Bonding with New York’s dining scene started as a little girl on business trips with Dad.

Mad memories of Manhattan

1960’s

Train from Springfield, Massachusetts. Dining car with formal tablecloths, waiters, silver, china. First plane ride on a PamAm prop to Idlewild Airport (now JFK) from Bradley Field.

Lunch at Toots Shor watching an already drunk Jack Lescoulie at the bar during a day of buying men’s clothing for Dad’s New England retail stores at the Sperry Rand building on 1290 Avenue of the Americas. Lescoulie was Dave Garroway’s sidekick on the Today show.

Sardi’s for dinner, then Jilly’s singing around the piano bar with Nancy Wilson into the wee hours. Memories priceless.

Copa Cabana to see Sammy Davis, Jerry Vale, lots of Italian singers named Frankie or Johnny or Tony. The bocce court at Il Vagabondo. P.J. Clarke’s, Elaine’s, Sign of the Dove, Le Pavillon. Stayed at City Squire Motor Inn with Red Coach Grill. Those were the days.

Remember Chelsea Place? An unassuming antique shop across from the original Barney’s. Became a kitchen with fresh produce and then a covered courtyard restaurant. Cool.

Early 1980’s

Love Affair with Manhattan rekindled in the early 80’s. Moved to West 76th Street. Met the amour of my life, Dr. Husband. Moved down to his West Village loft.

Courtship faves. One Fifth. Buffalo Road House. Montana Eve. Sevilla. Keneret. Tavola Calda da Alfredo. The Wok. El Coyote. El Faro. Chumley’s. 

1982 – 1995

Even from San Francisco, made it to Manhattan for special occasions.

Le Bernardin
Gotham Bar & Grill
Union Square Café

1995 – 2016

Many Northampton-Manhattan weekend roundtrips on the parkways and stays at Hotels Giraffe and Excelsior– to visit brother Joe and then Ben when he was at NYU & Ogilvy. And. We did what we always liked to do. Eat!

Del Posto, Meat Packing  Was great, Not in 2018
Sushi Nakazawa, West Village   All Omakase Five Star
The Mermaid Inn, Upper West Side   Exquisite raw bar
Da Silvano, West Village   Fun old standard; closed
Eleven Madison Park, Flatrion    It’s An Event
Colicchio & Sons,  Meat Packing   Fabulous roasted octopus; closed
Bobby Van’s on 50th, Mid–Town Theater   Lobster app
Gramercy Tavern, Flatiron    Best of best
Blue Hill, West Village    Not up to hype
Lure Fishbar, SoHo    Consistently fresh fish
ABC Kitchen, Flatiron    Special lunch spot
Ilili, Flatiron  Lebanese   Lively and tasty
44 and X, Hell’s Kitchen   Sophisticated excellent
Nobu Next Door, Tribeca    Fabulous black cod; closed
Maysville, Flatiron     Interesting and creative dishes
Pomodoro Rosso, Upper West Side    Friendly neighborhood Italian
Ocean Grill, Upper West Side     Was great, succumbed to scaffolding

2016 – 

Moved back to NYC
Central Park West

Oxbow Tavern, UWS    Consistently Good Quail, Duck, Lamb

Osteria Cotta, UWS   Great Fresh Pastas and Brick Oven Pizza

The Milling Room, UWS   Beautiful Dining Room & Fun Bar

Sushi Kaito, UWS    Five Star Personal Performance Art

Sushi of Gari, UWS   Excellent High Quality

Nougatine, Columbus Circle    Lobster Burger, Fried Calamari

The Ribbon, UWS    Extremely Noisy & Dark, Average Heavy Fare

Seasonal Trek to Gramercy Tavern   Still Best of the Best

Isabella’s, UWS    Fun people gathering spot, succumbed to scaffolding

A.G. Kitchen, UWS   Friendly good neighborhood food, succumbed to scaffolding

Scaffolding is killing off restaurants on every block
Seems like one a week
Sad