Days 1 and 2: NY (May 10 and 11)

 Day 1:  E-ville to New York, May 10

Weather:  Warm and humid in NY (perfect in E-ville, of course)

We’re flying on Mom’s Day, Jet Blue, Mint class: entertain-mint, refresh-mint, nourish-mint. Food is actually very good (and not just by airplane standards). A very refreshing mint drink made with limeade and lots of mint (DB goes for the vodka version, it’s Mom’s Day!). Choice of small plates, THB goes for gnudi (gnocchi?) and beets done three ways with burrata, with fruit salad (actually tasted like fruit) and Brooklyn’s own Blue Marble organic chocolate ice cream.  Different take-away bags for men and women, Mar-Ze-Dahr Bakery cookies and blondies.

Cab ride from JFK to Waldorf Towers (WT) wipes out enjoy-mint of flight. Cabbie eschews freeway, side streets only including taking us into LaGuardia airport. Well over an hour, and now not only is THB suffering from airplane pressure, he’s definitely now car sick. $52 flat rate….and the only thing we missed seeing was Yankee Stadium (not that he didn’t try and get us there, THB thinks we got Bronx’d too).

The WT rooms are fabulous. Yes, rooms: we’re in an apartment with large sitting area and a dining room. However, they must have removed the kitchen: small fridge, a sink, and four glasses. No stove, coffeepot, microwave, toaster, toaster oven, hot plate, silverware, bowls, or napkins.

THB and DB decide to unwind in the bar and wind up back in the room: tables that haven’t been cleared in a couple of hours, surly bartenders, rude waitresses. Welcome to NY! Vodka and cranberry juice from the mini-bar and snacks from home and Jet Mint; even at mini-bar prices it is cheaper than the bar ($20 cocktails, welcome to NY!).

Day 2:  New York, May 11

Weather:   Hot and humid at times, windy

Fitness center, mini-breakfast in the room of toasted bagel and machine coffees from the lounge on 26^th floor. We have breakfast coupons at the restaurant downstairs; our money is no good either since they have closed the place for a private party (a group of Indians). Back up to the lounge on 26^th for cereal and fruit and a much quieter and more relaxing dining experience.

 

WT Fitness center

First up: a cab ride to the middle of the High Line and a walk to the newly re-opened Whitney Museum, which is at the lower end of the High Line. THB always walks the High Line, it changes by the seasons and the art installations are also rotated through.

 

Ed is on the High Line and in the Whitney

Lush and crowded on the H L

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It's rebar in front of a blank wall

THB and DB joined the museum months and months ago and are now rewarded: we go in first, beating the crowds by 10 minutes!

 

Our line

Their line

We'll be walking in Georgia's footsteps in July

Another Hopper, this one a sketch

Early di Suvero, before he could afford steel

The Whitney is all about 20^th and 21^st century American art (not all by Americans, interestingly enough, so the work must have been done in the US of A). Four floors, very well laid out by time frame. THB is partial to the 60s and 70s and a bit of the 80s. There are a few pieces on each of the other three floors that are special, for the most part it is more a historical perspective of American art on the move.

We'll be visiting Donald tomorrow, he's invited us over

THB's numero uno sculptor

THB's fave piece in the museum, a powerful video

A DB fave

Another of THB's faves

The view from the road on west side

From the Whitney, we cab up to Columbus Circle for a late lunch at Jean Georges. Our waitress had spent time living in Oakland and working in SF, particularly at Rich Table (THB has not been there).  We order from the a la carte menu: two courses for $48 and each course after $24.  The lunch tasting menu is 6 course, $158/pp, and even though we plan to have very light dinner, it seems like too much.

The amusing boooches are fabulous, particularly the sea trout on slightly grilled sushi rice and an exotic small drink of fresh herbs in dill flavored liquid.

THB and DB share sea trout draped in trout eggs, lemon and olive oil and yellowfin tuna ribbons, avocado and spicy radish, ginger marinade. DB has a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley and THB a half glass of Gruner Veltliner (yes, a half glass so THB can then have a half glass of red with the second course).

Second courses: Black sea bass crusted with nuts and sweet and sour jus for DB; Sweet and spicy glazed sweetbreads with pistachios and puya chila for THB along with a half glass of Oregon Pinot Noir (that THB shares with DB).

A shared dessert of salted caramel ice cream with caramelized bananas, floating islands (served cold) and crisp puff pastry with warm caramel pastry cream. Of course petit fours of chocolate, macaroons and a jellied thing. One cappuccino, and a total of $195 with tax  and tip.

Slowwwww walk back to WT, a rest up, some not great news about Rio 2016 tix (THB got about half of what he asked for), then a stroll to a local cheese store for cheddar and raclette, olives, crackers and lemons and lime: dinner in the room with leftover vodka and cranberry juice, apples and cherries, $25.