Skating the Pond at Bryant Park 2007

My winter-wonderlandian daughters and I were up-and-at-'em yesterday morning for a lovely skate at the recently reopened Pond at Bryant Park. Now in its third year, this pretty, large, efficiently-run rink has become a great annual addition to our holiday-season rounds. We love the somewhat incongruous setting, amidst the midtown towers and librarial columns; we love the skates (especially as compared to the lace-up rentals we remember from Lasker Rink); we love the cookies and coffee during the Zamboni break.

We arrived at around 10:15, and there was virtually no line, though the ice got progressively more crowded as the morning wore on. Even so, I never felt anything but exhilarated to be flying around the ice, or taking a break in the sun and skater-watching for a bit. And Bo and Co were like machines, going non-stop for almost two hours, minus the Zamboni time. All three of us agree: this is a highly recommended holiday activity.

The Pond at Bryant Park is located on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Skating is free, skate rentals are $10 (up $2 from last year!). Remember: bring your own lock for your shoe/purse locker (or buy one there for another $10), and don't bring a large bag, or you'll have to check it for $7. Hours are 7 am (!) to 10:00 pm, and until midnight on weekends. When you're finished, and you're famished, DON'T eat at the snack bar; instead get a meatloaf, cheddar and bacon sandwich from the park's 'wichcraft kiosk.

Five Guys

The most immediately relevant question: are these burgers worth a 45 minute... a 60 minute... an hour and a half wait, as some poor bastards subjected themselves to last Thursday and Friday—aka Five Guys Day 1 and Five Guys Day 2—at lunch?

Um... no.

But then, I wouldn't wait that long for my food/a table anywhere in town.*

That said, my grilled-ground-beef-loving daughters and I made the pilgrimage today (take note: Sunday) at around 12:30, waited maybe 10 minutes total from getting on the order line to unwrapping the goods at our table, and all agreed that the Five Guy burger—especially, no surprise, with bacon—is definitely an instant Top 5 contender for best in the city.

Here's the basic takeaway:
• Get bacon. The crunch nicely compensates for the somewhat mushy patties. In fact, pile on the toppings... they're free, and they won't overwhelm the big, flavorful, doubled-up burgers.
• Nice buns, Five Guys: soft; understand their place in the burger hierarchy; functional.
• The cheese dog is good—crispy casing, well-spiced—but unnecessary.
• The Cajun Fries are totally the way to go. We liked the texture and appreciated the freshness of our "Five Guys Style" spuds, but the spiced-up Cajun version was much, much better.
• Go for dinner (they're open until 10pm), or weekend lunch. This is an excellent, inexpensive pre-/post MoMA, Broadway, City Center, etc, option.

Five Guys is located on 55th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. The woman who took my order was smiley and helpful; the manager friendly and on top of things. When I returned to the counter with Co's bacon-less Little Bacon Cheeseburger, they offered to cook me a whole new one, but were also happy, at my request, to just give me some strips, which we put on the patty at the table.


* Why?
1. Always plenty of other great non-ridiculous-wait options.
2. Get way too grumpy and impatient when hungry to put myself and my loved ones through such an experience.
3. Totally willing to eat off-peak and avoid the insanity.

Whole Foods Market at Columbus Circle

One of the great quick-bite spots in the city may be more supermarket than restaurant, but with its large hot and cold salad bars, dessert bar, baked goods (I always enjoy the muffins, and the cranberry almond cookies are excellent), brick-oven pizza-by-the-pound, plenty of immediately comestible fresh fruit, pre-made sandwiches and wraps, and—what I usually end up getting—eminently serviceable sushi, the prepared foods section at Whole Foods is reliably good, fairly inexpensive, and features enough of a selection to please a crowd.

Any of the locations will do—Union Square, Bowery and Houston, Chelsea—but I've dined most often at the Columbus Circle store, if only because of the lack of quick-bite competition in that part of town. Plus they have a Jamba Juice in the seating area, which Bo and Co like a lot, and so usually split a smoothie.


Now, I know none of this is a news flash to New Yorkers... but did you know that the completely renovated Columbus Circle Fountain is actually a surprisingly pleasant place to hang out and eat your food? That it's nicely-designed, relatively clean and comfortable? That the dozens of water jets that ring the interior not only keep the whole space relatively cool, but they also cancel out virtually all of the traffic noise from the surrounding rotunda? Well, it's true. Really: I can't believe they pulled this off so successfully.


The Whole Foods Market at Columbus Circle is located at 59th Street and Broadway, in the lower level of the Time Warner Center.

Men Kui Tei

When I realized the other morning that Bo, Co, and I were going to be smack in the mid 50's around dinnertime that night, I turned to the great—though, for me, usually irrelevant—Midtown Lunch for suggestions.

The man did not let us down.

I mean, I can't say our meal at the ramen restaurant Men Kui Tei will have us hurrying back to the neighborhood anytime soon, but it definitely was rich and satisfying, inexpensive, and almost certainly better than some randomly chosen spot in this usually grim (touristy, tattered, tawdry) culinary stretch of Manhattan.

We started with some serviceable Gyoza—fat and fried with a nice crispy exterior, but too reliant upon scallions for my taste—and a quartet of sad, mushy Shu Mai, saved from complete blandness by the dipping sauce and mound of wasabi-like mustard.


But we were really here for the noodles, and, overall, they didn't disappoint. Bo and Co split a bowl of Miso Ramen and enjoyed it very much: the broth was heady, the noodles firm and flavorful, the two pieces of roast pork sufficiently tender. Just for variety I tried the Hiyashi Ramen, served cold, the nicely chewy noodles mingling with shredded pork, fried egg, pickled ginger, cucumber, and fake crab, all in about an inch of lively sesame sauce. This was perfect for what it was—the genre was not transcended, but neither was it defiled—and we all three walked out of there full and happy.

Men Kui Tei is located on 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The room is unattractive, the service fast and friendly. Apparently there's a second Men Kui Tei in the East Village, but for God's sakes if you want ramen in that neighborhood please go to Momofuku, Setagaya or Rai Rai Ken instead.

Hudson

Now, I'm not much of a drinking man... and, frankly, neither are Bo and Co. But last week the three of us found ourselves in the high west-50s with some time to kill, so I thought it'd be fun to goof around in the bar(s) at the Hudson Hotel for a bit, and show my lovely daughters all of the daring, silly, eccentric—and, to us, extremely appealing—design spread out through the five or so rooms adjoining the lobby. And I was right. It was fun.

When you enter Hudson from the street (by the way, that torch you see to the right of the front doorway above is usually lit with an impressively dangerous-looking flame) you find yourself in a cramped space. Take the escalator up one flight to the lobby (pictured below). Bo and Co couldn't help but smile at the huge crystal chandelier amidst from the vine-covered brick and skylights. Are we inside? Outside? Does it matter?

Behind you is our favorite room, a disarming and thoroughly engaging combination of rustic and contemporary, rough-hewn wood and slick acrylic, ornate stylings and clean lines. The floor is futuristic (circa Clockwork Orange-era) underlit plastic; the close ceiling covered with a pastoral, cray-pas-y mural. It's totally crazy, it totally works.


I've seen this log bench at various design shows (in front of Sotheby's, I think, and at something in London), but never before in place. It's unexpectedly comfy, and we loved the way it worked in the room.


Down the hall to the left of the front desk is the "library/ cows-with-hats/ pool table" room. Read, low, play, drink.


Then it's out onto the patio—no surprise, the most happening spot on this nice summer's evening—all done up in brick and greenery and various Alice-in-Wonderland touches.



If you feel like eating, the indoor dining room is highlighted by a large open kitchen framed by people on fire, and these big communal tables, at which one lucky person gets to be Queen.


Hudson is located on 58th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. It is a full-service hotel, but I know nothing about rooms or rates. I also have no idea if the food is any good. The bars seem to me like a fun spot for a first or third date... or to bring an out-of-town visitor... or a cool place to go if YOU are an out-of-town visitor.... or if you just feel like goofing around with your friends. Or daughters.

Villa Pizza

Two of my favorite movie theaters in Manhattan—stadium seating, plenty of leg room, excellent sound, a few monster-sized screens among the 38 total—happen to be across the street from each other in one of my least favorite parts of town, 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues.

When you're inside the theaters, it's all good. Outside? Yeah... not really. And if you need to grab a quick bite before your show—a not unusual situation, and one that Bo, Co and I found ourselves in last Saturday evening—then what? Are you going eat at McDonalds? Yoshinoya? How about, god forbid, Chevy's?! I've tried them all, to much intestinal discomfort.

Enter Villa Pizza, which serves up surprisingly good and satisfying slices, both thick "Sicilian" style as well as regular NYC foldables, right on the corner of 8th and the Deuce. I've now eaten here several times since last winter and the pizza's been consistently decent (pizzafficiando Debbie was the one who first suggested it, and also gave it her approval): the Sicilian has a pleasing crunch, the regular is not too greasy; the ingredients are fairly well balanced and actually have some flavor; the sauce is not too sweet, not too garlicky; the place seems busy enough that you needn't fear the meat slices, which actually have a nice, safe spicy-ness to them.

The atmosphere is as unlovely as you'd expect—and not helped by the inevitable flies that come through the wide-open front door—but the food-court sensibility and cafeteria-style service definitely provide for a speedy meal. In other words, this restaurant knows its job, and it does it well.

Villa Pizza is on the corner of 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue. Sicilian slices, with toppings, cost around $4. They also serve steam-table things like pasta and chicken wings, as well as make-your-own salads, but I have never felt the urge to go there. The two movie theaters mentioned are the AMC Empire 25 and the Regal E-Walk Stadium 13, both of which are right nearby on 42nd St.

Landmarc TWC

I turned 44 years old last Thursday, and thought that the new Landmarc TWC might be a festive spot for a family celebration. I was right. The six of us—me, Bo, Co, Mom, Dad, Kristina—had a few laughs, ate a lot of good food, and very much enjoyed the terrific Columbus Circle view, the friendly (if a tad clueless) service, and the stylish, buzzy atmosphere. Yes, despite mixed reviews and the mall-ish location on the third floor of the Time Warner Center, this huge place appears to be a huge hit, with every table full by around 7:00, and a big crowd at the bar.

Landmarc TWC's been open for just a couple of weeks, and we could tell: the staff was definitely confused at times, the kitchen struggling to get up to speed. There were certainly no disasters among the eight or so menu items we tried, and much of the food was quite good, but several dishes seemed poised on the brink of true tastiness, only to be undone by a bit of carelessness. Take Dad and Co's Monkfish entrée, for example: perfectly pan-seared, on a bed of wilted watercress, roasted onions and spicy ground chorizo, potentially a brilliant dinner, all sadly overwhelmed by too much vinegar. Or my Thursday pasta special, Orecchiette alla Norcina: the sauce a satisfying, creamy concoction of salty cheese and well-fenneled sausage; the little ears themselves, however, cooked to the point of gumminess. Or my Crispy Sweetbreads, which were rich and tender and excellent, on a saucy plate of overly-garlicked, undercooked haricot verts, which were not.


Mom raved about her Grilled Salmon; Co's favorite thing on the table was a side of Roasted Potatoes (she ate half of her Monkfish before giving up... I ate the other half, vinegar and all); Bo liked her Shrimp Salad—a generous serving of the sautéed crustaceans over frisée and with lots of marinated artichokes—but it was also sauced with too heavy a hand; and Kristina thought her Grilled Skirt Steak Salad just OK. We started the proceedings with two plates of Warm Goat Cheese Profiteroles (total crowd-pleasers, these) and the disappointingly bland Roasted Marrow Bones (the sweet onion marmalade was the highlight there).

And then something amazing happened. We had finished most everything without fuss or complaint (my entree had arrived with the starters, and so I quietly asked that they recook and return it later, please, but that was it) and requested the dessert menu. After cleaning the table and bringing out little sharing plates for everyone, we again requested the dessert menu. Our waiter replied: "We have something special for you instead"... and out came a comprehensive sweet-treat sampler platter and a half-dozen ice cream cones and an enormous pillow of cotton candy, all for free! Was this some kind of birthday surprise? Couldn't be... we never mentioned it anyone. An apology because my entrée had arrived at the wrong time? Seems a little extreme. Because we just looked like such a fun-loving crew? Because Co had a bandage on her arm? Because they thought I was a movie star? I guess we'll never know, but the desserts were delicious—especially the Ice Cream (apple, mango, vanilla, chocolate, lemon, banana), the Chocolate Mousse, and the marzipan-y Tiramisu—the gesture extremely appreciated, and even though I would have returned anyway, now it's a total lock.


Landmarc TWC is on the third floor on the Time Warner Center, on 59th Street and Broadway. They are open from 7:00 am to 2:00 am, and only take reservations for parties of six or more. Dinner prices are extremely reasonable, with most starters and half-plates under $12, and most entrées under $25.

Fika

I was cold, I was tired, I was on a dreary stretch of 58th street, and there it was, like an oasis: the sleek design, the promise of hot caffeine, the cookies piled so high I could spot them from across the street... it was Fika, the Swedish Espresso Bar, and it was amazing.

This tiny space (there's one table, and a four-seat window bar) functions as a coffee house, a sandwich/salad shop, a chocolatier, and a bakery. I had a large Macchiato (basically an espresso with just a bit of steamed milk), and though I'm no coffee connoisseur, I must say it was the smoothest, tastiest cup I've had years, with perhaps only Joe coming close. Apparently the owner imports his beans from Sweden (where, by the way, "fika" is a verb meaning "to have a coffee break"), and in my opinion, it's totally worth the effort.

I also ate cookies, of course, starting with a superb Coconut Top, which was gooey and crunchy and rich and sweet and pretty much my dream macaroon come true. Then I had a heavenly Vanilla Dream, which melted away in my mouth in a swirl of buttery bliss; a Farmhouse, which was wonderfully hard and almondy; and an equally perfect piece of Shortbread, which the attractive, smiley and presumably Swedish counter people gave me for free. I can't wait to try their sandwiches, all of which sound good. This is the ideal spot for a post-MoMA pick-me-up.

Fika first arrived here (on 58th, between 6th and 5th Avenues) about four months ago, with plans to expand to other neighborhoods. I hope that includes everywhere I ever go.

Kyotofu

Scoboco figures: if people are going to keep opening all these new restaurants that only (or primarily) serve beautiful, creative, lovingly assembled desserts... well, the least we can do is go out and enjoy them every once in awhile. And so Saturday night Bo, Co and I headed to the mod-cozy Kyotofu, and indulged in three remarkably tasty, Asian-inspired treats.

Before I go any further: I'm generally NOT a fan of Asian desserts, like those gummy bean cakes, or those bland almond things, or the grainy not-sweet ice cream. Believe me, Kyotofu is not like that.Take, for example, Bo's Warm Chestnut Mochi Chocolate Cake, a moist, semi-sweet cake with a gooey, nutty center, topped with creamy green-tea ice cream and served with an intense fig "yokan" (like a thick gelatin) on the side. It was absolutely delicious. Or my Ginger Infused Japanese Rice Okayu, a warm rice pudding-esque dish strewn with sour cherries, nicely sweetened with a generous dollop of something called kuromitsu whipped cream, and finished with a crackly, seeded wafer cookie and several pieces of perfectly complementary candied ginger. Totally yummy.

And Co? She had the best dessert at the table, a wonderfully rich and flavorful Toasted Walnut Tahitian Vanilla Parfait, with a hefty topping of maple soy-mascarpone mousse and a sticky caramel apricot sauce. And those three persimmon seeds weren't just toss-asides, for garnish, either, but rather stunningly perfect blasts of sourness. In fact, in each dessert the ingredients and flavors worked together in marvelous ways. These guys are true pros.

Even the pot of roasted green tea I had was exceptional (though it did get increasingly bitter, which, as Debbie pointed out to me later, I could have prevented by asking for more hot water). Make sure you go after 6:00, though. Kyotofu, on Ninth Ave near 48th Street, may be open all afternoon, for tea and cookies and the like, but they only serve the "real" dessert menu at night.

Skating The Pond at Bryant Park

I know I wrote about this last year, but in case you're looking for things to do over the holidays (with or without kids), ice skating at The Pond at Bryant Park remains an excellent option.

Though I'm sure it gets mobbed (it's free, it's Christmastime, it's New York City), when Scoboco got there around 11:45 today there was no line... and, in fact, they were just about done Zamboni-ing the ice for the 12:00 - 1:30 skate, and we had a blast. The rink is pretty big, much larger than Lasker or Rockefeller Center; the rental skates are decent quality, which for us just means that they fit well—no achy ankles or blisters—and are easy to put on; the music is appropriately festive; and the setting striking, with all those big 42nd Street buildings and the columnal rear facade of the library presiding over things. AND the chocolate chip cookies and rice krispie treats at the snack bar are surprisingly delicious.

Though admission is free, skate rentals are $8, which is fine, but I definitely recommend bringing your own lock, if you have (to avoid buying one for $10), and NOT bringing a bag, which they make you check, for $6.50. The Pond will be open until January 15. There's more info, and a webcam, here.