The Scents of the City

Since Missy is at the moment (hopefully) putting the final touches on her thesis draft, the task of blogging our weekend jaunt to New York City falls to me. With the fond memory of our Fall trip to the Big Apple still lingering, and since the clock is rapidly winding down on Andrea and Telfer's time as our East Coast neighbors, we decided to hop on Amtrak and head to NYC. (We have really come to enjoy train travel. Comfortable seats, power plug-ins, smooth rides, and no airport security! In fact, I found myself browsing Amtrak's longer track lines and looking up Canada's VIA transcontinental excursions just for fun).

Weather-wise, we couldn't have picked a better weekend. In contrast to the cold, dampness that characterized our last visit, mother nature granted us bright sun and a balmy temperature for this trip. And we packed it in. We started out the morning with fresh bagels from the city-famous bagel shop across from the Griffiths' place. Then headed to the Union Square farmer's market for brunch, characterized by an unusual but amazingly delicious Brazilian pork and bean dish special.

We headed to Broadway in the afternoon to catch the hit musical In the Heights. We were remiss that we didn't make more of an effort to see a show on our last trip, and with Missy's birthday only two days removed, we decided to splurge. Afterward, we took a slow walk through a sunny (and very crowded) Central park, bought ice cream cones from a softee truck, and then linked up with Telfer and Andrea for a late evening dinner at their favorite restaurant, Fatty Crab. We quickly discovered why it rates on the top of many foodie lists. Billed as neo-Malaysian, the dishes, from duck, to pork sliders, to my favorite -- pork bellies on watermelon, were flavorful, spicy, and very filling. This is a must return locale for a future visit.

One of the things I noticed distinctly, especially as we walked around the Griffiths' Upper West Side neighborhood, were the fragrances of the restaurants and cafes as we ambled past. Despite strangely categorized places, such as a Spanish-Chinese cafe, or perhaps because of them, each locale was brimming with the seductive cooking scents you find throughout the world, all within a few steps. It certainly is possible to travel the world -- at least for a food aficionado -- block by block.

Fatigued by such pleasant smells and dining experiences, we were not surprised that we slept well that night (also, thanks to the Griffiths' gracious hosting). To round out our weekend, we decided to walk all the way to the Metropolitan Museum to see the Egypt and painting galleries, hit the downtown subway to pick-up some glassware Missy wanted, and then connect with Andrea for an evening church service.

We both remarked how much we both needed a weekend away, especially for Missy. And now, since Missy just came in and told me she finished her first draft, I will sign off.