Hiya eaters!
Is it safe to assume that all of you are back at work today?
Gahh, that must be a bummer. I would like to stay a student forever so I can always have the week between Christmas and New Years off.
Right now I’m on my way back to the Dirty Dirty after a week of NY-bliss.
So in light of leaving the big city behind, I think it’s high time I showed you what I did when I went into the city.
On Friday night, Mother, my aunt, and I ventured in for what promised to be a memorable evening. And believe me, it certainly did not disappoint.
We started the night at The Half King (W 23rd St and 10th Ave), where my aunt’s friend, Greg, is a partial owner and chef.
As soon as we walked in, I knew I would like this place. I absolutely heart with all my heart old oak tables and leather couches, so I was beyond excited.
And then…duh duh duh…I looked at the menu.
The first thing that caught my eye was their diverse beer list. So I started off with a Six Points Sweet Action.
Mmmbeer.
This baby was drinkable, but not like whatever that crappy domestic is. No, this had flavor with a moderate amount of bitterness, but it finished clean.
For an appetizer we all split the Spicy Calamari Salad.
I’m a huge calamari fan and this did not disappoint.
Flash cooked and marinated with mango, chilis, cucumber, cilantro and key lime.
The calamari was chewy, but not in the gross, rubbery way. And by marinating it with chilies rather than actually putting them in the dish, there was a gradual heat that lingered slightly, but nothing outrageous or overpowering.
I should have saved a couple of bites as a palette cleanser for after…
Apricot Chipotle Roasted Chicken on a Cheddar Maple Waffle.
Murray's all natural chicken roasted with apricot and chipotle, served with sauteed bok choy over a malted maple cheddar waffle.
O’m’gahh! O’m’gahh! O’m’gahh!
That baby was out of this world! The chicken was crazy moist and tender. The apricot and chipotle glaze wasn’t too sickly sweet or sticky and the chipotle played oh so well off of the charred bits of the chicken.
And the waffle…oh the waffle. It had the slightly coarse, crisp texture of a cornmeal waffle, but I don’t think it was. I couldn’t really detect much or any maple or cheddar over the flavors of everything else, but I have a feeling I would have noticed a lacking if it had just been a plain waffle.
Does that make any sense?
Bottom line — this was out of this world!
After dinner, the three of us plus Greg ventured down the block to the real reason for the outing — Sleep No More.
This is a play that’s been getting rave reviews (all the waiters at The Half King kept talking about it) so, of course, we had to see it.
And after experiencing it I have to say…definitely go see it if you get the chance, but don’t go in with expectations.
Ya see eaters, Sleep No More isn’t a regular play. You don’t sit down and watch people on a stage. It’s a four-story “hotel” where you get to walk freely and explore whatever and however you like. There are actors and scenes and a storyline (it’s loosely based off Macbeth), but what you see and the order you see it is all chance.
The four of us split up and none of us saw all the same things.
Oh, and did I mention that everyone has to wear a mask and there’s absolutely no talking, not even from the actors?
Yeah, it’s an experience. But now all of us are dying to go back to see what we missed.
So that was Friday. The next time I went into the city was Monday. Because I had a fever and the only prescription was…Peking duck.
Yes, this does count as scenery in Chinatown.
And after walking around Chinatown for a bit and enjoying the scenery, we were more than ready for lunch.
We went to the Peking Duck House (Mott St.). It’s one of the cleanest restaurants in Chinatown. And while there might not be many Chinese people eating there (which, as you know, is the mark of a good Chinese restaurant), we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
And if you’ve never had Peking duck before, you absolutely need to because…it’s an experience.
The waiter presents the whole cooked duck to you (head and all). Once you nod, he takes it over to the chef to be carved.
Watching the chef carve the duck is pretty cool. His knife is crazy sharp and it’s almost like he’s not even looking at the duck.
And about 5 minutes later you have a platter on delicious, crispy, juicy duck.
Mmmmpeking duck.
You then wrap these beautiful slices of duck up on a tortilla-esque pancake, top it with cucumber and scallions, then slather on some hoisen sauce.
It's like a duck taco.
It’s delicious. I ate three. I now want more.
With the duck we also split some cold peanut noodles and Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce.
Once I was full of delicious delicacies, I split off from my family and ventured off to meet…
She's just as awesomely sweet and bubbly in person as she seems on her blog. I want to hang out with her again.
We found out that both of us were going into the city yesterday so we decided to meet up. After a little running around (her family moves fast!) I found her. And then we needed coffee.
We talked blogging, external hard drives, roommates, and internships. And we got scolded by some dude with a stank face for accidentally cutting the line and a barista for sitting on a ledge.
Obviously, we’re troublemakers.
And that marks the end of my big city adventures. You deserve a medal for reading this long. But instead you get…
Questions:
Are you a city person?
What did you do with your day off yesterday?
G’night eaters!
Hehehe. Wedabest. Let's hang again fosho!