In our last issue, we celebrated “Monday Hearts for Madalene,” Page Hodel’s solo exhibit at Britt-Marie’s Restaurant in Albany. The exhibit runs through the end of March, so there is still time to see it. Hodel was inspired to create the hearts by Madalene Louise Rodriguez, whom she met in 2005. Just a year later, Rodriguez passed away. As Hodel writes, “All of our lives have never been the same.”
Hodel has continued a tradition, begun while Rodriguez was fighting ovarian cancer, of making a heart every Monday as a reminder of their love. Each heart speaks to that powerful energy, pulsating out of the colorful images that highlight everything from a field of wildflowers to stacks of books. You can receive such a heart on your digital doorstep each week. Just send an e-mail to page.hodel@gmail.com and write “subscribe” in the subject line. You can also check out Hodel’s website at: www.mondayheartsformadalene.com
For the ultimate sensorial impact, we recommend that you not only do the above, but also literally surround yourself with the hearts at the exhibit, which was curated by talented photographer and filmmaker Irene Young (http://ireneyoungfoto.com/). The exhibit is at Britt-Marie’s Restaurant, 1369 Solano Ave., Albany, so you can linger to admire the artwork while savoring a delicious lunch or dinner. The intimate restaurant is in an historic spot for the LGBT community, enriching the experience all the more.
Britt-Marie’s Wine Bar and Restaurant
By Irene Young
Rustic European style with an Upper Westside Manhattan vibe combine to create magic at this Solano Avenue favorite. The 25-foot walls covered with local art will transport you as you sip a glass of wine or local craft beer. Britt-Marie’s Wine Bar & Restaurant acquired its namesake in 1983 from Chef Britt-Marie Pazdirek.
Originally called “The Bacchanal” from 1972 to 1982, this wine bar was established as a place “by and for women” and as a locus of the Second Wave Feminism Movement. When Britt-Marie took over the space, she created a menu that combined her native Scandinavian dishes with Eastern European cuisine.
In 1990, Chef Arthur Morfidis added Mediterranean dishes to the Britt-Marie’s menu with family recipes from his motherland of Greece. The dining experience is ‘continental’ in theme with hearty food like schnitzel, Hungarian goulash, roasted duck or juicy stuffed pork chop. Other hand-made dishes are spanakopita, terrine, and the famed green romaine salad; and for dessert, house-made banana crème pie or a poached pear in brandy sauce with a dessert wine or a cappuccino.
The rotating weekly wine list features five white and five red by the glass or bottle. The wine selection (for both white and red) features two California, two European and one Southern Hemisphere. Britt-Marie’s intimate ambiance is warm and casual as we continue our cultural legacy on Solano Avenue with great food & wine, a variety of special events and local social fundraisers.
Photographer and filmmaker Irene Young is the curator of the exhibit “Monday Hearts for Madalene,” now featured at Britt-Marie’s.
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