I craned my neck to get a glimpse of the sky through my hotel window. Shards of crystal blue peaked between the corners of the buildings, letting me know that weather-wise that day was going to be A DAY. The sun shone so brightly that it was difficult to see even with the help of my sunglasses. Everything it seemed, shined and reflected off of each other. A perfect Friday, really, to go rowing in Central Park and then hang out in Greenwich Village.
We finished our row with lunch at The Boat House. The outdoor patio seating was full with forty minute wait, so we opted to eat inside from their to-go counter. As we turned to head over there, a woman behind me, who spoke to her husband of their “usual table”, tapped me on the shoulder to let me know that the prime rib sandwich was excellent. I passed this tidbit to my red-meat eating husband. He tried it and concurred. I ordered the veggie burger; should have got the salmon salad instead.
We had tickets to see Ravi Coltrane at the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village, so we walked down to Times Square, a haven for tourists opting to spend their money and time buying tennis shoes, visiting the Hershey’s Store, hoping to get spotted on MTV, and eating at the Olive Garden. Basically it’s one loud, raucous, crowded shrine to commercialism. We kept walking until we finally took the subway for the rest of our trip.
Out of the subway station in the Village, it was like we entered a different world. Quiet surrounded us as we strolled along New York’s older buildings and brownstones. It was conceivable that we would spot the cast of Sesame Street along one of the tree-lined avenues, or Carrie Bradshaw running out to meet Mr. Big’s (sigh) limo. Since Grover or Mr. Big were not around to catch my eye, Three Lives and Company book store did. Nestled on a street corner, it provided a selection of literary fiction, poetry, travelogues, cookbooks, and reflections on the craft of writing. It was like the book gods created a store just for me– my own little bit of heaven.
The restaurant’s pink font and pink chairs let my worries be put to rest. The decorations were whimsical, soft, and feminine with a modern spin. Our server was kind and knowledgable. I don’t recall seeing pork belly on the menu. I ordered the Apiary salad, a perfectly mounded pile of greens dressed in olive oil, vinegar, and chives. It was so lightly dressed that there was not even a puddle on the plate. For dinner I opted for the Scottish Salmon dusted with horseradish with braised artichokes topped with trout roe and a light cream sauce. Everything about the meal was subtle. The fish had a smooth salmon flavor as opposed to the strong flavor found in Atlantic salmon; the horseradish gently asserted itself as a supporting role rather than a key player; the roe’s mild saltiness balanced the sweetness of the artichokes. It was superb. Steve ordered the ricotta ravioli with sage-butter starter, followed it up with steak, potatoes, and creamed spinach, and completed his meal with the peach galette topped with creme fraiche ice cream and caramel sauce. The only disconcerting moment arrived when I listened in on the girls sitting next to us. One also ordered the salmon, but scraped off the roe and sauce. Their only comment about their meals was, “Yeah, this is good,” before continuing on their conversation about one of them locking herself out of her house. I wondered if this was a problem among New Yorkers: being spoiled by too much good food. My home town doesn’t give me easy access to Scottish salmon so perfectly cooked, and I was going to enjoy every bite.
The salmon looks excellent … looks more like mushrooms or white asparagus underneath rather than artichokes though.
I agree! But it was artichokes served in a way I had never had them before. They were good! Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Beautiful photos! And the salmon looks soooo good. mmmm…. 😉
Thank you! It was really good.
Bahut acha !
I have no idea what that means, but it sounds good!
It means ‘very good’ 🙂
I’m jealous. Does Stewart get to go on all your trips?
Stewart goes everywhere! He deserves his own passport.
Hey Ammy! How are you? good by the looks of your pictures! Missed your posts. But now I am Back……! So, enjoying vacations?
Habiba! So glad to hear from you! I’ve been okay. Steve and I had a great time on our trips. Now I’m back at work teaching Pride and Prejudice. Where have you been?
Pride and prejudice! wow. Hopefully your students are having a great time reading it. I have been busy with exams. 2 down, 3 more years to go, and then I’ll be a doc.
Congratulations! You have been working really hard!
One of my former students just moved to Pakistan to go to medical school, but I’m not sure where she is.
Beautiful writing, beautiful pictures…I want to go! Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Thank you! Definitely make the trip to NY once it’ up and running again. The recent storm breaks my heart as I think about everyone enduring enormous hardships and the damage done to our favorite places. NY and the other eastern states have tremendous spirit to come back. Thank you for the follow!
Ooooohhh….i enjoyed reading this one immensely. Infact, with your description i almost felt transported over there with you. Always love your description of food and the pics.
Thank you! It would be nice if I could show you all of these places. NY is a great place to be.
I have a few friends in NY. If i ever get to travel that far, hopefully…. 🙂