THE GIRLS TAKE MANHATTAN: BROADWAY BINGE

Most every parent I know says the same thing:   The older your kids are, the harder it is to carve out time with them.   They move out (God willing); they have a significant other; many go on to have their own children.  So it was music to my ears when daughter Hannah proposed we plan a fall trip to NY for essentially a Broadway binge. 

Her timing was good -- the hubby is totally preoccupied in October with the seasons:  end of taxes, college football and baseball playoffs.  He probably won't even notice we're gone. November is out as he and I will be out of the country for 10 days (blogs to follow of course).  So from this evolved a way to spend time together, view fall foliage, and make a considerable contribution to the Great White Way (aka Broadway).

But hold on a minute.  She is very gainfully employed and making a good living.  No reasonable person would consider me and the hubby stingy in the parental category, but there are limits.  So her willingness to contribute $$ in a meaningful way was a big factor in the planning and further sealed her status as an adult.

A couple of giddy travelers taking a one-and-done selfie 
and our view shown below

Hannah furnished the list of her top choices (all of the marquees are above) and I procured the tickets. Hamilton was obviously the hardest to get -- not fabulous seats but we were happy just to be in.  And was it ever worth it.  I knew little about the show except for obviously it is about Alexander Hamilton (other than Benjamin Franklin, Hamilton may be the most important American who was not a President), but who would think that nearly three hours of rap music centered on American history would be so wonderful.  It was downright joyous to see school kids outside the stage door mobbing the show's stars. Whatever it takes to spurn interest in our country's history works for me. Fun Home has terrific acting and clever staging; Something Rotten is hugely entertaining and hilarious a la Mel Brooks (and should have won the Tony over Fun Home but I didn't get a vote); An American in Paris has a score that makes me swoon along with the most beautiful dancing. Finding Neverland had me crying at the end.  But the Curious Incident was just mind-boggling.  The young star is phenomenal in an extraordinary role (his Broadway debut).  Again the tears fell (and fell) ... 

Stage door post performance with (from top):  Brian D'Arcy James, John Cariani, Tony winner Christian Borle

Upper:  Hannah edging her way to Finding Neverland star Matthew Morrison in the huge throng; Bottom:  From Curious Incident Keren Dukes and remarkable lead Tyler Lea

Top to bottom:  Jonathan Groff, Javier Munoz and Daveed Diggs.  Diggs mobbed by the kids at left.

A couple of exceptional meals: Untitled, restaurateur extraordinaire Danny Meyer's latest outpost at the new Whitney Museum of American Art, and Jams, from NY-based/California-style chef Jonathan Waxman.  Both restaurants are open spaces with lots of interesting sights -- Untitled is the ground floor of the museum and completely glass-enclosed; Jams was jammin' (I apparently coined that phrase -- the hostess had never heard it used before) at nearly 10pm for our late-night/post theater supper.  For the best pizza, go to John's Pizzeria on W. 44th ...

Clockwise, from upper left: black bass; roasted cauliflower; chicken salad;
cheese offerings and sticky toffee pudding

Clockwise from upper left:   Pancakes with salmon & caviar on corn pudding (insane);
burrata with proscuitto; roasted vegetables; signature roast chicken with tarragon sauce

L-R: Barnard student Sofia and her mom (my long-time friend) Julie Shuer; Hannah and me atop the Whitney

The new Whitney is in the ultra-happening Meatpacking district of Manhattan. Lots of residential construction going on in the area, plus high-end shopping and restaurants.  What I especially loved about the Museum are the views -- whether taking the glass-enclosed indoor stairs facing the Hudson River or the outdoor stairs with panoramic views -- the sights are endless.  Of course, that doesn't even take into consideration the art:  enormous installations on white walls, to me very similar albeit a good bit larger than the LA's new Broad (see my last post).  Directly outside the structure one can either take an elevator or stairs to the High Line, which originates at that point and goes north 1.45 miles with lots of interesting things along the way or to just stop for a bit.  I loved my first visit to both and fully intend a return trip.

From top left:  View of the Statue of Liberty from the museum, looking down on the High Line
and different views as we walked along

It was great fun having lunch with my newish friend David Patrick Columbia who is the brainchild behind the New York Social Diary, a daily must-read for me.  We dined and talked at length at Michael's on W. 55th where David has an ideal table for meeting and greeting -- essential to his profession.  GM Steve Milligan is key to running a hectic lunchtime crowd, whether Michael is there or not...

NY cousin David Stone joined us for pre-theater dinner at Scarlatta

Hannah is already looking forward to part deux of The Girls Take Manhattan with another list of shows.  I couldn't be more thrilled that my kid still wants to spend quality time with her mommy ... 

2014 BEGINS WITH NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION

I can’t think of a better way to start off this year’s postings than with the story of my 60^th birthday celebration … the self-annointed “national holiday” of January 8^th was duly commemorated this year with a quick trip to New York City followed by the most fun birthday party ...


The linchpin for this particular trip (other than my big day) was an exhibit at the Met.  Since the hubby and I had already enjoyed a week in Mexico as a joint celebration (see my previous post), having a second birthday trip seemed a bit indulgent. BUT, since this exhibit is only running until March, and early-January travel works in spite of the record cold, the trip was on!

I found a reasonable "hacker" fare via Kayak, which sounds bad but is actually the bundling of fares from two different carriers (outbound on Delta and return on Jet Blue).  I didn't want to burn AA miles -- the travel Gods will tell you to save the miles for the REALLY big trips -- but rather opted to spend a few extra $$ on more legroom plus priority boarding and free baggage privileges.   In spite of a rather inauspicious start -- a major delay out of LAX having nothing to do with weather -- all turned out well once we finally got to our destination.

You know how some people waste time by channel surfing or playing electronic solitaire (guilty!) or other mindless activities?  Well, some might consider my endless looking for a better hotel than the one(s) I've booked as a waste of time.  Especially in a place like NYC where so little time is spent in the room, why needlessly fret over the accommodations? I want clean (goes without saying) and a great bed, roominess, service, location and a "reasonable" rate ... too much to ask?  The winner this trip: The Park Lane on Central Park South.  We had a terrific park view, big clean room, plus a delish continental breakfast for only $1 more!!  And being around the corner from Bergdorf's was certainly a plus in my mind. 

View from the room

Earrings by JAR

The exhibit I mentioned at the Met featured the remarkable work of the NY-born/Paris-based jeweler Joel A. Rosenthal -- aka JAR.  His sought-after and coveted pieces have rarely been shown to the public.  Read all about him and the exhibit here.  Suffice to say, it was well worth the journey to see his works of art ... although some of the pieces are so large that I can only imagine wearing them might weigh one down.  I should only have the chance.

As for the dining choices while in this culinary mecca, a great deal of time was also spent on that ... the hubby went a bit nuts after I co-opted his Open Table account as well as mine for booking/changing/cancelling a number of choices depending upon my mood at the time. Feeling emboldened to pull out all the stops, I consulted both Michelin-starred restaurants plus Forbes Magazine's 2013 List of All-Star eateries. If nothing else, I will be able to look back on this time feeling certain no stone was left unturned (an understatement to say the least).  The surprise in this endeavor was how many top restaurants were booked a month in advance, in freezing early January, mid-week.  Apparently business is good in NYC.

At least a healthy lunch ..

First stop (the day before the BIG day) was the aforementioned Bergdorf's which is a shopping experience like none other. The amount of shoes in every size (and on sale) was amazing. The hubby finds a hubby chair and sits, pretending to read, but really giving unsolicited advice to women on their potential purchases.  And sometimes they even listen.  Next was lunch at Fred's located in Barneys New York on Madison Avenue.  People watching is truly an art form here and the food is actually very good.  The Met exhibit was next, followed by browsing a bit more, but it was SO cold (approximately 8 degrees) that walking around was very challenging.  

White Bean soup
(amuse bouche)

For dinner we enjoyed Ai Fiori on 5th at 37th Street (in the Langham Hotel complex).  It was quiet, elegant and delicious.   The evening was capped off by meeting a friend for after-dinner drinks ...

Roasted halibut on apple puree 

Agnolotti with veal parcels; butternut squash sauce

Starting the day before

Laurent Perrier "Cuvee Rose"

And now on to the BIG day.  I'll backtrack a bit to say I have forever been a devoted reader of the New York Social Diary.  I have loved reading about parties and fashion and society since W Magazine debuted (early '70's) and tracked Jackie O's every move.  This site keeps me informed and entertained, and I know from reading that Michael's is the place certain NY'ers go for lunch every Wednesday, so the choice was simple for me. Brilliant restaurateur Michael McCarty greets every table -- whether you're a regular or not.  That was a very welcoming part of the experience. Plus meeting NYSD founder David Columbia, together with his dining companion, well-known Vanity Fair contributor Jesse Kornbluth, was just wonderful.  I even enjoyed a few minutes of internet fame the next day .. 

Mache, beets, marcona almonds

Wonderful roasted chicken

After browsing every shop on Madison Avenue, it was on to the dinner at Daniel.  I have previously written about my love of Chef Daniel Boulud, and have enjoyed dining in NY and Beijing at his establishments. What made this particularly memorable (besides the food) were two things:  a wonderful friend and client surprised me with a gift delivered to the table of Daniel's book -- inscribed to me! -- plus encountering the chef himself on our way out. Timing is everything.  A blessedly uneventful flight home the next morning was a wonderful end to this trip.

Tuna with salsify and sweet potato

One of the fabulous desserts ... 

Part 2 (if you can imagine there's more) will follow -- I must share about the aforementioned funnest party!