Women Risking in Food and Arts in New York City
On a recent trip to New York, my husband and I were planning which restaurant to make reservations at for our Saturday night dinner. Our original plan had been to really treat ourselves big time and go to one of the big names such as Per Se. However, as we browsed through reviews and ratings of a whole slew of restaurants, one in particular caught our eye. Chef Anita Lo’s restaurant, Annisa. Chef Lo had been on one of the Top Chef seasons, and had always been intriguing. So we tossed out big name and traded it for intriguing.
Our meal was phenomenal. Chef Lo’s inventive, contemporary American cuisine combines flavors from her Asian roots, her travels, and her classic French technique. By the way, “Annisa” is the Arabic word for women, and the restaurant features a wine list that celebrates women in wine, primarily offering selections produced by female vintners or wineyard owners. When we made our reservation, I had mentioned to the manager that I had written a book on women and risk taking, and that was part of what was pulling us to Annisa for dinner. The manager must have mentioned that to Chef Lo, because she took a few minutes out of her hectic Saturday night in the kitchen to stop by and say hello. She was wonderful to talk to, and we couldn’t stop telling her how amazing her food was. There is a woman taking risks, and helping other women in their risk taking. Go Chef Lo! So next time you head to New York, make reservations at Annisa!
Also in New York, for those of you that have not yet seen the Tony Award winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, I strongly encourage you to do so. Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Play, it is an incredible production. It is directed by Marianne Elliott. I loved what Marianne had to say about the play when she accepted the award for Best Direction of a Play. She said, ‘We’ve had quite an adventure with this play. When we first started out doing it, the creative team, each of whom are so talented in their own right, we were just intent on trying to portray the world according to this very remarkable and extraordinary boy. We didn’t set out ever to make a dime. We never even thought we’d find an audience. Every day we took risks, and we often said to each other that we were working outside our comfort zones with our hearts and our mouths.’
Of course what she said about taking risks resonated loud and true with me. Take risks they did indeed, and it has paid off handsomely. If you are heading to New York, book your tickets for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
