For B's birthday, I did what any good girlfriend would do and took him to a steakhouse for dinner. Mind you, I'm not really a steak kind of girl - I was a vegetarian for years and although I do eat meat now, I still don't really ever eat steak. So this was a real experience for me.
The decor at Keens Steakhouse is exactly what you would imagine an old-school steakhouse to look like, even in the middle of Manhattan's Herald Square which is now just a bunch of cheap chain stores and of course, the home to Macy's flagship. Dark wood, dim lighting and a huge collection of old pipes lining the low ceiling made for an intimate dinner. Keens feels old timey, but in a good way.
I knew the steak would be more food than I could handle, so I skipped the appetizer and went straight for the "Legendary Mutton Chop". B got his favorite...Aged Prime New York Sirloin. On the side, we ordered the fine string beans and french fries. Normally I would have gotten the baked potato but the couple next to us had the fries and they looked awesome!
A 2005 Frank Bruni review of Keens in the New York Times describes the mutton chop as "a 26-ounce saddle of lamb, skirted with fat and nearly two inches tall, can wear whatever label it pleases, because it provides about as much pleasure as a carnivore could want." and I have to agree. This hunk of lamb (not sheep) was HUGE and DELICIOUS, perfectly cooked in the middle and slightly charred on the outside. It didn't taste gamey at all, but there was distinct lamb flavor and the meat was juicy and tender. For this big-hunk-of-red-meat-once-a-year girl, I made good work of it!
B is definitely the steak expert in our house and he still talks about the steak he had at Peter Luger's more than 10 years ago, so I was curious to see how Keens stacked up. He said the New York Sirloin was a tasty and memorable steak, but not the best he's ever had. Now we need to go back to Lugers to compare.
For birthday dessert we got the New York cheesecake and it was REAL cheesecake with REAL cheese. Mmmm mmmm good.
The wine list had varied options of mostly "big reds", but nice to see a steakhouse offer a wide price range to accommodate most budgets. The service was efficient, gracious and friendly - not at all stuffy. The crowd was surprisingly diverse. I always picture these places to be full of older white men drinking scotch, but on this particular evening there was a mix of couples, families, and groups of friends - young and old - tourists and locals alike.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
A jaunt across the pond...the flight from hell and beyond
A close friend got married in Oxford over the Thanksgiving weekend and gave us a good excuse to fly across the pond and escape the grind for a few days. We left on Wednesday evening on the worst flight ever. Not bad because the weather or the airplane or anything, bad because we had the most obnoxious tour group traveling with us. They couldn't sit still for a minute and repeatedly disregarded warnings from the flight crew. Frustrating to say the least, but we arrived London safe and sound early Thursday morning to a beautifully sunny day and the flight was soon forgotten.
Rather than pay for the Heathrow Express, we decided to take the tube -- cheaper and it would give Sue some time to wake up. Our reasoning forgot one important thing: rush hour in London. Ugh, the crush of people with all of our bags was a nightmare, but we managed to get to Sue's in due time. The crazy thing about flying to London from NYC is that it's only about 6 hours, so even if you get a nap in, it won't be enough to get you through the following day. We were exhausted and still had to meet the wedding crew for Thanksgiving dinner, so we (smartly) decided to wander around Greenwich and stay close. Besides, B had never been to Greenwich and it was the perfect day for the Home of Time.
Greenwich Park from the Royal Observatory:
The Royal Observatory sitting atop a hill in the park:
GMT!
After Greenwich we made our way to the other side of the hill and over to Blackheath. It had gotten cold at that point and we were both so tired, we just had lunch and headed back to Sue's for a nap. No photos of our Thanksgiving dinner that night. We met at the Founders Arms Pub on the south bank and got a chance to meet some other wedding guests. We had a nice time, but by 8:30 we were both pooped and headed back to Sue's.
The next morning we slept in and wasted half the day, but still managed to get to one of my favorite spots for lunch. Despite being FREEZING out, Borough Market was still hopping:
If only I had more money...
Huge paella pans:
We just missed the pheasant:
Looking across the Thames toward St Peter's:
Look how clean St Peter's is!!
A much-needed (pub) break from the cold:
Holiday shopping at Oxford Circus:
That evening we met up with Sue for a night out in Greenwich -- drinks at Bar du Musee and dinner at Mogul. We didn't get too crazy because we had an early wake up call for Oxford. I'll post more on the wedding later, but here are some shots of the next day wandering around Oxford. The weather was awful - cold and wet and windy. I wasn't feeling too hot either, so overall it was the most miserable day. I felt bad for B having to lug me around, but I was glad to see Oxford for the first time.
Amnesty bridge:
The Thames:
Ponies!
The garden in front of Christ Church:
High Street Oxford:
After a cold and damp day in Oxford, we took the train back to London for our final night. We stayed at a hotel near Victoria and ran into RWhy's sis, brother in law, and aunt on the train. Small world! The weather was still miserable in London so we just had a nice Indian meal, some pints at the local pub, and then early to bed. Paradise Indian Restaurant was a nice surprise -- yummy and reasonably priced, plus very close to the hotel.
Monday we woke up decently early and ventured out into the cold. We didn't have much time before meeting up with Jamie & Ellie for lunch, so we just saw the sites along the way.
Carnaby Street in Soho. Some peace, love, and Christmas theme going on:
Chinatown London, pretty weak compared to the likes of SF, Vancouver, NYC, but Chinatown nonetheless:
Some festivities we came across in Chinatown:
Met Jamie & Ellie in Trafalgar Square and witnessed this madness going on. Putting up a ginormous Christmas tree in front of the National Gallery:
After lunch we got our luggage and made our way to the airport. Before we knew it, the trip was over and we were back to reality. But it was fun while it lasted!
Rather than pay for the Heathrow Express, we decided to take the tube -- cheaper and it would give Sue some time to wake up. Our reasoning forgot one important thing: rush hour in London. Ugh, the crush of people with all of our bags was a nightmare, but we managed to get to Sue's in due time. The crazy thing about flying to London from NYC is that it's only about 6 hours, so even if you get a nap in, it won't be enough to get you through the following day. We were exhausted and still had to meet the wedding crew for Thanksgiving dinner, so we (smartly) decided to wander around Greenwich and stay close. Besides, B had never been to Greenwich and it was the perfect day for the Home of Time.
Greenwich Park from the Royal Observatory:
The Royal Observatory sitting atop a hill in the park:
GMT!
After Greenwich we made our way to the other side of the hill and over to Blackheath. It had gotten cold at that point and we were both so tired, we just had lunch and headed back to Sue's for a nap. No photos of our Thanksgiving dinner that night. We met at the Founders Arms Pub on the south bank and got a chance to meet some other wedding guests. We had a nice time, but by 8:30 we were both pooped and headed back to Sue's.The next morning we slept in and wasted half the day, but still managed to get to one of my favorite spots for lunch. Despite being FREEZING out, Borough Market was still hopping:
If only I had more money...
Huge paella pans:
We just missed the pheasant:
Looking across the Thames toward St Peter's:
Look how clean St Peter's is!!
A much-needed (pub) break from the cold:
Holiday shopping at Oxford Circus:
That evening we met up with Sue for a night out in Greenwich -- drinks at Bar du Musee and dinner at Mogul. We didn't get too crazy because we had an early wake up call for Oxford. I'll post more on the wedding later, but here are some shots of the next day wandering around Oxford. The weather was awful - cold and wet and windy. I wasn't feeling too hot either, so overall it was the most miserable day. I felt bad for B having to lug me around, but I was glad to see Oxford for the first time.Amnesty bridge:
The Thames:
Ponies!
The garden in front of Christ Church:
High Street Oxford:
After a cold and damp day in Oxford, we took the train back to London for our final night. We stayed at a hotel near Victoria and ran into RWhy's sis, brother in law, and aunt on the train. Small world! The weather was still miserable in London so we just had a nice Indian meal, some pints at the local pub, and then early to bed. Paradise Indian Restaurant was a nice surprise -- yummy and reasonably priced, plus very close to the hotel.Monday we woke up decently early and ventured out into the cold. We didn't have much time before meeting up with Jamie & Ellie for lunch, so we just saw the sites along the way.
Carnaby Street in Soho. Some peace, love, and Christmas theme going on:
Chinatown London, pretty weak compared to the likes of SF, Vancouver, NYC, but Chinatown nonetheless:
Some festivities we came across in Chinatown:
Met Jamie & Ellie in Trafalgar Square and witnessed this madness going on. Putting up a ginormous Christmas tree in front of the National Gallery:
After lunch we got our luggage and made our way to the airport. Before we knew it, the trip was over and we were back to reality. But it was fun while it lasted!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Goin' to the chapel
RWhy and A's wedding was located on a sustainable farm just outside of Oxford. It was tricky to find, but luckily RWhy had given us all the post code which our driver handily plugged into the GPS and off we went. It was chilly out, but the little barn was cozy and warm. I won't say more, but the wedding really represented the happy couple very well and we had a great time. So glad we could share that special day with them. Some photos from the big day:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Planes...no, just trains and automobiles
Early Saturday morning we set off for a much-needed Columbus Day weekend getaway to the Hudson River Valley. The trip started off with a train from Grand Central Station:
The unfortunate coffee spill on the train:
View from the train which follows the Hudson River. It was dark and gloomy that morning, but shaped up to be a beautiful day.
There were no hotels to be found, so we stopped for a gut buster lunch in Cornwall-on-Hudson. I guess Prima Pizza delivers anywhere in the US:
After lunch, we headed over to the Storm King Art Center. Besides the autumn foliage, this was a must-see for me and it did not disappoint. Typical Hudson Valley lanes:
This is a view of the South Fields with a series of Mark di Suvero sculptures. The clouds were amazing:
Menashe Kadishman's Suspended from afar:
Just a small part of Kenneth Snelson's Free Ride Home set against the bluest sky:
I loved the contrast between the blue skies and the autumn leaves. In the foreground here is a sculpture by Louise Nevelson:
The half dollar chair! Just next to it was a chair made only of nickels:
Not sure who the artist was, but again, beautiful blue skies and green, green grass make for the most amazing backdrops:
Picture perfect:
This was a special exhibit of Maya Lin's Bodies of Water. They closed off the sculpture due to grass erosion so we could only view it from a distance:
Yay, I love Andy Goldsworthy. Me at part of the Storm King Wall which snakes along for 2,278 feet:
Worm's eye view of di Suvero:
The Bug got us around all weekend:
No photos of our first dinner in Rhinebeck. Starr Place Restaurant was nice but not *too* nice and the food was fantastic. I had a really nice pan-seared trout with pumpkin risotto. The risotto was sooooo good. B had pork saltimbocca with prosciutto and sage. For dessert we dug into apple cider beignets with butter rum sauce. YUM.
Sunday morning we had breakfast at Four Corners up near Albany. I know, a long way from the valley, but it was the only place with hotel vacancies on Saturday night, so we were up a creek...so to speak:
Sunday was wine tasting day. After a big breakfast, we made our way toward the Shawangunk Wine Trail. First stop, Adair Vineyards:
Next up, Whitecliff Vineyard with amazing views of...what else? White cliffs!
And last but not least, Brimstone Hill Vineyard, a charming and rustic little winery set in the least fancy of all settings:
After wine tasting, we checked into our B&B and then headed back out for dinner with a quick stop at the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. Along with the beautiful grounds and amazing views over the Hudson, these cute little goats were grazing along a hillside:
Dinner on Sunday evening was again in Rhinebeck, this time at Gigi Trattoria. We had salumi and olives to start and then Tagliatelle Berta and it was all delicious. Sunday night was a mellow one back at the B&B where we played Trivial Pursuit and made friends with the housecat, Roquette.
Monday morning we got up early for the huge b&b breakfast: melons with crystallized ginger, homemade muffins and scones, waffles with locally made apple cider syrup, homemade jam and whipped cream, and homemade turkey sausage. YUM.
Bellies full, we packed up the Bug and headed for the Walkway Over the Hudson. It was chilly, but we still managed to walk across and back before the Bug was due back:
The Poughkeepsie train station:
The unfortunate coffee spill on the train:
View from the train which follows the Hudson River. It was dark and gloomy that morning, but shaped up to be a beautiful day.
There were no hotels to be found, so we stopped for a gut buster lunch in Cornwall-on-Hudson. I guess Prima Pizza delivers anywhere in the US:
After lunch, we headed over to the Storm King Art Center. Besides the autumn foliage, this was a must-see for me and it did not disappoint. Typical Hudson Valley lanes:
This is a view of the South Fields with a series of Mark di Suvero sculptures. The clouds were amazing:
Menashe Kadishman's Suspended from afar:
Just a small part of Kenneth Snelson's Free Ride Home set against the bluest sky:
I loved the contrast between the blue skies and the autumn leaves. In the foreground here is a sculpture by Louise Nevelson:
The half dollar chair! Just next to it was a chair made only of nickels:
Not sure who the artist was, but again, beautiful blue skies and green, green grass make for the most amazing backdrops:
Picture perfect:
This was a special exhibit of Maya Lin's Bodies of Water. They closed off the sculpture due to grass erosion so we could only view it from a distance:
Yay, I love Andy Goldsworthy. Me at part of the Storm King Wall which snakes along for 2,278 feet:
Worm's eye view of di Suvero:
The Bug got us around all weekend:
No photos of our first dinner in Rhinebeck. Starr Place Restaurant was nice but not *too* nice and the food was fantastic. I had a really nice pan-seared trout with pumpkin risotto. The risotto was sooooo good. B had pork saltimbocca with prosciutto and sage. For dessert we dug into apple cider beignets with butter rum sauce. YUM.Sunday morning we had breakfast at Four Corners up near Albany. I know, a long way from the valley, but it was the only place with hotel vacancies on Saturday night, so we were up a creek...so to speak:
Sunday was wine tasting day. After a big breakfast, we made our way toward the Shawangunk Wine Trail. First stop, Adair Vineyards:
Next up, Whitecliff Vineyard with amazing views of...what else? White cliffs!
And last but not least, Brimstone Hill Vineyard, a charming and rustic little winery set in the least fancy of all settings:
After wine tasting, we checked into our B&B and then headed back out for dinner with a quick stop at the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. Along with the beautiful grounds and amazing views over the Hudson, these cute little goats were grazing along a hillside:
Dinner on Sunday evening was again in Rhinebeck, this time at Gigi Trattoria. We had salumi and olives to start and then Tagliatelle Berta and it was all delicious. Sunday night was a mellow one back at the B&B where we played Trivial Pursuit and made friends with the housecat, Roquette.Monday morning we got up early for the huge b&b breakfast: melons with crystallized ginger, homemade muffins and scones, waffles with locally made apple cider syrup, homemade jam and whipped cream, and homemade turkey sausage. YUM.
Bellies full, we packed up the Bug and headed for the Walkway Over the Hudson. It was chilly, but we still managed to walk across and back before the Bug was due back:
The Poughkeepsie train station:
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