Day 15 & 16 - NYC with Natives

Breakfast in Bryant Park - Breads Bakery chocolate babka. One of the best things on the planet.

Here's the deal: last August/September, Hart and I took an Alaskan Cruise. They had a "Kids Club" that we were both looking forward to ;-)  ... on the second day, around lunch time, a woman and a boy came up and asked to share my table. Hart was off getting more food. I met Tina and Christian, and when I said I had a (then) twelve year old son named Hart, Christian lit up. Apparently, they had already connected, in the Kids Club. When Hart got back, he lit up too...and the two of them were basically inseparable for the next week. 

They kept in touch, and since Hart goes to Norway by himself from NY or NJ, it seemed a great time to reconnect. What I didn't know, was that Tina, a nurse practitioner and resident of Murray Hill, was an incredible planner and finder of great things to do for tweens. I tried, but the interwebs told me all the usual things...I didn't have to worry, because Tina got tickets to two off-broadway shows.

And when Hart and Christian saw each other, it was like no time had passed at all. Instant connection.

First was a crazy great show called The Chemistry Show...we weren't allowed to take pictures during the show, but WOW! This really awesome (and foxy) chemist, Borislaw Bilash, and his helpers theatrically brought chemistry to light, and to life. Of course Hart piped up - sometimes loudly (but not as loudly as the unchecked three year old who kept a running commentary until the whole theater finally said "SHHHHH" and Borislaw thanked us), and wound up on stage helping. The parents went up too, for one cool demonstration. This was good, good stuff.

After the show........

  

We pushed on to the second amazing show of the afternoon - honestly, I cannot remember where it was, or what it was called, but there were pictures of Rosie O'Donnell on the wall and it was an audience-participation improv show with no photo restrictions!

Christian got to participate

Of course, Hart did too ;-)

And they both got their improv going!

We all went to Chinatown on the subway - they played arcade games at Chinatown Fair while Tina and I charged our phones at the crepe place next door. Then, we all had a very good dinner at Noodle Village...and then....lucky Hart got invited for an overnighter. Tina, my dear, brave, sweet friend, took the two crazy boys back to Murray Hill. She sent this, shortly after I left them...should the sign behind them say "no contortionist acts?"

The next day we met up at Herald Square and headed for Coney Island. More subway hijinks ensued...and although I was too nervous to take pictures, the three guys in white tee-shirts all eventually joined in the gymnastics.

We picked a cold and rainy day for Luna Park...the boys rode the rides for hours while Tina and I sipped tea at the IHOP across the street. When they were done, we all went down the street to the original Nathan's.

Hart had been feeling a little nauseated, but after he took this picture of me enjoying the best - absolute best - hot dog I have ever, ever had, he was ready for his own. Of course ;-)

 Quick jaunt back to the subway, where C and H enjoyed the rest of C's chili fries.....

Tina and Christian got off to head home...we said "see you tomorrow!" We had plans to meet up in the afternoon, to go swimming at a pool near where T & C live. BUT...

Hart and I were late for our bus. Then, after waiting for 1.5 hours in the shadiest Port Authority bar (which had a surprisingly good salad, BTW), the next bus refused to take us. I lost it. It was not pretty. Email me if you want the story...pretty funny in retrospect. But by the time we made it home, I was spent. It had been a long, strange, wonderful trip...and it wasn't over yet.

Day 14 - Clams, Pilgrims and Pizza - and no more Anthony Bourdain

Woke up this morning to the sad, shocking news that Anthony Bourdain took his own life. It was - is - hard to process. His influence and inspiration has been a big part of my life for the last 18 years. Seems weirdly fitting that we are in New England, where he started his career as a cook. Today's clam feast is most certainly dedicated to him. Thank you, sir, and RIP.

We were headed from Boston to North Bergen, NJ. Our first stop was .....

It was as underwhelming this time as it was when I went in 1998. This time, though, they had a pretty knowledgeable docent talking about the history, debunking myths, putting things in perspective. But still...

That is it. Yep.

Hart & Nibbles wanted to go splash in Plymouth Bay...and came back with the cutest little crab ever!

We left Cape Cod, MA, heading for what we were calling Lunch One, in Rhode Island. All about the clam shacks.....

And Tommy's, in Warwick, did not disappoint. At the risk of sounding like Bubba from Forrest Gump, we got clams on the half shell, clam cakes, stuffed clams, white clam chowder, clear clam chowder....and a lobster roll.

White clam chowder was almost as good as the one in Boston, but here we got twice as much for half the price. Clam cakes were sadly very light on actual clams, but light and crispy, and Hart had no problem tossing all three back, minus one bite. Lobster roll was great.

Little neck clams on the half shell were perfect. Lovely, with just a bit of lemon...starts with ocean brine, ends with a sweet finish. Delicious. Another revelation was Rhode Island clear clam chowder, which is basically the same ingredients, but without cream or thickener. I loved it - reminded me of getting hot clam broth at the Old Clam House in SF, but with nice chunks of clam, bacon, potato, and celery. Yummy.

Had to try the "stuffie," of course, AKA a stuffed quahog clam. It was yummy, had more clam than the clam cakes, but much like stuffed/deviled crabs, the filler dilutes the star...not that into it, but glad we tried it.

Next stop, New Haven CT - Frank Pepe's coal-fired pizza, since 1925. Lunch Two.

We were honestly not that hungry, but Hart insisted we needed a medium - half white clam pie, half original tomato with mozzarella.

The white clam pie was great...the thin, crisp crust, judiciously topped with garlic, cheese, and plump, fresh clams.

The tomato/mozz pie was also good - really all about that crust. I will say that the ratio of sauce to cheese was kind of perfect - I hate an over-sauced pizza pie.

Took most of the pie with us, and drove the last leg to our AirBnB in North Bergen, New Jersey. 

Will update with Hart's input soon...

Day 12 & 13 - Off to Boston

One thing I forgot to mention about dinner with Raquel and Chris - we ordered in from their local pizza place - I think it was called I Love NY Pizza. Hart got a meatball parm sub, I got eggplant rollatini. Can I just say that it was amazing? Hart's meatballs were so light, so flavorful, and the bread was something you just can't seem to get in Texas. My eggplant was incredible - stuffed with spinach and ricotta, with a deceptively plain tomato sauce that was deeply delicious. Italian food on the East Coast - even low-rent red sauce/pizza dives, is just another animal from what we make do with in TX.

We headed east for toward Boston - actually, our AirBnB was in Malden, MA, just north of Boston. Apparently, this region is home to the super beef sandwich - it originated at a place called Kelly's, but there was a highly rated place called Fresco's a 2 minute walk from our place - it was so good we went back the next night.

Hart's Super Beef 3 Way and clam strips w/ tartar sauce

My Junior Beef, lettuce, tomato, mayo & pickles

Three way in the world of Massachusetts beef sandwiches means BBQ sauce, mayo, and cheese. A glorious mess.

We took the "T" into Boston proper, and soon found ourselves at the site of the Boston Massacre. Some consider this 1770 skirmish to be one of the first armed conflicts of the Revolution. Of course, it was mainly the British guards who were armed, and only colonists who died.

Paul Revere's famous depiction of the event.

The Boston Harbor looks very, very different than it did 1773, when the famous Boston Tea Party took place. There was one lone historic ship moored to a dock, amidst all kinds of modern infrastructure...didn't really evoke the history of the place. It was by guided tour only, and we saw from afar their "interactive" element...inviting guests to throw bundles of "tea" into the harbor. See them down there?

Hart getting his Sam Adams pose on

We walked on, stopping at Faneuil Hall (market and meeting hall since 1743) and the statue of Paul Revere mounted in front....

...pushing forward until we arrived at ye olde Union Oyster House - one of the oldest restaurants in the US, and once frequented by Daniel Webster.

Hart's clam chowder was pretty darn good...it had better be, for the usurious price we paid! My oysters were absolute perfection. Of course I forgot what they were called, but they were local, as were the cherrystone clams, which were large and briny.

We ended the tour with a visit to Paul Revere's house....

and headed back for Malden and another round of Fresco's goodness.

Hart is actually in Norway as I write this - I'm going to publish it and get his input later....

Day 10 & 11 - a little more falls, a surprise eduvacation stop, and family connection in upstate NY

After the awesome Giacomo breakfast, we went back to the falls, this time with Nibbles. The day was clear, chilly, and gorgeous. And we saw a rainbow in the mist!

As we were headed for Niskayuna, to visit with my cousin Raquel and her son, Chris, I noticed a road sign touting the Women's Rights National Park. Seneca Falls! Don't know why it didn't occur to me when I was thinking about upstate NY. We had time, so scooted off the interstate to visit.

In the early nineteenth century, Seneca Falls NY was something of a hotbed of abolitionism and reform - a sphere of activity in which women were often active participants. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her husband traveled to London for a conference on abolitionism, only to be told that women were not allowed to participate, and would have to sit in the back of the room and keep quiet. I imagine ECS and her carefully sculpted curls shaking in anger...she resolved to fight for women's rights.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglas, and Hart

 The museum was informative - followed women's rights up through the 1980s. Traditional exhibits, nothing too exciting there except the information in them....

BUT! Next door, they have restored the church in which the famed 1848 convention - the first national conference on women's rights, was held.  Pretty darn cool.

Headed for Niskayuna, where we met Raquel and Chris for dinner. It was amazing to catch up with my awesome, smart, strong cousin - I have always looked up to her, since we were kids. Haven't seen her in ages - not since we became parents! Chris was an awesome guy - he and Hart hung out and let the women talk.

The next day we went over and hung out at their house - another great visit, another visit with no pictures! I guess when I am having excellent conversation with loved ones, I just forget. Sigh.

Here's Hart: The Women's Rights museum was very inspirational. I think the women's rights movement had a big impact every other civil rights movement. I learned that toys were very sexist - way too gender-specific. I think it is still like that today. Me and Chris played FarCry 5 for hours, and Raquel took us to see Solo, where I had 75% of the biggest tub of popcorn I have ever seen. I hope Chris and I can meet up on PS4 and play FarCry5 together.