Nothing Like New York (Part 1)

As the holidays have come to an end, I sit back and reflect on a quick but fantastic little December trip into New York City with my best friend, Kate. After a easy drive from the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts to Wassaic, NY we hopped a train and NYC bound were we! As I now live in San Diego I eagerly anticipated snowfall and snowfall we got indeed

Laduree

As we exited Grand Central Station, snowflakes danced around us and we began our wintery walk. Our first stop was to a place dreams are made of... Laduree. Anyone who loves ( and obsesses ) over macarons knows about Laduree. They originated in Paris, make the best macarons in the world and now have their first stateside store on Madison Avenue. As we entered I (and I'd take the liberty to say that Kate too) were enamored with the beauty of the store, it was as if we were transported into a tasting salon in Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon. There were multitudes of colored macarons shipped in from Paris almost daily, candles, teas and chocolates...color me a happy girl!

After Laduree we were off to check into The Franklin Hotel , our stylish little home away from home for the night on the Upper East Side. It's a charming little spot that offers European breakfast, an evening wine & artisnal cheese reception and 24 hour tea, latte and cappuccino. The Franklin is in a great location; just around the corner from Zabars, a delicious gourmet food and deli, truly an institution in New York and just a few blocks from The Guggenheim Museum.

The Franklin Hotel

Our evening packed with an ambitious agenda we were off to a chic wine bar called Uncorked Wine and Tapas first where we shared a bottle of  J.P. Chenet Sparkling Rose from France with Marissa Ain, the fabulous founder of Plate + Decanter , a Culinary + Wine Event Company. Next as it was the  holiday season we just had to get a look at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. We snacked on roasted chestnuts as we walked to the subway to meet up with our friend Thea at Corkbuzz Wine Bar & Studio, a place I had heard great things about. Corkbuzz was even better than I anticipated...we apparently arrived with impeccable timing as we were greeted with the question "So are you here to enjoy our Champagne Campaign?"  As a lover, or rather a slave to Champagne, I perked up and inquired further. Kate and I were informed that every night at 10pm-close Corkbuzz indulged their guests offering 50% off any and all Champagne. We were off and running!

Corkbuzz Wine Bar & Studio

NV Chartogne Taillet Rose Champagne

I ordered us a bottle from one of my favorite producers, a NV Chartogne Taillet Rose Champagne , a glorious Champagne that is impressively complex offering notes of rhubarb, red cherries, strawberries, ginger and brioche. Kate ordered the Lamb & Pappardelle Pasta dish while I selected  a side of Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino and an order of housemade Duck Proscuitto...all of it magical with the Chartogne Taillet Rose.  After we wished our goodbyes to Thea, Kate and I hopped back on the subway to The Franklin where we grabbed a cup of Harney & Sons Tea and headed up to our room to rest up and plan for our next day's  New York City adventures...Part 2 to follow!