Flights of fancy
DARREN WATERSTON • The Aviary, Morningbird
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
DARREN WATERSTON • artist & owner • The Aviary, Morningbird
Neighborhood you live in: Kinderhook, NY
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
My partner observes that I work too much and never take a day off, which is kind of true. I do try to save Fridays as a full studio day, which is usually followed by a bike ride, dog grooming, working in the garden, then hosting a dinner party, in that order.
What’s the scene at your workplace?
It’s a good thing when you’re really excited about the food at your own restaurant! I try to sit down and eat at The Aviary weekly and experience it as a guest would, really think about the food and the experience. The menu is changing all the time depending on what the farmers are bringing in, so it keeps it interesting for the chef, guests, and me. I grew up in California in the world of Slow Food, Alice Waters, and a Mexican grandmother who owned a restaurant for 40 years, so I have always had a close relationship and respect for great food and all the people who make it possible. The Aviary also has a super cute cafe called Morningbird where I go for breakfast or lunch when I want something easy and delicious, or just need my mochi donut fix.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I have been hanging out a fair amount at the newly reopened Frick Collection, which has always been my favorite New York museum since I was an art student in college. I’ve been around there a lot lately, as I was commissioned to paint murals and design a bas-relief ceiling for Westmoreland, The Frick’s new restaurant. This was one of the great honors of my career, to be a living artist commissioned to create a permanent work of art for such a lauded museum. The new addition, designed by Annabell Selldorff, is absolutely breathtaking, bringing The Frick into the 21st Century. Everyone needs to go and experience it.
Any weekend getaways?
I’m in New York City every other week for work, galleries, museums, and friends, but when I stay Upstate, I’d have to say it’s a weekend in North Adams, MA to stay at TOURISTS and visit MASS MoCA and The Clark and eat at my friend Nancy’s fab, long-standing restaurant Mezze. The Berkshires are so close to the Hudson Valley, with a completely different vibe and terrain; there’s so much to see and to do. For a bigger road trip, Kinderhook is just four hours away from Montreal which is an exceptionally fun weekend. Talk about great eating.
What was your last great vacation?
We were very recently in France, where we go often, this time to the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France, a short, scenic train ride from Paris. We centered our stay in Dijon, one of the most extraordinary, fully intact 16th century cities in Europe — but it’s a proper city, as lively and diverse as it is beautiful.
It’s Burgundy for god’s sake, so cuisine and wine are just beyond words. We ate and drank so well, Beaune being our favorite food and wine city. We took daily road trips in the region from one medieval abbey, church, or town to another and even a day in Chablis. Every meal and glass of wine was a small revelation. My suggested spots in Beaune include Cave Madeleine, La Dilettante, and, in Savigny lès Beaune, Le Soleil. And for wine bars, La Maison du Colombier and L’Arche des Vins in Beaune.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Oh my goodness, hands down: a cedar, Japanese soaker hot tub from Hudson Hot Tubs installed in a little glade in our wooded garden. I am in it just about every night and can’t wait for the first snowy winter evening when I’ll be soaking in it.
What product or service do you always recommend?
I’m a huge fan of 2NOTE, an Upstate perfumery owned and operated by two fabulous women who are both classical musicians and botanical perfumers. I use all their products daily and it’s also my favorite gift to give.