+- WineBoard (https://www.wines.com/wineboard)
+-- Forum: GENERAL (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-100.html)
+--- Forum: Rants & Raves (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-12.html)
+--- Thread: Compliments to Foodie (/thread-12451.html)
- mrdutton - 08-25-2002
We recently traveled to NYC for a few days visit.
Foodie, even on vacation, made sure we were well received.
He (and others) suggested some places to eat. We selected Pierre Au Tunnel because it was close to the theater district.
IS-Wine delivered, quite smartly and without addtional charges, a half-case of Prosecco to our hotel for our enjoyment. Thanks FRANK!
We are just sorry that we were not able to get downtown to visit the store.
If you get a chance to see Mamma Mia, do so. It is a lite and lively comedy with a couple of sub-plots and a surprise ending. The music of ABBA enhances the show; we thoroughly enjoyed it. We saw the show during a week day matinee; the house was full and the audience gave the performers a standing ovation. At the Winter Garden on B'Way at 50th.
Before this show we considered going into a TGIF on 7th Ave for lunch. No way - $14.99 for a hamburger! Can you imagine? Forget that. We found a deli on B'way and 49th where I got a huge tuna salad on rye, whole kosher pickle, chips and a diet coke for around $6.00. Carol had a burger with raw onions, chips and a soda for about $4.50.
Also, should you get a chance, go see LION KING. This is beyond any doubt the best choreograpically arranged and most technically proficient broadway show that I've ever seen. Sure the story line is known around the world (and may be a bit hokey), but the show is not the movie and is well worth the time and effort; believe me. We went to a mid-week 8PM performance. The house was full and there were significantly more adults there than children. At the New Ambassador on 42nd Street near Times Square.
I've been going to Broadway shows since I was twelve years old and Lion King is, overall, THE BEST ONE I've ever seen.
We paid our respects at the WTC site, then sat for a while inside Trinity Church and even lit a couple of candles for all kinds of reasons.
We walked by Roys of New York but did not go in to eat (too darned expensive). We craned our necks to the breaking point at Empire State but did not go up - did not want to wait 1/2 hour just to get to the elevators.
Rode the subways and felt secure and safe. Saw some interesting sites and some wierd stuff also.
This time we stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel, 45 E 45th Street at Madison Avenue. Across the street a bit was Grand Central Station and the hotel was well within walking distance of our chosen restaurant and both theatres.
NYC we love ya and we'll be back!
[This message has been edited by mrdutton (edited 08-25-2002).]
- Bucko - 08-25-2002
Sounds like a fun trip.......
StayingWestOfTheMississippiBucko
- winoweenie - 08-26-2002
Sounds like a ball MisserD. I, Too, will wait for the road-show. WW
- Jackie - 08-26-2002
Fun!! Your description is enough to motivate even an old home-body like me to visit the Big Apple.
Jackie
- wondersofwine - 08-26-2002
Thanks for sharing your trip notes. I would love to see "Lion King" but even in London, two or three years ago, its was sold out. How did you go about obtaining your theater tickets?
- hotwine - 08-26-2002
Better Half saw it in Houston 2-3 weeks ago during weekend of running amok among the antique shops with her two sisters. She raved about it, but blissfully, I stayed home. A trip to a city that size is about as popular with me as a bad case of the trots.
- mrdutton - 08-26-2002
Wondersofwine - I got the tickets by buying in advance.......... well in advance.
If I want to see a show ON Broadway (as opposed to seeing a Broadway Show on the road), then I log into www.telecharge.com and I buy the tickets in advance. (Ticketmaster carries some shows, but not nearly as many as telecharge carries.) Of course, I pay a service fee, a handling fee, and taxes, but the fees are fairly reasonable as compared to buying the tickets through a "broker" (many have handling fees that double the face value of the tickets). Telecharge and ticketmaster charge fees that are considerably less than that.
- For instance Mamma Mia, Orchestra seats, center section, row M (about the middle of the orchestra section) were $95.00 each. Telecharge adds an additional $12.00 per ticket in fees, handling and that includes tax. They mail the tickets to me and guarentee the seats - if I misplace the tickets all I need to do is show at the box office, present an ID and the credit card used to buy the tickets and I get reprints.
For Lion King that meant buying tickets about a year in advance. Mamma Mia also meant buying tickets about a year in advance. I then planned the trip around the tickets.
- mrdutton - 08-26-2002
Follow - up:
Pierre Au Tunnel in the theater district. Very authentic French - they serve veal face or is that calves face!
They have a fixed price menu with variations that starts at $34.00 a person. Some items on the menu have a + with a dollar amount to indicate that that item is an additional charge.
We were early so we sat at the bar for a cocktail. I had a Negroni and my wife had a Tom Collins. The bartender was a trip - an 82 year old who told us he was a reed man (sax and clarinet) for Tommy Dorsey back in the good old days. Verne, he said he knew of you (but we didn't buy anymore than 1 drink each from him......!).
The wait staff were all of French origin and were friendly enough that they did not mind my few attempts at using their language.
The owner was present and approached every table to make sure that service and meal were in order.
Once seated I had escargot and french bread (gotta have that to soak up the garlic and the butter!) and my wife had the onion soup. Both were very good. Our main courses were a filet mignon with sauce bernaise for the wife and duck breast with a bit of sauted foie gras and a confit of drumstick. My wife had julienne vegetables and roast potatoes and I had wild rice and apple slices. For dessert we had creme caramel (instead of my preferred creme brulee), coffee and for me a snifter of brandy.
I had wine by the glass because my wife is not a wine drinker although I am trying very hard to convert her away from water and onto wine. They had a decent shiraz from OZ (I don't remember the label) that went very nicely with my duck.
Cocktails before dinner, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, a couple of items on the menu with the + marks, and coffee and a drink after dinner. We sat down at 5:30 PM and left the place at 7:15 PM with plenty of time to walk 5 blocks to the theater for an 8:00 PM show. We walked out of the place full and content and about $114.00 lighter than we arrived. We could have spent that much for two right here in Virginia Beach at some of our favorite places, so that price was not a real big deal.
So if you are in NYC and want to go French, try this place, you might like it.
- Botafogo - 08-26-2002
Re theatre ticks: Here in LaLA they are advertizing The Lion King HEAVILY on the radio to fill the seats but two Aussies doing live origami onstage with their private parts (with large overhead screens for detail) in a show called "Puppetry of the Penis" is the hottest ticket in town. And the marquee of the theater is priceless: "Now Playing Puppetry of the Penis" but under that is the announcement for the Saturday Catechism hosted by the Coronet Theatre!!!! This show already has spin-offs in Europe and I saw an ad for it in Rio as "Origami Privado".
Signs of end times or just Aussies having too much fun? Could be the final result of too much 15% Shiraz...
Roberto
- winoweenie - 08-27-2002
IT REALLY MAKES (blush) Me thunk 'bout going east of the big "M". Sounds like you got 'nuff gold stars on this trip to last another year D-Babe. You didn't happen to get the sax mans name did you Mike? Dorsey had a killer band back in the G.O.Ds'. We used to catch them at their Sunday Brunch gigs. My gracious Roberto....When you see this, I have to have an " up close and personal" description. How did the tasting go at the Il Forno? They were setting up your room when I had lunch. Gave you the proper press. See you in a couple. WW
- wondersofwine - 08-27-2002
Thanks Mr. D. for letting me know about Telecharge. I guess you have the right idea about securing tickets to the shows you want to see and then planning your trip around them.
The French restaurant sounds great and reasonably priced for what you had.
- Thomas - 08-27-2002
I did not recommend Pierre Au Tunnel because MR. D asked for restaurants downtown, but it is an all-time favorite with my wife and me. Was introduced to it by my father-in-law who used to edit at the old NY Herald Tribune; said the guys ate there a lot--the guys were Art Buchwald, Andy Rooney, Harry Reasner (sp), et al.
- hotwine - 08-27-2002
Sounds like a place we'd head for, if we ever stay longer than a plane-change at JFK...Good recs from you guys, thanks.
- mrdutton - 08-27-2002
Verne if I can find out his name, I'll let you know.
Oh by-the-by, Foodie you did tell me about Pierre Au Tunnel but that's no big deal either, because I was thinking about staying on the lower east side. So for our next trip I have this great list of places to eat below 14th street. Gramercy Park Hotel here we come!!
However we ended up staying mid-town so we would be within walking distance of the theatres. (I told my wife to wear sneakers; she would not listen to me. Guess what she carried home with her on the tops of her toes? Yeah - a couple of blisters.)
- winoweenie - 08-28-2002
" And Vanity is her name ". WW
- Thomas - 08-28-2002
Well, Mr. D, if I told you about the PaT, then I did good...
- mrdutton - 08-28-2002
Well..... why yes you did! (do good)