Memorial Day weekend in the Big Apple

Roger and I spent this year’s Memorial Day weekend in New York City. Roger having been there only once for a brief business trip, and I myself having never been there, we were especially excited to tackle the Big Apple and play tourist. Here are a few highlights:

• Dinner at Mesa Grill. Our first night in NYC we made reservations for Bobby Flay’s well-known southwestern restaurant. We started with a fantastic quesadilla stuffed with pork and cojito(?) cheese, topped with barbecue sauce. For the main entree, I enjoyed an adobe chili-rubbed pork tenderloin complemented by a tamale stuffed with sweet potatoes and a maple pecan butter glaze. Roger delighted in a 16-spiced-chicken and a squash-filled tamale. And for dessert we split a cobbler filled with seasonal berries. The best part of the entire evening may not have been the food, however. About half-way through our starter, I looked over to the kitchen and Bobby Flay stood there himself! A brush with Food Network fame!
• New York Party Shuttle. Roger and I boarded a small bus bright and early Saturday morning and enjoyed a six-hour tour of the city, guided by our excellent tour guide, Luke, and very skilled NYC driver, Jahaida. We especially enjoyed this type of tour as it took us throughout the city to all the spots we wanted to see (Wall Street, Ground Zero, Times Square, Central Park, etc.) and gave us a brief introduction to places we wanted to explore further. Highly recommended!
• A walk through Central Park. Prior to our visit, I didn’t quite understand why going to Central Park was a “must” on any NYC visitor’s list (probably because we I grew up with lots of green space). However, we immensely enjoyed the few hours we spent there. We strolled the very walkable paths, stopped to watch the Central Park Dance Skaters (roller skates: they’re coming back in!) and enjoyed an ice cream treat from a cart vendor. The weather was gorgeous, too.
• Grand Central Terminal. Our hotel was located near this city landmark. While there isn’t much to “do” here, we ate a few meals on the run here and also lucked out to see the Celluloid Skyline exhibit, documenting the role the city has played on the big screen. The terminal also has a classic, retro, romantic feeling to it … so you can’t help but want to wander through and spend a little time on the steps overlooking the passengers.
• Ellis Island. Roger and I skipped the Statue of Liberty—it was easy to take photos from the ferry instead—and instead landed on Ellis Island. The 90-minute audio tour was excellent and made the experience much more enjoyable than had we not taken the tour.

Aside from some serious travel issues coming home (canceled plane made for another night of travel), we are both ready to visit again. Photos are on their way.

Posted on June 17th, 2007 by Lynsey in Travel