I haven't really thought about doing an update here for a while. I got a card from a friend yesterday that mentioned my blog, and I suddenly tried to remember when I'd last done an update. I didn't check until today, but it's been a while.
When I last posted, our trip to NYC was getting close. We had no problems there, and the first part of the trip, with our kids, was a lot of fun. The kids weren't crazy about the tiny size of their hotel room, but they weren't paying any of the bills, so they were stuck with it. The rooms, in their defense, were small, but the rooms were clean and comfortable. I will definitely use the Pod Hotels in the future for travel to NYC.
We got to the city on a Saturday night and walked to our hotel. From there, we used Yelp to help find a place for dinner. We ended up at the Park City Tavern, and our meal was fine. In some ways, it was the least interesting meal we would eat in the city, and we still managed to spend over $200 for 4 of us. But, there was nothing wrong with diner; it simply wasn't great, and in NYC, at the prices you pay, I have very high expectations for restaurants. I'd probably give it 3 stars on Yelp, but I haven't bothered to review it.
On Sunday, we got up relatively early, got some coffee and breakfast and then walked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It quickly became apparent that we had different interests and different speeds of moving through the museum, so we would split up for a while, meet up, and then split up again. We managed to stay busy right until the Museum closed at 5:30. Everyone would have stayed longer if we could have done so.
Outside, it was raining, so we waited under cover for a while. When it became clear that the rain was with us for a while, I finally got us a cab to Columbus Circle and we walked to Rosa Mexicano by the Met for dinner. I'd eaten there twice before, and thought the family would love the authentic Mexican foods to be found there. Certainly, no one complained and plates were emptied, so I think everyone had a nice meal.
As we left the restaurant, the rain had ceased, and our hotel was almost a straight shot on Broadway. We used this as an excuse to walk off dinner, but also to see all the sights on Broadway that my daughter had never seen before. We even made it to our hotel room in time to see the Warriors pull away from a close halftime score and take a 2-0 lead in the NBA finals.
On Monday, I worked remotely, while my wife and kids visited lower parts of Manhattan - mostly Little Italy and Chinatown. They had a fairly relaxing day after being on their feet all day the day before.
That night, we ate dinner at craft restaurant, and it was just amazing. I was somewhat torn on dinner here this night. A friend and blog reader had very generously offered to pay for our dinner. But, my kids, despite being college aged, know their way around a high priced menu pretty well, and my wife and I are veterans of fine dining. I knew the meal was going to get expensive. Part of this is the nature of the restaurant we'd chosen, but part of it is simply the love of fine food that we all share. The meal started with some foie gras (that one was my fault), a salad and some Champagne. It was the first time I think I've ever seen my son have a drink in a restaurant like this, and he seemed to enjoy the Champagne immensely. I had purchased just a half bottle of the Champagne, but it was gone quickly. From there, my wife and I drank wines by the glass. Bottle prices are simply prohibitive here.
After that, entrees included halibut, steak for two of us, and quail. All entrees here were a la carte, so we added some wild mushrooms, some grilled spring onions, a potato puree, and a risotto. I had to laugh a little bit at the risotto. The owner of the restaurant is one of the judges on the TV show Top Chef, and while the risotto was good, it would have failed badly on the TV show. Every characteristic that Tom Colicchio uses to fault risotto was present here. So, while we enjoyed the flavors, we wondered if the owner of the restaurant would have approved of the dish.
By now, you'd think everyone was stuffed, but everyone seemed to find something for dessert. Some of the choices included semifreddo, donuts, house-made ice creams and a classic souffle. And, for my wife and me, a nightcap.
We never saw the bill from the evening. But, from my friend's reaction, I know we ate better, or at least more expensively than he'd anticipated. This made me feel a bit like a freeloader, although I promised to make it up to him one night after skiing next winter. Maybe I'll cook for him and his family and open some nice wines from our basement as a a thank you.
After dinner, we walked back to our hotel and everyone said goodnight.
The next morning, my wife and I were up early, as I had medical appointments all day And, with the medical part of the trip looming, the kids were heading home. Somebody needed to rescue our poor dog from the kennel and that fell to the kids.
I'll write more about the medical stuff and a very nice dinner for my wife's birthday next time. The vacation part of the trip is easy to write about. The medical part is way less fun.
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