My mom and I had a great trip! Here are some of the highlights.
The Lucerne- This is the second time we have stayed here. It is in a great neighborhood on the Upper West Side and I enjoyed it all over again!
Restaurants:
Nice Matin- This French-style bistro is attached to the Lucerne and you get a discount on breakfast if you are staying at the hotel. We also ate there several times since it was so convenient! Some favorites: fava bean hummus, pistou soup, housemade granola, Tuscan chicken.
Amsterdam Gourmet- I visited this little deli across from the hotel daily for coffee (under $2 vs $3.50 at the hotel). Very friendly, plus lots of baked goods and grocery items.
Eataly- This was quite an experience! It is a huge market featuring both local and imported Italian foods. There are also several restaurants within the building. We went on a Saturday night so everything was insanely crowded. We ended up eating at the La Pizza & Pasta restaurant. I ordered a San Marzano pizza (basically a margherita pizza with sweet San Marzano tomatoes) and a Moretti Bionda draft beer. Delicious! We also got some gelato afterwards. I would love to go back and explore the market when it is a little less crowded.
Sido Falafel and More- Yummy falafel platter! Just down the street from the hotel.
Calle Ocho- Sooo good! We went on a Sunday night, when they have a free sangria bar. I'm not big on sangria usually, but their Blanca was great! We ordered an appetizer called Dulce, a sweet corn and goat cheese empanada with a tomato salad. Seriously one of the best things I've eaten in a while!
Sarabeth's Kitchen- We ate brunch here before hitting the Met. Delicious! I ordered a spinach and goat cheese omelet with multigrain toast. You can also buy preserves and other premade goodies.
Sightseeing:
Limelight Marketplace- We stopped to check this place out on our way to Eataly. Very hip little boutiques inside what was once a church. I didn't buy anything but it was fun to look around.
Whitney Museum of American Art- This is mostly very abstract art. Interesting, but not really my thing.
Museum of Modern Art- I was afraid this was going to be more abstract art as well, but I forget that "modern" art encompasses a lot more. There are works by Monet (including his famous Waterlilies), van Gogh, Picasso, Dali and Matisse. There was an exhibit of Andy Warhol's motion pictures, which we were able to see with a guided tour. We also ate lunch in a cafe on the 5th floor, Terrace 5 which was really good!
Metropolitan Museum of Art- As always, there is never enough time to see everything at the Met! This time we took two guided tours, one of old masters paintings and one that focused on modern art. Both tour guides were great. We also viewed an exhibit called Guitar Heroes about famous guitar makers that was very interesting.
American Museum of Natural History- This was fun, I have been once before but only to the planetarium part. We took a guided tour (have you noticed that I love guided tours?) which took us to highlights all over the museum. We also bought tickets to a seperate exhibition about the brain with a lot of hands-on exercises. My favorite area was the gemstones hall.
Shows:
La Cage Aux Folles- So fun! Harvey Fierstein was playing one of the leads and did such a great job.
Memphis- I had never heard of this until we got to NYC and we saw ads for it and decided to see it since it had won the Tony Award. The music and cast were great!
Whew! We packed a lot into our five days and four nights! Can't wait to go back!
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Friday, March 11, 2011
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Austin bound!
A couple weeks ago, I drove to Austin for an early celebration of Tori's graduate school graduation. Her masters program held a beautiful reading at Laguna Gloria, part of the Austin Museum of Art. The space is really beautiful and has an amazing view of Town Lake. Here are a few pictures from the reception afterwards.
Tori read a few poems from her thesis. It was great to get to see her work bound and official-looking and know it will be in UT's library. I am so proud of my little sister!
After the reading, we went to a late dinner at Z'Tejas. We got a yummy new appetizer, artichoke beignetss and, of course, cornbread. I got the Jerk Chicken salad for my entree. I have had it once before and it was as good as I remembered, very spicy!
My parents and I stayed at the Star of Texas Inn right by the UT campus. It was cute and I liked the location. I slept fine because I'm used to noise, but they do offer complimentary ear plugs because of all the fraternity houses nearby.
And because we were so close to campus, I just had to go visit my old stomping grounds at Scottish Rite dormitory (aka SRD). I checked out the cafeteria (no CCB's being served that day unfortunately) and sat by the pool. I miss those days!
Tori read a few poems from her thesis. It was great to get to see her work bound and official-looking and know it will be in UT's library. I am so proud of my little sister!
After the reading, we went to a late dinner at Z'Tejas. We got a yummy new appetizer, artichoke beignetss and, of course, cornbread. I got the Jerk Chicken salad for my entree. I have had it once before and it was as good as I remembered, very spicy!
My parents and I stayed at the Star of Texas Inn right by the UT campus. It was cute and I liked the location. I slept fine because I'm used to noise, but they do offer complimentary ear plugs because of all the fraternity houses nearby.
And because we were so close to campus, I just had to go visit my old stomping grounds at Scottish Rite dormitory (aka SRD). I checked out the cafeteria (no CCB's being served that day unfortunately) and sat by the pool. I miss those days!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
New York New York!
Mom and I had a whilrwind trip to NYC! We landed late in the day Saturday and hit the ground running.
I tried to put together a pretty comprehensive list of all the things we did. This was our third trip to NYC together and we stayed in a different neighborhood than before so we really got to do some different things.
Accomodations
We stayed at the The Lucerne. At the time, they were running a good special so we were able to upgrade to one of the suites. It was wonderful to have a mini-fridge and coffee maker in the room. We had a little blip checking in, our room was not ready until almost 5pm (checkin was at 4pm). Other than that, the staff was wonderful and we loved the neighborhood we stayed in.
Food and Drink
Nice Matin- This French bistro is attached to the Lucerne and you get a discount on breakfast. We ate there several times and the food was wonderful! We loved the atmosphere, it seemed like a popular neighborhood cafe. Some favorites: Fava bean hummus, pistou, fava bean tortellini, vanilla creme brulee. Great wine list and beer selection.
Teany- We noticed Teany after leaving the Tenemant museum en route to Katz's. We decided to stop there instead; quite a difference as Teany is vegetarian! Lots of delicious tea (of course), salads, soups and a great atmosphere.
Pisticci- This ended up being one of our favorite dining experiences. The restaurant itself was beautiful, the staff was friendly and there was live jazz the night we went (a Sunday). Our waitress was knowledgable and talented- she sang with the band! I got garlic bread with goat cheese and the grilled chicken with arugula and tomatoes and tiramisu for dessert.
Cafe Lalo- The restaurant was beautiful, another that felt like a French bistro. Our service was terrible, although I think it was our particular waitress, English was clearly not her first language. I was so looking forward to a grilled sandwich, but she said they were not available (I didn't understand quite why). But I got oatmeal and yogurt and it was very good. The desserts looked amazing!
Le Pain Quotidien- We ate here during our day at the Met. It's a chain, a lot like a La Madeleine and very delicious! We ate here with my cousin and we all ordered tartines, an open faced sandwich. Mine had grilled chicken, mozzarella, pesto and arugula. A great lunch spot!
The View Lounge- This is the only rotating restaurant/lounge in NYC, so it is a popular spot for an after-theater drink. It is located at the top of the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Be warned, it is insanesly overpriced and there is a cover charge after 9pm. You are really paying for the view, which is fantastic. They have a buffet, and you can also do just dessert and cheese.
United Nations Delegates Dining Room- This was a really neat experience. You have to make reservations (we were able to make them the same day) and no jeans or tennis shoes are allowed. There is an international buffet for lunch and amazing views of the East River. The food and service were great!
Sido Falafel and More- Across the street (403 Amsterdam Ave) from the hotel. Yummy falafel!
Amsterdam Gourmet- Next door to Sido. Cheap and yummy coffee, pastries and groceries.
Shows
Wicked- We did not have tickets, but thought we'd check to see if the box office had any available Saturday night. They did not, of course. However, we could get in line for cancellations. There were about 12-15 people ahead of us and it was 2 hours to curtain so we figured our chances weren't good but thought we'd risk it. At 7:55, there were still 8 people ahead of us when the box office released a lot of tickets. We all ended up in about 10th row center, amazing seats! The musical was so great, I had never seen it and I highly recommend it. Showing at the Gershwin Theater.
Avenue Q- We had a discount code and bought tickets for this Monday night. Our seats were toward the back, but the theater is small so it was okay. The show is hysterical and definitely not kid-appropriate!
Billy Elliot- Amazing! This was the only show we bought tickets in advance. We missed the first half hour because we (mistakenly) assumed it was an 8pm curtain. I had seen the movie many years ago and the show is a good adaptation. The dancing is incredible! There are 3 actors who play Billy because it's a pretty demanding role. I very highly recommend this show.
Sightseeing
Tenement Museum- Really interesting, a glimpse into the lives of immigrants living in tenements. It can only be seen by taking a guided tour and the one we took was called Getting By. Our tour guide was great, we really enjoyed it!
Columbia University- Candace took us on an informal tour of the campus, very pretty!
Church of Notre Dame- Pretty church near Columbia with a grotto.
The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine- Gorgeous church, it has been under construction for over 100 years.
Peace Fountain- Next to St. John the Divine, great area with children's sculptures.
Riverside Park and Morningside Park
Shopping in Soho- I hit up H&M for inexpensive clothes and we browsed in Dean and Deluca as well as some of the smaller boutiques.
Metropolitan Museum of Art- I have been to the Met twice before and this time I insisted on dedicating an entire day to the museum. We took a guided tour of Great Paintings: East and West and had a great tour guide.
United Nations Headquarters- Really great tour! The website said the tours were sold out through March, but we went anyway and there were tour tickets available.
Whew!
I tried to put together a pretty comprehensive list of all the things we did. This was our third trip to NYC together and we stayed in a different neighborhood than before so we really got to do some different things.
Accomodations
We stayed at the The Lucerne. At the time, they were running a good special so we were able to upgrade to one of the suites. It was wonderful to have a mini-fridge and coffee maker in the room. We had a little blip checking in, our room was not ready until almost 5pm (checkin was at 4pm). Other than that, the staff was wonderful and we loved the neighborhood we stayed in.
Food and Drink
Nice Matin- This French bistro is attached to the Lucerne and you get a discount on breakfast. We ate there several times and the food was wonderful! We loved the atmosphere, it seemed like a popular neighborhood cafe. Some favorites: Fava bean hummus, pistou, fava bean tortellini, vanilla creme brulee. Great wine list and beer selection.
Teany- We noticed Teany after leaving the Tenemant museum en route to Katz's. We decided to stop there instead; quite a difference as Teany is vegetarian! Lots of delicious tea (of course), salads, soups and a great atmosphere.
Pisticci- This ended up being one of our favorite dining experiences. The restaurant itself was beautiful, the staff was friendly and there was live jazz the night we went (a Sunday). Our waitress was knowledgable and talented- she sang with the band! I got garlic bread with goat cheese and the grilled chicken with arugula and tomatoes and tiramisu for dessert.
Cafe Lalo- The restaurant was beautiful, another that felt like a French bistro. Our service was terrible, although I think it was our particular waitress, English was clearly not her first language. I was so looking forward to a grilled sandwich, but she said they were not available (I didn't understand quite why). But I got oatmeal and yogurt and it was very good. The desserts looked amazing!
Le Pain Quotidien- We ate here during our day at the Met. It's a chain, a lot like a La Madeleine and very delicious! We ate here with my cousin and we all ordered tartines, an open faced sandwich. Mine had grilled chicken, mozzarella, pesto and arugula. A great lunch spot!
The View Lounge- This is the only rotating restaurant/lounge in NYC, so it is a popular spot for an after-theater drink. It is located at the top of the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Be warned, it is insanesly overpriced and there is a cover charge after 9pm. You are really paying for the view, which is fantastic. They have a buffet, and you can also do just dessert and cheese.
United Nations Delegates Dining Room- This was a really neat experience. You have to make reservations (we were able to make them the same day) and no jeans or tennis shoes are allowed. There is an international buffet for lunch and amazing views of the East River. The food and service were great!
Sido Falafel and More- Across the street (403 Amsterdam Ave) from the hotel. Yummy falafel!
Amsterdam Gourmet- Next door to Sido. Cheap and yummy coffee, pastries and groceries.
Shows
Wicked- We did not have tickets, but thought we'd check to see if the box office had any available Saturday night. They did not, of course. However, we could get in line for cancellations. There were about 12-15 people ahead of us and it was 2 hours to curtain so we figured our chances weren't good but thought we'd risk it. At 7:55, there were still 8 people ahead of us when the box office released a lot of tickets. We all ended up in about 10th row center, amazing seats! The musical was so great, I had never seen it and I highly recommend it. Showing at the Gershwin Theater.
Avenue Q- We had a discount code and bought tickets for this Monday night. Our seats were toward the back, but the theater is small so it was okay. The show is hysterical and definitely not kid-appropriate!
Billy Elliot- Amazing! This was the only show we bought tickets in advance. We missed the first half hour because we (mistakenly) assumed it was an 8pm curtain. I had seen the movie many years ago and the show is a good adaptation. The dancing is incredible! There are 3 actors who play Billy because it's a pretty demanding role. I very highly recommend this show.
Sightseeing
Tenement Museum- Really interesting, a glimpse into the lives of immigrants living in tenements. It can only be seen by taking a guided tour and the one we took was called Getting By. Our tour guide was great, we really enjoyed it!
Columbia University- Candace took us on an informal tour of the campus, very pretty!
Church of Notre Dame- Pretty church near Columbia with a grotto.
The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine- Gorgeous church, it has been under construction for over 100 years.
Peace Fountain- Next to St. John the Divine, great area with children's sculptures.
Riverside Park and Morningside Park
Shopping in Soho- I hit up H&M for inexpensive clothes and we browsed in Dean and Deluca as well as some of the smaller boutiques.
Metropolitan Museum of Art- I have been to the Met twice before and this time I insisted on dedicating an entire day to the museum. We took a guided tour of Great Paintings: East and West and had a great tour guide.
United Nations Headquarters- Really great tour! The website said the tours were sold out through March, but we went anyway and there were tour tickets available.
Whew!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Escape from Dallas
My mom and I both had a few days off at the same time and we decided that a trip was in order. We decided to spend one night at a fairly new resort in Lost Pines, TX (near Bastrop). So Sunday morning we hit the road!
Lost Pines Resort
The resort was really nice, it was very family oriented. We took a yoga class, visited the gardens, ate at two of the restaurants and spent lots of time by the pool. We were only able to spend one night, though, because there was a huge corporate group coming in the next day.
Unfortuately, here is when we hit a little hiccup. My mom's car hadn't been running quite right on the drive down and Monday morning it wouldn't start. We ended up having it towed into Bastrop and getting a rental car.
And on we went to the Barton Creek Resort and Spa. It was beautiful and we had a great room with a terrace- what a great view of the hills! Great fitness center and spa, too. One of the best massages I've ever had!
Our original plan was to head out Tuesday morning, but we decided to stay close to Bastrop for one more day to see about the car. So onward we went to the Prime Outlet Mall in San Marcos. I am not normally an outlet mall shopper, but this shopping center is worth a trip: Coach, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn just to name a few of the stores.
Then it was on to Gruene and of course, our first stop was the Grist Mill. What trip to Gruene would be complete without a beer next to Gruene Hall followed by the Grist Mill's famous round cut fries? Okay, so I behaved and got a grilled chicken salad, no fries. We spent the night at the Gruene Apple Bed and Breakfast. What a nice B&B, there was a delicious breakfast, library, player piano and even a game room with Pac Man. The rooms have themes, we stayed in the Vineyard room. Of course, my favorite part were the two cats that live there. One named Sam was especially friendly.
Well, it's back to reality now!
Lost Pines Resort
The resort was really nice, it was very family oriented. We took a yoga class, visited the gardens, ate at two of the restaurants and spent lots of time by the pool. We were only able to spend one night, though, because there was a huge corporate group coming in the next day.
Unfortuately, here is when we hit a little hiccup. My mom's car hadn't been running quite right on the drive down and Monday morning it wouldn't start. We ended up having it towed into Bastrop and getting a rental car.
And on we went to the Barton Creek Resort and Spa. It was beautiful and we had a great room with a terrace- what a great view of the hills! Great fitness center and spa, too. One of the best massages I've ever had!
Our original plan was to head out Tuesday morning, but we decided to stay close to Bastrop for one more day to see about the car. So onward we went to the Prime Outlet Mall in San Marcos. I am not normally an outlet mall shopper, but this shopping center is worth a trip: Coach, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn just to name a few of the stores.
Then it was on to Gruene and of course, our first stop was the Grist Mill. What trip to Gruene would be complete without a beer next to Gruene Hall followed by the Grist Mill's famous round cut fries? Okay, so I behaved and got a grilled chicken salad, no fries. We spent the night at the Gruene Apple Bed and Breakfast. What a nice B&B, there was a delicious breakfast, library, player piano and even a game room with Pac Man. The rooms have themes, we stayed in the Vineyard room. Of course, my favorite part were the two cats that live there. One named Sam was especially friendly.
Well, it's back to reality now!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Road Trip!
I had the week off of work (yay!) and decided to take a road trip down to Austin. Tori is living in Austin and going to graduate school at UT, so I wanted to see her new digs. My cousin Maggie, who works for the New York Times, was going to be down there visiting family. So I figured it would be the perfect time to visit! It was great to get to see my sister, cousins, grandmother, aunt and uncle! Michael had to stay home and work, though. :(
Some restaurants we visited:
Z Tejas - This restaurant was great! There were a lot of southwestern inspired seafood and chicken dishes. I ordered the Jerked Chicken Salad and loved it. It was very spicy, and I loooove spicy food! www.ztejas.com
South Congress Cafe - My cousin Maggie and I just wandered in here while shopping. I got a Southwest Chicken salad, which was a special that day and it was very very good! The atmosphere was very nice and we sat by the window, which made for good people-watching. www.southcongresscafe.com
Shady Grove - This is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin, it has that great laid-back "Austin" atmosphere. I got the Green Chile Black Bean Burrito with grilled chicken. Another yummy and spicy meal! www.theshadygrove.com
Central Market Cafe - This is always a great spot for a quick (or long) lunch on the patio. I wish there was one in Dallas! I tried the Turkey and Fontina Panini and it was delicious. www.centralmarket.com
Amy's Ice Cream - No trip to Austin is complete without a visit to Amy's! We stopped at the walk-up booth on South Congress. I got Mexican vanilla with rainbow sprinkles and I'm already craving more. www.amysicecream.com
Places we shopped:
South Congress - This is an area that has been somewhat revitalized for shopping and eating. There are all kinds of funky antiques and thrift shops. There is some good info on this site: http://www.allensboots.com/site/page/pg6074-pn_South_Congress.html
Barton Creek Square Mall - http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=223
Some restaurants we visited:
Z Tejas - This restaurant was great! There were a lot of southwestern inspired seafood and chicken dishes. I ordered the Jerked Chicken Salad and loved it. It was very spicy, and I loooove spicy food! www.ztejas.com
South Congress Cafe - My cousin Maggie and I just wandered in here while shopping. I got a Southwest Chicken salad, which was a special that day and it was very very good! The atmosphere was very nice and we sat by the window, which made for good people-watching. www.southcongresscafe.com
Shady Grove - This is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin, it has that great laid-back "Austin" atmosphere. I got the Green Chile Black Bean Burrito with grilled chicken. Another yummy and spicy meal! www.theshadygrove.com
Central Market Cafe - This is always a great spot for a quick (or long) lunch on the patio. I wish there was one in Dallas! I tried the Turkey and Fontina Panini and it was delicious. www.centralmarket.com
Amy's Ice Cream - No trip to Austin is complete without a visit to Amy's! We stopped at the walk-up booth on South Congress. I got Mexican vanilla with rainbow sprinkles and I'm already craving more. www.amysicecream.com
Places we shopped:
South Congress - This is an area that has been somewhat revitalized for shopping and eating. There are all kinds of funky antiques and thrift shops. There is some good info on this site: http://www.allensboots.com/site/page/pg6074-pn_South_Congress.html
Barton Creek Square Mall - http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=223
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