Bestie Trip NYC - Day 3 - cont

Battery Park is a straight shot on a nearby bus to South Street Seaport, and we explore it in bits after we pick up our tickets in Clinton Castle. 

Angelfish gleam with an aquatic sheen as they await riders on the SeaGlass Carousel.

There is a sculpture of The Immigrants depicting diverse struggles, a moving monument to difficulties our ancestors endured to give us the life we live today. 

The American Merchant Mariners Memorial guards the dock near the boarding of the boat, and watching one man pull another out the depths combined with the speck that is statue we all came to see imparts a sense of safety and peace, a confidence that this country will continue to do for us. 

Statue of Liberty

35 years ago, which I now know is the last time the Knicks won the playoffs, I stood next to my mother in JFK, frantic 5 year-old eyes searching the escalators for my father who we hadn't seen in over a year. 

We found him and the rest is history, and it's here that I always feel most grateful, cruising toward the symbol of my freedom from a country that makes dissenters disappear. 

The best view of Manhattan is as you're sailing away,

and there are no bad views of Lady Liberty as you approach. 

We got the coveted crown tickets three months in advance, and I have zero regrets as we ascend the steep spiral staircase. 

There are unparalleled views of the scaffolding, the mechanical marvel that makes this modern madonna stand. 

The crown itself is a significantly smaller space than you'd think, squishing at most six acquaintances at a time, all of whom have hopefully recently showered. 

Often seen as a far-away sight from any harbor, nothing prepares you for the feelings of safety, of gratitude, of overwhelming joy as you stand in the shadow of this majestic, MAMMOTH symbol of freedom. 

The pedestal provides a close-up of the detailed folds of fabric, 

and even at the bottom, we're so close we can see the writing on the book. 

The museum right under the statue isn't much of a photo op, but there are surprising stats on the history of the construction and moving testimonials from those with a profound sense of hope as they move or flee from circumstances in which they could not stay. 

There other museum however, houses the original face and torch, so snap your selfies while you still can. 

There's more of the same in Ellis Island, and they preserve the original building as a monument to those who once moved through those halls and walked those floors. It makes for an emotional day, one filled with gratitude and wonder in equal parts. 

Joe's Pizza - New York, NY

Have you really been to New York if you don't stop for a slice?

We're starving as we disembark, and in the gap between no lunch and a later dinner, there's a floppy, fold-and-stuff piece of pizza.

Maybe it's the mass production, but I don't know if I like this classic New York slice as much when I'm sober.  

Golden Diner - New York, NY

Three words are our reason for venturing out this way: Honey Butter Pancakes.

A slurry of sweet, molten, barely-viscous butter submerges a thick yet impossibly fluffy inch of air, seeping into every pocket, of which there are innumerable.

Something this sweet and soupy could so easily stagnate, but the lemon zest brings the rejuvenating zing, and a side of berry compote adds something so spectacular it'll take you to another place. 

Other high points include the Chinatown Egg & Cheese Sando, which has a crispy hash brown to contrast the soft scrambled eggs, with the sandwiching sesame scallion milk bun being its claim to fame. The whole thing is fun, but the mild flavor of the bun makes it almost ornamental. 

Korean Fried Chicken Wings for breakfast? Why?...Why not? 

I've had my fair share of KFCs, and all are truly fantastic. The double-fry gives them a skull-sating crunch, and the notes of syrupy garlic glaze are impossible to ignore. Eat blocks of  pickled daikon in between for bliss. 

Heaping plates of heavenly stuff, pancakes out of this world, all served by gastro-guru Sam Yoo in a setting disguised as a nondescript diner. I suspect all the food is fantastic, but these pancakes are proof that Yoo has mastered deliciousness to an extent  to which all should aspire.  

Bestie Trip NYC - Day 3

My family lived in Connecticut for most of my childhood, one of three Chinese families in an America’s-heartland type of town. There were grocery stores aplenty, but none sold produce any of us wanted to cook so we would take a 2-hour trek to Chinatown every other weekend for our food. My core memories of Chinatown are composed of fish fumes and bags spilling over with bushels of bok choy, jade-green Chinese broccoli, and brown nuggets of lotus root and taro. 

Chinatown has cleaned up quite a bit since the days of fish-stench streets, but I am relieved to see that the demographic has no dearth of aunties dancing in the park. 

The Mandarin - New York, NY

We just miss the last walk-in table at the Golden Diner as we arrive at 9:15 AM and hungrily eye the fully seated counter and tables of those who came mere minutes before. It'll be at least half an hour, says the understandably apathetic hostess, as we look around for a place to wait. 

The Mandarin two doors down serves as a mini-retreat of sorts, with not so many marble tables and comfy, velvety booths. The barista makes a mean brew, including this top-notch Guava Matcha with a beautifully fruity flavor that infuses without interfering. There's a Salted Miso Caramel Latte calling my name, and it's exactly what I'm craving. Superbly balanced between salt and sweet and actually coffee, it pairs perfectly with just about anything you could eat. 

Our visit is cut short as our counter seats open within minutes, and we scurry down the street with our new plastic cups to go. The Mandarin remains memorable and remarkable despite the mere minutes we spent sitting, and despite having so little time to soak it up, I can still see it as clearly as I feel the need to go back. 

Win Son Bakery - New York, NY

We find the rotating cube on our walk to the train and find that it requires a significant amount of force to move. 

It takes two, and it’s still quite strenuous so it’s a good thing I have the kind of friends who get us a dessert to eat right after we have dessert. 

Win Son’s twice baked bolo bao is quite winsome, as the second pass through the oven darkens the already-crispy crust and deepens the flavor by adding an almost-char. 

Whole beans add texture to the mildly sugared silk, and it's all a nice, nutty thing topped with thin sliced almonds. 

I've only had one thing from Win Son so far, but I know I need to have several more. 

Duo Cafe - New York, NY

Any good dinner can end with a spot of tea, and Duo Cafe is just the place to have it. 

Every table gets a basket to sniff and select, and all these bolder blacks, aromatic herbals, and everything in between are best when shared with friends. 

Tea and sweets go together like...Caramelized Sweet Potato and ice cream. Cut in half and bruleed with a cracking layer of crunch to cultivate the underlying notes of caramel, these warm, bright-orange beauties conspire with the cold cream to make for sweet bites that collude and collide. 

I believe this was the Hochija Cheesecake, a dense and silky slice with aromatic bitters at the end of every bite. 

The Salted Egg Yolk Basque Cheesecake seems almost experimental and leaves my mouth confused. The seaweed flakes and pork floss are not the kind of salty that necessarily pairs with the sugar and only sort of works when small amounts are paired with bigger bites. 

Still, I am so in love with this sweet little shop, and I love that I can come here almost any time of day. Like all places in NYC it's open until a time I would be in bed, but I'd duck in time for a calming cup of tea. 

Meama - New York, NY

Do you know what the single best thing about Georgian cuisine is? Cheese boats! Barge-like dough-troughs filled with a slurry of melted cheese with a cracked egg ready-to-mix to make it extra rich. 

And what, do you ask, is the one thing Meama does not have? Cheese boats! A birthday party cleans them out of their entire menu section of khachapuri and they don't even tell us until it's time to order. 

If I can't have a cheese boat, at least the cheese Khinkali has an incredibly slurpy-slurry filling of cheesy bliss so we at least get a small taste of what they fail to provide. The beef-filled ones are also deeply savory, and the quantity and size makes them xlb on steroids. This isn’t a finger food, this is a whole-hand food. Grab the dumpling by the doughy knob, bite a hole, and slurp away.

Eggplant Rolls are presented like cut sushi, and the delicate layer of eggplant encases a walnut paste that is so deeply umami it almost mimics meat.

Georgian Salad gives the palate a brief refresh between the mega-meats, and garlic dressing asserts itself for a bright bite. 

They have a soup special, which I believe is Chaqapuli, chunks of lamb that swim in a clear meat broth, stewed with so many herbs. With a bit of dunked bread, this deeply savory dish is divine. 

Grab the bone and all the meat slips straight off the Lamb Shank, making a small splash over the silky bed of mashed potatoes. Several subtler flavors sync to make the meat shine, and every bite is a confluence of onion, herbs, and wine. 

Hot, buttery, maximum-garlic cream soaks a delicate Cornish Hen, a concoction best enjoyed with crusty bread. 

I don't think I know anyone more nit-picky than I am, and here I am with no nits to pick. Every dish is a delicacy the way they execute them. I’m still pissed about the cheese boats but I would come back here on any given day and eat this exact meal again without hesitation. 

NYC Bestie Trip - Day 2 - cont (2)

Just In Time - New York, NY

It's a sprint to the theater after we hit human traffic all along the upper east side. The walk to our seats is spent huffing and puffing while we fan away our pooling sweat. We sit with not a moment to spare...only we find that the guy we're here to see isn’t here. Matt Magnusson replaces Jeremy Jordan only hours before the start of the show. 

I don't know either of them, and I don’t know Bobby Darin, but I know I don't believe he’s here. Mr. Magnusson hits the notes, and he clearly can sing, but he lacks the crucial charisma that guys like Bobby effortlessly exude, and he doesn’t have that chemistry that comes with the countless rehearsals required to form a cohesive cast. 

The songs are a reminder of just how much Bobby Darin remains in the undercurrent of our culture, and his impact is undeniable. But when all is said and sung, Bobby Darin's story is a sad one, and the variety show makes it more of a spectacle. 

Still, the songs are iconic, and the icons are incredible. Olivia Holt is an unforgettable Connie Francis, and the show is overall entertaining despite an often unnecessary amount of exposition. 

Max Brenner Times Square - New York, NY

It's a quick stop for a snack, and this dark chocolate-something sips like a sweet dream. 

It's smooth and expected sweet but also quite balanced with pretty deep flavors. Much better than I expected for a chain, but clearly there's a reason Max Brenner is still around. 

I’m Donut? - New York, NY

A Japanese donut store attempts to establish itself in NYC, grabbing a little storefront right off Times Square. It's party in the front, business in the back, utilizing most of the deep space to create their artisan donuts. 

This limited-edition Oishii Matcha Strawberry Cream tastes like spring to summer, right before it gets too heavy and hot. Yogurt cream keeps the sugar in check, and berries add some acid, though there are not enough. 

Zaku-Zaku satisfies any sweet tooth with a thick coat of caramel, and a cover of crunchy nuts.

The idea is cute, but the execution needs work. These donuts are not nearly as pretty as their pictures, to an extent that isn't entirely acceptable, and it's time to change that oil because I can tell it's getting old. Expectations should not be lofty given its tourist-trap location, but there is room for improvement at this price-point. 

Hold my donut, it’s Mariska Hargitay! 

I almost miss my idol because my stupid brain gets suddenly shy. 

But that’s why I have my bestie, whose unwavering but usually gentle support shifts into an assertive push in the direction I need to go. 

She loves me enough that she’d never let me miss this, and for these photos I will be forever in her debt. 

I have followed her career for 27 seasons, and though I have nothing for her to sign, a close-up of Olivia Benson is the highlight of this trip.

There’s a brief lull between donut and dinner, and we stumble upon Pageant Print Shop along the way. 

I'm told it was once in a Woody Allen movie, but nothing prepares me for the piles of antique prints in every color, of every shade...or the surly woman behind the counter who answers no questions and suffers no fools. This is the kind of experience that is uniquely New York, and the possum print I dig up for my husband is as rare a find as he is. 

NYC Bestie Trip - Day 2 - cont (1)

Frick Gallery - New York, NY

Finally the Frick Gallery has been fixed, its impressive collection restored to its original resting place. 

The paintings make a lot more sense adorning the walls of the mansion they were acquired for, and it’s easy to get immersed within every wall. The Vermeers seem illuminated from within, the Fragonard room feels like floating, and there is even an amusing exhibition of Marie Antoinette fashion plates where you can marvel at the epic hair. 

No photos allowed so all you have are memories, though they do allow snaps of the courtyard. 

We also catch quite a view of the Puerto Rican Day Parade from our vantage point on the second floor, and security lets me sneak a shot.

We choose to walk to the theater so we can continue to watch, and we catch some sweet cars and a side view of Miss Puerto Rico herself.

Westmoreland Cafe - New York, NY

Westmoreland Cafe has so much more than coffee and a pastry case, a restaurant room with luxurious lighting, artfully decorated with tile floor and cross-back chairs.  

Their seasonal menu features a lighter lunch, executing fresh ingredients and a few cooked dishes at an impossible speed.

There's this beautiful Spring Pea Risotto that tastes like garden sunshine, radiating pea sweetness and asparagus aromas through an al dente rice which I suspect contains an entire stick of butter and half a wheel of cheese. 

I opt for a refreshing Harvest Salad, which sits atop a creamy goat yogurt that clings to the leaves.  

If you only have a little time, there are far worse places to spend it. We are in and out in under an hour and leave after an experience that feels a little luxurious. There are plenty of places to eat and better ones besides, but I did enjoy the experience and would consider coming back for an afternoon tea. 

NYC Bestie Trip - Day 2 - Merrion Row Hotel and Public House - New York, NY

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for us...because it is often the only meal of the day for us. Our jam-packed itinerary leaves little time to linger over lunch, and most museum visits are punctuated by quick bites at a cafe or trail mix on the hike to the theater.

Almost every morning we wake up with a NY Bagel, spread with cream cheese and topped with capers and lox. It comes with a hotel discount, which only improves the flavor. 

All options seem quite solid, though I stick with the bagel after deviating to the Breakfast Sandwich once. Nice eggs, bacon on brioche, and the potatoes are good and crispy. But it’s still the salmon that hits the spot. 

The hotel is nice, despite the price, though that's quite standard during the busiest time of year. Despite few luxuries, it's comfortable with a small amount of street noise that doesn't interfere with a good night's rest. The central location is crucial for the theater-going theme of this trip.

The bathroom door is my only beef as it slowly slides open no matter what we do. We request a repair, and in their defense, they fix it right away, though not quite the way we would expect. That said, this strong square of tape holds for all six nights of our stay, and at least it's good for a laugh.