New Year New York

These are my plans for New Year:

26th Dec: Fly to New York
27th Dec: Daytime: helicopter ride over Manhattan, trip to Century 21 to buy underpants.
28th Dec: Daytime: Sopranos Tour. Evening: 1) Front row seats at the Moscow Cats Theatre (when I first wrote about this extraordinary outfit, back in 2001, on another website, it was called the Moscow Cat Circus. I wonder if the name change was a PC decision). 2) Dinner at Peasant.
29th Dec: Daytime: Train to Philadelphia, traditional cheese steak lunch at the Reading Terminal Market, afternoon browsing body bits at the Mutter Museum. Evening: back to NYC, on to New Jersey for American Football - New York Giants vs New England Patriots.
30th Dec: Afternoon: Basketball - New York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls, Madison Square Garden. Evening: Ice Hockey - New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens, Madison Square Garden.
31st Dec: Daytime: Open to suggestions. Evening: Seeing in 2008 with Gogol Bordello, live at Terminal 5.
1st Jan: Recovery
2nd Jan: Fly to Buffalo, travel on to Niagara, book into jacuzzi suite at the Oakes Hotel overlooking the falls. Continue recovery, spend night in luxury.
3rd Jan: Fly back to New York, evening meal (~~with a little luck~~) booked at Babbo.
4th Jan: Fly home to London.

Phew. Anyone care to suggest things to fill in the gaps?

31 Comments so far
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A cheesesteak in Philly is definitely worth it, but don’t get one at the Reading Terminal Market. Head down to South Philly and either Geno’s or Pat’s. Alternatively, if you’re in the fantastic Reading Terminal Market, go to Tommy Dinic’s and get a traditional pulled pork sandwich with aged provolone. Fantastic. You can literally feel your arteries clogging, but it tastes so good. Had one last week when visiting the in-laws.

Babbo is well worth it. Get the tasting menu. The homemade pasta we had was sublime. We also really liked Union Square Cafe, Inoteca, brunch at Norma’s. If you have time, also visit the Chelsea Market.

Good call on Pat’s and Geno’s - both were also recommended to me by a Philly native, so it sounds like good advice. As for pulled pork, I’m planning on getting my fill from Dumont’s in Brooklyn.

Be careful which you choose, after the English Only debate last year. Also try to check out this film which ran as a trailer for Super Size Me at the Philadelphia Film Festival back in 2004. Sums up why most locals eat cheese steaks.

The other Philly classic is a soft pretzel with mustard from a cart on the street. Horrible things, but the locals seem to like them.

“Been drinking cleaning products all night! … open to suggestions..”

- Tom Waits, Nighthawks at the Diner (1975)

Balthazar?

I haven’t been for years, but it was wonderful:
http://www.balthazarny.com/

Ah yes, thanks - I’ve been to Balthazar for breakfast before. Perhaps it’s time to re-visit…

http://masanyc.com/

Never been but am dying to try it some day … Very expensive so scrap your other meals and indulge in this one …

A bit more on Masa, in case you’re unfamiliar:
http://blog.ruhlman.com/ruhlmancom/2007/06/professional_ch_1.html

Enjoy the trip!

I read an Antony Bourdain thing on Masa years ago, and I’d love to do it, but I’m not sure I can justify the expense at the moment…

La Bonbonniere for NYC’s finest fry up. Schiller’s Liquor Bar for life-changing mac ‘n’ cheese. Freemans for meaty goodness.

Oh, and stay in Yotel before you fly out (if it’s from Gatwick).

27 Dec: Fly back from New York. Join S. Duck in front row of Weymouth Pavilion Theatre for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs featuring some bird out of Neighbours, fly back to New York.

Understandable … I guess. Well, there’s always Bar Masa. Thanks for the link to eGullet … Never knew about that.

You should get the hell out of Manhattan for a day and go and visit TEMPO in Park Slope. Better than Babbo, in my opinion, I think there are similar people involved. You’ll not be dissapointed. My review is here:

http://thursdayclubnyc.blogspot.com/2007/11/in-late-2004-residents-of-park-slope.html

Or you could head over to the Spotted Pig for some fine ales and great British grub:

http://thursdayclubnyc.blogspot.com/2007/10/henderson-circus-hits-town.html

Cheers
Teddy

Not sure if it’s the thing but other music is the best record shop in the world (probably) and we had some good cheese cake round the corner at dantes (?)
http://www.othermusic.com/perl-bin/OM/html_proxy.cgi?filename=/sections-db/faq.html&ID=3221657.25859

Oh yes, Other Music is a place I visit every time I’m in New York. It’s a tradition, much like buying underwear from Century 21.

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/burger_joint00/

Perhaps try this. It does good burgers.

Try Gordon Ramseys Maze at London, especially the Blueberry and Lime Cheesecake.

I was there last week and it was amazing

Burgers at Corner Bistro on Jane St in the West Village. The queue is worth it!

Rest?

Hello,

The famous ‘Love’ sculpture in Philadelphia recently did a quick tour of Europe. Oddly I saw it in the gardens of Chatsworth House (don’t ask).

Anyway, in Philadelphia it sits there unprotected.

In the gardens of Chatsworth it was surrounded by a tape saying ‘Keep out. Do Not Cross This Line.

What a beautifully British image I thought : ‘Love - Do Not Cross This Line’.

Wish I’d brought me camera.

I wa sin NY earlier inthe year and went to Union Square cafe - the bar is really unique and a lot of ’stars’ go there. I saw Matt Dillon on my visit.

Fraser

If you are still free on the 27th my suggestion is quite simple.

Seeing as you are spending the majority of the rest of your days eating fancy food in fancy restaurants and attennding various cat-related shows / events, I would suggest getting utterly fucking banjaxxed at some suitable bar nearby.

I mean going all the way there and remaining sober just isn’t an option, you need to spend at least a WHOLE day in a boozer getting swallied on a whole concoction of lagers, ales, zambuca, vodka, cocktails etc. I suggest a bare minimum of a 12 to 12 sesh and ideally one that ends in you completeley losing the power of speech or comprehension, that’s the sign of a good night out.

See, simple! Simple, yet VERY effective.

Kevin.

On the 29th try to score tickets to the New England Patriots vs NY Giants football game. You could witness history as the Pats head for an undefeated season.

That’s a great suggestion.

A suggestion, in fact, on which I have acted.

You must have connections.

Naah, just a StubHub account - I found a ticket much cheaper than the ones on eBay.

Ooh that Gogol Bordello event sounds interesting. We’ll have to add that to our event guide! Thanks for helping us discover it!

4th Jan. Try making a New Years Resolution?

Wow, almost a month gone by and no post.
Have you joined AA or something?

Have very late dinner/supper at Blue Ribbon in SoHo. This restaurant is open very late. Once I sat next to Mario Batali at 2am while I ate my bone marrow.

It seems no one has addressed the Buffalo/Niagara portion of your tour! How sad!!

Perhaps you’d like the Albright-Knox art museum in Buffalo. It’s in a pretty area of town and features a strong collection of contemporary/modern art. Tourists also usually hit the Buffalo-style chicken wings at the Anchor Bar.

Be sure to stop and take in the US view of the Falls & rapids. In winter, with chunks of ice zooming down, it’s really awesome. And you can get much closer to the water, which is neat. The Canadian side of the Falls is all casino and glitz. (But then, we’re probably just jealous ’cause all the tourists go there.)

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