Video killed the radio star
IVANA LARROSA, visual artist and performer
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
IVANA LARROSA • visual artist and performer
Neighborhood you live in: West Village
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
Working on a video piece I recorded last winter on Governors Island. Before heading to dinner, my husband and I are meeting friends for happy hour , either at Tile Bar or Nudibranch in the East Village. If it’s Nudibranch, I’ll order the Heat of Passion cocktail — tequila, passion fruit, and Korean chilis — along with the tender lemongrass-accented frog legs and the creamy duck croquettes.
Where are you drinking or dining this weekend?
I’m from Spain and have a lot of Spanish friends in New York, so we’re meeting some Spaniard friends for a real Spanish gin and tonic at my favorite Galician restaurant, Tomiňo on the Lower East Side, before heading to Sofreh in Prospect Heights for Persian food. I haven’t been in a long time, and it’s one of my favorite restaurants in New York.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I like spending time at Hudson River Park with a good book — I’m currently reading The Creative Act of Being by Rick Rubin — or visiting some galleries in Chelsea. Spring is always full of amazing performances in New York City. Most recently, I went to see Joan Jonas and Jason Moran at MoMA, and “Nail Biter” by Beth Gill at NYU Skirball.
Any weekend getaways?
A few short trips I’ve recently taken include Philadelphia to go to the Mütter Museum, Dia Beacon (I love the train ride up the Hudson River), and Mystic, CT, where I had some great meals at the Shipwright’s Daughter and The Port of Call, where they also happen to shake up great cocktails.
What was your last great vacation?
My husband is a food and travel writer, so we’re on the move a lot. And I often photograph for his articles, so our travels are more like “work trips” but they’re always fun and full of great food and drink. Lately, it’s been a couple of weeks in beautiful Prague, Andalucía in southern Spain to indulge in the best jamon Iberico de bellota, and more recently, went back to my native La Rioja to visit family. We’re also going to do a road trip through Galicia and Asturias and end up in San Sebastian in the Basque Country.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I adore Fabrique, a Swedish bakery in the West Village that makes great bread and (around the holidays) a fantastic saffron bun. My husband and I like to walk to Pier 57 and get the taco Arabe at Mijo. The rooftop park at the pier offers amazing views of Little Island and the Hudson River.