It’s good to be back in Manhattan: I lived her for a year and a half while I was in graduate school (Rockefeller University) and then doing my alternative service as a conscientious objector at Cornell University Medical School across the street. Since then I haven’t spent much time in the city, but if I had the requisite millions, I’d definitely live here.
Fortuitiously, I’m staying on the Lower East Side, at the Blue Moon Hotel, a building that formerly was a tenement for Jewish immigrants. My grandfather David Frank, who rolled cigars here after immigrating from Russia, undoubtedly lived somewhere in the area.
Even more fortuitiously, I’m only two blocks from Katz’s Deli, and I must bid you farewell for the moment while I go procure a big pastrami sandwich, some dill pickles, fries, and a Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray tonic. Pictures will follow.
Bon appetit pour moi!
Happy nomming!
Oh, why must you tease us so? Don’t click that “Katz’s Deli” link if you’re even remotely hungry…
My favourite thing in the whole world is a drip coffee from Abraco on East 7th Street (between 1st and 2nd ave, but closer to the corner of 1st). I will work my weekends around coming into the city from Brooklyn just to get a cup.
Whenever I visited NYC I used to go to an Italian restaurant, no longer there, in G’wich Village called Bianchi e Margherita. All the staff were former opera singers and they would put on a show for the patrons on selected nights of the week – delightful.
I gleefully await the forthcoming noms posts.
Out of curiosity, Jerry, you are obviously passionate about great food, and I’m wondering if that includes the more rarefied cost-be-damned dining experiences. For instance, have you dined at (or would you) places like Alinea in your home town, or maybe Per Se in NY, or even Noma. That kind of thing?
(Having dined in Chicago in the spring, I hope to do another trip to try Alinea and Next)
Yes, I am fond of high-end food, as proven in my trips to the three-star restaurants of France. But I have to be convinced a place is likely to be worth it before I drop that kind of dosh. I really do want to go to Alinea and Next; just haven’t had the chance. I went to Charlie Trotter’s twice and Le Francais, when both were extant, and have been to the Everest Room. Trotter’s was superb the first time, a disappointment the second. Everest was overpriced for what you got, though the view is great. I’ve also been to Arun’s, a high-class Thai place, twice, and the first time it was good.
Sounds like fun. I had to look up Charlie Trotter’s. Interesting story.
I like to do the chef’s tasting menus when possible at a good restaurant. Even if every dish isn’t great, the adventure has always been worth it. (I just had probably the best meal in my life in Toronto, of all places).
Graduation ceremony, 1971, from Cornell University – New York Hospital School of Nursing was held in the Rockefeller Plaza auditorium. http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_School_of_Nursing
The women’s student uniforms then ? Gargantuanly strict: 100% cotton ( properly checked and always, always ironed – to – precision, blue and white dresses ( ! only ! ) with appropriately swept back buns under gauze caps with white hose withOUT runs in them ! And the requisite lab coat. No fingernail talons. Absolutely no jewelry, finger rings or otherwise. Those last two restrictions: both of with which I concurred then and do so now. Six men in the class of ~90, five in from their duties as recent medics in Vietnam, wore white shirts and black ties. Plus that shortened waist – lab coat ( so one could tell these dudes were nurses and not physicians cuz only docs wore the long ones. )
I could walk in to class / the hospital the 20 blocks from our East 91st Street apartment — more swiftly — than the Metro’s bus traveling south on York Avenue at the very same time I had entered that street’s sidewalk — could deliver me there to East 72nd Street ! So did. Those ( very recognizable ) uniforms ? Kept us ambulating women ( kinda ) … … safe.
As a college kiddo and one without babies, I very much adored the City and, because of its proximity, thumbed a ride with Gretchen and Stony to Woodstock Friday, 15 August 1969; had actually paid the $18.00 per weekend’s ticket and because of a car – crush nearing its venue, got out of the backseat and just strolled the eight further miles in to Max’s farm. Managed to secure from military service already deployed inside Vietnam and back to his family in Iowa the release of a friend.
Blue
Say Prof CC, have you had Chicago’s best pastrami sandwich yet? It’s loosely patterend after Schwartz’s on Montreal (and having tried both, I think our Chicago version is better).
http://fumaremeats.com/
There’s also a Katz’s but I think they are different from the NY one. Katz’s is also now in Toronto.
In honor of today, get at least one kreplach!
Jerry, unfortunately I was more interested in making my train that photographing it, but you’ve arrived just in time to see the religious loons who have descended upon the city the past several weeks.
This week, they’ve seen fit to stand in front of the entrance to Penn Station (impeding pedestrian paths while they’re at it) at 7th Ave and 34th street with a sign probably about 10′ x 15′ saying, “Seek the living Jesus,” and yelling something about dying and going to hell to the rush hour commuters passing by. Sounds like some kind of macabre version of Where’s Waldo? to me.
I’m so hungry right now & I so wish there were a deli nearby with great sandwiches like those! Mmmmmm how I love the deli sandwiches!
Hey, my Ph.D. is from Cornell Medical! Except it isn’t called that anymore. After Sanford Weill dropped a hundred million there 15 years ago, the school changed its name (and he didn’t object). Not long after this, his name was mentioned in a Newsweek article about shady business practices….
Hit up Xian Famous Food. Get the lamb cumin noodles. You won’t be disappointed. It’s cheap. The cumin lamb burger is also great. It’s authentic chinese uigher food. There’s nothing else like it in the city and it’s wonderful.
I got my master’s at Columbia and I was so poor my only treats were blondies at Mama Joy Deli on Broadway (and a few Lincoln Center student tickets of course)
If I won the lottery the first thing I’d do is buy a condo near Lincoln Center & the second thing I’d do is buy season tickets to the Met.
…after that I would nosh on a crispy bagel and do the Times crossword puzzle, then ride the IRT and people watch… subversively of course, so nobody would say “whaddaya lookin at???”
A folk singer at Columbia who gigged while I was there sang “I love the Broadway Local… makes me feel anti-social. I love the Broadway local… MAKES ME FEEL SO ANTISOCIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Blue Moon Hotel? Gosh. 🙂
“…doing my alternative service as a conscientious objector at Cornell University Medical.”
I didn’t know you were a conscientious objector. Do you have narrative about this somewhere on the Internet?
I don’t normally go in for beef much, but these do look lovely … reminds me of the “Montreal smoked meat” I used to have growing up. (For example, on pizza … ;))