch to happy summer days and glamorous nightlife,” Gruosi says. “It’s not only a luxury timepiece but also can be worn as a magnificent jewelry piece, with a twist.”

Editor's Picks: Nantucket Wine Festival Events

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:57:00 -0400

A dish from American Seasons restaurant, which will host a Nantucket Wine Festival event on Friday, May 17

One of my favorite events of the year, and our unofficial kickoff to summer, is the Nantucket Wine Festival from May 15 to 19. Thursday night’s gala and tastings has the feel of an excellent first course, where you still have several more to anticipate. Friday night is the entrée—when most of the fine wine dinners happen—either intimate affairs at some of the island’s most grand homes or multi-course prix fixes at top restaurants. Here are the five events I'm most looking forward to:

Rosé Tasting Luncheon at The Pearl ($125 per person)
Friday, May 17, NOON
A rosé four-course tasting luncheon at The Pearl serves as a wonderful amuse bouche to the weekend long festival. Paul Chevalier of Provence vineyard Chateau D’Esclans will describe and pour three of the estate’s most interesting rosés: Whispering Angel, D’Esclans, and Les Clans, saving the rare and acclaimed Garrus for last. What I love about these rosés is how dry they are, and while they’re terrific for sipping, they’re even better paired with seafood.

Maison Joseph Drouhin Dinner at Topper's at The Wauwinet ($200 per person)
Friday, May 17, 6:30 p.m.
Owner Laurent Drouhin presents his family’s historic wines that hail from Beaune, Nantucket’s French sister city in Burgundy. Chef Kyle Zachary’s menu will highlight the subtleties of these chardonnay and pinot noir-based wines.

Galley Beach Veuve Clicquot Tasting Dinner ($295 per person)
Friday, May 17, 7 p.m.
I love Champagne, so Galley Beach’s Veuve Clicquot dinner also tops my list, and it will be the first time many of us have a chance to sample the kitchen magic of the restaurant's new executive chef, Neil Ferguson. The five courses include some wonderful temptations, such as the halibut with a caviar and Champagne velouté paired with my favorite Clicquot offering, La Grande Dame 2004.

American Seasons Wine Dinner, Featuring Flowers Winery ($210 per person)
Friday, May 17, 7:15 p.m.
Chef Michael LaScola of American Seasons will pair his new American cuisine with the single-vineyard chardonnays and pinot noirs of Flowers Winery, a small-production California estate that practices sustainable and organic farming.

Met on Main Beer Brunch, Featuring Firestone Walker Brewing Company ($65 per person)
Sunday, May 19, 11:30 a.m.
This year for the first time, island newcomer Met on Main offers to balance all our oenophile passion with some craft brews at a beer brunch on Sunday. California’s Firestone Walker Brewing Company will pair beer with five courses that include house-cured salmon and seven-grain pancakes. Mmmm. Maybe they put hops in there…

Matthew Fox Talks 'World War Z'

Thu, 09 May 2013 00:03:00 -0400

Matthew Fox is a heartthrob, but of a very particular kind. He’s handsome, no doubt, but without the rakish, dangerous edge of, say, Josh Holloway, who played his foil Sawyer on the hit TV show Lost. Fox is best known for playing reluctant heroes—dependable, serious-minded fellows who furrow their brows and take care of the people around them. His character Jack Shephard, the doctor who became the unofficial leader of the shipwrecked community on Lost, was very much in this mold, as was his breakout role as Charlie Salinger on the TV family drama Party of Five in the 1990s. When Fox talked with Boston Common, it was easy to see why. He speaks slowly, deliberately, with more than a few long pauses, as if he’s carefully gathering his thoughts. He admits to being a bit of a bookworm (and even a little shy), with little interest in the trappings of Hollywood glamour. He seems like someone you could trust.

Since Lost finished its wildly successful six-year run in 2010, Fox has deliberately broken away from that familiar mold. Many TV and movie actors try to prove their chops by taking a turn in the theater, but Fox chose to work with one of today’s most challenging playwrights, Neil LaBute, in the London production of In a Forest, Dark and Deep, playing a troubled character who lacks the ready likability of Jack Shephard. After that he played a sadistic murderer in the movie Alex Cross. This summer he returns to form, playing a Navy SEAL in the zombie apocalypse movie World War Z, based on the cult-hit books by Max Brooks. With a big budget, big special effects, and an army of sprinting zombies, it’s classic blockbuster fare. But Fox seems unfazed by the hoopla surrounding the movie. He talks about it, and his other accomplishments, in the same low-key, thoughtful manner, as if to say that, yes, stardom is all fine and good, but he’d rather be back on his ranch in Oregon, piloting his airplane over the mountains, or just reading a good book with his kids.

What was it like growing up on a ranch in Wyoming?
I grew up pretty far out in the middle of nowhere. I spent most of my time outside of school with my brothers, doing stuff around the ranch, getting into trouble. Around the 4th of July we’d always get into lighting off fireworks, and that inevitably would turn into Roman candle wars…. Ranch life is dictated by markets, so there was a period when my dad raised cattle, and periods when he was pasturing other people’s horses or growing barley for beer companies like Coors. It required working outdoors around the clock to a harvest moon, and those are really nostalgic times for me.

Did you ever imagine that you would go into acting?
I didn’t get the idea for acting until I was graduating from college…. But while growing up I was always into stories. I read a lot when I was younger, and reading is still something I love, especially fiction.

Which books made a mark on you?
When I was 8, my older brother read The Hobbit to me, and I fell in love with that world. So the J.R.R. Tolkien books became a big part of my early reading. I also read a ton of westerns by Louis L’Amour, and one of the first more adult, classic books that I remember digging was Ivanhoe.

What made you decide to attend Deerfield Academy for a year after high school?
That was my dad’s idea. He was raised on the East Coast and went to the Brunswick School in Connecticut. That year was a major turning point in my life. I had spent most of my life in Crowheart, Wyoming, so it was a real eye-opener to meet kids from all over the world. The academic schedule was very intense, and I struggled with that for the first few months. It was the first time that the bar was raised high for me, and it opened my eyes to a much bigger world.

When you were at Columbia University, what sparked your interest in acting?
It wasn’t that I reached my senior year at Columbia and suddenly had an epiphany that I wanted to be an actor. I just realized I didn’t want to work on Wall Street. I got a degree in economics, and a lot of kids at Columbia were pursuing careers in the financial world, so Wall Street was a default. But acting was something I was curious about. In the beginning I was shy and wasn’t really comfortable expressing myself in front of other people. But I have always been into stories, and I wanted to be a part of a group of people who are telling a story.

Did your family support your career?
They were very supportive. The thing my parents gave to me and my brothers—and something that I hope my wife, Margherita, and I give to our children—is the concept that anything is possible if you work hard at it. When I told my parents I was going to try my hand at acting, I remember exactly what my dad said: “Read lots of fiction.” It was a really good piece of advice.

You found success pretty early in your career as the star of the TV series Party of Five in the 1990s.
I certainly was shocked by that. I was concerned it might be too early, because I felt very green. When I did the pilot there was a snowball’s chance in hell that it was going to turn into a six-year show. But when that happened, I thought, This is an amazing opportunity. I looked at it like graduate school—to be working in front of the camera every day, for eight months of the year. The writing was really good, and I had so much to learn. It was a great chapter in my life.

When you started Lost, did you expect the show to become such a huge hit?
I’ve learned to not have a lot of expectations. Whether or not a show finds an audience is a mysterious thing. But when I first read the script, I thought, Wow, this is super cool. I remember the night it was premiering, and there was quite a bit of buzz about it. But I was cautiously optimistic because it’s so much about timing. So the next morning, when we heard that tons of people tuned in and that it was a quote “hit,” that was rewarding because I felt the show deserved it.

Charlie Salinger on Party of Five and Jack Shephard on Lost are both reluctant heroes—the strong guy holding it together for everyone else. You did a drastic turnaround after Lost when you starred in the London production of Neil LaBute’s play In a Forest, Dark and Deep.
There were so many challenges in that. First, it was my West End debut and a two-hander. I knew that I could fall flat on my face, but I had such an incredible experience working with Neil on that play. And that role—I just f***ing love Bobby. He was a really intense human being and flawed in many, many ways. But at his core he was so honorable and sacrificed himself completely for his sister.

What was it like being on the London stage after being on TV?
It was absolutely fantastic. When you’re making a TV show, there are so many people in your space, and the start and stop and the waiting around. But on stage, you walk out there and you’re just flying through it. I did 106 performances, and it was incredible how much the play grew in that time. When you’re shooting a film and a director asks you to do 10 takes, you’re like, Jeez, don’t you have it already? That was a lesson for me, because after 106 shows I was still discovering things in the material.

After that production, you did something else that was radically different: playing a sadistic murderer in the movie Alex Cross and losing 40 pounds for the role.
Playing a hyper-intense villain—I wasn’t sure I could pull that off. All the preparation, both physically and psychologically, was really rewarding. That role was the furthest that I’ve ever played from myself.

Your newest project, the zombie apocalypse movie World War Z, is being released this summer.
It’s the biggest movie I’ve ever been a part of. I was just a real fan of the books, and I’m a huge fan of Marc Forster, who I’ve gotten to be friends with over the past few years. I just think he’s a fantastic director and has incredible taste in any genre that he takes on, so I’m excited to be a part of it.

What kind of character do you play?
He’s a Navy SEAL who rescues Brad Pitt and his family off of a rooftop in Philadelphia. He ends up looking after his family amidst this chaos, while Brad Pitt’s character tries to find a solution to the zombie apocalypse. The movie is the setup for the possibility of a trilogy. My role would be more developed, I think, if there were to be more films. But I just was really excited to be a part of it in any way.

You spend your time off in Oregon. Can you talk about your life out there?
We live right up against the Cascades, looking at snow-covered mountains. It’s beautiful. I spend a lot of time with my family, and I’m an avid pilot—it’s one of my true passions. I’m constantly trying to develop myself more as a pilot. Or I just read and hang out with my kids. We have a teenage daughter who is a sophomore in high school and a little boy who’s a fifth grader. There are periods where I get into a project and I’m gone physically and emotionally. So when I’m completely ensconced in our home and our family, those are really good times for me.

Are there philanthropic causes you’re involved in?
Every couple of years, I go back to Deerfield or Columbia and give a few days of my time to connect with kids…. I gave the commencement speech at Columbia in 2007, which was a real honor. One of the recurring themes was that we ask our young people to decide what they’re going to be in this world too soon. I encourage them not to narrow the field—to prepare themselves, to be well-rounded, and to approach learning with a real passion, but to try everything and let life guide them.

6 Hot Watches from BaselWorld 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

—ROBERTA NAAS, ATimelyPerspective.com

Stay tuned on ATimelyPerspective for more BaselWord coverage>>