This is a country song I used to make fun of when I worked on ships. But this trip made me think of it.
There is nothing I love more than my family! You all know that. But getting away for a few days by myself has been good. I miss my family horribly! Which is a good thing. I can appreciate the nuances that make each of them unique.
This trip has been a series of experiences. Of getting out and wandering. Of sleeping in and walking. Walking into stores and going on food tours. I stood in line (froze my butt off) at tkts to get half priced tickets to Mary poppins for my mother in law and myself. It was a wonderful show complete with great voices and amazing theatrics.
We walked back to the hotel and dropped her coworker off then went and had a bowl of soup and an appetizer.
This has also been a great time for me to get to spend quality time with my mother in law. When I drew the lottery ticket for mothers in law, I won. She's delightful to travel with and just how lucky am I that she wanted me to come with her?? :-))
It has been colder than I planned on so running in central park hasn't happened but I did get to go on my foodie tour of Greenwich village today. This started at Murray's cheese shop. We made eight stops and sampled foods at each of them.
We had real new York pizza (joes pizza) that is 100% about the ingredients (duh) but the dough is thin, the sauce is only San marzano tomatoes (no salt, no pepper, no oregano or garlic) and fresh amazing mozzarella. If there is grease it's cheap cheese. It truly was a pizza experience. it will never be the same.
Next was o & co which introduced me to the difference in regular store bought olive oil (ahem crap) and real olive oil. Apparently the FDA doesn't regulate olive oils in this country and what they give us is most likely at least 50% other oil. Hmph. I actually tasted good olive oil. Good like spread it on a piece if crusty bread and eat good. With a second piece of toast with sunflower honey with a light truffle salt dusted on top. Yum!
We wandered down Cornelia street which is between 6th and bleaker streets. Cute quaint homes with amazing restaurants nestled. We went into a restaurant called Home cafe and had a creamy scrumptious macaroni and cheese made with jack, cheddar and asiago cheese. Toasted on top so as to have a crispiness.
As we wandered the streets of Greenwich village you could feel the energy radiating outward like a force field. An energy of creativity, fun, food, life. Lives that still have struggles and challenges but hope and joy. Just like any other city or street yet different. This.... THIS is new York.
After home cafe we went back to murrays cheese shop and sampled three cheeses and an amazing green olive. Did you know green olives and black olives grow on the same tree? It is just a matter of ripeness.
Next up was centro vinoteca for a longer visit with a sampler platter and where we could enjoy a glass of wine. (which I did).... It went wonderfully with my deviled egg with truffle essence, artichoke heart with Romano cheese shavings, bacon wrapped date stuffed with Gorgonzola and zucchini fritter. For dessert we walked to "milk and cookies" for of course.... A cookie. :-))
From there we got to see the apartment building where "friends" was fashioned after, the skinniest town home featured on today show that doesn't even merrit it's own address it's 75 and 1/2, and a door that had foot scrapers next to it for bank in the olden days when they needed to scrape the horse manure off their boots. Cool, huh?
We finished off with pizza from Roma that is quite different than the pizza at the beginning of the trip. It's a thicker slice, like focaccia. The dough rises for 96 hours.... That way the air escapes there rather than in your belly. :-> we had a slice that had shaved zucchini and olive oil (very fresh) and a slice with prosciutto and mozzarella (tasty). And finally a mini canoli from Rocco's. Supposedly the best in the city.
It was such a fun tour that really featured some neat restaurants and sights. Makes me want to do a foodie tour of montrose or of the heights. :-)
I had so much fun that I took my mother in law and her friend Bonnie back last night to see some of the sights. We ended up eating at an amazing little restaurant called Parma. It's on Cornelia street. We walked in and the waiter asked us if we wanted garden or main room.... We asked to see the garden and it was perfect. It had a glass ceiling with twinkling trees above us, flowers all around, doors to the private party rooms were in back looking like a guest house. We were in the corner next to a set of stairs. Heaters surrounded the place in case there was a chill (which there wasn't).
The waiter was attentive and adorable. He knew the best things and wasn't afraid to steal us away from others. We shared a salad and each had our own entrees. I had tagliatelle with a lamb and calamata olive sauce. Bebe had the freshest buffalo mozzarella (did you know it's actually made from buffalo milk??) ravioli with a tomato basil sauce. Instead of having a mixture in the ravioli, it was essentially the mozzarella wrapped in ravioli dough and steamed. Who knew!!! Deeeelicious!
We walked after dinner and then headed back. What a great day and night!!! Apparently Bonnie had such a great time she raved about the tour I'd taken her on.
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