Top of the World
- Samantha Hoback
- May 16, 2016
- 4 min read
This is how I spent my Sunday . . . slept in, went to church, shopped for groceries, cleaned my apartment, watched the better part of season 3 of Gilmore Girls, ordered Indian food (per usual) for dinner, and read until I fell asleep.
It sounds lame, I know. But once you hear how I spent the rest of the weekend, you will understand why I was in need of some down time.
My weekend started at 5:00 on Friday when I raced from work back to my apartment so I would be home when the Fresh Direct deliveryman arrived. I was expecting my bi-weekly shipment of cleaning products (things that are big and heavy, so I order them online instead of lugging them from the grocery store) between 6 and 8. While I waited, I cleaned my apartment, organized my kitchen, fed Rory, watched some Grey's Anatomy, and took out the trash. I had a glass of red wine, and then another, before finally the shipment arrived at quarter till eight. (They take the 2-hour window very literally here.)
But all the waiting around and housekeeping couldn't get me down. Because while I was waiting and cleaning, my dad was on his way from VA for a quick visit. He got a little off course and ended up in Brooklyn at one point, but he finally made it safe and sound around 9:00 pm Friday evening. We ordered takeout sushi from one of my favorite NY Asian restaurants, Amber (NYC Ballet principal dancer Misty Copeland also loves the sushi!) which we ate while watching TV--I introduced my dad to Grey's Anatomy season one. He pointed out the anomalies--he is an experienced medic after all--but I think he liked it.
Saturday was a busy busy day. First, we took care of the point of his visit: loading the rest of the things that just wouldn't fit in my apartment (and have been clogging up my hallway for the last month) into the back of the SUV. After the heavy lifting was over, we headed to brunch.
There is no shortage of French bistros in this city, and I've been wanting to go to Maison Kayser for brunch. Authentic cafe au lait and a bread basket accompanied by fruit preserves and nutella! My dad and I each ordered cocottes--a baked egg dish that comes in the cutest cast-iron pot. Mine had spinach and goat cheese; his had ham and mushrooms and was garnished by croque monsieur sandwich. Delicious! I'll definitely go back.
Next we needed to work off some of the brunch calories, so we walked west towards Central Park. It was bustling, even more than usual, because the park was prepping for the AIDS walk, which took place today. There were folding tables and more Porta Potties than I've ever seen in one place all lined up along the paths. We wandered through Sheep's Meadow and finally emerged near Columbus Circle.
The highlight of the day was our afternoon in FiDi--Financial District. I've visited the 9/11 Memorial numerous times, but every time it gets me. When I last lived in the city, the final spire was added to the top of Freedom Tower, marking the completion of 12 years of clean-up and construction. And on Saturday, I got to ride 100 stories to the Top of the World and experience the city like I've never seen it. 360 degree views of three states, five boroughs, six bodies of water...not to mention the miles of city skyline. Breathtaking, if a little intimidating.
While we took in the views, we were ready for a late afternoon pick-me-up. There is a restaurant on the top of One World Trade, so we took a seat at the bar overlooking the Hudson River and the West Side, ordered drinks and honey-scallion chicken wings (I'm going to try to recreate the recipe at home!) and watched helicopters fly lower than our feet. Incredible.
We had some time to kill before dinner, and since we were already downtown, we went to Battery Park and found a bench overlooking the water. The sun, the sea breeze, the snakes--yes, there were two snakes some crazy people decided to bring with them to Battery Park; I ran--the Statue of Liberty. I don't get down to the Battery often enough, but I always enjoy the view of the open water and boats and runners.
For dinner we walked to the Bowery to DBGB--one of Daniel Boulud's many restaurants in the city. In addition to an impressive oyster bar and craft beer list, the food was delicious and decadent: I ordered the lamb, of course, which came with cauliflower and Swiss chard (yum); Dad opted for the organic chicken and olive oil crushed potatoes (also yum). And although the dessert menu was tempting, we were both too full...and too tired. We hailed a cab to drive us back uptown.
He left early Sunday morning--like before 7 am, so he could get back to VA at a reasonable hour. After saying goodbye, I went back to sleep, which Rory was all too happy to oblige. It was just a quick trip, but I always love spending time with my dad. Hard to believe that the next time I see him we will be boarding a trans-Atlantic flight. More to come...
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