November 30, 2010 · 4:53 pm

West Village, “Eataly” and H&H

Just back from NYC with very clogged ear and stuffy nose after a cold developed just as I was getting on the plane home. Thought my ears were going to explode as we made the long descent onto a landing strip at the Milwaukee airport and bumpy connecting flight on a small plane to Des Moines didn’t help.

But hey, I’d do it all again because our NYC trip was so much fun. Yesterday L and I met my cousin J in the always charming West Village for lunch at Westville on 10th street (between 4th and Bleeker – I can never remember where it is and apparently there’s now a second one in Chelsea somewhere). Good food – fairly reasonable. Had fresh tomato basil soup and shared a plate of four vegetables (broccoli, snow peas, brussel sprouts and mushrooms all prepared so fresh, crisp with light seasoning.) Walked north to Eataly – the huge Italian market/restaurant recently opened on 23rd and 5th Avenue in the shadow of the Flatiron building. Pretty amazing place and if I wasn’t full from lunch and dragging a bit from my advancing cold, would have been tempted to eat a thing or two. Next time.

Met my brother briefly for coffee near Times Square where his office is – had a cappuccino at a too-loud Belgian place (frites looked good but waiter pissy when we just wanted coffee…hey it was 2:30 p.m.) called BXL Cafe (although awning says Duval) on 43rd. st.  Managed to squeeze in a quick stop at H&H bagels on the upper west side (broadway, 81st?) to get some of NYC’s finest to bring back to Iowa and this morning, was glad I did!

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November 29, 2010 · 2:48 pm

The Hamptons and NYC

Beautiful day yesterday in the Hamptons – the wind died down and left a light breeze. Not as cold as the day before either so a perfect morning to walk on the beach with my cousins in front of their waterfront house in Southampton. We gave ourselves 2 hours to drive back to the car rental at LaGuardia and all went smoothly with little traffic, amen. Enterprise Rental worked well.  Convenient location, very pleasant staff, good rates, free upgrade et. al.

Had dinner with my dear friend M at Nice Matin, good french bistro on 79th and Amsterdam. They had a good three course prix fix menu for $35. I had the grilled sardines, roast chicken and chocolate pot au creme.  All very good and the place was quiet, as were many restaurants on the sunday after thanksgiving so we were able to linger and catch up for hours.

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November 28, 2010 · 3:08 pm

Greetings from Watermill (NY)

It’s beautiful out here this time of year and a little less crowded. But there is still lots of traffic in the Hamptons and turning left on two-lane Highway 27 still requires lots of time and patience. As a good Midwesterner, I try to practice random acts of kindness by letting other cars that want to turn into the lane, with the hope that they will do the same for me.  Alas, that hasn’t panned out.

I did find out that the Carvel we used to go to to get my son’s b’day cake has closed. (the one in Southampton) but not to worry, we went to the one in Bridgehampton. Also found that the bookstore (Book Hampton) in Southampton has shrunk, sadly, but the one in Sag Harbor is hanging in there. Hard to leave this mansion we’re staying at – it is the most spectacular house I’ve ever stayed in. Or seen.

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November 27, 2010 · 3:26 pm

MOMA on Black Friday

The cavernous lobby of the Museum of Modern Art was almost as full of people as the streets lining Fifth Avenue in midtown NYC yesterday, the day after Thanksgiving, and my husband seemed to disappear into the coat check room, amidst a long line but once we finally got squared away and into the galleries the crowd thinned a little and we were able to enjoy the Kitchen Design Exhibit and the Women Photographers/New Photographers show.  My brother came through again soon after I texted “Need good, quick, reasonably priced restaurant near MOMA for lunch?” He suggested La Bonne Soupe a block north on 55th street between 5th and 6th and we weren’t the only people who knew about this little place. It was packed at 2:45 p.m. Guess everyone got a late start yesterday. Good food – not just soup but salads, omelettes, sandwiches. I shared a very good Salad Nicoise. The guys had great Croque Monseurs and Madames (a Monseur with a fried egg atop.) Good fries and bread. Chocolate mousse looked amazing but withstood the temptation.

We rented a car at Enterprise – so far so good – and drove in light traffic (amen) to Watermill on the eastern tip of Long Island in about 1.5 hours. Must remember next time to take the Long Island Expressway from the Northern – we missed that and had a brief detour. Staying at a huge mansion – no joke, a friend of my relatives who have their own mansion – in East Hampton. Only one problem – the heat in our room is faltering. It was 65 when we arrived. In the middle of the night I felt really cold – the thermostat read 45. We realized after turning on the light that the wind had blown the door to the outdoor balcony overlooking the bay open. Lots of cold air. Oh well. Keeps us humble.

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November 26, 2010 · 1:49 am

Thanksgiving in NYC – avoiding the parade

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has become more of a headache than fun – too many people, too hard to make it to my cousin’s annual parade viewing party at her apartment on the parade route. But today, things went better than expected getting from the East Side to the West Side in the morning. My friend C. and I waited until 10 a.m. and walked across the park to find the parade winding up just passing past 72nd street so there was no crossing Central Park West there. A policeman told us we’d have to walk all the way up to 84th to cross, meanwhile our party was on 74th. We ended walking to 77th where the parade had just passed through and we not only got across the street but managed to walk quickly to 74th. Lots of people but everyone was orderly and there were  no big tie-ups or unseemliness. For future reference: the parade starts on the Upper West Side at 9 a.m. and lasts until about 10:30. We crossed soon after.

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November 25, 2010 · 4:55 am

NYC – new museum, pre-parade craziness and Keith Richards

Went to the New Museum today to see the Last Newspaper exhibit. Strange but worth a visit. Also went to Cafe Habana for lunch – good chicken mole, even if not cuban. major celeb siting tonight at Scaletta Restaurant at 77th and columbus Ave. Keith Richards was sitting with a huge family group, lots of kids. bizarre.

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November 22, 2010 · 10:57 pm

No “body cavity searches” – Amen to that

As I prepare to fly the not-so-friendly skies for the first time since April, I am trying not to get all hot and bothered about  the new airport x-ray scanners. Which is somewhat easy to do at least in Des Moines because we don’t have them yet.  If I encounter them, I intend to submit quietly – 1) Because I don’t want the alternative, the “grope pat down” 2) I just want to be on my way safely and quickly.

Am I convinced this is what’s needed to ensure our safety from terrorists? No.

Am I convinced this technology is completely safe? No.  According to a recent item in the NYTimes Travel section, the F.D.A.’s website says the screening system poses “minuscule” health risks (what else would it say?) but some academics at U of California San Francisco aren’t so sure.

One piece of good news: the head of the Transportation Security Administration told reporters today that body cavity searches are “not where we are.” Phew.

 

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November 19, 2010 · 3:06 pm

Wieners and steak in South Dakota

Friends who recently visited the Sioux Falls, S.D. area for a cross-country meet (run Conor run!) report eating at two good places there:
In Sioux Falls, they visited Senor Wiener (http://www.senorwiener.com/), a local hot dog joint (in a strip mall. One of the “highlights” is the merchandise, including T-shirts with the kind of suggestive slogans that teenage males would love (“Grab life by the wiener.”). The web site, with “Senor Wiener” digitally inserted into various historic scenes, a la Forrest Gump, is fun. The hot dogs aren’t bad, either.

In Tea, S.D. (Tea, S.D.?) they  went to the Tea Steakhouse (http://teasteakhouse.webs.com/),  touted by the “Road Food” couple Jane and Michael Stern. It also gets raves as “best steakhouse” from various websites and ratings folks. Conor’s review: “Cheap, tasty and you got your food right away.” I couldn’t find an address on their website but I did confirm that Tea, S.D. exists – it’s southwest of Sioux Falls – and my guess is its small enough you can’t miss the steakhouse!

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November 17, 2010 · 10:54 pm

NYC museums – open on Monday?

I often have a free day in NYC on a Monday and want to go to a museum but not all are open that day. Just checked for this month’s trip and there’s good news and bad. Museum of Modern Art – open on Monday! New Museum in the Bowery – not so new. not open on Monday.

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November 16, 2010 · 3:24 pm

Old Crow Farm Antiques in Earlham, Iowa!

I have been wracking my brains (what a strange expression) trying to remember the name of this place – that sells antiques/ “rescued junk” (from country primitives to urban industrial) three times a year displayed in an old barn and the surrounding grounds of a  Madison County acreage about 20 minutes west of Des Moines. And finally – I stumbled upon a mention of it in the December Issue of Midwest Living. Old Crow Farm Antiques next sale is on saturday Dec. 4 (“jolly junk vintage market”) and I’d really like to get there. For more info see oldcrowfarmantiques.com and check out the blog.

This sale will also – if I understand the blog correctly – mark the opening of the Old Crow folks’ new shop called Rescued Junk by Old Crow Farm, housed  in an old building they’re fixing up in the town of Earlham. It will be the location of   monthly “occasional sales” rather than only three sales a year. You can also shop online at oldcrowfarm.etsy.com. The farm is at 2125 130th street. take exit 110 of I-80 south towards Winterset to 130th street then west 1/4 mile.

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