Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.

Pam Brown

This year, we’re especially thankful for the dads in our lives. They wears so many hats (or ties!): guide, mentor, coach, tutor, sage, shoulder. We’re learning new ways to celebrate dads this year, even if it is a little trickier than setting up the VCR.

And for those whose fathers are no longer with us, we honor them and celebrate their memories. It’s another way of keeping them close to us and passing on their legacy to future generations.

Below, we’ve gathered stories from some of our fathers and sons across Great Performances as they remember their fathers.

Check out more Father’s Day photos and a Father’s Day wish list.

Vincent Palumbo, General Manager, CPS Events at The Plaza

I am extremely fortunate to observe Father’s Day as both a father and son.

As a Son

I’m not sure if it was my dad bringing the old world with him or the insecurity of a new country that seemed so big to him, but whatever the reason,  my father made it a point to keep us close to him and close to each other. This was especially true with dinner. Every night at 6 pm, no matter where we were or what we were doing, we knew to come home and have dinner together as a family. All four of us kids were there. My mother would send one of us to buy the bread (usually a source of contention between the siblings on who would go).  The weeknight dinner always consisted of a pasta (usually with lentils, chickpeas, green beans) and then a protein served family style in the middle of the table. As I got a little older, my dad would pour me  half a glass of the Carlo Rossi jug wine and mix it the other half with sprite (I believe Italian Americans invented the modern wine cooler, but that’s a different story). We would finish up with my dad usually slicing up some fruit and sharing with us. This would be the longest course, usually due to the stories he would tell us about growing up in Italy. This is where he truly shined, with each story leaving us in stitches before he even got to the ending. Throughout the years, we heard some of these stories’ multiple times, but they never got old and always ending with us laughing as if we heard it for the first time.

At that moment, it just looked like we were having a delicious meal,  but it’s dual purpose, intentional or not, was that it set the tone and strengthened the roots that we have as a family. Today, as we lead our own lives with our own families, we are as close as ever. Even now during the occasional Sunday together, we don’t dare show up late to my parent’s house and yes all four adult children still cannot agree on one simple question…..”who is getting the bread?”

As a Father

The Covid-19 pandemic has no doubt effected many families. Times like these have dramatically affected all aspects of our lives. My 15 year old son Domenico is a resident at the Center for Discovery, which is a residence for children with special needs. Due to this pandemic, we have not been able to visit him

or have him home on weekends since March. While this has been extremely difficult for my wife & I, the steps that the Center and it’s staff have taken to ensure the safety and well-being of our son and it’s other residents has been a source of comfort for all us and for that I am extremely grateful to them. This week they are starting to allow families to visit, which would make a truly special Father’s Day gift for me.

At this stage of my life, with two kids of my own, through the example that my father & my father in law have set…..I’ve learned you never stop being a father even when the children become adults (maybe especially). For that I can only say thank you to both and  propose a toast to all of the dads on a healthy and safe holiday. (Carlo Rossi wine optional.)

Justin Schwartz, Executive Chef – Production, Great Performances

Years ago my father took a job in the city. This was after the great recession and it seemed everything was headed towards recovery, including our family. For Father’s Day that year I got him a wallet, perfect for the city. Small, sleek and really well made with a front pocket for a metro card. He of course loved it, and I would swell with pride every time I saw him use it, and he did use it, every day from that day on until he passed away some years later. He was diagnosed with cancer while I was in college and passed away just after I graduated from culinary school. I can still remember the look on his face when I graduated, pure joy seeing his baby pursuing his passion. What could be better for a father?

After everything was over, on an afternoon when my brother and I missed him terribly, we agreed to go through his things. Looking back this was probably the first time we began to mourn him together, as a family. We came across the wallet, still full of the various pieces of his life, and I immediately claimed it  as my own. I still use it today and I think of him every time I hold it in my hand. I even left a card of his inside. Seeing something with his name printed on it, even an old credit card, brings back the look of his face, the smell of his hair. Sometimes I just take it out and hold it in my hand when I miss him.

When I miss him, a trip to the local diner brings me back. I remember on Father’s Day, we would go on outings and he would order—without fail—a chicken salad sandwich on toasted rye with lettuce, onion, a full sour pickle on the side, and a Diet Coke with a slice of lemon. Before coming home, we’d get chocolate and vanilla swirl frozen yogurt with mixed nuts. Now that I have kids, we’ll go to the local diner and I find myself ordering his meal. As my children watch me eat it, I wonder what they are thinking and if this food will do the same for them as it does for me.

Ronnie Davis, Managing Director, Great Performances

I inherited my love of cooking from my father, who was a prominent caterer in my native Philadelphia. Like him—even though I feed people for a living—the most relaxing thing I do in my off-time is cook, especially for others. We loved to cook at home if we had a rare Father’s Day off from doing an event. I loved making Mussels, Clams & Calamari Marinara for him using an old family recipe from our Italian neighbors in South Philly. The secret was in the sauce, which could be made a few days in advance and frozen. Using a heavy pot, like a Dutch oven, the results were always perfect.

Some of the fathers on our team have shared their wishes for Father’s Day and photos with them and their kids.

Rob Valencia
Culinary Director, Great Performances

 

As the father of a 19 month old toddler, for Father’s Day, I’d like for him to at least sleep late or go to bed on time.

 

Joel Rivera
Director Of Facilities, Great Performances

Running shoes! I need to get off my cheeks!

Mike Warren
Director Of Catering, CPS Events At The Plaza

Me and my boys at my wedding.  Love wins.  They love me for who I am and I love them unconditionally.

Mark Rivera
Purchasing Manager, Great Performances

   

GP TALKS: THE IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS ON CATERING STAFF

You’ve got pressing questions about the impact of Coronavirus on catering staff, so we’ve rounded up experts to give you answers!

The world has changed. Events and galas, which provided thousands of jobs for catering staff, often comprising artists, actors, singers and other creatives, have disappeared. Even as we slowly recover, there’s concern about what the future of catering and events will look like and what that means to the creative community who once perceived New York as a cultural center.

We’ve assembled a panel of incredible individuals across a variety of creative fields, all who have been a part of the Great Performances catering team and two notable catering historians. Along with Ronnie Davis, Managing Director of Great Performances, they discuss the joys and challenges of their roles, the impact of Coronavirus, and what they see for the future.

THE PANEL

MATT & TED LEE

HOTBOX

Food Writers & Cookbook Authors

Charleston, SC raised brothers Matt Lee and Ted Lee have had a twenty-year career in food-writing, featuring three award-winning southern cookbooks. Their latest book, Hotbox, is a work of non-fiction covering the catering industry and its roots in New York’s theatre community. The New York Times Book Review called Hotbox “The Kitchen Confidential of big-ticket catering.” Matt, his wife Gia, and their three sons live in Charleston, SC. Ted lives with his wife, the artist E.V. Day, in Brooklyn, NY.

WES MASON

GREAT PERFORMANCES

Events Coordinator

Wes is a Brooklyn based actor, singer, and guitarist who was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. He possesses an instinct for dialects and impersonations as well as vocal abilities that have earned him a reputation as a genre-defying artist from opera to rock. In opera, he is celebrated for his performances in American works such as Breaking the Waves, As One, and Three Decembers. On film, he recently appeared in the thriller Last Moment of Clarity. This past February, he made his Off-Broadway debut as Wotan/Gunther/Hagen in On Site Opera’s production of Das Barbecü.” This fall marks Wes’s sixth year at GP.

APRIL HENRY

GREAT PERFORMANCES

April Josephine (Henry)  has been with GP since the fall of 2017. Originally from Southern California, April moved to the Big Apple to pursue her theatrical career and continue to learn and grow as an artist. Select recent theater credits include West Side Story (Anita) Houston Texas; Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer National tour (Dance Captain) McCoy Rigby Entertainment; Up Here, La Jolla Playhouse. April also instructs dance, and choreographs youth theater productions, and hopes to combine her passions for both youth and the arts in an impactful way, while living in her favorite city.

AUBREY ELSON

GREAT PERFORMANCES

Captain

Aubrey is also originally from Southern California, and is an actress, singer, and dancer who has worked all over the country and internationally as well. She has performed and traveled with two national tours, at Madison Square Garden, as well as several regional musicals, plays, and readings. She just finished earning her MFA in Theatre Performance from Florida Atlantic University several months early because of Covid-`19, which she left NYC and GP to pursue. She is also a prolific audiobook producer and teaches Acting and Speech at the collegiate level.  She has been with GP since 2009.

NATHAN MATTICKS

GREAT PERFORMANCES

American baritone Nathan Matticks is rapidly establishing himself as one of opera’s brightest hopefuls. A 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Regional Finalist and District Winner, last season was punctuated by a Carnegie Hall main stage debut in Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and Rutter’s Mass of the Children. Matticks joined Florida Grand Opera for their 2019/2020 season as Conte Robinson in Cimarosa’s rarely performed Matrimonio di Segreto, covering the title roles in Rigoletto and Don Giovanni. He was with GP for the past three years.

Moderated by Ronnie Davis, Great Performances, Managing Director

Join the Next Webinar

Want to join our next webinar? Want to be on top of the latest catering industry news?

Sign Up Now

Our GP Moms Share What They Want for Mother’s Day

We asked our GP moms the one thing they wanted for Mother’s Day this year. Moms, we hear you!

1. “I want to be able to hug and kiss everybody.” Julie V.

2. “Be with all my family under the same roof; I miss those gatherings a lot.” Jiny R.

3. “Dinner in person with my kids!” Mindy B.

4. “100% confirmation that school will be back in session this Fall. I am a terrible teacher! Seriously.” Sara S.

5. “To find out sleep-away camp is happening this summer :)” Jodi S.

6. “I agree that’s top on my list – to get to a point in this that summer camp is open!” Jennifer E.

7. “A cabana boy for the day serving breakfast/lunch/dinner non-stop cocktails.” Tanya S.

8. “It has nothing to do with my kids: a Peloton bike!  I know, very materialistic, but true!! Oh, and world peace, an end to COVID-19, quality time with my kids, them getting along…” Barbara L.

Celebrations in this first half of 2020 have changed dramatically. We’re forced to be more creative and mindful as we celebrate, finding new ways to come together. We have some ideas for how we can celebrate with our mothers both via video conferencing and in person to make the day even more special and memorable.

Tips for Mother’s Day Celebrations via Video Conferencing

1. Plan in advance: Mother’s Day is traditionally a day that phone lines are overloaded, and this is likely to be the case for video conferencing as well. Try starting your calls at off times — at quarter past or quarter to the hour — to help improve your connectivity. Also, make sure you’re not streaming anything on another device as that can impact your call quality.

2. Send the invitation: Send the invitation with instructions for how to download the application before the call. For those less technologically inclined, schedule a practice call to help them with their technology so that everyone can see and hear (and be seen and heard).

3. Set the scene: Find a fun background for your video conferences. Some apps, like Zoom, make it easy to change your backgrounds. Our friends at Wave Hill have curated a collection of beautiful garden photos that make great backgrounds, especially if you’re missing our Mother’s Day brunch at Wave Hill!

4. Share a toast or a meal: Depending on what time you’re having your call, encourage everyone to have a toast ready or you can even share a meal together. If you have a favorite family dish, encourage everyone to make their version of it. It may seem silly,but it can help everyone feel more connected. We’ve got some great recipes for you to try.

5. Remember to take a screenshot: Save a memory of the video conference by taking a screen shot. Take several and remind people to look at the camera and smile.

Tips for Celebrating Mother’s Day at Home

1. Make a plan: Plan a menu and activities in advance. Take stock of your refrigerator and pantry and decide what else you’ll need to get or what substitutions you can make. We’ve collected some of our favorite Mother’s Day recipes.

2. Involve the kids: A great activity for kids is to create an invitation for mom inviting her to join them for a Mother’s Day meal. You can even print out pages from our coloring book to use as a cover for the invitation.

3. Set the table: You’ve worked hard to prepare the meal, make sure the table setting is up to par. Use found items in your house to create a tablescape. Kaitlin Walsh, our director of design, used a variety of plates on a textured table cloth. Food presented in small dishes of varying height alongside flowers in a tall vase added color, texture and interest. If you don’t have flowers available, fruits, vegetables, and herbs in jars c an add a sustainable and decorative element.

4. Thank mom! Don’t forget to take a moment to thank mom before your meal and let her know how much you appreciate her. Using fancy glasses, even for non-alcoholic beverages, helps add to the festive mood.

5. Preserve the moment: Make sure to capture a photo together! Set up a tripod or prop your phone up and use the timer function to get all of you in the shot. It’s sure to be a memory that’s treasured.

Let us know how you’re celebrating Mother’s Day! We’ll be sharing our memories on Instagram and can’t wait to see yours.

Enjoy our first ever coloring book! Color in the pages and take a picture to share with us on Instagram!

We regularly invite guests to contribute to Great Performances’ blog. For this post, we invited Emilia Sochovka, MS, RDN, CPT, the resident dietitian and nutritionist for Embrace, to share her thoughts on maintaining overall wellness throughout Covid-19. Embrace extends Great Performances’ philosophy that life happens around food to the spaces where people work, collaborate, celebrate, and live. The first pillar, Embrace: Wellness, focuses on overall wellness, including mental, emotional and physical, specifically the relationship between food and health and how what we eat impacts how we feel.

Quarantine Wellness

By Emilia Sochovka, MS, RDN, CPT

Quarantine isn’t a productivity contest. Not all of us are doing fitness challenges, reorganizing our drawers and cabinets, reading a book every week and perfecting loaves of banana bread. For some people, those tasks might be their way of taking care of themselves. But there are many other ways to prioritize wellness. Above all, be kind to yourself.

Embrace extends our philosophy that “Life happens around food®” to the spaces where people work, collaborate, celebrate and live. For many people right now, our home is the space where we need to support our health and well-being. Here are some at-home tips from Embrace Wellness:

Quarantine Wellness Tips

Reaching for snacks more often than you’d like? Enjoy all your favorite snacks by making a large snack plate for a meal. A lunch or dinner snack plate could include apple slices, chai spiced almond butter, baby carrots, dill pickle hummus, crackers, cheese and chocolate.

Looking to move your body? Celebrate traditional dance from Senegal and Rwanda with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Do a guided meditation and stretch or take a virtual walk with Wave Hill. Listen to jazz from Jazz at Lincoln Center while moving around your home.

Missing the opportunity to travel? Spices not only have health benefits, but they also bring global cuisines to our kitchen. Bring more flavor to simple proteins, vegetables and grains by making your own spice blend.

In whatever way you’re taking care of yourself and your family, we’re here for you. If these activities don’t interest you, that’s ok. What’s most important is that we are practicing self-compassion and doing what feels good to us.

Photo by Megan Markham on Unsplash

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit New York City, trusted environmental nonprofit GrowNYC has worked hard to keep their over 80 food access sites open and safe for the public, and has been building out distance learning resources to continue to support educators and the general public as learning spaces move remote.

GrowNYC’s Greenmarkets, Farmstands, Fresh Food Boxes, and delivery to emergency food providers are crucial to the hundreds of thousands of NYC residents who rely on them as sources of fresh, healthy food.

This week they launched a free Fresh Food Box program for low income New Yorkers who are undocumented, unemployed, or struggling in high need neighborhoods.

They are committed to helping the most vulnerable New Yorkers, but cannot do it without your help. Visit grownyc.org/donate to support their work.