New York City - Day 4

It is a lot of work, keeping up with this blog, remembering all that we did yesterday, trying to write to make it interesting to read.

We slept in (as usual) and all woke up hungry! Raven led us to a cafe that served food with a middle eastern flair. We sipped lattes, worked on our blog together and proceeded to order some delicious food! Julie had over easy eggs served with Israeli salad and cheese, Rainy ordered pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon yogurt and Raven had an omelet with salmon and cucumbers. Once we were again full and satisfied, we returned to the apartment to regroup and head out for the day.

Our adventure began with walking the streets of the Lower East Side. We ducked into shops when the mood struck us, and I discovered that the prices for everything, from clothing to mid-century furniture, were much more than I could ever afford. Regardless, the window shopping was fun and interesting! Raven and Julie took lots of pictures as the streets were narrow and the buildings interesting.

The first scheduled stop for the day was Lady Mendl's Tea Salon at The Inn at Irving Place for a pre-fix five course tea. The brownstone inn was built in 1839, lovingly restored and furnished with antiques reflecting the Victorian era. For tea selections; Julie ordered the Marbury Rose, a black tea with delicate pink rose buds. Rainy ordered the Scarlet Glow, a lively fruity blend of hibiscus and elder flowers, naturally sweetened with sweet leaf. Raven selected the Kuanyin Oolong which is known for its richness of flavor with notes of peach and other stone fruits. The first course of food was a warm, miniature tart filled with an unidentified yet satisfyingly rich mixture. Next came a selection of small sandwiches. There was turkey salad in a whole grain bread, egg salad on white bread, cream cheese and cucumber also on white bread, and salmon on dark rye toast. All of the special sandwiches were yummy, especially the egg salad. Our next course consisted of a plain and a blueberry scone served with raspberry jam and clotted cream. The fourth course was a cake made with layers of crepes and vanilla cream. It was quite rich, different from anything I have had, which made me think that I should try duplicating the cake using our family recipe for Eiukes as the crepes and perhaps filled with a green tea cream. I will have to try this when I get home! The meal ended with a chocolate dipped strawberry and a sugar cookie. We drank more tea, visited, and admired the tea salon. It was almost 6 p.m. when we left Lady Mendl's to walk to The Raines Law Room.

The Raines Law Room is a speakeasy. This time the doorway was obvious but unmarked, you wouldn't know what the establishment was unless you had been there before. Rainy rang the doorbell, and we were allowed to enter. The room was very dark, set up like a lounge with overstuffed sofas, chairs and a few booths. The bar was at the back of the room and set up more like a kitchen which welcomed guests to watch as their cocktails were mixed.

Tonight we looked at the drink menu to decide what to order; when ready to place our order, there was a pull string that let the waitress know you were ready. Julie ordered a South Side Rickey, a gin based drink with mint and lime. Rainy had the Viva Verde, a tequila and mezcal cocktail with muddled cucumbers and lime and laced with salt and pepper.

Raven requested Julio's Cup, a spicy tequila drink similar to Rainy's but with Tabasco included. We enjoyed our cocktails and admired the wallpaper which, when closely observed, revealed silhouetted figures of men and women in coitus. It was subtle and elegant all at the same time.
 

On our way to The High Line (an elevated park made from a restored subway line) we stopped in for a wine tasting at a favorite wine shop of Raven's. We sampled six different wines and each preferred the white wines over the rose and the reds. On to the High Line, as planned, we were arriving at the park close to sunset. Again, Raven and Julie took many pictures of the river, the buildings, and the sun setting beyond. There was a section with wooden lounge chairs where we sat and relaxed as the sun finally sank over the horizon.

Our final stop for the day was a restaurant in the Dumbo (down under manhattan bridge overlook) District in Brooklyn. We arrived at 9:30 and had an hour wait for our table. As we waited, we sat at the bar to enjoy a beverage. Like the other restaurants we have visited in NYC, this one was small and the kitchen even smaller! The walls, floor, tables, and chairs were all made from a rich, dark wood. There were a few stained glass pieces and interesting lamps hanging from the ceiling. For our appetizers we shared a market salad with grated sugar snap peas and radishes tossed in a vinaigrette dressing plus a dish which featured octopus. For the main course, Rainy ordered ravioli stuffed with english peas, Raven had the lamb, and Julie ordered tilefish served with fava beans. For dessert we shared a plate of cheese and a blueberry topped custard. With full tummies, we took the F train home from Brooklyn. It was 12:30 am and we were calling it an early night!