I ♥ NY!
Thanksgiving
is a beautiful holiday for so many reasons… the one that stands out
most for me is that it allows people in the catering industry a slight
reprieve before the onslaught of the Holiday events leading up to
Hanukkah, Christmas & New Year.
For this reason my partner Jill & I took off to New York for the
whole week. We wanted to experience NY from a casual ‘je ne sais quoi’
platform….. without much preparation, without the nightly plan of
decadent meals, without guide books, theatre line ups or the obligatory
charted shopping plan but rather with a mysterious approach that we
negotiated daily by ear or happenstance – admittedly somewhat
challenging for me given that I am an obstinate and obsessive event
planner in all aspects of my life. I will say that I gave it my best
shot and mostly prevailed with my un-planning. Here are some of the unplanned New York highlights we came across…
Les Ambassades Patisserie-Café
in West Harlem, a vibrant warm & cozy little café that lit the
whole street up on Frederick Douglass Blvd near 119th, serving
delicious croissants, eggs, espresso & more.

Wall Street 2 Filming in Tommy Guns Salon on Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side near our hotel…
We were told that Ludlow was briefly transformed into a London Street
for the scene. Street signs & propping confirm. Michael Douglas was
to arrive but alas NY was calling us…. We will see the movie!
Thanksgiving Day: Our friends DeDe & Hal gave up their Boathouse Central Park
reservations and joined family in Long Island. We totally scored on
this front because neither one of us had ever been to the Boathouse,
let alone be handed a reservation confirmation for Thanksgiving Lunch…
I might say thee most coveted seats for Lunch in NYC on that day. I
knew the location would meet with our expectations for the occasion but
I was not sure that the food would. We were pleasantly surprised. It
was a lovely menu, beautiful surroundings & exceptional service.
The long walk back to our hotel was perfect.
It was such a fantastic mild and beautiful day in Central Park….
OK So let’s talk about Coffee. ‘Abraço’
is the short answer. I cannot say I stumbled upon this tiny coffee
joint as I would never take the chance of going without fine coffee for
even a short period of time. Living in San Francisco has spoiled me
rotten in this arena. I was told about this delightful joint from my
friend Richard. No coincidence one of the former partners in San Francisco’s Bluebottle Coffee
runs this place on East 7th at 1st avenue on the Lower East Side. It is
exceptional. The coffee could not be more perfect. Only 7 blocks from
our hotel I must say this was a daily ‘walk of joy'.
Speaking of Beverages…. Try sleuthing out the really unique and over
the top speakeasy’s in Manhattan. These are some of my favorites:
1. Madame Geneva.
Beautifully crafted specialty cocktails know for their ‘Jam’
concoctions, this speakeasy is located on Bleecker between Bowery &
Elizabeth Street but one has to enter through the secret door in the
adjoining Double Crown restaurant. The nice thing about this
establishment (unlike most of the others) is that you do not need a
reservation and it opens early should you want to have a special
beverage of the adult nature before dinner.
2. Milk and Honey
(718.308.6775) text this no. to make reservations. This started the
speakeasys or so they say…Neighborhood: West Village 22 7th Avenue S /
between Carmine St & Leroy St)
3. PDT
(212.614.2728) call to make reservations. Go through the hot dog shop
and the red phone booth. Neighborhood: East Village 113 St. Marks Pl /
btwn 1st and A (between 1st Ave & Avenue A). This place is tiny and
reservations must be made the day of the visit, it's almost impossible
to get a table. It is hidden behind the phone booth at Crifdogs. It is
a "speakeasy" style bar with very tight confines, interesting
old-school based libations.
And one of my favourites:
4. Raines Law Room-
new spot, but super old school feel. Neighborhood: Flatiron 48 West
17th St / between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas). Slightly
hidden entrance on 17th street. Beautifully appointed speakeasy,
excellent drinks & service. The only negative was that when leaving
we were charged $2 each to retrieve our coats. The host asked us on
arrival if he could hang our coats (as do most establishments in NY
without charge that I know of) and did not mention a fee until we were
leaving. Nonetheless, I would return for the expertly made drinks &
the atmosphere.
Some other interesting tidbits from my trip:
Reality check! Classic Party Rentals cruising around Manhattan.
The beautiful St Regis Bar…
home of the original Bloody Mary. We stopped in here on the way to the
Boathouse on Thanksgiving Day for - you guessed it, a Bloody Mary.
Delicious.
Bryant Park
near 42nd. This is a real find in the middle of Manhattan. Unique
shopping & restaurants, Ice skating or just taking a break from the
hustle bustle.
Favorite word of mouth restaurant: Degustation Wine & Tasting Bar,
5th St. (Second Ave.) We loved this unpretentious tiny restaurant with
only about 18 counter seats, beautifully executed Spanish food with
exceptional service & amazing wine list.
Most unique Play I have ever seen: Idiot Savant.
It’s a wild 80 minute ride featuring Willem Dafoe that leaves you
wanting to visit the aforementioned Speakeasy’s rather promptly.
Exhilarating.
Something we did plan – our hotel. Thompson LES.
It was perfect for two reasons…. 1. It’s proximity to everyplace with
the subway across the street. We really felt that the location was
excellent & 2. Our view. It doesn’t get better in NYC. Check it out: