I feel like I – or, rather, all of us – deserve a medal for how much walking happened on Saturday. We’re talking 9 solid hours of movement, with only brief stops here and there for eating/drinking purposes. Wow, did I ever pay for it the next day (hello, sciatica!)…but it was so fun.
That’s Kendrick & me with his sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, Brian, who were visiting from Virginia for the weekend. Saturday was their last full day, so we decided to show them…everything, pretty much. Including Union Square, West Village, SoHo, the Highline, Chinatown, and Little Italy.
We started out with an early breakfast at Sarabeth’s, on Central Park South. I’ve only been once before – for a bridal shower – but it’s such a beautiful place to take guests. The food is expensive, but not as miserably so as you might expect, and delicious (I had the Papa Bear porridge, above)…and there’s just nothing like walking outside and seeing the park right there, and the Plaza, and Fifth Avenue.
Speaking of the Plaza, here’s me, Elizabeth, and my tummy checking out the flowers. (I changed shortly after this photo was taken; this dress was much, much tighter than I’d remembered – shocker – and created some gasping-for-breath issues).
Awhile later, we regrouped for lunch at John’s Pizzeria, followed by a stop into Il Cantuccio to pick up Nutella croissants (above, that’s some pretty amazing almond paste biscotti).
We met this guy at the foot of the steps leading up to the Highline – Melt Bakery is a new kiosk selling fancy ice cream sandwiches that made me regret the croissant purchase (no room left). I’ll be back later on in the summer to try the Elvis (banana ice cream sandwiched in between peanut butter cookies).
Gorgeous.
There’s a section just above 14th Street with a sort of shallow pool that you can splash around in. Good stuff.
Love those lounge chairs. I imagine you’d have to camp out pretty early in the day to secure one, though.
These Pozie Poems mobiles are super, super cool, and just $20 (a little more if you buy them on Etsy).
We were all geared up for drinks at The Frying Pan (pictured above), but as it turns out so was everyone else in New York. Now, I haven’t been to a club in awhile, but the line outside? Marquee, midnight, c. 2004.
Instead, we headed way back over to Prince Street for the fantastic cocktails (and iced tea for me) and semi-outdoor, fun atmosphere at Delicatessen. (That’s a jalapeno margarita with spicy salt rim pictured in the foreground.)
On Canal Street, I tried my very first dragonfruit. Can you believe that color? (As it turns out, the juice also makes an excellent lip stain.)
Dinner was at Hop Kee, on Mott Street. I used to go to Wo Hop (right next door) when I was a kid, but the shots of Anthony Bourdain on Hop Kee’s wall had me all aflutter, so Hop Kee it was. The bulk of the dishes we had were good – if not spectacular -and the decor was like every other place on the block…but those dumplings. Actually the best dumplings I have ever had. For real, you have to try them.
And string beans may not seem like something to get particularly excited about, but holy damn, these were incredible.
The night ended with a stroll up Mulberry through Little Italy, where we watched cigar-rollers, ate cannolis, and checked out the rainbow lights.
And Sunday, of course, was about the Dads: there’s the dad-to-be in my life getting celebrated with steak-for-brunch at Johnny Foxes. Happy Father’s Day to my two favorite guys!
