[Both books agree: "When little things work out, be appreciative. And bigger things will follow." (I might post reviews of the books, but I encourage you to read them!!) In accordance, the moral of this post is to "keep your eyes and your awareness open, and you'll discover things".]
A quick preceding example! An ex-coworker wanted to lunch with me in Astoria. She's moving back to Michigan and desired a small birdcage to transport her pet. She complained that she hadn't found one yet. We spotted a small pet shop tucked into a strip of stores. What the heck, we might as well check it out. Ta-da! They had the perfect-size cage for under $20 (and it was my favorite color)!
Our weekend was left up to Chance, which I think is healthy in the balance of your scheduled/unscheduled time.
As dusk settled into twilight, we enjoyed how handsomely the High Line is "landscape illuminated". It looks totally different at night, purposely with "upward lighting" against shrubs and trees, small "under-the-railing" lighting, and footpath lights. All give an intimate cozy feel. By 11pm, the High Line was still busy with passersby, tourists, lovers, book readers (like us) and Park Rangers.
Having the next day off leant a luxurious disregard for "time". So, we meandered along the park and exited down the stairs at West 20th Street; I had a hunch that we'd find a nice place for a late dinner in that area. We deliberately hadn't planned where to go, so that our exploration would reveal something to us.
Crossing two streets, we approached a corner that was nondescript--except for the cheerful strings of white clear-bulb party lights that crisscrossed above the famous Empire Diner's outdoor seating area!
[After 34 years of solid food/service, the Empire Diner had closed… then briefly reopened, failed and closed again. It had been the Art District's favorite spot, a dependable "neighborhoody" place for lifetime residents and Chelsea boys alike. A festive Christmastime eatery and a late-night place to go after Halloween parties. A place that stoutly occupied a corner of Manhattan property--despite the much taller buildings growing up around it].
Thankfully, the landmark eatery has recently reopened, thanks to chef Amanda Freitag (of Food Network fame--seen below beside the quirky/lovable Alton Brown).
Its a beautiful "classic train car" diner--resplendent in Art Deco chrome and shimmering paint.
Lewis--a lifetime Manhattanite--had never dined there. I'm happy whenever I can introduce my beau to a NYC experience that he hasn't already enjoyed. (He calls me his "Loving Concierge"). I had a "good feeling" about the place, so we asked the host for a table for two. While I was enthused about dining "al fresco", Lewis wanted to avoid street noise and lighting bugs and go inside. Which was a treat! The interior had been completely restored to its 1940s glamour: shiny chrome wall plating, small-tile flooring, and original-looking tables/chairs/booths.
If you think it looked like this…
... you're wrong. Chef Freitag infused it with new energy.
Small doors with oval frosted-glass windows led to the Lavatories. Everything was neat, tidy, and handsome.
My first delight was seeing perfectly clean salt shakers and pepper mills on all the tables! I never use the salt, but I admire clean "side work" when its done: it speaks volumes about the kitchen that customers can't see. And I only use freshly-cracked pepper, so that mini pepper mill on our table was classy, thoughtful and great. Lewis admired the male staff's outfits: a retro deep-V shirt (looked like a grey "Bowling Team" shirt), but they were fitted, and the short-sleeves were snug. The cocktails were fanciful recipes, made as a "generous pour" in vintage stems. We ordered Buffalo-wing-style Wing of Skate (2 orders, because they were soooo good), and each came with a generous portion of shaved carrots and celery. We also had the charred octopus salad. For dinner, we both shared the Sole Piccata--with perfectly tender zucchini and a nice lemon/caper sauce.
Their dessert menu featured a "Brooklyn Blackout" chocolate cake. (You might think that the name of the cake makes fun of the NYC's inability to keep electricity operating throughout the year by recalling power outages "blackouts". However, it refers to America's fear-mongering during World War Two, when the government forced Brooklyn's residents to turn off their lights so imagined Nazi attacks wouldn't hit them). The cake is named for the mandatory "lights out" regulations during WWII because residents feared that lights might attract attacks from Nazi submarines---which never happened and was another indication of American fear-mongering... that continues today with other things that the rest of the world ignores. Instead, we chose a classic ice cream sundae "banana split".
That night, we didn't retire to bed until 3am, and if felt great to have enjoyed the company of friends, the great outdoors (via city park) and great food in a lovingly refurbished/reinvigorated eatery by attentive waitstaff.
Sunday was celebrated by sleeping (uncharacteristically) until 10am. To avoid the crowds clustering around "the usual places", Lewis desired Thai food. We walked all the way across Steinway Street (named after the piano factory that still in Astoria, whose founder generously began a community around it). However, the restaurant that Lewis looked up online seemed unkept and had no air-conditioning. Nonetheless, our trip brought us past 2 fabric stores which Lewis enthusiastically investigated (on the hunt for new fabrics for his handmade bow ties).
It also introduced us to a 2-for-1 sale on suntan lotion, at the nearby pharmacy. It gave us a chance to view the revised menu at Beir and Cheese. Thus, making the best of our misguided attempt, we retraced our steps and ate at Leng. Many Astorians don't think of Thai food for brunch, so we got the whole dining room to ourselves! We enjoyed chicken satay in cashew sauce, dumplings, grilled calamari and grilled shrimp! (We didn't have it, but Leng offers a TRUE New York Cheesecake--not "NY-style". It's 6" high and luscious).
Leng is one block south of the best Fruit/Veggie market in Astoria, so we carefully selected the most tender and fragrant plums, peaches and nectarines. The aroma of peaches wafted all over the place! July is Berry Season, so cartons of sweetly tart blueberries were $1 each! The market takes advantage of their aging fruit in a very smart way. Instead of offering aging fruit on a Discount Shelf, they operate a Juice Stand and charge $4. Lewis bought a mango/banana/almond milk one.
We soaked up the sun and Mother Nature's serenity for a couple of hours. By the time we decided to put our shoes on and walk home, it coincided with an idea to visit the supermarket, which was along the way. Good timing! The Seafood Dept was trying to get rid of the remainder of its inventory. We got 8 cooked/de-veined jumbo shrimp for $5! We got a cooked/cracked half lobster for $8!
I always scan the shelves around the organic juices, and I saw new bottles of cold-pressed coffee--made with Chicory! (I had been on a mission to find chicory-flavored coffee for months--even trekking downtown to a place that advertised Cafe Du Monde's chicory coffee… only to find out that they don't sell it anymore). I was delighted to buy a bottle of this woody-nutty-peppery coffee! On Friday, the store had gotten fresh papayas, so I grabbed a wrapped one.
We dined while watching the new season of "Witches of East End".
That night, we didn't retire to bed until 3am, and if felt great to have enjoyed the company of friends, the great outdoors (via city park) and great food in a lovingly refurbished/reinvigorated eatery by attentive waitstaff.
Sunday was celebrated by sleeping (uncharacteristically) until 10am. To avoid the crowds clustering around "the usual places", Lewis desired Thai food. We walked all the way across Steinway Street (named after the piano factory that still in Astoria, whose founder generously began a community around it). However, the restaurant that Lewis looked up online seemed unkept and had no air-conditioning. Nonetheless, our trip brought us past 2 fabric stores which Lewis enthusiastically investigated (on the hunt for new fabrics for his handmade bow ties).
It also introduced us to a 2-for-1 sale on suntan lotion, at the nearby pharmacy. It gave us a chance to view the revised menu at Beir and Cheese. Thus, making the best of our misguided attempt, we retraced our steps and ate at Leng. Many Astorians don't think of Thai food for brunch, so we got the whole dining room to ourselves! We enjoyed chicken satay in cashew sauce, dumplings, grilled calamari and grilled shrimp! (We didn't have it, but Leng offers a TRUE New York Cheesecake--not "NY-style". It's 6" high and luscious).
Leng is one block south of the best Fruit/Veggie market in Astoria, so we carefully selected the most tender and fragrant plums, peaches and nectarines. The aroma of peaches wafted all over the place! July is Berry Season, so cartons of sweetly tart blueberries were $1 each! The market takes advantage of their aging fruit in a very smart way. Instead of offering aging fruit on a Discount Shelf, they operate a Juice Stand and charge $4. Lewis bought a mango/banana/almond milk one.
We soaked up the sun and Mother Nature's serenity for a couple of hours. By the time we decided to put our shoes on and walk home, it coincided with an idea to visit the supermarket, which was along the way. Good timing! The Seafood Dept was trying to get rid of the remainder of its inventory. We got 8 cooked/de-veined jumbo shrimp for $5! We got a cooked/cracked half lobster for $8!
I always scan the shelves around the organic juices, and I saw new bottles of cold-pressed coffee--made with Chicory! (I had been on a mission to find chicory-flavored coffee for months--even trekking downtown to a place that advertised Cafe Du Monde's chicory coffee… only to find out that they don't sell it anymore). I was delighted to buy a bottle of this woody-nutty-peppery coffee! On Friday, the store had gotten fresh papayas, so I grabbed a wrapped one.
We dined while watching the new season of "Witches of East End".
However, Lewis and I prefer the home-movie series of "Good Witch": a surprisingly clever production by the overly-Christmasy Hallmark Channel.
It's ratings are so promising that production began for a TV series, filmed in Toronto, Canada.
By midnight, we began falling asleep in each other's arms. It was the most happy sensation of a fulfilling day. I'd recommend that everyone find ways to keep yourself open to "discovering new things all around you" and benefitting from what they bring.
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