Weekend Getaway to New York City

Last weekend I was able to get away with friends for a two day trip to New York City.  This tradition has been going on for about 8 years, every MLK weekend.  One of our old teacher friends, Britton, moved to NYC years ago and this is our excuse to visit her and have some fun.  We all used to live in the DC area but have since spread out to NY, IL, and PA. 

Rachel and I rode the bus up on Saturday morning and saw a celebrity, Victor Garber, immediately after we got off.  I was so excited to see him since I am a huge fan of Alias but I would have preferred to see Jennifer Garner.  We met up with the other girls for a private tour of the real Little Italy which is located in the Bronx.  Britton's husband's first cousin's husband (catch that?!) is a foodie and makes the trip to the Bronx frequently to stock up on all of his groceries.  He took us up and down Archer St., pointing out where the mafia hangs out, the best pizza places, and all of his favorite shops where he knows the owners.  After our little tour we started to go in the various shops and buy food to eat along the way.  This was awesome because I love to eat, and I love Italian food!

 Pastries and Sweets

 Butcher Display Window

 Meat Everywhere

 Andrea in a Corner Italian Market

 Fresh Bread - So good and cheap!

 Cheese!  My Favorite!

 Rachel enjoying fresh mozzarella and hot chocolate!

Some of the things we ate were pastries, hot chocolate, fresh bread and foccacia, cheese, salami, prosciutto, fried artichokes, fried tomatoes, bruschetta, eggplant parmesan, mushroom pasta, and I can't even remember what else.  We ate most of this stuff at our last stop which was an Italian marketplace.  We met the owner of one shop in the marketplace who was on Throwdown with Bobby Flay.  He beat Bobby Flay with his version of Eggplant Parm.  He prepared a feast for us and the food was amazing.  I will definitely be going back there one day with Jeff.

 Meat and Cheese Platter and Fried Tomatoes

http://www.foodnetwork.com/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/eggplant-parmesan/index.html

Later that evening we went out to a popular restaurant in the city called Crispo.  I forgot to take pictures of the restaurant but I did take a pic of my yummy pasta which featured prosciutto and truffle butter.  It was fun to have a relaxed three hour dinner without worrying about kids or needing to get home.

 

“Trofie al Prosciutto” Truffle Butter, Peas & Parmigiano

After dinner we wanted something sweet but had the hardest time finding something open after midnight.  We eventually found a bakery that was recommended to us and it did not disappoint.  We had delicious cookie sandwiches filled with butter cream frosting and carrot cake.

Cookie Sandwich

The next morning we took advantage of the mild temperatures and sunshine and walked downtown to the Tribeca neighborhood.  We had a huge brunch, consisting of the biggest blueberry pancakes I have ever seen, fresh pastries, fresh fruit, and home fries.  Yum!  I thought I saw Ricky Gervais (the British comedian) eating there but Jeff looked at the video I secretly took of him and disagreed.

After brunch we walked over to the 9/11 Memorial.  Rachel had reserved the timed tickets for free before our trip.  The security line was very similar to an experience at the airport, but it moved quickly.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to see the memorial but after going, I can say that I am very glad that I went.  There are so many awful memories and images that come to mind when reflecting back to that day but it was good to take the time to remember the people who lost their lives and be thankful for all who work to keep our country safe.  The museum is not complete but the outdoor memorials were and they are very well done. 

 One of the 2 Waterfall/Reflecting Pools that are located where the old towers stood

 Almost Complete Freedom Tower and Museum in lower right hand corner

 Rainbow in the pool and one victim's name

 Tree that was rescued from WTC grounds, nursed back to health and brought back to its original home

 Tree has grown from 10 to 30 feet, Freedom Tower in Background

In our last couple of hours in the city we went back to Britton's apartment and just hung out.  It was a great trip, and I really enjoyed the girl time.