New York City! Part 1.

When I got off the plane in Los Angeles after being in New York for five days, something felt off.  There's only a couple places I call home.  Obviously Plymouth, Wisconsin, where I grew up for 18 years and Winona, Minnesota, where I went to college because the second I stepped onto campus, I knew it was the right fit.  So when I landed in LA, after being in NY, I felt like I just left my home, the same way I do when I leave Wisconsin.  I can't explain it.  I've only been to New York twice in my life; once when I was 17 and then this past April, but I just fit in the moment I got off the plane at JFK airport.  It was raining, I was excited, each part of the city we passed as we made our way into Manhattan, was another second closer to feeling like this is where I should be.  And where my heart has felt incomplete since.  Yes, I'll get over it; could I really do long cold winters for at least four months out of the year?  Where would Rutherford go to the bathroom?  Do I want to start all over in a new place as an Actress?  But for now, and the purpose of this blog, I'm going to share my New York trip and a city that has a piece of my heart forever.

Our view of the Empire State Building
from our Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

I've never taken a Spring Break or a Girl's Trip.  I always wanted to but the closest I would come is Florida for Cheerleading in College or family vacations to Mexico.  I don't count going to Las Vegas, only because it's a few hours from Los Angeles; it would be totally different if I was going there from Wisconsin.  So for the first time in 33 years, I was taking a Spring Break, and it was an adult one at that.  Rachel, Sam and I were heading to New York City, Manhattan specifically, and Giana was already there, as she had moved just a couple weeks prior.  She was feeling homesick so we were excited to spend some time with her and bring a little LA to her!  Our sleeping arrangements fell through on Saturday and we scrambled to find something by our arrival in New York on Tuesday.  Thankfully, I found a great Hotel in Midtown, that was centrally located to everything, for a great rate and it included Breakfast every morning.  My Mom would have been proud :)

We flew Delta on our way to New York (I got us a great flight to and from NY for an awesome price by watching flights) and we were all very excited for our little five day getaway.  Gary Sinise kicked off the trip when I grabbed a Bagel at Coffee Bean; all the employee's knew him well.  Little did we know that breakfast was included on the flight, and I was wide awake so I ended up watching 'Collateral Beauty' (which if you haven't seen, was absolutely amazing - I shed plenty of tears) and then 'The Unknowns' about the Guards that watch the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and of course, we had to get a quick glimpse of the 'Sex & The City' movie since the Core Four would all be together in NY.  We checked into our Hotel, a La Quinta Inn & Suites and decided to head straight to the Roof-Top Bar since it was Happy Hour.  To make the Hotel even better, we were directly next to the Empire State Building and we had the best view of it!

Giana & I at Beauty & Essex...first night in New York :)

Giana met us at the Hotel and we all got ready for our first night in New York!  We had reservations at Beauty & Essex that night, got all gussied up, and rode the Subway to the East Village.  Emerald Gimlets, complimentary Beet Appetizers, Tuna Tacos, and our entrees which included Salmon, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Pesto, and my Scallops (which were the best I've ever had) were all a part of our lovely dinner.  I had checked out all of our restaurants on Instagram and found that at Beauty & Essex, in their downstairs bathroom/powder room, they offered complimentary Champagne.  The Ladies and I enjoyed a couple glasses, tipping our Champagne gal for our Bubbly and all the photos she took and it really made the evening a total package.  We wanted to hit up a club after so I took over, pulling out my phone to GPS to us to our next location, but let me tell you, it was raining (I gave up on my hair after the second day of this strange atmosphere) and I walked us eight blocks in the wrong direction.  We all did this at some point on the trip, and I'm not sure what kind of signal our phones were getting, but it happened to all of us.  Of course, as soon as Rachel explained the grid, and I did some exploring on my own, it was quite easy to figure out.  But I could see how easy it was to get turned around, especially at night, definitely after cocktails, multiple glasses of champagne, and our Happy Hour drinks!  We stopped at The Box, which was a new hot club that had "shows" starting at 1:30 am but we wanted to move on so we actually headed back towards our Hotel and when Giana and Sam went home, Rachel and I walked a few blocks to get another cocktail.  We came upon Jack Dempsey's, which would be where Giana's FOMO kicked in after we regaled her with our tales from the previous evening.  Rachel and I met Bob, the Bartender, and instantly felt like we were regulars.  We stayed till nearly three in the morning but didn't head home yet.  We were in New York!  It was time for a slice of the finest NY Pizza; and it hit the spot!  And no pizza in New York is complete without Garlic Knots...lots and lots of Garlic Knots.

Dinner & Champagne at Beauty & Essex with the Ladies!

That's how our trip began...and I knew I was in for the time of my life, with some of my favorite people, in a city, that felt "just right."

Celebrating my Mom's Birthday

It would have been my Mom's 57th Birthday (sorry Mom, should I say 29th) on February 9th.  Every day has been a struggle and that day could have been completely miserable, but it wasn't, and although I cried and missed her throughout the day, I tried to make the most of it and do things that she would enjoy doing.  What better way to celebrate than by eating, which she and I definitely had in common :)

My day started with a morning work-out and then I had set up an appointment at the Aveda Salon to get my hair-cut and also get a facial.  It was one of the best hair-cuts I've gotten there and I always make a stop at Diddy Riese for an Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich when I'm in Westwood.  Mom loved stopping there too when she was visiting.  I picked out a dress that Mom really liked and was ready when Jamie picked me up for our incredible Food Adventure!

Cheers Mom...Happy Birthday!

Jamie and I started off at Pearl's on Sunset in West Hollywood.  Carolyn (who was also very close with my Mom) manages the Bar/Restaurant and it was also Happy Hour, so we were excited for the $1 Oysters and $3 Champagne, and other yummy bites.  The Oysters were fabulous and the Champagne was sweet; I had my first ever Grilled Oyster and Fried Oyster, which I loved.  We also had the Lollipop Lamb Chops and Grilled & Chilled Shrimp.  Everything was delicious including our cocktails!  And there was even a place setting for my Mom...thanks Carol <3

Pearl's on Sunset with Jamie & Carolyn

Next up was EPLP on La Cienega.  Initially, I was a little nervous.  I checked out the menu during the day and was a little leery about it but after getting a glass of wine I was ready to be adventurous.  I was with Jamie afterall, and she always makes me try new and strange things and I usually end up loving them.  Like the Abalone which is similar to a snail (I made sure Jamie didn't tell me what it was or I would have shied away from it) that was absolutely delicious!  We also did the Kakoda, which was raw shrimp ceviche with coconut milk, lime and chili.  In all honesty, I had so many favorites throughout this meal, I can't pick just one or two.  Although I would go back and order that ceviche again and again!  We also got the Wood Grilled Octopus; I am not an Octopus fan but I did try it, and it was alright (better than ok but probably not something I would order again, although the salad it came with was really yummy).  We did the Heirloom Tomato and I felt like I was missing out on the cheese in it, but of course there wouldn't be cheese in Asian Cuisine.  It was light and fresh.  For our entree, we ordered the Massaman Curry which was Venison Shank (another surprise, I thought it was short rib, but it was tender and flavorful but not too gamey) served with a pickled green relish and brown rice.  At this point, we were really full from our Happy Hour but everything was too good not to eat.  Thankfully, the Curry would be great later on, and I also took the leftover Octopus Salad and brown rice.  Special thanks to Jamie's friend who took such great care and made us feel so special on a beautiful day.

No meal is complete without dessert and Jamie knows me too well as to not stop somewhere for the finishing touch to our Food Adventure.  Our final stop was Terrine on Beverly for Beignets and an after-dinner drink.  The Beignets were light and airy, and my Gin Cocktail was fresh and just enough to close out the evening still feeling good.

I'm so glad we were able to check out a couple new places and get to Pearl's for the Tuesday Oyster & Champagne night, I'll definitely be back for that, and EPLP has a beautiful rooftop that we didn't get to see, so I'm sure the next time we have Dinner, we'll visit that as well!

I wish I could share more Birthday's with my Mom but I will continue to celebrate for and with her, no matter what, and I'm so glad I had such a great friend to share that special day with!