We got back yesterday from our 5-day trip to NY and we had a great time. I went prepared to freeze but was happily surprised at the pleasant weather. No need for my heavy wool coat, thank goodness. We stayed at the Avalon Hotel on 34th between 5th and Madison and had a junior suite ($179/night promo, including continental breakfast.) It was nice and roomy and up on the 12th floor, which was exceptionally quiet. We also had a view of the Empire State Building out our window. Not a bad neighborhood, either--it's in Korea-town.

We went out to dinner at Artisanal (noisy, but good) on our first night, which was just a short walk away, and had lunch one afternoon at Hangawi, a Korean vegetarian (unusual food, porridge and greens), which was right next door. Union Square and all the nifty shops and restaurants was about ten blocks away--maybe a 20 minute walk.

The second day, my husband wanted to see the Intrepid Air and Space Museum, so we took a cab over to the pier on 46th Street and wandered around for a couple of hours. It was more his thing than mine, but it was sort of interesting being on an aircraft carrier, and it would take a whole lot of people to make it feel crowded. There was a McDonald's there, but we nixed that and walked to Hell's Kitchen, a Mexican-style place that is doing inventive things with enchiladas and tamales. They served us a complimentary appetizer that I can only describe as very flat cornbread triangles arranged around a little bowl of what I think was black bean spread. It was great, but I'd never seen this before so I think they invented it. The table next to us ordered pumpkin flan for dessert, and it came in a pool of caramelized syrup, which looked delicious.

After lunch, we went to the American Folk Art Museum (my choice). I loved this place. They had a special exhibit of works by Sister Gertrude Morgan, who I'd never heard of. She was an African American woman from New Orleans who considered herself a bride of Christ. Her mission was to spread the word of God and she did, obsessivly, through her folk-style paintings (on everything, including toilet rolls) for 40-50 years.

That evening, we enjoyed pizza at Patsy's. We've been to Grimaldi's and Lombardi's on previous visits and I thought this was equal to those. Nice crisp, thin pizza with fresh toppings. Tasted good to me. My only complaint was the wait, but this seems standard at pizza places. Once we got in, the service was great. My husband and son though the beer on tap tasted a little skunky.

Saturday, we took the subway over to Williamsburg to visit our son, who moved there last fall. It's a little rough around the edges, but it appears to be moving in the direction of artsy boutique-land. We had bruch at the Williamsburg Cafe. Very nice. We had apple pancakes with duck confit. The staff is very enthusiastic.

Later that day we went back to Manhattan to see the Whitney Biennial. This was my first visit to a biennial and I was excited to be there. I especially liked the paintings by Amy Cutler. This show is highly recommended to any other old art students, like me.

That evening we had dinner at Prune, a place in the east village my son recommended. It was small but cozy and Candace Bergen was eating in the corner with three of her friends, so we can say we had a celebrity sighting. She still looks good. We had to wait about thirty minutes for our table, but the bartender was friendly and he knew how to mix mohitos. In fact, he even told my husband where he could buy a muddler. The dinners were on the heavy side, but delicious. The whole-shrimp appetizers were delicious, especially the butter sauce they came in. The couple next to us ordered marrow bones and they weren't crazy about them. My son loved his roast suckling pig.

On Easter Sunday, we went down to St. Patrick's Cathedral to see the Easter Parade. Even though this was a cold day, with rain in the forecast, a very large crowd turned out. I have to say that there were many more observers than actual paraders, but those that did appear with their home-made Easter hats were funny and charming. My favorites were the three ladies with bird's nests on their head, complete with robin's eggs. My husband liked the guy with two live iguana's on his hat. He wanted to buy himself a pair of electric bunny ears, but we couldn't find the vendor who was selling them.

After the parade, we walked over to Columbus Circle to find out what's going on over there. We found an upscale mall on the upper floors and a fancy Whole Foods supermarket downstairs. What surprised us was the food court connected to the market. They had a huge salad bar, soups, gourmet pizza, to-order sandwiches and deli-items, and a bakery. I'm probably leaving something out, but it was pretty nice and we had lunch next to a wall of opaque glass that changed colors like a color-wheel on a Christmas tree. There were a whole lot of people down there, so I think the place has been discovered, but it was a good choice on a day that looked like it was only going to offer an over-priced Easter brunch in a packed restaurant.

After lunch, we headed over to our matinee--Fiddler on the Roof. What a show! It was beautiful--how could you not like it? I started to get all weepy when they began to sing "Sunrise, Sunset." We were very happy to see this production, never mind the NY Times review.

We had time to kill before our dinner reservation so we walked across the street after the show and managed to get a window table at the Broadway Bar in the Marriott Marquis. I guess this is a touristy thing to do, but it was thrilling, and we were tourists, after all. The view across Times Square, with the big signs and the little people and taxis down in the street, was exceptional. Even our son, the New Yorker, had to admit that it was fun. For dinner that night we continued the Russian theme and went to the Firebird. They brought around a vodka cart and let you chose from at least twenty different vodkas, including one they make themselves with honey and spices.

Somewhere in there, we also managed to stop in at Macy's to see their flower show on the first floor. Since the store was only a few blocks from our hotel, it was an easy walk. I don't know what I expected--maybe baskets of flowers on the counters--but this was outstanding. It smelled like Hawaii in there! The place was covered in flowers and flowering trees from top to bottom. The flower umbrella at the entrance was backing people up, in shock at how cute it was.

Well, I probably left a lot out, but these were some of the highlights of our trip. We came back tired but happy to have made another New York trip. We always manage to find something new and delightful about this city.

What a terrific report on what sounds like a wonderful trip! Great mix of "tourist" and "traveller" - getting off the beaten path, eating in places like Prune, going to the Biennal . . . So glad you had a good time.

I am so glad you posted your report! Oftentimes we don't get good deatiled reports on NY, I think people think it has all been said before. But I am taking my daughter over Memorial Day for 4 days and she is teaching herself Korean w/a dictionary and CDs (she is motivated and has several Korean friends) and your post has made me wonder about visiting that area on our travels through the city. She has had several Korean meals at her friend's houses (and loves it, even w/the spiciness) and I think she'd like to expose me to that cuisine. I never thought of doing this in NY til your post.
Thanks again!

emd - if you're interested in "new wave" Korean - try 36 Bar and Barbeque, at 5 West 36th St., between 5th and 6th (right around the corner from the Empire State Building) - it's hipster fun-decor is great and the food is really good - you grill it yourself beef barbeque.

Thanks for sharing your experience, sounds like you really had a great time.

What did you have at Artisanal? I've thought about going there, but I was leary of the noise level.

Would you return to the Avalon?

mp, once again you are giving great input! I am making reservations on your recommendation at Landmarc (it looks so good on the website, although it's only been open since Feb., we are trying it) and we are eating Italin at Trattoria del Arte instead of Little Italy (based on nytraveler's recommendation). Now we can add 36 Bar and BBQ to the list-- I should be able to get that in for lunch while we are in that area for Empire State bldg., and on the way down to the seaport and Chinatown and Little Italy, then on to Tribeca's art galleries and Landmarc for dinner. I will toast to you and nytraveler at our meals. Cheers to you and thanks.

We went to Artisanal on a Wednesday night, but it was packed and NOISY. We ordered oysters and clams. They charge per oyster, so be prepared. I had the Artisanal fondue, which is a house blend of cheeses that was yummy. Though they weren't offered on the menu, I requested apples for dunking and they were happy to comply. My husband had braised lamb shanks which he enjoyed. We also ordered a basket of gougeres, which were miniature cheese puffs. I couldn't resist them. Many people seemed to be ordering the nightly special, sea bass en papillote. I've read that people have complaints about the waiters, but we had good service.

I would definitely go back to the Avalon. I got the address wrong, it's on 32nd, not 34th.

Thanks for the scoop on Artisanal - I was glad to hear that the Fondue lived up to it's reputation, that is what I wanted to try!

Thanks for the great trip report, Jeanne. We are thinking of trying Firebird on our trip next weekend. Could you elaborate on your visit there?

My husband tells me that the interior of Firebird reminds him of the Russian Tea Room. It's very romantic--lots of dark wood. There are two small rooms. The one in the back looks like a library, with a large golden-leafed light fixture suspended from a coved ceiling. There's a small bar off the entry room and the night we were there the pianist played everything from "Easter Parade" to jazz tunes and light classical music.

After you're seated, the vodka cart comes around. My son tried the honey vodka and I got a taste of it. If I hadn't already been enjoying myself at the Broadway Bar, I might have had a glass myself. They also offer a special caviar service with a half-dozen varieties priced by the ounce.

I ordered the salmon in a puff pastry crust and my husband had the sturgeon, which he was very happy with. He also enjoyed the borscht. For dessert, I had something I think was called "Mango Paradise." It was a small cake drenched in some sweet liqour, layered with thin slices of mango, and topped with a fruity frosting and a dab of whipped cream. Very un-Russian, but all I could take after 5 days of heavy eating.

Thanks, JeanneE!

P.S. I forgot to mention that the waiters are all in cossack uniforms, which disturbed my son. Also, this restaurant seems to attract an older crowd, although there was a young woman in a sequined hat near us who seemed to be having a good time. For all the fancyness of this place, the bill was in the affordable range. Probably would have been out of sight if we'd sprung for caviar and a couple rounds of vodka.