One hand in the air for the big city
Street lights, big dreams, all looking pretty
No place in the world can compare
Put your lighters in the air
Everybody say yeah, yeah
— Alicia Keys, Empire State of Mind
Lately, I’ve been getting kind of wistful, kind of sad, at times apprehensive as I imagine how my daughter Carmela is doing now in everyone’s favorite city in the world, New York.
I am hardly a drama queen, but the day she left to study fashion merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology, I felt the sky fall down on me. What if she gets homesick and pines for the comforts of home? What if she can’t handle her laundry? What if she gets sick? What if the pressure at school is too much for her too take? And, even worse, what if she fits in perfectly and decides to stay and linger after her school term is over?
Just as these thoughts of New York make me sad, a wealth of heartwarming New York moments during my recent trip there — Lilibeth Aristorenas and Winona Santos — recharged my senses and gave my spirits a big boost.
My adventure started in Boston, where I was reunited with my close buddy and confidante Lilibeth Aristorenas who now resides in Massachusetts. For a sumptuous lunch she brought us to a no-frills restaurant with no name. Well, the establishment did have a name, actually: “No Name.”
The silliness ended there because it served some serious seafood, the freshest catch I have tasted in a while. Located on a historical waterfront since 1917, dining down along the docks has its advantages: one gets the freshest, most delightful seafood dishes cooked New England-style. We ordered lobster salad and were delighted by the huge amount of freshly shucked lobster on top of the salad. We all tried a piece and it melted in our mouths because it was so tender. And I just loved, loved the shrimp bisque! Our server was extra friendly, especially when he found out that we were from the Philippines. He once worked for JP Morgan at the Fort in Taguig and he had nothing but nice words for our Pinoy brand of hospitality.
Our next stop was Connecticut, which lies between Boston and New York, our final destination. For late lunch, we stopped in Hartford, Connecticut, which led us to Comerio, which has dished up Puerto Rican specialties for over 30 years. The locals call it cocina criolla. The restaurant is inspired by the culinary traditions of Spain, Cuba and Latin America. Dishes are well seasoned with combinations of flavorful spices. Most of the recipes involve a sofrito, which is a sauté of freshly ground, garlic, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, green and red bell peppers. We had callos, lechon asado,relleno de papa (potato puff),platanos madoros (fried ripe plantain),Papa Rellena de Jamon y Queso (ham and cheese stuffed potato),empanadilla picante (spicy beef patties),biftec guisado (fried steak),costillas a la barbeque (barbequed ribs),chicarones de cerdo (pork rind).Yup, we ordered a lot for the three of us because we wanted to try bits and pieces of each.
Eating in Comerio is akin to eating in a Spanish restaurant but dishes taste refreshingly lighter. There is less reduction in the sauces, none of the richness and heaviness that is characteristic of Spanish food. Towards the end of our meal, the restaurant owner made our acquaintance and presented us with a complimentary bottle of Coquito, the Puerto Rican version of holiday eggnog. That was a sweet gesture.
Then we were back on the road, Lilibeth and I taking turns at the wheel. This time it was my turn to drive to New York. We were such chatterboxes in the car, it was crazy.
By nighttime we hit New York and met up with Angel Gamez and Jimbo Barredo, my bosom buddies of 27 years, a licensed physical therapist and a personal masseur of several Hollywood celebrities in New York.
Angel brought us to a visually stunning and theatrical establishment, Ruby Foo restaurant at Times Square. Long raved about as the place to go for a fill of inventive pan-Asian cuisine in a hip setting, it’s decorated with Buddha statues and a Pop-Art Mao print that looms over the youthful atmosphere. Of course, what else could we do but soak up the scenery as we chowed down on pad Thai with chicken and shrimp, sushi and maki platter consisting of yellowtail sushi, tuna sushi, salmon sushi, crabmeat California roll, barbeque eel and avocado roll?
My idea of heaven
Every time I am in New York, I dare not miss it. And each time I visit I am completely blown away by their fabulous merchandise! Wüsthof knives, French copper cookware, and KitchenAid mixers, Le Creuset and All-Clad pots and pans just for starters...high-end kitchen toys on every chef’s wish list!
For 50 years,William Sonoma has been shaping how people think about and cook food. It’s the ultimate source for specialty foods, professional quality cookware, kitchen appliances and home furnishing. That day I wanted to scout for roast beef carving station but in the end bought cookbooks and a copper pot for sugar.
Cupcake obsession
I just had to pay homage to the bakery that started the mini-cake craze. Since Magnolia Bakery opened in 1996, people have been lining up for its famous vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting in pretty pastel colors. Other loyal Magnolia fans get weak in the knees for bestsellers like the tart banana pudding, or red velvet cake with creamy vanilla frosting or breakfast treats like dried-cherry crumb buns and blueberry coffee cake with vanilla glaze.
I visited the fabled neighborhood bakery located at 1240 Avenues of the Americas. I wanted to try the red velvet cupcake for myself to discover what the fuss is all about. I guess I must have expected too much but I found it too cloyingly sweet.
On the other hand, I found myself immensely delighted with the sweet thrills at the Cupcake Cafe. I just loved the way they decorate their cupcake with buttercream piped flowers. It had the thickest buttercream frosting and loveliest floral designs.
Chocolate on a stick
I loved the mouth-melting sensation that arises from each bite of Petrossian’s famous croissants. It was rated as the best croissant in NYC. I had to discover for myself why serious foodies point to the Petrossian Boutique and Cafe as the place for the perfect croissant as well as other imaginative gourmet offerings. It was definitely a pleasurable experience. It was served faintly warm the way Id like it and the multi-layered inside of the flaky pastry was soft and buttery.
Browsing through the items on sale at the gift counter I came across block of chocolate packaged on a stick as a gourmet gift item. I’ve always loved food on a stick be it sweet fried bananas or grilled shrimp on the barbie. But what could be more intriguing than chocolate on a stick! Read the instructions written on the box . It said to swirl these cubes into a cup of hot milk, or heavy cream for the ultimate cup of cocoa. It was rich, creamy, wickedly good — the best cup of comfort and joy I’ve had in a long time.
My carnivorous fix
Although, green, organic, vegan and healthy are the hip words in the culinary scene....the old-fashioned juicy plump burger will always remain a classic. And who was I to bow out from a tasty carnivorous mealtime fix at the meat patty paradise called Burger Heaven Diner. I tried their classic burger. Wow! The broiled juicy burgers are served on sesame buns with a host of cheeses and sidings. In addition to that there is a wide array of salads as well as hot and cold sandwiches.
Lucky me
I had the privilege of checking in for one night at the plush Bowery Hotel, in line with my research work on boutique hotels. It’s hard work indeed but someone has got to do . I was swept away by its old-world charm, from its magnificent arched fireplaces, touches of Victorian lace on cozy mohair armchairs, tasteful oriental rugs and wood beam ceilings. Located on the Bowery Road, North Area , lower Manhattan, it’s within walking distance from all the major shopping streets.
Best breakfast
If there’s a lady behind the fanciful and fantastic Italian dishes served at the Bowery her name should be Gemma! It must be...because that’s the name of the celebrated trattoria located at the hotel’s ground floor. I had the best breakfast I’ve had in years at Gemma’s Trattoria with its Eggs a la Gemma with Prosciutto. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner there’s plenty to savor at Gemma’s, which has consistently received glowing reviews from food critics.
I love New York and can’t wait to go back!