DC.NYC 3

Caviar - an item that should be in every conversation about fine dining. So it seems appropriate to include in this NYC gastronomic trip a place that has intrigued me for some time - a caviar shop where you can do tasting and also sample their highly rated dishes.

Caviar Russe: overlooking Madison Ave, the elegant interior includes paintings depicting a czar-like figure frolicking with sturgeons. They don't seem to mind we are late, as the place remains empty throughout much of our lunch. Unusual for a Michelin-starred restaurant but people are probably scared off by the high price tag of caviar tasting.

Caviar Russe: we order the least expensive tasting set, to be shared by two, which then becomes barely reasonable. The mother of pearl spoon is placed in front of me, and I am ready. 

Caviar Russe: an ounce of each of three types is a generous amount. Accompanied by toast and blini, as well as scallion and creme fraiche. I must not have a sophisticated enough palate I like the domestic one from Snake River better than the other two, imported Caspian Osetra and Siberian. 

Caviar Russe: the regular lunch menu seems almost an after-thought but everything we tried, including this lobster bisque with caviar, is delicious and stylish. And a relative bargain as well. A Colombian family has settled at the next table, obviously well-to-do enough to consume a high-end caviar tasting course but eager to criticize the current administration without being prompted. We are definitely on the same page.

Caviar Russe: a parting gift of very warm home-made madeleines, so good.

Glad I did not consume more than a couple of those madeleines at Caviar Russe, since more sweets are on the agenda.

Dominique Ansel Bakery: so these are the famous cronuts. As they are usually sold out by 10am, I had to pre-order on line before we left home. This month's flavor is blackberry Brown Sugar with Toffee. Great but so rich!

Dominique Ansel Bakery: DKA may officially stand for Dominique's Kouign Amann, but a hidden reference may be to Diabetic KetoAcidosis! It is sweet but we save it for breakfast the following morning to avoid DKA!

World Trade Center: initially I thought this was part of the 9-11 Memorial but no, it is a slick building (Oculus) housing a Westfield marketplace.

World Trade Center: One World Trade Center seen from the North Pool 

World Trade Center: St. Nicholas National Shrine seen across the South Pool

9-11 Memorial: an impressive remnant of the slurry wall that survived, around which the memorial was built

9-11 Memorial: among the many moving tributes here, an assertion that thousands of people cheered on the New Jersey shore is nowhere to be seen!

The weather has finally warmed up sufficiently so we venture out to Brooklyn, only a few subway stops away from Lower Manhattan. Brooklyn Heights feels dynamic and very safe.

Brooklyn Bridge Park: a night view of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge Park: East River ferry arriving

Brooklyn Bridge Park: walk further south and the Statue of Liberty comes into view. It is a bit too far for me to capture the tears I am sure she has been shedding since the presidential election.

River Cafe: a romantic setting with a great view of Lower Manhattan. Will have to return to eat in the future.

Jewel Bako: decent sushi

Koreatown: visiting a friend who recently re-located his optometry practice from West 32nd St to Fifth Ave to avoid increasing rent. Imagine the main drag in K'town becoming more expensive than the iconic 5th Ave.

Her Name is Han: a Korean restaurant with a modern twist. Who could resist the name? (Someone said if dining by himself he is going to Han solo.) The bossam bapsang lunch set in an individual tray is pretty traditional and reasonably priced at $15.

Olive Tree Cafe: meeting our friend Mark for coffee in Greenwich Village. A continuous loop of Charlie Chaplin movies projected on the wall. Modern Times is one of my favorite.

Olive Tree Cafe: This quiet place is perfect for a long conversation (we stay three and a half hours), which gravitates toward current politics, well, more specifically, president bashing. I practice mockery on the tabletop made of slate with a box of chalk that's provided.

Just a couple of blocks away in the Village is Blue Hill Restaurant, the original success of celebrated chef Dan Barber.

Blue Hill: the opening snack of the "Farmer's Feast" is appropriately fresh vegetables in this farm-to-table pioneer.

Blue Hill: a salad dish containing sprouted and malted grains. Many of the ingredients are brought in from their Stone Barns complex in Westchester, the location of Dan Barber's self sufficient farm and renowned restaurant. The last meal on our trip is reminiscent of the Bay area restaurants and it is time to go back home!

Gabriel Kreuther Bakery: return here to pick up some chocolate to bring home. A nice way to wrap up the East Coast culinary tour.

DC.NYC 2

Continuing the gastronomic tour to New York City is an easy task, as there is obviously no shortage of great eateries here. The main limitation, in addition to time and money, is gastric capacity.

The first stop is Gabriel Kreuther's eponymous restaurant in Midtown. Chef Kreuther, originally from the Alsace region of France, made a name for himself at the Modern within MOMA. (I originally planned to patronize Del Posto as Mario Batali joined many chefs who spoke out politically, but decided not to after learning their head chef Mark Landner was supposed to leave.)

Bryant Park: this is one of the scattered islands of tranquility in this hyper-energetic town. The lunch spot, Gabriel Kreuther, is in Grace Building on right.

Gabriel Kreuther: airy and stylish interior 

Gabriel Kreuther: Alsatian bread, Kouglof, or its savory version. The crust tastes interesting. After a few slices are removed, what's left looks like a giant molar tooth!

Gabriel Kreuther: foie gras terrine in a bed of granola. The smooth and the crunchy - a great idea. 

Gabriel Kreuther: the two-course lunch option, which comes with extras, is a good deal. They make their own chocolate, also sold in a store next door.

Ivan Orkin has a compelling life story. After bumming around a bit, he found his calling in ramen making in Japan. He ran a successful ramen shop in Tokyo, which is no mean feat for a gaijin, and subsequently opened a restaurant in Lower East Side.

Kossaly's: a stop at this bagel shop while we are in Lower East Side for dinner. The ones without holes are bialys. Tried onion, garlic, and sesame seed varieties. Bialys were not warm and pretty chewy.  

Ivan Ramen: ordered one shio and one shoyu. Simple. Good noodles. Pretty authentic, whatever that means.

We pass by a NYC icon, Katz's Deli, which is where Harry met Sally. Too bad, the pastrami sandwich here will have to wait. Cold! Winter is back.

Lincoln Center, NYC: It's hard to say David Geffen Hall. (Barely getting used to the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA). To me, it may always be Avery Fisher Hall.

David Geffen Hall: lucky to catch New York Philharmonic playing Mahler Symphony No. 4. Actually my first time watching Maestro Alan Gilbert, who will be leaving the post soon.

Momofuku Ko, the flagship restaurant for the David Chang empire, has been on my radar for some time. They moved to the current location a few years ago - the reservations are easier and the space much more inviting.

Momofuku Ko: no, it's not the Apple Computer symbol in front of the flame, but the peach (momo in Japanese). These counter seats around an open kitchen are very comfortable and the spacing between the seats is the most generous I have seen anywhere. 

Momofuku Ko: a little Korean touch - the dish next to the bread has kimchi in it, in sort of a banchan arrangement. Oh, BTW, the soft boiled egg with caviar is excellent.

Momofuku Ko: I commented to the manager that this mural showing the Korean alphabet is an indication that David Chang was scarred for life having to sit through weekend Korean classes as a child trying to learn Korean...

Momofuku Ko: this uni-chickpea combo was among the top 21 dishes of 2015 in NYC selected by Eater.com.

Momofuku Ko: razor clam with basil oil has amazing taste.

Momofuku Ko: after skate is served in a "katsu" preparation, the skin is saved to make a roll.

Momofuku Ko: an excellent butternut squash dish.  Oh, and the accompanying duck preparation is not bad.

Momofuku Ko: aerated cheese in the style of Japanese Castella, topped with black truffle

Metropolitan Museum of Art: just part of an extensive Egyptian collection, this Temple of Dendur was saved from being submerged upon the construction of Aswan High Dam. I remember the big fanfare years ago when it was finally installed here. The project was originally sponsored and overseen by the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. No way something like this is going to happen in the current environment.

Guggenheim Museum: a long line to take advantage of Saturday evening discount. No way are we going to wait in line in the 20-degree weather! But I am encouraged see a lot of young people here.

Post museum visits, a late evening snack is about what we can handle after a big lunch. Baohaus in Lower East Side by Eddie Huang of "Fresh off the Boat" fame might be worth a subway ride from uptown. He is nowhere to be seen of course, probably busy with his other outpost in LA or making food travel show segments for Viceland, or ... maybe opposing the travel ban.

Baohaus: This spot is the only oasis in the otherwise tight, packed, noisy place. On the other wall hangs proudly the New York Law Journal article listing the bar exam results for Eddie Huang. After getting rid of the pure fat, the Taiwanese bun ("Chairman Bao") is actually quite good.

Another unseasonably cold day. We head down to Gramercy Tavern for lunch with a friend's son attending NYU. This is a well-known restaurant owned by Danny Meyer of Shake Shack fame. With so many interesting places within walking distance from the campus, many more affordable than here, no wonder NYU is a popular college choice.

Gramercy Tavern: What I like about Danny Meyer is not only his innovative pricing inclusive of gratuity but also his political stance in response to recent developments.

Gramercy Tavern: elegant and lively. The apple cider, thick and fragrant, is a perfect way to start on a cold day. 

Gramercy Tavern: poppy seed cake with meyer lemon sherbet

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: no lines today. The first level has a Kandinski collection.

Guggenheim: the first painting that greets you is Kandinski's "Black Lines."

Guggenheim: van Gogh's letter written in English

Guggenheim: it's hard to imagine there was early criticism of the building design regarding lack of rectilinear forms. You sit in one spot and feel you have access to many of the galleries, which serve basically as circular corridors.

Guggenheim: a trio of Chagall

Fifth Ave and 57th St: there isn't as much police presence as we expected around the building which will remain nameless. It's a good thing, because it means less taxpayers' money is wasted. There are of course Chinese tourists taking selfies in front of the building, but we are not stooping that low.

Oiji: a tiny Korean restaurant in the East Village. You know it is upscale when it charges for a kimchi set (in the middle) and rice, which would be a no-no at most Korean places on West 32nd St. The Jangjorim with buttered rice and soft-boiled egg (left) was also on the NYC top dishes of 2015 list by Eater.com. Although it bears little resemblance to the classic form of Jangjorim, it is very well done and deserves the accolade.

Oiji: this seafood broth dish, with sizzling rice and bokchoy, is more Chinese than Korean, but at a place with a name that sounds like Ouija, I would allow some confusion or a poetic license.