Yo ladies!
I’m talkin’ like a goddamn New Yorker now!! (Say with heavy accent like My Cousin Vinny “Bustin my balls! style)
I can’t say enough good things about the Big Apple – but I’m gonna try!
IN NEW YORK:
You can get whatever the hell you want to eat, whenever the hell you want it! My husband who is from NoCal (I have forgiven him for this) tries to tell me that San Francisco has the best food. Can you believe that bologna??!! We all KNOW that New York is THE place for gourmands. In Food & Wine recently, they did a survey and guess which city won for best food? Yup – NYC – that’s who!!!
The waaay cool scene at Eataly
I was in a food orgasmic state most of the time last week. We ate at Maialino, Gascogne (solid old school little french place with gorgeous garden in back with ooh lala lighting), Standard Grille, and my FAVORITE new place on earth – EATALY!!!
This place is heaven on earth!!! I wanted to chain myself to the counter and never ever leave!! Truly a gastronomic marvel. You can go to the pasta station, vegetable station, cheese and salumi station (yes, it is SALUMI, not salami – don’t mess with the Italians – they know), the fish station, etc. Pure genius. And then you can shop for all sorts of wonders.And, it is in an old historic building so there is brass, marble walls and crown molding everywhere. Oh such joy. Why oh why didn’t they have this place when I lived in Manhattan??? (visual of me with anguished face to the sky and fists clenched).
Insane pea, shaved asparagus and parmesan salad!
We also wanted to go to Le Bernardin and Prune but just not enough time. Sigh.
IN NEW YORK:
You can be a badass. I went to the hairdresser and got a fauxhawk for the night. It was super honey badger badass. Now, if I wore this look in the OC (love the place but boy is their style BORING), people would look at me like I was crazy. But in New York, oh baby, everyone looks at you like you’ve got something goin’ on! And I did!!!
I also tried to pull out all the stops with my clothes. But I still had to wear my Lilly Pulitzer fave dresses. And you know what? I was the one who looked uber chic and original at night because I was wearing bright pink and not black on black.
And in New York, you can shop till you literally drop – believe me, I have done it!
IN NEW YORK:
You have a natural high – no caffeine or 5-hour energy drink needed and everything you look at is fascinating! Okay, I may be pushing it a little. The H&M on the corner is not fascinating, nor is the pothole. But, being a visitor, I have a newfound love for this city. Sure, when I lived here, cab drivers drove me batty. I despised them. Of course, when I lived there, they didn’t have laws about them talking on their cellphones and air conditioning. It was real renegade stuff. But now, I love love love love the cabbies!!! What would New York be without them?!
IN NEW YORK:
If you are lucky enough to have friends or family in high places, you can jump on a train, and in 2 hours be in the country! Athens, NY is completely void of New York pomp-and-circumstance and is serene and wholesome. We went to visit my cousin and the lilacs were blooming, and he is the most divine chef and it was heaven. The train ride was easy and relaxing. I read my book, the hubby played Scrabble on his iPad nonstop and forced me to play – we brought snacks. You can’t do this in L.A.! You have to suffer through traffic to get anywhere and it feels like everything is a very long road trip away. I myself was almost completely driven to insanity on a drive to San Luis Obispo. Nice when you get there, but grueling drive.
IN NEW YORK:
You can have a cocktail at any time. In L.A., if I dared order a glass of wine at a lunch meeting in L.A, I would immediately be considered an alcoholic, but in NYC, the 3-martini lunch and wine with meal plan is doing just fine!! I saw a table of 4 execs having a lovely 3 course meal next to us at lunch with copious bottles of wine. What is this, the 80s?! LOVE that!!!
Okay ladies, enough about NYC. I just love it so. But, I have had my fill of New York winters and ghastly stifling summers – so it’s CA for me 4ever! It’s always good to be home!!
