Austin

Was in NYC labor day weekend helping DD move. This is just a quick run down of the hotel and restaurants. My days were filled with packing, moving , unpacking, painting, and hammering. (and some screwing, but not the fun kind...).

Jet blue to JFK non-stop. Air train to Jamaica Station, E train to 23rd. Exactly one hour 5 minutes, $7.50. So easy!

Stayed 2 nights (aug 30 & 31) at Hampton Inn on 24th. Needed a pet friendly hotel for DD and DGD (dear grand dog) and Hampton was best bet $197 a night. Decent sized room and bath. Good location. Nice free breakfast and really good coffee. I believe this will be where I stay when I visit her in the future.

Every place we ate was better than good except La Sirene. Ate there last trip in May and it was good. This trip -eh. The goat cheese tart app was good. Entree of tilapia overcooked and small portion. I ate vet little. DD had lamb and was eh. Won't go there again, even with the enticing BYOB.

Absolutlley delish brunch at Friend of a Farmer in Gramercy. I had Healthy Farmers Omlette - egg whites, feta, spinach and Tomato. DD crab cake eggs Benedict. Start you off with a French press coffee at your table. (we had 2!)

Late dinner outside at La Follia also in Grammercy. Nice 1/2 bottle of wine, mushroom crostini apps. I had salad and DD delish pesto.

Late night dinner also outside at Meme Mediterranean in West Village. LOVED this place. We shared amazing fried artichoke hearts, and I had salad - arugula with pomegranate and shaved Parmesan. Nice wine list. DD Had a really nice mushroom raviloi. I will go back there next trip to NYC. This was my fave

Breakfast at The Breslin in the Ace Hotel, Broadway and I think About 29th? Sketchy area, but the Hotel is hip and the Breslin perfect service and great breakfast. I had poached eggs on spicy curried lentils and cilantro. Perfect. Great crusty bread, excellent coffee. DD lemon and blueberry pancakes.

Last night dinner at Pipa, Union Square. This is part of the ABC Home store conglomerate. (wow wow wow beautiful store!). This is Basque food. Best calamari I've ever had (of course it's the sauce) and my artic char was perfect. There was really good live music with a Flamenco dancer.

Also went in Eataly to buy wine then cheese. This place was packed! It's an interesting idea. All Italian goods - part grocery, part restaurant. Next door their own wine store. Have sit down eatery and in the HUGE cavernous main room tables where you stand and order wines, cheese, olives, wtc. They had free wine tastings too. I just went in to buy cheese and crackers to go. Will check it out next time. On 24th I think near 5th?

I love NYC!

santamonica

It's nice to be able to visit your kids in interesting places. Thanks for the report.

AnnMarie_C

Thank you for your report! You visited some places I'd like to check out next visit.

Momddtravel2

We were there the same weekend and both at Eataly! We actually went twice - first on Sat it was PACKED and then back Sunday night to have dinner up at the roof top.

It was a GREAT weekend to be in NYC - we went by FIT (which I think is where you dd graduated from or is attending right?) - GREAT location! We stayed at the Eventi - cool hotel - I doubt I would stay again (it was on my husband's company's dime this time) but it was a good location.

Austin

Yes, DD graduated from FIT this past May. After Home Depot we stopped at Eataly but DD stayed outside with the dog. We were going to go back but ran out of time. I'd never heard of it until then. Didn't realize it was part owned by Mario Batali.

Momddtravel2

We may have passed each other We walked by that Home Depot several times. We had dinner at Del Posto on Friday night - one of Mario Batali's restaurants -
Like you, I had actually never heard of Eataly - I was wishing I could bring many things back to Dallas! It was unbelievable!