Villa Mosconi in Greenwich Village is a comforting family favorite

Macdougal Street, in the heart of Greenwich Village, is a hopping street where hip and trendy bars, restaurants, and comedy clubs are all literally right next door to one and other, but on a quieter section, just a mere block down from those popular hotspots, lies a traditional Italian restaurant known as Villa Mosconi.

What makes Villa Mosconi a comforting, heartwarming favorite among so many is that you truly feel like you’re part of a loving Italian family eager to open up their home to you. The Mosconi family opened the restaurant in 1976 serving up the finest, most authentic Northern Italian cuisine inspired that of the family’s hometown in the Emilia-Romagna region.

Tortelloni with cream sauce

Villa Mosconi is a popular choice among families when celebrating special events like perfect for special events like birthdays, engagements, or graduations that can be held in either of the two indoor dining rooms or their lovely outdoor space known as The Four Seasons Garden.

The food is amazing and once you sit down, the waiter serves you complimentary bruschetta appetizer along with the traditional bread basket. Other delicious appetizers include the popular Antipasto Special of cold mixed appetizers like ham, olives, or cheese, stuffed mushrooms, mozzarella de pomodoro, baked artichokes, fried calamari, and fresh clam cocktails to name a few.

Delicious assortments of cheeses include Gorgonzola, Ricotta Fresca, Parmigiano, and Provolone.

 There is also a wide variety of soup such as Stracciatella Romana (egg drop, parsley, and parmesan cheese in chicken broth, or Tortellini in Brodo (meat filled dumplings in consommé).

Some of the best pasta dishes include Tortelloni Alla Romana with a delightful cream sauce, Fettucine Verdi Alla Bolognese, Gnocchi Al Pesto, Spaghetti, Ziti, or Rigatoni Bolognese.

Some of the best meat and vegetable entrees include Veal Piccata with tender meat dressed in a sweet, delectable sauce, the Pollo Alla Mosconi which is a special mix of chicken, and vegetables, Scaloppine Alla Pizzaiola, Pollo Alla Parmigiana, and Zucchini Ripieni to name a few. 

Notable fish entrees include Broiled Lobster Tail, Scampi Alla Mosconi, Gamberi Alla Marinara, or Brodetto Bianco, which is salmon with a mouthwatering white wine sauce.  

Finally for dessert, the best options are fresh strawberries with cream, a Homemade Tiramisu with rich cream sprinkled cinnamon with a tangy raspberry sauce underneath, or Tartufo consisting of chocolate and vanilla ice cream presented in chocolate shells. 

Villa Mosconi, 69 Macdougal St. (212) 673-0320.

The Top 10 Museum Exhibits in NYC, July 2015

One of the greatest gifts New York City has to offer is its burgeoning art scene that’s constantly being revived with intellectual and intriguing exhibitions at its many world renowned museums galleries, and other institutions. Here are the Top Ten shows to see this month:

1. The Hirschfeld Century: The Art of Al Hirschfeld—Known to many to be one of the most prominent caricature artists of the 20th century, Al Hirschfeld brilliantly captured the distinct personalities of many of the biggest names in show business from the stage to the screen with his famous line drawings. This exhibition offers more than 100 works from his career spanning eight decades. At The New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, through Oct. 12.

2. Picasso’s Le Tricorne—What is believed to be Picasso’s largest work of art ever created—a painted theater curtain for a ballet—is unveiled to the public for a special exhibit. The ballet, Le Tricorne (also known as “The Three Cornered Hat”) premiered in London in 1919, and Picasso was commissioned to design and paint the curtain which was displayed in the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel in the Seagram Building in New York for more than 50 years. At The New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, through Summer 2016.

3. Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television—This exhibition pays homage to the pop culture of American television in the 1950s and 1960s by presenting several posters that illustrate avant-garde ideals. These include works by many prominent modern artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray among others. At The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave., through Sept. 27th.

4. Leighton’s Flaming June—On loan from the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, British artist Frederic Leighton’s 1895 oil on canvas painting of a woman sleeping, curled up on a sofa wearing a bright orange gown makes. Leighton’s masterpiece is accompanied by four full-length portraits by James McNeill Whistler as both artists embraced the idea of creating “art for art’s sake.” At The Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St., through Sept. 13.

5. Kandinsky Gallery—This presentation of more than 150 paintings by one of the greatest pioneers in abstract art consists of aesthetically pleasing and insightful works spanning Vasily Kandinsky entire career from his beginnings in Munich at the turn of the century through the final years of his life in Paris. At The Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave., through Spring 2016.

6. Lorraine O’Grady: Art Is…---Lorraine O’Grady has received widespread recognition and praise for her installations and performance art revolving around notions of diaspora, hybridity, and black female subjectivity. This exhibition offers several color photographs taken by others during the September 1983 African American Day Parade in Harlem at which O’Grady rode on a float with 15 others dressed in white with the words Art Is. . . displayed on a gilded frame at the top.  At The Studio Museum,  144 W. 125th St., through Oct. 25.

7. Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland—To commemorate 150 years since the publication of Lewis Carroll’s classic novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this special exhibition includes the original manuscript coming from the British Library in London, accompanied by original drawings, letters, rare editions, photographs, and other objects. At The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave., through Oct. 11.

8.  Life Lines: Portrait Drawings from Dürer to Picasso—Focusing on portrait drawings, this exhibition offers work spanning five centuries ranging from artists such as Albrecht Dürer to Picasso. The drawings in this show are self-portraits or portraits of the artists’ close friends or family members such as Dürer’s portrait of his brother Endres to Picasso’s portrait of actress Marie Derval. At The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave., through Sept. 8.

9. Lafayette’s Return: The Boy General, the American Revolution, and the Hermione—As the title suggests, this exhibition focuses on the story of Marquis de Lafayette’s journey to the American colonies in 1777 at the ripe age of 20 aboard the Hermione ship, helping General George Washington defeat the British army during the American Revolution before going back to France only to return to America again in 1780 to help Washington defeat the British in the Battle of Yorktown. At The New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, through Aug. 16.

10. Global Fashion Capitals—The museum located within the prestigious Fashion Institute of technology presents a special exhibition exploring the history and evolution of fashion in Paris, New York, Milan, and London while introducing the latest trends of 16 others cities. The show offers signature creations by Christian Dior, Mario Prada, Donatella Versace, Coco Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood among numerous others. At The Museum at FIT, 227 W. 27th St., through Nov. 14.

Artists introduce Chinese culture to American audiences in group show

The Klein Sun Gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting a traveling group exhibition titled UP-YOUTH in collaboration with the Times Art Museum in Beijing, where it was on view last summer.show offers work by Li Bo, Ma Wenting, Mo Xiliang, Yang Peng, and Zheng Zicheng. Each of the artists brings to life the customs and traditions of Chinese culture with his or her own personal style.

For instance, Li Bo possesses a desire to be as diverse as possible as he’s constantly experimenting with different mediums and styles. One of his most intriguing works in the show is White in Dark Grey No. 3 which is a mixed media installation inspired by a street sign seen in his native country. The actual street sign is painted onto concrete which Bo then broke and then divided it into 16 blocks containing parts of a bicycle stuck together but the parts are out of order forming a broken image, like a puzzle that needs to be solved. The deconstructed bicycle is symbolic of a rapidly changing Chinese society.

Willy, Why Do You Cry? by Ma Wenting

 Another work in the show that depicts cultural shifts is a painting by Ma Wenting titled Willy, Why Do You Cry? which is set in a classroom. The scene inside the classroom is quite chaotic as it’s filled with fallen trees, plants, children’s toys including cars, airplanes, and building blocks scattered on the floor to illustrate the facts that the room has not been in use for quite a long time. A young man, presumably a student in that classroom many years ago faces the front of the room where there’s a blackboard with the words “Willy, Why do you cry?, then the words “Why do you Cry?” “Why Why Why?” on the bottom. Usually, the blackboard is a platform for one to present educational information, though the message displayed in Wenting’s piece asks a question that perhaps there can be no correct or sensible answer to representing the balance between rational and irrational.

Mo Xiliang combines both traditional and contemporary elements into many of his works. His painting Must Trap The Paper Tiger depicts the creature confined to a transparent cage on the edge of a cliff with a flowing river of water behind him. Zheng Zicheng unveils several oil paintings that revolve around global and societal issues. One piece titled Beautiful New World illustrates a group of people gathered in an open space appearing very deep in thought as they try to put a puzzle together of the seven continents of the world. The rainbow colors of the shapes that represent the continents symbolize an idealistic universe and serve as a stark contrast to the muted grey background and the black and white clothes that the people are wearing.

Yang Peng also presents a series of oil paintings where she mostly portrays female models whose eyes are covered and whose bodies are turned away from the viewer to illustrate attempts to disconnect with the public and to focus on self-perception. One notable painting titled Face to Face depicts two identical young women directly across from one another like a mirror image as they’re posing the exact same way wearing lavish red dresses and blindfolds over the eyes and reaching out their arms to the other forming the shape of an X.

At the Klein Sun Gallery, 525 W. 25th St., through Aug. 8. The gallery is open Mon.—Sat. from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Cats rule in Jennifer Sullivan's latest East Harlem show

The Arts + Leisure project space in East Harlem is currently presenting a collection of recent work by Jennifer Sullivan for an exhibition titled House Cat. For this show, Sullivan offers several vibrant and eclectic paintings, collages, and other installations.

Of all the paintings in the show, the one that stands out among the others is Big and Beautiful, which is a large-scale portrait of Sullivan’s cat Queenie, who is a huge part of the artist’s life. The beloved feline is portrayed with of several light and some bold shades of green, brown, pink, blue and yellow against a multi-colored background outlined with different shapes. Queenie poses in a manner that is quite eminent with a self-assured expression on her face as an unusual black shape that stands out from the bright colors and other shapes in the background rests in front of her, perhaps symbolizing a mouse she has captured.

Big and Beautiful (2015) by Jennifer Sullivan

A large-scale collage known as Double Negative Purses also includes images of felines but is much more dynamic. In the piece, magenta is the dominant color with emerald green along the sides and splotches of dark blue in the center. Two black purses with long straps are seen sprawled out on the floor as an image of a water pitcher shaped like a cat on the right side of the image looks on. Meanwhile, an actual cat (perhaps Queenie) looks on curiously in the upper left corner.

Another intriguing work that stands out is The Only Way Out is Through, which is an installation of a wooden door covered with different colors of paint and shards of broken piggy banks inspired by Julian Schnabel’s iconic broken plate paintings. It was built on top of a door in Sullivan’s apartment and the piggy banks used came from a collection inherited by Sullivan’s mother who is also an artist.

The fragments serve as an homage to Sullivan’s personal influences and art history influences and convey a sense of being “broken open.” At the bottom of the door is a dog flap (or in Sullivan’s case, a cat flap).

The exhibition also includes an insightful short film titled Window Kitty, which depicts Sullivan, dressed as a bride curled up by the window inside her home in Ridgewood, Queens. She emulates how a cat feels by scratching at the doors and saying “hi” every 10 seconds or so. Jennifer Sullivan is an interdisciplinary artist who lives and works in Ridgewood, NY (Queens) and has participated in numerous exhibits locally and nationally. 

At Arts + Leisure, 1571 Lexington Ave. (between 100th and 101st streets), through Aug. 2. The space is open Wed.—Sun. from 11 a.m.—6 p.m., or by appointment.

Santina becomes a Meatpacking District hotspot with its coastal Italian fare

In the heart of the meatpacking district lies a trendy, cutting-edge Italian restaurant called Santina.

Founded by Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick, the restaurant is named for Carbone’s Sicilian grandmother with whom he was very close.

One thing Santina’s popularity can be attributed to is the friendly staff and its location right underneath the southern end of the very popular High Line which is a huge hotspot in the summertime. What also makes the restaurant appealing is it’s Mediterranean theme from the décor which includes lamps that are either shaped like palm trees of have floral designs, and a Julian Schnabel piece made from broken pottery illustrating a scene of the beach.

Pancake appetizer at Santina

There are a wide variety of red and white wines. If you gravitate toward red wine, the Nerello Macalese from Sicily is a good choice, or if white wine is your style, the Verdicchio from Marche, Italy is one worth trying. Rosé is also available in three refreshing versions like Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah from southeastern France, Hondarribi Zuri & Beltza from northern Spain, or Italy’s Montepulciano Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo.

Besides wine, other creative cocktails are offered as well and are often served in special glasses including one shaped like a pineapple. Such choices include the “Manganelli punch” with tequila, banana, pineapple, and cinnamon, the “View from Postiano” with gin, black pepper, and strawberry, or the “Amalfi Gold” with bourbon, orange, ginger, and crème de peche.

The food is inspired by the coast of the Italian Riviera with tasty vegetable and fish appetizers such as Calabrian Tuna, Salmon Affumicato, or Zucchini Carapaccio. The rice and pasta appetizers include Rigatoni Verdi, Broccoli and Pecorino, and Shrimp Zingara. The main dishes include Lobster Catalan, Eggplant Sesamo, and Whole Grilled Porgy, and Bass Agrigento among other delights.

Finally, all the desserts are gluten-free but still quite delectable, which will make a lot of folks happy. They include items like the sweet, fruity Hazelnut Orange Cake, the tarty Lime Meringa, or the Chocolate Diplomatico which is a heavenly combination of chocolate cake and chocolate mousse.

 Santina, 820 Washington St. (near Gansevoort St.) (212) 254-3000.