Partial funding for the production of Our Place Our Time is made possible by a grant from the Allison Jay and LOW Parsons Foundation.

It's Our Place Our Time and we're back with a new season of new stories.

On this edition, we'll catch you up with a newsreel about some recent events, preview an exhibit of art by Betty Banks and profile the chef who has been called the father of cuisine in Hampton Roads.

Welcome to Our Place, Our Time.

Hello, I'm Vian Webb.

It's been a while since we've been together, but we are delighted to have you back with us as we begin the fifth season of this The Cultural Magazine for Hampton Roads.

I certainly hope you can be with us every week at this time because we want to take you on journeys from the northern neck to the outer banks.

We want to introduce you to the people who define and distinguish Hampton Roads.

We thought we'd start this our fifth season by taking a look at what's been happening since our last program.

And we also want you to meet again a young artist and teacher that we first introduced you to last spring and whom we've been wondering about.

So let's start at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens where they're developing a new master plan for the 58-year-old attraction.

Producer Tim Morton asked Garden Superintendent Peter Frederick whether this new master plan calls for major changes.

It's not so much the change as it is the increased ability to carry out the mission of the garden, which is very important.

Education is a central theme of what we're about.

Tied to that is all the visitors that come here that enable us to raise funds to do that type of development.

So we need to clearly improve the quality of our education presentation and make it easier and more comfortable and more time sensitive for people to come to the garden.

Frederick said a motivation behind the development of the master plan is the need by the garden to find new sources of revenue to offset declining support by the city.

The garden needs to find and capture a larger audience.

What new at the garden might the public see in the near future?

I don't know if you'll see anything within the next year because we're still in the process of completing the master plan and trying to address how we should best operate the garden.

But I would think that within a year to two years, we'll begin to make some of the innovations that we can do, certainly that are relatively low cost.

And we will go into fundraising efforts to find more money to begin some of the more significant projects such as a visitor's reception building, which we need to help the visitor and to improve their experience here.

And following that, I think one of the big things we need to do is a, an education facility that attracts not only the homeowner but in particular the children.

We need to get the kids out here to teach them about our environment and ecology, particularly in Hampton Roads where we have oceans and rivers and wetlands.

We need to show how all this works together to make their life more enjoyable.

A less publicized victim of the recent government budget cutbacks are public libraries.

At Norfolk's Kern Memorial, you take a look at the new bookshelf and wonder if the library is still much in the new book lending business.

Well, we've had a couple of reasons for that.

The first being we experienced a purchasing freeze this spring, which meant books were selected but not actually purchased till after July.

So by the end of August, early September, some of the newer spring titles and early summer titles began to return, but we did not order any new books for a stretch.

The other fact is that the book money is not going as far because book prices have increased and inflation is a factor and you simply don't get as many books for the amount of money you have.

If you're looking for new books, the libraries in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach will more likely have them.

Norfolk's new book buying budget was once the area's largest.

Now it is considerably less than its two neighbors and falling farther behind.

How many fewer new books will Norfolk buy this year than last?

I think if you were using the average cost of a book and that would be a, a typical nonfiction book versus a reference or a fiction title, it'll buy about 500 fewer titles for our library system.

Betty Owen was a much admired artist and residence in the Norfolk Public Schools until last spring when the school system, because of state budget cutbacks, discontinued the program.

We wondered what had happened to her.

Which is really nice I think.

We found Owen at the pavilion in Virginia Beach selling her funny, colorful sculptures at a garden club sale.

Well, how can I answer that?

I'm doing, I'm doing fine.

I'm piecing together teaching jobs.

I'm teaching at Old Did Nation Center for the Gifted on Saturday mornings.

I am also teaching at Norfolk Parks and Recreation one night a week and I'm bartending at the Cavalier.

What I've done is because I needed to come up with something that's more functional and I scuba dive so I came up with the idea of fish pockets.

And what I do is I make the fish pockets so they hang on the wall and they hold water and plants.

So they're real whimsical.

They're a combination of human and animal forms.

I make seahorses.

May I pick one up?

Yeah.

Okay.

This hangs on the wall and you can put plants and things in it if you want.

Or dried flowers array.

Dried flowers if you like.

Or it can just be hung on the wall as is.

How long have you been doing this?

I've been making art for 13 years, but the fish pocket's only for about five months now.

Oh you got a live one.

You got a sale.

Owen had a reasonably profitable day at the garden club sale.

She made a little more than $300.

Yes, sorry.

Yes.

And I was - Do you miss the kids?

Yes.

I do miss the kids.

What do you miss?

Geez, I'm really sorry.

I miss working with them because of the enthusiasm and just... Do you want to do the artist in residence program again?

Yes.

And I am working on getting certified.

To teach full time.

How are you doing that?

How are you paying for that?

How are you doing it?

I am applying for grants and scholarships and money that I'm creating with my other things.

At the nearby Virginia Living Museum, they're opened over the summer a new outdoor wetlands aviary.

The museum's first major expansion since it opened in 1987.

The aviary exhibits emphasize the endangered species that live in non-tidal wetlands and the importance of wetlands preservation.

This week, an exhibit of oil paintings by Virginia Beach artist Betty Banks opens at the Portsmouth Museum titled Crusades Conflicts.

The paintings depict the brutality of war.

I think war is man's biggest stage for better or for worse.

I don't think it'll ever end.

We were at a meeting the other night for the at the Virginia Beach Arts Center, the professional artist group.

And someone said, "Well, if we just do this, we'll have peace."

And I don't think we'll ever completely have peace.

Her oversized canvases pulse with surrealistic images of crusaders, Yankees and rebels.

This seems an odd combination, but Banks' oils reflect her curiosity with the Middle Ages and a knowledge of her family's heritage.

Her ancestors fought in the War of the Roses and the war between the states.

The Civil War, of course, was largely a battle.

A war fought with the artillery than so much hand to hand combat.

I guess you know that.

And I don't claim to be a historian, but I felt like those boys wanted to be remembered again.

This exhibit is part of a series at the Portsmouth Museum showcasing the work of women artists.

Bank's style and unusual subject matter caught the eye of museum curator Tim Close.

In one sense, I mean it's, the Civil War, I mean, right off the bat fits this area, but I think she's enthralled with this idea of both battle and also whether it's the sense of battle both past, present and what might be in the future.

I think what she portrays and withdraws from the canvas is like, hey, this can, it's still ongoing and can happen tomorrow.

The oil paintings of Betty Banks will be on display at the Portsmouth Museum through January the 5th.

He's been called the first father of cuisine in Hampton Roads.

What distinguishes Monroe Duncan from other chefs is his restless creativity.

In addition to inventing new dishes and finding new ways to cook familiar foods, Duncan has also been a restaurant entrepreneur and consultant, an author of cookbooks, and even a radio talk show host.

Producer Kim Simon Fink found the Native Virginian about to embark on another new venture.

I never ate in any of Monroe's restaurants that I didn't take away enough food for at least the next day.

His portions are enormous.

And they are so good.

You're tempted to eat the whole thing, but it's really not possible if you're an ordinary human being.

Of course, food is the first word when you think of Monroe and delicious would probably be the second word right after that.

And quantity would probably be the third after that.

I think obviously any restaurant that he's associated with is the restaurant in the community, but I think I have enjoyed Monroe because of his humor.

And I think you see that particularly in a portfolio, his column in portfolio and then on the his radio show.

He just is a delightful personality.

I cooked right with him at a couple of different restaurants there when he had the Lazy Lobster and when he was at Chappelle's.

And it was kind of fun.

And we'd get in some nights when we'd do over a hundred covers, just the two of us, and we'd be rocking and rolling and I'm telling you.

And, and we'd loosen up and he gets real fun.

He used to cook in a zebra mumu.

And I can tell you wild stories about that too, but I won't because this is on TV.

Saucy, irreverent, and intellectual.

His fame filet of flounder bar sea, an angel hair pasta topped with fresh tomato concase, has earned him the unreputed distinction as the area's culinary wizard.

Monroe Duncan has frontiered a blazing trail of restaurants.

10 in the past 12 years to be exact.

And that trail has brought on as much speculation as admiration.

Just who is Monroe Duncan?

To begin with, he lives here in this Ocean View cottage.

There are no flourishing touches to the celebrated cook's quarters, except perhaps for a smattering of very personal objects to art.

Truly a modest flip side to an otherwise flamboyant personality.

Inside his kitchen has even less to offer.

There is no evidence of culinary wizardry and certainly no food.

The chef eats out most nights.

How this gourmet got his start is a story just as humbling.

Once upon a time, I learned to cook chicken and dumplings in blackout peas and hall jar with my mama.

And since then, I've been traveling around the country learning to cook and serve.

And my real big start was with Tommy C at the Nations at the Golden Triangle years ago in 60, 61.

Waiting his way through the early years of his career and working as a maitre D, Monroe Duncan's charm and talents brought him quick success.

In a self-made apprentice program, he served celebrated clientele and worked with celebrated chefs.

The opening of his restaurant suddenly last summer brought Monroe back from his wanderings to Norfolk.

The tire concept behind that was table side cooking.

I took everything I had learned as a maitre d' and I had worked with some very fine chefs in my journeys and put it all together and opened an open kitchen restaurant, the first in the area.

And from there it's... Well, actually, Simply Divine Darlings was the first one with Bobby Gordon.

And then I went to New York and came back and opened suddenly last summer in 79.

Then came the others.

The seemingly elusive Epicurian Monroe Duncan was spearheading and consulting for restaurants all over Hampton Roads until even his gourmet groupies had trouble keeping track.

You can't keep up with a guy.

You're sitting in one of his new restaurants.

You think it's great.

The next day you read the paper, he's not at this restaurant anymore.

It's amazing to me that you pinned him down for this television program.

I mean, talk about the galloping gourmet.

The last time I knew where he was physically, I suppose, was when he was at the old Chamberlain Hotel across the way there.

The big thing that I remember about Monroe's food, he opened up a place called the Lazy Lobster down in Ocean View and it was there for a very, very short period of time and he had the most wonderful salad that I loved.

And the next time I went to go get it, of course, he was gone again.

I think I would always try to search him out wherever he is.

Of course, we all know that Monroe has had many associations and I'm not so sure where he is at the present moment, but I think anybody that's eaten in any of his restaurants in the past will obviously try to find him.

I keep in touch with Monroe quite a bit and he is working on a new little place and I think it might happen.

And this will be his final frontier.

I think he's going to sit back, relax, and have a good time.

I hope he comes out of the woodwork soon.

The blue crab.

I went to the blue crab.

Absolutely delicious.

And we were going to go back to it to get some more Monroe Duncan.

Gone.

I don't know where he is now and I've given up chasing him.

Living by the range, however, does not necessarily dictate being bald and chained to one.

Defense Duncan's longtime friend and partner, Tony Clemento's.

He's traveled around so that he can learn.

And this is where he got his education.

He didn't just up and start one place then quit or anything like that.

He was it was a working experience.

And that's what made Monroe know what's happening in the food industry in this country.

And he went to Europe and and he ate and ate and ate.

This is, this is exactly what makes Monroe different from the rest of the people who are in the food business right now.

Very much the artist.

Duncan enjoys creating new stages for his culinary performances.

I like from the beginning to end, it is theatrical.

The costumes, the the menu, the presentation of the menu, the presentation of the food, the preparation of the food.

All of it becomes a theatrical experience.

One night we were working in the kitchen.

It was a busy night.

And there was this guy, and I won't use his name.

So if he's watching, he won't be embarrassed.

But he sacheted into the kitchen as if he owned the place and he looked at Monroe and said, "You slob, what are you going to cook for me? "

Monroe turned around, pushed his glasses on me, looks.

He says, "You know what?

I hate you.

I've always hated you and I don't think I'll ever will like you.

Get out of my kitchen."

He says, "Wait a minute, what are you drinking?"

He says, "I'm drinking Trader Drag."

And he said, "Have you paid for it? "

And he said, "Absolutely."

And he said, "Good, get that out of here."

And he threw his frying pan at him.

My aproach in the kitchen is very methodical.

I put it all together, make sure it's all there before the curtain goes up.

Unfortunately, I do create havoc because I don't, don't like to clean up behind myself.

At the conclusion of the evening, I'll walk right off the line.

It's like walking off the stage.

The stage hands have got to come in and put it all back where it belongs.

I'm not going to.

Good Lord, I've paid enough dues not to do that.

While his methods are somewhat unorthodox, his methodology is steeped in the classical traditions of the French.

Before now, it was butter, butter, butter.

Butter is the best.

Butter is wonderful, butter is fattening, butter is a killer.

But I had to sort of stop using so much butter because of the heart healthy situation.

Everyone is concerned about their health.

But that's my philosophy is butter is exquisite and you can't go wrong with butter, you know?

All of my cookery and the French do a lot of butter, butter too, and oils, but particularly butter.

And I have tried to keep myself involved with French cuisine and French cookery all of my life.

And I apply it to local foods, which becomes regional cuisine.

When he is not cooking, Monroe Duncan is at home working on one or all of several ongoing projects.

First, there are the books.

I have a cookbook that I have compiled and I have a novel I'm working on, which isn't quite ready, but will be ready.

It's entitled Street of Broken Dreams or The Confessions of an Itinerant Chef.

I'm looking forward to that.

That's a lot of fun.

I'm enjoying writing the book.

It's more, it's really an autobiography with a lot of lies thrown in.

Then there is his personal line of seasonings he hopes will display his logo in markets nationwide.

And of course, a new restaurant is also on the burner.

Night of the Iguana.

Tony and I years ago wanted to make our second restaurant after suddenly last summer, which was a direct plagiarism of Tennessee Williams who wanted to make Night of the Iguana, our second plagiarism.

Well, we never got around to doing it so now I want to do it.

And the concept will be just what he is doing in his play.

It's going to be decadent and have to do with location, Mexico, the decor of Mexico and with the bright flower paper, paper, fauna, flora.

And the menu will be Caribbean, Floridian and West Coast to deal with the heart healthy folks.

Good evening, fellow culinarians.

This is You Know Who with the latest restaurant news.

A radio talk show host.

Well, why not?

Duncan can be found with co-host Sarah Trexler every Thursday evening from 60 to 8:00 on the AM 850 WNIS Restaurant Show.

The first night I didn't prepare because I didn't know what to expect.

And hence, since then I have a monologue that I present like the first five or 10 minutes of the show.

Where I introduced the latest news in the restaurant industry, who's stealing what from whom and who's doing what where.

And what's on the agenda for today?

Well, I have a question now I'd like to put to the public at large.

I usually pose a question for the evening and then I ask, tell them this is what I'd like to talk about tonight.

To guys out there.

Call me and tell me what restaurants, you know, that, what restaurants you've eaten in and what subject you want to talk about, whatever.

It's a call in show.

So we have to we have to tantalize our patrons to call us.

And I love it.

I think all of it is really interrelated.

My writing, the radio show, which is a new venture for me, which I absolutely love and I'm enjoying it a lot.

And the cooking and the, the restaurant serving the whole business because it's a, it's a theatrical experience for me.

I enjoy it.

And stimulating, intellectually stimulating.

As an encore gesture of his exuberance and goodwill, Monroe Duncan master chef, author and actor performs for us an act of his culinary artistry.

Let me share my flounder bear sea with you.

First, we need a shallot.

This is a shallot.

Remove the peeling.

Then we want to chop it.

Then we're going to chop it a little bit finer.

Careful about your fingers.

Set aside the filet of flounders next.

I always like to remove the tail end.

Check to make sure there are no breastbones or gill bones here.

And then turn your pan on.

You'll need four ounces of vegetable oil.

Then you dust your flounder with flour and shake.

Place it into your pan and wait for it to start sizzling.

Meanwhile, you'll need to cut two ounces of butter, chop the parsley and put your shallots in line.

You'll need a whole lemon or a half depending on how artistic you want to be with this.

Once the flounder has browned and you can check for doneness by peeking inside, remove the cooking oil, pour it off.

And a little chopped parsley, the butter and chopped shallots.

Allow the shallots a little time to cook until they become cellophane.

You can see through them.

And careful when you're adding the white wine.

And we'll plate and pull the sauce right on top.

Garnish with a touch of parsley or a sprig.

Voila.

My flounder filet bear sea.

But perhaps not for me.

I'd rather have a quarter pounder with cheese.

Well, that's Monroe Duncan.

And you can bet if Monroe cooked that quarter pounder with cheese, it's a quarter pounder worth having.

Next week on Our Place Our Time, we're going to take you on the first part of a two-part journey to a county where the largest slave revolt in American history occurred.

Southampton County's a different place now from what it was in 1831 when Nat Turner led a revolt that Chocton changed this nation.

But if you look carefully, you can still find places that Nat Turner knew and we're going to take you there.

We're going to profile the artist Vonnie Whitworth and then take you on a slow trip to the Carolina Outer Banks.

I hope you'll go with us on the next edition of Our Place, Our Time.

I'm Vian Webb.

Thank you for being with us.

Partial funding for Our Place, Our Time has been made possible by the Arts Commission of the City of Chesapeake with additional support from the Arts Commissions of the Cities of Virginia Beach, Newport News, Norfolk, Hampton and Williamsburg.

Partial funding for the production of Our Place Our Time is made possible by a grant from the Allison J and LOW Parsons Foundation.