By The Good of Grace Goes Rwanda

FOF Grace Hightower De Niro (yes, that De Niro), 58, told us there is more to our cups of coffee than cream and sugar. Not only is she a savvy businesswoman, but her company, Grace Hightower & Coffees of Rwanda™, helps to create a more sustainable future for the people of Rwanda. FOF chatted with Grace about her business, and recently spotted her coffee truck in the heart of Manhattan, a few days before National Coffee Day. See what she had to say, and enter to win a set of Grace’s coffee!

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Meet FOF restaurateur Sonia Zaldivar

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FOF Sonia Zaldivar grew up in the restaurant business. Victor’s Cafe, opened by Sonia’s parents, is celebrating its 50th year serving fabulous Cuban cuisine to New Yorkers, celebrities, and tourists from around the globe. After raising three children and managing Victor’s, Sonia now lives in Miami, but still travels back to New York to keep an eye on things.

How old are you?
I’m 62.

Where were you born?

Havana, Cuba.

Where is your restaurant?
It’s on 52nd Street in the heart of Manhattan.

What is it like being part of a family business?
I grew up as if the restaurant were my living room and my three children felt the same way.

What positions have you had at Victor’s?
I started working part-time in 1972 in the restaurant’s office, because I was raising my first child. Slowly and surely, I took on more responsibilities. I’m still the owner, but my wonderful daughter, Monica, handles the day-to-day operations. I fly back and forth monthly.

Screen Shot 2013-07-24 at 1.04.51 PMWhere does the inspiration for the dishes come from?
They’re all dishes that you’d find in any Cuban home. However, we have two versions of our menu– one features ‘healthy’ variations of classical dishes. Cuban food really hasn’t evolved as much as other cuisines during the last 50 years. The second version offers our own inventions and interpretations of Cuban food, had it evolved like other cuisines. Ropa Vieja (shredded skirt steak), Lechon Asado (roast suckling pig), and Camarones Enchiladas (shrimp in spicy Creole sauce) have been staples on the menu for many years. Dishes range from $19 to $42.

Who has been at the restaurant recently?
Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Kate Upton and Cameron Diaz. Pitbull comes in frequently and Jennifer Lopez gets take out!

With so many restaurants in New York City, how has Victor’s achieved 50 years of success?
Every seven years, we redecorate the whole restaurant so that it’s fresh, it’s clean, and there’s always something new to try. We’re always revamping the menu. When you walk into our restaurant, you can feel the gratitude that you chose us over other restaurants in New York. You feel the love, the enthusiasm and the Latin hospitality.

What’s the most challenging thing about owning a restaurant?
Keeping relevant with the times while maintaining the authenticity of a restaurant that’s been in operation for half a century.

{Interiors} An “Empty Nest” NYC Apartment Makeover


When we put a call out this past August for an FOF in need of a home makeover, we got hundreds of responses. But the message from Sharon Nord was particularly compelling:

“I recently followed my grown children to The Big Apple. I brought two end tables and some pictures with me,” wrote Sharon. “I am completely changing my style, my address and my attitude. Please help me be FOF and not BOF (boring over fifty).”

We were curious as to what precipitated this major move. Turns out, four years ago, Sharon and her husband separated. “It wasn’t in my plans, it was a total life change,” says Sharon.

Sharon moved from an 11,000-square-foot house in Atlanta, Georgia, to an 1,100 square foot apartment in New York City’s Wall Street neighborhood.

“I really loved Atlanta, but I really wanted to be near my family. That’s more important than a big house and lots of furniture,” says Sharon. “It was a huge adjustment especially at my age (us FOFs are not so into adjusting) but I’m really learning to love it.”

This empty-nester’s new nest, a 2-bedroom apartment, was in fact… empty. The rental had beautiful views of the Financial District but looked more like a sterile office space than an inviting FOF home. Interior designer Jennifer Levy, of CAVDesign and The One-Day Design Solution™, helped Sharon warm up her downtown digs in a way that suited Sharon’s personality and new lifestyle.

“Using a palette of citrus, eggplant and mixed materials such as wood and marble, we created a comfortable, homey feel,” says Jennifer.




“My life has changed. I’m single, and I’ve never done something like this by myself or for myself,” says Sharon. “But I love what Jennifer did, all the clean lines and no-fuss decorations. I’ll go to unpack a box of stuff from my old life and then put it away saying, ‘No, no, I don’t need the clutter.’”

Resources

Images by Jennifer Levy