WEEKEND ESCAPES

Last weekend was spent in a nice brand new hotel in the heart of NYC with TLW (The Little Woman), enjoying ourselves: at our own pace.

Our first landing was dinner on Sunday night after checking into our hotel. Right across the street from us on West 36^th Street was the Keg Room, and beautifully designed Irish restaurant and bar, with an atmosphere that called out to me: “Steak and beer!” And steak and beer is what I called for, while TLW enjoyed a bit of her ancestral heritage with Sheppard’s Pie.

Info@TheKegRoomNYC.com

The beauty of the big city is it is so big you can just point your nose in any direction and find something of interest to do or see! The next morning was a new day to explore. Our thing was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the best museum in the best city in the world.

With the heat and humidity reaching very high and uncomfortable levels, I had the idea of staying out of the subways where the heat and humidity is more oppressive than on the street! What we did was take the bus or taxi. Nice! The buses arrive every three minutes or so and when you get on, you sit back, watch the multitudes and enjoy the air-conditioned ride, saving you steps to the subways and stairs in all the heat. These buses go up and down the main avenues with frequency from the east side to the west side, all day long.

If you like to see artifacts and imagine what life was along that vital artery called the Nile River, then the exhibition at the Met is for you. Beautiful works of art and utilitarian pieces dating back to ancient times, beautifully decorated, and the beginning of civilization to some degree.

Then after a small lunch, we headed down to the Theatre on 42^nd Street to sit in more air-conditioning and a great movie called ‘The Heat’ Directed by Paul Feig. With Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demián Bichir, Michael McDonald and Jane Curtain, an exciting yet hilarious cops and robbers involving the FBI and local police.

After the movie we visited what all the noise is about: Eataly, the newest thing in culinary adventure, located between 5^th and 6^th Avenues between 24^th and 25^th Streets. Inside is an indoor marketplace of fresh vegetables, handmade pastas of every shape and kind, cheeses and oils with vinegars, all from the old country. Included this array of markets are spotted through out the venue, little restaurants with their own specialties, fish and meat and pastas. http://www.eataly.com/

Then out to dinner, and the wonderful find called: Tre Stelle, downtown on West 24^th Street. An elegant and modern look to the new design that is Italy today, the place is well appointed and the food is both traditional and new, and as TLW said, “Ah, no brick and bad mural paintings from the old days.” The dinner was delicious, imaginative and the service was very dedicated to the customer, a great find! http://trestelleny.tumblr.com/

I had a wonderful weekend with a wonderful lady for her birthday!

Suggestion: If you are not traveling in pairs and no more than 10 blocks, the cab is a better bet! It actually comes out cheaper or the same without the hassle of the subways, especially on an over-heated day!