On the Town
- Samantha Hoback
- Jun 13, 2017
- 5 min read
So I've lived in New York City for the better part of five years this September. Almost hard to believe. What's even harder to believe is this past weekend was the first time my sister, mom, and I spent a girls weekend in the city. No boys. Just lots of good food, good wine, an amazing Broadway show, and some apartment hunting.
Friday we had a late lunch at one of my favorite spots in the Upper East Side, Beyoglu. We split a bottle of wine and the mezze platter, then enjoyed fresh salads before heading to Central Park. I can't believe I hadn't brought Macie or Mom to the Onassis Reservoir until then. It was a perfect day, and we walked all the way around, enjoying the weather and walking off the wine from lunch before heading back to my apartment to get ready for dinner. (Side note: Yes, all three of us squeezed into my shoebox-size apartment. Just one of the many reasons I'm planning on moving at the beginning of next year.)
Before dinner, we indulged in cocktails at the rooftop bar of the Empire Hotel, one of the things on Macie's bucket list. For those of you not in the know, the Empire is one of the locations where Gossip Girl was filmed. The drinks were delicious, the view was amazing, and despite it being a little warmish in the sun, we had a perfect happy hour. Dinner was at a New York institution: Tavern on the Green. This was my second visit to the famous Central Park restaurant, and I was excited that the weather was so nice so we could sit outside. But while we were waiting to be seated, I recognized a familiar face in the lobby. Any SNL fans out there? Alex Moffatt--aka Anderson Cooper and Eric Trump--was also at TotG on Friday with some friends. I wanted to say hi and ask for a picture, but Mom wouldn't let me. Next time...
Dinner was, obviously, amazing. Oysters to start (for me), then the salmon, and finally the strawberry-rhubarb cheesecake. Between the food and the atmosphere, TotG continues to rank as one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
Saturday was for brunching, walking, shopping, and musicals. We started at brunch at Benoit, a French bistro I learned about through Geoffrey Zakarian (aka GZ)'s instagram. It met all my expectations, and then some. Mimosas and bloody Marys, pain au chocolat, cheese biscuits and buckwheat crepes. We ate so much bread; not to worry, though. We walked it off. After a generous brunch we headed to Union Square, meandered through the farmers' market, and then walked over to the High Line. Again, it was hot, and we were parched. We only made it a few blocks before we had to break for water bottles. Also, it was getting late, and we had a couple more stops to make before dinner and the show.
As of June 26, ABRAMS will be located at 195 Broadway in the Financial District of Manhattan. A beautiful building, a brand-new office space, and--the only downside--a longer commute for me. I was glad I got to show Macie and Mom the new office, which just so happens to be right next door to the new FiDi Eataly location. Eataly, O Eataly. I could spend hours perusing the aisles and sampling the bread and cheese. Any grocery store that encourages you to drink wine while you shop is right up my alley. (Alas, we didn't indulge this time, but I did bring home some yummy Italian ingredients.)
For dinner on Saturday we hit up another GZ hotspot, his midtown restaurant The Lamb's Club. I cannot accurately describe how amazing that meal was. From the bread to the burrata appetizer to the freshly shaved truffles over the agnolotti pasta. We didn't have time for dessert, though we were tempted. (Oh, and as we left, I spotted Stephen Colbert by the fireplace. Celebrity sighting numero dos for the weekend.)
Ironically, we went to Broadway the evening before the Tony awards. My first comment after the final curtain closed on Bandstand was about the outstanding choreography. (The show won the Tony for Best Choreography on Sunday at Radio City.) I knew I'd love the show--anything with Laura Osnes and swing dancing is bound to be a hit. I had no idea how much I'd love it, and how moved I'd be when it was over. If you're in the city and looking for a show to see (for relatively inexpensive tickets), I highly recommend you check out Bandstand. (Oh, and I'm in love with Corey Cott. Who just so happens to be the brother of Casey Cott, aka Kevin on Riverdale. I love small worlds.)
We went to the late service at Trinity on Sunday before making our way to the Palace Hotel for a Gossip Girl-inspired brunch at Villard. It was Macie and my second visit, though we sat in a different dining room which felt like a totally different experience. The food was, as expected, perfection. My only complaint? The service was very fast, so fast that I didn't feel as though I could sit back, relax, and enjoy the ambience without feeling a bit rushed.
Sunday's mission was simple: apartment hunt. It's no secret that I've been planning on moving out of my current place in favor of something a little more grown-up. I've narrowed down my search to half a dozen buildings, three of which we visited on Sunday. It was hot--low nineties--but we trekked on, and we all agreed that one building stood out among the rest. I'm excited to plan for the next place, whether its on 97th Street or in another building on the UES. My one request: walking distance to the dance studio where I work part time. Because I plan on being there to take classes when I'm not working. So, basically, the other four days a week.
The weekend wrapped at our favorite restaurants, Fig & Olive Uptown. We got there earlier than our reservation and decided to have a long, leisurely dinner, starting with drinks and appetizers. As planned, we all three ordered the same thing: lamb chops. You can't go to Fig & Olive and not order the lamb. It's the BEST, and I'm not even exaggerating. Mom, Macie, and I dream about this dish. And we finished each of our dinners respectively, leaving just a bit of the eggplant and the bare bones. Oh, and we managed to save room for dessert. Not much, but just enough to sink into the pot de creme. (Or, for my mom, the apple tart.)
What a weekend. I think it's safe to say that girls' weekend will happen again in the near future, hopefully when I have a bigger place to host everyone. The next couple of months are going to be pretty busy for me. Good busy. I hope to have lots of exciting updates soon. Til then...
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