lisa

Part I

Was in the Big Apple last week for some theatre. Stayed at the relatively new Hudson Hotel, on 58th St. between 8th & 9th. This place was a great bargain at their promotional rate of $95 per night for a standard room with a queen bed. The room was definitely small, but VERY stylish and comfortable. The bed was terrific, and the room had everything you'd need (TV, CD player, hair dryer, etc.). Not luxurious but in a fantastic location near Columbus Circle, about 10 blocks to the heart of the theatre district and 10 blocks to Lincoln Center. Ask for a room on an upper floor to avoid the street noise (I was on the 23d floor, which helped, but I was still awakened by jackhammers at 7:30 a.m. the next morning). The hotel's staff was really friendly, with none of that "too cool for you" attitude that you sometimes find in trendy hotels in Manhattan. Service was quick and efficient. Room service was decent too and a bit more reasonably priced than many other Manhattan hotels. Definitely treat yourself to croissants and coffee for breakfast -- their croissants are fab and so is the coffee (and the freshly-squeezed juice). I would not order room service for dinner there again though. I tried it because I had heard Hudson Cafeteria was all the rage. Ironically, the same day I was there, the New York Times reviewed Hudson Cafeteria and rated it as poor. I would not rate it that low -- just average. The thing is, there are so many great places to eat nearby that to spend money on mediocre food seems a travesty. Breakfast is good though.

lisa

Part II

I saw 3 plays in 2 days (2 on Broadway, one off). The first, a matinee, was Lily Tomlin's one-woman show, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe." (Had a great lunch beforehand at Le Madeleine too). This show was very funny and entertaining. I would rate it as very good, but not great. Lily Tomlin's energy level is amazing and you cannot believe she's 60 years old. She bounces around the stage like she's 20. Some of the lines are very funny. However, some of the characters were more interesting to me than others. I really enjoyed it, but I have to admit that about two-thirds of the way through the show I started getting a little bit tired of some of the characters. Still, I do recommend it, mainly because of Lily Tomlin herself rather than the writing. I would give this show a B.

That same evening I went to see "Proof," which was EXCELLENT. First of all, the set is one of the most realistic sets I've ever seen. Secondly, Mary-Louise Parker, who is not one of my favorite actresses, is outstanding in this role. And finally, the writing of this piece is really top-notch. I would describe it as a drama with a little bit of mystery and romance thrown in for good measure. All of the actors were very good, but it was the story and the script that really put it over the top. This show is an A.

The following night, my boyfriend and I went to see "Dinner with Friends" at the Variety Arts Theatre in the East Village. This show was excellent too. The writing and the whole cast were top-notch. In fact, I was really sad when the show was over because I wanted to know more about the characters and what would happen to them. The show deals with a lot of relationship issues and is bound to provoke conversation afterwards! This play is another A. It is difficult to compare it to "Proof" -- they are both great and very different from each other. I think I liked "Proof" a tiny bit better just because Mary-Louise Parker was so interesting in her role.

anne

What were the 3 good plays you saw?

lisa

Part III

In terms of food, let me thank whoever recommended Black Hound chocolates, because I bought a package of the bittersweet chocolate truffles and they were delicious. Also, before "Dinner with Friends" we had dinner at a Thai restaurant nearby called Holy Basil, which was great food at reasonable prices and a really nice atmosphere with a fireplace -- very cozy. Portions were on the small side, so we were glad we ordered appetizers in addition to the entrees. The Tom Kha Gai and duck spring rolls were yummy and so were the entrees (one was Pra Ram and I think the other one was Kee Gao or something like that). After the play we got dessert at Veniero's which someone here also recommended -- what a treat! We ended up getting cookies and pastries to go too, to share with family. Their napoleons are wonderful.

Thanks again to those who helped with recommendations, & ask away if anyone has questions!

(end)

anne

never mind!

Neal Sanders

Lisa, nice report and useful for future reference. The William Grimes review of the Hudson Cafeteria was a classic. It is the only "poor" rating I can remember the Times giving to a restaurant. I bet they don't frame that one! You didn't have the jello with cherry coke, I hope.

lisa

Hi again Neal. Sometimes I think reviewers take particular glee in skewering places that are super-popular at the moment, so they can poke fun at the suckers standing in line for fare that they deem substandard. I did agree with the reviewer that some of the items on the menu seemed preposterous (like the jello) -- so why order that? So here is my own review. I ordered a turkey club sandwich. It was mammouth, with thick slices of hand-carved turkey (a little on the dry side), hickory-smoked bacon (delicious), tomato (perfectly ripe and flavorful) and lettuce (your standard Romaine, nice and crisp), stacked on 3 slices of multigrain bread, thickly sliced. It came with enough french fries to feed an army, which were unfortunately limp and greasy for the most part. I would say that they made up in quantity what they lacked in quality, but unfortunately the lack of quality exceeded the overage in quantity, if you get my drift. The whole thing arrived 11 minutes after I ordered it (a record for room service). The cost was $8.50 (cheap by NYC standards, no?), plus a $3.50 room service charge, a 19% gratuity which is automatically added to the bill, and tax. All told, it's your basic $15 sandwich. Not the worst I've ever eaten, and not the best. I've paid a lot more for worse room service meals. But if I had to do it over again, I would get the $16 Reuben at the Carnegie Deli instead, which never disappoints. But on this particular night, convenience won out.

Caitlin

Lisa, I'm the one who recommended Black Hound, so I'm glad you enjoyed their truffles, which are excellent. You can't go wrong with their candies or cakes.

Owen O'Neill

Interesting to note the price comparisons - I stayed at the Paramount (also a Schrager property) on New Year's Eve and checked the rooms service menu just from curiosity - the club sandwich was at least $11.50 but might have been $15.50 - can't remember which. Needless to say, I didn't order anything. I'm not really in a position to comment on the hotel, as I stayed there gratis with a friend who's a hotel employee and we didn't utilize any of the services - arrived in the afternoon, spent, most of the evening out and left early on Monday morning. I was impressed with the neutrality of decor and the ambiance - not to everyone's liking but I'd stay there again, even as a paying guest. That's a great deal you got at the Hudson - much less expensive than the cheapest rooms at the Paramount and I'm told that the roms at the Hudson are a bit nicer.

annk

Lisa, I am so glad you took my suggestion for Veniero's, that's one of our fav places to go. I think you can gain a few pounds just walking in the place.

Great trip report, and glad you had a good time. Also be glad you just missed the big snow we just had, it was pretty for an hour or so. Now it's just a mess we have to put up with till it starts to melt. lol.