Why do I never, ever feel I have enough time in this city? WHY???? We leave tomorrow afternoon. So – last night – Red Rooster in Harlem – oh, how I love this restaurant! This was my third time going there, and I’ve always had a fantastic evening there. The chef is Marcus Samuelsson – Ethiopian-Swedish, he does a Swedish-soul food fusion that is so delicious. And the vibe – oh, the vibe – I told a friend rather idealistically that to me it’s like a utopia – a mix of races all getting along and lovin’ each other. On Sundays they have live music at the bar, and they had a great singer last night. The food was delicious.
This picture doesn’t do it justice, but it’s taken at the bar. Afterward we subwayed back to our hotel and were lucky enough to come upon The Meetles (seriously) – a Beatles cover band that was absolutely fantastic.
What I loved about them was that they were all over 40, a mix of men and women, different races – and singing was clearly the hightlight of their week. They got quite a crowd together. Son and I stayed for a good 45 minutes watching them and singing along. They do parties and bar mitzvahs – I’m telling you, if they were in Vancouver I would hire them in a heartbeat! A great evening after a great day seeing Marthe Jocelyn and “Waiting for Godot.”
Today we finally made the trek to Ellis Island.
As you can see, it was COLD.
What can I say? We’ve always wanted to go, and now we have, and now we will never have to do it again. Crowds and line-ups and waiting for boats in said crowds is not my idea of a great time.
After a rest at the hotel, we then got to experience a highlight of the trip. I managed to score us tickets to “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” It was a BLAST! We loved seeing cutie-pie Seth up close, and also the wonderful Fred Armisen. Guests were Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb – not my top pick of guests, but actually they were very funny and Seth did an “intervention” bit with them that was hilarious – and Kyle MacLachlan, whom I do love, all the way back to “Twin Peaks” days, and now “Portlandia.” The musical guest was “Karmin.” While the band was setting up, Seth came up into the audience and answered audience questions. But he was standing in the other aisle the whole time. A girl beside me really wanted to ask a question. So I put up my hand and he said, “Yes, Ma’am?” (yeah. Ma’am). And I said, “Seth, would you come to our aisle, please?” So he did. Then I got to tell him we loved him and we were from Vancouver, Canada, and the girl next to me, from Alabama, had a question. So, it was all very nice, because Son and I got to get up close and personal with Seth for a moment, and Alabama Girl was eternally grateful!
Now we are just relaxing at our hotel. Which is a truly superb hotel. I haven’t mentioned the name before, but it’s the Andaz 5th Avenue. So look – it ain’t the cheapest hotel in the city. But this time I said eff it – I wanted a good experience. And they deliver. I mentioned our room overlooks the New York Public Library. High ceilings, beautiful QUIET rooms. And the staff are AWESOME, particularly Amber and J.D. Free coffee and fruit in the mornings, free wine in the evenings. I’d come back in a heartbeat.
Now, time to wrap up and head to bed … Maybe more in a few days, because NYC may be drawing to a close, but the trip isn’t … Toronto (briefly) ahead followed by Battle Creek, Michigan (a story for another day).
