Trip report October 3-8

Thanks, again, to everyone on this forum. The information to be gathered here is invaluable. I hope someone finds some useful bits in my report as I almost always find good information in other%26#39;s trip reports as well as the pleasure of reading their experiences.

This was a 5 day trip for me and my husband (DH) during the first week of October. We are a middle aged couple from Canada. We visited last year and when I suggested we go to Chicago this fall, DH, who apparently has become hooked, preferred to go to NYC.

I am posting the report itself in the next post because it is long as I like to remember details for future visits.

Trip report October 3-8

Rather than describe this trip diary style, I have organized it under activities which may make it more useful for other travelers. We did a number of the things a typical tourist might do last year. This time, a shorter trip, our primary intent was to take in some shows, sample some restaurants and everything else was mostly done if we felt motivated on that day.

TRANSPORTATION

Flight to NYC

Late last year, after a very long hiatus, Air Canada resumed direct flights from Calgary to JFK. Hurrah, a flight of 4.5 hours! Flying from Calgary via Toronto takes all day when you factor in the airport time and the two hour time change. The down side is the fare for direct is more expensive and there is only one flight a day. As well, the return flight is at 8:00 a.m. I am an early riser but the morning we left, we got dressed, caught a cab to JFK, then looked for coffee once we arrived. We slept most of the flight home. Despite the early departure time, I am guessing the direct flights are popular because Air Canada keeps putting the connecting flights on sale while the direct flights are sold out for months in advance.

The other consideration to note is that the direct flight flies into JFK while the Toronto connection flies in La Guardia. LGA is primarily a domestic airport. We found picking up luggage and clearing customs and immigration at LGA was very quick and easy. The time from our flight landing until we were at the taxi queue took only 30 minutes. The fare to midtown was $30 including tip and tolls and took 25 minutes. JFK, on the other hand, is an international airport and the complex is huge. From the time we landed, it took more than 30 minutes to get our luggage and then the taxi ride in the evening traffic from JFK to our hotel in midtown west was another 35 minutes. The fixed fare was $45 plus tip but no tolls since we went via the Queensboro Bridge. Although a fixed fare does not seem to apply to trips from Manhattan to JFK, $45 was what we were charged when we left.

Taxis

We stayed near the Theater District, went to shows and mostly ate close to the theatre district, so our main mode of transportation was our feet. If you can walk somewhere, do so. There’s so much to look at. We took a few cab rides and the commuter train but this trip had no need to use the subway. However, the subway is highly recommended as a mode of transport as it is fast, frequent, convenient and cheap. One thing to note, the cabs we took all wanted to be paid in cash. I have yet to see one that takes credit cards.

HOTEL - Rihga Royal/London NYC - 151 West 54th St (between 6 %26amp; 7) - 212-307-5000

We liked this hotel although others have not. I posted a detailed review in the hotel section under the heading “Great stay depending upon your expectations”.

BROADWAY

A number of the plays we wanted to see closed before we arrived (History Boys, Lieutenant of Inishmore) and others did not open until after we left (The Vertical Hour, Coast of Utopia). We will have to consider next time whether we should pick a different month to visit if our primary goal is to see theater – November or March might be better. Nevertheless, we found three shows which all happened to be previews. This meant there were no discounts available but there was no problem booking tickets online. One set of tickets we booked through the American Express site and the other through broadway.com. We opted in each case to pick up the tickets at the theatre box office rather than have them mailed to us. (I get anxiety attacks about forgetting to pack tickets. I once left for the airport without my airline tickets. Things like e-tickets and pick up options avoids my problem.)

The Times They are a Changin’

This musical is at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 West 47th Street, opening October 26, 2006. It was conceived and choreographed by Twyla Tharp to the music of Bob Dylan. She previously did Movin’ Out to the music of Billy Joel.

The story is set in a circus. Other than some dialogue in the first five minutes, the rest is a string of Dylan songs. The basic story line is about the conflict between the father, who runs the circus, and his son, who is in love with his father’s girlfriend. The three main performers have strong voices so the songs do not sound like Dylan; you can actually understand the lyrics and the notes are held longer than Bob could ever manage. A lot of the songs are orchestrated which would tend to displease Dylan purists. The circus setting appears to be an excuse for the choreography. The apron of the stage is a trampoline and there is another raised trampoline at the back which permitted the dancers to perform some very acrobatic numbers.

It was interesting to hear Dylan performed so well, the dancing was entertaining with its energy but with the lack of dialogue, the story line is hard to follow as it relied on the song lyrics which did not seem to be saying what the story line was trying to advance. For example, DH and I debated whether “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” was used to indicate that one of the characters died. The action seems to suggest so, but the lyrics of the song are ambiguous: “Mama, take this badge off of me. I can%26#39;t use it anymore. It%26#39;s gettin%26#39; dark, too dark for me to see. I feel like I%26#39;m knockin%26#39; on heaven%26#39;s door.” Who knows what Bob was saying?

In the end, we enjoyed much of the music and found the dance a lot of fun to watch, but the whole production does not seem to cohere. At least while we were watching the musical, we missed the storm which rained out the Yankees game.

Losing Louie

This play by Simon Mendes da Costa is at the Biltmore Theatre, 261 West 47th Street, opening October 12, 2006.

It is a comedy about two brothers who return to their family home with their wives for the funeral of their father. The play opens in the 1950s with a scene of the father who is conducting an affair with a young woman. The rest of the play shows the consequences of the father’s infidelity as the scenes switch between what happened with the father and the present day conflict between the two sons. The construction of the play and the jokes, some of which border on farce, are well done. I liked the set which was an elaborate large bedroom in the family home. Despite the fact that all the action occurs in the bedroom, it never felt contrived or claustrophobic. The story has no big message but explores emotions which are familiar to most of us: the irrationality of love and how difficult it is to move beyond childhood memories and feelings of hurt within your family.

Butley

This Simon Gray play, which was written in the 1970s, is at the Booth Theatre, 222 West 45th Street, opening October 25, 2006. In the 70s, it was made into a movie starring Alan Bates. This revival stars Nathan Lane.

Like Losing Louie, Butley also occurs all on one day on one set, this time, an office of an English university. The characters are all speaking with English accents. Lane is the title character, an English literature professor whose life is falling apart. He arrives at his office with a hangover, chases away students and drinks whisky in his office. Then his day gets even worse. A colleague, who he does not respect, gets her book on Byron published while Butley does nothing to further his work on a book about T. S. Eliot. His estranged wife tells him she is leaving him to get married, then his live in lover and office mate, once a former pupil, also tells him that he is leaving him to move in with another man. Yet all of this is a comedy.

Moreover, it is a star vehicle for Nathan Lane. The dialogue is very witty. I liked one liners like “Toadying is the sincerest form of contempt”. The mood keeps shifting, as Butley sings nursery rhymes, plays on the guilt of others, enjoys confrontation and creates misunderstandings in order to revel in them. Butley is a character full of self-mockery, as well as mimicking others. The play reveals why he has managed to drive everyone away.

Lane is on stage the entire time. I can barely imagine how exhausting the performance must be for him because there is so much dialogue and such a range of emotions and even accents which he runs through. The other performers were solid but they mostly seem to be listening to Lane and at one point, Julian Ovenden, who has the biggest role after Lane’s, seemed to be genuinely laughing at Lane’s antics.

Of the three we saw, this performance is the one I would most recommend. It is in a limited run until the end of November.

RESTAURANTS

I have no idea what it takes to book a really popular restaurant in NYC. I have been particularly unsuccessful at booking per se. Last year, I tried online through Open Table and never found an available time during the entire 9 days we stayed. This time, I called the restaurant exactly two calendar months ahead of the date I wanted and did not get through for an entire day despite calling every 15 - 30 minutes. I was eventually put on the waiting list. No one called to tell me they had a table. Frank Bruni’s blog in the New York Times complains about booking at per se in 2004 when the restaurant first opened. (see http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=126#more-126) But this is two years later. What gives? My bad karma?

I had virtually the same problem with Babbo which I called one calendar month ahead as soon as the reservation line opened and continually hit redial rather than wait 15 minutes. (Okay, I took a few breaks to go to the bathroom.) Almost 6 hours later, my call was answered and the only times left were 11:00 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. I asked if it was possible to have a full meal with such a late booking and was told if I wanted an earlier time, I should have called earlier; I could take a late booking or leave it. I got a lot of attitude but never got an answer about getting a full meal so I opted to leave it.

Despite my two reservation failures, there was no problem booking alternatives. If anything, a person in New York is spoiled for choice. I used Open Table (www.opentable.com) to book Daniel and db Bistro, the online site to book Angus McIndoe and called the restaurant for Sushi Yasuda and Del Posto. Each of the restaurants asked that we call one day prior to confirm our reservation.

Daniel - 60 East 65th St (Park Ave.) 212-288-0033 - dress code is jacket required, tie preferred.

Our dining experience started out with a rush of anxiety because our flight took off an hour late and was over half an hour late on arrival. We did not get to our hotel until 8:30 p.m., the time of our reservation, and we still needed to change our clothes. I called the restaurant to tell them we would be late. Then, I forgot to take the address with me and our taxi driver did not know where Daniel was. We got out on 61st and Park and walked around until we found a doorman who directed us to the restaurant. Although we were half an hour late, the staff was perfectly accepting and invited us to sit in the lounge. We ordered drinks, but before they arrived, we were taken to our table.

The ambiance and look of the restaurant was soothing for our somewhat frazzled nerves. The look is very architectural with columns, arches and draperies surrounding the main dining area with additional tables on a slightly elevated area surrounding. There is a hum of noise but somehow, we never really heard others’ conversations intruding into our conversation. The colours create a warm golden look, classical music plays softly in the background, and the staff are calm, polite and efficient. Other diners are well dressed, men mostly in suits with a tie, and are generally older, although there was one family with two well dressed and well behaved girls aged between 6 and 10 years. It all makes for a rather intimate feel when dining – just us and the serving staff interacted. The other diners were mere objects for observation.

Dinner started with a three tiered tray of amuse bouches: smoked sturgeon, a flavourful potato mousse quenelle, a tiny truffle quiche and parmesan cheese crust with a garlicky creme fraiche dollop in the center. We enjoyed them while reviewing the menu and the very extensive wine list. A tasting menu or a three course prix fixe is offered. Neither of us were up to the 9 courses for the tasting menu even though we were assured the dishes are small. The prix fixe is $96 with supplements, $15, for example, if you pick dishes such as foie gras.

For starters, DH had a classic seared fois gras with poached fruit which he thought was one of the best he had ever had. I had a chicken consomme which was delicate and light but punctuated with the contrasting rich pieces of fois gras and the texture of bits of pasta. DH had the duo of beef which consisted of some very tasty braised short ribs with a rib steak. It also came with an incredibly flavourful potato accompaniment. I had rack of lamb, one rib done with African spices, the other with a paprika crust. They were both very good as was the eggplant and peppers which accompanied it. We had what we thought was a very reasonably priced bottle of aged Bordeaux from a very good year with our meal. Although we were getting full, we had to order dessert. I found Daniel’s dessert menu was set up like my ideal, one side listed all chocolate desserts, the other side listed everything else. DH had the hot chocolate souffle and I had the chocolate praline which looked so beautiful with a thin ribbon of chocolate curved over the top and a piece of gold foil, I almost did not eat it. But I am not that foolish. It was as delicious as it was beautiful. This was followed by a plate loaded with petit fours which I had no room left to sample.

Service was very attentive and friendly with a bit of theatre; when you receive your plate, the sauces are added at the table as the server explains your dish. The sommelier, a female, which has been rare in my experience, was very knowledgeable. Daniel seems to define the notion of gracious dining. Our dinner made for a fabulous start to our vacation and the stresses of our flight were soothed away by the end of the meal.

Sushi Yasuda - 204 East 43rd St (between 2nd %26amp; 3rd Ave.) 212-972-1001

The Manhattan board at chowhound has a number of debates about the best sushi restaurant in New York. This restaurant frequently appears and after dining there, we understand why.

Our reservations were for the sushi bar which sits along the far wall from the entryway. There are also tables but the entire restaurant is fairly small. Rather like Daniel, the blond wood which predominates gives the room a warm glow. With the subtle lighting and relatively quiet noise level, it feels like an oasis of calm.

We sat at one end of the sushi bar near one of four sushi chefs. Before we started, the chef in front of us explained this was traditional Tokyo style and we could order one piece at a time. Everything was available but the sushi was best we were told. We started with toro, the fatty part of tuna. We each received a piece and were told to eat the entire piece at once and that no wasabi or soy sauce were needed because it was already put on for us. The toro was delicious and its flavour prominent because of the lightly flavoured rice, the small dab of wasabi and light brushing of soy sauce. After that, we just left it to the sushi chef to suggest what to have next as he had very clear opinions about the order in which to eat each of the different fish, seafood and vegetable sushi in order to maximize the taste and everything he claimed proved true. We experienced an amazing taste adventure. His chatter about each item also provided its own entertainment.

Towards the end of our meal, the chef pointed out that the young man sitting next to us was also from Canada. The young man, now living and working in NYC, was surprised we got such good seats at the sushi bar without specifically asking for them because the chef in front of us was the owner, Yasuda.

We came away with a new education in sushi and a conviction that if Sushi Yasuda is not one of the best, we would be amazed.

db Bistro Moderne - 55 West 44th St (between 5th %26amp; 6th Ave.) 212-391-2400

After eating at Café Boulud last year and Daniel this visit, we wanted to try db Bistro Moderne in order to further sample Daniel Boulud’s New York restaurants. Right in the heart of the theater district, db Bistro is a long narrow restaurant with a small lounge at the front, long tables with high stools and a bar in the middle and dining tables at the back. The seating is close like a French bistro and unlike Daniel, we felt we could not help but talk to the diners around us. We received both menu and theater recommendations. Decor is modern, the music is lively, and with many of the staff in t shirts and servers wearing aprons, it has a casual atmosphere although I also noted other diners were dressed in nice casual clothes, some women in very trendy clothes, no one in jeans and t shirts.

We had an early reservation at 5:15 but within half an hour, the place was almost entirely full as most people were going to a show after dining. The noise level was high which DH liked because he felt it gave the place energy. The wine list is not nearly as lengthy as Daniel, but it is still a good sized list with some very good wines reasonably priced.

For starters, DH had the lobster salad, which the server warned him was fairly large. With avocado, hearts of palm and artichoke hearts in addition to generous chunks of lobster and the mixed greens, it was very filling for a salad. I had squash soup which was creamy and thick with bits of cilantro and grated squash for hits of additional flavour and texture. DH had the famous burger (known for its $29 price tag, but now $32) with fois gras and short ribs in the middle of a patty which was not large in diameter but at least twice as high as a usual hamburger. It seems to be a popular item. A man with two women next to us also ordered the burger and the two couples on the other side ordered three among the four of them. One of them advised that you can just pick it up and eat it, but DH opted to use a knife and fork. The burger comes with either pommes frites or pommes souffle. DH had the frites but the souffles, which appear to be puffed up wedges of potato, looked very interesting. I had a blanquette de veau, which was veal braised in white wine and butter with an assortment of vegetables and a crunchy basmati rice dish on the side. We loved our meals but both were rich and filling. For a French oriented restaurant, we found the portion sizes American. For dessert, DH had a chocolate tarte with raspberries and ginger ice cream. I had the chocolate pot de creme which came with hazelnut praline and passion fruit sorbet. Neither of us could finish our desserts which was a shame because they were both so delicious and unique.

While you see differences in the menu items at the different Boulud restaurants, all seem to have outstandingly good pastry chefs whose offerings are consistently top quality.

Angus McIndoe - 258 West 44th St (between 8th Ave. %26amp; Broadway) 212-221-9222 www.angusmcindoe.com.

We went to Angus McIndoe after seeing Butley on Friday night so that we could experience a bit of late night New York. The restaurant is a block from the Booth theater. It is a small two level restaurant. The front doors open up to the street when the weather is fine. The place was packed at 10:45 p.m. A crowd was standing at the bar and some of the tables had chairs squeezed up so that the large groups could get around the not so large tables. It was very noisy.

The menu is casual fare, sandwiches, salads, pastas and a range of entrees which could be described as American. Although he thought he only wanted a light bite, DH had a steak and fries. I had a chicken burger, which was a chicken breast with a crunchy coating. It also came with fries. The food was fresh, nothing special yet we both ate more than we thought we would so late at night for us. A glass of wine is a small 1/4 litre carafe, which makes for a very large glass or two smaller glasses of wine. Service was quick especially considering that the turn over appeared to be high so there was constantly a new group of people needing attention. Our food came to $41. It looks like it would be a reasonable place to eat before theatre. Certainly, it would be a good alternative to a chain. Our server told us Nathan Lane had been in earlier in the afternoon.

We enjoyed watching all the people on the street and seeing the lights turn off at the theatre across the street. We eventually wandered back to our hotel after midnight along the still busy streets.

Del Posto - 85 - 10th Ave (W 16 St.) 212-672-0390

I had read some very mixed reviews about this Mario Batali and Bastianich family restaurant. Unlike Mr. Batali, who seems always to be wearing shorts and orange clogs, the appearance of this restaurant is very upscale and unlike the usual Italian restaurant atmosphere, especially the type of restaurants he is famous for. The outside was covered in scaffolding and the area was not glitzy, but inside is a different matter. The very large space with its high ceiling, tall windows, dark wood, marble floors, black iron railings along the central marble staircase and upper level dining area, give the place the immediate appearance of opulence. Wait staff are in black suits with white shirts. Most of the patrons are similarly well dressed, although as far as I could determine, there is no dress code. One family group included a young man in jeans and they were not turned away. Like the high end French restaurants, Alain Ducasse and Daniel, women are given small stools to rest their handbags on while dining.

When we arrived, Dean Martin singing oldies was playing in the background. It struck me as somehow out of keeping with the appearance. Later a piano player was playing more oldies at the grand piano next to the staircase. I found the piano disconcertingly loud. I was somewhat relieved when he left and music from Italian operas was played at a much more subdued level although the noise level generally is high. The tables are spaced well apart so we were not chatting with other diners nor listening to their conversation.

Despite the French dining room appearance, the menu is clearly Italian and very extensive. A number of the offerings, roasted chicken was one I recall, provide table side carving service for the whole table. There is also a tasting menu. The offerings are both rustic and refined. I was so distracted reading the menu and wine list I forgot to note the amuse we were given to start but that we received them in itself seemed very French. We were given a selection of breads with butter and lardo. I had been reading about Batali extolling lardo so sampled what is essentially salted whipped up pork fat. The texture is like butter but it tastes like pork fat or bacon grease, something my mother was fond of cooking with. Interesting but a taste was enough. And we do not want to think about cholesterol. The wine list, which was all Italian, was huge with some reasonable prices for some of the very good selections. Del Posto also had a female sommelier, but unlike the busy sommelier at Daniel, this one seemed to be looking for something to do. Perhaps, diners feel less need for the advice of a sommelier in Italian restaurants?

I started with panzanella, a rustic Tuscan bread and tomato salad, a favourite of mine. It tasted fine but I found but the bread was rather dry, which it should not be since the point of the dish is to moisten stale bread, and the tomatoes were crushed rather than chopped so it had less tomato than I prefer. DH enjoyed a scallop carpaccio which was so tender, it melted in your mouth. We split a plate of tagliarini with an entire white truffle grated over top. This was undoubtedly the best pasta either of us have ever had. And at $80, certainly, the most expensive. But the smell and earthy flavour of the white truffles was incredible and the texture of the pasta was perfect. I question if we had not split the dish, it would have been too much food and too much richness for one course. For secondi, DH had turkey which was braised with white wine, onions and red cabbage. DH found the slices of breast meat unexceptional and too much of it. Accompanying it was a dish called cebreo, braised bits of dark and organ meats topped with butter crumbs. That was very flavourful and very rich which made the breast meat seem even plainer. I had lamb loin which was tender and delicately flavoured. It came with black pepper and oil, fried basil leaves and what was described as tomato salsa, which was a tangy cooked tomato and olive compote-like side. It was delicious but too strong flavoured to be eaten with the lamb. For dessert, DH had the apricot cassata, which was a variation on a baked Alaska. He did not particularly like it but then he is not very fond of baked Alaska either. I forgot the name of the dessert I had but it was three types of solid chocolate which get chipped off a block and put on your plate at the table and are to be sampled with three different types of rum. When the rum was being poured into the three glasses, I thought, “I hate rum; why did I order this?” But these were like no other rum I had tasted before, they were more like brandy, and the combinations were an illuminating experience as was the opportunity to taste the variation in the chocolates. I could not finish the chocolate and when the server offered to pack it up for me so I could take it home, I accepted. I was given a coat check tag because the chocolate was put into a plastic container, then into a paper Del Posto bag and left at the coat check for me so I did not have to reduce the high tone of the restaurant by walking around with my “doggy bag”. Like a French restaurant, the meal ends with offerings from a cart full of more dessert, lots of little cookies.

The restrooms are downstairs, also accessed by a marble staircase with a rococo like black iron railing. There, the opulent decor continues as wines in racks behind glass are displayed and the restrooms are tucked into the corners.

Del Posto was a mixed experience for us; it would not be a place I would rush to return to, but we would not have wanted to miss the experience.

Carnegie Deli - 854 - 7th Ave.

Our visit last year did not include a deli so this time since we were so close, we went into Carnegie Deli for an early lunch. By 11:30 a.m., the place was already quite full. With numerous small tables set touching each other, we naturally ended up talking to those around us, at least, those around us who spoke English. The place seemed to be occupied by a lot of tourists. We sat next to a couple from California who said they came every time they were in NYC. They recommended the Reuben, at $20, one of the more expensive sandwiches. I suggested we split it, since we knew it would be large, but DH wanted to see how much he could handle on his own, so I ordered the pastrami on rye, the Woody Allen, which was $12. The pastrami was great, moist with enough fat for lots of flavour and the bread was also moist and lighter than many rye breads. I also had one of Dr. Brown’s cream sodas since I had never seen one before. I am not much of a soda drinker, but I liked how it was not too sweet. DH, who seemed on a suicide mission, also ordered a side of fried onions and a beer. Of course, the Rueben covered the entire plate and was about 5 inches high, and the onions filled a good sized cereal bowl. A young couple, who sat beside us after DH’s order arrived, were telling him that New Yorkers always split the sandwiches. Needless to say, DH by this point knew why as he was not up to finishing his lunch. Even with the much smaller, but still large, pastrami, half was as much as I could manage. Eating three pickles (and I am not even pregnant!) did not help. There was no way we could attempt the cheese cake. Next time we might come just to split a cheesecake because they looked gigantic as well.

Pershing Square Restaurant - 90 E 42nd St. (between Park and Lexington Ave.) 212-286-9600

Since we had walked by this restaurant numerous times when we stayed at the Library Hotel last year, we decided to pop in for lunch before we took a train from Grand Central Terminal. The restaurant is uniquely located across from GCT and tucked under the overpass for the Park Avenue viaduct. It has a charming French brasserie look. Inside you can hear the traffic overhead and out the windows, you can watch people lining up for the airport shuttle buses or running toward GCT. We had no reservation but there was plenty of room.

The menu promises all day breakfast, which a number of diners seemed to be having. It seems a great idea for food service in a transportation hub where so many travelers might be on different time zones. Service was very quick, also a bonus for travelers.

We had the chicken pot pie which was very homey with a nicely chicken flavoured gravy and large chunks of chicken and vegetables in a bowl topped with pastry. For $16, it was a reasonable price for a satisfying and comfortingly familiar dish.

Frederick’s Madison Restaurant - 768 Madison Avenue (66th St) (212) 737-7300

We were shopping on Madison but DH was less than enthusiastic and said what he really wanted was a seafood salad. The weather was unseasonably warm for an early October day and we saw this small restaurant with its front doors open and tables in the sunshine along the side walk. The outside tables were all reserved but we got one just inside the doors where we could still people watch and feel the warm breezes. Our timing was fortunate since we noticed they were soon turning away people without reservations.

The lunch menu is largely Mediterranean. DH found his seafood salad and I had a carpaccio of tomatoes with buffalo mozarella. Both were very well prepared with good ingredients and exactly what we needed at that moment. I doubt we would return again, however. The menu was limited and a bit pricey. My tomatoes were an appetizer for $16. The wine list is rather short. The lunch time diners looked appropriately well dressed for the upper east side location. The space, which is narrow, has plush looking furniture to complement the ambiance of the menu and diners.

Rock Center Café - 20 W 50th St. (212) 332-7620

This was another restaurant we dropped into for a late lunch. It is located at Rockefeller Center facing the skating rink. The restaurant is fairly large but a number of people appeared to be getting seated without reservations. It has a contemporary but casual look. The menu tends toward Italian with lots of sandwiches, salads and pastas for lunch as well as more substantial fare. I had a wild mushroom risotto which was very good but even without a starter, was too much food for me at lunchtime. DH had a ham and cheese sandwich which was made with thick dark rustic bread and came with a huge pile of chips. It was a good quick bite. Prices were mostly in the $20s. The view of the skating rink will be a draw. We were there on October 6, the day before the rink opened.

The Modern Bar - 9 W 53rd St (between 5th %26amp; 6th Ave.) (212) 333-1220

We just stopped for a drink at the bar, no food. We had tried the dining room last visit. I was very impressed by the high quality of wines by the glass. Of course, these come with high price tags - $25 for the most expensive. We sat at the bar where DH had a lengthy discussion with the bartender about what kind of martini he wanted. This involved a number of samples before finally making a decision. I think DH must have had almost half a drink’s worth of alcohol just from the sampling. The place was nearly empty at 4:30 in the afternoon. You could peek through past the dining room and see a bit of the sculpture garden.

ATTRACTIONS

Top of the Rock - 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. 212-698-2000 (www.topoftherocknyc.com) adult $17.50

We went up to the TOTR late one morning and like many others, we found there was no line up to go in.

I do not like heights and found the experience moderately disturbing. The glass in the inside viewing area goes down too close to floor level for my comfort. When I sat down and looked out the window, the experience was alright as long as I did not look directly down. The outside viewing area was worse. Despite the high glass which encloses the area, there are gaps between the crenelations and acanthus leaf decorative bits which visually were too much for me. DH took some photos and they were great when you get back home and can look at them to point out features to those you are showing the photos to, but personally, I would not want to repeat the experience.

Sky Mirror - at the Rockefeller Center just off Fifth Avenue, artist Anish Kapoor has an installation of display called the Sky Mirror, which is a 35 foot diameter mirror, convex on one side and concave on the other. It is huge and the viewer is provided with unique perspectives. Standing in front of the concave side, you see the sky and the TOTR. On the convex side, you see a vast sweep of the street along Fifth Avenue. It is there until the last weekend of October. It is well worth a look.

Central Park -

We ran every morning as a great way to explore the Park while also working off some calories from the many dining experiences we enjoyed. You can get running maps from the Central Park website: http://www.centralparkbb.com/map4.pdf . For routes and distances, see the New York Road Runners web page at: nyrr.org/divisions/training/cpdistances.html.

I particularly like the views you get while running around the Reservoir. We ran past the Central Park precinct of the NYPD, which I did not know existed. We liked running down the Mall while listening to a guy playing his saxophone. You see a few curiosities as well. A guy dressed like Gandalf or the travelocity gnome was sitting at the edge of the Bethesda Fountain. A woman was pushing her dog in a baby carriage and another carrying hers in her arms which gave new meaning to taking your dog for a walk.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

The Cloisters, Fort Tryon Park – Tues- Sun 9:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. $20 recommended admission

The Cloisters is located at the far north end of Manhattan and contains most of the medieval holdings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. To get there, the M4 bus takes you right to the door or the subway will get you to the south end of Fort Tryon Park and you can walk to the Cloisters. However, we opted to take a taxi. From Columbus Circle, it was $19 and less than 20 minutes to the door of the Cloisters.

The buildings of the Cloisters were custom constructed to incorporate bits from structures, mostly churches from France and Spain, into a setting which gives you the feeling that you are experiencing those buildings as they would have been during the Middle Ages. Thus, you can walk around the apse from a Spanish church built during the 1100s, or a 13th century chapter house or a French abbey with its courtyard. Most of the doorways are from a medieval structure. One of the rooms contains a photographic display explaining the history of the Cloisters. It is almost unfathomable to think of what it took to gather all of these things and put them together. I cannot imagine this being done today.

There are also numerous other artworks and artifacts. The tapestry room with the unicorn tapestries, the Campin tryptych, and the page from a Book of Hours which used to belong to a Queen of France are particularly notable.

Guided tours and audio tours are available, but we opted to view at our own pace. There are little plaques beside the various pieces and some larger notices which provide details and in some cases, a great deal of information.

I particularly liked the garden with plants which would be found in a medieval garden. It was a sunny day when we visited and the garden setting was beautiful. The Cloisters includes a casual cafeteria which permits you to sit in or around a courtyard area and enjoy the surroundings. Because it is on a hill, you get some views across the Hudson River to New Jersey.

The weather was nice, so, we also wandered around Fort Tryon Park and the Heather Garden which is described as a quiet zone, although the drone of traffic from the Hudson Parkway could always be heard. Nevertheless, it was an escape into some green space and unlike Central Park, there were very few others around. The New Leaf Café is located in the Park. It looks like it would be a nice spot for a meal.

We also wander around Washington Heights for a while but since we did not know where we were going or have any destination in mind we eventually realized there was not a lot to look at. But when we looked around for a taxi, the only yellow vehicles we saw were school buses. We found a police woman who pointed us to a blue car parked up a side street which offered taxi services. We were a bit reticent since there was no meter but figured it was not illegal if the police directed us to it. We asked to go to the Met via Columbia University. The driver was unsure where either was but I was able to give him the addresses and cross streets. The fare he asked for when he dropped us at the 79th Street transverse was $15.

We decided to make a short visit to the Met because admission to the Cloisters also includes same day admission to the main Museum at 1000 5th Av at 82 St. Opening hours are different: Tu-Th 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Fri-Sat 9:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. 212-535-7710 (www.metmuseum.org) Just hang onto the little coloured button you are given upon admission and show it when you enter. A few hours is not enough time but at least, I am slowly managing to see more of the Met and besides, seeing it all in one visit would be impossible.

New York Botanical Garden - Bronx – April - October 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 718-817-8700 (www.nybg.org) all attractions adult ticket $20

We got to the NY Botanical Garden by taking the Metro North Railroad, Harlem line heading north to White Plains. A day return ticket is $6. One thing to note, on a Saturday, when we went, the train only leaves once an hour. It goes twice an hour during the weekdays. If planning a trip, you might want to take timing into consideration. The trip is just over 20 minutes.

The train is very convenient as it drops you just outside one of the entry gates for the Garden. We went to see the Chihuly exhibit and ordered our tickets on line just before we left after seeing weather forecasts for good weather on Saturday. (The weather forecasts turned out not to be very accurate, but we lucked out with decent weather on Saturday.) We picked the tickets up from the members window which allowed us to skip the longer line of people buying tickets. You can take a tram ride which tours you around with an informative guide, but we went on our own on foot.

The exhibit also included a film about Chihuly at the lecture hall. We did not watch it as we have seen some other films about him but if you know nothing about Chihuly, the film would be a good introduction. Dale Chihuly is located in the Seattle area and is the best known glass blower in the world. His pieces are on display worldwide and he probably has done more to promote glass as an art medium than any other artist. If you go to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, for example, you will see a chandelier by Chihuly. He is also on display in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Columbus Circle. Anyone who has watched the tv shoe Frasier can see a Chihuly beside Fraser fireplace.

The films demonstrate some of Chihuly’s working unusual methods necessary because many of his works are huge. Their large size makes the Garden and its out of doors location a perfect setting. Chihuly did a similar exhibit in Venice, also out of doors. As we were walking toward the Visitor Center area, the sun, which had been behind clouds all morning, came out to illuminate one of the enormous pieces called the Sun. It was a breathtaking moment when you fully appreciate the luminous qualities of glass, particularly coloured translucent glass. Some of his pieces are in the Children’s Adventure Garden, which looks like a fun area if you have children with you. But my favourite settings were the conservatory and the reflecting pools where the glass pieces were made to look like flora and fauna. The water was a particularly effective setting with the glass reflecting in the water and if you looked carefully, little goldfish were darting about adding their colour to the setting.

We did not focus a lot on NYBG itself but could not help but notice the variety of plant life as we viewed the Chihuly pieces. It is a big piece of land and I imagine it would be easy to spend many hours there. We got our exercise trying to visit the various areas where the Chihuly was displayed and that was less than half the Garden area.

SHOPPING

I do not want to bore anyone with shopping details. (DH is still rolling his eyes after a visit to Manolo Blahnik on W 54th St. between 5th and 6th Ave., a mere half block from our hotel, a detail I was aware of when I booked the hotel ;-)) But the one place I want to mention is Anthropologie, which has a number of locations. We went to the one in Rockefeller Center for gifts for our daughters who had been left at home. It was recommended for teenage girls clothing and for ours, who live in jeans and do not own a dress, it was ideal. Anthropologie has a good selection of clothes which were not a girly girl style. We bought them sweaters and t shirts with interesting designs and details. They both liked our choices – a rare score for us these days. The store claims their designs are unique to them and we certainly have not seen the same in the many clothing chains where our daughters shop. There are also a variety of household items which looked interesting.

PHOTOS

We did not take many photos this trip. I always wish I had taken photos at restaurants, but it just seems too rude to have a flash going off in restaurants when I am only photographing dessert! Some non-food pictures we took are posted at flickr.com/photos/…

Trip report October 3-8

Phenomenal report. I don%26#39;t need photos of your meals, your descriptions are so complete.

I%26#39;ve gone to several events where I%26#39;ve managed to corner Mario Battali and ask him why it%26#39;s such a poor experience to try and reserve a table. He said I should just smile at the host! Ha! I was very pleasant but said it wasn%26#39;t likely I%26#39;d dine at Babbo until I could afford to pay someone full time to do nothing but hit redial.

I did just get to dine at Del Posto last week though. It is quite an experience, and their wines are exquisite. We had four, including an Aragone, La Mozza 2004 that I%26#39;m still dreaming about!

Nice to see you%26#39;re also fans of my favorite deli.

Thanks so much again for such a detailed report. I promise, if you write a book of reviews, I%26#39;ll buy a copy!

Yes, phenomenal report, indeed. You sure covered lots of ground, sounds simply wonderful.

Your report made me very hungry.

I’m not sure if you are a restaurant critic, but you should be. What a great report and I like the way you organized it.

My wife has a knack for being at the Manlo store when it is having one of its sales, which is still pricey.

I was able to secure a reservation at Babbo’s a couple of years ago by calling 30 days in advance. I don’t think I knew how lucky I was to get a reservation.

Once again, great report.

My word, what a great read. I%26#39;m no foodie, but it had me salivating. Loved your pictures too.

I have to agree about LGA. It%26#39;s a doddle to get your luggage etc, I much prefer it to JFK.

Great report! Quick question -- what were the women wearing at Daniel? We are going next Saturday to celebrate our 20th anniversary, and cant decide what to pack? thanks!

I noticed a number of women at Daniel wearing skirt suits, like the classic Chanel. Some dresses, not cocktail type dresses, more subdued and some lighter summery dresses, but the weather was very warm that evening. Also, the women I saw were mostly middle aged or older so not the type to wear the skin revealing fashions popular among younger women. I had a on a Burberry blazer, silk blouse, pencil skirt, patterned tights and high heels and felt it was suitable.

I knew I needed to read your report after lunch! Fabulous (as I expected!) Thanks for all the details on everything. Congrats on another succesful trip!

Please cut-n-paste dining reviews and add to www.menupages.com and www.chowhound.com!!

Thanks for all your comments. I am not a restaurant critic nor could my waistline stand it if I were. We have a number of friends who visit NYC on a fairly regular basis so I like to remember what we ate and did then report back. QB, your suggestion of posting reviews elsewhere is a good one. I%26#39;ll just have to get motivated enough to do the cut and pasting.

As a sushi lover myself, I enjoyed reading your description of Yasuda!