Holidazed in New York

My fascination with New York continued with a mission to explore every nook and cranny of this never-ending maze of possibilities; the streets are ripe with so many interesting places, small shops that exude a certain character with distinctive merchandise and familiar customers, inspiring me to make a promise to myself to make sure to come back. My navigator for the day was an IT genius who was on the verge of formulating a solution to another complex technical conundrum; he ventured to take a breather in order to collect his thoughts and with that, he took me under his wing to show me the inner secrets of New York food and culture.

Our first stop was what one might call the Mecca of Modern Art in NYC: the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is located in Midtown Manhattan on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It houses a diverse collection that showcases modern art, from famous works of Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Edvard Munch and Edgar Degas, to contemporary installations by Andy Warhol. A plethora of cultural icons makes one swoon over the artistry and diversity of life represented in an assortment of colors and textures; I was told that the fifth floor of MoMA was the place to go if you wanted to see all the “famous” installations, so after paying homage, we decided it was time that we headed for some nourishment.

We headed to Frank, a simple, cozy restaurant located at 88 Second Ave., near 5th street, a bit of a journey from MoMA no doubt, but with authentic Italian food served with the freshest ingredients you are likely to taste, with their old-fashioned ragu, bruschetta served with a small dish filled with whole olives drenched in olive oil, and tortellini with fresh basil leaves, all impressively cooked in an open kitchen, Frank may not be the place for posh dining, but it’s a place built on simplicity and it thrives on its gastronomic authenticity. In fact there’s not much fanfare in the restaurant’s set-up; there is a sign outside that shows a picture of the grand dame Carmela Panella, whose picture appears on the menu as well, which simply states “A place to eat.” In fact, not even electronic commerce has made much of an inroad here; you see, patrons may only pay in cash, and you are lovingly reminded of this fact by a heart-shaped chalk drawing on the menu board. As you approach a place that looks like a bar, upon closer inspection, you are drawn to a simple dining area where the assortment of great food complements Frank’s homey ambience. Our trip there was well worth it, and with our hunger pangs satisfied we were off to another East Village adventure.

One distinct iconic element New York City will always have is its strong Jewish culture, and no decent food trip to the East Village would be complete without a visit to an authentic Jewish bakery that serves kosher food, conforming to Jewish dietary laws on its preparation and even consumption. So we arrived at Moishe’s, a bakery that serves homemade kosher baked goods, I saw an assortment of Danish, quick breads and bagels all set out in their glass display cases, with shelves brimming with freshly baked breads of all kinds, cakes, cookies and bars. One has the feeling that kosher food is not that restrictive at all; indeed the baked goods’ heavy texture and traditional preparation adds character to its rich flavor.

And to top off our East Village rendezvous, we dropped by to see a casual crowd of diners who seemed willing to go to great lengths to order a pastrami sandwich here at Katz deli, understandably one of the most recognized delis in the East Village due to its onscreen cameo in the comedy When Harry Met Sally. In real life, this deli still lives up to its reputation, not only with sausages hanging down to dry, but with numerous celebrity pictures hanging from the wall as well. Any decent New Yorker will tell you, the place gives you just the right amount of happy contentment for the right amount of money.

As we walked along the streets of New York enjoying the deluge of culture and food, I chanced upon something that piqued my curiosity: there, standing inside a store was a Christmas tree made out of macarons — but that’s another story to tell for another day.

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