Jonathan Biss
Saturday night we were treated to a new experience; thank you to brother Brian. We were given tickets to go and see the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra featuring pianist Jonathan Biss at the Ordway. It was a special program where Jonathan Biss would center on a program that juxtaposes Mozart concerti with works by Gyorgy Kurtag, directing the orchestra from the keyboard as well as performing. This was new territory for both of us. Neither of us had been to the Ordway. We weren't sure what to expect but thought a concert pianist experience warranted dressing up a bit. A dress for me and suit and tie for Steve. Saturday was unseasonably warm for October in Minnesota, it was eight-two degrees out when we left the house. We were hoping it would be cool in the Ordway.
Before the concert we were going to have a bite to eat. We're simple people and decided to hit Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul, it's legendary for pizza and being crowded. We arrived, parked and went inside to a full house as it were. Then we were informed it would be a 45 minute wait. Unfortunately, we were not willing to wait forty-five minutes for legendary pizza. So on to plan B. I needed to formulate a plan B.
I said, "you know there is a Carbone's near by." We both love Carbone's pizza. I said, "this is the first Carbone's pizza I'd ever known and we got pizza from there and ate there when I was a kid." Steve was game. Up the street we went and parked and walked into the pizzaria and the glorious scent of Carbone's pizza. It wasn't crowded. We were pleased. We ordered a large pepperoni & sausage pizza and an order of garlic cheese bread. It's okay we love each other and were both eating it so it was all good for date night eats.
It's pretty cool when a place you knew as a kid is still in business. It speaks well of their food and management. I verified that this was indeed the very first Carbone's to open and our waitress confirmed my suspicions. It lived up to memory and the pizza matched the flavors of our favorite Carbone's pizza place in Forest Lake. We couldn't have been happier. Actually, we were very happy, since it wasn't so crowded we could talk and enjoy our meal without feeling rushed and without having to yell at one another to converse. After our dinner we headed back to downtown St. Paul.
It was the night of the Zombie Pub Crawl, a Wild Hockey game, and a spelling bee, and who knows what else was happening downtown. We saw assorted zombies walking the streets of St. Paul there was a rock band in Mear's Park and a whole street lined with food trucks. We saw legions of Wild hockey fans adorned in their jersey's and we found parking.
A short walk from parking and we were at the Ordway. I can't say I've been to a lot of big cities and not that St. Paul is a big city. But it's my concept of a big city. We'll especially considering it's conjoined with Minneapolis at the Mississippi River. It feels even bigger. But St. Paul is, well, special to me. It's the city I know. At night, it's a pretty city, the parks are adorned with twinkling lights and there are horse drawn carriages, there are cobblestone streets and historic buildings with beautiful architecture. It's small and big all at once. I find it endearing.
We were a tad bit early and waited for a bit until they permitted seating in the theater. I was surprised by the range of ages and varied dress of the attendees. There were young and old, those in jeans and casual wear to those dressed to the nines. Having never had attended such a concert I'm glad we errored on the side of dressy rather than casual.
The lights went down and the St. Paul Orchestra Ensemble entered the theater, took their places, warmed up ever so slightly, then Jonathan Biss entered the theater. Jonathan Biss took a few moments to talk about what he was working on with the SPCO and what they would be performing for the evening, Kurtag and Mozart. Find here a sampling.
Before the concert we were going to have a bite to eat. We're simple people and decided to hit Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul, it's legendary for pizza and being crowded. We arrived, parked and went inside to a full house as it were. Then we were informed it would be a 45 minute wait. Unfortunately, we were not willing to wait forty-five minutes for legendary pizza. So on to plan B. I needed to formulate a plan B.
I said, "you know there is a Carbone's near by." We both love Carbone's pizza. I said, "this is the first Carbone's pizza I'd ever known and we got pizza from there and ate there when I was a kid." Steve was game. Up the street we went and parked and walked into the pizzaria and the glorious scent of Carbone's pizza. It wasn't crowded. We were pleased. We ordered a large pepperoni & sausage pizza and an order of garlic cheese bread. It's okay we love each other and were both eating it so it was all good for date night eats.
It's pretty cool when a place you knew as a kid is still in business. It speaks well of their food and management. I verified that this was indeed the very first Carbone's to open and our waitress confirmed my suspicions. It lived up to memory and the pizza matched the flavors of our favorite Carbone's pizza place in Forest Lake. We couldn't have been happier. Actually, we were very happy, since it wasn't so crowded we could talk and enjoy our meal without feeling rushed and without having to yell at one another to converse. After our dinner we headed back to downtown St. Paul.
It was the night of the Zombie Pub Crawl, a Wild Hockey game, and a spelling bee, and who knows what else was happening downtown. We saw assorted zombies walking the streets of St. Paul there was a rock band in Mear's Park and a whole street lined with food trucks. We saw legions of Wild hockey fans adorned in their jersey's and we found parking.
A short walk from parking and we were at the Ordway. I can't say I've been to a lot of big cities and not that St. Paul is a big city. But it's my concept of a big city. We'll especially considering it's conjoined with Minneapolis at the Mississippi River. It feels even bigger. But St. Paul is, well, special to me. It's the city I know. At night, it's a pretty city, the parks are adorned with twinkling lights and there are horse drawn carriages, there are cobblestone streets and historic buildings with beautiful architecture. It's small and big all at once. I find it endearing.
We were a tad bit early and waited for a bit until they permitted seating in the theater. I was surprised by the range of ages and varied dress of the attendees. There were young and old, those in jeans and casual wear to those dressed to the nines. Having never had attended such a concert I'm glad we errored on the side of dressy rather than casual.
The lights went down and the St. Paul Orchestra Ensemble entered the theater, took their places, warmed up ever so slightly, then Jonathan Biss entered the theater. Jonathan Biss took a few moments to talk about what he was working on with the SPCO and what they would be performing for the evening, Kurtag and Mozart. Find here a sampling.
Was it an enjoyable experience? You bet. Was it something we would have choosen on our own? Probably not. Are we thankful brother gave us his tickets? You know it. We have within us a sense of adventure. A wanting to have and share new experiences together. A desire to explore the unknown, and for us, this outing filled the bill. It was a peaceful experience, in that it was soothing to the soul, music often has that affect on me. It also felt glamorous going to the theater. It was an enjoyable evening and one we are grateful for experiencing. Thank you Brother.
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