Dabbling in the NYC Food Scene for the Weekend

Our lovely view for Sunday Brunch

Starting with the airport at LaGuardia Terminal C and a pretty wild taxi ride, the scene in NYC is like nowhere else. I knew I was not in Kansas anymore--or Volga or West Michigan!

The airport was beyond crowded, a long line unfortunately extending out the old narrow door of the women's restroom. Everyone waiting for a flight was on some device and almost every seat had a port for hooking up (an electronic device, that is). But the taxi area for some reason was completely devoid of people and I was promptly assigned a "Manhattan" taxi.

The afternoon was a little grey, there were trash bags on the sidewalk (where else?) and I could hardly navigate for more than a few blocks without encountering some construction obstruction or sidewalk detour. And partially cleaned up doggie doo is a constant hazard.

The kids' upper east side third floor apartment has original oak floors, high ceilings and tall windows which allow for sunlight to stream in (no blinds yet). The heat was still blazing and we opened the window and enjoyed the surprisingly fresh New York air. But what do to do in one room? You go out--and you walk and walk and eat and drink!

I took along my NY walking shoes, purchased for my 2003 trip.

First, we took a walk to the East River, Carl Schurz Park and Gracie mansion (the mayor's house). It was breezy and cool and I was getting my first taste of early spring in New York City. Here and there yellow daffodil were poking out, but trees were still bare and grass is scarce--except in Central Park's Great Lawn of 55 acres.

On the way home we stopped for a cocktail at a popular spot for the young upper east-siders. We beat the work crowd and got a happy hour table, ordering $8 cocktails. M. had the New Orleans Sazerac and I had a Bathtub Betty, which is like a Negroni. We shared a tiny chicken slider app.

Cocktails at the Infirmary

I tried to do "New York" things whenever possible, although the fast food chains were also readily available. The son-in-law had a list of restaurants in the area which they were exploring and gave me some options--Chinese, gastropub, pizza, ramen, etc.

I passed by a Shake Shack a few times--which is mostly a New York thing--(and I like a good hamburger any day), but I had just been to a beautiful new Shake Shack in Winter Park, Florida, Shackmeister Ale, key lime concrete mixer and all. We also walked past Naked Burger a number of times--oops I mean Bareburger. I would have to go to Chicago or Australia for a naked burger! But I resisted burgers until Monday, when I indulged in an original Umami Burger at the food court in lower Manhattan with a view of Hoboken over the Hudson river--and it was worth the wait!

So that first evening we narrowed in on the neighborhood's Nick's Pizza for a late (by Michigan standards) dinner. It arrived at our table within minutes with a medium-thin wood-fired crust, topped with our pick--of NY Italian sausage. pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and garnished with basil. It was different, in a good way, from any pizza I have ever had.  I paired it with that previously pictured frosted mug of Moretti lager.

The next morning we sent S. out for big warm toasted bagels wrapped in foil and loaded with an insane amount of cream cheese--like nothing I remember having before and certainly a very New York thing to do. M. managed to brew some coffee in her tiny kitchen!

The girls were still full after the noon hour Good Friday concert at Brick Presbyterian and had a bite of leftover salad at home before the walk to Central Park, which was on my list for the weekend. Again it was a bit dreary and a little drizzly so we packed umbrellas. I first damaged my leg muscles on this long walk, something which slowed us (me) down a bit the whole weekend. I get shin splints when I try to walk fast or uphill and there is one of the few NYC hills very near the apartment.

We managed to avoid the food carts and their seductive smells in Central Park, but on the way home we stopped for groceries at the new Whole Foods which features two floors, a grocery store with an escalator! It has everything one can imagine, including a really extensive buffet and a juice bar. We indulged in a shared piece of almond cake, sort of like tiramisu. M. had a very green drink (a bit ewww) from the juice bar, S. had some seaweed chips (yuck) and I splurged ($7 each) on a couple of pints of Dutch/Brooklyn ice cream--espresso (yum) and ginger flavor (meh).

Friday night--and where to go for dinner? Get out the list! This time we settled on the Japanese ramen place, Mei Jin. The photos were not great, but this is one of the bowls. The egg costs 50 cents extra, and as previously mentioned, we paired our bowls of ramen with bottles of Sea Salt Ale and Sapporo lager.

Chili Chicken Ramen

Saturday morning was a big NYC diner breakfast at The Mansion, with ordinary breakfast food that didn't merit photos, I guess. M. enjoyed her Eggs Benedict in a bowl and I had some French Toast Deluxe. The bacon was awesome and the sausage, again, was good but different than what I am used to.

That afternoon is a bit of a blur. I don't remember when I had the Manhattan cocktail. I do remember shopping in the 59th St. area and making a few purchases at the Gap.

A Manhattan made in Manhattan!

(I had my first cocktail in New York City when I was still 18, a freshman in college. The drinking age in New York was 18 at the time and I was excited to have my first legal drink. I was on tour with the college band and had attached myself to our very nice bus driver who was in law school at the time. He ordered for me--a Manhattan--and I just about gagged. Then he ordered me a sweet Daiquiri which I seem to remember liking okay. Anyway, M. thought I should come full circle and have that Manhattan in Manhattan, pictured here on her new table with a great round ball of ice. I'm still not a big fan, but my palate has been exposed to a world of tastes since my naive meat-and-potato days on the farm. And my first time in Manhattan, I was still very fresh off the farm!)

We also tried our own home version of a "pickleback" which is a shot of whisky (or was it bad gin?) followed by a pickle brine chaser. As far as I know this is also a "New York" thing--it was certainly new to me--and I managed it quite successfully!

Saturday night was Dinner Lab at a yoga studio and I am making a separate post for that.

Sunday morning we walked to church on a bright and sunny Easter day. We arrived early for the pre-service brass music. After church some of us changed and then we went for brunch at the Penrose. We started our bloody Mary's at the bar while we waited for a table. Mine had so much horseradish in it I thought I would choke. I ordered an authentic Irish breakfast because that was something I have never had. It included blood sausage! which I ate but will probably not order again anytime soon. The potatoes were probably the highlight for me. I asked S. if the Penrose experience counted as an authentic NYC brunch and I was told that it was as brunchy as it gets!

M's avocado toast was the most photogenic brunch entree

Okay, here it is, my full Irish breakfast with a hunk of black blood sausage:

Should I have asked for butter on that toast?

And S. had chicken and waffles.

Later that night we shared some nachos and drafts, but it was a dark place and I took no photos. And then Monday I enjoyed the previously referenced Umami burger and fries in the second floor food court overlooking the Hudson River. And that is about it! Can't wait to go again...maybe I will try to save some money for some really high-end stuff. But why fight it--I like pizza and burgers and fries and bagels as well as anything! Ramen and blood sausage and cauliflower fungus (see next post)--not so much!