HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE courtesy of The Small Business Collective.
YOU CAN BANK ON JOE story by KEITH GRIFFIN. “Unplugged and personal with West Hartford native Joe Gianni, BOA market president
LET THEM EAT FAUX CAKE story by TOM HICKEY. Classic Cakes has a secret to share about cake.
IMAGINATIVE, INNOVATIVE & INSPIRING FUR FASHIONS photos by TODD FAIRCHILD
DEPARTMENTS
8 FROM THE PUBLISHER: Happy Holidays!
10 WEDDINGS: Ortiz & Kluger Cook & Dowd
32 FINANCE: Year-End Planning
34 ARTS: Cover Artist Julie Phillipps
36 TRAVEL: Portugal Part II
40 FOOD: City Steam Brewery for Laughs with “Upscale Casual” Menu
42 GARDEN: A Gardener’s Guide to Winter
48 WINE: Flavor Memories
48 RECIPE: Wise Old Dog Kabobs
ON THE COVER: Watercolor painting by Julie Phillipps, titled: Mary’s Barn. See more examples of her work on page 34.
Retirement Has Changed. And So Have We.
Make the most of your retirement with The McAuley’s new Lifestyle Evolution. Beautifully-renovated common areas, enhanced wellness amenities, and tasteful apartments are just the beginning. With great neighbors, local cultural events, and access to all West Hartford has to offer, The McAuley supports your vibrant lifestyle — without the hassles of homeownership. Choose The McAuley and celebrate your success in style.
Publisher Thomas P. Hickey, II tomh@westhartfordmagazine.com
Creative Services
Joy B. Taylor joyt@westhartfordmagazine.com
Contributing Writers & Columnists
Whitney Burr, Karla A. Dalley, Keith Griffin, Karyn Lancaster, Ronni Newton, Lisa Martin, Jacob & Allie Studenroth
Photography Director Todd Fairchild/Shutterbug CT
Contributing Photographers Ronni Newton, Joy Taylor
“I’m thrilled to be at William Raveis, whose focus is Marketing and Technology with a connection to a great International Network.”
Robin and Raveis ... what a great combination!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Can you believe we already celebrated Thanksgiving, now Chanukah, Christmas and then 2019? Time flies when you are having fun! We really do have fun … every day! This is the best time of the year to say THANK YOU to all our social media followers, marketing clients, advertisers, subscribers and readers! We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to “influence” your personal and business likes (and dislikes), event attendance, nominating/ voting, buying habits and trends in 2019!
None of our editorial content would be complete with out the talented group of business leaders who contribute each year. Please join us in thanking this year’s contributors:
Whitney Burr and Karyn Lancaster (Valerie Thomas & Associates) – Finance Column
Ramon Carrasco (Exclusive Furs) – Fashion Feature
Central Optica and eyeglasses.com – Fashion Feature
Karla Dalley – Garden Column
Tom Filomeno (MARCUM) – Finance Column
Barbara Karsky and Karen Herbert (BK&Co) – Fashion Feature
Bob Laraia (NorthStar Wealth Partners) – Finance Column
Lisa Martin and Faye deHaas – Travel Column
The Souza Family (GolfTec) – Fitness Column
Twin Tasters – Food Reviewers … you know who you are!
Jacob and Allie Studenroth – Wine Column
As you may know, Joy Taylor, Creative Director (and my business partner) searches near and far to find beautiful, local art to feature on every cover. Of course we are so proud to be the only magazine in every room at Delamar that we welcome our exclusive artsy look … worthy of a corner on every coffee table. Special thanks to Julie Phillipps for providing this beautiful winter watercolor.
Director of Photography Todd Fairchild has outdone himself yet again. Whether you like real fur or not you can’t argue with how great Karen Fillian, Regional Property Manager for EDENS in Bishops Corner, looks! Special thanks to Exclusive Furs for picking out the perfect styles!
We are in full swing of our planning for #wehaevents for 2019 and we are so excited to bring them to you. The 5th Annual Best of West Hartford and the 90th anniversary of the Jewish Ledger (our new roommate) are coming up (see “At a Glance” list on page 13).
We hope to see you at an upcoming We-Ha HA Comedy Night. You can search online at Eventbrite.com and you’ll know when and where to join us. Special thanks to our host sponsor Dr. Steven Fischman and comedian Paul Gregory for making us laugh.
Our We-Ha Holiday Pop-Up located in Bishops Corner (next to WH Podiatry across the street from Staples) has taken on a life of its own. Thanks to the hard work and effort of Annisa Malloy Teich of The Small Business Collective and West Hartford CoWorking
There are so many more updates, but I can’t take up space to fill you in. Just follow us on social media so you stay in the know!
Lastly, I’ve already gotten enough flack about giving my son Garrett and his wife Heather a two-page wedding spread in the last issue so I have nothing to lose by pointing out how proud I am of Ryan and Meredith on page 12. Ryan was Garrett’s best man and visa versa for their weddings this summer. I can always “count” on you guys (sorry, little inside family joke there). Love ya!
Remember the only way to guarantee delivery to your home or office so you don’t miss a single issue is to SUBSCRIBE. You also get We-Ha.com as well. GREAT GIFT idea for only $35 annually … the gift that lasts all year!
Thomas P. Hickey II, Publisher tomh@westhartfordmagazine.com
Facebook: West Hartford Magazine
Twitter: @westhartfordmag
Instagram: @westhartfordite
Tom Hickey.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
delivery to your home or office!
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•Breaking News, school news, town news that is all about West Hartford
•West Hartford Magazine features, people, real estate, arts, fashions, gardening, health, shopping and finance for every season.
•Annual spotlight on interesting teens, plus events, sports, happenings and more!
• In the Jewish Ledger, find out what’s happening every week in the Jewish community for less than 55 ¢ a week!
Hartford Magazine is published 6 times per year. We-Ha.com E-news is sent on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email address will not be shared or sold.
Katharine Ortiz & Scott Kluger
photos by Susan Shek Photography, susanshek.com
Katharine (Kat) Ortiz and Scott Kluger met in 2015, when Kat’s company, A Little Bird Told Me, began offering social media and public relations services to Scott’s company, Hartford Baking Company (HBC). Within months, their business relationship blossomed into friendship and then romance.
During their courtship they would often head to NYC. From sake at Sake Bar Decibel on the Lower East Side to perfectly executed chicken on the Upper West Side at Rotisserie Georgette – where Scott proposed in December of 2017 – these two foodies fell in love with the city, and each other. It was only fitting that their nuptials took place on 5th Avenue, at the Historic Pratt Mansions.
The wedding was an evening of classic New York romance and flair, including photos outside of the Met to start, a black-tie dress code for guests, ballroom dancing by the Manhattan City Music Band, and a quick serenade by the bride to the groom on a baby grand piano.
Scott and Kat are both classically trained pianists. Scott was recognized in 2016 by the Hartford Business Journal and Connecticut Magazine’s 40 under 40 awards. Kat is a USTA 3.0 tennis player. Scott’s mother, Virginia Kluger is the creative director for HBC, and his father, Jeffrey is an electrophysiologist at Hartford Hospital, and they live in West Hartford.
Kat’s father, Daniel Ortiz, is the president of Six Sigma Energy Consultants, and her mother, Eleanor Hancock, is an artist and they live in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Kat and Scott still split their time between West Hartford and NYC, with a house in West Hartford’s historic district and a shared family condo on the Upper East Side. n
Meredith Cook & Ryan Dowd
photos by Melissa Stimpson Photography, www.melissastimpson.com
Ryan and Meredith met during their freshman year at Providence College.The two remained close friends throughout college and after graduation they moved to Boston, and then to NYC.
Fast-forward to their proposal weekend, which started out with a hurricane! Meredith expected a simple weekend with Ryan on Block Island with friends Liz Morton and Conall Chabrunn. What she got, after the storm delay, was a walk on the beach that included a proposal by Ryan, and she assumed they would celebrate the news with only Liz and Conall. But when they arrived at the restaurant, thirty-five of their closest friends jumped out to surprise them.
The bride’s parents are Guy and Cyndi Cook, who reside in Des Moines, Iowa and winter in Oro Valley, Arizona. Guy is an attorney and Cyndi is a retired ultrasonographer.
Ryan’s parents are West Hartford residents Kevin and Cathy Dowd. Cathy is an Attorney with the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch and
Kevin is in-house legal counsel for UBS Realty Investors LLC in Hartford. They were married at the only Catholic Church on Block Island: St. Andrew. The Sullivan House gave them the outdoor reception of their dreams, with 360-degree views of the water, rainbows and fireworks!
Ryan and Meredith picked Bora Bora for their honeymoon because it was a once-in-a-lifetime destination for them, providing ample opportunity to unplug, and relax. Highlights of the trip include snorkeling, sunset sailing, and swimming with sharks.
Meredith has been working for Bullhorn, Inc. for five years. Ryan is an Account Executive with NetSuite. They live in NYC. n
Wedding party: Isabella Nixon: Maid of Honor, Garrett Hickey: Best Man. Elizabeth Morton, Stephanie Roy, Michele Kristie, Tara St. Onge, and Sarah Henry: Bridesmaids. John Heslin, Will Thompson III, Quinn Petry, Kyle Johnson, Conor Duggan: Groomsmen.
#wehaevents 2019ataglance
n WeHa-HA Comedy Nights, Monthly. #wehahacomedy
n Mitzvah 2019/Events by Artisan West Hartford at Delamar
n Taste of Elmwood, (Sixth Annual) #tasteofelmwood
n Taste of Bishops Corner, (Fourth Annual) #tasteofbishopscorner
n Taste of Blue Back/The Center at Blue Back Square, (Fourth Annual) #tasteofblueback
n Taste of New Park Avenue #tasteofnewpark
n Best of West Hartford, (5th Annual) #bestofweha
The gift guide comes courtesy of Annisa Teich, founder of The Small Business Collective www.thesmallbusinesscollective.com
2018 Holiday Gift Ideas
The sole focus of The Small Business Collective is to provide affordable, yet transformative marketing and business development solutions and tools to small business owners. They work with new start-ups on the path to entrepreneurship, as well as assisting established business who are looking for new ways to stay competitive and relevant.
The links to more information on all of these gifts can be found at: thesmallbusinesscollective. com/gift-guide, and many of these items are available at the We-Ha Holiday Pop Up, 2523 Albany Ave., West Hartford, until December 16 (see page 11 for more information).
7
Block 21 Prints, Block 21 Prints Bicycle Onesie
Gift 8 & 9
We-Ha Vineyard Vines at Lux Bond & Green, or we-ha.com, Vineyard Vines We-Ha Classic Tote and Tie, collectors items! Drastic price reduction!
Gift 10
We-Ha Holiday Pop-Up , or we-ha.com, HALO portable power - charge your phone & devices on the go. Style, size and color variations available while supplies last. (9,000 and 3,000 shown)
Gift 11
Berry Group CT, University of Get Out T-Shirt
Gift 12
Michelle Hawran Illustration, Tiger Tattoo Tote Bag
Gift 13 & 14
West Hartford Magazine & CT Jewish Ledger Subscriptions, Subscribe at westhartfordmagazine.com, and jewishledger.com
Gift 15
JMC Handmade, Crocheted Beanie with Faux Fur Pom-Pom
Gift 16
Boutique 227, Personal Styling & Photography Session
You Can Bank on
“Unplugged”
and personal with West Hartford native Joe Gianni, Bank of America market president.
Joe Gianni sending Bank of America Student Leaders off to Washington DC for national summit.
Gianni
Story by Keith Griffin
Joe
Gianni has had a long, fruitful career in the financial services field that has seen
him
rise
to
become
the
Bank of America market president for Greater Hartford, serving as the company’s enterprise leader in the region.
In his 29 years in banking locally, Gianni has seen a lot of upheavals. He can quickly recite all the banks his career has transitioned through. He joined CBT not long before it became Bank of New England after a merger. Then it was taken over by the FDIC before being acquired by Fleet, which later merged with Shawmut before becoming a part of Bank Boston, which eventually became part of Bank of America.
Now Gianni oversees the Greater Hartford market for Bank of America as its president; a role he has held since January 2018. As market president, he works across the region to connect businesses, families and individuals to Bank of America’s banking and investment teams. Gianni is also responsible for leading the effort to direct the bank’s resources in the market and the region to address local priorities and help build strong communities.
His success is firmly rooted in West Hartford. Except for his time at Providence College, where he earned double majors in Political Science and Humanities, and a three-year stint with Merrill Lynch in Manhattan, Gianni has lived in town. It’s the place he wants to be.
“I’m biased,” Gianni confessed in a recent interview. “I’ve traveled to a lot of places. I think West Hartford is one of the best communities in the state and the country. I enjoy Connecticut and West Hartford.”
Gianni lives here with his wife Mary Ann. They have twin 22-year-old daughters. Katherine is an aspiring journalist who spent the summer working on Martha’s Vineyard and is seeking her next job. Sarah works on Capitol Hill for U.S. Rep. John B. Larson.
The 58-year-old Gianni is a man who knows the town intimately. Growing up Joe experienced the local education system by attending public, parochial, and private schools. His schooling began at his neighborhood’s Smith School (well before it became a STEM magnet), then continued at what is now St. Brigid-St. Augustine School, and finished at Kingswood-Oxford, where he still sits on the board.
Photos courtesy of Bank of America
“I had to try every school in West Hartford,” he said. That diverse schooling has served him well throughout life, Gianni said, explaining that it taught him about getting along and cooperating with others. “The nuns made all feel equal,” he added.
Gianni knows Greater Hartford well through his service on many boards. He is an active leader in the local community, serving on the boards of Foodshare, the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, and the MetroHartford Alliance.
Inside Bank of America, Gianni has spearheaded a domestic violence initiative that began at the national level of the bank. He decided to have what he called a “courageous conversation” and host a conversation on domestic violence in Farmington. He was pleasantly surprised when more than 50 women and men showed up. He said they brought to life issues “right in front of you and not obvious.”
He has worked directly with the CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Gianni points with pride to his bank’s progressive stance on the issue with benefits to employees who find themselves in difficult domestic situations. Gianni also has worked with homeless coalitions to help them with needs as needs have come up.
Amidst a bank president’s hectic schedule, though, Gianni finds time to run three times a week with a long weekend run as he trains for marathons. It’s an athletic endeavor that came about somewhat by accident.
His inspiration came from Tim Maloney, then a Bank of America bank president in his late 50s who was sweating profusely in the gym. Gianni asked why he was working out so hard and was surprised when the replay came back the man was training for a marathon. Gianni admits to thinking, “If he can do it, so can I.” He enlisted the help of a co-worker who taught him the preparation process. “I was stubborn enough to stick with it.”
Gianni ran his first marathon in 2013. As he is quick to point out, it’s not as if he was an active runner. He shunned positions in
“That’s one of the beautiful things about West Hartford. It truly is a community.”
-Joe Gianni
the sports he played as a kid that involved a dynamic aerobic aspect. Being the goalie on his hockey team was appealing for that reason. “I was never a runner and never had an affinity for it,” he said.
“Now I have to run,” he said, but befitting a successful corporate executive he sees the positive in this endeavor beyond its health benefits. “I’ve never had that runner’s high, but I do feel my day is more organized when I run,” he said.
He finished his first marathon, the Chicago Bank of America marathon, in four hours and four minutes (which is still his personal best). Gianni has run that marathon twice, as well as the Boston Marathon twice, the New York City marathon once, and the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. once.
You’ll notice the Eversource Hartford Marathon isn’t on his list. Gianni admits all his training for the other marathons each year has tapped his enthusiasm for running two marathons in one year. Thoughts of running the local marathon this past October were strongly diminished after lacing up his sneakers for Boston in April. There were rain and hail throughout the day, heavy at times, with temperatures in the 40s and gusty winds. Most of the day he was facing 10 mph headwinds. “It was about survival,” he said.
Yet, that’s not to say Gianni hasn’t completed the Hartford marathon course. He did it on two wheels, instead of two legs. He joined scores of others at 3:30 a.m. the day of this year’s marathon to bicycle the course as part of the inaugural “Pedal to the Medal,” founded by WNPR radio personality Chion Wolf. A portion of the
proceeds benefited BiCi Co., Hartford’s only educational bike store. “It’s crazy when you think this is uniquely Hartford,” Gianni said, adding a Hartford marathon via sneaker power is in his future.
What might surprise some people about Gianni is his free time, what exists of it beyond his professional commitments, charity work, and marathon training, is occupied by gardening. He has a 25-foot by 25-foot vegetable garden by his home in West Hartford Center. During the growing season, you can find tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and basil. “That’s the foundation of the garden,” he said.
The busy executive enjoys the gardening because it provides him with a sense of accomplishment. “There’s something about getting your hands in the dirt and working the soil,” Gianni said.
These vegetables aren’t a vanity project. “I’m Italian,” exclaimed Gianni, who is, in fact, a first-generation Italian American. Both sides of his family come from the village of Floridia in Sicily. Gianni’s parents are still alive. “At 89 my mom is still cooking,” he said proudly. His wife Mary Ann also does a lot of freezing of the tomatoes from the 40 plants in his garden.
Gianni says his grandfather Rosario Latina was a “gardener extraordinaire” who planted trees, gardens, and flowers. He then added, “I’m still trying to live up to his abilities.”
When it comes to favorite restaurants, he demonstrates a banker’s discreetness and doesn’t admit to having one dining spot he favors over another. “You can’t miss in West Hartford Center or Blue Black Square,” he said. “We try to do something different because there are a lot of different experiences.”
He ended the interview by talking about the generosity of spirit the people of West Hartford have. “They give time and time again,” Gianni said. “That’s one of the beautiful things about West Hartford. It truly is a community.”
BOTTOM:
“Now I have to run. I’ve never had that runner’s high, but I do feel my day is more organized when I run.”
-Joe Gianni
Joe’s “first pitch” opportunity occurred in May 2018 at the Hartford Yard Goats game at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford. TOP: Joe Gianni after completing the Chicago Marathon in 2017.
Joe Gianni crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon, which he has completed twice.
Let Them Eat Faux Cake?
As a brand new father-in-law, I’ve recently learned that many young women know, from a very early age, exactly what they want their wedding day to be like. Not having any daughters, this came as a surprise to me because I certainly never discussed wedding dreams with my son, Garrett.
I learned a more than I ever expected about the wedding planning process, thanks to my new daughter-in-law, Heather. I should have known what I was in for since 31 years ago when I married Shevon I quickly removed myself from all the planning after feeling out of place. To be honest, I referred to our wedding (in a loving way of course) as ‘the circus.’ Shevon is the 51st grandchild on the Sweeney side so it was quite a mob scene as you can imagine.
But I digress.
by Tom Hickey
Heather had a picture in her mind of her perfect wedding cake. Actually she also had a few printouts from Esty and Pinterest she had collected over the years.
Garrett and I are huge fans of cake (actually all dessert) so our wish for the special day was that we did not want a tiny piece of cake (especially one with no frosting, am I right?).
So when it came time for the tasting meeting (which I will admit I did not know was a thing) we sat down to taste all different flavors, combinations and assortments of cakes, fillings, frostings, etc. with master baker Carol Murdock, owner of Classic Cakes, West Hartford.
Interesting side bar, red velvet cake was a favorite of Heather’s but Carol didn’t even offer it for our tasting, because it has been known to stain teeth and white gowns. Who knew?
After tasting a few samples, Heather and Garrett quickly decided that they wanted “funfetti” in their basic vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. Carol was totally up for the challenge. As an award-winning cake artist, I think she was really excited about doing something that was out of the ordinary. After all, she has been on Cake Boss and numerous national cable shows (and an instructor) so she is all about ‘out of the ordinary.’
By the way, Carol knew that Heather’s parents were out of town and could not make it to our tasting, so she prepared a separate cake for Heather to deliver to them so they could try it at home. Wow, that was impressive.
Carol wanted the color scheme and plans for flowers so she could make the perfect cake for Garrett and Heather.
Once the flavors were decided, she had a
Carol Murdock, owner of Classic Cakes, with then bride-to-be Heather Modenese.
twinkle in her eye. I’ve known her long enough that I knew she had something special (or scary) on her mind. I mean, have you seen her Halloween cakes on Instagram? So before she had a fainting bride (or mother of the groom) on her hands, I told her to spill it … And what she said next, caught us all off guard: “I’ll make you a faux cake!”
Faux Cake and Eat it Too
Carol has produced many faux cakes in New York and Rhode Island (and not just for weddings). Before you panic, the wedding guests aren’t expected to just look at the imposter, frankly, it’s one of those “between me and my baker” secrets.
Here’s how it works. Along with the couple, Carol designs the exterior of the cake to look exactly like the cake of their dreams, but in reality, the entire thing, with the exception of one litte wedge, is made of foam! YES, I said foam! Not edible at all.
The result is a beau tiful decoration with the exception of one piece-of-cake-shaped “cut-out” which enables the pastry chef to position a real piece of cake into the fake, and when it is time for the cake-cutting ceremony, the couple does their thing, fooling everyone who watches. Carol in corporates a ribbon, or special flower decora tion to indicate where the real cake is so they don’t fumble while looking for the virtual needle in a haystack. After the show, the “fake” is taken away by the caterer.
Here’s the best part in my opinion. All guests get a full- size piece of cake
because the cater is serving them from sheet cakes in the kitchen. Same great cake, as selected by the bride and groom, but cut into much bigger and full of frosting slices! (Did I mention Garrett and I love frosting?)
Carol/Classic Cakes also provided the cake stand. The sterling silver cake stand was donated to Classic Cakes many years ago in appreciation for a superb job. As a true giftthat-keeps-on-giving, it has provided a base for her creations for years.
For those of us who are sentimental, a virtual “top of the cake” is baked and decorated by Classic Cakes as if it were used that day. The couple received the cake top in a box packaged for the freezer to be consumed on their first anniversary.
An additional perk during all of this wedding planning is that this “faux cake” option is less expensive. Of course no matter what size budget saving a little by tweaking your options is a no brainer, and when that decision comes with full pieces of cake for all of the guests, that is even more of a no-brainer in my book! Now this father of the groom couldn’t have been more pleased on the wedding day. I guess you could say, we had our cake and ate it too! n
LEFT: The Hickey wedding cake on the Classic Cakes cake stand.
INSETS: Samples by Carol Murdock.
imaginative, innovative inspiring
&
photos by TODD FAIRCHILD styling by TOM HICKEY modeled by KAREN FILLIAN
Imaginative, innovative and inspiring ... the showroom at Exclusive Furs on LaSalle in The Center offers a wealth of covetable fur looks. The collections secured by Owner and Designer, Ramon Carrasco offer a no-boundaries approach to style and creativity. You imagine it ... he can create it. Many choose to bring in a family heirloom coat and watch it be transformed into a wearable piece of art.
Multi red, black and grey Fox Stroller.
Female Ranch Mink with Indigo Fox trim coat.
Here are Ramon’s 2018 trends that stood out.
PATTERNS
Nature is basic and simple so he has styles reflecting a beautiful balance of the two. Patterns bring fashion to life and underscore the natural beauty of fur.
GEOMETRIC MOTIFS
Shearing, tiles and other imaginative techniques have allowed him to play with patterns, volumes and colors. The purity of mixing and matching shapes, styles and furs turns a coat into beauty … in a wealth of styles.
SPECIAL TOUCHES
Adding stripes in a mix of colors, fur types, volumes and crafted patterns impart special effects to enhance the depth of fur’s natural beauty.
REVERSIBLE COATS
Instead of a regular lining, make yours a “raincoat” with the natural beauty of fur to make that glam look practical in New England. If it starts to rain, just turn your fur coat inside out. Imagine how warm you will be now that the natural fur is against your body.
TRIBAL INSTINCT
An enticing balance of the Primitive and the Modern, Ramon can achieve tribal looks by mixing colors, fur types and patterns.
SHEARING
Clip, cut or trimmed, sheared mink and fox makes for a playground of creativity. Shades and tones change and different hair lengths emphasize the 3-D look of fur.
COMBINATION
Texture and contrasting with different fur can be paired with just about anything ... great proof that opposites attract.
STREET-STYLE
Reimagining, mixing high and low cut fur, checks and florals, sportswear and couture-like pieces ... these are the looks we can expect to see, street-style in WeHa. n
Karen Fillian
Regional Property Manager of Bishops Corner and Crossroads Plaza for EDENS is enjoying a day sporting six different fur styles from Exclusive Furs. Whether she is getting off the elevator, waiting for lunch at Koma or strolling the street scape of Bishops Corner she is doing it in style!
Female ranch mink with indigo fox trim coat.
“Fur coats dominated the autumn/winter 2018 runways, proving once again to be a key trend...”
“10 Faux-Fur Coats That Will Turn Heads” by Courtney Porkoláb, contributor to FORBES
Black sheer mink with a chinchilla collar and cuffs.
Bleached raccoon jacket.
Panther print sheer cut and plucked mink reversible jacket.
Exclusive Furs 58 LaSalle Rd., West Hartford. 860-233-3077
As Connecticut’s favorite full service furrier, Exclusive Furs has gathered an enticing collection of outerwear to excite your fashion sense.
Sheared mink stroller with hood and belt featuring sable trim.
6 Tax Strategies for
Year-End Planning
Provided by Whitney Burr and Karyn Lancaster, Valerie E. Thomas & Associates
New U.S. tax laws should inspire some Americans to pursue year-end tax strategies that will seek to maximize their wealth. These strategies make sense given the new tax framework, as well as estate planning recommendations.
Give it away sooner rather than later
Given that the increased estate tax exemption is temporary, high-net-worth clients worried about future estate taxes should make $15,000 (or $30,000 for a married couple) annual exclusion gifts to children and grandchildren before Dec. 31, 218. Then, right after Jan. 1, give the gift again.
Offsetting gains due to growth
If a client sold investments in their portfolio in 2018 that created a gain, that will spark capital gains taxes, so offset those by selling investments within the same portfolio that have a loss before Dec. 31, 2018.
Think before you sell
Given the new limitation on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction for federal income taxes, clients should think before they sell appreciated investments or a business in the next few years because those sales will lead to unusually high capital gains taxes.
Investment diversification with insurance?
With the SALT deduction now constrained, think more about income tax exposure on investments. Consider whole life insurance, which continues to appreciate in value without resulting in income taxes due, and represents an efficient component of a diversified portfolio.
Tax benefits of insurance
High-net-worth families who will still have state and federal estate tax exposure should be thinking about how to utilize insurance. Permanent insurance coverage owned by an irrevocable life insurance trust should be a component of smart estate plans.
Creative solutions
Here’s a three-generation plan: A grandparent could loan significant funds to their child to acquire a life insurance policy for their grandchild. That loan can be structured to be dramatically discounted upon the grandparent’s death, thus cutting state and federal estate taxes. This arrangement allows the insurance policy to be free of taxes all the way down to the grandchild. n
For a complimentary review of your personal investments, retirement and estate planning strategies contact Whitney Burr and Karyn Lancaster at Valerie E. Thomas & Associates. The office is located at 10 N. Main St., #213, West Hartford, CT. 860-678-6260, www.valeriethomas.com.
Spotlight on our Cover Artist: Julie Phillipps
Founding member of WeHa Artists Emporium and local author/ Illustrator Julie C. Phillipps grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio, where she spent most Saturdays taking classes at the Toledo Museum of Art.
After graduating as Valedictorian of Mason Senior High School, she went to study art and theater at Hope College in Holland, MI. It was during her time at Hope that Ms. Phillipps first studied playwriting, which taught her about characters and plot development, and is why she writes dialog better than narrative. (And has helped tremendously in writing a graphic novel.)
Ms. Phillipps lived in New York and Chicago for brief amounts of time before settling down in Boston, where she earned her MA at Emerson College and got married.
For-two-and-a-half years, she taught an after-school kindergarten and first grade program which exposed her to a great number of children’s books. That’s when she first started getting serious about a career in writing and illustrating.
Ms. Phillipps moved to Connecticut, had a son, acquired a cat, and joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She attended a SCBWI Illustration Day in New York, where she acquired an agent and, soon after, sold her first book, Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed.
Ms. Phillipps works out of a room in her home which is filled with bookshelves, colorful paper, Post-It notes, and cocoa mugs. When not working, she loves to watch Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Survivor with her son.
Ms. Phillipps is a collage and watercolor artist who shows her work in the Greater Hartford area.
She is currently working on book 1 of her new graphic novel series, Pacey Packer Unicorn Hunter, release date spring 2020 with Random House. n
You’ll see Julie at local art shows with the WeHa Artists Emporium which you can find on Facebook. You may follow Julie Phillipps on Instagram or Facebook @JCPhillipps and online at jcphillipps.com.
Julie’s watercolor paintings are, from top: Snow Monkey (cropped), Telescope Eye Goldfish, and Winter Barn. The painting called Mary’s Barn is on the cover.
Portugal Part II
I told you I’d be back!
Adiamond-shaped tour around Portugal started in Lisbon. I arrived 2 days early and was on my own to independently discover areas that were not going to be included in my official tour. I started with a long walk, uphill to Museu Nacional do Azulejo, the National Tile Museum. After seeing buildings adorned with tiles, I felt this 5-century history of Portuguese culture was interesting and needed further investigation.
The small building was bursting inside with beautiful tiles of animals, flowers, nature scenes, and geometric patterns
in many colors, but predominantly the classic blue. At the end of my visit, I was thoroughly impressed with the 75-footlong cityscape of Lisbon made in 1738. In the evening I set up an evening of Fado. The next day I took a quick train ride to the National Palace of Sintra in the city center. After a walk outside of the Palace, enjoying the views, I hopped on a bus which brought me up to the Castle of the Moors. I climbed the ramparts and saw the views of the Atlantic Ocean from atop this medieval fortress built in the 10th century. There were more beautiful castles to see; I had just a chance to see two this visit.
This whet my appetite for more.
The first night of the official tour brought us to a small restaurant tucked into a narrow street. The small restaurant was ready for us with local bread and butter, seafood stew, asparagus and sweet potato, chicken and vegetables, and Jewish “meatballs” made without any meat. Our wine glasses were never empty while we had this friendly opportunity to meet others on our adventure!
The following day we began our tour of Lisbon. First, we stopped in a neighborhood above the Targus River. We were shown the path that sailors would walk on the way to their ships leading to a long
story by Lisa Martin photos by Fay deHaas
sea journey. No other tourists, signs, or markers pointed out this area; it was our local guide who gave us this insiders’ information. The walk down the path to the river was a hopeful and somber time because of the wish for success and the fear of the sea.
Next, we visited Jeronimos Monastery, also known as the Hieronymite Monastery. Built from 1495 until 1601, it holds the remains of kings and navigator Vasco da Gama and is the site where the government signed to join the European Union. As a surprise, our guide brought us still warm custard pastries from a local bakery (a perfect mid-morning treat). Close by was the “Monument to the Discoveries” commemorating the navigational prowess of Portugal; and Belem Tower, built to protect the Portuguese and welcome sailors along the Targus River.
In the afternoon we visited Cascais, drove through the Sintra Mountains and ended in the small Palace of Queluz, which portrayed 15th century Portuguese architecture and landscape design.
A favorite experience was driving through the Arrabida Mountain range. At a certain point in the drive, the breathtaking views overlooking the ocean were complemented by the aromas of the protected rosemary, sage, and thyme plants that stretched as far as the eye could see. We stopped to rub (not pick) a few plants to inhale the aroma as we stood over the cliff at the ocean’s edge where the blue water seen hundreds of feet below was a shade impossible to describe.
The beach town of Setubal, a fishing village, was at the end of our mountain drive. The highlight was the amazing fish market. Ranked by Conde Nast as the third best in the world, you had your choice of meats, cheese, nuts, breads, and pastries and fresh fish all in one place. This market only allows line-caught fish to be sold. Each fish has a fishing line coming out of its mouth. Quality of the fish should be higher because it was
not trolled, bent and damaged in a net; makes sense!
An afternoon visits to Lagos led us on to Piety Point, a stunning view, and to Cape Saint Vincent, the southernmost point of mainland Europe where in Roman times was thought to be the end of the world. Our hotel in Lagos was right on the ocean, and the sliders were open all night, so we could hear the calm waves of the beach and breathe in the fresh air; we had both a beautiful sunset and sunrise over that crescent beach.
farm. The farm dates back hundreds of years and, much to my surprise as I don’t fancy myself a ‘horse person,’ this became one of the major highlights of my trip.
I was welcomed by the Almeida family with port wine flavored with cucumber, mint and vanilla. We admired the views, pet the horses, and we were told about the family’s history. The farm got its name from one of the family’s ancestors who fell in love with the queen of Portugal. Since she was married to the king, the ancestor lived a life of solitude painting his house black and planting black flowers to show his devotion for his forbidden love. Although the color has lightened over the many years, the name of the farm is still “negro” or black. After that history lesson, the real show began – the Lusitano horse show. We were shown multiple horses of varying ages, talents, sizes and colors. The most impres-
The next part of the trip included a visit to the Herdade Monte Negro horse stud
OPPOSITE: Batalha monastery.
TOP: A visit to the walled city of Obidos.
MIDDLE: Tour of a cork production facility.
BOTTOM: Almeida family dinner.
The trotting, kicking, and even the horses rolling over was not like anything I had ever seen. After the horse show we were invited to have lunch in the Almeida family home. Fresh bread with the family’s own olive oil, vegetable soup from the farm, chicken and zucchini in a cream broth followed by flan and hickory coffee. The hospitality of the Almeida family made us feel welcome.
From the horse farm we traveled to the medieval walled town of Evora, with a temple ruin from the 2nd-3rd century, an 18th-century cathedral, and the relaxing town square Praca do Giraldo. What brings many people to Evora is the unusual Bone Chapel, set in the Church of Saint Francis built between 1550-1575. Although this Gothic Church has the largest single vaulted church ceiling in all of Portugal, the small room built with the bones of the local cemeteries brings visitors to see what the 16th century monk wanted to reflect on -he
wanted them to reflect on the transitory nature of life. The translation for the sign in the room was “we bones that are here await yours.”
Beyond that curiosity, driving around the white walls and the aqueduct that was built by the same man who designed the Tower of Belem was a nice way to round out our visit.
Cork is one of Portugal’s main exports. At a cork production facility, we learned it takes 25 years to start to produce cork, and over 40 for it to be the quality necessary to use for bottles. This is certainly not a getrich-quick venture! It can only be harvested every 9 years and must be removed only during the months of May, June, and July to not harm the tree. Cork was made into many different items and it can be cut thin enough to use as if it was fabric. Wallets, pocketbooks, jewelry, hats, all made from different quality cork. Outside the facility was a large, tall, neat pile of cork that was estimated to be worth millions!
Seeing the Shrine of Fatima was moving. Our guide told us about the three children who had seen the apparitions in 1917 and were told to pray the rosary. I had
ABOVE: Museu Nacional do Azulejo, the National Tile Museum.
OPPOSITE: Monument to the Discoveries commemorating the navigational prowess of Portugal.
no idea that when we went to our hotel directly across the street from the shrine that I would see a 3-story tall set of rosary “beads” that were up to 3-feet across that lit up at night. That rosary was outside the new church built to accommodate nearly 13 million visitors that come to Fatima every year. In the evening we had the opportunity to observe or participate in the service led by many people from around the world, followed by a candlelight procession around the shrine. Regardless of your religious affiliation, it was a beautiful moment.
On our way back to Lisbon we stopped at the Batalha monastery and at the small fishing village of Nazare. What was especially interesting to me were the unfinished chapels at Bathalha, seven beautiful but unfinished chapels to hold the lineage of King Duarte. The fishing village of Nazare was where the largest wave was ever surfed, and it is a perfect place for lunch and shopping. My friend and I found a small restaurant down an alley where we could see the smiling elderly ladies through the window in the kitchen door cooking up a fresh delight of local fish for lunch.
The last stop before our return to Lisbon
was a visit to the walled city of Obidos. Before climbing to the top of the castle walls we were treated to a taste of the local liqueur – Ginja du Obidos, sometimes called “ginjinha,” which is a red liqueur that is made from sour cherries. Ours was enjoyed in a small dark chocolate cup. Obidos was a beautiful area with narrow weaving roads that offered great views of the surrounding area. It is a classic walled fortified Portuguese town with cobbled streets.
Back in Lisbon that night, we finished our trip in an upscale restaurant with beef carpaccio, stuffed chicken and other delights. This tour in Portugal felt authentic and our local guide gave us insider views daily. It was my first time in Portugal and I think a tour is a great way to discover a country - visiting many places, so then I can decide where I want to go back and experience in depth next time. This tour blended well with my pre-two-day independent visit
to Porto and Lisbon, and Bordeaux River Wine Cruise in France the week before. Individual travel styles are different, and for me it was fun to try three different ways to explore and learn about these areas. n
Lisa Martin, Travel Advisor, Luxury Cruise Specialist, ACC for Cruise Planners, (Land and Cruise). 860-929-0708, lisa.martin@cruiseplanners.com www.totaltraveltoday.com
Patricelli Family Foundation
City Steam Brewery for Laughs with “Upscale Casual” Menu
The capacity crowd at the 30-year-old Brew Ha Ha Comedy Club at City Steam Brewery in Hartford was entertained and fed well!
Every once in a while, we do leave WeHa, and heading downtown to this historic venue was worth the trip to enjoy the “upscale casual” menu. The venue is “pub style” with a delicious food selection along with hand-crafted brews, so our stomachs and our senses of humor were satisfied!
The regular menu is vast, and they offer daily specials, stone-baked pizzas, and even serve omelets all day. On this particular night, we stuck with standard pub fare and everyone left happy. Our appetizer was an
enormous platter of nachos, smothered with cheddar-jack cheese, and to make it perfect for sharing, all the fixings (including jalapenos) were on the side, so we could customize our own plates.
Next came the amazing burritos. We went for the Chicken Tinga, made with pulled chicken, corn and black bean salad, pico de gallo, cheddar and jack cheese, guacamole, and sour cream.
Our meal was accompanied by a Caesar salad, which of course had a perfect amount of croutons, parmesan cheese and creamy dressing. We could have, and should have, stopped there, but the four-cheese mac’n
cheese, covered with a buttery bread crumb topping, was too irresistible especially on a cool night out.
Those of you who enjoy comedy may recognize the new manager at CitySteam, Paul Gregory. He’s WeHa HA’s comedian and works with WHMedia Comedy Nights at World of Beer in Blue Back Square (tickets available on Eventbrite.com).
Every Friday and Saturday you can enjoy live comedy “downtown” at CitySteam (information available at citysteam.biz). Check it out you’ll be happy you made the time to laugh a little! n
Twin Tasters
Loaded nachos came with all of the fixin’s on the side to accomodate everyone at the table.
CitySteam manager Paul Gregory.
A Gardener’s Guide to Winter
by Karla A. Dalley
As a gardener, I always feel grateful that I live in a place with four seasons—there’s so much to appreciate about the beauty of each season, and I truly feel that without four seasons, my “gardening life” would lack some richness.
That being said, when it’s ten degrees and the wind is blowing or we’re getting a sleety mix of rain and snow, or we’re having our third snowy nor’easter in three weeks, sometimes it is hard to appreciate the beauty around us.
Well, don’t worry—I am not about to suggest that we all engage in winter snow bathing the way I suggested that we do forest bathing in our last issue! But there are lots of things that we as gardeners can do to make winter more bearable—and before we know it, spring will be upon us!
The first thing to do is get yourself some bulbs and force them. Everywhere you look right now are the “kits” with pots, instant soil, and the bulbs for winter forcing, usually paperwhite narcissus and the large red, white or bi-color amaryllis
If you have done this before, you might already know that paper white bulbs have a strong smell. You either like it or you don’t—personally, I’m fine with it. If you think it might be a problem for you, stick to amaryllis.
But don’t stop there!
The Dutch or Holland bulbs (those we usually plant in the ground now
in the fall that bloom next spring) are on sale now because it’s almost too late to plant them outside (you can plant them outside until the ground freezes but who likes to work outside in the cold?)
Buy a package of these discounted bulbs— whichever ones you like—and plant them in containers or in jars with some stones. Keep them cool and you will have lovely spring flowering bulbs much earlier than you would outdoors. Right now, I am forcing crocus, snowdrops and hyacinths—as well as five different amaryllis and two kinds of paperwhites. It’s a long winter here in Connecticut.
Easy As House Plants
If you’re not sure this is for you, there are always the easy care house plants. I have talked in this column before about house plants for winter and house plants for the holidays. But some of the easiest house plants (and no, I do not mean poinsettias!) also will make a lovely display for the holidays—and clean your air year round!
One that I am thinking of is Chinese Evergreen (aglaonema). The usual ones most folks are familiar with are green and white. But newer cultivars have leaves with leaves of red and green or pink and green—a subtle coloration just perfect for the holidays.
The photo at the top of this article is of one of the newer varieties of Chinese Evergreen. I call this plant the “anti-poinsettia.”
Even better, these plants don’t require a lot of “special” care. They like bright light but no direct sun, but they will also tolerate low light. They are known to remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Without getting too much into where these toxins come from, benzene comes from our heating systems and formaldehyde is just about everywhere in our environment—even in paper bags. So this plant is a great one to have in your home!
For the Birds
If plants aren’t your thing, how about bird watching? You really don’t even need to leave your house for this one—just sitting still by a window quite often allows you to watch a great variety of birds.
If you would like to do a little bit more, there are a number of “citizen science” projects that you can take part in. There’s the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. This is a yearly count of birds that has been going on for 118 years! This year’s dates are between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. For more information, visit www.audubon.org.
If this time doesn’t work for you, there are others. There is the Great Backyard Bird Count, where you count all the birds seen in your “backyard,” (or whatever area you designate as your backyard) over a 4-day period in February.
Finally, if you’d just like to count birds “whenever,” there are a couple of ways to do that. Ebird is a way to submit bird sightings whenever and where ever you see them. Go to www.ebird.org.
And the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a program for volunteers to count birds throughout the winter. The “count” for this winter began Nov. 10 but you can join at any time. See www.feederwatch.org.
If, after all of these activities—bulb starting, house plants and bird watching—you’re still bored, then perhaps you need to order some seed catalogs and try some more intensive indoor gardening. But that’s something for another article.
Have a wonderful holiday season—however you garden! n
Karla Dalley is a garden writer and speaker from West Hartford. kdalley@comcast.net. gardendaze.wordpress.com
Red Chinese evergreen.
GARDEN brought to you by Jeff Hodges Landscaping
Bi-colored and white amaryllis.
2018 Best of West Hartford Winners + Runners Up!
Photos by Todd Fairchild
Winners, finalists, friends and associates gathered at Flemings in November to watch the reveal of the winners of the 4th annual Best of West Hartford (people’s choice awards) .
The event was attended by 225 “Who’s Who” in business in West Hartford. It celebrated 137 finalists, honored 44 winners, and of those winners, 12 business selected by a confidential committee to represent a cross-section of what is best about West Hartford. These 12 were put on the spot to appear in a video production that was being created realtime during the networking portion of the event.
Valet parking was free for the night of the event thanks to Blue Back Square. Ticket purchasing and the registration process was streamlined by sponsor Andrew Moran, Merchant Solutions, with the assistance of Linda Zotter. Kaoud Rugs and Carpets and Keating Insurance introduced an innovative photo booth concept – Mirror Me Photo Booth By L&B Mirror Entertainment, and special thanks to Experience We-Ha’s, Jeff Loviano.
Dinner spread was provided by Fleming’s (special thanks to Elizabeth Kiyak and Bentley Torres), crudité by Crown Market, and dessert by Hartford Baking Company – presented alongside a Best of West Hartford custom ice sculpture centerpiece sponsored by Uberdog.
The raffle team, headed up by Charles Hilborn from Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home and Karen Fillian from EDENS – The Shops at Bishops Corner and Crossroads Plaza, did an amazing job of collecting items from all over town. Visit We-Ha.com and search “best of West Hartford” for videos and more details and photos.
Best Preschool/Daycare
1st Lollipop Tree Nursery School
2nd Mandell JCC, Beatrice Fox Auerbach Early
Childhood Center
3rd St. Joseph School for Young Children
Best Camp
1st Renbrook School Summer Adventure
2nd Camp KO
3rd Camp Shalom
Best Bakery
1st Hartford Baking Co.
2nd Elmwood Pastry Shop
3rd Classic Cakes
Best Breakfast Restaurant
1st Effie’s Place Family Restaurant
2nd Blue Plate Kitchen
3rd ..... Quaker Diner
Best Tea
1st ...... Green Teahouse
2nd Tea Break
3rd Café Sofia
Best Coffee
1st J. René Coffee Roasters
2nd .... Café Sofia
3rd SPoT
Best Brunch
1st Pond House
2nd Grants
3rd ..... Artisan
Best Family Restaurant
1st ...... Corner Pug
2nd A.C. Petersen Farms
3rd Effie’s Place
Best Fine Dining
1st Fleming’s Prime
2nd .... Max’s Oyster Bar
3rd Treva
Best Grocery Store
1st Hall’s Market
2nd Crown
3rd ..... A Dong
Best Ice Cream
1st A.C. Petersen Farms
2nd Abby Dabby TIED Milkcraft
3rd Ben & Jerry’s
Best Pizza
1st Harry’s Bishops Corner
2nd Savoy
3rd ..... Jimmie’s Pizza
Best Business Lunch
1st ...... Restaurant BRICCO
2nd Max Oyster Bar
3rd Park & Oak Restaurant
Best Wine Shop
1st The Wise Old Dog
2nd Harvest Wine & Spirits
3rd Harvey’s Wine & Liquors
Best Burger Restaurant
1st ...... Max Burger
2nd Plan B
3rd Corner Pug
Best Ethnic Restaurant
1st Zohara
2nd .... Black Bamboo Chinese
3rd Bombay Olive
Best Exercise/Fitness
1st Mandell JCC Greater Hartford
2nd Orange Theory Fitness
3rd ..... WIP
Best Hair Salon
1st ...... Salon Medusa
2nd Off Center Salon
3rd Matthew Phillips
Best Barber Shop
1st Degras
2nd .... Bristle & Blade
3rd Final Cuts Sports Barber
Best Spa
1st Touch of Bliss
2nd Body and Sole
3rd ..... Face RX Medspa
Best Yoga
1st ...... West Hartford Yoga
2nd Yoga Shop
3rd Mandell JCC
Best Home Health Care
1st Companions for Living
2nd JFS Care at Home
3rd Juniper Homecare
Best Assisted Living
1st The McAuley
2nd Hoffman Summerwood TIED Chatfield
3rd ..... Court of St. James
Best Lawn/Landscaping Contractor
1st ...... Eco Turf
2nd Trout Brook Landscaping
3rd Chenail Lawn Care
Best Pet Services
1st UberDog
2nd Pet Supplies Plus
3rd Woof Gang TIED Dogology
Best Pet Vets
1st ...... Vet Specialists of CT
2nd CT Veterinary Center
3rd Petcare Vet Specialists
Best Real Estate Company
1st William Raveis Real Estate
2nd .... Coldwell Banker
3rd HART Real Estate
Best Wealth Management/ Financial Planning
1st Charles Schwab
2nd Northstar Wealth Partners
3rd ..... Valerie Thomas TIED GYL Financial Synergies
Best Home Improvement Contractor
1st ...... Bartlett Brainard
2nd McNally Home Improvement
3rd Magee Companies
Best Bank/Financial Institution
1st Simsbury Bank
2nd .... Farmington Bank
3rd KEY Bank
Best Garden/Florist
1st Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe
2nd Lane & Lenge Florist
3rd ..... Butler Florist
Best Law Firm
1st ...... Eagan, Donohue, Van Dyke & Falsey
2nd Weinstein & Wisser
3rd Stanger Stanfield
Best Entertainment
1st Playhouse on Park
2nd West Hartford Symphony Orchestra
3rd Cinépolis
Best Happy Hour
1st World of Beer
2nd Treva
3rd ..... Ocho Café
Best Late Night Spot
1st ...... Barcelona West Hartford
2nd Grants
3rd Vinted Wne Bar & Kitchen
Best Eye Wear
1st Harvey & Lewis TIED Central Optica
2nd Dr. Neil W. Kemp
3rd Sight
Best Specialty Retail
1st ...... Toy Chest
2nd Penzeys Spices
3rd Cookshop Plus
Best Home Décor
1st Larsen’s ACE Hardware
2nd .... John Boyle Home Décor
3rd Kaoud Oriental Rugs
Write In
1st Black Diamond
2nd The Children’s Museum
3rd ..... White Rabbit
Best Gala (local event)
1st ...... Ron’s Run, Ron Foley Foundation
2nd Children’s Charity Ball, The Bridge Family Center
