July 17, 2014 Antiques Roadshow Reception at Los Poblanos

July 17, 2014   Antiques Roadshow Reception at Los Poblanos

At 6:00 we arrived at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Garden for a reception for the Antique Roadshow.  The 25 acres was originally designed and built by the Simms/McCormick family as a self-contained working estate that the superrich used to build as entertainment venues, with its own dairy, food gardens, large house with large entertainment rooms and gardens and a large greenhouse, like Winterthur-Du Pont and Stone Barns-Rockefeller.

Here is a bit of background on the Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms, who with her husband Albert Simms, built Los Poblanos.

Image courtesy of the Library of Congress

McCORMICK, Ruth Hanna, (daughter of Marcus Alonzo Hanna, wife of Joseph Medill McCormick and of Albert Gallatin Simms), a Representative from Illinois; born in Cleveland, Ohio, March 27, 1880; attended Hathaway Brown School in Cleveland, Dobbs Ferry (N.Y.) School, and Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn.; owned and operated a dairy and breeding farm near Byron, Ill.; publisher and president of the Rockford Consolidated Newspapers (Inc.), Rockford, Ill.; chairman of the first woman’s executive committee of the Republican National Committee, and an associate member of the national committee 1919-1924, in the latter year becoming the first elected national committeewoman from Illinois and served until 1928; active worker for the suffrage amendment from 1913 until the Constitution was amended; elected as a Republican to the Seventy-first Congress (March 4, 1929-March 3, 1931); was not a candidate for renomination in 1930, having received the Republican nomination for United States Senator, in which election she was unsuccessful; resumed her newspaper interests; married Albert Gallatin Simms, of New Mexico, who was also a Member of the Seventy-first Congress; and resided in Albuquerque, N.Mex.; died in Chicago, Ill., on December 31, 1944; interment in Fairview Cemetery, Albuquerque, N.Mex.

 Here is some more information about the history and architecture of Los Poblanos.

History

The Los Poblanos land was originally inhabited by the Anasazi (ancient pueblo Indians) in the 14th century. Many of the original settlers in this area were thought to have come from Puebla, Mexico, a citizen of which is called a “Poblano.” The land became part of the Elena Gallegos land grant around 1716. The original ranch land was owned by Ambrosio and Juan Cristobal Armijo through the 19th century but was reassembled by Albert and Ruth Simms in the 1930s. Los Poblanos today encompasses the original headquarters of the 800-acre ranch owned by the Congressman, Albert Simms, and his wife, Ruth Hannah McCormick Simms that extended to the crest of the Sandia Mountains. Our historic inn was their private residence and the center of operations of their dairy, farming, nursery, art businesses, and dynamic cultural and educational endeavors. In 1932, Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms commissioned architect John Gaw Meem and numerous WPA artists and craftsmen to renovate the ranch house and create the Cultural Center for political and community events and recreation with gardens designed by Rose Greeley.

Culture & Education

La Quinta Cultural Center was designed and used for civil, social, and cultural purposes. The art gallery held frequent exhibitions, which were open to the public. The ballroom and catering kitchen were designed to host meetings, lectures, and concerts for up to 200 people. It was the original home to the June Music Festival and boasted the first swimming pool in Albuquerque, complete with men’s and women’s changing rooms painted by Paul Lantz. A lecture series began in 1937, where Thornton Wilder, Rockwell Kent, Elmer Rice, and Paul Horgan were some of the speakers.

Using La Quinta as headquarters for their cultural and educational endeavors, Ruth and Albert Simms founded Manzano Day School, Sandia Prep, Albuquerque Academy, and Albuquerque Little Theater. The impact these institutions have had on New Mexico is immeasurable.

Agriculture

Los Poblanos was a model experimental farm in the 1930s and 1940s. It was home to the original Creamland Dairies, and supplied Albuquerque with a considerable portion of its milk. It boasted one of the finest purebred herds of Guernsey and Holstein cows in the Southwest and played a significant role in building up the dairy industry in New Mexico.

Los Poblanos also experimented with raising sugar beet seed in an effort to wean American dependence on imported sugar beets. Alfalfa, oats, corn, and barley were also grown on the property. On the base of the Sandias, purebred rams were raised with the intention of helping sheep herders of the state improve their flocks. The greenhouse was used as a laboratory for raising new varieties of roses and chrysanthemums commercially.  Photos by Laura Gilpin showing the ranch during this period hang in the gallery.

Architecture

There are many books and articles written about the architectural significance of Los Poblanos and La Quinta. John Gaw Meem has long been considered New Mexico’s most important architect, but he is now recognized internationally for his contribution to 20th century architecture. Architects have visited from all over the world with the sole purpose of studying John Gaw Meem and the buildings of Los Poblanos specifically. His work at Los Poblanos is best summed up by James Moore, Former Director, The Albuquerque Museum:

“Speaking from my background in art history, I would say that La Quinta is not only perhaps the most important structure in the North Valley, but is one of New Mexico’s invaluable treasures. John Gaw Meem is without question the quintessential New Mexico architect of the early and mid 20th century and…La Quinta is one of his most important, if not the most important, projects of his career in this state.”

In addition to the architecture, Meem and the Simms contracted some of New Mexico’s leading artists and craftsmen of the period to create artwork for the building. There is a true fresco by Peter Hurd, carved doors and mantels by Gustave Baumann, tinwork by Robert Woodman, ironwork by Walter Gilbert, photography by Laura Gilpin, and the landscape architecture by the famed Rose Greely.

The Center is now owned by Penny and Armin Remby, who have done wonders to renovate and commercialize it with the help of their children and a large dedicated staff. 

Here is some more information on them and how they reconstituted the property.

Family

“Our mission is to preserve the historic Los Poblanos Ranch by cultivating a dynamic business dedicated to sustainable agriculture, hospitality, historic preservation, and community.” -The Rembe Family

Meet the Owners

Three generations of the Rembe Family that own and operate Los Poblanos. In 1976, Penny and Armin Rembe purchased one half of the property from Albert and Barbara Simms, where they raised their four children and maintained the property as gentlemen farmers. In 1999, the second half of the property, which included La Quinta Cultural Center, came up for sale and was under threat of being developed. Together with their four children, they decided to reunite the properties and undertake a preservation plan to maintain the architecture, gardens, and open farmland in perpetuity. In their retirement, Penny and Armin ran the inn for five years. In 2004, their son Matthew Rembe became Executive Director, and has developed all areas of the business, from expanding the lavender spa product business to the addition of guest rooms, fine dining, and cultural programming.

Our Team

Matthew Rembe, Executive Director
Matt grew up at Los Poblanos and now oversees all aspects of the business on behalf of the Rembe Family.  He worked as Director of Mary-Anne Martin/Fine Art in New York City, where he became a specialist in the field of 20th Century Latin American Masters.  Matt attended Syracuse University, where he obtained a BA in Spanish, and received his MBA from the prestigious Thunderbird School of Global Management. His wife Teresa, and sons Mateo and Max have had a significant influence on Los Poblanos’s dedication to quality food and can often be found enjoying the myriad sights, sounds, and tastes of the Inn and Organic Farm.

Nancy Kinyanjui, Director of Hospitality & Sustainability
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Nancy joined the Los Poblanos team in 2005 and now lives in the original foreman’s house on the farm. After graduating with a degree in graphic design from Northern Illinois University, she served as a Guest Relations Manager at the InterContinental Hotel in Chicago. Nancy oversees all aspects of the inn and has played a key role in shaping the unique and authentic guest experience at Los Poblanos, from helping to develop a custom line of lavender spa amenities to implementing our green hospitality program.

Jonathan Perno, Executive Chef
A native New Mexican, Jonathan trained at the California Culinary Academy and spent time at Postrio under Wolfgang Puck, Splendido and Alain Rondelli in San Francisco, Sweet Basil in Vail, Colorado, Splendido at The Château in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and Metropolitan in Salt Lake City, Utah. His résumé also includes the requisite European culinary tour, a return visit to work at La Tante Claire in London. In addition, he spent a year in Berkley, California at an organic farm learning raised bed farming.

Ann Therese Manzanares, Event Sales Director
Ann Therese has a family history rooted in New Mexico that includes both farmers and craftsman. Her grandfather, a stone mason, helped build the Santa Fe Cathedral. Ann Therese graduated from New Mexico State, before traveling the world as flight attendant. When the pull of New Mexico was too overwhelming to ignore, she returned and started her hospitality career in Santa Fe where she realized hospitality was her passion. After working in Santa Fe, she moved to California and worked at the Fairmont Hotels in Sonoma and Santa Monica, as well as the St. Regis in Los Angeles. Since her return to New Mexico, she worked at Tamaya Resort & Spa for eight years. Ann Therese is happy to be on board at Los Poblanos, ensuring that all events are seamless, and a true reflection of the Los Poblanos mission.

Stephen Humphry, Manager, Farm Shop
Stephen and his family would drive 40 miles every weekend to work on the family Christmas tree farm on the bluffs of the Mississippi. It took a lot of weekends, but this family of four planted over 20,000 trees. Stephen graduated from the Harrington Institute in Chicago, specializing in art, architecture and design, and worked for Gallery 37 co-instructing sculpture and design classes for adults. He moved to New Mexico in 2005 to work with modern southwestern adobe architecture. Since completing several projects with a small local architects office, Stephen has worked on renovating the old dairy processing room at Los Poblanos into what is now the Farm Shop.

Kyle Johnson, Head Lavender Farmer
As a first generation New Mexican, Kyle attended public schools in Albuquerque and received his BA in Linguistics and Spanish, with a minor in Anthropology from UNM. He also studied Spanish and Native Cultures of the Americas for one year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since graduation his life took a 180 degree turn, when he stumbled upon organic agriculture in 2011 when he began an internship at local CSA Skarsgard Farms. As a farm hand at Los Poblanos, he has learned the importance of pure seeds and sustainable agriculture and fell in love, this time with lavender. Today as Head Farmer, he is still able to use his university education by speaking Spanish and immersing himself into the ancient agricultural traditions of the Middle Rio Grande Valley, and by learning and striving every day to improve the fertility, production and beauty of agricultural lands here at Los Poblanos.

If you have not been to Los Poblanos, you should go.  It is a wonderful property and well worth a trip, if only to see the John Gaw Meems architecture and the 1931 Peter Hurd fresco.  We said hello to Penny and she raved about the Inn restaurant and its chef, Jonathan Perno.  I promised myself we would go for a dinner.  She also explained how she and Armin have been involved in organic gardening in New Mexico for over twelve years and she and Suzette discussed some of their gardening travails, like bind weed.

But back to the party. The party was held under the lovely John Gaw Meems portal of the La Quinta Conference Center. The wine was supplied by Il Vicino and the finger food was catered by the Inn’s restaurant.  I loved the appetizers prepared by the Inn.  Three meat sausages with heavy mustard seed mustard, tuiles made from parmesan cheese, which were formed into cylinders with an open end and tightly closed at the other end using the standard French tool I suspect and filled with dressed micro greens, and roasted halved dates that had been sprinkled with large sea salt crystals.

The wine was Il Vicino's private label chardonnay and a cabernet sauvignon, which the bartender said was from Rutherford or St. Helena.  It tasted like a good Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and was delicious cooled with a few cubes of ice which the bartender served graciously and instantly.

The other thing I was impressed by was the degree of care and attention to detail shown by the wait staff at Los Poblanos.  Everyone was skilled in their position and hospitable, from the car attendants to the servers, to the bartender.

After about thirty minutes the wait staff began bringing trays filled with more appetizers, baked eggplant rolls spiced with chili, wedges of baked zucchini, roasted turnips from the garden, thin slices of salami and prosciutto and wonderful cheeses, like Humboldt Fog and a new cheese to me, round semi-soft cheese that looked to be about the size of a mimolette, but with a white skin and with a white soft body inside.

At around 7:00 we were invited inside the big room where chairs were set up and a presentation was given by Mark Wahlberg and Marcia, the executive director of the Antiques Roadshow, about the organization and approach to its job of presenting the appraisals.  The appraisers in attendance were then introduced and there was a short Q and A.  When the presentation ended desserts were served on the portal and we all milled around talking to appraisers about what to bring and eating lovely deserts, including a fried pastry shell filled with a dollop of chocolate sauce and then a thin slice of banana and then a caramel custard cream.  There were also small fruit tartlets in small pasty cups filled with egg custard and fresh cubed fruits and Mexican wedding cookies.  I loved them all.

We spoke to a pre-war American art expert named Sartain who was very helpful in discussing what kind of art to bring but the most helpful comment came from a furniture appraiser named Nye, who said, “Bring something you don’t know anything about”.  It made me decide to bring the two paintings given to my mother by her brother, my Uncle Sydney, who bought them during the Post-war occupation in Europe.

After an enchanting two hours, we fetched our car from the valet attendants and returned to our humble little homestead in the south valley, but the memory of a wonderful evening of food, wine and hospitality and thrilling conversations will last for a very long time.       

Bon Appétit