I've said it before... last minute trips are the best. If I liked surprise birthday parties, I imagine they'd feel like it did when Fusilli mentioned Dawes were playing at the Bowery Ballroom. Surprise!
What more could you ask for than a great live band in an incredible venue... in New York? Imagine Massey hall crossed with the HorseShoe. It's Perfection!
This trip we decided we would only try new things, no old favorites, only new, new, new! First new thing: the hotel. We arrived Friday night, and checked onto the Hampton Inn Soho. This might be the best deal in town. Set on the edge of Soho, just above Tribecca, you can anywhere in a flash.
We changed and went straight to dinner. Next stop on the new tour, Public on Elizabeth in Nolita. No pictures, too hungry. Fried Oysters in shizo leaf, white anchovy on lentil cakes and berkshire pork something. I ate so fast, I can hardly remember.
Why do concerts always start late? Do they want to sell more drinks?
By the end Dawes had the entire place singing along. Bonus points if you can spot me in the audience near the end of the video.
After the concert we headed to the next new spot, Los Felis, for Tequila and snacks. The list of Tequilla options was so long I just let the waiter decide what to put in my margarita. We had guacamole and a grilled shrimp soft tacos. So much better than late night pizza.
Saturday morning was bright and cold as we headed to Bread, a new breakfast option around the corner. We both had baked eggs in tomato sauce based on a vauge recollection of Prosecco's recent post. For some reason mine was full if garlic, but Fusillli had none. I picked out all the slices of garlic (totaling about 4 cloves) and just enjoyed their essence. Garlic and onions are like scotch, best enjoyed after 4pm. Topped up with breakfast we headed to Soho for a walk.
My ears were in danger of disappearing beneath my mop, a sight not seen since they emerged in 1984. Not wanting to revisit the "awkwark years", I stopped in at my favourite spot... The NYC Shaving Co. The only not-new stop on our trip. I always love visiting here for their old school vibe and skilled barbers. Plus, what's more obnoxious than saying... I had to go to New York to get my hair cut? Ha!
Observe the perfection master barber Fracesco bestowed on my slowly disappearing head of hair. That perfect line was the result of much clipping, buzzing and staight shaving. Bravo Francesco!
It was time for lunch, so we headed to the much anticipated Breslin in the swank (new?) Ace hotel. This was turned out to be the highlight of the trip, and the reward for trying something new. I was expecting fancy pub food, but it was so much more.
First up, caesar salad. Perhaps the best I've ever had. I loved the full uncut lettuce leaves and the light and lemony dressing. It was topped with anchovy croutons and whole anchovies. Wickedly good. 
Next we had a moist and delicious lamb burger with what I'm told are the best fries in NYC. They might be the best fries I've ever had! Thrice fried, and accompanied with a delicious cumin mayo dip.
The fries were so good, I had to take a close-up. They were thick and crispy, without the mushy centre. Bravo Breslin!
Saturday night we wanted to try Dinero's restaurant in TriBeCa, Locanda Verde. Unfortunately, the place was so packed so we had to come back for breakfast instead. No complaints, the brunch was incredible. I had Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with blueberries and meyer lemon curd.
Fusilli had the Uovo Modenese with cottechino hash, spinach and tomato hollandaise.
I loved the giant balls of yarn. I've never seen that before. New? Check!
Stopping for a glass of prosecco after walking for a few hours was nice, but the real treat was sitting outside on a patio in February. Cheers!
By the end of the day we needed one more meal before heading to the airport. Our first choice was closed, but they were kind enough to recommend Ideya, just down the street. They make excellent Mojitos.
What's better with a Mojito than a cuban sandwich?
Proof that we weren't the only summer jumpers enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. At least I wasn't in shorts and flip-flops.
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
New, New York
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Going to New York for Dinner
I don't need much prompting to jump on a plane, let alone one headed for New York. So, when Manchego suggested we go to NYC for the weekend, it seemed like a plan. Except that it was Thursday, and last minute flights are hard to come by these days... especially on Porter. I checked for flights, just to see how insane the price would be, and I was shocked to find flights for $95. It was clearly a sign... except to Manchego who bailed and decided to spend the weekend relaxing. Lame.
We didn't make it to the High Line on our last trip, so after breakfast we walked up to the Meat Packing District to check it out. It was the highlight of the trip for me. I love public spaces, and this is an incredible example of how cities can reclaim, and adapt abandoned land. The HL passes under two buildings, the one shown here is the new hotel The Standard. Swank.
After walking most of the afternoon, we stopped into Fatty Crab for a PBR tall boy and a Chupacabra. 
Chili Crabs are the specialty of the house, and normally that's what I would order, but after watching our neighbour eating them, I decided I really didn't want to get up to my elbows in sauce. Instead we ordered pickled watermelon and crispy pork. It may not look appetizing in this shot, but the hot/cold, salty/sweet, crunchy/soft contrast of the ingredients was a magical mouth tour.
After first dinner, we headed to the patio at Pastis to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather and watch the outfits stream by. An hour into the fabulous people parade, we decided to see where they were all going. Lesson learned—follow the outfits to fun. We ended up down the street at The Standard Beer Garden, under the high line. It's an open air patio, with two bars and ping-pong tables! There's nothing better than watching drunk ping-pong, which should be called "where's the ball?" Because usually the ball was floating around the floor between fashionable footwear.
For second dinner we headed to Macau Trading Co., a not-so-secret restaurant, behind an unassuming metal grate, marked only by a red lantern. Despite the elaborate interior design, which usually makes up for a weak menu, the food and drinks were on equal footing. It was too dark to take pictures, and almost too loud to talk in the downstairs room, but not too dark for drinks. I had the delicious Mr. Ho, and Fusilli ordered the Dr. Funk. The Macanese /Portuguese menu was full of small snacks, and each dish we ordered was better than the last. Olive oil poached octopus with potatoes and fennel, chicken dumplings in chili oil and mushroom & truffle croquettes.
There's only one breakfast in NYC that's worth traveling 70 blocks, and lining up for 20 minutes when you're feeling hung-over. Barney Greengrass.
The sun was out, and it felt like summer, so after breakfast we headed through Central Park towards the Whitney museum to see the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit. I've been through the park many times, but I've never walked through the Ramble. At certain points, the city pokes dramatically through the trees, highlighting how amazing it was to be standing on a bridge over a stream in the middle of the city.
The Ramble just gets better the further you explore. I was completely lost at this point, but who cares when you've just had breakfast at the Sturgeon King and your only job that day is to make it to your next meal. Welcome to the magic forest.
In an effort to cram as much into two days as possible, we got last minute tickets to the Sufjan Stevens concert at the Bowery Ballroom. I think I would have enjoyed the concert more if my feet weren't so tired.
One last meal before a quick nap and an eaaaaarly flight home.
Pasta and Frisse Salad at Balthazar.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Last Chance Vacation
I'm officially starting a new tradition! Anytime I make any big changes in my life, in this case a new job, I'm going to take a vacation. It doesn't have to be far away, or even for a long time, I just need a change—a taste of something new, a break to que up the next chapter.
We had plans to try new restaurants, rather than visiting past favorites, but a failed outing on the first night change all that. I can accept the folly of trying to find a secret restaurant, but Time Out could have at least included the correct address in their listing... perhaps that's how they keep it secret. Next time I'll find you Kyo Ya!
First on the list of favorites is the 100 year old Barney Greengrass. I've never had a bad meal, or a friendly waiter, and that's just how I like it. Where else would a waiter ask a table of four "Everyone having coffee raise your hand. Ok, now raise your hand if you want orange juice." It's awesome to watch a professional at work.
I always look at the menu intently before ordering the usual: Scrambled eggs with a side of sturgeon & smoked salmon, a sesame bagel, coffee and fresh squeezed o.j. After finishing the entire thing I'm stuffed and ready to walk for hours without rest.
Lupa and their magic prosciutto. This time we tried the sample platter of veggies: Beets with pistachio sauce, grilled zucchini and peppers, summer beans with pecorino, mixed olives, corn and broccoli rabe with ricotta. Voted the best meal to eat while killing time before heading to the airport.
Cafe Ino for bellinis and bruschetta. Perfect, tiny and bubbly.
When we couldn't find Kyo Ya, we went to plan B – a new wine bar called Terroir. When plan B fell flat due to lack of seating, we went next door to Hearth. Later we realized the striking similarity wasn't coincidental... same owner. Ding!
They had a fava bean tasting menu—so I was happy. They kindly allowed us to sample the first course, a fava bean and pecorino salad sitting on delicious grilled bread.
Next a smoked trout salad with avocado.
We made it to the beautifully restored Guggenhiem just before the torrential rain started. The show: Frank Llyod Wright: From Within Outward, featured select drawings and models from Frank Lloyd Wrights' long career. Sadly many of the projects featured were never built, or were built and then demolished. Highlights included many drawings detailing 10 years of planning to create the final design for the museum, including a scale model. The original plans for falling water and his studio—Taliesin in Arizona. See a preview of the show here.
My favorite: The old phone booths on the main floor.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Close Shaves & Happy Endings
For me, visiting NYC is like time travel. I'm not sure if I'm in the past or the future, it depends on the moment. When I was in our rental apartment I felt like I was in an alternate universe, but that's another story.
After a long week of walking, navigating the subway, playing sidewalk chicken and eating, all I wanted to do was take a nap. I also needed a shave, so I decided to combine the two. Earlier in the week I had passed two barber shops in the span of a few blocks and I made a mental note to return.
After the Museum of Natural History I was beat, so I headed back to Nolita, to the New York Shaving Company on Elizabeth St. If you hate shaving, but love hot towels... this is heaven. The whole process takes about a half-hour, which is just long enough to get fully relaxed. It involves liberal amounts of lathering, hot toweling, face massaging, face slapping, spritzing and finally paying.
I can't think of a better way to end a trip.
CONTINUE READING...
Casa Mono
This was our last meal before leaving for the airport, so we had to make it count. Not wanting to take any chances, we headed for Casa Mono, an incredible Spanish Tapas spot. I love tapas, you get to order everything on the menu and you still have room for dessert. If you're up for a show, sit at the bar facing the kitchen.
What we had:
• Cana de Cabra with Golden Beets
• Sweetbreads with Fennel al Mono
• Pig's Feet with Rainbow Chard and Cranberries
• Sepia a la Plancha with Salsa Verde
• Burnt Vanilla Custard (with breaded, deep fried bay leaves)
Barney Greengrass: The Sturgeon King
An old friend introduced us to The Sturgeon King years ago. Since then, I can't visit the city without making the long trip to the upper west side for smoked fish. This meal will get you through the day if necessary, but I like to get there early so I can still have lunch.
This time I noticed other tables engaged in a ritual I've never seen before. While chatting, they were all hollowing out their bagel halves, making a channel. Next, the channel was filled with smoked fish, and the creme cheese was applied on top. Fascinating.
Ditch Plains
Ummm, what can I say here? This was a detour on the culinary road trip... an anomaly in a week of incredible food. This would have been the perfect meal for Prosecco before the marathon. It's a carb load extraordinaire.
And yes, that's not one, but two hot dogs covered in macaroni and cheese sitting on a bed of fries. Prosecco ordered the chili dog version and C. was sensible, sticking with fish. It's about as good as it looks... I'll leave that statement open to your interpretation.
One interesting thing, the restaurant only served wine by the bottle. You could order a half-bottle, but nothing by the glass.
Gramercy Tavern
I don't think there's a more comfortable dining room in the city. If you sit at the short end of the bar you have a great view of the wood fired oven, the incredible flower arrangements, and that tree at the end of the bar. Sitting at the bar also makes me feel more comfortable when I'm just ordering a snack. I'd love to visit with clients and an expense account.
What we had:
• Calamari & Carrot Salad – Toasted Pine Nuts and Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
• Merguez Sausage – Chickpeas, Swiss Chard, Almonds and Harissa
More about Gramercy Tavern.
Gitane – Part Deux
We all went back to Cafe Gitane for breakfast before hitting the MoMa. I was totally having breakfast envy looking at Prosecco's baked eggs. I decided on the "fibre" option and fueled up with coffee, chocolate croissant, granola, yogurt and fruit. Did you know that pain au chocolat provides 100% of your daily fibre requirements?
Intermission
You can't spend the entire time in NYC eating – trust me I've tried. You have to build up your appetite by walking, shopping and seeing all the amazing, weird and random things the city has to offer. When you're not eating, check out the incredible collection at the MoMA. I wish I'd started on the top floor, which I assume is the permanent collection, because they had incredible work I've never seen in person. Can you believe that Henri Rousseau was painted in 1910?
Walking around, you're guaranteed to see and stumble on things that will make you laugh. That fancy poodle lived in the fancy apartments next to the MoMA. That firehouse in Tribeca is where they filmed Ghost Busters!
By far, my favorite place to build up an appetite is the Museum of Natural History. They have the most amazing collection, and the dioramas will blow your mind. The Hall of Biodiversity alone is worth the price of admission. Look at incredible variety of species. You get hungry just looking at it, thinking of how many you've eaten, and which are your favorites. Mmmm, time for lobster rolls.
Pearl Oyster Bar
It's hard to visit NYC and not end up at the same places you always go. I guess it's no different than being at home, you like what you like. I really like Pearl Oyster Bar, even when I have to line up. They're totally cool about getting you a drink while you wait, or taking your name so you can go for a walk before dinner. This time, when we arrived, we were whisked to a table at the back without waiting. First time ever!
We also found out shortly after arriving that Tyra had been there the night before... at the table right next to ours! We all lamented a missed opportunity to smile at her with our eyes. Although, if you've seen my passport photo, I "attempted" the eye smile and I look psychotic and constipated. Probably best we missed her.
We started with Oysters, but we were really there for the lobster rolls. I was a bit worried that we had over sold it to Prosecco and C. – the phrase "life changing" isn't often associated with lobster rolls. I'll leave it to Prosecco to comment how it lived up to expectation.
I've also included a picture of the chocolate sundae Prosecco ordered. For some reason P. was unable to finish her roll, but had room for a sundae. I'm not complaining, we all helped finish the lobster roll and then got a taste of dessert. Bonus.
Aurora
Prosecco and C. recommended Aurora after they had dinner there and really enjoyed it. We decided to stop in for an afternoon snack when it started raining, and I'm so glad we did. We shared two delicious appetizers – roasted beets and grilled octopus.
Lupa
The prosciutto at Lupa is the best I've ever had. It just melts as you eat it, and it's sliced perfectly thin. The trouble is getting in to try it. The first night we stopped in, the bar and restaurant were completely full. The next night, election night, we had no problem getting a table for four. Thank-you Mr. President.
After we all shared the prosciutto, I had the one thing I can never resist when I see it on a menu Рsweetbreads. I was so excited when it arrived, I completely forgot to take pictures of the other entr̩es. I also had two side dishes, roasted squash and rapini. So good!
More about Lupa. CONTINUE READING...
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