A Visit to 1972 via 1929

When you have an opportunity to go here

with this person.

The Birthday Boy

He will take you inside the building

and you will Ooh and Aah

at the theater built in 1929

when movie houses were movie houses

and you could make grand entrances from fancy staircases

and have the perfect setting for any occasion 

and hear an organist play you into the movie.

And if you were really, really lucky, you could see this film celebrating it's 40th Anniversary.

Brigham and I laughed so hard at the intentional and unintentional funny bits in this film.  It's an unabashed cheese fest.  Any film where all three women have to wear hot pants or no pants while climbing through a boat is a guaranteed winner.

Pizza and a Horror Film

This girl is one of my favorite people for obvious reasons.

We met up on Wednesday night to eat at Ribalta, a new pizza restaurant that opened up near Union Square.

It wasn't until I took my first bite of the salad that I realized this place is blog worthy.  We ordered the Finocchietta Salad with lovely ingredients like fresh fennel and sliced orange.

But it was the pizza that took our breath away.  We ordered the Pizza In Pala Margherita style.  The menu explains that "Pala is a baking method in which the dough is baked twice creating a uniquely crisp outside, soft inside.  For two people."  Thank goodness there were two of us or they may have used shame.

There are so many pizza places in this city but this is a special place.

And then we saw a film.  I only convinced Trish to see it because someone special is in it.

It is funny.   Trust me.

Ground Control to Major Tom

Space Shuttle Enterprise entered NYC today in style.  My iPhone does not have zoom (shame on Apple for taking it off the 4G phone) but you get the idea.  It was a beautiful and clear day in NYC.

I also watched the US Airways plane float down the Hudson in January 2009 from this same location.  This was a much happier event even though it means the end to the Space Program as we know it.

A Study in Elegance

Daniel is a gorgeous restaurant.  And very well worth the effort of eating there.  We had heard comments about Daniel from friends that it was "precious" or not as good as other restaurants.  Trish, Mer and I fell hard for it last night.

We like to have our Fancy Supper Club dinners on Saturday nights so that we can enjoy the experience without thinking about work the next day.  Mer has been amazing securing our reservations and she found one for us at 5:45 on Saturday.  It was early but it was nice to come out feeling full but not being close to the end of the day.

I was also super happy that I made it back in time from Germany to attend the dinner.  I purposely booked a flight that landed in NYC at 1 pm.  I didn't count on being in customs for close to 2 hours which is just downright painful.  I've never had a problem like that before.  But I made it out alive and to dinner only 15 minutes late.

Daniel is an elegant restaurant.  I've eaten at two other Daniel Boulud restaurants in NYC - DBGB and DB Bistro Moderne - both fine restaurants but there is a reason that this place is known by the name of Daniel alone.

The service was incredibly attentive and the recommendations given to me were spot on.  The long flight and time difference made this meal number 4 for the day and I wanted something light.  Regardless of my lack of hunger, everything was so good that I finished almost all of it.

Our amuse bouche was a study in beets.  I don't like beets but I liked these beets.  It takes an expensive restaurant to prepare them in a way that I like them.  Lesson learned.

For her starter, Mer ordered the Spring Wild Herb Ravioli with Gorgonzola with wild mushrooms and Mangalitsa prosciutto.

Trish had the Maine Peekytoe Crab Salad with hibiscus gelee, compressed cucumber, mint oil, and anise hyssop salad.  It was incredibly fresh and light.

Everyone at the table voted mine as the best appetizer.  It was the Duck Terrine with Marcona Almond, champagne mango, pickled red onion, and curly mustard salad.  Mer said it tasted like fine French butter and Mer likes eating butter.  It was creamy and perfect.

The girls looking lovely.

We were all happy with our main courses.  I loved mine and knew I wanted it immediately because it had fava beans and ramps.  The pickled ramps made the dish tangy.  I had the Pan-Seared Black Cod with gourgane panisse, fava bean fricassee, pickled ramps, smoked sable and savory jus.  The cod melted in my mouth.

Trish ordered one of the specials which included crusted Tuna.  I wish I had the description of everything that came with it but I do know that it was loved by Trish.

Mer ordered the Sweet Maine Shrimp-Crusted Halibut with garbanzo beans, Thai basil, saffron potato and chorizo emulsion.  It was very earthy.  The server explained that it took a very long time for one of the kitchen staff to shell all of the garbanzo beans on the plate and that we should be able to taste the soul that went into shelling those beans.  Her description made me think of "Like Water For Chocolate" and being able to taste the emotion that went into the cooking of the food.

We were all impressed with the service as each dish was laid in front of us at the same time.  The choreography and the care of accomplishing these tasks was noted.  It's a restaurant where it is obvious that the staff takes pride in the food and the service.

Our desserts never stopped coming.  First off the dessert menu is two pages - one page for chocolate based desserts and the other for fruit based.  It was difficult to decide on which to try.  I commented on how the sorbets and ice creams looked delicious and our server brought out a selection for us to try. 

Mer ate the Warm Guanaja Chocolate Coulant with liquid caramel, fleur de sel, and milk sorbet.  This is one that I would typically order but we agreed to share.  It was delicious though I think we all wanted more caramel in the cake.  

The selection of sorbets - Passion Fruit, Szechuan Pepper and Kenyan Coffee.  I loved the Passion Fruit and Szechuan Pepper.  The latter was much more refreshing than expected.

I love rhubarb and I'm excited it's in season again.  I ate the Confit Rhubarb with vanilla cremeux, sable breton and rhubarb-sauternes ice cream.  The ice cream was my favorite.  It had enough tart to it that made the entire dish.

Trish's dessert was described as an adult Mounds Bar - Chocolate-Coconut Biscuit with caramelia cream, caramel emulsion and coconut sorbet.  The sorbet was something special.

And then we were delivered a basket of warm petite madeleines and a tray of petit fours.   The madeleines were something special.

And then we were given a choice of chocolate truffles.  It was all pretty incredible.

Everything about this meal exceeded expectations.  It was worth coming back early from Germany to eat here.

All Hail David Bowie

I think more time should be spent appreciating David Bowie.

Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton

Right by the Conservatory Garden is the Museum of the City of New York which is also on my list of "must see" in NYC.  I'm so glad I went before the exhibit on Cecil Beaton closed.  He photographed all the beautiful people between the years of 1920 - 1970.  And said all the wittiest things.  The exhibit itself is wonderful - small but beautifully done.  It covers his accomplishments and maintains interest.

Cecil was British but he spent his time between New York and London.  He knew all the coolest people like Truman Capote, Diana Vreeland and Wallis Simpson.

Cecil designed costumes for various operas and ballets and even the clothes for the film My Fair Lady.

He was a photographer for Vogue and this photo is gorgeous.

He took pictures of all the coolest people like Marlon Brando, Greta Garbo and Audrey Hepburn.  

May be my favorite quote of the exhibit.

Sir Beaton himself.