NOTE: I’m told that my blog is feeling much better and that it is now safe to pay it a visit. If you see anything wonky, please please please let me know! Be sure to clear out your cache and cookies if you did visit my blog while it was infected.
NOTE 2: This is an extra long post!
I know I should have posted this last week, but there were so many other things I wanted to blog about, and it always takes me a while to recap a trip!
Todd and I had a great anniversary trip in New York City. We wanted a relaxing trip where we could just explore at our own pace and not feel pressure to do any tours. We had both already been to the top of the Empire State Building and had both been out to Ellis Island and to the Statue of Liberty. We wanted to see Greenwich Village, the Chelsea Market, and wander around SoHo. I am so bad about taking pictures when Todd and I go on vacation, so I really don’t have enough pictures of everything.
It was H-O-T in NYC for the days that we were there. We realized as soon as we got off the plane that we hadn’t packed appropriately.
Sunday
We arrived in NYC at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 2. We went straight to our hotel to check in. We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria and it was wonderful. We got a great rate and the service was impeccable. We were hardly there, but the staff really was so friendly and accommodating.
I had made reservations for us to eat lunch at Bar Americain which is one of celebrity chef, Bobby Flay’s restaurants. Because it was Sunday, there was the option to have brunch, so Todd had brunch and I had a cheeseburger. I had heard great things about the burger and fries at Bar Americain so I couldn’t pass it up.
Here we are eating at Bar Americain. I highly recommend it!
After lunch, we had about an hour to kill before our first Broadway show began. We were seeing a matinee of The Lion King, which was really wonderful. There is truly nothing like it. The music is familiar if you’ve seen the movie, but the costumes were incredible. The dancers and performers were mesmerizing. There isn’t much of a set and the actors take on the role of the jungle in some scenes.
This photo was actually taken on our third day there because the crowds were too big to take a picture the day we actually saw The Lion King. We just stopped back by to grab a photo!
On Sunday evening, we went to The Stanton Social for dinner and we both loved it. It was a tapas style meal and we tried so many different things that we couldn’t get enough of. But the portions were so small and everything was shared, so we were glad that we were able to try a lot of things. We had short rib tacos, macaroni and cheese, edamame, risotto cakes, and grilled shrimp. Then we ended the night with donuts dipped in chocolate. We sat next to a really fun couple from Mississippi. Our tables were so close together that we ended up talking to them a while. The conversation was mostly about SEC football, but that’s okay!
Monday
On Monday morning, we got up early and went to have breakfast at Balthazar. I had hoped we’d be able to have enough nights to eat at so many amazing restaurants, but we didn’t. So I was thrilled when I found out that Balthazar was open for breakfast– and it was a fantastic breakfast. Todd had sour cream pancakes and I had scrambled eggs with asparagus and mushrooms in a puff pastry. So yummy and so French!
Here’s TC at Balthazar! Happy to be there! I wanted to make it back to Balthazar for lunch one day just to try their French fries, but we didn’t make it. Balthazar is located in SoHo, so we were able to wander around SoHo when we were there.
It was raining when we left Balthazar, but we walked and walked and walked. We made our way to Bleecker and walked until we got to Magnolia Bakery where we stopped and picked up a few cupcakes. Then we went to a little store called Pumpkin, where I picked up some toys to bring back for Hudson. I got him this little ball set by Edushape, which is apparently sold at Toys R Us. Who knew?
After our two hour walk in the rain, we took a cab to Rockeller Center to sit and people watch. And eat Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. (and there happens to be another Magnolia Bakery near Rockefeller Center.) This cupcake picture is for Nina! (Can you tell how humid it was?)
Then we wandered around the flagship Saks Fifth Avenue store for a while and I didn’t buy a thing! If you’re proud of me, say, “Amen!”
My dear TC doesn’t ask for much. His only request for this trip was to go to Ground Zero. I had been in early 2002 and haven’t been back during any of my NYC trips since then. TC had never been. We stopped by the information kiosk to get a pamphlet to find out what the memorial plans are. We walked across the bridge that goes over the construction of the memorial site. Then we walked back to the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site. They have done a great job of setting up a temporary memorial site and giving people a preview of what the final memorial will be like. It was a very emotional feeling to be in there listening to stories and remembering the day.
We had a little bit of time to kill before getting to our next show and we had to take a cab from Ground Zero back to our hotel. We had the cab driver stop off at Serendipity 3 so we could get a frozen treat. I hadn’t planned on going back to Serendipity on this trip. I had been before and the crowds made it a little hectic. But when we got there, there wasn’t a line and we were able to get in and get our frozen hot chocolate very quickly!
We went back to the Waldorf to clean up because we were going to see Mary Poppins that night! It was a fantastic show. The kids were so talented. There was lots of dancing and terrific voices. And the sets were so impressive! It was truly wonderful. I’m a huge musical theater fan and most of my favorite shows were produced by Cameron Mackintosh, so when I saw that he produced Mary Poppins I knew that it was going to be something to see!
After Mary Poppins, we went to Babbo, Mario Batali’s restaurant, for dinner. This may just be my favorite dining experience of all time. TC and I got the pasta tasting menu. We had Blck Tagliatelle with Peas and Castelmagno, Casunzei with Poppy Seeds, Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati, Papperdelle Bolognese, Frittelle d’ Ananas with Ricotta Salata (little fried pieces of pineapple!), and lots more! We weren’t even sure what we were getting into, but we both love pasta and we both devoured every single tasting.
Tuesday
I have an entire day that is missing because I forgot to charge my camera battery. I was able to take a few pictures with my Blackberry camera and then I tweeted them, so the quality isn’t great, but they’ll have to do.
On Tuesday, we slept in a little bit and then headed out! We walked to Fifth Avenue and made our way down to FAO Schwarz where we explored for a long time. It was so hard not to snatch up everything for Hudson!
We had lunch reservations at the Central Park Boathouse that day, so we took off heading for the restaurant. But we found out we were going the wrong way and had been going the wrong way for at least 15 minutes. So we went the correct way and made our way through the park on a gorgeous day to have lunch.
A fantastic view of the city from Central Park!
After lunch, we didn’t have any plans, so we decided to enjoy the gorgeous day and take a carriage ride through the park. We were looking for just the right driver that would entertain us and we found him! I so wish my camera had been working, but our carriage driver was wonderful. He is the President of the horse and carriage association and just got a bill passed that requires all horses to get five weeks of vacation every year. How wonderful is that? You always wonder how much those horses have to work and pull people around, and this great guy is working to protect them.
He knew everything about the city and Central Park. His father started driving a carriage in the 1960s and then he started driving one, too. Our driver has been driving the carriage for 25 years. We talked about his family, about Seinfeld, about New York’s professional sports teams. It was a great afternoon!
We headed back to the Waldorf to rest for a little while and then headed out to see Jersey Boys. Of course I don’t have any pictures outside the August Wilson Theatre, but I have to say that Jersey Boys was our favorite show of the three. It was funny, the music was wonderful, and it moved quickly. The actors were so talented and fun to watch. We’ve been singing some of the Four Seasons’ songs for days!
After Jersey Boys, we headed down the street to eat at Carmine’s in the Theater District. We were worn out from all of our fabulous meals. Carmine’s was wonderful and relaxing. Again, we split a big bowl of pasta and then headed back to sleep it off!
Wednesday
Wednesday was our last day in NYC. Our only plans for Wednesday were breakfast at Pastis in the meatpacking district. It was another fun breakfast on a gorgeous morning. When we left Pastis, a delivery truck driver started verbally accosting our cab driver, which was lots of fun. I always get so uncomfortable in those situations because I’m not sure if we’re supposed to say anything to our cab driver when it finally ends. But he broke the ice and started talking about how stupid the truck driver was. Then it just became funny.
We checked out of our hotel and decided to go visit the Shops at Columbus Center at the Time Warner Center, which neither of us had ever visited. Then we went back to Rockefeller Center because we decided that we wanted to do the Top of the Rock experience and get a great view of the city before leaving to come home. It was absolutely beautiful and a nice stranger even offered to take our picture together!
At this point, we were actually ready to come home. We missed Hudson and missed our bed. We missed the ease of getting around at home. But New York in the spring time was absolutely wonderful!
We headed to the airport and we headed home to see our precious boy and our sweet dogs.
If you read the whole post, bless your heart!
looks like y’all had a wonderful time!
This was quite the trip! Everything sounded wonderful. I’m glad you all had a good time with just the two of you.
What a fun trip! You two look like you had a fabulous time!
So fun!!!!!!! What a great trip filled with so many wonderful things! Glad ya’ll were able to get away and enjoy yourselves!! 🙂
Jersey Boys is the best! Sounds like an amazing trip!
Lovely post! I enjoyed your pictures and you know I love that dvf dress 🙂
I read the whole post, it was so cute but you already know my favorite part :))
Looks like you had fabulous time- you hit a lot of the restaurants my husband is dying to try. He calls Bobby Flay his culinary soulmate & Mario Batali he calls “Iron Chef I wanna eat everything you make.” So glad you guys had a good time & very happy you got your site fixed!!
I’ve never been to NYC but plan on going soon, so I’m really glad to see you post about where you ate and shopped! It sounds like you had an amazing time!
How much fun did you have? Loved the recap and I’ll have to make note of the places you visited for when I get there, eventually (never been). By the way, what style LV are you carrying in that last pic? Love that style!
Love the recap! Especially since I was just there! I cant wait to go back. I absolutely loved NYC!
Babbo is A-MAZ-ZING!! Your restaurant selections were so similar to my last NYC trip. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip!
Great recap! I think you are good about taking pictures- I took two on Morgan and I’s trip in September. I get embarassed about looking touristy, which is stupid because I am a tourist! I also forget.
All the shows sound so great! Next time we go, I get to pick so it will be musicals all the way! Love that you had such yummy food, and such a wonderful time. I love to visit NYC, but hated living there- so funny.
What a great trip! I am headed to NYC this weekend. You’re post made me even more excited to explore the big apple!
I’ve been to NYC a dozen times and I don’t think I’ve ever made a trip without stopping at FAO Schwartz (save for this last 48 hour mini-trip)… I remember when my grandparents took me for my very first trip and we went to FAOS every single day we were there! There aren’t many things that I enjoy as much now as I did when I was a kid (although the zoo and decorating the Christmas tree definitely come to mind!) but FAOS still holds all the wonder for me that it did 17 years ago! Looks like a fabulous trip!
LOVE IT! You had such a good time!! I am ready to go to NYC now!! Love the recap, and you look beautiful as usual in every pic!
What a wonderful trip! I love New York, although I haven’t been in ahem, um, 10 years. It’s one of my favorite cities. You look just gorgeous in all those pictures–love your outfits!
Sounds so fun- I’m glad you guys had a great trip AND you ate at my absolute favorite- Stanton Social! My bachlorette party is this weekend and we have dinner reservations there for part of the celebration. 🙂
I just LOVE NYC!! Great recap, now I need to go plan my trip for nyc!
I can’t wait to visit NYC someday! Great post!
I love this!! I think you are great at taking photos on vacation – certainly better than I am. Post-Europe I have a camera full of architecture/historic/city photos, but barely any of US. This vacation sounds perfect – I am so jealous of the Babbo tasting menu! That’s definitely on my list. I stayed at the Waldorf when I met T there for business a couple of years ago – our room was the cutest, tiniest thing ever. Hopefully you two had a tad more space to move around in ;-). It’s funny – he has spent so much time there, and we were there constantly during the fall when we thought we’d be moving there, but I STILL feel like I haven’t really done tourist NYC – and I really want to! Now that we’re on the east coast, we just need to commit to it and hop on a train. Okay, I’ve got to start recapping my Europe trip now, the pressure is on!
Wow, it looks like you had a fantastic trip! I haven’t been to NYC since my parents took us in 5th grade. We stayed at the Waldorf and went to The Lion King too, but I definitely want to go back and see more shows. I think I’d appreciate much more as an adult! I’ll definitely have to come back to this post when we finally make it there.
What a fun trip! I went to NYC for the first time for my 30th birthday last year with some of my girlfriends, and I had a blast. I can’t wait to go back! We saw Wicked, stayed at the Waldorf, ate at a ton of wonderful places — oh, it was awesome! New York is definitely great in the spring!
I’ve never been to NYC and now it’s shot even higher on the priority travel list 🙂
What a great anniversary trip. I am a loyal reader but I never comment. I wanted to say thanks for this recap b/c I am planning a trip to NYC with my mom this summer to see Wicked. I have been checking Yelp and Chowhound for restaurant reviews, but now I feel like I have a friend who just got back and can tell me all about it. Babbo sounds yummy and we love Italian food!
Thanks again!
I grew up in NYC but I love reading about people going there to visit because they inevitably do/see more than I ever have! You really got to see (and eat!) some of the best things about the Big Apple. I heart NY so much, so glad you had a great time!
Glad you guys had a great trip. Looking at your pics brought back memories. My husband and I were just there in Feb of this year and it happened to be during the horrible blizzard. Getting through NYC with 22 inches of snow is not fun. We made the best of it but are dying to go back when it’s nicer out. Loved Magnolia bakery and their banana bread pudding! Yum!
Looks like you had a great trip! We are definitely due for a New York trip and I plan to reference back to this post for all of your amazing restaurant suggestions 🙂
Sounds like you had a fantastic trip and I’m so happy for you! The recap was great and I’m so thankful you shared it with us 🙂
I did read the whole post and it was great! Sounds like so much fun. I would love to take a trip like that sometime soon!
So glad you guys had so much fun! You definitely hit up some of my favorite restaurants and you were literally STEPS away from my apartment when you were down near ground zero! Hopefully we can meet up on your next trip in August!
SO SO fun!!! Looks and sounds like you guys had a blast! Sad I won’t make it to NYC this year! Glad ya’ll had a good trip:)
YAY! A NYC Carriage Ride!!!! HOW ROMANTIC!
I was worried after seeing the first picture that the “anniversary” trip was a bit strained … seperate tables…LOL! So glad to see that you had a blast, together:) I think I gained weight just reading this post.
I want one of those cupcakes!! *yum*
sounds like a blast! i haven’t been to NYC since highschool so it’s time to take another trip! by the way..all those dinner descriptions have me starving! 🙂
Just came across your blog and I was thinking, I SO saw you at the ATL Beth Moore conference. I didn’t realize it was going to be so bloggy there! Ha!
(Not that anyone reads mine anyway, but whatevs) =)
I am going to NYC in a couple months with my hubs and this just made me really excited. We’ll have to check out some of those restaurants.
ANd while I’m there, I think I am going to become a horse that drives those buggies, because MAN, I could use 5 WEEKS OF VACATION myself. We should get that guy to come negotiate with congress for all us SAHM’s. Ha!
NYC is one of our next US trips! I’ve stayed at the Waldorf before and loved it. D wants something a little trendier. Did you stay on the JL floor?
You need to start posting some wardrobe recaps of your own, especially your accessories! You look fab.
What a fabulous trip!! I have such an inch to go to NYC now. I am so happy to hear you were able to go to Ground Zero. I went a few months after 9/11 and it was just so surreal. I hope to go back when the memorial is finished, if not before.
Thanks for sharing your wonderfully amazing trip with us!!
I am only a little jealous after reading this post!! I haven’t seen any of those musicals and would be thrilled to see any of them. However, I do think Jersey Boys would be at the top of my list!
Also, you look fabulous in all the pictures! Just had to point that out 🙂
Looks like you hit all the good spots! Stanton Social is my favorite. Thinking of going there for my birthday next month, again. Oh and those cupcakes are DANGEROUS! Glad ya’ll have a good time.
What an amazing trip!! And the dress you wore in the picture next to Mary Poppins– too adorable!!
I’m generally jealous of your trip, but am particularly struggling to be gracious about (1) your magnificent mane – how do you get that volume & curl at the end?; and (2) Magnolia cupcakes. Sigh. Hair volume + excellent cupcakes = my Holy Grail. 🙂
Oh, and I’m so glad you had a terrific trip!
Isn’t Jersey Boys amazing?!?! It came to Memphis in February and my mother got me tickets for Christmas. After we saw it we knew we had to see it again, so we snatched up two of the last pairs of tickets available for their last show here. I am dying to see it again!! I bought the CD and it’s been on repeat since then! I’d had The Four Seasons’ Difinitive Pop Collection for a while. Both CDs are great!
I’m so loving the Magnolia Bakery picture. You look so excited about that cupcake! Everything you did sounds wonderful!
Oh Erin! Looks like y’all just had a wonderful time!! Thank you so much for sharing your stories!!
I have always wanted to go to NYC, but it’s hard to make it over there because it’s a heck of a flight from this side of the country! If I do go though, I’ll have to take some of the ideas you posted for sure!
I have a magnolia bakery cookbook and the one from Serendipity and everything in them is fantastic… I can’t wait to have the “real” thing someday!!!
By the way, all of your outfits are beautiful! I love your style
sounds like you guys had a great trip. i just got really hungry reading this post.
btw, your LV bag is stunning.
Sounds like a super fun trip! Good for you for making it that long without your baby! I am sure you loved him up when you got home!
Looks like such a fun trip! And you look fabulous in all of your pictures. I LOVE the dress you wore to Mary Poppins. Glad you guys had such a great time!
You went to Balthazar and Pumpkin! Love it. Glad y’all had a blast!
What a fun recap of your NYC trip! It looks like you both had an amazing time! I am excited for you both that you were able to go! 🙂
Oh, wow! What a wonderful anniversary trip, and Happy (belated) Anniversary! 🙂 We just celebrated our 6th last Saturday and it doesn’t seem possible. Love your Louis 🙂 and that necklace you’re wearing in a few of the pictures is adorable! Where oh where did you find that cute piece? 🙂
Perfect post, perfect timing…hubs and I leave next week for NYC sans kids for 4 days…we are seeing Wicked and jersey Boys, loved all the restaurant reviews, etc…I am going to try a few that you mentioned…so my dilemma is WHAT TO WEAR!? Can you just share what you wore…how did you transition from lunch/walking to Theater to dinner, etc…I imagine it will be hot next week too! Shoes? My TB Revas I am thinking b/c they comfy but can be dressed-up too! Anything you can suggest? Thanks.