Blind Barbers, Fresh Marshmallows & Boating

Recently Hilton gave me a free one night stay and I chose to take the girls on an overnight to NYC. Saying that we had a fabulous time is quite the understatement.

The night started out with a quick dinner at Q2, a Thai restaurant on 9th Ave between 52nd & 53rd St. While I don't love their pad thai, I do order their crab croquettes every time I stop by. Plus, if you order three appetizers they give you a glass of wine on the house.

After gussying up we headed down to Jade Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel (21st St. & Lexington). The drinks are a bit pricy, but it's worth trying at least one of their cleverly crafted concoctions. I had the Lavender & Cucumber Fizz and would trek downtown for it any time. The atmosphere is dark and intimate. It's not a large bar.

Once I finished my delicious drink we headed to a dive bar, whose name I cannot remember, to ask some locals where we could find some decent dancing in the area. Two games of pool and several cake shots later we ended up at The Blind Barber. Everything about this place captured my heart. The barber shop/bar is on 10th St. & Avenue B and is reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties. The bouncer that night was a tall (and imposing!) man with an eye patch who you DO NOT want to mess with. I saw a few people try to sneak in a side door and he was on them in seconds. Once he gives you the okay you are guided through a small, tiled, traditional barber shop into a back room that is the bar and dancing area. We were their on the Sunday before Memorial Day and it was crowded. The bar was very dark and had a fun atmosphere. I would have preferred a different DJ, but I didn't stop dancing the entire time we were there. There were a few leather & wooded booths and a small back area for a more privet feel. I just stuck to dancing and didn't sample the drinks, but I know I will have to next time. Apparently the Blind Barber house special is the Sweeney Todd (who didn't see that coming?), which is comprised of whiskey, an egg white, honey syrup and lemon juice! They are open daily 6pm - 4am except Sundays.

After a raucous night, which ended up with me falling asleep in the shower, we wanted a calm and relaxing Monday.

Our day started with lunch at one of my FAVORITE restaurants, Jean Georges in the Trump Tower at Columbus Circle. Reservations are a must and their are two dining areas with different menus so be specific. We went to the back dining area where we ordered off the Tastes of Spring prix fixe menu. Before our meal appeared we were presented with a tasting of three amuse-bouche: a watercress soup, yellowfin tuna (I believe) with a melon sauce, and fresh mozzarella with strawberry & balsamic. I ordered the Crispy Crab with Pink Peppercorn Mustard and Exotic Fruits as the first course. The crab was fresh and chunky, pairing perfectly with the mustard while the fruit gave you a sweet finish. One of the reasons I love Jean Georges so much is because of their sauces, mustards, and anything else they wish to put over the main "meat" of the dish. Every sauce I've had has been an explosion of flavor and has me wishing Jean George would come out with a cookbook purely for sauces. For the main course I had the Crispy Sweet breads, Glazed Maitake Mushroom, Spring Onions and Hibiscus Jam. Once again, my favorite part was the jam. It was sweet and tart, paired with very flavorful veal sweetbreads. By the time we had finished all our food we were convinced we couldn't eat anymore so we decided to skip dessert,...but then they brought out their version of petit fours: miniature coconut-strawberry macaroons with strawberry jelly, homemade vanilla bean marshmallows, and an assortment of chocolates. The marshmallows tasted as if you were biting into a pillow or perhaps a cloud. I look forward to going back and trying more off of their menu.

We burned off our meal at the Central Park Boathouse where we rented a rowboat and traversed the man-made lake. It was a great day to be outside, getting a tan and spotting turtles. A trip to NYC is never complete without some shopping and a walk around town. Overall it was one of the best trips I've had with the girls and I can't wait to plan our next one!

x,
Chace