NYC - Day 12!
I woke up early (too early on a vacation day) and groggily walked over to Alec Sutton Organic Cleaners to drop off our clothes and a pile of bath towels to be cleaned. We had had enough for us, Tony’s Mom and Dave for the past week, but since Marc and Kim plus Dave and Tracey were visiting, clean towels and sheets were much needed). I figured spending $1 a pound was much better than spending a few hours in a cramped Laundromat punching in quarters.
I needed them by 2:00pm because we had to be downtown for the evening. The man said there same day service was typically a 4:00pm pickup, but since I was a first time customer, they wanted to accommodate me. Aww, how nice! No need to tell him that I did not live here!
We made it downtown and walked over to the Sullivan Theatre where we stood in line for Letterman tickets. In front of the building, they were setting up a stunt that involved a skater that would skate over a moving U-Haul truck. I got to see Biff Henderson! Go Biff!
The broke the line up to various groups – depending on who called you. We were on Kate’s Gold List and when we got to the front, we were asked what our favorite segment was. “Uhh…stupid pet tricks are our favorite!!” She said that we were randomly picked to receive “special” tickets and told us to talk to the guy by the red ropes. The red rope guy took outside and off to the side and whispered that we were given “special tickets”.
These “special” tickets gave us access inside the theatre where we would be sitting next to Dave Letterman! Whooo!
An hour later, we found ourselves inside the lobby, waiting with about 60 other people. We got to use the facilities (Yay! – since during the hour we went out for drinks and I swear, I have the world’s smallest bladder). About half an hour of waiting, we were led into the studio. A whole bunch of the staff were there, clapping their hands and whooping it up, trying to get us all excited and revved up for the show.
I could not believe it but we ended up on the aisle of the second row! As I have heard, the theatre is COLD. It was a good thing I had my scarf. The band started playing and I even caught a Fab Faux guitar pick! Letterman came out to talk to us for a couple minutes and then the show started. Tonight’s guests were America Ferrera, the guy from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Terry Fator and a skateboarder who did a stunt skate over a moving U-Haul truck.
The hour went by so quickly and then we were shuttled out the side doors, next to Hello Deli. I would have to say that was a pretty fun experience! I am already thinking about our next trip to New York and I so want to get tickets to SNL now. *Makes mental note to check in August*
For dinner, we wanted to stay close to home, so we found a restaurant called Madeleine Mae along Amsterdam Avenue. The menu looked interesting – kind of an upscale New Orleans/Cajun restaurant. It was a cute spot with butcher block tables and brightly checkered linens. We were seated next to a cute, elderly couple and you could clearly see how smitten they still were about each other. So cute!
Anyway, I was just digging into my Jambalaya when I noticed a man walk in.
I was trying to play it cool, so as I was chewing on my andouille sausage, I whispered across to Tony, “Thont churn urroun, pfthut pfthevin pfthacon jush wokked in!” which of course, translated to “Don’t turn around, but KEVIN BACON just walked in!!!!”
I immediately wanted to chuck my shoes and start dancing on the table tops! He was with his teenaged daughter and they were in and out so quickly, maybe 25 minutes tops. I could have passed his table on my way to the bathroom, but that would be so uncool. I did not want to be “that girl”. As they left, he automatically put on his dark sunglasses. I thought it funny given it was 9 o’clock outside. Celebrities.
NYC - Day 11!
This morning, we decided to take the train out to Brooklyn. And I mean way out. To Coney Island and Brighton Beach.
The trip took just over an hour and it brought us right to the entrance of the famous park. I am sure it was something special during its prime, but Coney Island 2008 is pretty run down. Since it was mid-May, there were only a handful of people on the boardwalk and on the beach. None of the booths were open, so we continued on to Astroland where Tony could finally fulfill his childhood wish. To ride The Cyclone. Me? Rickety old, wooden roller coasters that are as old as I am do not mix. My feet stayed firmly on the ground. But you can catch the Hubby on it. He is sitting in the second seat.
After Astroland, we took the train to Brighton Beach for a bit of Russia. This place was so great! Cute little old ladies perched on their stoop. They were speaking Russian but you just know they are dishing out the daily gossip to one another. We walked to the boardwalk and saw an outdoor restaurant called Tatiana Restaurant that featured bright green and neon yellow table linens. We HAD to eat here. Luckily for us, the food was fantastic!
I ordered a pot of black mussels and a side of escargot in butter sauce. Mmmm — both were delicious! Tony had a bowl of a vereniki, which was kind of a like a pierogi. He really liked his, especially the broth it was cooked in. Thumbs up to Tatiana’s!
Vespa is a cute restaurant in the Upper East Side. I chose it soley because of the name and the fact that they featured a real Vespa bike at their front door. I know, very superficial, but the façade of a place does matter! We walked passed the narrow entry, past the bar and into the outdoor garden area. It was a little chilly, so I was thankful the restaurant had heat lamps near every table.
I had a mandarin martini – so good, if not for the alcohol, I would have downed the entire glass like it was kool-aid. For appetizers, Tony ordered their beet salad and I ordered their yellow watermelon and proscuitto. I have never had a yellow watermelon before and it blew me away. It was sooo sweet and juicy and delicious.
For dinner, I had the cavatelli – delicious! Tony had the gnocchi – heavy, but delicious! I know, it seems everything was delicious. Was it because we were on vacation and everything tastes great while on holiday? Was it because the outdoor garden was so cute and charming? Was it because I was dining next to the love of my life and I could be eating spoiled spinach and it would still taste fine? I think it was all three.
The walk back through Central Park was interesting. It was after 10 o’clock and at first, I balked because I felt we would be better off hailing a taxi to bring us back home. But Tony convinced me it would be okay. It was, but after several minutes of not seeing a single soul even he was getting a little antsy. But as we neared the center of the park near the Great Lawn, we saw some shadows and after we figured out it was a group walking their dogs, we felt a little better.
Husband: “Oh sure, you see dogs and you think every thing’s okay. How do you know it’s not a gang that uses that exact cover to win you over and then next thing you know, you’ve just been mugged of your leftover Cavatelli dinner?”
I know, show me some pooches and I become such a gullible pushover.
NYC - Day 10!
I had my big excursion to B&H today! For anyone who is interested in photography, it is the Mecca of Photography. The store is just M A S S I V E. Cameras of every sort, tripods, printers, telescopes, lenses, bags — it was all overwhelming. They also had a cute conveyor belt system that would bring your orders from the second floor to the ground floor.
Well, I was all set to purchase the 15mm fisheye, but the counter guy told me they were sold out of them! At first, I thought he was joking with me but when he continued to shake his head, I was a little crushed. He wanted to sell me the 14mm and I practically laughed in his face. Yeah, like I am able to afford a $2000 lens! Snort.
I guess I will have to wait until they get the fisheye in stock. Sigh.
Comedy Central is located on 11th Avenue and 50th Street (in Hell’s Kitchen), an area that is definitely not a tourist area. It is quite a ways away from a subway stop and other than a automotive shop, tile store and a park across the street, there was not much to it. The email we received told us to arrive at 3:30pm and by the time we got there, there was already over a hundred people in line. We were wrapped around the building and waited it out for the next TWO HOURS for our show tickets. I should not complain, since it could have been blazing hot outside, but it wasn’t – it was gorgeous and cool and we got to use the building’s facilities, but man, TWO HOURS just standing in line was just not fun.
Once we got through security, we were seated in the studio. After the requisite “opening comedien”, the show began and OMG – it’s Jon Stewart! He is such a cutie. He began with a Q&A session and some jokes and then the show began. That night’s guest was Bill Moyers, who gave us an interesting view of his interview with Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
And wow, then it was just over and I had forgotten the show is only half an hour long.
By this time, we were super starving and since we had not gone to Union Square yet, we headed over there in search of dinner. Funnily enough, we found Los Dos Molinos NYC. There is a Los Dos Molinos in Phoenix and we love that place, so we decided to try it out and compare. The décor was similar to LDM-West but less cluttery. I found it amusing to see Phoenix Suns and ASU jerseys stapled to the ceiling. The good? The menu is exactly the same and the food was great. Plus, their Kick Ass Margaritas are still kick ass. The bad? The music was so LOUD, like rave club loud, that we could barely hold a decent conversation.
Or is it because we are getting old?
Don’t answer that.
NYC - Day 9!
Given our late night and having woken up to gloomy skies, the three of us took it easy. While Dave slept in, Tony ran down to our favorite coffee shop and grabbed us cups of coffee and fresh pastries. Sure, we could have brewed our own, but what is the fun of that, when you can walk down to the corner?
Even though we were all hyped up with coffee, it was a lazy day. We grabbed pizza from Patsy’s in Chelsea. There was a closer one in the UWS, but we wanted to get out (even in the rain). And by the time we finished lunch, it was time to head back to the apartment so Dave could pack up and get to his flight back to Phoenix.
Dave surprised me with setting up a flickr account and he has a few photos from his trip. Go check him out!
Later that evening, I wanted some hot soup and I realized that we had not gone to Franklin St. Café yet. I cannot remember how we ever came across it during my first trip to NYC. All I can say is that I am glad we did, because they have a really good spicy shrimp noodle bowl that I devour. It is located in Tribeca and on this evening, all was quiet in the neighborhood. Tony had a curry dish and I had the spicy shrimp. I was saddened to hear that FSC would be closing soon (June 10th was the date, I think). The high rent was forcing them out, but they hope to open up somewhere else. I really hope so, because I will need my spicy shrimp noodle fix on my next visit.
After dinner, we walked over to Chinatown. My only other previous Chinatown visit was during a busy weekend afternoon and it was CRAZY. There were so many in the streets, on the sidewalks, in the shops – it was just too much! This time, it was after work and only half of the people were out. This I could handle. We walked through various gift shops where we bought a lot of trinkets to bring back home. We also stopped by a bakery shop so I could buy some egg custards. They also had some desserts decorated to look like cats and knowing how much my sister loves cats, I was getting my camera ready to take a picture when all of a sudden I saw a hand in front of my lens and a woman screaming, “No picture! No picture!!”
Needless to say, no pictures were taken.
NYC - Day 8!
It was another gorgeous day, so we packed up a small picnic bag of cheese, soprasetta and drinks and made our way back to the Boathouse. We did not have a picnic basket, so we made do with a leftover Miller Light six pack cardboard carry-on.
We rented a rowboat and Dave volunteered to captain us out on The Lake. This was such a New York City experience — rowing a boat in the middle of Central Park. Dave found a spot for us to “park” the boat, so we broke out our bag of goodies. It was a moment when the three of us just took it all in. New York City. Central Park. The Lake. Friends. Fun. Fabulous.
Our friend Dave is a huge jazz buff, so I made reservations at Smoke Jazz Club & Supper Lounge to see Chris Washburne and his band. The jazz club was cool. It is teeny-tiny, maybe a max of 50 people and everything was dark and plush. I heard that back in the day, Billie Holliday used to shoot up here. I do not follow jazz but I found myself surprisingly pleased with the night. The band was great and the food was delicious (yes, I am being serious).
We were not ready to go back to the apartment, so we headed downtown. We wanted to go to the Rainbow Room Grill, but it was closed. It was just before midnight and one of the NBC staff guys convinced us to check out the Top of the Rock Observation Deck. This was something new that we had not tried yet, and I am a sucker for tall buildings with views. It was SO FLIPPIN’ COLD, but the views were pretty awesome. And my favorite part? The Target Light Room! I think it is because I am a big, goofy nerd, but I loved it. Movement within the room determines how the lights operate, so the three of us were leaping up and down and running around the room like three year olds. Fun!
Best part yet? We still have six more days in the city!
NYC - Day 7!
The sun came out! It was a perfect day to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. This was the scene of my infamous “Brooklyn Bridge Fall” as told here on my flickr page. Fortunately for the three of us, we were not on our bikes so we made it all the way across with no major mishaps.
We were on our way to the Murakami Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, but before we did that, we had to find a place to eat. We walked up and down one of the streets near the museum and found Tom’s Restaurant. There was a long line of about 30 people, but it went pretty quickly (I think the wait was only 20 minutes). During the wait, the staff comes out with free cups of coffee and samples of cookies, fresh strawberries and orange wedges.
Finally, we were seated in one of the booths. The decorations are wild. There are signs detailing various menu items intermixed with miles and miles of silk flowers. I ordered the Belgian waffles with fresh strawberries and an Egg Cream. YUM! I wish I had a shot of Tony’s reaction when I had finished my entire plate while he had only gotten through half of his!
The Murakami Exhibit was really neat. There was one room that was wallpapered with cheery, happy flowers that you could not help but smile too. There were a few provocative sculptures that I had not expected. I won’t describe them. I think it is easier if I show them.
Back in the UWS, we were feeling peckish but it wasn’t quite time for dinner yet, so we stopped by Gray’s Papaya for hot dogs. Tony and I shared the Recession Special – two dogs and a papaya drink. All was pretty good for $3.50! I especially liked their sign endorsing Barack Obama.
Around 9 o’clock, my stomach started growling, so we went in search of food. I love how everything stays open until very late. In Phoenix, things would be shutting down at ten. Anyway, we found a Chinese-Peruvian restaurant called Flor de Mayo. I ordered their chicken fried rice with egg roll and I gasped when the plate was brought out. The rice was piled on so high and the egg roll was so thick! By the time my appetite had been satiated, there was still half a plate left.
I swear, this trip has been all about walking and eating and walking and eating.
Not that I am complaining 
NYC - Day 6!
Just as my MIL was on her way out, our friend Dave was on his way in. He was in Montreal on business and we love hanging out him, so we invited him to crash in our pad.
It was such a horrible weather day. Constant rain! Fortunately, the apartment had an umbrella which I used. The poor boys suffered through the downpour for about 10 minutes until they gave in and rushed into a Lucky Brand store and bought their cheapest baseball caps. Is this guy logic? It is pouring down rain, so instead of buying an umbrella or a poncho, they buy baseball caps?? They both responded, “Ohhh, this is so much better!” I wish I had taken a photo of them drenched to the bones – but at least their eyeslashes were dry!!
We walked through Central Park and to escape the rain, we had lunch at the Boathouse. No tanned men sightings, but we were just grateful to get out of the rain. Again, I had the Boathouse Salad. Delicious tomatoes, a mild goat cheese, watercress and a drizzle of white balsalmic vinaigrette. Yum! I like simple food.
Later that evening, the three of us made our way through the subway station to hit Momofuku Ssam Bar. We lucked out and were seated immediately. I really liked the all over modern wood paneling and the music just rocked. It was like they had gone through Tony’s iPod and selected the grooviest of groovy songs. You have to love a place who plays “Jet Boy, Jet Girl” while munching on the best steamed buns and pork belly EVAH.
Tony heard that Manitoba’s Bar was nearby (it was about five blocks away), so we made our way through the rain. Across the street from Tompkins Square Park, we saw this huge mural featuring Joe Strummer! You know we had to get a shot of Tony and his idol! Although, it is very funny to note that five years ago, the name Strummer would have invoked punk rock and The Clash. Now, all it reminds us of is a furry, white little puffball of a pooch.
NYC - Day 5!
It was so gloomy and overcast. We walked through Central Park with no real destination in mind. I think my favorite “spot” was Cedar Hill. It seemed less “touristy”, just a nice spot to lie down and let the world go by. Our stomachs started growling and we were fortunate that the Boathouse Restaurant was nearby. What a great place! The restaurant overlooks the lake and the setting reminded me of Anne of Green Gables.
Apparently, Ralph Lauren was two tables next to us (as confirmed by the bartender) but all I could see was the back of his head. And since he was sitting at the last table near the wall, it wasn’t like I could walk by casually without having to invite myself to his little luncheon. All I can say is his neck is very, very tan.
After taking a break at the apartment, we headed down to Midtown for apps and drinks at St. Andrew’s Bar. We thought MIL would get a kick out of the Scottish-themed bar/restaurant (which, she did – she bonded with our Scottish waitress and downed a shot of 25 year old whisky in the process). Dinner was across the street at Dopo Teatro Trattoria. Tony and I were a little disappointed. We have been here twice before and both times we were really charmed by the small, rustic interior, outdoor garden and delicious pasta. This time, the décor looked really dated, the food was just okay and the feel of the place was just blah.
We had tickets to see Nathan Lane in November at the Barrymore Theatre. He plays a President who is seeking re-election and Laurie Metcalf plays his lesbian press secretary. The play is quite a farce and you will definitely hear a lot of the “f” word, but the whole experience was very enjoyable. The theatre was great – small and intimate. We had second to last row tickets but I still felt we were right there on stage with the actors.
NYC - Day 4!
We were up early to meet my Mother-in-Law at Penn Station. This was our joint Birthday/Mother’s Day gift to her – I mean, who wouldn’t love to hang out in NYC with their most favorite son and daughter-in-law?? (Okay, so we just happen to be her only son and daughter-in-law….)
After lunching at Sarabeth’s, we made our way back to Midtown for our little date with Conan O’Brien. It was really easy to get these tickets. A couple of weeks ago, I called the NBC line and chose a random date (they did not have their guest list available). You can receive up to 4 tickets. We picked up our tickets at the Mezzanine Level of 30 Rockefeller and they tell you to come back in an hour. To wait out that hour, we went downstairs to the Rockefeller Ice Rink Café for cocktails and the stalking of Matt Lauer, Ann Curry and Al Roker.
There was quite a crowd for tonight’s show. We were sectioned off into two groups, one group who had tickets with alphabetical characters and another group with numerical characters (us). I think we waited in this line for about 30 minutes before they began shuttling us into the studio. The best thing — they passed out Conan O’Brien “Audience Member” tee-shirts! Cool!
The set was really small — much smaller than you would think. They brought out a writer (I think) who talked to us for about 10 minutes, essentially to get us loosened up. Then Conan came out for 5 minutes and cracked jokes and bonded with the audience. He is very, very tall and seems to be a really genuine guy. The show started and everything was done at real time, meaning they did not do re-takes and they even break for commercials. Tonight’s guests were Liam Neeson, BJ Novak and The Duke Spirits.
The whole process (from tickets to final take of show) was about 4 hours long, so plan your day accordingly!
NYC - Day 3!
Gosh, the bagels from H&H are divine. But, I am surprised they do not make their own cream cheese spread.
Here is a tip. Yes, take the really cool tram ride over to Roosevelt Island (Metrocards are accepted), but do not bother getting off. Just jump right on and get yourself back to Manhattan. There is really nothing on RI more than apartment buildings. And more apartment buildings. And construction crews building more apartment buildings. But the island does have a nice view of the lower end of Manhattan.
Patsy’s Pizzeria is not the same as Grimaldi’s. All the same, the crust at Patsy’s is sooo good. It must be that fancy New York water that makes the dough oh-so-nice. We packed up half of the pizza and had every intention of passing it on to a homeless person. But the streets have definitely been cleaned up since our last visit seven years ago. We ended up placing our pizza box on top of a trash can in hopes that some needy person would take it. I would have to say Patsy’s beats Grimaldi’s.
Tonight was our big night out at Nobu in Tribeca. Oh, the ceviche was just sublime. I think Tony and I could have ordered an entrée size and gorged on that all night long. It was that good. The other highlight was their chocolate bento box, which is their version of a chocolate soufflé. Best chocolate dessert ever. And you know what? I was expecting an outrageously exorbitant bill. We had four drinks, two appetizers, two cold plates, two hot plates and the dessert. The check only came out to be $180. Which I found to be quite reasonable given we were in NYC.
Another tip? Throw away the high heels. Srsly. I thought I could do it. I mean, it is only a couple blocks to the subway. A couple blocks to the restaurant. A couple blocks around the nabe. A couple blocks back to the apartment. Granted, my legs and feet are not what they used to be, but just those few blocks in my two-inchers were a pain the ass. I swear — no more heels during the rest of this trip.
— keep looking »