Love fest at the National Symphony

Seong-Jin Cho takes his seat to begin Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58/By Patricia Leslie, Jan. 26, 2024

The Kennedy Center was hopping Friday night with Chinese dance and music in the Opera House, tick, tick ...BOOM! at the Eisenhower Theater, the National Symphony Orchestra at the Concert Hall and plenty of ushers to smile, greet us, and answer questions like, "which way to the opera?" "The Symphony?"

At the Concert Hall, I was fortunate in my wretched seat (first tier, against the wall's perimeter) to be caddy-corner from a fellow on the row in front of me whose head bobbed up and down, like maestro Gianandrea Noseda's baton, affording me a milli-second glimpse every so often of the guest pianist Seong-Jin Cho playing Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58.

Seong-Jin Cho returns to the stage again and a standing ovation, followed by conductor Noseda/By Patricia Leslie, Jan. 26, 2024

Before Cho finished Beethoven, the head of the man in front of me at last settled at a right angle and did not move until roused by the applause at the end which afforded me a long-awaited few moments of actual sighting of Mr. Cho whose fingers naturally were obscured from my view and hidden by the piano.

The piece thrilled the sold-out crowd, calling Mr. Cho back for five (or six? I lost count) returns to the stage where, at last, he sat down for one more time to play a bit of, was it Mozart?

It was a dreadful seat I had.

Once at Strathmore for the Baltimore Symphony, when I had one of those seats high up against the wall on the perimeter of the hall, I asked for another seat at intermission and got one! (This has worked for me every time on Broadway when two-ton Harry sits in front of you and your view is hidden. I tell you stage managers do a very good job!)

I had waited until the last minute to buy a ticket for the National Symphony and there were few tickets left. My fault.

My dreadful seat ($45.71) allowed me to see half the stage, smashed up against the wall, but, after all, we go for the sound, right? and not the visuals, but seeing is believing and sights do help!

You know the seats: The ones you spot when you look up from the orchestra level and are always thankful it's them and not you sitting up there, only able to see half the stage.

All three of the pieces on the program were huge hits and it was hard to judge which was the crowd favorite, but let me just say, they all were.

I went for the Shostakovich.

Conductor Noseda and composer-in-residence Carlos Simon at the conclusion of Simon's Wake Up!/By Patricia Leslie, Jan. 26, 2024

Conductor Noseda and composer-in-residence Carlos Simon bow their heads to receive the audience's applause at the conclusion of Simon's Wake Up!/By Patricia Leslie, Jan. 26, 2024

The evening began with the stirring Wake Up!, a NSO co-commission and the NSO premiere with the composer-in-residence, Carlos Simon, on hand to receive ongoing applause from the wildly enthusiastic audience. Mr. Cho followed before intermission.

Conductor Gianandrea Noseda recognizes members of the National Symphony at  the conclusion of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony/By Patricia Leslie, Jan. 26, 2024

But, truly, truly, I say unto you that the Washington, D.C. Symphony audience is madly in love with conductor Gianandrea Noseda who seems to sincerely enjoy the accolades thrust upon him and who wouldn't?

He was awarded with nonstop standing ovations and applause which drew him back three times to the stage after he finished Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony which the orchestra pounded out in militaristic style. (Take that, Stalin and Putin!)

Although the QR code was available for a digital-ugh-program, the ushers upstairs distributed printed programs to the welcoming crowd. (Thank you very much, ushers! Maybe I should not complain so much about upper-level seating where we can get printed - mon Dieu! - programs!)

What a night it was!

More! More! Please play and program more like last weekend!

Rock on, National Symphony!

Next up: The National Symphony Orchestra with Audra McDonald, Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, 8 p.m., Kennedy Center

The view from Tier I while standing/By Patricia Leslie, Jan. 26, 2024

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Eating at a 5-diamond restaurant in Canada

This was served first and I am not sure what to call it since it was not listed on the menu, but it was delicious/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

Eden at the Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff National Park  in the Canadian Rockies is one of only three AMA Five-Diamond restaurants (and the Eden, more than once) in all of Canada, and the only one in western Canada to achieve this status.

It has recently been named one of the top 1000 restaurants in the world for 2024 by the French-based guide, La Liste, making it one of only 19 restaurants in Canada to be included on that list.  

The first course was canapes of "artisanal breads" and three kinds of "cultured butters" and every bit as delicious as one might expect/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

In 2022 it was named the Best Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant in North America by the World Culinary Awards.  

So, naturally while staying at the Rimrock as a member of Road Scholar's Christmas tour in Banff, my new friend Sara and I took advantage of the proximity to Eden to partake of its fare.  

We could have ordered the seven course meal ($185, Canadian) or the vegetarian seven courses ($175), but being cost-conscious consumers, we opted for the four course meal ($135 Canadian dollars = about $100 American dollars).

What looks like a boat growing trees (the latest in yacht designs) was actually beetroot with pomegranate, quinoa and pecan which I ordered for my second course and although this presentation may look unappetizing, let me assure you it was anything but.  (You don't  have a landscape gardener for your yacht?  Let me assure you, they are coming.)

For her second course, Sara chose Brussel sprouts in maple glaze with chestnut and gruyere. (Please read below.)/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

As I recall, Sara ordered Brussel sprouts, a vegetable I escape whenever possible and I cannot recall how she described it which was probably as dull as the taste. (If you grow up in the South as I did, Brussel sprouts is a Yankee dish that does not grace Southern tables.)

 

For our next course, we both chose the lamb tartare in carrot curd with mint gel and herb crostini/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

I erred and joined Sara in choosing "lamb tartare" (raw lamb) for our next course.  If you do not know (I did not), it is raw lamb which I was unable to eat. (What was I thinking? I was not thinking!) Indeed, it was so rare that, to quote my dad when describing rabbit my mother cooked for him one time and one time only, the baby animal jumped off the plate, crying baa...baa all the way home. I did not know that rabbits cried outloud.

Sara raved about the lamb tartare.

For my entree, I selected sablefish in chorizo with clams in lobster bisque/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

The sablefish for my next course had been heartily recommended by our tour guide, Jake, and it lived up to its reputation, floating in a clam and lobster bisque which was as scrumptious as this description implies and not too heavy.

Sara had the celeriac pithivier with mustard, sauerkraut and umami jus for her entree/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

My dessert was, of course! Chocolate, manjari with citrus and red currant and cashew/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

My dessert, the Manjari chocolate kind did not disappoint! 

A dessert of sea buckthorn in creme fraiche with hazelnut and brown butter was Sara's choice. Since I cannot recall accurately about her receipt of some of her choices, I shall not include Sara's opinions/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

For a parting gift, Eden gave us this loaf of bread packaged in a handsome cardboard box/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 23, 2023

For "take home," Eden gave us each a loaf of bread beautifully wrapped for the season.  Although a bit dry, we agreed the next day, which was Christmas Eve, that it was an ample substitute for breakfast on Christmas Day when we skipped breakfast for champagne and the delicate but mountainous tea spread (no one could eat everything) at the historic (1888) Fairmont Hotel. (Check out the pictures.  Our tea [pictured below] was on that first floor above the tree tops with all the glass windows overlooking the mountains. Sigh) 

Tea at the Fairmont Hotel where we could not finish all the delicacies, but I do recall that was some sort of Egyptian tea and quite delicious, almost exceeded in taste by the champagne. If there's anything which beats champagne, prithee, sayeth thee!/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 25, 2023

A bar at the Fairmont/By Patricia Leslie, Dec. 25, 2023

After our meal at Eden, we independently agreed later that the experience, ambiance, and restaurant service exceeded the food quality, and perhaps it was because we only ordered wine by the glass and perceived that the sommelier was a bit haughty and unhappy with us whenever he wheeled the wine bar up to our table. 

Overall:  All I want for Christmas is more Rimrock! Where service exceeds any that I have found in Europe, Africa, North and South America, and if you're lucky, Pierre, the 7-foot-tall bellman, will be "on duty."

But, please leave the Brussel sprouts and baa baa baby lamb at home.  Thank you.

A view from my hotel room at the Rimrock Resort Hotel, Banff, Canada/By Patricia Leslie, Dec., 2023

Another view from my hotel room at the Rimrock Resort Hotel, Banff, Canada/By Patricia Leslie, Dec., 2023

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Holiday lights still gleam in Centreville at NOVA Park

There's more than just lights at the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

 At the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

 At the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

You've still got time to pile up a carful and drive through NovaPark's Festival of Lights in Centreville with a discount of $10 to get you in cheap ($20) this last weekend, if you order online.

The show starts at 5:30 p.m. with the last admittance at 10 p.m.

At the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

At the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

Toy soldiers welcome visitors to Toyland at the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

Take a look at these beautiful colors and designs to make a festive tradition for you and yours along this 2.5 mile stretch.

If you've ever been to the East Building at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, this will remind you of the gateway to the cafeteria. At the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

At the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

At the Holiday Market when the lights display ends, a mother and son pack food treats for holiday-goers to buy and feed the animals, one of whom is "Mac," a baby kangaroo which lies comfortably in the pouch held by the man who sleeps with it!!! My, what big ears you have! (For the person who has everything, a kangaroo pouch.) At the Holiday Market at the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

"Hey, what in the world is this?" seems to be on the mind of the toddler at the Holiday Market at the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

"Baaaaa...baaaa," says the wee one.  "I'll take some of that!"  At the Holiday Market at the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

"Wait just a minute!" says the black and white horned goat: "I don't mind stepping over my pal here to get some of the grub which must be for me!!" At the Holiday Market, the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

"Gulp, gulp," says the camel:  "I'll have some of that, please." At the Holiday Market, the 2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights/By Patricia Leslie

The Holiday Market is found at the end of the drive, complete with animals to feed, like a camel, sheep, llamas, and more.

If you've missed the dates, there's always next year to insert this tradition in your new 2024 calendar beginning in November.

Enjoy, whether this weekend or next Christmas! 

What: Bull Run Festival of Lights

When:  Ending Jan. 7, 2024 at 10 p.m.

Where: 7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville, VA 20121

How much:  Online, $30/carload (use promo code extra 23 to get $10 off online), $40/carload at the gate; $75/bus or those with 15 or more. (Transaction fee and tax, not included.)

For more information:  703-631-0550 or email  bull_run@nvrpa.org

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