Dinner with Friends

Shopping again.

You haven't heard so many of my shopping stories because I have really tried, for so long not to shop. I've fallen off the wagon before and here we go again. It's sale time, what's a girl to do????

I had accumulated a very generous amount of Bergdorf Goodman gift certificates (my very favorite kind). I knew I wouldn't go near the store until after Christmas as it is only then that everything gets marked down twice!

I went late last week and wandered around the 3rd floor, picking up heaps of things. 5 fit. I rejected 3 more. I was left with a Stella McCartney boyfriend jacket and a Dries Van Notten (obscure Dutch designer) jacket that was so unusual and fit me so perfectly that I really had to have it. Dark green, medium weight woolen, asymmetrical peaked lapel jacket. A large brass zipper slashed across me from the bottom right to the top left, one lapel stood up to a point and the other lie flat. There was a button in the middle of nowhere and sleeves that puffed up.

On the way to meet my husband I was daydreaming about outfits.

But. I had not gone to 2, 4, or 5 yet-my other favorite floors. I went back a few days later and was able peruse Fendi, Valentino, Dior, Lanvin... You know, my peeps, my posse. I saw a gorgeous Valentino jacket-wool crepe, lined in silk, fitted, short-at the waist sat a peplum that was pleated all around and a matching cord that tied into a bow. I thought this was a much better use of my money as I could wear it all year round, was black, and much more classic than the green. I returned the green and bought the black.

I went up to 5 and saw a Milly navy short sleeve silk/cotton blend T with a navy silk chiffon scarf that wound around my neck 3 times-a great basic. And a beautiful Milly dress that was fitted, like a pencil dress, one side held a 6 inch wide strap, making it almost sleeveless and the other side was covered with a 6 inch wide ruffle that went, top to bottom the length of the dress I don't have enough cranberry so I bought it. It is being altered now so I can't show it to you now.

I went off to have a lovely lunch with a friend at a beautiful new restaurant, Crown; I had a charming Saturday with my husband ending in our annual and quite spectacular black tie New Year's Eve dinner alone at home; I had a long, tiring, but fun Sunday with my glam BF and through all that I couldn't stop thinking of that fabulous green jacket. I had more lunch plans on Monday but decided that after lunch I'd run into BG and re buy my jacket. (I hoped so anyway-there were 2 left). My glam BF asked me to do him a favor on Monday afternoon but I couldn't not get my jacket. So I got up early, cleaned a bit, put the finishing touches on the dessert and the tabelsetting for dessert (we were going out to lunch then coming back to my house for dessert) and ran into the City, to BG. Success! I got my jacket!

I also went to Barney's to see if the Lanvin necklace I picked out was still there but alas it was not. My birthday is next week and I told my husband I wanted it, so I am holding out a slim hope that he bought it for me.  Alas... someone else had bought it but... we're off to London for a week now so I'm sure I'll fund many other marvelous toys.

 

What is luxury?

I suppose this could be considered my end of year best list?

 

There are a lot things in my life that prove luxurious for me, not in any particular order...

Having a whole day with my husband...

Sitting in front of the fireplace at the Gramercy Park Hotel on a chilly December morning waiting for my friend to join me for breakfast.

Not setting the alarm clock!!

Having all my holiday shopping done by December 1...

Buying a baby's toy on the Toy's R Us website instead of having to set foot in Dante's 7 Layers of Hell-I mean the actual Toy's R us store.

Having a glam breakfast and lunch every day for almost 2 weeks.

Having a job I truly love for. For 10 years!!!!!

The Saint Laurent store on sale!

Going to Paris every year with my husband.

Going for tea at a fancy upper Madison Ave hotel, midweek, to exchange gifts with a good friend.

So many Manhattan restaurants...

Leaving the office in the middle of the day to get my hair colored. Or take my glam best friend to the airport today even though I don't really want him to leave the City

 

 And, my very very favorite moment of luxury. Bergdorf Goodman.

Where is it?

Last week, it was a dark and stormy night, hence this poem...

 

 

Has the City left me

I no longer see the silver,

the lights,

the lines.

The fog has it covered over

It is invisible.

I am comforted knowing it's there.

Always.

 

Follow up

A mere

11 hours later

All has returned

I see it all again.

 

 

La Bete

Several months ago my glam BF asked me about going to the theatre, he really wanted to see La Bete because Joanna Lumley of Ab Fab was in it.  I didn't really know anything about it but we like so many of the same things that I thought why not and we worked out getting tickets. 

Tonight, before the show we were just going to Starbucks but I realized I was starving so we went to a Mexican divey place and had burritos.  We then walked over to the Music Box Theatre for the show and LOVED it!!  It got wonderful reviews and we loved because it was so clever. It's the story of a 17th century theatre troupe who is sponsored by the local  Princess, she insists that a specific actor be included in the troupe in order for it to keep her patronage. The trouble is the actor is a pig. It is one of the smartest plays I’ve seen, the script is in rhyming couplets but it isn't sing songy at all.  It brings up questions of pop culture-is it worthy?  A question clearly discussed for over 500 years. 

Joanna Lumley, David Hyde Pierce and Mark Rylance  were superb (!) In their roles, I loved the costumes. The first time we see the Princess she is preceded in the doorway by flying golden stars-one of the most spectacular scenes I have seen in a long while. 

After the show we waited outside for Joanne Lumley, as my glam BF is a little obsessed – I was able to take their picture which was kind of fun, I had never waited outside for a performer before. I was a bit nervous about the picture, I had promised him I would not let him down, but they were standing under the marquis of the theatre next door and there blue lines of light shooting down through them but the pictures came out beautifully, I'm happy to report.

We walked to the Andaz Hotel as I really wanted him to experience the cocktails there. It wasn't as filled and buzzy as I thought it would be but my Manhattan was positively divine.  They only serve cocktails in the pre-Prohibition style and they are marvelous.   Going out after the theatre has been a dream of mine for a long time. My husband is never willing. But my glam BF is a club kid so going to a fancy cocktail bar at 10 pm is "the night is young" for him.  We had a marvelous time talking about the show, the cocktails, our husbands, Thanksgiving... All sorts of things and we had a joy filled evening.

Until I had to deal with public transportation-since those damn budget cuts in June the trains are simply dreadful. They have made my regular commute a nightmare since there are fewer trains running everything runs 10-15 minutes slower. After rush hour it's even worse, we left the Andaz Hotel at about 11:45 and at 12:45 I was still at the Brooklyn Bridge station waiting for the express to take me the rest of way and all because, at 42nd St, I let a local go, thinking the express would come soon after. It didn't. 15 minutes later I just got on the local and took a taxi from Brooklyn Bridge to the ferry-  I certainly wasn't going to miss the 1am ferry-I would have been stranded in the terminal until 2. The whole trip should have taken about an hour and 20 minutes but it took 2 hours.  Thank you MTA. I get up at 5 to go to work. But in a few days I'll remember only the glorious show and cocktails and forget all about the trains.

Including Him

Yet another...

 

 

I've mentioned before that my husband hates to go out but I love it so I never force him to go anywhere and I try to go out when he's working and I do adore when he agrees to join me.  Last weekend while my glam BF was away I planned to meet 2 friends (women actually) for drinks on Sunday afternoon. I was dumb and I didn't look it up in time and at 3 when we were supposed to meet at 4 was the first time I looked up the fact that PDT didn't open until 6. Oops.  After much discussion, we decided upon Essex, a charming bar inside the Essex St Market.  I wasn't really impressed with the market, it felt dingy and unclean.  But the bar has an elegance to it that I liked.  I had an espresso martini and I liked that you could taste the coffee in it.  My friend had champagne and my other friend had a minty gingery muddled thing.  We had a fabulous afternoon!  They wanted to go for an early dinner to which I agreed immediately.  Somehow  Chinese (my favorite!) discussion led to a Chinese/Mexican plan- somehow I found myself in a charming tapas place, called the Ten Bells on the lower east side.   We shared a patatas bravas, an artichoke gratin, goat in a tortilla with blood sausage and onions though that part I refused to eat along with octopus, and a few other pork things.  My husband called to say he was on his way downtown, where did I want him to pick me up. I asked him to join us and as he so often does he said no.  I just handed the phone to my friend who somehow talked him into joining us.  We had a wonderful time and he added smoked duck slices to the mix of dishes and the restaurant's version of pigs in a blanket (handmade sausage wrapped in pastry with a sweet spicy mustard sauce baked inside). In fact we had such a fabulous time together that we decided on another date for the middle of November!!!   We're thinking about Tribeca restaurants next and one day soon I have to ask him what she said to convince him to join us at all...

Braeburn

Another I had never posted

 

 

There used to be an elegant, glamorous restaurant (but the glamour was subtle and low key) called Voyage in the west village, and it was fairly inexpensive with lovely food-it was one of the few places I could easily get my husband to go to.  One day a year or so ago, while walking by I noticed it was closed and sadly had to break the news to my husband.  About 6 months ago a new restaurant called Braeburn opened up, which I promptly put on my list of places to go. For one reason or another I wasn't able to get there until Wed night. As soon as I turned the corner onto Perry St I knew that I was walking to where Voyage used to be!! I hoped it was good. 

It is in that new farmhouse decor that seems to be taking the city by storm...sigh...do you get my air of resignation...? I  am not a fan of fancy restaurants being so casual and rustic, because I am neither casual or rustic and because the food still tends towards the high end precise high style food that I love. I hate that the food doesn't really go with the look of the place. Ah well, they didn't ask me before they opened so what can I do...

 The food and the service was just lovely. I sat at the bar while waiting for my glam best friend to arrive, chatting with the bartender about whiskey. He was knowledgeable and interested in discussing my whiskey choices and even looked through the list I keep of what I liked and didn't like. I was able to taste the Laguvullin that I had been wanting to taste for a few months. I liked it a lot but still the Glenmorangie Lasanta is my absolute favorite.  My friend had a martini which he enjoyed, saying the olives were really good-he is quite the critique of olives around the City.

 The  maitr'd led us to our table and the wait staff was in plaid flannel shirts, which frankly makes me ill. I want to dress in at least a cocktail frock for dinner and this farmhouse thing is just so not for me.

I started with the panko encrusted poached egg with roasted asparagus and parmesan foam.  All the flavors worked well together and were good, the parmesan foam was spectacular, though I thought the panko crumbs overpowered the egg a bit I enjoyed it over all and am fascinated by how they managed it.  I'm guessing they poach the egg and because it's quite wet they can roll it in the toasted bread crumbs. Then I had a cheesy black pepper linguine which I loved (and in the appetizer sized portion so-the perfect size) for its richness with the hit of spice at the end in the back of your throat. My friend had the scallops which were silky and delicious. He then had the lamb which was full of divine flavors and textures-warm chick peas against the gorgeous meatiness of the lamb.  Dessert we liked least, he had an apple tart that was somewhat soggy- and I had a sour cream chocolate cake that wasn't what I expected (I expected a version of warm chocolate tart) which would have been good if it wasn't a bit overcooked (but had good chocolate flavor). 

Overall, we enjoyed it and I would enjoy going back with my husband for the short ribs on the menu as short ribs are one of his favorite things in the world.

 As a follow up, sadly now Braeburn is closed.

The little red dress

More that I came across that were never posted...

 

More often than not I see really dreadful outfits on my daily trip to work. Today I saw a lady who looked lovely in a rather chic outfit (the idea of which challenges me in this horrendous weather).

She had on a red cotton shift with a jacquard pattern of solid red dots (about 1-inch in diameter with circles around the dots, it was sleeveless but had interesting pleating at the edge of the armband and sewn down pleats at the waist band. She had terrific hair-very short and feathery all in shaded stripes of silver and grey and had on silver kitten heel strappy sandals. The only problem was that she had a big floppy almost black bag on, which, I know what you're thinking-when is a black bag ever a problem, but I wish the bag had more structure and was smaller. I would have also preferred it to be red.

More leftovers...

I came across this piece in my file but realized I never posted it...

 

 

I love Manhattan no matter the weather, season, time or neighborhood-it is my blood.  But there is something about the early morning and dusk that I love best. Maybe it's the promise of what's to come-the day, the night that lies ahead. Maybe it's the temperature of each-early morning in its delicious chill or dusk in its sultry warmth. Maybe a combination of both. 

I'm waiting for a good friend to come downstairs from her apartment, by about noon today it will get too hot for me but it is better than it has been- in the low 80's with no humidity than with humidity so I'm content. My friend and I are going to the Hester St Fair today, I've been looking forward to it since it opened early this summer but it has really been way too hot to go to such a thing before now.  It's partially outside and partially indoors in an un-air condition warehouse, it's part flea market part farmers market.  Now, I'm about to make a controversial statement but I've never shied away from that before so here goes: I hate farmer's markets.  Perhaps it's not that controversial but it definitely is not the prevailing wisdom but I like being a little different than everyone else. It's also not entirely true, my hating of farmers markets. I just hate buying from them-I adore looking through them. Even I, with no sense of smell can actually smell the fruits and vegetables, I love talking to the vendors and I love the colors and bins piled with monochromatic abundance.  But when I buy, I am shocked at the price and am disappointed by the taste.  2 weeks ago I bought 2 tomatoes from a market that were $7.50-to me that's a lot of money. They were gorgeous, one was yellow and green stripes one orange and green, one called Hawaiian pineapple and the other black pineapple.  When I cut one open that evening they were just ok.  I can buy gorgeous but delicious fruits and vegetables at Whole Foods or Dean and Deluca or even my local supermarket if I go at 6am.

 The real reason I wanted  to go to Hester St is for flea market and the prepared foods. People taking the best ingredients and making fabulous dishes representing every country in the world.  And if time allows I might want to try to go to the Essex St market which is full of cheese and other dairy vendors. YUM!!!!

 So, Hester St. was somewhat disappointing-very small, no vintage anything and no room to grow in it current location.  The spice vendor had a gorgeous array from around the world including some very modern choices such as ginger sesame salt but there was also a bacon something so I couldn't buy a thing. There were craft vendors which I'm not that interested in. The ice cream vendor was a charmer and I had chocolate which was 72 percent and mixed with port topped with a grilled banana-all pretty fabulous. The Stumptown pour over iced coffee was equally wonderful but the Swedish shrimp salad was just ok.  Maybe I made the wrong choice, and I should give it a second chance but I like Brooklyn Flea better all the way around.  We had plenty of time to go the Essex St Market, which I hated. It was dingy and the meat was so exposed, with flies all around it that I didn't trust it. And the cuts did not appeal-well do be honest they were positively gross. Have you ever seen a cow's foot-would you really want to cook that and put it into your mouth? Give me Whole Foods or Dean and Deluca any day!!!!!

From Long Ago... Savage Beauty

I can’t really explain why I haven’t posted in so long…I’m sorry, I just don’t know…  I had this mostly typed and now I’m editing it and posting it.

 

The minute I read about the Costume Institute's (at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) newest installation, Savage Beauty, Alexander McQueen, I knew I would see it (I've seen every exhibit since the Institute opened by Diana Vreeland in 1971, except 2-1) the lone men's exhibit, which my ex gay husband made me miss by insisting it closed a different day than it actually did and the super hero exhibit as I thought that was the stupidest idea ever and in some ways disrespectful as what real woman would walk around in some of those get ups. I was a conscientious objector to that one) so of course I would see it. 

My glam BF and I made plans to see it on a Friday night in June, as the museum is open late. Qu'elle tragique. So did every other tourist and New Yorker present in the City. Hundreds of people on the steps, a slow line getting into the Met, a line to pay, and then-an HOUR wait outside the actual gallery inside the museum. We took one look at that line, then each other and left.  But we did walk through a lovely exhibit, Pastel Portraits. Several artists, including Gainsborough, Copley, and even Vigee Le  Brun... (Marie Antoinette's portraitist) among others offered their beautiful 18th century society portraits. I love portraiture because you get to see the clothes and I am singular in my devotion!  Oh and so it shouldn't be a total loss we went to the gift shop. I bought a gorgeous book of Erté sketches 1912-1935 and all in black/white (perfect for Xeroxing or scanning to use for invitations). And I bought beautiful earrings that are copies of something the Met has in its Art Deco Collection. (I wasn't looking for earrings for my black gown, I've already shown you the earrings I'm going to wear to my black tie event. But these are better, n'est ce pas?  I like that they have black in them!! I thought I had a picture but alas I do not, I’ll take one tonight and post it).  We rearranged our schedules to come back at 9:30 the next morning, praying that when it first opened the museum would be less crowded. 

Sadly, my glam best friend over-slept and missed our time together, I waited 1/2 an hour and went inside. The people watching outside was a lot of fun too, it being clear where all the fashionable dressed people were going! It was indeed less crowded, I went in quite dazzled.

 We made new plans for the following Friday which was the Friday before July4 so the office was closed. We thought, a weekday would be better. And it was. 9:30 again.  

It was one of the best exhibits I've seen, on par with Diana Vreeland’s 18th Century and the Saint Laurent exhibit. Every room had a different look and feel but each was very very Alexander Mcqueen.  There were distressed wooden platforms, metal walls, cubbies for each accessory and even videos of old shows playing on the ceiling!!! 

Clearly money was spent on this-how refreshing that is, since museums so seldom have any money to spend on exhibits. After the debacle that was Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel sponsoring that exhibit in 2006, I thought the company that owns the designer name should never sponsor its own history. But I have come to understand that it was just Karl who should not have sponsored Chanel's history. He was in a modern only mood-how can one present a history with only modern clothes??? Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing his work but he didn't show anything from Gabrielle herself!!??!?!  And what is the House of Chanel if not for Gabrielle????? 

I found out, months after the McQueen show, at an FIT lecture by Andrew Bolton, the curator, that not only did LVMH, McQueen, American Express, and Condé Nast sponsor this show but the museum had some of the same designers and producers that did the McQueen runway shows design the exhibit!!! They really were brilliant. The clothes were lent by friends but mostly by the McQueen archives and were so exactly representative of the too few years McQueen worked.

 

 

You get the idea, yes??? http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/objects/

I have seen other magnificent fashion exhibits over the years I have sought them out... But this is the first one I know of that was a BLOCKBUSTER. Yes, fashion people know all about AM, but the pink t-shirt, khakis, sneaker wearing crowds from Iowa?????? Why would they flock to see it? 

I used to be able to travel around the world seeing fashion exhibits but they have become very popular in themselves. There are now too many and they are too far flung (Dior in Russia, a larger Balenciaga exhibit in SF, several in London and Paris) for me to see them all, which makes me so very sad. 

In the days of Diana Vreeland the Met's exhibit had its own floor!  Yes. Sigh…it was the basement, but there was plenty of room for the exquisite history presented to me and all the corners were used to their best advantage. She made money for the museum but it was a struggle, even for her. She did create the absolute fashion party of the year, the opening night party, which still goes on...As does my joy in seeing each exhibit.

Sale Time. It Conveniently Rolls Around Twice a Year

And my sickness rears its well dressed head...

I got to sneak into Barney's while dressed for work. Being on or near 57th St and Madison Ave in a suit and heels during the week always gives me much pleasure. And it's the beginning the important designer sales!! I picked out two pairs of shoes-one a Prada grey patent leather pointy pump and one a wacky glorious Miu Miu shoe that could not be described so I have helpfully supplies this photo for your viewing pleasure... Think severely cut narrow black sheath and these beauties!!