Biking along the Greenway

New York City: simply saying those words conjures up images of honking yellow taxi cabs, a maze of whirring subway lines, and Pace picante salsa. But it's amazing how much the city really opens up to you on a bike. Yesterday, we took our fixies out for a ride along the Greenway path that circles the island. What a great city resource! The light wasn't so great, and I only had my iPhone camera on me, but the weather was just fine for a bike ride. We started by heading down the West Side Highway bike path.From there, we went all the way down, past the ambling tourists, through Battery Park to South Street where we could see the Brooklyn Bridge and the clipper ship in the distance.We decided not to ride into Brooklyn this time, but paused to admire the bridge from its base.Biking further east, we passed the Manhattan Bridge.We almost made it to the Williamsburg Bridge, but decided to get off the path for a late lunch of panini from 'Inoteca (home of the famous egg truffle toast).This time, we ordered the coppa, pepperocini spread, and fontina panino and the fontina, roasted garlic, and red chili panino, mmm.
From there, we did a bit of dodgy weaving between cars and cabs on Houston to get back to the West Side Highway path for a straight shot home.

The fresh, the good, and the ugly of Saturday

Having a late lunch at Oyster Bar in Grand Central StationMaking stews and panroasts since 1913Oohing and ahhing over glassware, espresso cups, and bits and bobs at Fishs EddyRetching at the ugliness of Ed Hardy glassware and home accessories at Macy's. (Who the hell buys that crap??)Seriously?

36 Hours in NY (give or take a few)

A weekend in review

Friday, February 27th
Attempt to eat arepas at Caracas, a Venezulan eatery featured in "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." Find an hour and 45 minute wait, so walk to Bua for drinks. Nibble on Berkshire pork sliders, split a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches on Blue Ribbon Pullman loaf (one taleggio, one aged Irish cheddar) and imbibe a few cocktails to quell the appetite.

Return to Caracas, order a sampling of their finest arepas, such as the La Sureña, with grilled chicken and chorizo, and the Reina Pepiada, with chicken and avocado. Take a walk around the East Village, passing Tompkins Square Park, whilst partaking in the unseasonably warm weather.

Feel surprisingly peckish with a hankering for ramen, so head to Ippudo. Observe the strange ratio of hovering wait staff to customers and witness your hostess actually burn her hair accidentally in a candle on the table. Wait for unpleasant smell to dissipate. Get your bowls of ramen. Slurp, enjoy, then walk to the Union Square station to get home.

Saturday, February 28th
Fill up on a freshly toasted Absolute Bagel with jalepeño cream cheese to power you through the day. Properly fed, head to the Guggenheim to take in "The Third Mind" exhibition. Soak in all the culture until you can't take anymore, then wander the Upper East Side. Attempt to enjoy a late lunch at Flex Mussels, find it closed, so scavenge for something else. Happen upon Andre's Cafe & Bakery. Find old-world service (i.e., slow), but scrumptious comfort in veal goulash, chicken paprikash, a chicken paprikash crepe, meat crepe, mushroom soup and a deliciously flaky apple strudel for dessert.

Digest by walking down Lexington to a 6 train station stop. Hop on the train to SoHo for swanky cocktails at Pegu Club.Discover the most phenomenal cocktails ever, in quite possibly, the most relaxing place in Manhattan. While away a few hours and be ballers by ordering almost every cocktail on the menu. Feel blissfully unwound.

Sober up with a tasty Greek dinner of mezes, including crispy cod and sheep's milk ravioli topped with fried shallots, at Kefi, in the Upper West Side. Slumber, deeply.

Sunday, March 1st
Return to the Lower East Side for brunch at Inoteca. Savor the best thing of the weekend, the truffle egg toast with bottarga (cured tuna roe) and sautéed asparagus tips. Order two.Hop on the F train to check out the Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO. Support local crafters and printmakers. Warm up with a cup of tea and possibly a Mudslide cookie from Jacques Torres. Go for a stroll, accidentally head into the projects attempting to walk to Williamsburg. Find a subway station back to Manhattan to take a train to Williamsburg instead.

Check out the discounted wares at Brooklyn Industries, then cross the street to Peter Luger for an early dinner reservation. Feast on an old-school steakhouse meal of shrimp cocktail, tomato and onion salad, creamed spinach, German style potatoes, a porterhouse steak, and 2 rib eyes to split. Fall asleep on the train back to the Upper West Side.

Say good-bye to your friends visiting from San Francisco. Wish that the two cities were closer so that you wouldn't have to gorge yourselves so ridiculously in such a short period of time.

Oh, and...

My all time favorite store (ever), Topshop is finally opening its doors in NYC! Things are looking up this spring...

Aw yeah!

Say hello to my new love! I can't wait for spring!