Ron and Susan at Lincoln Center in front of The Met in NYC.
DAY ONE: A room with a view, some bubbles, and opera
In January, Ron and I traveled to New York City for a three-day food, wine, and opera weekend. January is a great time to visit NYC, as its typically less crowded, hotels are more affordable, restaurants are easier to reserve, and show tickets are readily available.
We take the train from Boston, a 4-hour scenic ride along the beautiful Rhode Island and Connecticut shoreline. It is much more enjoyable than driving and provides the opportunity to catch up on reading, work on crossword puzzles, or get some sleep.
We have been staying in the same hotel for years. The Marriott Residence Inn is located on the corner of Broadway and 54th Street. It is conveniently located near everything we want to be near: Central Park, the Hudson River, Lincoln Center, and our favorite restaurants. With 62 floors, it claims to be the tallest hotel in Manhattan. This year, we once again scored a top floor room with towering views of the Hudson River and Times Square below.
We had tickets to see Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera House on Thursday night. I booked a restaurant near the hotel and not far from Lincoln Center, which we had frequented and always enjoyed. Medi Wine Bar and Restaurant has a rustic, cozy feel with a long black polished bar, wood floor, simple tables, and high ceilings. At 5:45 PM it was empty except for the staff and maybe one person at the bar. We grabbed the corner table where the high back benches come together to form a cozy nook. It looks out into the rest of the restaurant yet is intimate and quiet. We had the restaurant all to ourselves, but it didn’t feel odd. It was more like we had planned it that way. Our server, Bicol, was attentive and entertaining.
For wine, I ordered a glass of Cune Brut Rosé Cava from Spain to start. It was delicious, with delicate bubbles, juicy red fruits of cranberry and raspberries, and a nice crisp finish. I had red wine with my meal but don’t remember it as fondly as the Cava.
After sharing a dish of Spanish Tapas, I had the orecchiette with sausage, grape tomatoes, and spinach. Ron enjoyed the Pollo Piemonte, an herb-crusted chicken breast with baby arugula and sautéed mushrooms. By the end of our delicious dinner of Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, we were still practically alone. Only bar customers had accumulated. We relished our private dining experience as we walked the ten blocks to Lincoln Center and the three-hour opera. As expected, everyone died in the end.
Here is the Spanish Cune Brut Cava that I drank at Medi Wine Bar and Restaurant.
The delicious Orecchiette I had as my entrée.
DAY TWO: Soaking up city life and Louis Armstrong
After breakfast at the hotel, we walked across the street and purchased tickets for that evening to see “What a Wonderful World”, the Louis Armstrong Musical at what used to be the swank and hopping dance club Studio 54.
We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon walking the streets of New York, window shopping. I popped into a fur shop on Park Avenue, which was having a sale. A fox hat was only $300, down from $600. On Madison Avenue, I fell in love with the Montblanc anniversary pen with inlaid jade for a mere $1200. Neither was purchased, but I contemplated how quickly one could drop $10,000 shopping on those streets after each stop.
Susan makes a friend in NYC.
We headed to our late lunch reservation at Amarone Scarlatto restaurant on 49th and Ninth at three o’clock. Again, like the night before, we were the only ones in the restaurant. We had eaten there in the past and knew the food was good, but we wondered if that was still the case with a room full of empty tables where you’d expect a late lunch crowd on a Friday. We contemplated leaving, but we were hungry.
We settled into a corner table next to a rack of wine (I felt right at home) and began reviewing the menu. We were ready to enjoy a warming glass of red wine on this cold day, but when asked for the list, our server, Alejandro, apologized for having little wine in inventory, due to re-doing the wine list. He had seven bottles of red wine available, starting at $80 and ranging up to $120. I immediately dismissed four of them as they were table wines I knew to be valued at around twenty dollars.
But the remaining three wines intrigued me, especially the 2013 Fonterutoli Mazzei Chianti Classico and its 2015 sibling. A quick internet search led me to choose the 2013 vintage, which was not only older but a blend of Sangiovese, Malvasia Nera, and Merlot rather than 100% Sangiovese.
Menu and bottle of Chianti at Amarone Scarlatto.
It was simply delicious. It opened with an aroma and flavor full of ripe black and red fruits and had a bright freshness, soft, silky tannins, and a lingering finish. It paired well with Caesar salad, followed by my gnocchi and Ron’s steak. We finished the meal with delicious lemon pudding sponge cake. Then we waddled back to the hotel for a nap before heading to see the lively and well-performed Louis Armstrong musical showcase covering his life and legacy.
DAY THREE -Delicious Dining with Rigoletto in between
We had matinee tickets for Rigoletto at the Met at 1:30 pm and made reservations across the street at The Smith Bar and Restaurant. It is a bistro-style dining establishment with white and black tile floors, rattan furniture, and an extensive, eclectic menu. It was bustling, and we were glad we had a reservation. A host escorted us through the main dining room, past the kitchen, down a hallway, and into a packed, long, narrow room lined by windows on one side that I didn’t even know existed. We were offered a corner table at the end of a long booth and out of the fray of waitstaff and customers.
Nathan, our server, arrived promptly to ask if we wanted a beverage. We ordered a glass of sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne for me and a Gruner Veltliner for Ron and reviewed the brunch menu. Potato waffles are a specialty and the base of the Eggs Benedict, which Ron ordered. I opted for a goat cheese and herb omelet. Nathan kindly offered a salad to replace the gluten-containing waffle I couldn’t eat. It was lovely with lemony dressing over beautiful greens.
Everything was deliciously prepared, and we savored every bite. Partway through our meal, Manager Nancy Grande stopped by our table to see how everything was in a warm and unintrusive way. She was excited to hear about the opera we were headed to and confessed she had never been. We encouraged her to start with an easy one like La Boheme or Madame Butterfly and to read the libretto before she went. That is the funny thing about opera, you can know precisely what will happen and still enjoy it like you don’t.
It was curtain time, we thanked Nancy and Nathan and hurried across the street to our seats.
Ron and Susan in The Met lobby.
We were released from the sad story of Rigoletto (his daughter is murdered) around 4:30 p.m., with time to stop by the hotel for a quick change before heading to our early dinner at 5:30 p.m. at The Marshal. Located on tenth and forty-fifth, it is a sliver of a restaurant that you could walk right by and never notice. It was packed when we arrived, and navigating our way into our small but cozy table against the long wall was challenging.
Chef/owner Charlie Marshall focuses on farm-to-table wood-fired cuisine and beverages from New York State. The wine list is entirely made up of wines from New York, mainly from the North Fork of Long Island. Choosing from the varied menu options was easy, but deciding which wine to order was challenging. I was familiar with a few of the producers but opted to get a recommendation from our server, whose name I don’t recall. He recommended the Wölffer Estate, “Grapes of Roth”, Merlot 2019. The name is a play on the name of the wine maker, Roman Roth. We were initially hesitant to order it as we are not frequent Merlot drinkers, but after an effusive description by the server, we chose to have it poured into our glasses.
The Grapes of Roth wine.
The Roth is a full-bodied wine, deep cherry red with soft, nimble tannins that coat the mouth. Aromas and flavors of dark cherry, black raspberry, and spices popped from the glass. A long and savory finish was the final reward. The Roth wine overshadows the meal in my memory, but all the dishes were creative, fresh, and delicious.
Deviled eggs at The Marshal.
We had a chance to chat with Charlie at the end of our meal. He’s warm and gracious and shared that he’s been committed to a sustainable kitchen and using only local provisions since he opened 12 years ago. He was glad we found him on Open Table as he’s always happy to see new faces.
DAY FOUR: Homeward bound after a run, brunch, and more Cava
Sunday brought a close to our weekend. It was a sunny, not as cold day, and I was inspired to go out for a short run before packing up, going out to brunch, and catching our 3 pm train.
Many people favor a run through Central Park when visiting NYC, but I prefer to head down to the Hudson River, where there is a nice biking/running path with views of New Jersey, ferry boats, and random pleasure craft. It felt good to work off some of the calories from the previous days and get some fresh air.
We returned to Medi for brunch and were greeted with a big smile from Bicol, who seated us at our favorite corner table. I once again ordered the delicious Cune Cava to accompany my feta cheese, tomato, and spinach omelet. Ron leaned into lunch with the pasta Limone and a glass of Spanish Rueda white.
A lovely end to a lovely long weekend of food, wine, opera, and city living.
Susan’s Omelet at Medi.
Ron’s Pasta Limone.
