I've been to New York many times over the last 30 years and each trip is always so unique as the explorations and discoveries are truly endless. I remember reading guidebooks to this city when I was a kid and studied maps of the city for hours imagining the spaces and places....of course this was all years and years before the computer and Google Maps and Earth....I can't imagine what I would have done with that as a kid! I have always been fascinated with this City!
My first trip here came about with me and my parents spending a week in Virginia for my brother's wedding and then had a free weekend following and I convinced my parents to hop in the car and let's drive to New York and check it out. We did it - drove up the Atlantic Coast from Newport News, Virginia and in one day ended up eating pizza on top of the World trade Tower that evening! It was a Sunday night, so the City was not crazy b busy. After our pizza on the tower, we drove across the Brooklyn Bridge, flipped a U, and made our way back across, up Fifth Avenue to Central Park and then across Midtown to the Lincoln tunnel and then all the way to Philadelphia where we found a hotel and ended our day! Ok, that was one day! Well, anyone who has traveled with me, including the Italy trips, know I ALWAYS pack as much as I can into a day! Obviously this behavior has been going on for some time now!
Well I still love coming here. I come with Isabel every August to keep her company while she shops for her store, Earth and images. From the Market to little artisans and boutiques she discovers, we do a ton of walking and exploring, of course with some fabulous restaurant stops and discoveries along the way. We LOVE all the wonderful restaurant tips we receive from you. As you know the food and restaurant scene here is endless!!!!! You could never ever hit them all but keep them coming as we love everything and never met a food we didn't like.
After landing at JFK, Isabel's driver, Ludwig, is always there waiting for us! He has been our limo driver for years. It's funny, but just the familiarity of having the same driver every year makes the trip and the arrival so special. Why start the trip in a stinky cab or super shuttle..... It's NY do it in style. We catch up on all the goings on with Ludwig as we make our way across the East River and into Manhattan and our hotel the Warwick in Midtown. We check in and head right out for a stroll through the city and our first dining spot!
Of course one of Isabel and my favorites is a spot Isabel has been coming to for years and that 's the Trattoria Dell'Arte on 57th Street and 7th Avenue just a few blocks south of Central Park and right across from Carnegie Hall. Fabulous food and service and very New York/Italian in atmosphere and culture. Chef Anthony Acinapura has a wonderful and flavorful menu. The lobster risotto is fantastic but this trip we started with a roasted vegetable antipasti, followed by capresse salad made with fresh heirloom tomatoes the chef had just purchased at the Farmer's Market that afternoon on 6th Avenue. Fabulous. Then I had the free soft-shell crabs and Isabel had the Branzino. All fresh and fabulous. It was then nice to sit and chat with chef Acinapura about the restaurant and of course our travels to Italy and some great tips and connections he gave me for our stay in Positano next month. Wrap up the day and our travels from Phoenix to NYC with a nice stroll home, a cigar, and a little porto nightcap at the hotel bar, and our day was done.
