I’m on vacation this week, but instead of going away the wife and I decided to spend our down time with the baby in the big city. It’s proven to be a really fun time. Here’s what we’ve done so far:
Sunday: Brunch and shopping in Williamsburg. Started at Hurricane Hopeful, the surf bar/clam shack with imported sand flooring. The clam chowder in a bread bowl is awesome! Side note: We have become addicted to Bobby Flay’s Throwdown, and only through that show did we hear about the chowder. Second side note: I found this blog posting describing the bitchy reaction of the owner of the Donut Plant to Throwdown.
Monday: Finally tried pizza from Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn. Good. Very good. But not close to Lombardi’s in SoHo. Lombardi’s wins on crust (crunchier), toppings (more generous), cheese (fresher Mozz), while Grimaldi’s gets a slight edge on sauce. Side note: Lombardi’s doesn’t appear to have it’s own website! Get with the program!
At night I went out with my friend Michael for fancy drinks at the Gansevoort rooftop, followed by dinner at the West Village’s new Italian hotspot Morandi which, though delicious, seemed like little more than an expensive version of the East Village’s Frank. But Morandi is brought to us by the developers of Balthazar and Odeon, so it is special in a …atmospheric kind of way. Also, great Italian wines by the glass.
Tuesday: We took a marathon walk across Manhattan, starting at the Central Park Zoo with baby. He’s a little too young for the zoo but he really dug the penguins. We also ran into FAO Schwartz where they sell a giant stuffed Octopus that I personally want to get for the house. Walked past the Apple store but declined at this time to buy an iPhone.
We finished the day with frozen margaritas and burgers at the boat basin cafe. Baby was wondering why the parents were acting so silly — it’s Tequila, you’ll learn about it soon.
Wednesday: Today is July 4th. Our plans remain uncommitted, though the Nathan’s hotdog eating contest beckons. For fireworks, we have a view of downtown from our new place so we may some folks over.
Thursday: The tentative plan is Richard Serra at the Moma.
Friday: Probably heading upstate for some fresh air.
Isn’t New York grand this time of year!