Gotham Gal

Losing Teeth

My father taught us to be fearless and tough.  So, when it came to losing teeth, letting them hang out in your mouth for awhile was not an option.  Once they became loose, it was time to yank them out.  We got used to it.  I supposed we probably got a kick out of it.  The tooth would get loose and we'd rush to show him and out the tooth would come.

I have passed this on to our kids.  They don't even flinch.  They are absolutely aghast when kids let teeth hang by the thread and refuse to pull them out.  They yell at them, "hey, let me pull that out". 

Each of them have pulled out their own teeth, their friends teeth and each others teeth. 

Last night Josh realized that his tooth was semi-loose.  Well, it was absolutely necessary that it was coming out now.  He moved it and yanked it.  Got all of us involved.   Begged me to get it out.  He didn't flinch.  The two of us played with the tooth for about 15 minutes as each little snap broke another root.  He could care less that his mouth was bleeding.  Eventually, out it came.

Today, the tooth made it's way to school in a small zip lock bag.  He was thrilled.  We have very few teeth left to pull among the crew. 

My guess is that they will all teach the same on to their children.  YANK IT!

Vela Restaurant

In all cities, one of the most interesting things is walking down a random street, entering a door and walking inside to a completely different universe.  You realize how big the town is and how there are so many things going on all day and all night that you aren't even aware of.  New York City is definitely the town that never sleeps.  I love going somewhere that I haven't been in awhile and the area is packed with new stuff that I never knew existed six months ago.

Last night we were going out for dinner and couldn't decide where to go.  We wanted something close to my husband's office.  Fred emailed 3 suggestions.  We chose Vela. 

Vela is located on West 21st street between 5/6th.  It is kind of a strange block.  There are restaurants, stores and residential buildings but it is sort of long and dark because there are few large windows on the street so you can't see what is happening inside.  I saw the sign for Vela and walked in.  I had no idea what to expect because you are literally walking into a door and see nothing from the outside. 

The restaurant's cuisine is Brazil/Japanese.  It makes sense if you have ever been to Brazil.  I believe the largest population outside of the locals is the huge influx of Asians.  The fresh fish and Japanese influence makes for some good sushi. Sushi Samba opened a few years ago in NYC and has the same theme.  Sushi Samba does a much better job. 

Perhaps Vela is a late night spot which wouldn't surprise me based on the location.  Clubs run up and down that street at night but the place was pretty empty.  They have been open 10 months and got pretty good press at opening. 

The food was ok, not great.  There was only one appetizer which was really yummy but otherwise, not a place to return to. 

The chef has created a section called Tataki Salsa which is fish lightly seared and then dressed with a sauce or something.  We tried the Smoked Yellow Tail with Mango Salsa.  4 slices of seared smoked yellow tail with one slice of jalapeno over the top and a small dab of mango salsa.  The mango salsa was literally 1/4 teaspoon if that of tiny tiny pieces of red and green peppers and I don't even remember tasting the mango.  Good idea but poor execution.  If there was a nice scoop of a rich hearty mango salsa on top it would have been delicious.  Oh well. 

We did 2 small plates.  One was supposedly spicy tuna tartare on crispy rice.  I had imagined something completely different.  They served small rectangles of rice that had been been crispy on the outside by frying.  Then they doused the 4 pieces with a spicy tuna tartare.  The tuna tartare was so weird that is tasted like a strange tomato paste concoction.  We had to ask what it was because we didn't remember ordering it.  It was really not good at all.  Idea was good but again poor execution.

The other small plate was delicious.  Spicy Rock Shrimp Tempura with sweet sake and dashi.  A huge helping of rock shrimp that had the perfect amount of tempura covering.  It wasn't doughy at all.  The pieces were light and spicy.  I would have ordered my own bowl if I had known. 

We had a few pieces of sushi which were small.  I really prefer the small pieces but it wasn't anything stellar yet it was fresh.  We also had a small bowl of tarot root which is my new favorite. I could eat bowls of this stuff.  Theirs was a bit greasy but the taste had just a hint of hot spice which I liked. 

All and all, I'm glad I tried it but won't return.  They did have a vodka there which was new called 42 from New Zealand which was very good.  So, at least I learned something new from the experience.  But, a night out with my better half is always a good night. 

Eliot Spitzer

I was invited to go to a Women for Spitzer lunch at the Pierre today.  The place was literally packed to the gills with women.  It is always so interesting to go to the women only events for candidates.  NYC is full of so many sophisticated women who are passionate about their town.  Except for the Pierre being one of the most frou frou hotels I have ever entered, I am really glad I went.

Eliot is a great speaker.  He can name for you the variety of things he has done as the Attorney General for New York.  He decided he could make a difference with the law and he has.  He has gone after companies from the banking industry to the pharmaceutical industry.  He is fearless.  He has no problem saying "the buck stops here" and we expect you to be accountable. 

He also cares passionately about New York.  He wants to see change in the Democratic party.  He wants to stop the attitude that status quo is OK.  He also happens to be a nice guy and has a lot of charisma.  His wife has a lot of charisma too.  They are both movers and shakers.  Their presence is felt when they walk into a room.  That is key in politics.

Eliot gave a speech that motivated me.  His website is pretty good too.  If he can continue to be fearless and make change, he will make one helluva Governor.  Although it is apparent when hearing him speak that he has bigger thoughts on the horizon.  I hope that as he enters this political arena he doesn't lose that edge.  That he continues to remember where he came from and why he ran in the first place.  Sure, ego is involved but he is a tried and true New Yorker who wants to make a difference here..and in the rest of the country.  He is raising kids in NYC and I sure that he is interested in making the world a better place for the next generation.

My vote will absolutely be cast for Eliot.  I'm looking forward to watching him run over the next year.  It will shape him as a candidate. 

Bravo to see someone who finally has my interests at heart and who seems to have enough chutzpah to change the status quo in the Democratic community. 

Doubt and Bistro du Vent

Went to see Doubt last night at the MTC.  My favorite type of play.  One and a half hours and no intermission. 

The play is set in the Bronx, 1964 at a Catholic School.  The content is certainly of the times.  The head nun, who runs the school, suspects the Priest of taking liberties with one of the boys at the school.  She doesn't know for sure but she suspects, and the story unfolds. 

Cherry Jones as the head nun is absolutely incredible.  She stole the show.  The have actually extended the run of this show due to the success.  If you get a chance to see it, go.  It is worth seeing her fine performance.

Afterwards we jumped into a cab and went over to the new restaurant on 42nd street called Bistro du Vent.  It is co-owned with David Pasternack (Esca), Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali. 

The decor is in line with the Theater District.  Very rich, woody and red.  I liked it.  We weren't starving so we split a few things.  We started with 2 appetizers.  One was 3 large grilled shrimp with a chickpea vinaigrette which was very good.  It was served with a small round chick pea concoction which I could have done without and just taken another shrimp.  We also split the pork sausages which were 3 sliced pieces served over a bed of lentils with pistachios.  Along side was served mustards and pickled veggies.  I really liked this dish.  I could have had 3 big pieces of pork sausage over this with the additions for dinner. 

Main course, we split the classic steak frites.  The steak was cooked right and a rosemary anchovy oil was spread on top.  I didn't really care for that or the way it looked.  It would have been better spread over the bottom of the plate or in a small dish for dipping on the side.  The frites were good, nice and crispy.  We also ordered for the side a fennel gratin which I liked.  There are a variety of sides that you can order. 

We had a really good red wine too.  All and all, I'd absolutely go back.  There is a bar you can sit at if you can't get in.  It wasn't that busy last night but I would bet that will change soon.  The location is a bit far,  42nd between 9/10th but it certainly hasn't hindered the success of Esca on 43rd literally on the other side of the bistro.  The area is continuing to grow and change.  Also, there are so few good restaurants in the theater district, lots of restaurants but not such good food. 

I, for one,  am thrilled to see another option in the theater district. 

Sabi Sands

We flew up to Sabi Sands which is a private reserve in Kruger National Park.  We found out that the country is doubling the size of Kruger by expanding into the areas of Botswana which is true forward thinking on the Government's part.

We were staying at the Idube Lodge.  Small free standing huts spread out through the resort.  Do not leave your room at night there are animals walking around particularly a leopard who likes to roam around in the late evening. 

We had a wake up call at 5:30 and out for safari until about 9:30, back for bfast and lounging by the pool.  Then, out again for safari at 4:30 until about 7:30 and back for dinner.  It was incredibly relaxing and beyond cool to see the animals roam in their natural habitat. 

Whoever figured out that you could drive a jeep straight up to the animals and they don't bat and eye.  They know you are there  but they don't realize that there is a tasty meal in the car.  It is a bit intimidating when the animals start to move too close to the car but I figure the driver and tracker know what they are doing.  They haven't lost anyone yet.  The picture on the left is of us literally hanging out with a group of elephants. 

Here is another one of a lion taking a little snooze.  He's obviously tired. 

One of my favorite sayings we learned in South Africa was "sundowner".  They are referring to the cocktail hour.  So every day at lunch the guide would ask you what you wanted for your "sundowner" that evening on the safari.  I think we will continue to use that saying.  Good description as you are watching the sunset. 

Here is a picture of us after our "sundowner".

All and all, a fantastic trip.  We really saw alot.  Truly experienced South Africa.  The people, the beauty, the way of life.  As always, a privelege to see how other people around the world live.   

Wilderness, Garden Route in South Africa

Wilderness is a different area that we stayed in that Garden Route.  About 40 minutes from Knysna.  The food is better here, I have no idea why.  We stayed at a place called Wilderness Manor.   The owners were very stuffy.  The place was nice but I wouldn't recommend it.  The rooms were nice and big so we were able to relax in them together, play cards and read books. 

We went to a very cool beach there called Schvarlak(sp?).  We picked up some food at a German deli and swam in the Indian Ocean.  The evening we had dinner at a restaurant called Serendipity which is in a home/bed and breakfast.  Supposedly one of the top in South Africa.  Real attention to detail.  The kids loved it. 

We went on a canoe trip the last day.  40 minutes canoing, 40 minutes hiking and then you get to a beautiful waterfall.  It was hard work canoeing.  Emily mentioned to me, since she was in my canoe on the way there, that she really hated canoeing and that is why she lived in NYC.   What can I say?  It was well worth it once we got to the waterfall.  Jessica is obviously having a good time. 

Knynsa, Garden Route in South Africa

We flew up to George from Cape Town early, grabbed our luggage and picked up our huge VW wagon.  Driving on the wrong side of the wrong in a huge car with the stick shift on the other side was a true feat. 

We got to our place in the early afternoon.  We stayed at the Elephant Hide Lodge in Knysna.  They had literally opened the place for the first time 3 days before we got there.  The owners were fantastic.  The views were spectacular.  The attention to detail in this place was wonderful.  8 small huts on top of a mountain overlooking the lagoon.  Each hut is very modern with bathrooms with windows that are open and drop over the mountain.  We really loved it here.  Good breakfast and dinner too.  The picture in side out room over looking the lagoon doesn't give the views justice.

The next couple of days we did a variety of things.  We spent one morning in Buffels Bay which is as crowded as Rockaway Beach.  Mostly Afrikaner being spoken here.  Note there are 11 languages spoken in the country and most people speak at least 4.   

One of the coolest things we did was go to Knysna Elephant Park.  We had a private walk with the elephants named Harry and Sally.  Elephants used to live in the area of the park but are dwindling and in this park they maintain the presence of elephants in the region.  The space isn't really large enough for the 18 elephants that they have so they keep them in a location for sleeping at night and also supplement their food, in essence the elephants are tamed by them too.  Elephants are amazing animals.  To watch them walk through the trees is hilarious.  They just walk through an take out a tree.  The kids got to ride the elephant which was very memorable. 

The other activity which was fun was Abseiling.  It is big there.  Think of it as the part of mountain climbing when you are coming down.  The difference here is we first canoed out to the place, walked up mountain and then attached on the gear and went down.   Jessica and I were the only troopers to do it.  It was wild. 

Wine Country in South Africa

Driving up to the Wine Country from Cape Town is beautiful.  You do pass some townships on the way which are worth noting from the road.  I wouldn't recommend going into the areas. 

Once you hit the Wine Country, the rolling hills with vineyards are a sight to see.  We drove up with Vanessa Ratcliffe who happened to be our travel agent on the trip.  Her specialty is the wine area.  She was fantastic and I'd highly recommend using her if you go to South Africa.  Her company that she owns with her brother is called Southern Destinations. 

Vanessa took us to a few vineyards where we got to meet the owners and taste some wines that were not yet ready.  It was really fun.  Her family owns Warwick where we stopped first.  Her aunt is the maven behind this organization.  Vanessa told us the story about a young woman who wanted to marry someone her family disapproved of.  Her father said he would agree to the marriage if she could create a cup where 2 people could drink at the same time without spilling anything.  Hence, her and her husband to be created a dual wine cup.  Here is a picture of me and Josh pretending to drink out of it.   The other picture is of us enjoying the tasting. 

We drove up to Franschhoek for lunch to a small restaurant called La Petite Ferme.  This restaurant is a must if you are in that area.  It is truly a gorgeous location which you can see in the picture on the left and the food is quite good.  You can also stay at the Bed and Breakfast there.  Franschhoek is one of the 2 towns in the wine area.  The other town is called Stellenbosch where we stayed at a resort called Spier.  If I went back, I'd stayed in Franschhoek instead.  The town has galleries, stores etc and has a very sophisticated groovy vibe. 

We hung out at Spier the following day and took it easy.  We also had dinner there at Moyo which is a big African barbecue spread.  The kids liked it and got their faces painted.   The other night we had dinner at 96 Winery Road which was a small gourmet restaurant that specialized in steaks. 

2 days in wine country and off to the next leg of the trip.

Still in Cape Town..

Our favorite restaurant in Camps Bay was probably the Sand Bar. 

We hooked up for lunch there with Mark Crandal who runs and started a non-profit organization in South Africa called Hoops 4 Hope which is a very cool organization.  He also happens to own a camp in East Hampton where Josh used to go to camp called East Hampton Sports Camp.   Two great organizations. 

That night we went to One Waterfront which is located in the Cape Grace Hotel.   The restaurant was the nicest restaurant we went to on our trip.  The kids loved it.  As a whole, I found the food in the restaurants good but not great.  The concepts and execution was there but in terms of taste it just wasn't there.  Keep in mind that I am spoiled rotten by living in the food capital of the world so most people might think we were crazy thinking that.  The hotel is incredibly high end.  I wouldn't recommend staying there because it is a bit stuffy and the location isn't that prime unless you want to stay down by the waterfront.

Next morning, back to the Sand Bar for bfast before heading off to the Greenmarket and Robben Island. 

The Greenmarket is basically a open air market of African trinkets.  Definitely worth experiencing and if you like to negotiate on price, this is your place. 

If you are in Cape Town, you have to go to Robben Island.  Nelson Mandela spent a huge part of his life there.  What was unbelievable to me was that the guides at the prison were once prisoners.  That they now live on the island and tell the stories day after day is truly remarkable.  Our guide had lived in Soweto and was part of the group of people that blew up Government buildings.  It has been 10 years since apartheid ended and the people who had been suppressed after all those years truly seem to carry no grudge but want to see their country be a better place and remember the past.   South Africa will continue to grow and be a better place as the years go by.  I will be very interested to return in another 10 years and see where the country is. 

Our last dinner in Cape Town was at Madame Zingara.  My least favorite.  The place had the feel of New Orleans, very mystical but the food wasn't so good.  We did hitch a ride back though in a sweet old car.   

Cape Town, South Africa

We left NYC and got to Cape Town about 18 hours or so later.  The flight really isn't too bad.  Of course we were in business class which on a flight like that makes all the difference in the world. 

We got there in the evening, checked in, showered and went out to dins at Blues.  We stayed in Camps Bay which is probably the grooviest area in Cape Town.  It is located on the beach and the bars/restaurants line up down the street.   

The place we stayed at was called Place on the Bay.  Small 2 floor apartment, on the beach with a small pool.   

Woke up to a beautiful morning and vegged out on the beach.   Next, time to explore.  We drove, actually I drove, our mini-van through the streets.  First of all, the streets are made for small cars.  Second of all, they drive on the other side of the road.  Advice was given, remember that you, the driver, is always sitting in the middle of the road.  Great advice.  We drove down to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. 

It is a big cheesy waterfront but there is a lot of action happening down there.   Josh, our youngest, lost his shoe at lunch off the pier.  So, we went in the mall to get new sandals and sunglasses for the kids.

 

We drove by the oldest area of Cape Town, Bo-Kaap, on the way back to our place.  Small brightly colored homes which are now basically occupied by a big Muslim population.  We also just drove around the city.  Cape Town is physically the most beautiful city I have ever been in.  The water, the mountains, the topography.  Visually it is a cross between Big Sur, San Francisco, Hawaii and San Diego all rolled up into one.  Not a great description but an idea of the beauty. 

Then off to Tank for dinner which is located past the colored homes.  The area is called Cafe Quarter.   Old homes and buildings being turned into a hip area with stores, restaurants and stores geared towards home decor. 

Long day.  Going back into Camps Bay was wild.  The wind must have been 50 miles an hour.  As you crossed over the hills down to the beach, the wind picked up.   Table Mountain over looks Cape town and when the cloud comes in and covers the mountain. The locals call this a table cloth that has been left there by the Cape Doctor, the winds go crazy.  It's wild. 

Next morning, up early and raring to go.  We picked up bfast at Melissa's.  Melissa's is the ultimate specialty food shop.  Great packaging of every special thing you can think of.  They also serve up bfast, lunch and dinner.  After we picked up our goodies, we cruised down to the Cape of Good Hope. 

The drive down is magnificent.  Driving over Chapman's Drive which is a narrow toll road that looks over the Indian Ocean is wild.  Once you pass Chapmans there is a group of thatch roofed homes that we stopped to take a look at. 

To see the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet is pretty amazing.  You honestly feel like you are at the end of the world.  It is gorgeous.  We walked down to the lighthouse and just gawked. 

On the drive back we stopped at the Boulder's which is home to the jackass penguin.  Josh was in heaven.  I have always loved those little guys.  Then we drove through an old beach town called Kalk Bay to have lunch at a place that has been around since 1939 called the Brass Bell. 

We went out to Codfather's for dinner that night.  One of my faves on the trip.  Fresh fish displayed.  You pick it, they cook it.   One of the fish we had was called butterfish.  It is from Antarctica.  Incredible.  I have never had that before until then.  Fish is basically served everywhere.  The fish of the day is called Linefish.  So, whatever is caught in the line that day is the fish of the day.  Makes sense. 

The next morning, I took the kids with me and we took the tram up Table Mountain.  The views were beyond spectacular.  The fear is getting caught up there when the winds start.  They shut down the place.  It happened to be a calm beautiful morning, so our timing was excellent.

More tomorrow on the rest of Cape Town.  I'm off to the theater.  I admit it, I love being back in NYC.