New York, New York - August 12
Highlights:
Dean and Deluca
Whole Foods at Time Warner Center
Zen Palate
Here is Nino's report from New York City:
After 17 hours of traveling (most of it in a plane going nowhere), I arrived in New York City last night to stay with my friend Ben. Though I'll try not to bore you to tears, there are culinary capers to describe, they are entwined their architectural setting.
Dean and Deluca's @ The Rockefeller Center. A rumination on the architecture, the statuary theme of the buildings is that of titans: Atlas, Prometheus, etc. It's ironic that the Rockefellers would want themselves represented as the Elder Gods, the Gods deposed by Zeus and the other Olympians... Yet the Rockefeller Dynasty, built on oil, has endured. Consider the lords of the present day - KBR, Chevron, Enron, the Bush family, the Saudi's. After more than 100 years, we are still ruled by oil. The titans endure and prosper.
The food? A turkey club sandwich was okay, but nothing special. Where's the avocado?? ;-)
Whole Foods Grocery @ The AOL Time Warner building: Beautiful new twin towers on the Columbus Circle at the SW corner of Central Park. Between the towers is an arcade of shi-shi shops, and in the basement, a gigantic Whole Foods. Descend the escalators and you are fed into the produce and grocery section; complete your shopping, and you have to pass through "the gauntlet" on your way to the checkers (35 stations in all). The Gauntlet consists of counter after counter of prepared foods: indian, sushi, chinese, pizza, chocolate, desserts, salads, etc... Assuming you succumb, once you've purchased your food, there's a seating area with long bars, and a wall of glass that cycles through all the colors of the rainbow (it's very gradual - about 45 mins/cycle). Oh yeah, would you like a Jamba-juice with that?My one piece of sushi was excellently prepared. Thumbs up. (Sorry for the small sample size, I didn't have the appetite for a full meal.)
Zen Palate @ East 16th off Union Square: The restaurant was fresh, hip, and had excellent seating outside in the warm, muggy, New York night. Vegetarian fare, with reasonably sized plates, yummy appetizers, and tasty desserts... and CHEAP! I was in heaven. I had an Artichoke/meat substitute stirfry with Basil Mu-shu rolls, Taro Spring Rolls, and a Key Lime pie. I would recommend all of them; although Ben wasn't so impressed with the artichoke dish. We walked out for just over $30.
Dean and Deluca
Whole Foods at Time Warner Center
Zen Palate
Here is Nino's report from New York City:
After 17 hours of traveling (most of it in a plane going nowhere), I arrived in New York City last night to stay with my friend Ben. Though I'll try not to bore you to tears, there are culinary capers to describe, they are entwined their architectural setting.
Dean and Deluca's @ The Rockefeller Center. A rumination on the architecture, the statuary theme of the buildings is that of titans: Atlas, Prometheus, etc. It's ironic that the Rockefellers would want themselves represented as the Elder Gods, the Gods deposed by Zeus and the other Olympians... Yet the Rockefeller Dynasty, built on oil, has endured. Consider the lords of the present day - KBR, Chevron, Enron, the Bush family, the Saudi's. After more than 100 years, we are still ruled by oil. The titans endure and prosper.
The food? A turkey club sandwich was okay, but nothing special. Where's the avocado?? ;-)
Whole Foods Grocery @ The AOL Time Warner building: Beautiful new twin towers on the Columbus Circle at the SW corner of Central Park. Between the towers is an arcade of shi-shi shops, and in the basement, a gigantic Whole Foods. Descend the escalators and you are fed into the produce and grocery section; complete your shopping, and you have to pass through "the gauntlet" on your way to the checkers (35 stations in all). The Gauntlet consists of counter after counter of prepared foods: indian, sushi, chinese, pizza, chocolate, desserts, salads, etc... Assuming you succumb, once you've purchased your food, there's a seating area with long bars, and a wall of glass that cycles through all the colors of the rainbow (it's very gradual - about 45 mins/cycle). Oh yeah, would you like a Jamba-juice with that?My one piece of sushi was excellently prepared. Thumbs up. (Sorry for the small sample size, I didn't have the appetite for a full meal.)
Zen Palate @ East 16th off Union Square: The restaurant was fresh, hip, and had excellent seating outside in the warm, muggy, New York night. Vegetarian fare, with reasonably sized plates, yummy appetizers, and tasty desserts... and CHEAP! I was in heaven. I had an Artichoke/meat substitute stirfry with Basil Mu-shu rolls, Taro Spring Rolls, and a Key Lime pie. I would recommend all of them; although Ben wasn't so impressed with the artichoke dish. We walked out for just over $30.
posted by Karen at 12:50 PM
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