8.19.2011

Casa Nova - A Vibrant Aesthetic

B O L D
B E A U T I  F U L  &
W O N D E  R F U  L L Y   E C L E C T I C

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward



Indeed, everything at  CASA NOVA  at the Railyard is a feast for the senses, hand-picked by owner Natalie Fitz-Gerald who has perfect pitch when
 it comes to aesthetics.


Her vision was to fill her dream space with everything that delighted her senses, and when you step inside, you know that Natalie delights in color, texture, old/new Africa, and bold, beautiful and eclectic designs from around the world.
And this wonderful, vibrant mix works. How does she do it? 

"I love taking things out of context - from so many cultures - and re-contexualizing it. I call it a fusion of art, culture and living."





Natalie's decorating advice? "If your decorating a room, build it around one piece that you love. Trust your instincts. If you do, each piece that you add to the room will work with all the others. You are the common denominator."










And, Casa Nova is committed to supporting and nurturing local African artists, craftspeople and designers, collaborating with artist cooperatives on design, product development and marketing. The goal is to assist with innovation while respecting the rich and diverse traditional cultures and techniques.  

 




CASA NOVA  by Natalie
At the Railyard
530 S. Guadalupe St.
Santa Fe, NM

505.983.8558

8.15.2011

Amavi Restaurant - The Whirling Dervish of Wine

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

RUN...yes, run to the phone and book a reservation for one of Sommelier Mark Johnson's absolutely outrageously wonderful Wine/Tasting 101 Classes at Amavi Restaurant.  I've been to about six of them and I haven't had this much fun sniffing, swirling and tasting wine since I don't know when. Mark is scary-smart and articulate about every aspect of wine - but never, never intimidating. And he peppers each class and tasting with charming anecdotes about the vintners or growers, assuming a flawless Italian or French or Australian accent to bring the story to life.
It's wine theatre at its best!
And at $15 bucks a class - tasting six wines -  it's one of the best tickets in town.


AMAVI RESTAURANT
221 Shelby Street
Santa Fe, NM
(505) 988-2355

 20% discount for dinner after the tasting.

August 16th - Sauvignon Blanc
August 23rd - Chardonnay
August 20th - Riesling
September 6th - Pinot Noir
Call for the rest of the schedule.