staycation 2018: day 4
Day 4 evolved into an Asian theme beginning with a viewing of Crazy Rich Asians at the Alamo Drafthouse. We love this place because we can have a beer or cider with our popcorn and movie. We don't normally order the other food items, but branched out today since we needed a little more than popcorn. They were about what we expected for movie theatre fare - decent queso with slightly stale tortilla chips, overly gingered pork dumplings (a featured snack to go with the film), and the standard popcorn. The movie was an adorable rom-com that drew a couple of tears out of me at the pivotal plane scene (that's all I will say to avoid spoilers). The all-Asian cast did an amazing job giving us a peek into a world in which most of us have no experience. I felt transported to Singapore with the stunning scenery and into the world of the rich with the exquisite outfits.This pooch kept trying to back into my bathroom stall after the movie. It just seemed like a strange thing to see, so here is the documentation for your viewing pleasure.
We had an hour to kill before our planned sake tasting at Chambers Street Wine, so we perused the elegant Japanese dining accessories at Korin. leaving with two sets of chopsticks and a sake set. This still didn't take up enough time, so we decided to find a happy hour. Our first stop was Serafina, but neither the menu nor the hospitality at the bar seemed inviting. We bolted and headed to Two Hands, an Australian cafe on my to-try list. Two Aperol spritz's later, and I was gazing out of the window while Derek went to get the check. Something about the scene reminded me how crazy it is and how lucky I am to live in NYC. Nothing spectacular in my view - just a sense of being in a city of greatness. You forget as you continue through daily life, but moments like this bring you back to what you are truly grateful. Also, I love the neon signs in the Two Hands bathrooms and the glow they emanate under the door as the only clue as to which door you should open.
We had an hour to kill before our planned sake tasting at Chambers Street Wine, so we perused the elegant Japanese dining accessories at Korin. leaving with two sets of chopsticks and a sake set. This still didn't take up enough time, so we decided to find a happy hour. Our first stop was Serafina, but neither the menu nor the hospitality at the bar seemed inviting. We bolted and headed to Two Hands, an Australian cafe on my to-try list. Two Aperol spritz's later, and I was gazing out of the window while Derek went to get the check. Something about the scene reminded me how crazy it is and how lucky I am to live in NYC. Nothing spectacular in my view - just a sense of being in a city of greatness. You forget as you continue through daily life, but moments like this bring you back to what you are truly grateful. Also, I love the neon signs in the Two Hands bathrooms and the glow they emanate under the door as the only clue as to which door you should open.
At Chambers Street Wine, a store with unique and wonderful wine options, we tried two sakes. Both were delectable, but the second one was unlike any other we had tried. It tasted like the essence of a strawberry blossom - slightly sweet and flowery. We stopped by Tomoe and grabbed the sushi and sashimi platter and a seaweed salad to enjoy at home. The generous and delicious fish was even better when we could cut it into smaller, more manageable bites, and we were able to savor an amazing bottle of sake for around the same cost as a generic carafe if we had dined-in at the restaurant.
After watching two episodes of The Affair, we decided to embark on one of our treasured adventures we call second dinner. This just means we were still a bit hungry and allowed ourselves to splurge on spaghetti and meatballs and red wine at the Italian place next door. We would be gigantic if we did this all of the time, but it's staycation. We came back and watched the season four finale. I can't believe what happened, but I won't elaborate on it here since you may not have seen it yet.
After watching two episodes of The Affair, we decided to embark on one of our treasured adventures we call second dinner. This just means we were still a bit hungry and allowed ourselves to splurge on spaghetti and meatballs and red wine at the Italian place next door. We would be gigantic if we did this all of the time, but it's staycation. We came back and watched the season four finale. I can't believe what happened, but I won't elaborate on it here since you may not have seen it yet.