Day #2

We started our day off with a jog down the Hudson River Parkway:
























By 10:15 it was already 85 degrees, so we had enough exercise at that point. Sweaty and tired, we went back to the apartment and got cleaned up for lunch.
We met Michael Paris, one of Scott's friends who lives here in the city. We had a phenomenal lunch with him at Union Square Cafe. Our food was one of the best meals we've had. I got fetticuine with wild mushroom ragu and Swiss chard that was unbelievably rich and decadent. Scott got ricotta gnocchi with tomato and basil... Omg. Imagine little chewy, perfect pillows of soft, tangy ricotta, lightly sauced with a vibrant red tomatoey basil goodness. If a food item could be life altering, this would be it. I will dream about this gnocchi for the rest of my life. Michael got a seared tuna steak over a bed of farro and olive tapenade... It was also just incredible. Definitely one of the best meals ever.
Unfortunately I did not take a single picture of our food, our friend or our outfits. I officially suck.
After our amazing lunch, we said goodybe to Michael and went to the Union Sq Farmers Market. We bought some artisional cheeses, breads, yogurt, peaches, and eggs to keep back at the apartment. Nothing makes you feel like you live somewhere like buying groceries :)
After changing into more casual attire, we went to the Biergarten at The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District. Great place to relax with a beer and enjoy the breeze and people watching.


















After the Biergarten, we went right next door to our favorite of all ny places.. Terrior. We love it there. And now, they have a new location at the Highline!
Had our favorite dish, beet gorgonzola ricotta balls. And olives. The staples of life.
Oh Mamasita.... Mmmm.

Next we went back to the Hudson River Parkway for Sunset on the Hudson, which is a free live jazz band playing at the park. It was so nice.

After the band, we went to the Orient Express to have a cocktail. After that, we went to dinner at a place called Jack's Wife Freida. It was very good, but no where near as good as our amazing lunch. Another successful day!

NYC! Home Sweet Home

We're baa-ack!
Home sweet home. Back to the city we love. Maybe someday we'll be able to call it home. But for now, we'll just visit as often as possible.
We rented another apartment from a stranger on airbnb.com. It's a spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment located in the Village. It's very nice- we even have a door man! That is a fun new experience. We feel like real New Yorkers.
Our first stop was for food and wine.. the necessities of life. We had read about Anfora, a wine bar that also serves lamb sliders. So we had to go there for a snack. The pictures speak for themselves:



Next we went to the Highline and watched the sunset:

Then we went to a speakeasy bar called Bathtub Gin:

It was super cool. You walk into what.looks like a coffee shop. And it actually is a coffee shop. But there is a lady standing at the back wall who asks.. "how many?" And.when we said "2", she pushed open the back wall to reveal a secret hidden bar. So sneaky and cool! All the drinks are made with Gin. I got a Lavendar Collins and Scott got an Intro to Aperol drink. Very tasty!



After Bathtub Gin, we walked around some and enjoyed watching the people everywhere. That's one of the great things about nyc, the people watching. It's pure entertainment just walking down the street. So much energy and constant activity.




We finally walked up an appetite, so we went to a Mediterranean place called MeMe. This is by far my favorite cuisine. Olives, fish, couscous, lamb, raw veggies in olive oil, hummus, babaganoush, falafel.... So fresh, light and healthy. Everything was delicious.











After that feast, we walked 3 blocks home and went to bed. A successful first night in NYC!!!