Mission: A Bite of the Big Apple, Part III

Just because the weekend ends on a Sunday, it doesn't mean the fun has to stop.  I played hooky from work on Monday and ventured around the city with John.  We drove in and parked at a Central Parking (26th btw 5th and 6th).  Just so you know, you can usually find really good discounts if you visit their website and print out a coupon.  We ended up paying just $20 for almost 10 hours, which is pretty good for the city.  


Our first stop was Chelsea Piers Golf Club at Pier 59, 23rd St. and the Hudson River.  The driving range overlooks the Hudson and the view was only enhanced by the radiant sun, clear skies and sweet breeze.  The Golf Club has a state-of-the-art automatic ball tee-up system which eliminates the buckets of balls and bending over to replace every single ball on your tee.  We had a good time whacking over 80 balls and we still had around 70 left on our golf card by the time we'd had enough.  

A panoramic view of the driving range

Next up was lunch at Chelsea Market on 9th Ave. between 15th and 16th Streets.  Chelsea Market used to be the Nabisco factory and is currently a huge, urban concourse chock-full of cafes, bakeries, groceries, delis and a couple of restaurants.  After walking through the entire Market, we decided on Friedman's Lunch.  Their menu offered the traditional fare of sandwiches, salads, soups and burgers but with a slight twist.  John ordered the Chicken Parm special, which was grilled chicken and homemade marinara sauce served on a bed of fresh arugula.  I, myself, chose the Southwestern Turkey burger, which was moist yet not greasy, seasoned well and with chopped peppers in the meat.  We were lucky enough to arrive just before the lunch rush swept in because boy, did it get crowded.

The restaurant

 

The dishes

In order to ward off a potential food coma, we walked a bit of the High Line, the entrance of which was on 16th and 10th.  The High Line is a greenway built along a section of a former elevated freight railroad.  They're still working on it but the parts that are already built are beautiful.  It's hard to see the Chelsea/West Side as a pretty area, what with its slight industrial feel but the High Line adds a touch of nature and architectural beauty to the place.   It's a great spot to unwind, relax, eat and walk around.

An oasis in the concrete jungle

After settling our stomachs, we made our way down to Bleecker and Carmine, which is where Grom is located.  Not since vacationing in Rome a few years ago have I found anything that even comes close to the rich, heavenly delight that is authentic Italian gelato.  I have been constantly on the lookout and have even tried a variety of places in Little Italy in NYC and also a place in Little Italy in Boston, but to no avail.  Thank goodness for Grom.  I must admit, it has been awhile since I've last tasted gelato but as soon as the spoon hit my lips, it triggered all sorts of yummy memories of that summer in Rome.  This was as close as I was gonna get, and damn, was it close.  We ordered the Cioccolato Fondente, which is just a chocolate flavor, and the Nocciola, which is their hazelnut flavor.  At $10.50 for the two, it's pretty steep, but it is soooo worth it.  We savored our gelato in the midst of the hustle and bustle of West Village then went on our merry way to our next stop.

Heaven in a cup

For all the touristy things I've done in the city, I guess it's a little surprising that I have never been to the top of the Empire State Building, on 5th ave, by 34th St.  John hadn't either, so we decided to put that on our To-Do list.  I didn't think there was anything worse than those guys in Times Square yelling in your face about hitting up their comedy clubs but I was sadly mistaken.  The guys selling the tickets in front of the ESB are ruthless.  They bark at you and hound you and it is so hard to get past them.  I guess they have to do their jobs but it honestly shocked and bothered me.  We evaded them somehow using a mix of the silent treatment, death stares and choice words, and hustled on in.  We were lucky; there was no line at all.  Usually, the line goes around the corner and you could end up waiting for hours.  I never understood why people would subject themselves to that torture.  I don't even like waiting for rides at amusement parks.  In any case, we didn't have to wait and that made the view up top even better for me.  John was great at pointing out all the iconic structures and landmarks, such as the Chrysler Building, Central Park and even Citi Field all the way out in Queens.  Word of advice: don't pay 50 cents to look through the binocular things; you literally only have a minute and a half.  Save your change for the subway.  Another word of warning: be aware that it gets really windy up there and if you have a skirt, prep yourself for a possible Marilyn Monroe moment.  I was wearing a dress but it was long enough that I didn't have to worry too much about any upskirt mishaps.  After a lap around the top, we traveled 86 stories back down to ground level.

A Panoramic from the top of the ESB

John had a hankering for some sugary treats so we stopped by Crumbs Bake Shop on 42nd btw 5th and 6th Ave. and chose their Good Guy cupcake, a "Vanilla cake with rainbow sprinkles baked in,  filled with vanilla cream cheese frosting and topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting covered with rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate drizzle."  How devilishly delicious! We enjoyed it in Bryant Park, which is right across the street and where the infamous NYC Fashion Week fashion shows are held.  Even at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, there were many business people out and about enjoying the good weather.  Fueled by our (G-rated) afternoon delight, we were good to go.

A sweet treat

Our friend who works for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was kind enough to hook us up with two tickets to the taping of that night's show, so our next destination was 30 Rock.  I've been to Rockefeller Center (49th St. and 5th) dozens upon dozens of times in the wintertime and I must say, I hate it.  It is so congested and there are so many tourists.  Actually, the last time I went was to see the tree and I couldn't even get close.  We had to stand across the street next to Saks to even get a decent view, and even then it was not a good idea because of the hordes of people admiring the holiday window displays.  So, I was pleasantly surprised when Rockefeller Center was the least crowded I've ever seen it.  After roaming the NBC store a little bit, we checked in and after that, we played a very long version of the waiting game and after about an hour we finally made it into the studio.  

Peace and quiet at Rockefeller

My future baby's onesie at the NBC store

It was a new and exciting experience.  I had never attended a taping before and it was awesome to see the behind-the-scenes action.  Molly Shannon, Chris Colfer, and Ian Poulter were the night's guests and the musical talent was Kings of Convenience.  It wasn't a shining line-up but it was entertaining nonetheless.  Cameras were strictly prohibited so I don't have any photos but I managed to capture the following gem thanks to Hulu.  

I'm famous!

When we finally got out a little after 7, I was ravenous.  I had been ranting and raving to John about these soup dumplings from Joe's Shanghai for quite some time now and after finding out that there was a location  on 56th St. between 5th and 6th, I knew that's where we had to grab dinner.   Joe's Shanghai is famous for their soup dumplings, which is a regular pork dumpling but filled with a broth.  You have to bite a little off the side then slurp the soup out.  It takes some getting used to but I think I've just about perfected the technique.  Unlike its casual and busy location on Pell St. (which I think I prefer), the Midtown location was a lot classier and more sophisticated.  The food was still the same, however, delicious and satisfying to the palette.

Steamed soup dumplings

That didn't mean we were done.  We had one more stop to go, and that was to 53rd and 6th for some Platters.  Platters, Chicken and Rice, Halal, whatever you want to call it, is a lesser known attraction, more for the locals than tourists.  It may seem like just another truck on the corner serving street meat but they take it to a whole new level and because of this, the line usually extends down the block.  The wait is so worth their savory chicken on yellow rice served with pita bread, a delicious white sauce and super spicy hot sauce.  We were quite full from dinner but 45 minutes later, back at home, we tore into that chicken and rice as if we hadn't yet eaten.  We ate it so fast, I didn't even think to take a picture.


So that concludes the 36 hours or so I spent playing, eating and drinking in the city.  It's only one of the many city outings this summer, so stay tuned! 




MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED