New York, New York…a FABULOUS town!

“Is New York such a labyrinth? I thought it so straight up and down—like Fifth Avenue. And with all the cross streets numbered!” She seemed to guess his faint disapproval of this, and added, with the rare smile that enchanted her whole face: “If you knew how I like it for just that—the straight-up-and-downness, and the big honest labels on everything!”
...Age of Innocence/Edith Wharton

Fifth Avenue is heaven with the Rue de la Paix thrown in…Age of Innocence

Are you sick of my NYC posts yet?  I never tire of it…always something new!

So, I spent a week visiting my favorite son and daughter-in-law in NYC…and had a blast…just because they’re fun, and hell it’s NYC!!  From their warm hospitality & sense of adventure, to the bright lights and big city, it’s always a memorable trip.  I know I do quite a few posts on NYC, but there are never-ending new ideas, restaurants, or shows to share…so there’ll definitely be more.  You wouldn’t want to miss out on a new restaurant, exhibit or show, would you??

My friend, Val, and I took the red-eye on Christmas night, arriving early on the 26th, with a delicious breakfast waiting for us at Austin & Kate’s adorable apartment in Brooklyn. After a quick nap we were off and running into Manhattan.  It was a day of walking…. stopping at the Bryant Park Holiday Market, A visit to the lions watching guard at the NYC public library (note: the regal Rose Main Reading Room is closed for renovation until late 2016 or early 2017), 5th Avenue Christmas windows at Saks, Rockefeller Center, Times Square…with a pic of Val in front of her distant relative, George M. Cohan’s, statue…, then on to Central Park and a glass of wine at Tavern on the Green.  I hadn’t been to Tavern since they were newly renovated and just a visitor’s center with food trucks.  The new decor, a soothing jazz band and the ambience at the holiday season, with roaring fireplace were so welcoming.  We stayed awhile! We ended our first day with a saunter around Brooklyn’s Artists and Fleas (they have one in Chelsea Market too) and, having a hankering for pizza, walked to dinner at Fornino just down the street from A&K apartment.

Day two was football, Buvette and singing show-tunes.  Seeing Tom Brady play was on my bucket list, so when I noticed back in September that they’d be playing the Jets, another favorite team, I just had to go….and it would be right around my 55th birthday, Happy Birthday to me!  It was a great game, with some crazy decisions by the Patriots and weird calls from the refs.  Why did Tom Brady take a knee when there was plenty of time in the first half to make a couple of plays or even a hail-mary pass….wouldn’t have hurt?  …and the end of regulation coin toss..what a joke!  My Tom did not win, but it was a fun game to attend…including the train ride out to Met-Life Stadium with all the other fans.  There was great energy in the air!

I had stopped in for a quick bite at Buvette last time I was in NYC, but wanted to go back for a meal.  It is a quintessential Parisian restaurant (the only other one is in Paris) with small bites that we all shared.  There were mussels, cauliflowers au-gratin, shaved brussel sprout salad, to name a few.  It’s a small menu with a few specials and the waiter recommended that we order six dishes for the four of us, which was perfect!  After dinner we ventured across the street and sang Broadway show tunes for a little while at Marie’s Crisis.

Monday was my 55th birthday and it started out as a lazy morning in the apartment, heading into the city around 11.  We made a quick stop to fuel up at Empire Szechuan with their cold sesame noodles.  We took a brisk walk past The Dakota, across Central Park to see Strawberry Fields, Bethesda Terrace, CP Boathouse and a walk down 5th avenue to The Plaza Food Hall at the Plaza Hotel.  We had such a nice time just sitting at the counter of an open kitchen being entertained by two chefs assembling and cooking dishes at a dizzying pace.  We then strolled down fifth to see the holiday windows at Bergdorf’s and Tiffany’s…and walk around a favorite store of mine, McKenzie Childs on 57th.  By now it was around 5:00…cocktail time…so we made our way over to 11th Ave to a place I’d heard had a great view of the city at night….The Press Lounge.  It, indeed, has a great view and lovely atmosphere and I’d recommend it for an early evening stop (apparently there’s quite a line if you get there much after 5:30.)  We were off to see Fun Home on Broadway, but, in what was a comedy of errors on my part, our tickets were for Tuesday night…ugh!!  So, Austin & Kate met us a little earlier than planned at Friend of a Farmer, a quaint place in Gramercy Park.

….to be continued…stay tuned for a new fun culinary adventure (Eatwith.com)

 You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!