I love
New York City and I had one day, just one, to soak up enough New
York intensity to last me until my next visit. Lucky for me I had
a personal guide, one of my best friends who was born and raised
in Brooklyn, who took me on a whirl wind day of eating, people watching,
eating, absorbing the palpable energy that pulsates through the
city and did I mention eating?
The
day started with a meeting at Palisades Center in Nyack where I
parked my car for the day. A quick hug and we were off to the city.
Alan mapped out the day by eating establishments. As a former cab
driver during his college years he navigated the streets with chutzpah.
I opened the window as we approached the New York skyline taking
in the very essence of the vibrant city. First stop, Nathan's on
Coney Island.
Nathan's
Famous 1310 Surf Avenue Coney Island
If
you've never had a Nathan's hot dog you're missing the crème
de la crème of juicy hot dog delights. Nathan's hot dogs
are packaged and sent all over, even in Ohio I can get a package,
but it's not the same as walking up to the hot dog stand on Coney
Island. Sitting at an umbrella table on hot day watching people
come and go, licking their lips in anticipation and then licking
the juice from their fingers as they gobble down the famous hot
dogs adds flavor to the experience. Take your hot dog for a stroll
down the boardwalk and enjoy the ocean view for a change of pace.
This is the New York of a by-gone era that continues to draw tourists
and locals out to take a bite of the Big Apple or in this case,
hot dog.
L
& B Spumoni Gardens 2725 86th Street Brooklyn
Everyone
has an opinion when it comes to pizza and my Brooklyn tour guide
was no different. The next stop on our whirlwind eating tour of
New York was L & B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn. Just walk up
to the window and order a square of pizza. In the summer chow down
on your pizza at an umbrella table and watch people saunter by sniffing
the pizza scented air.
La
Bella Ferrara 108 Mulberry Street New York
After
window shopping and checking out the goodies in Chinatown we ventured
down the streets of Little Italy. Mulberry Street runs through Little
Italy with restaurants, delis and pastry shops lining the way. It
wasn't long until I found myself seated at a table on a small patio
wondering if I'd found Nirvana in Manhattan with a chocolate cannoli
from the pasticceria, La Bella Ferrara.
Union
Square Farmer's Market 14th Street Manhattan
Being
a farm girl and an avid gardener I was delighted as we walked up
to one of the best farmer's markets I've ever attended. White tents
lined up like waiters ready to serve the crowds beckoned me to come
hither. Beneath the gaping mouths of canvas perched fresh fruits
and vegetables along with cheeses, eggs, mushrooms, flowers, herbs,
wines from the Finger Lake region in upper New York and so much
more. It was a cook's delight. I purchased a few choice items before
we moved on.
Katz's
Delicatessen 205 E. Houston Street New York
It's
hard to believe after a hot dog, pizza, and a canolli I could possibly
eat one more bite, but one final stop remained on the itinerary,
Katz's Delicatessen on the Lower East Side. We chose a fairly quiet
time, but the place was still jumpin' and buzzin' with activity.
We got our number and parked at a table. I had my first taste of
brisket that day and washed it down with my first New York chocolate
egg cream. The atmosphere was lively and the egg cream a dream.
Take a good look around and you'll see a sign above a table that
states, "Where Harry met Sally…hope you have what she
had." If you're not sure what this means I recommend watching
the movie.
There were no sophisticated, trendy
restaurants or bars on the menu for the day, but we did spend a
moment on Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue. I didn't venture into Tiffany's
on this trip, but we found a great, black hat in a shop in Chinatown.
We stopped for a moment of silence at Ground Zero to ponder 9/11
and the small miracle that Alan's appointment that day had been
cancelled on 9/10. We nibbled New York spiced nuts purchased from
a street vendor. Mostly, I soaked up as much of the energy of New
York City as I could in one quick trip. Rubbing shoulders with masses
of humanity as diverse as the world makes the soul smile. That's
what I love about New York City at every corner there's a different
flavor to experience. -Teresa Opdycke
