Chef Michel Richard Creates Garden Café Français at the National Gallery of Art in Honor of Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris

Washington, DC — Inspired by Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris, award-winning Chef Michel Richard is transforming the menu of the Gallery's Garden Café with classic French dishes. Chef Richard is chef and owner of Central Michel Richard in Washington, DC. The exhibition is on view in the West Building through January 5, 2014.

The new Garden Café Français menu, available October 21, is presented in partnership with Restaurant Associates and Executive Chef Pierre Cummings at the National Gallery of Art.

Garden Café Français

Chef Richard’s buffet ($20.75) incorporates a variety of traditional French dishes featuring hearty seasonal ingredients, including rustic baguette; a salad with Lola Rosa greens, toasted almonds, garlic croutons, and champagne vinaigrette; tomato quiche; duck confit with red beet potato puree; bouillabaisse; carrot ribbon salad; and rich chocolate mousse for dessert. Recipe cards for selected dishes are offered to guests free of charge.

White, red, and sparkling wines from French vineyards, as well as beer from France, complement the menu. Non-alcoholic beverage offerings include juice, soda, bottled water, coffee, espresso, and tea.

Garden Café Français is open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. A preconcert menu of light fare, desserts, and beverages is offered from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays to accommodate visitors who attend the free Sunday evening concerts in the West Garden Court. One of the most distinctive dining spots in the nation's capital, the Garden Café features a delightful 19th-century French marble sculpture after Jacopo Sansovino, Bacchus and a Faun, and a fountain with Herbert Adams' bronze Girl with Water Lilies (model 1928).

The Garden Café is located in the West Building near the entrance at 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. To make reservations for groups of eight or more, please contact the café manager at (202) 712-7454. For more information about the Gallery and its restaurants, visit www.nga.gov/dining.

History of Themed Garden Cafés at the National Gallery of Art

Themed Garden Cafés in the West Building began in 2004 during the early planning for the 2006 exhibition Cézanne in Provence, when the Gallery was approached by staff from The Chamber of Commerce of Marseilles, who offered to bring eight chefs to Washington, DC, as part of a larger effort to cross-promote the exhibition and the region of Provence that Paul Cézanne loved and celebrated in his art. In recent years, the dining scene in the nation’s capital has risen to such heights that the Gallery is able to invite local chefs with international reputations who have familiarity with the Gallery to transform the Garden Café menu thematically with selected major exhibitions.

Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris

National Gallery of Art, West Building

September 29, 2013–January 5, 2014

Best known for his photographs of Paris made during the city’s extensive transformations in the 1860s, the renowned French photographer Charles Marville worked in many genres, including portraiture, landscape, and architectural studies. This first retrospective exhibition in the United States dedicated to Marville features some 100 photographs covering the arc of his career, from romantic portraits and landscapes to compelling photographs of streets slated for imminent demolition and studies chronicling the emergence of modern Paris as the City of Light. The exhibition is accompanied by the first scholarly catalogue devoted to Marville.

The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

The exhibition in Washington is made possible through the generous support of Leonard and Elaine Silverstein. Additional support is provided by The Exhibition Circle of the National Gallery of Art.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. With the exception of the atrium and library, the galleries in the East Building will be closing gradually beginning in July 2013 and will remain closed for approximately three years for Master Facilities Plan and renovations. For specific updates on gallery closings, visit www.nga.gov/renovation.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The 10 Best Quotes from The Simpsons

	Ralph Wiggum: Me fail English? That's unpossible.
	Lionel Hutz: Now don't you worry, Mrs. Simpson, I... uh-oh. We've drawn Judge Snyder. Marge: Is that bad? Lionel Hutz: Well, he's had it in for me ever since I kinda ran over his dog. Marge: You did? Lionel Hutz: Well, replace the word "kinda" with the word "repeatedly," and the word "dog" with "son."
	Homer: Maybe, just once, someone will call me 'Sir' without adding, 'You're making a scene.'
	Hans Moleman: We Germans are not a warlike people.
	Marge: Whatever happened to good old fashioned town pride? Lisa: It's been going downhill ever since the lake caught fire.
	Abe: You see, back in those days, rich men would ride around in zeppelins, dropping coins on people, and one day I seen J.D. Rockefeller flying by. So I run out of the house with a big washtub and... hey! Where are you going? Anyway, about my washtub. I'd just used it that morning to wash my turkey, which in those days was known as a walking-bird. We'd always have walking-bird on Thanksgiving, with all the trimmings: cranberries, injun eyes, yams stuffed with gunpowder. Then we'd all watch football, which in those days was called baseball...
	Homer: Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.
	Smithers: People see you as somewhat of an ogre. Burns: Why I ought to club them and eat their bones!
	Mulder: Mr. Simpson, we want you to recreate your every move the night you saw the alien. Homer: The evening began at the gentlemen's club, where we were discussing Wittgenstein over a game of backgammon. Scully: Mr. Simpson, it's a felony to lie to the FBI. Homer: We were sitting in Barney's car eating packets of mustard. Happy?
	Troy McClure: Hi! I’m Troy McClure, you may remember me from such self-help videos as “Smoke Yourself Thin” and “Get Some Confidence, Stupid!”

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Mobil Five Star San Francisco Restaurant One of Nation's Elite for Six Years

The award-winning restaurant GARY DANKO is moving into its seventh year with a flourish. The restaurant has received its sixth Five Star rating from Mobil as well as a Relais & Chateau designation, and reviews continue to extol its delights. At this point, most chefs would relax and count their blessings, but not the unstinting Danko.

"We may be three thousand miles and twelve blocks off Broadway, but what we do here is definitely theatre," explains Danko. "We work hard to ensure that each evening's 'performance' is seamless and magical."

The well-trained staff has been chosen from the city's most dedicated and professional servers. Their elegant suits complement the restaurant's décor, a mélange of relaxed California modern and Upper East Side chic. This mix is also reflected in the restaurant's style of service, a graceful blend of polished professionalism and straightforward friendliness.

Danko has created an enveloping, intimate space. The two adjoining rooms are elegant without being stiff, and the banquette seating provides both luxury and comfort. Taupe-toned walls are the perfect backdrops for museum-quality modern paintings from artists Hunt Slonem, Erin Parish, and Angelina Nasso. Dramatic pin-spot lighting sets the stage for the multi-act meals. "I spent endless hours in high school building and painting stage sets," explains Danko, "and I love the drama of New York restaurants. This is the only restaurant I've ever wanted, and I am constantly adjusting it to match my vision of the perfect room and the perfect meal."

"You don't just open a great restaurant," confides the hard-working Danko. "It's a constant work-in-progress." He continues to hone the experience at GARY DANKO with some striking changes. A handsome cheese case now allows diners to view the restaurant's carefully aged cheese selection. This case is just a slice of the restaurant's expansive cheese service. With a global selection of artisanal cheeses and ongoing classes and tastings for the staff, Danko's cheese service is one of the best in the country. Here, attractive granite cheese carts arrive tableside with an array that includes favorites such as Brillat-Savarin and Reblochon, as well as limited-production "handmades" from Vermont's Willow Hill, Sally Jackson in Washington State, and California's Laura Chenel and Cypress Grove creameries.

Danko's cooking centers on lively, seasonal dishes prepared with a careful eye toward classical technique. "My cooking is not cutting edge," insists Danko. "I won't serve guinea pig food. We do not experiment on the guests!" Signature dishes of roast lobster, foie gras, and lamb loin are served year round, and accompaniments reflect the changes in season. For example, seared foie gras, paired with Bing cherries in late spring, appears with roast figs in early fall. The prix-fixe menu offers three-, four-, or five-course meals, and wines can also be paired with each course for a set price. The ever-expanding cellar now holds over 1,500 wines and includes an exceptional selection of grand vintages as well as coveted wines from small producers.

A meal at GARY DANKO now includes a tea service with teas from the exclusive Rishi Tea Company. The premium quality leaves are carefully brewed at precise temperatures and exact times, and teas (which include rare Ti Quan Yin and beautifully scented Jasmine Pearls) are served in the traditional Asian style. The skillful staff presents these aromatic beverages with the same care that is given to Danko's vaunted wines.

The GARY DANKO experience now reaches beyond the confines of San Francisco. Danko has recently acquired property in the Napa Valley town of Yountville. This property will be developed as a small farm to grow produce and herbs for the restaurant. "We're constantly burnishing and upgrading here. This will ensure us greater control over the ingredients we use," allows Danko. "We're organic in the true sense of the word," he laughs. "This restaurant is a living, growing thing."

GARY DANKO is located at 800 North Point at Hyde Street in San Francisco and serves dinner nightly from 5:30 PM. The restaurant also includes an eleven-seat bar, offers valet parking, and is wheelchair accessible. Major credit cards are accepted and reservations are recommended. Visit GARY DANKO on the Web at www.garydanko.com. For more information or to make a reservation, call (415) 749-2060.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth Exhibiting The Age of Picasso and Matisse: Modern Masters from the Art Institute of Chicago

One hundred years ago, the Art Institute of Chicago presented one of the most legendary displays of art ever held in America—the International Exhibition of Modern Art, better known today as the Armory Show, after its first venue, the Lexington Avenue Armory in New York City. The exhibition brought to the United States of 1913 a dizzying array of brand-new art from Europe, joined with the newest trends in painting and sculpture by native-born artists—1300 works by some 300 artists in total.

As it had in New York and would in Boston, the Armory Show aroused both the interest and scorn of collectors and the public. Paintings by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Marcel Duchamp challenged accepted ideas of “true art” and threatened to upset the balance of American taste. In Chicago, only a few of the works in the show stayed behind, but the city had been afforded a glimpse of what was to come in the 20th century. Part of that future would involve the Art Institute of Chicago becoming one of the greatest collections of modern European art in the world.

Nearly 100 of the Art Institute’s most outstanding masterpieces will be on view at the Kimbell in The Age of Picasso and Matisse: Modern Masters from the Art Institute of Chicago. This exhibition—a loan show of unprecedented depth and quality—will allow residents of and visitors to another American city to appreciate Chicago’s stupendous modern collection for the first time. Following upon the success of the Kimbell’s 2008 exhibition of Impressionist masterworks from the Art Institute, The Age of Picasso and Matisse will tell the story of European art in the first half of the 20th century through the holdings of one of the world’s best encyclopedic museums.

Picasso and Matisse, the artists whose names figure in the exhibition’s title, were the towering geniuses of art in Europe from the first decade of the century until Matisse’s death in the 1950s. They were both friends and rivals, often (and simplistically) juxtaposed as the great organizer of forms—Picasso—and the great manipulator of colors—Matisse. Their paintings and sculpture will be found throughout the exhibition.

Picasso’s Old Guitarist of 1903, the earliest work in the exhibition, is one of the most beloved paintings of the artist’s blue period. It was finished in Barcelona, after the young Spaniard had visited Paris and discovered the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin. The work of the Postimpressionists was also important to Matisse, whose brightly colored paintings of the very first years of the century—wild, “Fauve” canvases inspired by Vincent van Gogh—gave way to a more controlled style in his mural-sized compositions. The greatest of these may be his Bathers by a River, begun as a lyrical landscape in 1909 and by 1917 transformed into a bold but carefully ordered study of enigmatic figures in complex space.

A wide variety of artists from across Europe are represented in the exhibition, including major figures from Germany, Italy, Russia, and Spain. Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi moved to Paris in 1904. Over the next 20 years, his sculpture grew increasingly stylized and simplified, as shown in his inspired Golden Bird of 1919–20, purchased by the American art collector John Quinn and acquired by the Arts Club of Chicago in 1926. Inspired by a mythical creature in Romanian legend, it is one of three sculptures by Brancusi in the exhibition.

The Catalan painter Joan Miró will be represented by six examples, including the large-scale Policeman of 1925, inspired by dreams. Against a neutral background, the mustachioed, red-gloved policeman and his horse seem like naïve shapes imagined by a child. As it happens, Miró’s sophisticated “dream paintings” are among the most important works of his career, influencing the course of abstraction in the art of a later generation.

Miró’s paintings are among a large group of Surrealist paintings and sculpture in Chicago, richly represented in the exhibition with works by Paul Delvaux, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, and the best known of the Surrealists—Salvador Dalí, another Catalan painter who became an art-world celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s. Inventions of the Monsters was painted in Austria in 1937, on the eve of the German occupation; when it was purchased by the Art Institute in 1943, Dalí told Chicago curators that the painting had been a prophecy of the apocalypse of World War II.

The Age of Picasso and Matisse will take visitors up to the years around that war. The show’s last gallery, like its first, will be anchored by masterpieces by each title artist. Telling the fascinating story of five decades of art in Europe, this resplendent exhibition brings some of the world’s most renowned works of art to new audiences.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Norman Rockwell Museum Presents Wendell Minor’s America

Award-winning illustrator Wendell Minor drew his way through childhood in Aurora, Illinois, inspired by the richly illustrated magazines that were so much a part of American life during the mid-twentieth century. Today he is considered one of our nation’s premier historical illustrators, traveling throughout the United States to research, draw and paint on location, and immerse himself in the subject at hand. This fall Norman Rockwell Museum celebrates the artist’s four-decade career, highlighting his many cover illustrations and 25th anniversary illustrating children’s books, each inspired by his love of history, art, science, and the natural world—”Wendell Minor’s America” is on view at the Museum from November 9, 2013 through May 26, 2014.

“Wendell Minor’s America” traces the personal and artistic journey of the acclaimed book illustrator and admirer of Norman Rockwell, through original artwork, artifacts, and references from Minor’s expansive visual chronicles, as well as commentary about his collaborations with our nation’s most prominent authors, scientists, and historians; highlights include original work from such books as “Reaching for the Moon” and “Look to the Stars” by Buzz Aldrin; “Sitting Bull Remembers” by Ann Turner; “Abraham Lincoln Comes Home” by Robert Burleigh; “Arctic Son” by Jean Craighead George; “Shane” by Jack Schaefer; and “America the Beautiful” by Katharine Lee Bates. The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue featuring essays by many of the noted authors and editors with whom Minor has partnered.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough, who has collaborated with the artist on such books as “1776,” “John Adams,” and “Truman,” will offer remarks during a special exhibition opening to be held at the Museum on Saturday, November 9, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The author recently remarked that “Minor is always showing what he loves—the great outdoors, crystal night skies, the moon in all its phases, the plain vernacular architecture of American small towns and remote farm houses… showing what you love to your audience is the heart of effective teaching. Besides being a supremely gifted artist and natural storyteller, Wendell Minor is a very great teacher—which is another reason why his work is of such value.”

“Norman Rockwell Museum is honored to present ‘Wendell Minor’s America,’” states Chief Curator Stephanie Plunkett. “Like so many throughout the world, we have long admired Wendell Minor’s beautifully conceived artworks and designs, which underscore his belief that words and pictures, imagined in concert with one another, have the power to expand meaning.”

“Wendell has been a long-time friend and trustee of Norman Rockwell Museum,” adds Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt. “He has helped guide the Museum’s illustration vision, and been a strong voice for collecting and scholarship relating to this important American art form. We are delighted to have the opportunity to share his own masterful work with our visitors.”

“I always looked forward to a Norman Rockwell cover,” says Wendell Minor. “Somehow I felt he brought people and places to life. I distinctly remember his ‘Saturday Evening Post’ cover, ‘Breaking Home Ties’—in 1954 I looked at that painting and said, ‘I’m going to go away someday, to school and learn how to draw. I think every Rockwell painting that I saw gave me that sense of wanting to find that America.”

Presented through Norman Rockwell Museum’s Distinguished Illustrator Series, “Wendell Minor’s America” will take visitors on a journey through history, from sea to shining sea, reflecting on the artist’s love of our country’s varied landscape and a deep respect for the environment.

About Wendell Minor

Since his childhood in Aurora, Illinois, Wendell Minor (b. 1944) has had a romance with America. And as he explores more regions more closely, his love of the country grows with a vision that celebrates the beautiful, the lyrical. After completing his studies at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, Minor began creating original designs for Hallmark Cards, as well as book publishers in New York City. His cover illustrations have enhanced more than 2,000 works.

The artist draws upon his lifelong affinity for environmental issues to create illustrations for children’s books, which he finds especially satisfying. They allow him to combine his love of the outdoors with his independent pursuits— including painting the landscape from life, in the tradition of classic American painters such as Homer, Hopper, and Wyeth. His wish is to inspire children to go out into the fields and woods and mountains to see wildlife in its natural habitat, and to give the children a positive perspective about the beauty that abounds in the world.

To research his children’s books, Minor has traveled from the tropical Everglades to the Arctic Circle to the Midwest to the Grand Canyon. He loves bringing the scenes of nature to children and is particularly close to the children’s books he has illustrated. Minor has said, “A picture invites the viewer into it and offers a sense of mystery. It lets the viewer become part of the process.”

His award-winning books have frequently been named on the annual lists for Notable Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies, Outstanding Science Trade Books, and IRA Teachers’ Choices. His books have also received the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and Parents’ Choice Awards and been featured on PBS’s The Reading Rainbow.

Wendell Minor has had numerous solo exhibitions, and his work can be found in the permanent collections of Norman Rockwell Museum, the Illinois State Museum, Muskegon Museum of Art, Mattatuck Museum (of Connecticut), the Mazza Museum at Findlay University, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Museum of American Illustration, NASA, Arizona Historical Society, U.S. Coast Guard and the Library of Congress.

He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, he serves on the Advisory Council for the Connecticut Center for the Book, and is a member of The Children’s Book Council (CBC), a non-profit trade organization dedicated to encouraging literacy and the use and enjoyment of children’s books. Referring to himself as a “recovering dyslexic,” he speaks in classrooms across the country, sharing with students of all ages the difficulties he experienced with reading as a child, and for those who have similar difficulties, how they too can overcome them.

Minor lives and works with his wife, Florence, and their two cats, in rural Connecticut.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Masa's of San Francisco Is At The Top of Michael Bauer's Favorite Dishes List

Masa's, one of San Francisco's leading fine-dining establishments, is proud to announce the approval of legendary food critic, Michael Bauer, who stated Gregory Short at Masa's is one of the most talented chefs in the city and this seafood presentation is only one example. Each of the items - lobster, calamari, uni are perfectly cooked and accented with daikon, black sesame, aji Amarillo (chiles) and seaweed. It's part of the $98 four-course menu, in his recent article in Inside Scoop for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Executive Chef Gregory Short has preserved the culinary tradition of Masa's legendary founder Masataki Kobayashi for the past seven years with his inspired, seasonal four- and seven-course degustation menus highlighting the best available ingredients. "Masa's has been and will continue to be a canvas for many talented chefs. The culinary standards expected of this establishment endure to sustain its success. I am proud to be a component of a long standing tradition," said Executive Chef Gregory Short.

Chef Short's dishes paired with an extensive wine list of 800 selections presided over by Master Sommelier Alan Murray are a testament to the expertise and passion that have made it a fine-dining destination.

About Masa's

For over 25 years and continuing in the tradition of legendary founder Masataki Kobayashi, Masa's Restaurant in San Francisco has made its reputation with a succession of world-renowned chefs that have deftly walked the line between culinary adventure and classicism. Chef Gregory Short and Master Sommelier Alan Murray delight in presenting nightly four- and seven-course degustation fine dining menus highlighting the best of the season and region, the restaurant's 800-strong wine list and otherworldly cocktails at the exclusive bar.

Designed by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, Masa's restaurant dining room is a gracious and elegant triumph of modern simplicity and warmth. Entering into a calming foyer and bar of creamy sandstone, guests are welcomed into an intimate space filled with white, toile d'Juoy fabric-covered chairs and tables topped with Masa's signature vases of roses. Cranberry-hued, silk lampshades suspended from above offer a warm glow. In the center of the room is the fanciful, hammered-bronze sculpture commissioned from artist Albert Guibara called Les Muses de La Cuisine depicting dancing figures holding artichokes, asparagus and grapes.

Seatings are available from Tuesday to Saturday, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Guests may reserve today by calling the restaurant at 415.989.7154, or by email at reservations@masasrestaurant.com.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Lawrence Kasdan New Writer of Star Wars: Episode VII

Michael Arndt is no longer writing the script for Star Wars: Episode VII.

Screenwriting duties are being taken over by Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and by J.J. Abrams, who is already on board as director.

"I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have Larry and J.J. working on the script," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a post on StarWars.com. "There are very few people who fundamentally understand the way a Star Wars story works like Larry, and it is nothing short of incredible to have him even more deeply involved in its return to the big screen. J.J. of course is an incredible storyteller in his own right. Michael Arndt has done a terrific job bringing us to this point and we have an amazing filmmaking and design team in place already prepping for production."

Arndt has been working on Star Wars even before Disney announced it was buying Lucasfilm in October 2012, writing a 40- to 50-page treatment for Episode VII. The announcement also contained the news that Disney was planning new movies in the Star Wars universe, including Episode VII, with a 2015 release planned. Then in late 2012, Arndt was formally hired to write the screenplay.

While George Lucas is considered the author of the stories for the Star Wars movies, the screenplays for both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were written with collaborators.

Kasdan and Leigh Brackett collaborated on the script for Empire -- considered by many fans and most critics to be the best story of all the Star Wars movies -- and also worked with Lucas on Return.

The Episode VII script news was announced on StarWars.com, which also revealed the below-the-line crew that Abrams has assembled, which includes Dan Mindel, the director of photography behind Abrams' Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Also on board are production designers Rick Carter (Lincoln, Avatar) and Darren Gilford (Oblivion, TRON: Legacy), costume designer Michael Kaplan (Star Trek Into Darkness, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Fight Club), special effects supervisor Chris Corbould (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception), sound designer Ben Burtt (Wall-E, Star Wars: Episodes I-VI), re-recording mixer Gary Rydstrom (Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan), supervising sound editor Matthew Wood (The Master, There Will Be Blood) of Skywalker Sound, and visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett (Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith) of Industrial Light & Magic. from The Hollywood Reporter.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Justin Timberlake's Southern Hospitality in Denver Hits One Million Dollars in Revenue

Southern Hospitality Restaurant and Bar in Denver, Colorado, developed by Smokin Concepts Development Corporation (OTCQB:RIBS), today announced the company has reached a milestone revenue figure since the restaurant's opening on February 21, 2013. The unaudited top-line revenues for opening through July 9, 2013 exceed $1 Million.

The Company has several new marketing campaigns in the works for the third and fourth quarters of 2013 to continue the strong upward momentum and take advantage of the bustling downtown Denver scene.

Southern Hospitality has geared up for the hot summer months with their newest campaign, "The First One's On Us!" Free beer vouchers are flowing as fast as the tap and the restaurant expects to pick up the tab for over 10,000 free beers a month. The additional foot traffic is expected to be a great new revenue source, especially during pre- and post game times from nearby Coors Field.

The restaurant already boasts a Bourbon Room with the largest selection of bourbons and whiskeys in the area and a wine list to challenge the finer restaurants in town. The Southern Hospitality brand features classic Memphis style barbeque, regional barbeque favorites, twists on traditional southern dishes, sandwiches, salads and mouthwatering desserts.

About Southern Hospitality

Southern Hospitality restaurants, created jointly by friends Eytan Sugarman, Justin Timberlake, and Trace Ayala, strive to provide guests with fresh, high quality southern inspired food complimented with an appealing selection of popular micro-brews and an extensive variety of bourbons, in a hip and high energy environment. We believe "Southern Hospitality" is a quality so genuine that we chose it as our philosophy when it comes to how we build our restaurants, prepare our dishes and service our guests. We look forward to welcoming you to Southern Hospitality in our warm, friendly and generous style. When you're here, you're home!

For more information, please visit www.shdcrestaurants.com.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Seeing Green Spots – Best Ever, Earth Friendly Family Vacation Ideas

Just how green will your next vacation be? TheFamilyTravelFiles.com has just added seven new “green” family vacations to its popular Green Spots vacation planning folder which includes responsible travel ideas and with earth friendly family vacation ideas.

Many parents maintain green households engaging daily in responsible living by conserving water, recycling, and carpooling. An extension to this practice is to learn earth friendly ways to vacation. Their choices include not just traditional “leave no trace” camping holidays but earth friendly resorts, and urban locations with sustainable practices.

The best green family vacation ideas combine earth-friendly practices with remarkable family experiences.

Austin Family Adventure Vacations utilize earth-friendly practices on all of their escorted tours which combine fun and learning for families with children ages seven or older. From Yellowstone and Montana to the cloud forests of Costa Rica seeing, doing, and sharing make each departure unique.

Offering hands on science at its best makes, Earthwatch Institute is authentically green. The field projects nurture our planet and provide participants with ways to make a difference. For families, Earthwatch creates family teams for many of their eco-expeditions. Each year Sierra Club creates unique outings for families some dedicated to fun learning and others with a focus on service. Each trip offers earth-friendly activities with a leave no trace philosophy.

The Arizona high desert offers a remarkable experience for families at Biosphere 2 just north of Tucson where visitors are able to enter self-contained eco systems and observe scientists at work. The Eden Project in Cornwall maintains the world’s largest man-made rain forest under one dome.

On Costa Rica’s Pacific side, Flamingo Beach Resort and Spa makes it easy for parents and grandparents to vacation “green” with their young companions. Concordia Eco Resort on St. John USVI hosts families in eco-tents with awesome views of the sea.

Green Spots vacation planning folder includes many family vacation ideas to inspire parents and family members to plan a green getaway together and share the good stuff.

More terrific family vacation ideas may be viewed at theFamilyTravelFiles.com or for the latest family travel news, follow The Family Travel Files on Twitter (@FamTravelFiles) straight from the homepage.

About theFamilyTravelFiles.com

Founded in 1998, theFamilyTravelFiles.com researches and posts the good stuff making it easier for parents or grandparents to plan great family vacations. The top-rated online family travel resource offers more than 1000 pages of family vacation ideas and trip planning information. The website specializes in destination and planning information, family travel advice, and family travel deals. The site features a number of vacation idea folders including Secret Places, All Inclusive, Reunions, SnowPlaces, and Away for the Holidays.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Haute Living's Restaurant Madness Winners Revealed

The Haute Restaurant Madness Winners have been determined! Voting ended at Midnight on Sunday, Oct. 20.

And the winners are:

New York — Bagatelle
Los Angeles — Bazaar by Jose Andres
Miami — Zuma
San Francisco — Perbacco
Las Vegas — Twist

Every week, two incredible restaurants went head-to-head in the Haute Restaurant Madness competition, with our discerning readers voting to determine which of the remaining eateries per city move on to the next round, until reaching Champion in Haute Restaurant Madness.

Haute Restaurant Madness follows in the footsteps of the hugely successful Haute Time Madness, Haute Hotel Madness, and Haute Auto Madness, when readers had the chance to choose their favorites in those categories.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

December in the Alps - Insight Vacations Launches 2013 Winter Europe Program

Insight Vacations has announced the launch of its 2013/14 Winter Europe including the Eastern Mediterranean and Christmas Markets brochure featuring 35 premium autumn, winter and spring escorted journeys. Visit Europe from November to April and SAVE UP TO 24% OFF summer prices. New to the collection is the 10-day Alpine Christmas Markets itinerary which travels through the winter landscapes of Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland.

With departures commencing in November 2013 and running until April 2014, the new program provides travelers with a comprehensive range of hassle-free holiday options, taking guests to some of the best destinations in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Alps and Central Europe, Morocco, Greece, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Israel. These destinations have noticeably fewer tourists during this period, meaning visitors can enjoy much better access to attractions that can be crowded during the summertime.

Insight Vacations is offering travelers up to 7.5% off selected 2013/14 Winter Europe tours when they book and pay in full by July 10, 2013. Additionally, previous passengers can take a further 5% off with the Frequent Traveler Discount. Combined with competitive airfares during this travel season, there is great value to be found for a premium five-star Insight Vacations travel experience.

The new program includes upgraded hotels in a range of cities including Venice, Munich, Lisbon, Rome and Budapest. When not enjoying these premium hotels, guests can enjoy new itinerary additions including wine tastings and cookery demonstrations that have been designed to allow guests to delve further into the region's culinary traditions.

The Alpine Christmas Markets tour has been designed to showcase Europe at its festive best, highlights sipping spiced hot glühwein while on a horse and carriage ride through Germany's Black Forest, strolling through old town squares lit up with festive lights, and a visit to France's Strasbourg Christmas Markets which dates back to 1570.

As well as the Christmas Markets tours, the Winter Europe 2013/14 program features a range of itineraries suitable for various travel styles. These include Independent City Breaks, ideal for the independent-minded traveler wanting to leave the booking hassles to the experts; Premium Discovery Tours, multi-country tours that are a perfect introduction to Europe; Premium Regional Tours, a more leisurely and in-depth way to experience a specific destination, and The Eastern Mediterranean, for tours of unequaled quality in Turkey, Greece, Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Highlights include:

New 10-day Alpine Christmas Markets -- Travel through Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland with two or three nights in each location. Priced from $2,025 per person, land only, based on double occupancy. Departures available from November 29 - December 15, 2013.

New for winter! 11-day Journey from Rome -- This lively tour is full of premium experiences including VIP entrance to the Vatican including the Bramante Staircase, a guided visit to the Colosseum, priority entrance at the Florence Accademia and trip up Mount Pilatus for incredible views of the Swiss Alps. Priced from $2,850 per person, land only, based on double occupancy. Departures available from November 2, 2013 - March 29, 2014.

16-day Treasures of Turkey -- Enjoy the historic sites, natural wonders and scenery of this fascinating country. Cruise along the Bosphorus past Ottoman palaces and fortresses, pay your respects at Anzac Cove and Lone Pine Cemetery and marvel at the volcanic landscape at Cappadocia. Priced from $2,299 per person, land only, based on double occupancy. Departures available from November 3, 2013 - March 30, 2014.

Each escorted journey has a host of inclusions such as airport transfers, luxury coach transport with business class legroom, premium hotels in desirable locations, sightseeing tours and priority admissions, many meals including celebration and highlight dinners, small group sizes and the services of an experienced Tour Director.

Insight guests enjoy more intimate groups, limited to just 40 passengers, the services of an experienced tour director and the assurance of staying in top selected hotels which are centrally or scenically located. Travel in style on Insight's luxury reconfigured coaches with more legroom so the journey is as enjoyable as the destination.

Take advantage of the included sightseeing worth hundreds of dollars, ensuring your holiday budget goes further. With so many included meals, quality hotels and sightseeing experiences, you'll be astounded at the value of an Insight Vacation.

Insight Vacations has accumulated an international following by providing outstanding service and quality tour packages to the savvy traveler who seeks better accommodations, choices in dining, and smaller group sizes all while staying in the most desirable locations. For over 30 years, Insight Vacations has been the leader in premium escorted tours and cruises to Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, Canada and the United States.

For more information, please visit our website at www.insightvacations.com. For reservations, contact your favorite travel agent or call Insight Vacations at (888) 680-1241.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The Island of Bora Bora Named A Best Island By Global Traveler Magazine

Bora Bora is only 18 miles in circumference, yet it is often considered the most beautiful place in the world and was recently named as the “Best Island in Australia and the South Pacific” by Global Traveler magazine. This is the first time this category has been included in reader surveys conducted by the magazine.

“On behalf of Tahiti Tourism and the Islands of Tahiti, we are honored that Global Traveler has named our pearl of the Pacific, the island of Bora Bora, the Best Island Australia and the South Pacific. The Islands of Tahiti are just 8 hours from Los Angeles and the quintessential South Pacific island of Bora Bora is a quick 45-minute flight from Tahiti. Offering romantics, families and adventures alike stunning lush mountains as a dramatic backdrop with turquoise, lapis and aquamarine lagoons, iconic overwater bungalows at world-class resorts and quaint French-inspired restaurants for the ultimate private getaway,” stated Jonathan Reap, Managing Director, Tahiti Tourism North America.

Voting for Global Travelers’ first-ever Leisure Travel Awards took place May 1–Dec. 31, 2012, online at globaltravelerusa.com/leisureawardsballot. Each category included a number of nominees as well as an option for voters to fill in and vote for their favorite. Global Traveler surveys receive thousands of responses yearly. The survey seeked input for the best of the best in a number of leisure-related categories, naming Lifestyle, Cruise Line, Resort, Tour Operator and Island award winners.

Global Traveler launched in February 2004 as the only U.S. magazine aimed at the American executive who travels internationally and domestically in first and business class.

About the Islands of Tahiti:

Easier to travel than often imagined, Tahiti is eight hours by air from Los Angeles with daily nonstop flights. Tahiti is halfway between California and Australia, on the same side of the International Date Line as North America and in the same time zone as Hawaii. There are a total of 118 islands and atolls that comprise this beautiful South Pacific country. Tahiti’s varied landscape ranges from just-above sea level coral atolls to volcanic mountain peaks. Tahiti is renowned for warm waters, white-sand beaches and stunning turquoise lagoons. Find the Islands of Tahiti on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Tahiti TourismeNorthAmerica, Twitter @TahitiTourism, Pinterest at Tahiti Tourisme North America and Instagram at TahitiTourisme.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Favorite Paintings: Salvador Dalí

This series will list some of my favorite paintings by my favorite artists and attempt to explain why.

The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

As one of the originators of Surrealism, it took a while for Dalí to hit his stride. Early in his career, he had a tough time with the 'realism' part of proposition. But by 1959, when he created this masterpiece, the realistic aspects of his work were breathtaking. This gave his work the power he was looking for. Gala on the standard; Columbus himself; the standard-bearer to his left - gorgeous in their execution. And Dalí is very generous with the depth of symbolism in this painting. Unlike, say, "The Persistence of Memory" which is more of a one-message work, this painting has layers upon layers creating a wonderful puzzle for the viewer. A bonus: this painting is huge. It measures 14 feet tall by 9 feet wide!

The Burning Giraffe

I can't say that I love this painting in the sense that I love a beautiful painting by John Singer Sargent or Vincent Van Gogh. I love this painting, however, because it is so Dalí. Humor is a key factor in understanding both the man and his work. You have these hideous women with drawers in their legs, weird outgrowths on their backs, veins exposed, strange posture ... and in the background, a little giraffe. And Dalí names this "The Burning Giraffe", with absolutely no consideration for the main subjects of the painting. Hilarious and ridiculous (like a crazy handlebar mustache.)

Tuna Fishing

The painting is awesome on many levels. First of all, it was created in 1967...late in Dali's career. But it has a vitality and energy that is palpable. Combining multiple-layered scenes, multiple styles, conflicting and complimentary imagery...it perfectly captures the insane frenzy of literal tuna fishing. At the same time it says something about the struggles of life itself.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Favorite Paintings: John Singer Sargent

This series will list some of my favorite paintings by my favorite artists and attempt to explain why.

Girl Fishing

Is it Impressionism? Is it Realism? This painting is absolutely amazing to me. At a quick glance, it almost looks like a photograph. Then, when you look closely, you see broad and daring brushstrokes that show an almost wild abandon. Throughout his career, you see Sargent making his living as a realistic portraitist, but his heart belonging to Impressionism. The end result is fantastic.

Nonchaloir (Repose)

So so so much to love about this painting. First of all, the fabric of her dress. It looks electric. I've been painting a long time, and I've tried to achieve what Sargent accomplished here, and have never come close. The sheen and shadows are absolutely incredible. Something else that I love about this painting (because it tells us a lot about Sargent's mindset) is the section below the desk. It looks like he frustratedly threw some sloppy brushstrokes in there and stopped. This craziness within a painting that contains a model and her clothing that almost look like photographic realism. It's a microcosm of John Singer Sargent's inner conflict.

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose

One of the most important duties of the painter is to convey emotion and senses that words or photographs cannot. Those senses include happiness, fear, despair, love, elation. I would say that this painting is a sense of wonder and fantasy. It's a normal scene, just some kids lighting lanterns. But it feels like a magical, wonderful world of joy and possibilities. This, to me, is art at its finest.

A Study of Architecture, Florence

My favorite example of light and shadow. Ever.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Favorite Paintings: Vincent Van Gogh

This series will list some of my favorite paintings by my favorite artists and attempt to explain why.

Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night

Van Gogh is my favorite painter of all. And this painting exemplifies all of the reasons why. Since the invention of the camera, there isn't much need for a painter to be a literal realist. But the function of an artist is more vital than ever - to capture feelings and senses that mere words or even photographs cannot convey. This painting is all about the sensory experience of being on that cobblestone road, next to that cafe on a summer night. You can hear the sounds of the patrons, smell the food from the kitchen, hear some alley cat down in the dark end of the painting. The light reflecting on the street just perfectly encapsulates that magical feeling of being out in the evening.

The Red Vineyard

I love this painting because of the sky. If you think about it, the sky isn't yellow. But Vincent is driving home a feeling: that intense sun pounding down on those workers is relentless, enveloping everything. Like the great poetry of ee cummings, this painting may not make total intellectual sense, but it makes complete emotional sense.

Starry Night Over The Rhone

This painting is about light, light, light. Van Gogh's first goal in life was to be a minister, and he said that one of the reasons he began painting was to draw attention to God and creation. This painting is just glorious in its depiction of celestial beauty and how those heavenly bodies illuminate and decorate the earth by reflection. It's almost as if the world is being purified by the night sky. Breathtaking.

A Wheatfield with Cypresses

Van Gogh is the epitome of "not appreciated in his time". Can you imagine what people in 1889 thought when they saw this? "That's not what the sky looks like! Why is everything so swirly?" But that's the whole point, isn't it? This painting is all about movement. Somehow, with some simple brushstrokes, Vincent was able to convey this wild feeling of life, wind, movement, aroma, sound...this painting is absolutely electric.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The Louvre: Conservation Treatment of the Winged Victory of Samothrace and Its Monumental Staircase Underway

The great project to conserve the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Daru staircase where it is showcased began on September 3, 2013. It will last over a year and a half and entail an exceptional spatial rearrangement; the Winged Victory will not be visible to the public from September 3, 2013 to Summer 2014. This major undertaking, with a budget of four million euros, has received the support of Nippon Television Holdings, F. Marc de Lacharrière (Fimalac) and Bank of America Merrill Lynch Art Conservation Project, with a contribution of three million euros. The Louvre Museum wishes to open the possibility for all to contribute to this ambitious project through the “Tous mécènes !” (All Donors!) campaign, in order to raise the remaining one million euros necessary to complete the project.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Travelers vote ESPA Life at Corinthia Hotel London Best European Spa

ESPA Life at Corinthia Hotel London has been voted Best European Spa in The Times, TheSunday Times, and The Sunday Times Magazine Travel Awards 2013. This is a new set of accolades launched by News International.

Votes were gathered from tens of thousands of readers of the three media outlets and ESPA Life at Corinthia fought off competition from leading spas across Europe to win the title.

Matthew Dixon, General Manager of Corinthia Hotel London said: “We are delighted to have received this award and my congratulations go to all our exceptional staff who made this happen. This award is particularly gratifying as it was based on the votes of actual travelers and readers, as opposed to industry voting for industry or being an award that entrants pay to enter. It is based entirely on the experience and perceptions of our guests.”

The award was announced in Malta and presented by veteran Polar explorer Ranulph Fiennes.

Nichola Roche, ESPA Life at Corinthia Spa Director said: “We are so proud to receive this award and recognition in our third year of opening. ESPA Life at Corinthia offers the total solution to your fitness, lifestyle, wellness and spa needs. With highly-qualified complementary health practitioners and expert therapists coupled with impeccable service, ESPA Life at Corinthia offers optimal health, beauty and wellbeing in surroundings of understated luxury.”

US Media Contact
The Bradford Group
Karen Hoffman/Sarah McHeffey
Tel:(212) 447-0027
E-mail: info@bradfordglobalmarketing.com


UK Media Contact
Fiona Harris, fiona.harris@corinthia.com or tel: 0207 321 3034 or
Julia Eccles, julia.eccles@corinthia.com or tel: 0207 930 8181 or
Henrietta Low, henrietta.low@corinthia.com or tel: 0207 321 3022


About Corinthia Hotel London
Housed within a Victorian building, 294 rooms including 36 suites and 7 penthouses offer sweeping views across London’s most popular landmarks. Corinthia Hotel London provides unrivalled world-class luxury with superb ground floor offerings including restaurant The Northall, serving the best in British produce throughout the day; modern Italian cuisine at Massimo Restaurant & Oyster Bar and the musically inspired Bassoon Bar. Corinthia London is also home to the flagship ESPA Life at Corinthia, a next-generation spa housed across four floors, together with a hair salon by Daniel Galvin. The hotel boasts the largest room sizes in London, original restored Victorian columns and tall windows that let in swathes of natural light. Cutting edge technology in rooms and meeting rooms allow for recording, mixing and broadcasting from dedicated media rooms. Corinthia London is a 21st century grand hotel located in the heart of London, created by experts with a passion for craftsmanship and an understanding of world-class service. Corinthia London is the ninth of Corinthia Hotels’ collection of five-star hotels founded by the Pisani family of Malta.

Spa Facilities:
- Spa Lounge serving exceptional cuisine
- Private Spa Suite
- 17 Treatment Pods
- Daniel Galvin Hair Salon
- Dedicated Nail Studio
- Sleep Pods
- Thermal Floor – consisting of:
- 9 metre silver steel swimming pool
- Vitality pool with various air and water massage jets


Heat Experiences:
- Amphitheatre sauna
- Black mosaic steam room
- Ice fountain
- Experience showers
- Heated relaxation beds
- Luxury changing rooms with heat experiences


Spa Treatments and Programs
- ESPA Face and Body Treatments
- Wellness programs and revolutionary diagnostics
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM )
- Diet and nutritional advice
- Physiotherapy and osteopathy
- Sports and remedial massage
- Rehabilitation and sports injury support


ESPA Life Gym:
- LifeFitness cardio vascular and strength equipment
- Powerplate 6
- Trixter bikes
- Free weights
- Stretch areas
- Concept rowers
- Private personal training pods
- In-depth fitness assessments
- Bespoke fitness programs
- Exceptional personal trainers

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.