Blvd. 2/21/24 edition is published by Anton Media Group.

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AN ANTON MEDIA GROUP LUXURY PUBLICATION • FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024

Gold Coast Real Estate & Luxury Living

WESTBURY ARTS CELEBRATES CULTURAL ART

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FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 • BLVD • GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING

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The Westbury Arts opening of “55 Years of Black Creativity” had a terrific turn out.

Photo by Cathy Bongiorno

55 Years Of Black Creativity Long Island Black Artist Association celebrates Black History Month

BY CHRISTY HINKO

Beginning on Feb. 11, Westbury Arts opened its exhibit “55 Years of Black Creativity” showcasing artwork by members of the Long Island Black Artist Association (LIBAA).

“T

his exhibit shows a diverse range of artwork by very talented African American artists,” says artist and show organizer Marcia Odle-McNair. “People should come to see this exhibit because it shows that the artists of LIBAA are highly skilled in their techniques; each work is beautiful, intricate and interesting.”

The works featured in the show are by Galvin Bisserup, Jr., Roosevelt; Maxine Townsend Broderick, Jamaica, Queens; James Whitten, Jamaica, Queens; Aaron Scott, Freeport, Clemente Ettrick, Amityville; Marcia

Odle-McNair, Westbury; Mary Rano, Freeport; Frenal Mezilas, Lindenhurst; Kenneth Bradford, Roosevelt; David Wilson, Jamaica, Queens; Willie Mack, Wyandanch; and Olita Wingate, Hempstead.

LIBAA was founded in 1968 by four Long Island artists to promote, share information, and seek opportunities to exhibit artwork

by African American artists.

“This tradition is carried on today by the current members,” says Odle-McNair. “These members continued to gather and to share ideas, participate in exhibitions, and to provide

cultural services to the community.”

Odle-McNair says that viewers will be delighted to see the variety of artwork ranging from portraiture, still life, abstraction, surrealism, and representational art.

The mediums in this exhibit include acrylic, or oil paint, watercolor, pastels, photography, and mixed media.

“I have always been inspired by the utilization of color interactions, nature and traditional, as well as non-traditional shapes in all art,” says Odle-McNair. “I have created artwork that intrigues the viewer to stop and take time to process or

ON THE COVER

ABOUT THE ARTIST Frenal Mezilas (pictured, right), born in 1979 in Haiti, is a Haitian American painter. He started painting when he was 10 years old. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts at the Ecole Nationale des Arts in Haiti. He has always been influenced by the works of Bernard Sejourne, Dieudonne Cedor, Picasso, Dali, Monet, Kandinsky, and Braque. In 2011, Mezilas was invited as a resident artist

by Hankila Casa Africa in Mexico, where he made many exhibitions. His study of art in Mexico was a valuable vehicle that propelled him into the public market. After his experience in Mexico, Mezilas traveled to the United States where he continued to exhibit his art. His work has been shown in Washington, D.C., the United Nations, Hofstra University, Brooklyn College, the Haitian Consulate, the Musee D’Art Haitien du College St. Pierre, the Brazilian Embassy, and many libraries and galleries.

Mezilas’ paintings, whether realistic, surreal, abstract, or cubist, represent Haitian culture, history, and the human experience in general.

He won multiple awards, including a plaque

The Warrior, medium: mixed media (acrylic paint, clay sculpture) by Frenal Mezilas.

of honor and merit from the New York State Association of Day Service Providers and a certificate of recognition from the Assembly Chamber (NYS Capital).

Mezilas enjoys teaching painting, drawing, and pottery in New York, and loves working with students and people with developmental disabilities.

—LIBAA/Westbury Arts

notice the blended or contrasting placement of color, the dimensionality of the brushstrokes within a painted section, and to question the two or three dimensions creating in the painting. I often incorporate veils of transparency, or use shaped canvases to further stretch the limits of the viewer’s perception found in each painting.”

Odle-McNair’s art reflects a long interest in working with the interactions of colors, overlapping geometric shapes, aspects of nature and transparency.

“I have been an artist most of my life. my mother was a seamstress, so I spent many hours exploring fabrics of various colors, textures and patterns, particularly African patterns,” says Odle-McNair. “I was inspired by the Impressionists, especially Claude Monet, and his use of colors.”

Odle-McNair began formal art classes at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn as a teenager. It is here that she was introduced to abstraction in modern art and became inspired by the work of Aaron Douglas and his use of transparency.

She continued her formal art training at Hunter College, where she earned both, her Bacherlor’s and Master’s in Fine Arts degrees.

“I was particularly inspired

by Hans Hoffman and his use of color; Josef Albers and his explorations with color theory,” says Odle-McNair.

“Alma Thomas with her use of pulsating bands of color and Bridget Riley with her optical art paintings, were also inspiring.”

LIBAA supports its members through exhibitions— locally, nationally and internationally. Westbury Arts programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the governor and the New York State legislature.

The show runs through March 22. Westbury Arts is located at 255 Schenck Ave. in Westbury.

Visit www.westburyarts. org or call 516-400-2787 for gallery hours and more details. Visit www.liblackartists. com for more information about the art association.

LIBAA show organizer Marcia Odle-McNair next to her artwork.

Reflective Perspective, oil on canvas, 30’”x 24” by Clemente Ettrick

Anthropomorphosis of Alkebulan by David Wilson

Giants fan by James Whitten

The Long Island Black Artist Association will be exhibiting at Westbury Arts.

Back row: James Whitten, Frenal Mezalis,Willie Mack, David Wilson, Mary Rano and Galvin Bisserup. Front row: Kenneth Bradford, Marcia Odle-McNair, Clemente Etterick Source Marcia Odle-McNair

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FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 • BLVD • GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING

A Gem And Her Gems A vast display of Vintage Fabulous Finds at the Bryant Library.

Photos by Lauren Feldman

Lifelong lover of vintage showcases collection at Bryant Library LAUREN FELDMAN

Vintage shopping has returned as a trend in recent years, encouraging consumers to consider a more unique and sustainable way to shop. But for some, the trend never left. Meet Ellen F. Broder, who has been collecting vintage handbags, jewelry, fashions and accessories since she was a teenager, falling in love with their timeless charm.

B

roder grew up in a household which encouraged her to march to the beat of her own drum. “Everyone did this color palette that was blue and yellow and green, my parents did black, white and pink,” she recalls. “A lot of people go down the beaten path, and I’ve been here, there and everywhere.”

Broder’s first taste of thrifting occurred when she was 15. “I went on a train with a friend...

I found a big sweater. It was cream and had a big ‘E’ — now I’m thinking ‘E for Ellen’... it was 50 cents, and I thought it was the greatest thing!” Her mother was less sure, “I came home and my mom said, ‘Are you kidding? You don’t have to shop thrift.’” But Ellen was already hooked.

Over the years, Broder has collected handbags, jewelry, accessories and kitchen kitsch.

“I started collecting clothes, salt and pepper shakers. In my

home, I still have a refrigerator from the ‘30s, two stoves from the ‘20s, and a Hoosier for baking. I have a vast collection of handbags, jewelry, all things kitchen.”

She also likes to get creative with her pieces by completing an outfit. “One of my favorite things... I’ll find a jacket from the ‘60s or ‘70s, and I’ll have the sleeves cut off to make it a vest, and then from there I can have a scarf made from the sleeve...

My greatest ‘find’ is a handbag with an exact pattern match to my jackets. What a score!.. I have fun, to me it’s all fun.”

Collecting is one thing, but why vintage specifically?

According to Broder, it is a mix of factors; from the thrill of the hunt, to the uniqueness that is intrinsic to thrifted items. “In the early days, it was anything pretty, I just had to have it! It’s been a long time, so now if I buy something, it has to work

An original telephone bag from the 1970s.

[with what I already have]. I like building up my collection.

I wear vintage every day,” she says.

Broder has dealt with a lot of antagonistic views towards thrifting. “For some people, vintage is still ‘ew’. I understand ‘ew’ but I haven’t been there.

When you go into Bloomingdales and try on a dress, probably five other people tried it on before you.” She has often heard vintage described as, “Old and icky... or they think their grandmother wore it. A lot of people don’t like [vintage] — they think it’s musty.“ But Broder has been through a ‘musty’ basement or two, and still come out with treasures. “I’ve been here, there and everywhere, looking for that must have piece, in homes, musty basements, tags, vintage shows etc, searching to that ‘fabulous find’.”

What has kept Broder coming back time and time

Ellen loves finding matching fabrics across her treasure hunts.

again to vintage is that it allows her to fully express herself and aligns with her outside-the-box personality. “My mother used to say, ‘You never want to see yourself coming and going.’

At 17, I didn’t understand what she meant, but you know, lots of people want to dress like others, be a part of the trends...

I just do what makes me happy,” she explains. “I felt like people would talk about me, good, bad or indifferent, so I wore what I wanted... You really need the confidence to be different, to walk into a room and not have [on] what everyone else has.”

Broder’s vintage showcases are as well-known in the Roslyn community as she is. She first began to display her pieces on a suggestion from friend and colleague Norma Perlman. “I used to be on the board of the adult ed in Roslyn. I had met Norma Perlman, who used to be big at the Roslyn library, she managed the showcase...” Perlman had seen some of Broder’s collection and recommended she make a display at Bryant Library. “So I did 125 sets [of s-and-p’s] and then we did chrome, and then handbags.”

Broder has also showcased her pieces at the Garden City Library, and created vintage

fashion shows for charity, which have been her pride and joy.

Recently, she curated a handbag-based collection to display at Roslyn’s Bryant Library. The collection featured dozens of bags and accessories, with some pieces dating back to the Victorian Era. Broder says that her showcases are not necessarily based on time period or design, but rather being able to share the joy of pieces that have spoken to her over the years. She loves when people approach her about the showcases, and always wants to know what their favorite piece or pieces are. “Everyone always picks something different, and it’s so great to see what appeals to them,” she explains.

One of her favorite finds is a small 1940s satin handbag with a clear top decorated with jewels. Showing through is a compact and lipstick holder, encrusted with the same jewels.

“Of all the things I have, it makes me laugh that that’s a favorite.”

The sustainability aspect of thrifting has not been lost on Broder. Jean Kelly, friend and chief executive officer at the INN, once told her that she is preserving history, which gave Broder an entirely new perspective on collecting. “So

Pearls from the 1920s-50s.

Ellen F. Broder

I told my husband, I’m preserving history with my purchases!

I am helping the world by reusing and recreating,” she jokes. Broder is grateful to have the support of her husband and family, and is hoping to pass on her love of vintage to her new granddaughter. “I love that these things are still here,” she smiles.

Ellen‘s Vintage Fabulous Finds have been featured in Newsday, Vintage & Victorian Magazine, and the Old House Journal.

Some items from the ‘Yellow is not Mellow’ shelf.

GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING • BLVD • FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024

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FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 • BLVD • GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING

BROOKE SHIELDS HEADLINES FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE LUNCHEON Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center (JCC) recently put on the wildly successful Friendship Circle Luncheon, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide financial sustainability for the JCC to improve the lives of those with dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders and their caregivers.

T

he event, held at the Nassau County Museum of Art, featured award-winning actress Brooke Shields, who spoke candidly about her career trajectory and life in the public eye, sharing how she has found the mental and emotional strength to live life to the fullest. Shields, a wife and the mother of two beautiful daughters, continues her prolific career on screen and stage, as a best-selling author, and an advocate for women and the arts.

The Friendship Circle Luncheon honored Debbi Buslik, Judy Umansky, and Denise Silverberg, three remarkable women associated with the JCC and all of its good work in the community.

—Sid Jacobson JCC

Brooke Shields and Debbi Buslik Photos provided by Sid Jacobson JCC

Luncheon co-chairs

Luncheon committee

Brooke and Luncheon Founder Denise Silverberg

Letter from the Publisher

blvd.

Welcome to our first 2024 edition of BLVD.

C

ommunity newspapers are increasingly playing a role in advocacy journalism. They are championing local causes, highlighting community concerns, and serving as a voice for residents. This type of journalism fosters a sense of community identity and reinforces the newspaper’s role as a trusted source for information.

Recognizing the symbiotic relationship between local businesses and community newspapers, there’s a trend towards collaboration. Newspapers are partnering with local businesses for advertising, sponsored content, and community initiatives. These partnerships not only support the financial sustainability of the newspaper but also strengthen ties within the community, especially here on Long Island.

Anton Media Group, for decades, has expanded beyond traditional news reporting to diversify our content. Lifestyle features, profiles of local businesses and residents, event listings, and cultural coverage are becoming integral parts of community newspapers. This broader content mix aims to capture the multifaceted interests of the community and create a well-rounded reading experience.

In this edition of BLVD. you will read some of the most interesting and varied features including the beautiful exhibit at the Westbury Arts Center featuring the work of the Long Island Black American Art Association the fascinating collection of vintage hats and accessories on display at Bryant Library, as discovered by Lauren Feldman. Lauren partnered with Christy Hinko to meet with the owners of the reimagined dining hot spot, Paros Grille, formerly Seven Seas Diner, on Northern Boulevard and Christy spoke with the powerhouse team at Rokavaca, the vodka brand that is rocking its way across Long Island and throughout the region. Speaking of spirits, Christy shares an exclusive chat with the Long Island Medium, Theresa Caputo, who has returned to television with a new series, Raising Spirits. Pantone Color Institute has released its Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz. Hear what’s to come in home decor trends and design elements based on this industry standard.

Some of our most informative features are the historical pieces. In this edition of BLVD. check out how one vendor, Advantage Archives, is helping local organizations, historical societies and libraries across the country, as well as many right here on Long Island, preserve the past and help history live on for generations to come. Check out the interview by Joe Scotchie with music producer legend Eppy Epstein of the onceMy Father’s Place fame in Roslyn, making an awesome return to the music scene at the Roslyn Hotel.

At Anton Media Group, we are always looking for new ways to remain up with the trends while staying true to the original mission of our origins. Our products are designed for Long Islanders, to inspire, inform and promote their personal and professional lives.

Angela Susan Anton, Publisher

KARL V. ANTON, JR. Angela Susan Anton Frank A. Virga Iris Picone Shari Egnasko Christy Hinko Robin Carter Alex Nuñez Cathy Bongiorno Joy DiDonato Linda Baccoli Contributing Writers Advertising Sales

132 East Second Street, Mineola, NY 11501 advertising inquiries circulation inquiries editorial submissions

P u bl i s h e d by A n to n Me di a Gro u p Publisher, 1984-2000 Editor and Publisher President Vice President of Operations/CFO Director of Sales Administration Managing Editor, Special Sections Director of Production Creative Director Art Director Director of Circulation Director of Business Administration Lauren Feldman, Joe Scotchie Ally Deane, Sal Massa, Maria Pruyn, Jeryl Sletteland Phone: 516-747- 8282 Fax: 516-742-5867 advertising@antonmediagroup.com subscribe@antonmediagroup.com specialsections@antonmediagroup.com Anton Media Group © 2024

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GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING • BLVD • FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024

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FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 • BLVD • GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING

Theresa Caputo Is Raising Spirits

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BY CHRISTY HINKO

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he allure of psychic mediums lies in their mysterious ability to bridge the tangible and intangible realms, offering a glimpse into the unknown.

People are drawn to the prospect of connecting with departed loved ones or gaining insights into their future.

Theresa Caputo, renowned as the Long Island Medium, captivates audiences with her unique blend of charm and alleged psychic abilities. She has returned to television with a Lifetime series called Raising Spirits, which began airing on Jan. 25. The new series explores the next phase of her personal life and embarks on a tour, including sold-out shows in London.

A Hicksville native born in 1966, Caputo rose to fame through her reality TV show, Long Island Medium, which premiered in 2011. Caputo claims to communicate with the spirits of the deceased, providing messages to those seeking closure or guidance. Her distinctive personality and big-hearted approach have garnered a devoted following, while skepticism persists regarding the authenticity of her gifts. Despite naysayers and disbelievers, Caputo’s enduring popularity reflects the enduring fascination with the mystical and the unexplained in contemporary culture.

Ahead of her recent shows at The Paramount in Huntington, I had a chance to speak with Caputo about her gift. Here is what she shared.

Explain your gift of communicating with spirits.

I don’t think people realize what I do is so much more than just communicating with people that have died. It restores our faith, maybe in religion, but more importantly faith in ourselves.

It’s okay to celebrate life and to find happiness even though our loved ones are gone. We can grieve; we’re going to grieve them for the rest of our life in the physical world, but the healing process is something completely different. It’s okay to heal too. Just because we feel like there will be negative emotion [when grieving] doesn’t mean that we’re not honoring or mourning our loved ones.

What is your earliest memory of having a connection or some kind of communication with a spirit?

My first memory is seeing a woman standing at the foot of my bed at the age of four. And I didn’t know and realize that

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Theresa Caputo Image provided

it was my great grandmother until decades later. I had seen a picture of her in my grandmother’s house. She died a year or two before I was born.

How did you explain to your parents that you have this ability?

I come from a very spiritual, strongfaithed family. Telling my mom wasn’t difficult. I think I literally said, “Mom, I can read people” and she was like, “Oh, okay.” I know that we all have the ability to connect with our own departed loved ones. I think my family has always had that connection, so it wasn’t odd to them. The things that I would feel and hear became something different when I was saying things that I would know nothing about and that had nothing to do with our family, I was connecting with other people’s loved ones.

How do you physically feel when you are in a spiritual communication with someone?

When I’m channeling, I don’t have any personal thoughts, feelings, or emotions. It’s literally I sense and feel everything that the soul wants to communicate, and what that person is feeling that I’m speaking to. I can’t explain how it happens. It just happens. And a lot of times the reading stays with me, like if I have a tough reading, like a tragic departure that will affect my mood, it will affect how I am when I’m done reading. So, it is extremely emotional, and extremely difficult at times.

Are you “approached” unsolicited by spirits when you walk in a room or are minding your own business grocery shopping?

It’s really just a knowing or a feeling.

Sometimes a spirit pushes me enough to say something. Sometimes a spirit can physically make me feel and bring me through how they passed. Sometimes it’s a sign or a symbol of a burden or guilt that someone is carrying, a negative emotion. And not everyone needs or wants to hear from a departed loved one, so if I am [moved] by a spirit, they have to show me certain things before I will say something and communicate to someone who is living. It is similar when I am on stage, and I have a room full of people. I walk through the audience. I am sensing things.

There is always something that grabs me [figuratively]

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and makes me feel like I have to stop and look at someone and say all of the things that mean nothing to me, but will change someone’s life who is physically standing in front of me.

Why are people allured to mediums?

One of the things that I struggled with, when I discovered that I had this ability not only to connect with my own departed loved ones, but everyone else’s was why someone would want to see a medium to communicate with their loved ones who have died. I couldn’t understand that. But what I learned over the decades of channeling the souls of the departed is that, unfortunately, no matter when we lose someone or how they die, we’re left with these negative emotions and feelings. It really is remarkable how every show and every time I channel spirit, there is some type of universal message of healing and faith and hope. Having a spirit validate something unique to the person they are trying to speak to through me is incredible and it amazes me every time I channel spirit.

Tell me about the new show, Raising Spirits.

We’re filming on Long Island in my home and while I am out and about on daily errands.

The viewer gets a deeper look into a different side of my life, with my family, how I interact with my crew, and also being on the road.

Is there anybody from Hicksville who had some significant understanding of your abilities?

Pat Longo helped me understand my ability and provided a safe place for me to explore my gift. She understood the gift of communicating. She was a spiritual healer and she used to teach awareness classes in her home.

My anxiety was bad at the time; she helped me understand that I was being brought through people’s departure. I was absorbing that energy. In Pat’s class, I discovered that I had the ability to connect with everyone’s loved ones.

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Psychic mediums, with their claimed extrasensory perceptions, tap into a realm beyond the ordinary, providing a sense of comfort and hope. Allure stems from the potential for personal validation, closure, or guidance that transcends conventional understanding. Whether fueled by curiosity, grief, or a quest for spiritual enlightenment, individuals seek solace and intrigue in the enigmatic world of psychic mediums.

Also visit Caputo’s website (www.theresacaputo.com) to learn more.

GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING • BLVD • FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024

Now through March 10

Now through March 10

9B

An entirely new way to see this legendary period.

The multidisciplinary exhibition

An entirely new way to see this

brings the era to life through

legendary period.

works by John Singer Sargent,

Williamexhibition Merritt Chase, Mary The multidisciplinary

Cassatt, Gertrude Vanderbilt brings the era to life through

Whitney, Louis Comfort Tiffany, works by John Singer Sargent, Alfred Stieglitz, among others,

William Merritt Chase, Mary

plus fashion, sculpture, photo-

Cassatt, Gertrude Vanderbilt

graphs, furnishings, memorabili

Whitney, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and decorative objects.

Alfred Stieglitz, among others,

The Museum mansion, itself,

plus fashion, sculpture, photo-

provides the authentic backdro

graphs, furnishings, memorabilia as it was both the opulent hom and decorative of objects. the wealthy Bryce and Frick

families - and the livelihood for

The Museum mansion, itself,

work force needed to sustain it

provides the authentic backdrop as it was both the opulent home

See It Now

of the wealthy Bryce and Frick

Purchase exhibition tickets

families - and theatlivelihood foror the the museum online

NassauMuseum.org/exhibitions work force needed to sustain it.

See It Now Experience

More as a Museum Membe Purchase exhibition tickets at the museum or online at the museum Join or online NassauMuseum.org/membership NassauMuseum.org/exhibitions

Experience

More as a Museum Member Join at the museum or online NassauMuseum.org/membership

N ASSAU CO U N T Y M U S E U M O F A RT

The Mansion is open Tuesday-Sunday, 11 am-4:45 pm

One Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor NY 11576

Café is open 12-4 pm.

516.484.9338

The Mansion is open N A S S A U C O U N T Y M U S E U M O F A R T Tuesday-Sunday, 11 am-4:45 pm.

Café is open 12-4 pm.

One Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor NY 11576 516.484.9338

­

10B 10B FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 • BLVD • GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING

Authenticity Elevated Chef’s specialty, octopus

Ekmek dessert

Kolokithakia chips

Gigantes, lima beans

Sesame feta

Culinary delights at new upscale Greek restaurant

BY CHRISTY HINKO

Greek food captivates with its vibrant flavors, fresh ingredients, and rich culinary heritage. From the iconic gyro to the indulgent moussaka, Greek cuisine offers a delightful blend of Mediterranean influences, characterized by olive oil, herbs, and spices.

T

he appeal lies not only in the delicious dishes but also in the cultural experience they evoke.

Dining on meze plates filled with feta cheese, olives, and tzatziki transports one to sunkissed tavernas by the Aegean Sea. Whether savoring grilled souvlaki or baklava dripping with honey, the allure of Greek food lies in its ability to tantalize the taste buds while celebrating the joy of communal dining and

Greek hospitality.

For more than four decades, the Tsolis brothers, Peter and Jimmy, built a solid reputation as the owners of Seven Seas Diner on Northern Boulevard in Great Neck.

They recently joined with Kostas Papanikolaou to bring their reimagined dining vision to life with an upscaled Greek and Mediterranean experience, now Paros Grille.

The venue transformation

is beautiful, invigorating and chic and is garnering some of the most positive reviews from foodies and critics alike.

And to prove they mean business with their new venture, they have brought in Chef Tasos Varelis to deliver on the culinary magic.

Varelis has been cooking for nearly 15 years, building professionally on his love of home-cooked meals with his family ever since he was

a young boy. He admits the octopus at Paros is his own family’s recipe and is definitely his favorite dish on the menu.

If you cannot decide what to order on the menu, consider creating a meal with the appetizers. The lightly fried calamari, the sesame feta wrapped in phyllo dough and drizzled with honey and sour cherry preserves with the sautéed Shrimp Santorini in tomato and feta sauce is plentiful, satisfying and delicious, enough to make a meal of.

The grilled Cypriot halloumi is a special boost to the taste buds, as are the Gigantes, Kastorian giant lima beans baked in tomato, dill and parsley.

The cocktail menu is earning

Owners Kostas Papanikolaou (left) and Peter Tsolis (right) with Chef Tasos Varelis Photos by Lauren Feldman and Christy Hinko

some fan favorites straight away.

Try an Ouzo Martini (orange and pineapple juices, with ouzo and Curacao), or an Ouzito (Greek

mojito). Can’t decide? Keep it simple and try a glass of Geneisis Xinomavro, a red wine from Macedonia or if white is your

The Dee Dee Brix Team Delivering premium service at all levels.

Making dreams come true for buyers and sellers for over 29 years.

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GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING • BLVD • FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 11B

ROCAVAKA: THE ‘VAKA’ THAT ROCKS

BY CHRISTY HINKO

Distilled in Madrid, Spain, from Tempranillo grapes, Bellmore native Bobby Fallas has launched an award-winning vodka, cleverly named Rocavaka. Rumor has it that Fallas had the brand name patented well before he even had an actual product. Sort of backward, as far as creating a product and then coming up with a name for it, but the path to this successful vodka brand is proving itself effortlessly.

Traditional pikilia appetizer of dips and pitas

style, try a glass of Assyrtiko.

While there is a vast assortment of Greek and Mediterranean dishes, such as the traditional Greek chicken, mousaka, lamb and steak, the stars on the menu are the seaside choices, the branzino in particular.

Many of the vegetables used in the dishes are sourced locally. The seafood is from Marine Fisheries on Middle Neck Road in Great Neck.

Seasonally, much of the seafood selection is straight from the Long Island waters.

Don’t pass on dessert here at Paros Grille. You will definitely want to save room for the Greek yogurt, baklava or, surprisingly, the baklava ice cream. You read that right, the baklava ice cream, think all the goodness of the traditional baklava, the rolled phyllo dough, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, honey folded into vanilla ice cream. Heaven.

Although not on the menu, there are plenty of options if you are dining with pint-sized diners, the kids. Paros Grille offers standards like chicken fingers, pasta and kebabs for the littles.

Everyone from the top down, the owners, manager, waitstaff, bartender and kitchen crew are professional, friendly and genuinely invested in their hospitality role.

There is ample parking behind the restaurant, accessible from the north side of Northern Boulevard or through the adjacent entrance on Middle Neck Road, just past the gas station. Valet service is available on most evenings.

Paros Grille offers dinein and takeout service.

Reservations are highly encouraged on the weekends. Paros Grille also offers an event space for a private event, for up to 100 guests.

The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Paros Grille (formerly Seven Seas Diner) is located at 607 Northern Blvd. in Great Neck. Visit www.parosgrille. com or call 516-482-0980 for more information.

—Lauren Feldman contributed to this feature.

“R

ocavaka is very unique and launched a little more than a year ago,” says Rocavaka spokesperson Sue Anne Konkle.

“Bobby is a true entrepreneur and doing particularly well with his sister Darlene serving as the company’s vice president.”

Konkle says Rocavaka is an amazing tasting vodka, which means that it is crafted with the expectation of the consumer taking their time enjoying the spirit, paying attention to their senses while enjoying the cocktail. Tasters say to swirl the vodka in a glass and smell it, try to pick up the aroma notes of its alcohol and its ingredients

like the grains and botanicals.

Take a sip of the vodka and hold it in your mouth while moving it around, noticing the flavor changes.

“We’ve won eight taste awards within six months already,” Konkle shares.

Fallas’ family friend, Dee Snider, of Twisted Sister fame, was one of the first brand ambassador endorsements.

“He doesn’t even drink alcohol any longer, but when he heard about the product he jumped right in and got involved,” says Konkle. “Since then, Joe Gannascoli, an actor from The Sopranos and celebrity chef, has joined as a brand

ambassador also and we are the power sponsor at Bald Hill Amphitheater in Farmingville.”

Rocavaka has partnered with America’s Vet Dogs and Life’s Worc.

During the interview, the brand executives were in talks with several music venues across Long Island, local and national charity organizations, and several other celebrity ambassadors to expand the brand and sign sponsorship agreements.

Visit www.Rocavaka.com to learn more, to find out where the next brand event will take place, and where to find Rocavaka.

ROCAVAKA BRAND RECIPES Purple Haze 3 oz Rocavaka Vodka ¾ oz simple syrup 4 to 5 blackberries 3 to 4 mint sprigs pinch of edible purple petal dust 1 lime wedge, squeezed and dropped into shaker tin Add to empty shaker the blackberries, mint, lime and simple sugar.

Muddle all ingredients. Add vodka and purple petal dust (available at Michaels, Walmart and Amazon). Shake for 30 seconds.

Double strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with skewer with blackberry and lime wheel.

Great White Cosmo 3 oz Rocavaka Vodka 2 oz white cranberrry juice ½ fresh lemon juice ¾ oz fresh simple syrup Add all ingredients into empty shaker. Fill with ice and shake for 30 seconds. Double strain into chilled martini or coupe glass. Garnish with skewer with 3 sugar dusted cranberries.

—From Rocavaka Brand Mixologist David Fernandez

INDULGE IN A

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12B 12B FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 • BLVD • GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING

EMBRACING THE SOFT GLOW

The Beauty And Charm Of Peach Fuzz

(Getty Images)

Pantone announces its 2024 Color of the Year

Pantone, the global color authority and provider of professional color language standards and digital solutions for the design community, introduced Peach Fuzz (Pantone 13-1023), a velvety gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul as the Pantone Color of the Year selection for 2024.

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t a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as do our imaginings of a more peaceful future. A warm and cozy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness with others and the feeling of sanctuary this creates, Peach Fuzz presents a fresh approach to a new softness.

Subtly sensual, Peach Fuzz is a hearfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of tenderness and communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration.

“A cozy peach hue softly nestled between pink and orange, Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing, conjuring up an air of calm, offering us a space to be, feel, and heal and to flourish from whether spending time with others or taking the time to enjoy a moment by ourselves,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, Pantone Color Institute. “Drawing comfort from PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we can find peace from within, impacting our wellbeing. An idea as much as a feeling,

the years, the Pantone Color of the Year program has become a globally iconic cultural touchstone, drawing atention to how what is taking place in our global culture is reflected and expressed through the language of color.

“With this year’s Pantone Color of the Year 2024, we see an increased focus on community and people PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz across the world reframing awakens our senses to the how they want to live and comforting presence of tactilievaluating what is importty and cocooned warmth.” ant—that being the comfort Sensitive but sweet and airy, of being close to those Peach Fuzz evokes a new mowe love. The color is one dernity. While centered in the whose warm and welcoming human experience of enrichembrace conveys a mesing and nurturing the sage of compasmind body and soul, sion and whose it is also a quietly cozy sensisophisticated bility brings and contempeople toporary peach gether and with depth enriches whose gentle the soul,” lightness is adds Laurie understated but Pressman, impactful bringing vice president (Getty Images) beauty to the digital of the Pantone world. Poetic and romanColor Institute. “In tic, a clean peach tone with the spirit of Peach Fuzz, we a vintage vibe, Peach Fuzz reflect back on the last 25 reflects the past yet has been years of the Pantone Color rephrased to have a contemof the Year program grateful porary ambiance. to provide an avenue where The introduction of Peach designers and color enthusiFuzz also marks the 25th anniasts all over the world can versary of the Pantone Color engage in a conversation of the Year program. First about color, be inspired by introduced by the Pantone color and showcase their Color Institute in 1999 with the creativity within their comPantone Color of the Year, Cemunities. We look forward rulean Blue (Pantone 15-4020), to continuing this for many the Pantone Color of the Year more years to come.” captures the global zeitgeist, Visit www.pantone.com/ serving as an expression of a color-of-the-year/2024 mood and an attitude on the for more about this year’s part of the consumer. Through color selection.

—Pantone Color Institute

Shelley Scotto, SRES Founding Agent of Compass North Shore Licensed Associate RE Broker shelley.scotto@compass.com shelleyscotto.com M: 516.816.7428 | O: 516.517.4751

Ranked top 1.5% of agents Nationwide.* 1468 Northern Blvd, Manhasset, NY 11030 Shelley Scotto is a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker affiliated with Compass. Compass is a Licensed Real Estate Broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity Laws. *Data per Real Trends America’s Best 2023 Rankings.

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(Getty Images)

13B GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING • BLVD • FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 13C

Where Engaging Expertise

PRESERVING HISTORY THROUGH DIGITIZATION

Meets Outstanding Results.

(Getty Images)

Safeguarding the past for the future

BY CHRISTY HINKO

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, the importance of preserving history through digitization has become increasingly evident. Digitization offers a powerful solution to the challenges of time, deterioration and accessibility that historical artifacts and records often face. By converting physical materials into digital formats, valuable historical information remains accessible, shareable and protected for generations to come.

O

ne company is doing its part, image by image, to partner with institutions and organizations across Long Island, to ensure history’s place in the future is a guarantee.

Advantage Archives of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was founded

by Chris Donohue and Jeff Kiley in 2010. Since its formation, the company has partnered with more than 1,000 communities and has preserved more than 120,000,000 images.

BLVD. had a chance to speak with Kiley about this important service. Here’s what he had to tell us.

Q. What is it you are doing?

A. We’re forging partnerships with communities to provide practical access to their local history, making it freely available online.

We collaborate closely with libraries, museums, genealogical and historical societies, educational institutions and other like minded organizations, to unlock content that’s often hard to access in print or on microfilm. We believe in the power of partnerships and the importance of making history accessible to all. We understand that funding can often be a hurdle for institutions looking to digitize and preserve their historical records. We work hand-inhand with these institutions to identify potential funding sources for their projects. This could be through their existing donor networks, Friends of the Library programs, foundations or available grants. Our goal is to ensure that the project is fully funded without imposing a financial burden on the institution.

Q. Why is this preserving history and the work that you do so important?

A. In this day and age there is a demand for immediate and free access to information.

With a digital archive

a “portal to the past” can be opened with just a few clicks.

Patrons no longer need to be in the physical location of the materials, be bound by operational hours, or face the need to “rent” their collective history from a subscription service. Anyone can research their heritage or connect with the past at anytime, whether at home, school, or on the go. This digital shift, while preserving the integral role of our partners, broadens their reach, making their rich resources more inclusive and accessible. It not only enhances the process of accessing information but also reinforces the core principals of of most libraries and cultural institutions: outreach, engagement and life-long learning.

Q. What has been one of the most interesting projects from Long Island’s North Shore?

A. As far as future content, we’re working with the Oyster Bay Library (also in the Great Neck area) to find grants and fundraise to help digitize their local newspaper collection and parts of their local history and Theodore Roosevelt Collections. Roosevelt spent many summers with his family in Oyster Bay, dating back to the 1870s. As governor he helped lay the cornerstone of Oyster Bay’s Library, his presidential home was in Oyster Bay, and to this day he is buried in Youngs Memorial Cemetery in Oyster Bay. Their project could possibly be one of the most historic projects we have digitized.

Some of the recent projects that Advantage Archives has worked on are: · Port Washington Public Library (www.portwashington.historyarchives.online) with more than 45,000 pages of newspapers and phone directories that range in date

from 1903 to 1963. · Sea Cliff Library (www. seacliff.historyarchives.online) with more than 10,000 images that range in date from 1883 to 1946. · Glen Cove Public Library (www.glencove.historyarchives.online) with items from the 1950s. · Locust Valley Library (www. locustvalley.historyarchives. online) with more than 30,000 pages of newspapers that range in date from 1946 to 1989.

One of the most impressive and useful archive projects that Advantage Archives has preserved are the telephone directories of Nassau County, housed at Great Neck Library (www.greatneck.historyarchives.online) with more than 75,000 images with dates ranging from 1913 to 1975.

These phone directories are useful to people across the country for historical, genealogical and other research projects. In the past two years alone, the digitized phone directories have helped biographers and novelists tell the story of a neighborhood from decades ago, they have helped a woman identify her biological parents after learning that she was adopted to another loving family as a newborn and the directories have notably assisted forensic genealogists assist the U.S. Army in locating the next-ofkin during a recovery mission of a soldier who was listed as Missing In Action following the Korean War. Other Advantage Archvies projects on Long Island include work with libraries in Lindenhurst, Long Beach, Massapequa, Hewlett-Woodmere and Oceanside.

Have a preservation project in mind? Visit www.advantageachives.com or call 855303-2727 for a consultation.

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14B FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 • BLVD • GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING

HISTORY

ALL ROADS Your trusted real LEAD TO ROSLYN: estate advisors MY FATHER’S PLACE PUTS LONG ISLAND ON THE MAP

from Manhattan to Montauk.

BY JOE SCOTCHIE

The generation that remembers the 1970s isn’t going to be around forever. As they fade away, one memory for Long Island youth of that era is the irrepressible My Father’s Place. During that decade, the New York club scene featured such venues as CBGB, Max’s Kansas City, and The Bottom Line.

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y Father’s Place, a club owned and operated

by Michael “Eppy” Epstein, put Long Island on the map, making it now the equal of mighty Manhattan for cutting-edge music and entertainment.

In 1971, Epstein purchased the Roslyn Bowl, which as the name suggests, was a bowling alley when that sport prospered during the 1950s and 1960s. It was located on Bryant Avenue. In the latter decade, the bowl, operated by Jay Lineham, began booking country and western acts, with ballroom-style dancing for its customers.

At the same time, Epstein, along with his partner, Richie Hersch, were operating their own small business on Old Northern Boulevard. The village refused to grant them a permit to turn it into a coffee shop where live music might be performed.

In 1971, Epstein and Hersh booked Richie Havens, fresh off of his successful performance at the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival, as the club’s first act.

The show was a sold-out success. My Father’s Place was born.

Epstein, a man with countless contacts in the world of rock music, was able to book acts from around the United States and United Kingdom. Havens was just the beginning.

Future acts included Blue Oyster Cult, Todd Rundgren, Bruce Springsteen, Roger McGuinn, Aerosmith, Linda Ronstadt, Rush, Pure Prairie League, The Ramones, The Talking Heads, Emmy Lou Harris, Tom Petty, Patti Smith, Tom Waits, Eddie Money, Blondie & Greg Kihn Band, Muddy Waters, The Police, Lou Reed, John Mellencamp, The Elvin Bishop Group, Hall & Oates, The Alvin Lee Band, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Band, Bo Diddley and on May 3, 1987, Tower of Power, the Oakland-based band which closed out My Father’s Place’s early life.

Something else was brewing. A Long Island FM station, WLIR, was now broadcasting an “alternative radio” format. AM radio played hits that generally last three minutes or less. FM radio would play album formats, including songs from Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, The Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen, among others, whose tunes ran well beyond the three-minute range. Such broadcasting was popular on college campuses across the country. Epstein began advertising on WLIR, adding greatly to the club’s popularity.

In 1973, WLIR began broadcasting “Live From My Father’s Place.” As luck would have it, Springsteen was the first act. With the man’s recent album, The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, rock critic Jon Landau hailed the New Jersey native as the “future of rock n’ roll.” Springsteen already had a following. With 1975’s Born To Run,, the man would graduate to arena halls to fit the fan base. But My Father’s Place was there first. Similarly, Epstein’s club would host Billy Joel’s first concert after the 1974 release of Cold Spring Harbor. Joel, too, moved onto bigger things.

Either way, the word was out. Little Roslyn was the place to be. The club was located by the Roslyn Viaduct, a perfect fit since it offered plenty of parking.

Why Roslyn?

The parking didn’t hurt. Neither did the village’s ambience. Zoning laws kept Roslyn small and quaint, characterized by its duck pond, parks and a surrounding that included a charming downtown with small shops, churches, and the famous Ellen E. Ward Clock Tower.

“I went to a school in Boston. I was studying to be a musician,” Epstein told Stuart Marvin in a 2021 interview. “The whole Boston-Cambridge culture scene became my life. We wanted to make Roslyn like Harvard Square, or like parts of Boston that had boutique after boutique. Really cool places to hang out. Roslyn was so different than the other communities on (Long Island’s) North Shore. I thought, this is a cool place to build a little community. There were little antique shops, but nothing to speak of as far as a subculture.”

There was comedy along the way. By that, we don’t necessarily mean such acts as Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, George Carlin, and Andy Kaufman.

They were funny. So too was a July 1978 episode involving The Rolling Stones. My Father’s Place also popularized reggae music. Both Keith Richards and Ronnie Woods would frequent the venue and even play onstage with such acts as Peter Tosh.

That July, a rumor spread like wildfire, declaring that the entire Rolling Stones band was set to perform in little Roslyn. It seemed preposterous.

Why play My Father’s Place when you can sell out Madison Square Garden?

According to a blogger named “tatters,” Tosh was set to appear at a July 3, 1978 show. Since Richards and Woods, as noted, would sit in on the club’s Reggae Night Mondays, the Rolling Stones rumor took off. On July 3, up to 1,000 people were

ather’s P F y M l a T he origin

lace

Idol & Eppy with Billy Sabo on llis A

irca 1977

Billy Joel, c

trying to jam a club which had seating for 400.

Panic time.

“Legend has it that a Rolling Stones show did, in fact, nearly take place that night at MFP, but was called off at the last minute because Eppy was afraid of having a riot on his hands,” this blogger claimed. “Rumors surfaced again years later, when Mick Taylor was booked to play the club in early 1987. On the day of the show, a local radio station all but confirmed the rumor that Keith Richards would be joining Taylor onstage that night, as he had a couple months earlier at the Lone Star Roadhouse in Manhattan. That night, I was in the audience, seated right in front of the stage. No Keith, of course, but a great set from MT.” Epstein managed to kill off those rumors. Having a thousand people storming a 400-seat hall could cause serious injury, even death. Hectic as it was, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

My Father’s Place continued to host all of the top acts in the industry. By the late 1980s, the village fathers became upset that the club’s popularity was causing other businesses to stay open late and flaunt local laws. In the spring of 1987, the club closed.

There’s no quit in the club’s founder. Epstein retreated to Glen Cove. He never lost his love for Roslyn and plotted for a return. Which is what happened. In 2017, the new My Father’s Place opened for business at The Claremont Hotel. In this new setting, such acts as Livingston Taylor, Blue Velvo, and Leslie Mendelson performed, while 2024 will see James Maddock, Reverend Jefferson, EXTC, and Steve Forbert at the club.

Epstein isn’t the only old rocker still going strong. This past year, The Rolling Stones, whose members are in their eighth decade, released their first album of new material since 2005. Will they shock everyone and travel to Roslyn? Michael Epstein and company will remain vigilant.

Images courtesy of Eppy Epstein.

GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING • BLVD • FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 15B

No one sells Long Island’s North Shore like

Maggie Keats, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker O 516.944.2879 | M 516.449.7598 | mkeats@elliman.com | maggiekeats.elliman.com 110 WALT WHITMAN ROAD, HUNTINGTON STATION, NY 11746. 631.549.7401 ©2024 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2024 • BLVD • GOLD COAST REAL ESTATE & LUXURY LIVING

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