Day Three: Summary
Breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien
Photo Op at Grand Central Station
Lunch at Mobay in Harlem
Photo Op at Guggenheim
Picasso exhibition at The Met
Pre-theater cocktail at The Glass Tavern
RACE, a Mamet play at the Barrymore Theater
Dinner at Room Service in Hell’s Kitchen
Day Three: Long Version
View of the archway and ceiling above the entrance of Grand Central Station
We started day three with breakfast at a french farmhouse style bakery called Le Pain Quotidien. It’s actually a chain but you wouldn’t know it by the surrounds. The food was very fresh and very french. With full bellies we were off! First stop, Grand Central Station for a photo op. It’s a beautiful space and there are a lot of great shops including Pylones a very bright and colorful gift store.
From the station we hopped in a cab and headed for Harlem to see John’s apartment. He has a cute space that he’s in the process of redecorating. I loved the beautiful exposed brick and there’s a nice little bar area attached to the kitchenette. From there, John gave us a tour of Harlem which included a stop at The Apollo Theater. We ate lunch at Mobay which had the best Jerk Chicken sandwich and I indulged in a mid-day Mojito. After all, I was on vacation! We left John to enjoy his Saturday afternoon while E and I headed to a couple of museums.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956
Since we didn’t have a lot of time we stopped at the Guggenheim for a photo-op. The structure itself was more impressive than the current collection so we moved onto The Met which was within walking distance. Due to the massive crowds we quickly browsed through the Picasso exhibit before hitting the roof top deck for the very fun Big Bambu exhibit. Other than being an exhibit, it also provided some much needed shade on a sweltering hot afternoon.
E among the Big Bambu
By late Saturday afternoon our brains were fried. That always seems to be the case when visiting a big city. There’s so much to see and do but our minds can only process so much before it shuts down. So, before we started babbling and drooling out of shear exhaustion we headed back to the hotel.
Our evening began with a pre-theater cocktail at the Glass House Tavern then we popped across the street to the Barrymore Theater to see RACE, a David Mamet play. If you’re not familiar with the name he also wrote Wag the Dog, The Verdict & Glengarry, Glen Ross. As the title simply states its about race relations among the characters and within our judicial system. It has received mixed reviews and even among the three of us, it was clear that we each reacted to it very differently. Although it may seem like a dated subject matter I think its important to recognize that it at least got everyone talking. The brand new cast seemed a little wet behind the ears but seeing Eddie Izzard perform in a very serious role was an interesting departure from his cross-dressing stand-up gig.
After the intense play and discussion we enjoyed a late dinner at a really fun Thai restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen called Room Service. Unfortunately, the lights were so dim that is was impossible to take any good pics of the interior. Just imagine a very hip and cool space with vintage mirrors and frames all painted black and smokey blue walls. To top it off there was a massive encased crystal chandelier in the middle of the room. The drinks however cost more than the entrees. Buyer beware!
That’s all from day three. Our final day, day four was really only a 1/2 day so it will be a short final trip entree. I’m sure that will be of some relief! Then it will be back to crafty stuff, I swear!
