The Cloisters and New Leaf Restaurant & Bar Announce Innovative Month-long Partnership
For the month of November, two unique institutions located in northern Manhattan's historic Fort Tryon Park—The Cloisters museum and gardens and the New Leaf Restaurant & Bar—will join together in an innovative partnership to offer a "total medieval experience" that starts with a museum visit in the afternoon and ends with dinner or begins with lunch at the New Leaf and follows with a tour of The Cloisters. The Cloisters, a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, is the only museum in the United States devoted to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages. The New Leaf, a venture of Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project (NYRP), features seasonal specialties made from locally grown ingredients.
Beginning November 4 and continuing through November 23, the New Leaf's Executive Chef Scott Campbell will prepare three special menus that were inspired by recipes from medieval France, Italy, Germany, and England. During the first week, patrons will enjoy a medieval French feast, featuring a first course of pâté, seared scallops, or sweet pea soup; a second course of hearth-roasted duck or pan-roasted pike; and a dessert of strawberries or a prune-almond tart. The second week, the cuisine is medieval Italian-German, with an appetizer of mushroom pasties, venison sausage, or blancmanger; an entrée of braised osso buco or roasted chicken; and a dessert of an apple frutoir or zabaglione with spiced pears and quince. The final week will focus on medieval English fare, consisting of a beef pottage or baked mete ryalle (pork pie in pastry) for starters; roast loin of venison, codfish, or beef stew for the main course; and fruit, a "tart of ryce," or pear compote for dessert. The New Leaf will offer a different three-course, $48 pre-fixe dinner each week.
The Cloisters Museum and Gardens
Containing a museum and gardens within a single complex, The Cloisters incorporates portions of five actual cloisters from the Middle Ages into a modern museum setting. Opened in 1938, The Cloisters offers beautiful views of the Hudson River and Palisades. Known particularly for its Romanesque and Gothic architectural sculpture, the collection of The Cloisters also includes illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, metalwork, enamels, ivories, and paintings. Among the highlights are the world-famous Unicorn Tapestries woven in the South Netherlands in 1495-1505; aquamaniles—water vessels used for washing the hands in the shape of dragons, birds, and lions (ca. 1200); and a 15th-century enamel beaker known as the "Monkey Cup" that is decorated with 35 cavorting apes. The museum's gardens feature plants that were grown in Europe in the Middle Ages. A special section in the medieval herb garden is devoted to herbs having a culinary use, and quince trees and espaliered pear trees are also grown.
Highlights tours of the collection for individual visitors take place every Tuesday through Friday and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Gallery talks will be presented November 1, 2, 8, 15, 22, and 29 at noon and 2:00 p.m. Hour-long gallery workshops for families (children ages 4 to 12) will take place in English and Spanish at 1:00 p.m. on November 1, 2, and 15. All programs are free with Museum admission. Additional information can be found on the Museum's website (www.metmuseum.org/cloisters/). For garden lovers, a blog by The Cloisters' Associate Managing Horticulturist, Deirdre Larkin, and Assistant Horticulturist, Kevin Wiecks—called The Medieval Garden Enclosed—describes the plants grown in the gardens and how they relate to life and art in the Middle Ages and on display inside the Museum (http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/).
The Cloisters Hours:
Tuesdays-Sundays
(November-February) 9:30 a.m.– 4:45 p.m.
(March-October) 9:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Mondays Closed
Recommended Admission (Includes Main Building on Same Day)
Adults $20.00
Senior citizens (65 and over) $15.00
Students $10.00
Members and children under 12 accompanied by adult Free
For more information on The Cloisters visit www.metmuseum.org or call (212) 923-3700.
The New Leaf Restaurant & Bar
Nestled in Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan and located just a short walk or drive away from The Cloisters museum and gardens, the New Leaf Restaurant & Bar offers a world-class dining experience in a forest setting. At the New Leaf, patrons will enjoy a modern American menu created by Executive Chef Scott Campbell that features seasonal dishes made from only the best, locally grown ingredients, while also appreciating the comfort and serenity of the restaurant's cottage-like ambiance and lush, green surroundings. Surrounded by a picturesque park setting, the New Leaf is an ideal location for dinner, lunch and weekend brunch; special occasions and weddings and other private events.
In 2001, the New Leaf—formerly a New York City Parks Department cafeteria—was re-imagined by Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project (NYRP), a non-profit organization dedicated to reclaiming and restoring New York City's parks, community gardens and open spaces. Since its opening, Midler and her organization have single-handedly transformed the restaurant into a groundbreaking venture whereby all its net proceeds support the restoration and maintenance of Fort Tryon Park and NYRP's 57 community gardens located throughout the City's five boroughs.
Executive Chef Campbell brings his signature style of fresh American cuisine that combines international influences and locally grown, seasonal produce to not only create a constantly changing and imaginative menu, but to also support NYRP's ongoing mission to promote sustainable practices.
New Leaf Hours:
Lunch: Tuesday through Friday – noon–3:30 p.m.
Dinner: Tuesday through Saturday – 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Sunday – 5:30–9:30 p.m.
Brunch: Saturday and Sunday – 11:00 a.m. –3:30 p.m.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the New Leaf at (212) 568-5323. For additional information on the New Leaf Restaurant & Bar visit www.nyrp.org/newleaf/
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November 5, 2008
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