Weekend in NYC

[moonwise]

For a while now, I had been going on about wanting to go into the city to Via Emilia for some authentic Emilia-Romagnan Italian cuisine and to Vino for some Lambrusco. My husband's family is from Emiliga-Romagna, and the style of cooking there is quite different from the Siciliano and Calabrese style you tend to get in the US (lots of red sauce, cheese, and fried things.) Lambrusco is a fizzy dark red wine that has a bad rep in the US because apparently it was popular in the '70s, and it evokes a lot of disdain now. We drank a lot of it in Italy, and it's great stuff on a hot summer's day. Unfortunately, because Lambrusco is so unpopular, we had to go to a special store to get it here in the States.

On the spur of the moment, my husband looked up some room rates in midtown Manhattan, and they must be hurting bad for customers because we found four-star hotels for $200 and lower. He booked us a room in the Hyatt on 42nd and Park, and off we went. It was a lovely weekend to be in the city, because the weather took a turn for the warmer, and you could walk around outside without wanting to dive into the nearest coffeeshop.

We went to Grand Central Station because I'd never been there before, and then we thought it would be interesting to go to the UN. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything to see, because it was all closed. Then we went to the central branch of the New York Public Library, and Patience and Fortitude seemed to have gotten a cleaning since I was there last. (morgi, I wanted to take a photo of the reading room for you, but no photos were allowed.) Afterwards, we went to Teddy Roosevelt's birthplace because husband is a big fan of TR, and it was a worthwhile way to spend an hour or so. Afterwards, we got our Lambrusco at the wine shop, which was in the same neighborhood, and then husband took me to Tiffany's so I could look at all the sparklies.

Around 6 PM, we went to dinner, and we were both very pleased to get some torta fritta and some Lambrusco to drink with it. The flavors were authentic, and my husband enjoyed his wild boar entree while I had the lamb shank. By the end of it, we were so stuffed that all we could do was totter back to the hotel, though we tried to go to a Barnes and Noble for something to read and found it had closed at 8 PM (much to my surprise.)

Although we wanted to spend Sunday doing something interesting in the city, it was too nice a day to spend indoors, and I missed Biscuit. I always feel guilty about leaving her alone all weekend. We had a ridiculously expensive breakfast at the hotel ($30 each for a crappy buffet? next time, husband will be more open to the idea of grabbing a bagel) and headed home. It was so nice out that we washed the cars, and husband went for a ride on his new bike, and I made tomato cream soup with orzo for dinner. And I'm ashamed to say that I watched the Pro Bowl. All in all, a very nice time out.

Comments

[morgi.livejournal.com]

Wild boar? How neat! How different does it taste compared to domestic pork?

So Lambrusco is like the bell bottoms of wine?

[jaina.livejournal.com]

That sounds like an awesome weekend! I was in the city on Saturday, but just over by Javits for NYCC. (And Lush.)

[arafel.livejournal.com]

The wild boar was more gamy, but very tasty. I liked it.

Put it to you this way - Riunite makes a Lambrusco, and it's sort of a red wine spritzer. Not too classy. The Italian stuff is much better.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

How was NYCC? We saw some people in Grand Central who were clearly on their way to the con.

[morgi.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't know a Riunite from a Kedem.

...wait. So Riunite is sort of the American beer of the wine world?

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you had a great time. I was in the city on Sunday going to ComicCon. It was lovely and warm in the city!

[pointedview.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good trip! Yum, wild boar. Haven't had that since my honeymoon.

I'd like to try real Italian Lambrusco sometime.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I do like the sound of your lamb :-) Sounds like you got a lot done for one day in the city!

I never eat a hotel breakfast unless it's included in the cost. They're always ridculously overpriced.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

I tried to get husband interested in going to ComicCon, with no success. Glad you had a good time, though!

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Riunite is a "jug wine," meaning it's about on a par with Night Train and Ripple. Anything that comes in a box, like Franzia, isn't any better.

NY Times article about Lambruscos (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18pour.html?_r=1)

[arafel.livejournal.com]

It seems you can order bottles online, here: <a href="http://www.italianwinemerchant.com</a>Italian Wine Merchants, NYC</a>. Getting wine shipped to you is always a nuisance, though.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Hotel breakfasts are usually overpriced, but I was taken aback by how grossly overpriced this one was. O_o

[arafel.livejournal.com]

All Biscuit wants is someone to fill her bowl and clean her box. She seemed really happy to see us, though. :)

We have seen Arsenic and Old Lace, and indeed I was Elaine in a high school production. "Chaaaaaaaaaaarge!" :)

[jaina.livejournal.com]

It was pretty fun. I didn't really buy much (3 comics) because a little voice in my head kept whispering that every dollar spent there was a dollar I couldn't spend in Japan, but there was a good array of panels, attending artists and dealers. I'd have done more if I didn't shun hyoog lines.