June 2 - 6, 2005
Mini trip report
This
trip was a little bit different. It was a family trip,
with
my nephew and niece-in-law doing the planning. I didn't do any
research; I didn't even know what hotel we were staying at. This
was a lot of fun - but, combined with poor note taking, it means that I
have less detail about what was done than I would normally have.
Fortunately, my family is not shy. They've thrown in their
comments as well.
By request, family members' real names have been withheld. I'm not sure if this is due to fear of slander, or merely fear of association.
· Nephew and niece-in-law: they've asked to be called Surly Richard and Maggie May (S&M for short).
· Brother and sister-in-law (Surly's parents): Murray and Ms. Rocky (M&M).
· Maggie's parents: hereafter referred to as "Maggie's parents."
Orson's Shadow at Barrow Street Theatre. This is a play about Orson Welles and his relationship with Laurence Olivier, leading up to the 1960 production of Ionesco's Rhinoceros. The 1960 production was real; this play is a fictional portrayal of what might have happened behind the scenes. Other characters: Vivien Leigh (Olivier's slowly-going-insane wife); Ken Tynan (critic, and Welles' friend); Joan Plowright (Olivier's lover and rising star).
What more to say...it's superb. Prior to the show, I knew very little about the characters, and nothing about this period in their lives...and wasn't sure I cared a whole lot. Within minutes, I was hooked.
Want to know more? See http://www.orsontheplay.com/ or http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/orson1519.htm.
Powaqqatsi at Lincoln Center, Rose Theater. See the reviews on Amazon.com for an idea of what it’s about, and for some differing opinions. Murray thought the "elevator music" sucked. I agreed, but thought the visuals were only slightly less soporific. See how I use big words to try to hide the fact that I'm a peasant?
Surly Richard has a differing opinion - if only I could figure out what it is. Read Surly's review.
Brooklyn Bridge. If you have the time, this is a pleasant walk, and the views are great.
American Museum of Natural History. [S.R. speaking] "Surly Richard loved this museum, although the time spent there was too short. The mineral exhibit was designed well, despite many fewer remarkable pieces than at the Smithsonian. The dioramas were particularly well-done, with the backgrounds appearing to stretch away towards the horizon. The planetarium show really was an achievement, even though S.R.’s vision did not allow him to see in 3-D, and the show should have been longer."
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Surly says: "The Met – always an exhausting two hours. The Egyptian temple was not as impressive as Maggie Mae led us to believe. Rembrandt did have a way with facial expressions. The Met is still a "suggested donation" museum, and for that, S. R. tips his hat."
Central Park. I recently read that, as a tourist destination, Central Park is overrated. Not true! "Central Park is S. R.’s favorite part of NY. It was particularly happy and lively. Maggie Mae would not mind S. R. saying that the women in the park were looking quite…healthy, as well." Well said, Surly.
Shopping. Well...yes...there's lots of it. I don't enjoy shopping for myself, but am very happy egging others on to buy stuff. Maggie May had the most success. Surly looked at two items, decided he wasn't interested, and declared a shopping time out for himself.
Miss Vivian. Who doesn't need a psychic friend?
Hotel
Union Square Café
(Union Square, 21 East 16th Street). New American. Excellent
food. I had seared foie gras as an appetizer, and seared
skate. I don't remember what anyone else had. S.R. says:
"Surly Richard doesn’t remember what was eaten at the Union
Square, either, but S. R. was less impressed with this place than were
the others. Although it was decent, S. R. maintains that it was a
typical NY nice restaurant, over-priced and over-hyped. The waitress
was very nice, however, and gave S.R’s uncle extra attention."
HanGawi (12
East 32nd Street, http://www.hangawirestaurant.com/):
Korean vegetarian (no milk or eggs). The atmosphere is
serene. Remove your shoes before entering
the dining area; seating is at low tables with recessed wells for one's
feet. Service was pleasant enough, but they seemed overwhelmed by
our party of seven. My appetizer arrived 10 or 15 minutes later
than the others; the server asked for our dessert orders while someone
was still eating their entree. Nonetheless, I give it a thumbs
up. There's a wide variety of dishes, from tofu to mushrooms to
more exotic choices. The food should satisfy meat eaters as well
as vegetarians. Some of the dishes we had: black sesame porridge
(odd gluelike appearance and texture, but good); mango pear salad;
acorn
noodles salad; mixed vegetarian autumn rolls; avocado bibimbap; tofu
with kimchi and vegetables in spicy sauce; fritters galore; grilled
todok (codonopsis lanceolata) strips in ginger soy sauce (good, but
Maggie found it a bit boring as it was just a large amount of this one
item).
Molyvos (
Brother’s BBQ (
Street food. What can beat a New York dog (unless it's that Haagen Dazs Ms. Rocky is eating)?
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