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New York – Days 24 to 35

Dinosaur

I had a good friend in Town so we decided to do what I should do and don’t and that was go to the Museums.  So we made arrangements and toddled over to the to Met Museum to find it closed.  The Met is closed on a Monday to the Public should you need this info.  So we went to the Natural History Museum to see the Whale Exhibition which was actually pretty good.

We had to go through the dinosaur exhibition to get anywhere and being a City girl I was immediately annoyed that I couldn’t just get direct to where I was going.  Past childhood why on earth would you want to see a bunch of dinosaurs? But no I take it back.  It’s pretty amazing and worth the walk. The only thing the museum could have done with is a good dusting.  Some of the exhibits are behind glass and look like no one has cleaned the filth accumulating inside for as long as the items have existed.  Get a duster Natural History.

Dinosaur 2

We made it to the Met a few days later to the see the Punk Couture exhibition which would be great if you didn’t know anything about punk but I thought it was pretty lame in general.  It’s  a lot of clothes in rows and quite dull.  But I’m from London and a musician so I know all about punk so I’m probably just being over picky.  It didn’t stop me buying a CBGB t shirt at the end though.  I once played there so I figured I had the right.

And in this amount of time there had been a ridiculous amount of food in amazing places. I do like a munch on the crumbs of life. Stanton Social on the Lower East Side, The Tangled Vine wine bar on the Upper West, Del Frisco’s amazing steak house in the Mid West, The Magnolia Bakery and their ridiculous Banana Pudding.  And the cocktail bar of the hotel which killed it with their amazing mixology at The Crosby Hotel.   I will name and shame the waiter in Sara Beth’s on the upper West Side for purposefully not trying to bring back change for a bill which meant he would have taken a 40% tip.  And he was not making an error.  When I complained he couldn’t even look me in the eye as he brought the change back. I am no tourist here now sir, so take the shame.

magnolia

I also got stuck in a rainstorm.  As it was warm and rainy I waited inside a toy store not looking suspicious in the slightest as I played on my phone.  In the end my time of dawdling had run out and I  decided to make a dash.  Sure I might get a little wet but how much worse could it get?  Well it gets much worse in New York as the sheets of rain hit.  This is rain unlike any other I have experienced .  I felt like I had been caught in a monsoon yet I was in the centre of New York.  So if in doubt in the rain over here, just don’t.

And to top it off I l have been learning that the measurements of alcohol in drinks here is nothing like the paltry measures back home.  I’m a practicing lush and I’m having to learn to take it slow on the consumption.  Well I’m trying.  After on a Monday night downing a few Espresso Martinis at the Crosby Hotel I went onto a friends bar where I ended up being the only proprietor.  This ended with me getting over excited by the DJ playing a random selection of 80’s and running up to the booth like a fan and making him put on Don’t you Want me Baby by the Human League at full volume and making him sing it with me.  Alone in the bar with my friend and two other co workers watching.  The dangers of mixing the drinks is a lesson learned here.  Maybe not adhered to but learned all the same.  I felt very quiet the next day.  Never have I willed a natural fruit juice to heal me more;  It didn’t.

tequila

Artigiano

Artigiano is a local Italian in Belsize Park. I’ve been here a few times.  It looks wonderful.  Clean and spaced out tables, inviting.  A real neighbourhood gem.  HOwever something about it always lets it down.  A place that is capable of giving an excellent experience but yet a few times has had something lack when I have visited.  The food is excellent but last time I ate there the inside of my ravioli was cold, which for an Italian restaurant is a no no.  Another time I was there in a large group and the service was a let down.  It’s also somewhere that sits people close together when there is plenty of room to be spaced out and have some privacy.

The food is excellent. The service good but insincere.  I would eat here.  It’s so much more than a local Italian but doesn’t quite make it to the classic Italian restaurant that it could be.  It would only take a bit more of a step up with an attention to detail for this place to realize it’s potential.

A Maze ing

Maze is one of Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants.  It’s on Grosvenor Square, near to Oxford Circus.  It’s very easy to find and get to.

Although I can fault the snooty woman at the check in who deemed it fine to think I enjoyed standing in front of her for kicks and seemed confused that I might have a reservation, I cannot fault the rest of the service. Our Head Waiter had more than a touch of Tom Cruise about him and gave us service with a crazy eyed smile that said, ‘I only want to serve you, you are the most fun’; he had me at hello.   Everyone working in there was friendly and helpful and you could tell got on really well which made the atmosphere really fun and somewhat cheeky.

I can’t fault the food, or the price.   Gastro Pubs are charging outrageous prices for main courses these days and this place on average was £12.50 for a plate.  The plates are there to share and you can have as many or as little as you want.  We had six between two, which was plenty and I can’t fault one of them.  If you are a vegetarian who doesn’t eat fish though give it a miss.   I am talking, crispy veal sweetbread, scallops, pork belly.

Did I mention the wine list is on an ipad?  Ridiculous.  It made me love the place as much as the sommelier’s red spectacles which I did love. They made his face and the strangest thing is that he looked a bit like Heston.  Perhaps the employees all moonlight as famous doubles?  Drinks and wines are not a bargain but they have to make money somehow people.  This is not your local dirty boozer.

So if you like food then go.  It’s not a snooty place to go and the food is worth every penny. So many people think places in London have to be expensive in town but they are competition for your local try hard pub serving what is a Marks and Sparks meal at triple the price.  This is good food.

Good for girly catch-ups, dates, sitting on your own and staring at the staff pretending you have a date.  Casual smart and trendy but not up it’s own arse which is down to the people working there.  Food cost me about  £60 for two people. You can call direct or book last minute on Opentable a live reservation service. For a good night out I’m giving it five stars.  Lets start this blog with a bang people.

http://www.gordonramsay.com/maze/