I just got back from NYC and I have so much to say, and so much work to do, and I'm full up from hanging out with excellent people and talking and walking and watching shows and shopping so I haven't really sorted it all out yet. I do have a few small details straight already, though.
Best overheard bit of conversation on the street: "I have his password. I could have gone in there and fucked that shit UP."
I have much friendlier interactions with people in NYC than I ever do in DC.
And now, onto the food. There are many reasons to be in this city on a regular basis, but one was prevalent this weekend: food, food, food. Lord have mercy. I was with several people who love to eat good food (and also drink decent wine, which is a plus) so we did our best to get the most we could out of three days. There are just great, funky places to eat all over the place, and to get good stuff, too, even in unassuming locations. I got lunch from the deli around the street from the hotel before we left this morning and ate it on the bus rather than kill myself with Delaware rest-stop food, and it was incredible. We walked in there early this morning to get coffee, and the hot food bar was already set up, and it just smelled so GOOD. I couldn't believe it. It made Whole Foods look like the Piggly Wiggly. So when I went back by on the way back from my (first ever, by the way) visit to Ground Zero, I decided to stop in and get it to go for the trip. Good move. When my fellow travelers were in the Roy Rogers and Sbarro lines, I was like, "I am so good right now, with my excellent salad and chicken from the place whose name I can't remember. It's fine." So, a tip: If you're ever in the theatre district 'round the corner from the Novotel, check out the deli with the hot food and salad bar. You won't be sorry...awesome salad and actually really good coffee too.
I also took my friends to Frank in Greenwich Village, which my friend Steven introduced me to on a very hungover but absolutely perfect New Year's Day about four years ago. They liked it. although they weren't crazy about how cramped it is in there. I love it. It is a tiny place, but it's got such a great vibe and the food is awesome. Also great is John's Pizzeria, which my father loves, so we went there before The Color Purple on Saturday night. It's very cool - it's in what used to be the Gospel Tabernacle Church, and I'll spare you any statements about how the salad is heavenly or, you know, how eating there was a religious experience, because I just can't do that to you when you're kind enough to drop by and visit me here. It really is a good restaurant. Best pizza I've ever had, I do believe - and one of the markers of a fine Italian place for me is salad dressing. John's kicked the ass of many house dressings I've had in my life, and I've had many. I think it was even better than any I've had in Little Italy in Baltimore.
Let's see, where else did we eat? Little piggies we were, no? I plead vacation. Oh right, I almost forgot Peanut Butter & Co on Sullivan Street in the Village, where the streets are paved with six varieties of the stuff and every sandwich comes with carrots and chips, just like school lunches. I had the Elvis, which is "a grilled peanut butter sandwich, stuffed with bananas and honey. Try it with bacon for that extra indulgence. Long live the King!" And yes we went twice, but who's counting?
On the way back from shopping yesterday, we stopped in at a place called Gonzales y Gonzales, for chips and salsa and maybe some margaritas too. The bartender was a doll, so that was nice. He was originally from Maryland and switched careers to go to the Corcoran in DC for photo school, and ended up moving to NYC and becoming a film editor, so it was cool to talk to him about that. He had lots to say about the city and switching careers, and following the things you loved and finding inspiration instead of going the soul-crushing route of real estate law, so that was helpful. And he also made good margaritas, which was helpful in a different sort of way.
Is that it? Oh, wait...no. I left out Prune, where we had brunch yesterday.
Again, it was in Greenwich Village, where we seemed to spend most of our time - and that's very fine with me. I was working from three hours of sleep, which is never a good situation, so I wasn't in the best position to judge the experience overall, but the Bloody Marys were good and the food was quite nice as well. I love brunch - it's a treat and something I rarely do anymore, so it was fun in spite of the exhaustion and it set me up for a nice mid-day rebound so it must have been pretty good.
Wow. We ate a lot. Hopefully all the walking helped to stave off major damage.
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