Category: New York

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Late WinTer

Sun warmed longer days as clocks click ahead. Hotel Giraffe’s roof mid-afternoon. Delectable late winter root vegetables and pork offal at Washington Square’s Blue Hill. Braised hake the winner. Birthday treat to remember.

Tiger took charge of the last tourney on the original ‘blue monster’ at Miami’s historic Doral. Trump is blowing it up for redesign. Sightings… Johnny Depp on West 14th. Jim Parsons Park Avenue South. He and Alan Alda dined at Ciano.

My final four picks. Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Gonzaga. Huh? Or, is that il Papa.

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PiSees

Life of Pisces. Best astrological season. Winter waning. Spring nigh. Snirt melt. End of Feb. Happy 88th to Betsey Strahl. Birthday brunch at Anthony Bourdain’s Brasserie Les Halles. Steak frites. Flatiron fun for all.

Remember that Turkish guy who died in Mary’s bed? TV’s new Golden Boy. Theo James. James Dean meets James Franco. Whoa. Another British actor takes America. When I think of Golden Boy, it’s the 60’s Broadway show. Starring Sammy Davis and Lola Falana with Daddy Joe.

SoHo’s finest, Lure Fishbar. Tried and true. Go fishes!

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WeekEnders

WeekEnder. Oscars maybe. Depends on travel conditions Sunday. Catch them on replay. Don’t care. Saw none. Better writing Showtime, HBO. Friends liked Argo.

Match play golf in Arizona. Wait for melting snow, freeze out. Tiger and Rory already gone. Where do Republican losers go? FauxNews. Brown. Romney? NBC last in ratings. Ditch Lauer, Gregory. Replace Today with Morning Joe.

Storm dodge. Weekend adventure. Manhattan, ho! Bon weekend.

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Spooky Cane

Northeast hurricane. Second stormy Halloween in a row. This year wind and water, last year snow. Eroded beaches replacing election speeches. Federal government in the spotlight. Will it be enough to turn the tide? Eerie empty Manhattan caverns. Dangling crane. Broadway dark. Huddled families center stage. West Side Highway flooded below mAdBen. Let’s hope dawn doesn’t reveal submerged subways, tunnels. Saturated parks. Fingers crossed.

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Mad Memories

Dreams of my father. Mad times in Manhattan 1960’s. Train from Springfield, dining car with formal tablecloths, waiters, silver, china. First plane ride on a PamAm prop to Idlewild from Bradley. Lunch at TootsShor watching an already drunk Jack Lescoulie at the bar during a day of buying men’s clothing at the Sperry Rand building at 1290 Avenue of the Americas. Jack was Dave Garroway’s sidekick on the Today show.

Sardi’s for dinner, then Jilly’s singing around the piano bar with Nancy Wilson into the wee hours. Memories of trips to New York with my Dad. Priceless.

Copa Cabana to see Sammy Davis, Jerry Vale, lots of other Italian singers named Frankie or Johnny or Tony. The bocce court at Il Vagabondo. Cousin Joey DiVito and his wife Tootsie (really) took care of me. P.J. Clarke’s, Elaine’s. Those were the days.

Daddy Joe always acted as if he were in his dining room at home. They responded in kind. No wonder restaurants have always been the center of my life.
Happy Birthday, Dad. 8/30/30

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UnToward NewYork

Quick jaunt to New York. First stop Katz’ Deli in New Haven. Next stop the Bronx. Pastrami on rye at Betsey’s Kingsbridge digs. Down to the Flatiron to our fave Hotel Giraffe, then for a sunny late afternoon Fika iced latte on Madison Park. Cebicheria La Mar al fresco dinner previewed mAdBen’s upcoming travels to Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu. All good.

Sunday morning, car gone. Towed. Legal spot. No! Officer Ward, with her Irish brogue, appreciated Dr.Husband’s kindness to a lost old lady and drove her NYPD buggy around the ‘hood and found our “re-parked” car. Whew.

Speaking of Irish cops in New York. BBCAmerica’s Copper set in 1864 New York, is a period piece of grit, grime and unbridled brutality. Mount Holyoke College Professor Daniel Czitrom the historical consultant for the show. First episode tonight was reminiscent of Kurt Anderson’s novel HeyDay.

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Mile Marker

97 degrees today. Reminiscent of hottest June day in Manhattan at PithyV’s 76th Street flat off Park Avenue. 30 year milestone. Dr.Husband may say millstone. Seems like yesterday.

Maybe not. Let’s see. Reagan, Thatcher, Mitterand, Brezhnev, Begin, Trudeau led the world stage. McCartney-Wonder’s Ebony & Ivory. Kingsley’s  Ghandi.

Suite at the Carlyle, before our first SideTrek cross-country. Route 80. I drove on highways, then. With a little help from friends. Stops in Santa Fe for a full lunar eclipse, seedy casino motel in Vegas, ending at 1808 Pacific, SanFran.
A long and happy ride.