Monday, January 17, 2011

New York: Manhattan Day 5 - Mini Bites after a quick trip in a Big City



Last day in New York and Martin Luther King Jr day. We only have the morning before our flight out of JFK. Pat takes us to Spanish tapas at Casa Mono for some delicious jamon, wine, fishies and razor clams followed by cupcakes and hot apple cider some blocks away. A warm and wonderful send off!

Thanks so much Pat and Cindy for being such fun and generous hosts.

See you later New York! City of walking, cab rides, diversity and pop culture.

                                                      
             
                   above image from http://www.popartuk.com/g/l/lghr15518+yellow-cab-nyc-taxi-poster.jpg

Sunday, January 16, 2011

New York: Manhattan Day 4 "Lazy" Sunday 1/16/2011

Jared Kushner's pad
Began the day with some Apartment Shopping. The first spot we went to required a little bit of legitimacy check, and we later learn it is because it's Jared Kushner's bachelor pad. I'm a fan of Ivanka Trump so that was pretty neat to see how he/they did their interior decor.

Great Jones Spa
Spent some time in SoHo and I met with a college friend of mine at the Starbucks on Broadway. It's crazy how crowded a big Starbucks in New York can get. After Starbucks, we went to the Great Jones Spa for some R&R. Best day spa. It was so relaxing to go to the sauna and steam room first, then get a massage by a therapist who knows what he's doing and is good at it. After winding down with some jacuzzi and hot tea, it is time to have dinner.

Ate at Blue Ribbon Sushi in SoHo. Best raw fish ever. I've heard New York knows how to do Japanese food, and I'm happy that I got to see for myself.  This restaurant gets a first place blue ribbon.
Blue Ribbon Sushi

The night is young and a few more stops in New York are required. First, the wine bar . Then, a bite of the famous delicious NY pizza at Joe's pizza. Then, a falafel to go along with the walk home.

Topping the night off with wii Mario Kart as the cherry on top of a great day in New York. It is nice to be amongst good company.

Mario Kart!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

New York: Manhattan Day 3 - A New Yorker Day Around Town

Sunday began with a visit to the MET museum. We saw famous arts (seeing Van Gogh was exciting) and had NY dogs outside. We strolled around upper east side and took a horse carriage ride through central park. We looked inside the FEO toy store and I saw the famous giant piano and an amusing barbie Foosball table. We ate an Italian meal at Maliano's and everyone was very pleased with the food, a favorite of the weekend for Pat. That night we also did some KTV karaoke and played ping pong at Spin. We winded down at home with coffee house tunes and a long game of Texas Hold 'Em poker game.

 
 

Friday, January 14, 2011

New York: Manhattan Day 2 - Big Night in a Big Lights City

Our first full day began with a slow walk around SoHo. Ah, vacation, there should be more of it. We packed a book to be sold, Brian and I took a taxi to the nearest post office. After USPS, we started walking towards SoHo and sightseeing. I am a fan of the bright colored buildings with fire escapes and nice graffiti art that adorn the city. There were piles of snow crowding the streets from the latest snowstorm that hit the Northeast. Brian spotted McClintock Bakery and we decided to have lunch at that point. The ginger carrot soup and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice were good. I should have passed on the beet salad. Filled with energy from the eggs Benedict sandwich, we made our way to Teany, where we had 98 loose leaf tea flavors to choose from.

We went back to the apartment to get dressed for our grand night. We took the subway to meet Pat & Cindy at Le Bernardin. We got off too early on Time Square and ended up having to walk 6 extra blocks to get there. It was a cold 30 degree night but it was very nice to see all the lights and people on the street. They have such impecable service at Le Bernadin. Everyone's very polite and quiet, so nothing feels too invasive. We had the Le Bernadin prefix meal and it was a spectacular marathon of food. They start you off with raw fish, then gradually serve you dishes that are more and more cooked and beautifully presented. I liked their sauces.

While digesting the food made me want to stay put, the wine made floating my way to Broadway easy. We saw the preview showing of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark with the famous flying over the audience scenes. The same flying scenes that caused actors to fall and get injured during rehearsal which made the front pages of the news quite a few times. I enjoyed myself.



   
     

Thursday, January 13, 2011

New York, New York: Day 1 - A Warm Welcome in below 0 degree Celsius

I'm so glad that Brian and I were able to get time off from work to enjoy the holiday weekend in New York.

It was my first time flying Jet Blue. I can confirm the rumors to be true: more leg room, better snacks, enough on flight entertainment to keep you, well, entertained.

Flying when you're sick is as awful as people say it is. The changes in air pressure make you feel like your eardrums are going to burst. Take care of your health if you know you will be flying.

Our first stop was Patrick's place. Patrick is Brian's awesome brother who got Brian the best birthday gift ever: our visit to New York. There to meet us was also Patrick's girlfriend, Cindy. Soon after our arrival, the fantastic four of us walked a few blocks to a late dinner at Ippudo, in the East Village. I love ramen and it was a freezing night, so Ippudo was perfect. The decoration was somewhat contemporary and I sat facing this large artwork picture created out of beads that I really liked. People line up for 2 hours during peak-times to get a bite in at Ippudo and I am pleased to say that the vibe and food lived up to its fame AND we were seated right away because we were there at 11pm on a Thursday night.