Sailaway and 1st Full Sea Day

Good afternoon and greetings from somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

We sailed from Lisbon late yesterday afternoon following our boat muster. Our departure was delayed for about an hour, as the ship needed some “spare parts” – don’t even know what that means, but OK.

AAC, CPA and I decided to have our own sailaway party on our balcony.

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Sailaway beverage of choice, courtesy of our butler, Sebastian.

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And AAC, CPA enjoying a bit of the bubbly as we depart Lisbon.

As we headed out to sea, there were a couple of notable sights along the way:

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The iconic Christo Rei statue on the southern banks of the River Tagus

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The 25 de Abril Bridge which, to me, is so reminiscent of the SF Golden Gate Bridge

And, finally, before we head out to the open sea:

The lighthouse.

After a little snooze – good Champagne can make one drowsy, you know – we got cleaned up and dressed for dinner. Here are a couple of the dishes we had last night:

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It’s a hot smoked scallop, with cucumber foam and charred cucumber

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Red beet sherbet, which we used as a palette cleanser.

OOPS! I forgot to photograph my entree: a yummy pink-roasted pancetta pork tenderloin, which I had with mashed potatoes, yellow carrots and olive oil caviar and chives!

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“Chocolate & Banana Harmony”

After dinner, we took a little stroll around deck 6, where all the “action is”. The theme of this crossing is “Big Band” and, true to form, Crystal has engaged the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra to play every night. The band has all the old charts and Great American Songbook standards, so it’s a pleasure to listen to them. We’ve sailed with them on numerous occasions and they are marvelous.

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Great musical evenings with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

So to atone for my sins yesterday (all that Cristal, all that food!!!), I was up and out by 8:00 AM this morning to do my 12 laps around the Promenade Deck. Both Crystal ships are great in that they have Promenade Decks that extend all the way around the ship. For those of you who count, a mile is equal to 3.7 laps.

Around 9:00 AM, the Captain made an announcement that rocked my world: On every westbound crossing we’ve made from Lisbon, the first port of call is always either the Azores or the Canary Islands. As we’ve made this crossing so many times, we’ve been to those places more than we really need to be. So, when the Captain announced that, due to the remnants of a hurricane somewhere, he decided to cancel our call at the Azores and proceed directly to our only remaining port: St. Thomas, I was extremely happy. What this means for me is 8 consecutive sea days – WOO HOO!

Then it was time for breakfast. As it was such a lovely day, here’s AAC, CPA having an alfresco breakfast, a lovely start to the day:

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(According to dear friends Lynne and Garry, who know all that one needs to know about what’s happening on board, a couple in an adjacent cabin to their’s had booked the crossing for the sole purpose of visiting the Azores, so I suppose these folks having a bad day.)

I, for one, am not upset. With no disrespect intended, once you’ve seen the Azores, you’ve seen the Azores, if you receive my meaning. And you can quote me.

So, it’s just about 6:00 PM and Sebastian is about to drop by with some evening canapes at our request. That’s one of the joys of sailing on Crystal. I think we requested pigs-in-blankets (I never said we were highbrows, after all), crudite (but NO cauliflower) and potato chips. I’m already chilling the glasses for the Negronis which I’m about to make.

The absolutely indispensable Sebastian, “the best in the West”.

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AAC, CPA with Negronis and all the rest.

After our leisurely cocktail “hour”, we’ll get cleaned up and, as it’s our first formal night, we’ll have dinner tonight at one of the specialty restaurants: Prego.

Buona sera a tutti – a domani!!

Crystal Symphony – 1st Full Day on Board

Well, after almost 22 hours door to door, we finally arrived on board Crystal Symphony last night. As you may recall, we had that lousy 7 1/2 layover in London, and then boarded our BA flight for Lisbon. There was a little bit of excitement at baggage claim where we thought our luggage was missing but, fortunately, it appeared at the very end.

We were met by Crystal representatives who transferred us to the ship and by 8:00 PM we were ensconced in our beautiful cabin #1022. It was like seeing a dear old friend again. Of all the times we’ve sailed on Symphony, we’ve only had 4 cabins, all on deck 10. It’s always wonderful to return. And the cherry on top of our sundae is that Sebastian is our butler. We’ve sailed with him before and it’s great to see him again. He’s the best (to which he will reply: “The best in the west”). And there it is.

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So great to be back in our favorite cabin, 1022.

(I’ll give you a tour a little later in the cruise.)

We were just in time for dinner, and it was great to see old friends in the Crystal Dining Room, starting with Remi, who runs the show down there and our headwaiter, Roland, who always takes such good care of us and tolerates our multiple requests for food which isn’t on the menu. As always, we have a lovely window table, midship on the starboard side. At the next table, we ran into Lynne and Garry, two dear friends with whom we’ve sailed many times. Looking forward to spending some quality time with them.

We had a delicious dinner last night. Food is always a big highlight when you’re on a ship. The pix are a bit on the dark side, sorry about that:

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AAC, CPA anticipating a delicious first dinner on board

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Seared Ahi Tuna w/Wasabi

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Wisconsin Veal Ribeye w/Potatoes Dauphinoise

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Apple Tart a-la-Mode

After dinner, we took a stroll on deck 7 – the promenade deck – one of our favorite places on the ship. For some reason, it doesn’t get much use and we love it for strolling or jogging. Here is our AAC, CPA last night – yes, that’s an almost full moon above him:

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1st night on board – lovely, right?

Then it was time to return to the cabin to unpack and get some zzzzzz’s. After all, we’d only slept about 4 hours on the redeye to London and, with the time difference, we were a bit sleep-deprived.

So we got into bed and, literally, passed out for about 8 hours – it was sensational!!

Got up a bit after 8:00 AM, pulled ourselves together and came up to Lido Deck for some breakfast. It’s wonderful to see so many familiar faces amongst the crew, all of whom came up to say “Welcome Back”. Not only that, but they remember us by name, which is a typical Crystal habit.

In the meantime, here I am on Lido Deck, soaking up the warm sunny weather, as I write to you.

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Up on Deck 11 – Lido Deck

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My MacAir – where all the magic happens!

Just having a lazy day – our great friends, Lynne and Garry found us here on Lido Deck and we hung out, got caught up and had a bite of lunch. I have to remember to pace myself, gentle readers, as there is so much food all around me all the time. And it’s a 13 day voyage.

Along around 2:15, it was time for the muster drill. That’s the point at which all of the passengers make horse’s asses out of themselves and parade around in their life jackets. I supposed it’s a good idea that we know what to do it we hit an iceberg or something. In any event, here are a couple of candid shots of those near and dear to us:

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AAC, CPA – clothes horse – models his stylish life jacket

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The suddenly camera-shy Lynne and the debonair Garry

So that’s it for now, mes amis. We sail at about 4:00 this afternoon, or in a little over an hour. The captain has already advised that we’ll be passing through some “weather” this evening, so we’re off to a fun start.

Stay tuned for further adventures.

Until then . . . . . . .

Tuesday: LHR Layover

Good morning from an overcast and cool London. We arrived about 2 hours ago following our transatlantic flight from New York. Due to unfortunate scheduling, we have a 7 hour layover here until we can board our flight for Lisbon and, from there, to the beautiful Crystal Symphony, where we will board in about 9 hours – not a minute too soon.

Backing up 12 hours:

Our car and driver picked us up right on time and swept us out to JFK. Considering it was rush hour, Sammy made excellent time and we were checked in, whisked through security and seated in British Airways’ Concorde Room within minutes of our arrival at the airport.

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AAC, CPA enters the Concorde Room at JFK

We are very fortunate to be able to avail ourselves of the facilities of the Concorde Room, as it has a very nice restaurant with table service. Here’s the dinner menu from last night:

And the wine and cocktail list, which is on an iPad:

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AAC, CPA makes a bon voyage toast

We’ve dined in the Concorde Room before and the great advantage is that you can eat on the ground and then sleep on the plane (unless you’re a certain couple who have a second dinner on the plane – no names, please). And the food you get in the Concorde Room is likely to be better than the food on the plane.

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First up: Roasted baby beets and charred goat cheese

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Followed by a delicious rack of lamb

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Our waiter insisted that we have this pumpkin mousse

By the time we had finished eating, it was almost time to board.

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AAC, CPA waits for the boarding announcement

Then, a 5-minute walk to the gate and – voila! – we board our 747 chariot bound for LHR.

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AAC, CPA gets settled in for the night

As I mentioned, we could have had another dinner but I just wanted to put on the pajamas that were provided for us and get into bed. So, I opted for this:

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White chocolate cookies and some hot cocoa (with a drop of Bailey’s!!)

Following my little meal, I popped some Sudafed, aspirin and an Ambien and I was off to the races for the next 4 1/2 hours.

By the time I woke up, we were about an hour from London, so I took care of some business, made sure that AAC, CPA was awake and just relaxed.

When we had landed at LHR, we knew we had to change terminals for our flight to Lisbon. However, we had been under the assumption that we’d be able to spend most of our layover in the Concorde Room over in Terminal 5, which turned out not to be true. That’s a shame, as the Concorde Room here is perhaps even nicer than the one at JFK. Not only that, but we had requested a complimentary private “cabana” for a few hours so that we would have been able to get some more sleep. No such luck.

So we traipsed from Terminal 5 over to Terminal 3 and here we are in the first class lounge. Not bad, not great. They also have a sit-down restaurant, and we’ll probably go over for some lunch a little later.

As a friend of ours’ says, “These are champagne problems”; ie., I’ll get over it.

So here’s a little look at the Terminal 3 lounge – it’s not terrible 🙂

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One of several bars here – all complimentary, of course

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Another bar – what, no Campari??

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It’s the champagne bar – too early in the day, perhaps?

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AAC, CPA chows down on a light breakfast

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The departure board – see how far down the list our Lisbon flight is?

So, that’s where it’s at, kids. I’ll update you tomorrow when we’re ensconced in our digs about Symphony.

Have a good one!!

Hips and Ships

A Farce in Three Parts

Part One: AAC, CPA Goes Hippie

Hola, amigos!! Did you miss us? It’s been a really long time, I know, since TheCulturedTraveler took pen to paper (as it were) to fill you in on what’s going on with us.

Well, the answer is – in a word – PLENTY!

The intrepid star of our blog – AAC, CPA – has had an exciting few months (with an assist from yours truly). You see, he’s had this hip that’s been giving him a pain-in-the – well – hip. He has a truly excellent surgeon and support team and we knew a hip replacement was in his future. In fact, we visited the surgeon this past July to set up the procedure for this November. But, while we were there, the doc wanted to take some new film of the old hip so that he’d have a revised benchmark when it came time for the surgery.

So, we were in his office manager’s office mapping things out, schedule-wise, when said doc popped his head into the office and said: “When you’re done in here, come see me.” We didn’t particularly think anything of it, so we were a bit surprised when we were told that there was essentially no cartilage remaining in the hip and he had fast-tracked AAC, CPA for surgery 10 days later. Yes, sports fans, you read that correctly.

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AAC CPA on his way to the hospital – 5:05 AM

In a way, it was a good thing, since AAC, CPA was really suffering with his bum hip. So, better to get it over with and put it behind us. And, in fact, he was SO READY for the operation that he was grateful not to have to wait another few months.

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New York City street scene – 5:07 AM

Without going into a lot of gory details, the operation was an incredible success. After a brief hospital stay, AAC, CPA returned home with his new and improved hip and, for the first couple of weeks, had a visiting nurse and physical therapist dropping in to check on him and to put him through his paces. We are now 10+ weeks since the surgery and our AAC, CPA is good as new, perhaps even better.

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The view from AAC, CPA’s hospital room – Triborough Bridge in the distance.

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AAC, CPA the day after surgery – in a very good mood.

So, a huge debt of thanks, kudos and a shout-out to Daniel Nawabi (AAC, CPA’s surgeon), the Hospital for Special Surgery, their fantastic staff and the visiting nurses and physical therapists who got AAC, CPA back on his feet! If you ever have an orthopedic issue, HSS is the place you want to be.

Part Two: The Travel Challenge

Well, you might ask, what does a hip replacement have to do with TheCulturedTraveler? Aside from being a witness to the whole thing – and it was a very interesting experience – we were both affected travel-wise, and I’ll tell you how:

First: His surgery was on August 4^th. We had been scheduled to fly to Amsterdam for Labor Day Weekend – 4 weeks later – didn’t happen.

Amsterdam – Nee

Note: To any of you contemplating this kind of surgery, please allow sufficient time after surgery to travel;

Second: In early October, we had planned to fly to London and then to Paris and, finally, to Lisbon to board the beautiful Crystal Symphony and sail back to the states – see below;

Third: We had planned to fly to Hong Kong for the holidays (on Cathay Pacific using American Airlines miles) – uh-uh, as you’ll see below.

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Hong Kong – 没有

Why all the travel drama? Here’s why: AAC, CPA’s surgeon wouldn’t clear him for travel until 12 weeks following his operation which, actually, would take us to October 27^th. Therefore: no London and no Paris!!! Because we had already paid our fare for the Symphony voyage (and were into the penalty cancellation period), we negotiated with the surgeon to shave 1½ weeks off of the 12 week travel embargo (which is how we lost London and Paris), and he agreed. (Whew.)

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London – No!

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Paris – Non!

So why in the world did we have to cancel Hong Kong, which was certainly outside of the 12-week period? Well, when we had to cancel Amsterdam, we had to figure out a way not to forfeit our airfare to and from. We had gotten “the deal of the century” on British Airways (one of their famous “flash sales”) which, unfortunately, was non-refundable. When I contacted BA, I was told that, if we produced a letter from our surgeon that (a) AAC CPA was unable to fly on our original itinerary; but (b) would be cleared to fly after a certain date, then (c) the airline would allow us to change our itinerary without penalty. However, there might be an up-charge for the new itinerary. Are you with me so far?

Because of our travel commitments (we’re actually booked through August, 2018!!), and because the BA fare we originally paid was good only until May of next year, we had to jettison Hong Kong (Boo-Hoo) and, instead, go somewhere else for the holidays. Well, as a “consolation prize”, why not Paris? Turns out that OpenSkies, a subsidiary of BA, has non-stop flights from JFK to Paris. We’ve used them a couple of times and, while they’re not Air France, their flights are more than adequate. So, for a slight upcharge, we’ll spend Christmas week in Paris.

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Open Skies from JFK to Paris Orly

It’s a good thing that I’m a type-A obsessed travel person, as that little transaction somehow took over a month to complete, due to a certain amount of incompetence on the BA side. There, I said it.

The great news is that I got another “deal of the century” on digs in Paris, as the Peninsula Hotel was running an insane sale that, if you blinked, you almost missed it. (Woo-Hoo!)

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Entrance to the Peninsula Hotel – Paris

So, that took care of the Amsterdam cancellation.

Then, I had to change our flight itinerary for Lisbon. Originally, we would have flown to London, then Paris and, finally, Lisbon, all on miles. Now we just needed to get to Lisbon. So, I had to contact American Airline, British Airways and Air France to make changes. We were very lucky to be able to return the miles to our accounts with very few penalties and, most especially, we able to get award flights to Lisbon – through London. We’ll be traveling in style all the way – lucky us!

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Lisbon – Sim!!!

I know you’re concerned that we aren’t able to spend the holidays in Hong Kong, a place we’ve never been. Never fear, we’ve now slotted it for December, 2018. (I TOLD you: I’m a type-A travel obsessed travel person.)

Part Three: Anchors Away!

Are you still with me? Here comes the good part.

After all of the travails of the past few months, isn’t it time for us to have some fun? Well, I think so, too.

Of course, it’s no secret that we plan our trips well in advance. How else can we be certain that we’ll get that certain flight on miles in a premium cabin or, speaking of cabins, the stateroom that we want on our next ocean voyage?

To that end, we planned (back in 2014) to be in Lisbon this coming Tuesday to board Symphony for a leisurely 13-day crossing back to the States. Fortunately, as posted above, our surgeon cleared AAC, CPA for travel so that, on Monday evening, we’ll take the redeye to London, with a connecting flight to Lisbon. If all goes well, we’ll be in time for dinner at our usual starboard midship window table. (If we’re running late, we sent an emergency e-mail to Remi, Symphony’s superb Maître ‘d to keep a plate in the oven for us.)

Redeye to from JFK to London LHR aboard a BA 747

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7½ hour layover in the Concorde Room – LHR

The beautiful Crystal Symphony – our home for the remainder of the month.

Life is good.

PS. Stay tuned for further tales of our adventures on the road!

2015 Wrap-Up, Part II – Cuisine

At this time of year, everyone seems to be publishing “best-of” lists. As I’ve only been blogging for barely 3 months, I thought I’d challenge myself to post 3 of these lists: one each for travel, culture, and cuisine.

Today is dedicated to cuisine and, I’m pleased to share with you 10 dining experiences that we really enjoyed in 2015.

In alphabetical order:

Ad Hoc – Yountville, CA

In my last post, I told you about the wonderful Hotel Yountville, located in the heart of the Napa Valley. Remember how I mentioned that many of Yountville’s finest restaurants are located within a stone’s throw of the hotel?

Well, Ad Hoc is literally a 5-minute walk from our digs. The mastermind behind the restaurant is Thomas Keller. Yes, THAT Thomas Keller (French Laundry and Bouchon are also within walking distance, as is his amazing public garden just across the street.)

Keller’s concept for Ad Hoc is simply this:

“We wanted a comfortable place for our community and families to dine. Five days a week we offer a four-course menu that changes daily, accompanied by a small, accessible wine list and our twist on classic cocktails.”

How great is that? When we dined there last June, their Monday night menu featured their traditional fried chicken. Not only was it succulently delicious, the portion was huge, so we were able to take the remainder back to the hotel for that midnight snack.

1st course: stone fruit salad

2nd course – fried chicken w/sides

Plan ahead if you want to go – it’s a small place.

And there’s great value, too: this 4-course menu is currently running at $52 per person. There’s also an additional dish that’s available for a supplemental charge.

CUISINE TIP: Ad Hoc

Angelini Osteria – Los Angeles, CA

Opened in 2001, Angelini Osteria continues to turn out delicious and authentic Italian food night after night. Chef Gino Angelini hails from the town of Rimini in the Italian region of Emilia Romagna and he’s brought his homeland with him.

We try to get there every couple of visits to Los Angeles. We like the casual atmosphere and the serious food. When you go, I recommend sharing several things. We usually start with some kind of salad, split a pasta (their agnolotti di osso buco is sensational), and then either a piece of fish (the Mediterranean branzino melts in your mouth and can easily be shared by 2) or some other entrée.

3 Course dinner for 2 with wine, tax and tip will run you about $220.

CUISINE TIP: Angelini Osteria

Cantine Le Veinte – Miami, FL

Just before boarding Crystal Serenity last May, we spent 2 nights in Miami. I was looking for something new and fun for dinner one evening and landed on Cantine Le Veinte. Opened in August 2014, at a reputed cost of $14 million (!!!), it is a happening scene with delicious food and extremely tasty drinks. We were there on a Saturday night and the 225-seat restaurant was packed. Oh, and there’s a mariachi band, which will stop by your table to play a tune or 2. Service is very friendly and the food is seriously good. Cantina Le Veinte is a place for celebrations, not necessarily for that quiet intimate dinner. It’s a good-time place and we had a ball.

Apps, entrees and Margaritas for 2, including tax and tip, will run you about $150.

CUISINE TIP: Cantine Le Veinte

Casa Enrique – Long Island City, NY

Opened in March 2012 by executive chef Cosme Aguilar, Casa Enrique has been a big hit ever since. Although Aguilar’s experience had been almost exclusively devoted to French cuisine, his brother Luis persuaded him to open their own food palace where they could feature their family’s traditional recipes. The results have been sensational.

It’s a sweet bell pepper Margarita!!!

Awarded one Michelin star in 2015 (the only Mexican restaurant in New York to be so honored), it just made the list again for 2016. It’s that good.

Tacos de Tinga!

Having said that, Casa Enrique is an unassuming neighborhood place that just happens to serve incredible food. For many of us, it’s a destination stop (no disrespect intended, but I’m not even sure where Long Island City IS!), but well worth the carfare. The Yiddish word “hamish” perfectly describes Casa Enrique – cozy, relaxed, warm and unpretentious.

Apps, shared plates and yummy drinks for 2, including tax and tip, will run you about $120.

CUISINE TIP: Casa Enrique

Caviar Kaspia – Paris, France

“Buddie, beware.
“Buddie, better take care.
“Since the day I was weaned,
“I’m a caviar fiend.
“So Buddie, beware.”
Cole Porter

OK, sports fans, get ready to have your socks knocked off. I heard about this joint from my great friend, fellow foodie and nonpareil bridge partner, Gillian, about a year ago. She’d just been there and was raving about it (but in a good way).

AAC CPA lunches at Caviar Kaspia

Located just across from La Madeleine in the 8^th arrondissement, the ground level is a caviar take out place (also foie gras and other delicacies). Ascend the staircase to the 2^nd floor and – voila! – you’re in a charming and cozy 2-room restaurant.

Here’s the thing:

If, like Cole and me, you’re a caviar fiend, this is your place. When Gillian was there last year, she found the deal of the century at lunch: at that time, for €49 you got the “Raspoutine Set”: a 2-course meal, starting with Traditional Norwegian Smoked Salmon, accompanied by the thinnest, dreamiest blini and drawn butter, followed a baked potato filled with 20 grams of Imperial Beari Caviar. Can you say “decadent”?

Did you lick your lips and say “decadent” yet?

If you happen not to eat those delicious eggs, there are other menu options, as AAC CPA discovered both times we were there.

AAC CPA contemplates his Crab Napoleon – no caviar for him!

I regret to say that the Raspoutine Set is now up to €76, so it’s not quite the bargain that it was last year, but I recommend it anyway – you deserve a splurge now and then, right?

Our lunch there in May with one Raspoutine Set and a 2-course a la carte lunch for AAC CPA, with a glass of wine each, service included, ran about $160.

CUISINE TIP: Caviar Kaspia

La Grenouille – New York, NY

La Grenouille is NOT a dinosaur, but it is the last of its kind. People of a certain age – and certainly the Ladies Who Lunched – will remember (fondly or not) the late, great, haute restaurants of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s: Lutece, La Côte Basque, Pavillon, and La Grenouille. In their heyday, these were THE places to dine, to see and be seen, in New York. As with everything, fashion changes and these legendary restaurants began to fade from view, one by one.

But La Grenouille prevails – in style, as well as in cuisine. You enter the place and you immediately feel special. Notice the floral arrangements. I can’t even imagine what the flower budget is for this joint. Inside, it could be 1965; certainly some of the waiters could have worked there back then (well, maybe not, but it sounded good, so I wrote it). In this rarified atmosphere, you’re going to eat really, really well.

Is this place gorgeous or what?

But it’s not just about the food – it’s about going back in time and having an amazing culinary experience with attentive but not overbearing service.

Dining at La Grenouille requires deep pockets, but it’s worth it for a very special occasion. There are those who think that its time has come and gone. I say hell, no. Go and find out for yourself.

3-course Pre-fixe menu runs $118 per person (some supplements may apply). Last time we were there with our great friends A&K to celebrate our anniversary, our share of the tab ran about $470, including ample wine, tax and tip – not for the feint of heart, financially speaking.

CUISINE TIP: La Grenouille

Pap ‘Acorda – Lisbon, Portugal

Our Crystal Serenity crossing earlier this year ended with an overnight visit to Lisbon. As we were leaving first thing the following morning, we opted to go ashore and have dinner in town. We returned to Pap ‘Acorda, a restaurant at which we had first dined in 2001. We’d had a great time back then and wanted to see if lightning could strike twice.

Pap ‘Acorda is a traditional Portuguese restaurant, serving local dishes – lots of fish, stews, grilled meats. The place was exactly as we remembered it. Apparently, it’s been there for about 30 years, so it must be doing something right. Although we arrived at about 8:00 PM on a Saturday night, the throngs were not yet there. We had a wonderful waiter, who explained the menu and made recommendations, including an excellent bottle of local white wine. The service was unrushed and friendly and we had a very leisurely dinner, even as the place was filling up. We must have done something right, as the waiter brought us a fabulous and complimentary chocolate mousse for dessert.

Book ahead to insure that you’ll get a table.

Dinner for 2 with apps, entrees and a bottle of wine ran about $155, service included.

No website; address: Rua da Atalaia 57, Bairro Alto, 1200, Lisbon 1200-037, Portugal; phone: 1-346 4811

State Bird Provisions – San Francisco, CA

How about some dim sum, American style? That’s the concept at this wacky, far-out place in the Fillmore. (I say this with total respect and admiration.) Created by Nicole Krasinski and Stuart Brioza, formerly of the well-loved Rubicon which closed in 2008, State Bird is one of the toughest tables in town. You’d better plan 60 days in advance if you want a reservation, or take your chances as a walk-in (in which case, you give your cell # to the maître ‘d and you’ll get a call when a table is available – not my preferred way to dine).

Be very careful when you’re handed a menu: your inclination will be to order a few things before you see the trays circulating the room – these are, most likely, the dishes you’re going to want to try. What’s on the trays changes daily or, even, during the course of the evening, so exercise restraint.

Co-Owner Stuart Brioza working his magic

Garlic-fried bread with burrata

State Bird continues to evolve even now. It is a really fun way to spend an evening – the vibe is hip, lively and the grub is so, so good.

Dinner for 2 with about 10 plates and a carafe of house wine ran about $155, tax and tip included.

CUISINE TIP: State Bird Provisions

Tuome – New York, NY

I have to thank my physical therapist Dan – who worked who worked me over but good last summer – for introducing me to Tuome. You see, Dan – like me – is a foodie and, in between my screams of pain (yes, he’s really good at what he does, and my shoulder thanks him to this day), we chatted almost exclusively about great food and where to get it.

Very early on, Dan told me that I had to go – “yes, make a reservation right now!” – to Tuome in the East Village. Chef Thomas Chen, formerly of Eleven Madison Park and Commerce, set out on his own in August 2014. It’s easy to think that Tuome is the new trendy place in the Village where all the cool people go, but it’s much more than that. The inventiveness and ingenuity of the menu sets it apart. There are very few choices here: 4 small plates, 4 big plates, and 4 sides. There’s also a dessert du jour. But, as Maggie Smith’s character in Gosford Park was fond of saying: “Yummy, yummy, yummy!!”

Pretty cocktails

If you like deviled eggs – and who doesn’t like deviled eggs?? – you must try them here – they’re not only deviled, they’re crispy, too.

Crispy deviled eggs

The main attraction here is the Pig Out for 2. Think Beijing Duck, but it’s from the pig instead. And gorgeous on the plate. It’s also $52, the most expensive plate on the menu – and totally worth it.

The Pig-Out for 2 – do I have to share?

I would go back to Tuome anytime and think you should try it, at least once.

Dinner for 2 including 1 cocktail and 1 glass of wine each, two apps, the Pig Out, and a shared dessert ran about $160, tax and tip included.

CUISINE TIP: Tuome

Via Corata – New York, NY

This newish Greenwich Village eatery is the brainchild of Rita Sodi (of the fabled and fabulous I Sodi) and Jody Williams (of the acclaimed Buvette). If, when you enter Via Corata, you face away from the street, you would think you’re at a gastroteca somewhere in Tuscany. It feels that authentic. The all-day menu features small dishes to share, lots of charcuterie and cheeses, an entire vegetable section, pastas, fish and meat. The wine list is varied and very Italianate. And their barman makes a delicious Negroni, one of my benchmarks for assessing an Italian restaurant.

The food is delicious and beautiful on the plate; the service is friendly and gracious.

Look at those artichokes!

The only downside is that Via Carota doesn’t take reservations. If you’re willing to dine early or late, it shouldn’t be a problem for you.

Dinner for 2, with cocktails, a carafe of wine, apps, a shared pasta and entrée ran about $160, tax and tip included.

Oh – and this just in: the New York Times’ food critic Pete Wells just named Via Carota to his top-10 list (it’s #6, actually) for the year. Bravo!

CUISINE TIP: Via Carota

So that’s my top of the top for cuisine in 2015. Next up: my favorite cultural events of the year.

theculturedtraveler

My Adventures in Cuisine, Culture & Travel

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2015 Wrap-Up, Part II – Cuisine

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theculturedtraveler

My Adventures in Cuisine, Culture & Travel

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