Photo credit Stuart DeSpain
We sure had a great day today! Tina and I started off at Jean-Georges Nougatine, which overlooks Central Park. I’ll let my restaurant review talk to the quality of the food and service (both great). Another fun part of the experience was befriending our neighbor. Caroline, an Australian ex-pat, was a very charming lady who shared a few Venice tips. Apparently, she lived next door in Trump Tower. We wondered what her story might be, as she seemed to lead a very interesting and glamorous life. We may never know.
We then wandered around a mall. That’s right, a mall. Columbus Circle is a fairly big high-end mall. The stores weren’t anything new, but they had a pretty incredible roster of restaurants -- including Bouchon, where we had lunch.Â
Even though it was raining all day, we had some shopping to do. We left Columbus Circle behind and wandered up Broadway to a Bed, Bath, and Beyond (the adventure never ends). We were greeted by the most cheerful doorman, ever. It’s amazing, this doorman culture. Obviously, in Seattle, they don’t exist. But, in New York, they’re everywhere. And they’re all super nice. I wonder how they find themselves in that line of work?Â
The NYC BB&B was different in other ways, too. For one, they had carts designated for dogs. We had the good fortune of standing in line with one friendly pooch named Lilo. It sure was nice to spend a little doggy time, but it made us miss the girls all the more.
After shopping it was off to Time Square to catch a matinee of Wicked. I bought the tickets months ago, so seats were great (four rows back, toward the center). While I’m not a big musical fan, the show was a lot of fun. The cast was talented, the script was clever, and -- despite a little cheesiness -- I can see why the production is so popular.
Afterwards we wandered the streets of Little Italy. We got hawked at by the many restauranteurs hoping to win our business. But we had plans -- dinner at Peasant. My review talks to the meal (great) but Tina did not like the waitress. No fisticuffs, this time.
After a long day we went back to the hotel -- giving me time to write up today’s adventure. More, tomorrow! Oh, and pictures: