Traveler's USA Notebook
CityPass: New York
Budget Hotels
Indian Restaurants
Vegetarian Dining in New York
New York For Families
Theater Reviews
Photo: Martin Seck
Now you can drop into the Museum of Modern Art’s
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden during the new morning hours
(9:00 a.m.to 10:15 a.m ). Just enter on W. 54th Street through the West
Gate. Furthermore, admission to the garden is free. If you’d like,
you can add to this inspiring good morning bonus by buying coffee and/or
beverages in the garden.
The garden’s new installation is “The Modern Monument.” works include
Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk (1967), a symbolic monument for all
people; and Pablo Picasso’sMonument (1972l Guillaume Apollinaire; and
Katharina Fritsch’s Figurengruppe/Group of Figures (2006–08), colorful,
life-size f
igures (including St. Michael, a Madonna, a giant, and a snake).
Other sculptors represented in the garden Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti,
Henri Matisse, Mark di Suvero, Tony Smith, and Claes Oldenburg. For more
information, about the museum, click here
http://www.moma.org.
The early morning hours in the Sculpture Garden will be in effect
year-round, weather permitting.
Nothing is nobler than working on a slice — especially when it’s a
slice of pizza. Having that pizza in Brooklyn is even more iconic. And
guess what? We are told it is now the eighth anniversary of the "A Slice
of Brooklyn Pizza Tour.”
Led by true Brooklynite Tony Muia, the approximately four-and-a-half
hour bus journey takes you to great moments in pizza history —
Grimaldi’s (representative slice above) under the Brooklyn Bridge and
L&B Spumoni Gardens in Gravesend. Moreover, it gives a nice, long look
at the mysteries and intricacies of that mythic land, known as Brooklyn.
It also motors over to Bay Ridge, Coney Island and various movie
locations for such classics as Saturday Night Fever, Goodfellas, The
French Connection, and Annie Hall.
Even the crustiest of visitors have loved the tour. And the best part is
that tour-goers start the journey in Manhattan. The better part is that
everybody on the tour gets two slices and a soda at each of the two
historic pizzerias visited.
For more information call 212. 209. 3370 or click
here.
Water Taxi is a New York ferry and tour operator, and its
starting point is Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport. The tour
boat, itself, is a bright yellow (with strategically placed black
checkerboard blocks) double decker catamaran. Traveler stood on line
and overheard people worrying and mumbling, estimating their chances
to get a seat on the top deck. Traveler raced on but chose seats
below. Traveler couldn’t help it. The nice fat cushiony high backed
seats were so appealing— you know, the European ones, old blue plush
with all the red and yellow and blue and green sprinkles, like you
find on the airport bus in Europe.
At the start of our 90-minute cruise, Lee the Water Taxi Guide
introduced himself and noted that those seated downstairs would soon
have a chance at an uncluttered view by just stepping outside the
cabin. But of course. What a relief. And what a triumph.
Lee also served as the DJ. At various times during the trip, music
shimmied out of the speakers.
After we started out and the boat turned left, we played the game
of, “Oh Look.”
It goes like this:
“Oh look, there's the South Street Seaport! Oh look, there's the
Staten Island Ferry and Battery Park and Battery Park City, Oh look
at the sun
making
glowing ovals that pop and sparkle off the colored glassy
buildings.Adding spirit, structure, sound track and an extra sense
of wonder to the game was Lee, the guide. He was describing the
sights over the public Speaker system. It became
apparent early in the journey that he not only was informed and
eager to transmit his knowledge of the city and its harbor;
but that he was delivering this homage in verse.
Oh look, there’s Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
As we approached Bedloe’s Island, the home of the Statue, people
started streaming out of the downstairs cabin.
Lee said don't worry if you're on the wrong side of the boat because
we're going to stop the boat and going to turn the boat around, line
that statue up behind you and take your picture.
Now a word about this. They actually stopped the boat for 10
minutes or more. The crew leaped out and offered to take your
picture whenever you want with your camera.
Could it get any more exciting? Yes!
A man, wearing a forest green Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirt, emerged
from the huddled masses on the deck, was handed a microphone by Lee
and turned to a woman wearing a black and white blouse and pants.
He looked into her eyes, and asked "do you want to marry me?"
He handed her the microphone.
"Yes," she said.
From his pocket he produced a small box, opened it and presented the
ring. There was joy all around. It seems they were
German tourists, and he saw fit to pop the question in front of the
Statue of Liberty. Now that's democracy in action.
Traveler wondered if Lee were empowered to perform the ceremony, but
apparently that did not come up.
Meanwhile, the tour continued.
We sped away from the Statue of Liberty to the tune of Peggy Lee's
"Fever." It looked as if we were making straight for the
Staten Island ferry. But no... the water plays tricks on a
sense of distance. Cheated death again!
Now, a police helicopter flew right over our boat.
As the sun grew more rosy golden, it was fun to go back and forth
between the cabin and the deck. The breeze caressed; and
actually having fresh air was such a refreshing surprise.
Now
they're playing nice oldies like the Supremes as the boat goes all
the way up to the Water Taxi’s cute little beach opposite 35th St in
Manhattan. The lights were twinkling on the buildings in
midtown East Side Manhattan —the Chrysler building, Empire
State building, the whole shebang.
The silvery half moon above in the evening sky is the brightest
light of all. Even the annoying red check logo of the Verizon
building down by the Brooklyn Bridge doesn't look too bad..
And as we headed toward the seaport, the synth rhythms and operatic
arias of Coco de Mer played on the sound system.
The trip was a blast. The crew couldn’t have been friendlier or more
helpful.
For more info, call 212.742.1969 or click
here
Do you know somebody who's planning to visit York? Sure you do.
Every week! We love to watch your eyes go
boingggg boinggggg when
they see our tall buildings and sense the excellence and intelligence of
America's only truly international, grown-up city. We love to watch
your auras explode when you taste our gorgeous food..
But what New Yorker wants to take a big-eyed, breathless first-time visitor up the Empire State Building for the 37th time at 8:00 a.m.? No, no, no, no, no. No more!
So here's what you do: you buy your friend a CityPass. And when you take your friends for din-dins that evening they can tell you all about the rubber King Kong pencils they bought up there at the tippy top. No waiting on line either...with CityPass, your guests just waltz right in. Well, most of the time, anyway. The Empire State Building's a special case. It gets crowded up there, and King Kong's got a CityPass too. Your CityPass will get also you free admission to the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim Museum & MoMA, and more! So do it.
Click here for the CityPass website.
Eat
in neighbourhood coffee shops, (in midtown, East side, close to the
United Nations, these are on First and Second Avenues, where breakfast
is $3 for two eggs, potatoes and toast, not $12 or more in the hotel
tourist traps. There's a 24 hour supermarket on the corner. Walk to
First Avenue between 53rd and 54th Street and you'll find all the Sutton
Place regulars tucked into the comforting diner booths at the all
nighter Madison coffee shop, or a few clicks down at Tal Bagel, where
the tofu scallion spread on an Everything Bagel is actually just as
delicious as the cream cheese. And so good for you.
We have a big soft soft for the old Excelsior Hotel. It's on Central
Park, so there's air there, too. What a concept! Unsurprisingly,
Jerry Seinfeld, Tony Randall, and lots of celebrities, if you care
about that sort of thing, live nearby. The Excelsior is located
directly across 81st street, opoosite the new Planetarium, which
looks stunning and awesome on the outside and is crushing and
horrible on the inside (more on that disappointing debacle later).
Just stay in celestial splendour at the historic Excelsior, where
galaxies of wonderful sweet space scientists wander around in
circles, jabbering to themselves, gawping at the beautiful blue ball
glow eerily at night. There's a good coffee shop, and a subway and
bus stops on the corner.
Righteous, and still under 200 clams per night!
More info here
You get more than a room when you stay at the Y. You'll find
recreation, a concierge /tourist desk, swimming pools, and fitness
facilities. And a cheap hotel. In New York City: Yes! Y not?
Wise guys use Ys.
You can stay at the Y in Hong Kong, Delhi, Athens, Bangkok, London and
even New York.
Get a free brochure by writing to:
The Y's Way International
224 East 47th St.
New York, NY 10017 tel 212 308 2899. And lest we forget, click
here
New York, Midtown Manhattan! Center of the Universe!
Madison Avenue, spiritual home of Mad Men; Grand Central
Station; 42nd street; the stone lions outside on the broad steps of the
massive, marble Beaux-Arts library. And there, just one block from the
New York Public Library (and not far from the Morgan Library) is a quiet
haven: the Library Hotel at 299 Madison Avenue. Right now, the Library
Hotel is offering 15% off on prepaid online bookings. (Or should that be
on-lion bookings?)
According to Wikipedia, "Hotel Denouement from Lemony Snicket's The
Penultimate Peril was modeled after the Library Hotel."
Traveler must be frank. This is not your rock ‘n roll hotel. It is calm,
clubby and (like its namesake) a sanctuary. As soon as you enter
this 60-room brick and terra cotta boutique hotel, you see that the
hotel owner (HKHotels) used the library both as a geographical
reference and a fountain of design.
Say you’re in town to do a bit of business – maybe see your publisher.
Wouldn’t it be great to stay in a hotel where you’d be proud to
have a few appointments and meetings in a lovely, clubby setting?
Upon check-in, the first things you see are a back wall which
resembles an elegant card catalog cabinet, books in the lobby, and
complimentary bookmarks waiting for you at the registration desk.
Courtesy of Library Hotel
The
designers—the Stephen B. Jacobs Group and its affiliate Andi Pepper
Interior Design—named the hotel floors and rooms for Dewey Decimal
System categories. The fourth floor is Language; eighth is Literature;
ninth is History.
The rooms are sub-categories. Traveler stayed on the General Knowledge
floor (okay, the tenth) in 1000.006, the “New Media” room. The “.006”
means it is a junior suite. (Bear in mind, when you’re booking, that
rooms numbered “.001,” “.002” and “.005” are “deluxe rooms;” “.003” and
.”004” are “petite” rooms. The official “Love Room,” by the way,
is1100.006; but any room can be set up temporarily as a love room as
part of a special package. For the room menu, click
here.
And, yes, there are books galore, special ones, in every room. Our
junior suite’s own little library is chockablock with books – all
related to New Media, including Clicks and Mortars, What Liberal Media?,
and Fast Forward.
Our New Media room, like the hotel, is quiet, classy, civilized and
gemutlich, It is done in hushed but cheerful tones of tan, sand,
beige, brown and white, with a checkerboard patterned carpet in hues of
stone and sand. Pale wood blinds dress five windows, which is amazing
for a New York hotel room. Two windows look all the way up and a
bit of the way down Madison Avenue. You’ve a long marble-topped
workspace for fiddling with your laptop (with a handy outlet above the
desktop level), collating reports, or meditating on your collection of
tourist brochures and the snacks you bought at the excellent
Grand Central Market (it’s in the station).
The
usual amenities plus are here: flat panel TV; safe; down blankets; sofa
(which pulls out to make an extra bed): waffle bathrobes; slippers; hand
held hairdryer; iHome mp3 dock/alarm clock radio; multiple phone lines
(and phones) with voice mail are here. A DVD player is standard
equipment in each room and there’s no charge for the DVDs you borrow
from the hotels DVD (-er-) library based on the American Film
Institute’s list of top 100 films of the 20th Century. But why would
you? Grand Central Station is awesome, and just round the corner.
Shampoos and goos are Zero% brand (no sulfates, no animal testing, thank heavens, pure, odorless, but not much fun) from Gilchrist and Soames. Alas, it is necessary to request a shower cap. (Apparently, the many Europeans who stay here do not bother with such frivolities.) Sorry, tourists – no coffee and tea maker in these rooms – but you can get a cuppa 24/7 at the most amiable “Reading Room” on the second floor. Lingering over coffee, newspapers and magazines is encouraged— and what divine, unlimited coffee, cappuccinos and espressos they are.
The Reading Room, too, has its fair share of books, mostly
best-sellers and popular page-turners. It’s got a library vibe,
except nobody’s going “shush.” And you can stare at Madison Avenue
through the large windows.
Speaking
of free stuff, also included are: free WiFi throughout the hotel;
free bottles of water on arrival; free coffee, baked goods and fresh
fruits served all day; daily evening wine and cheese receptions (5:00pm
- 8:00pm); the free “European style” continental breakfast buffet. The
Library Hotel doesn’t have an exercise room; but it does provide guests
with a free pass to a sports club a short hike away.
Up top on the 14th floor is the Writer’s Den, a mahogany-paneled
lounge with a working fireplace, a nice bar, and surprise, surprise, a
pretty Poetry Garden, an enclosed rooftop bar with wraparound terrace
(see right). At sunset, you can watch the skyscrapers play their
dazzling, secret little games, bouncing wild red-orange lights off one
another. You would never see this from down below, and it makes you
wonder what these buildings get up to when no one’s looking.
The Library Hotel is artfully located. It is a only few blocks but many
decibels away from the frantic West Side Broadway action. It is
only a few blocks away from the United Nations, a leap from the elegant
Grand Central Station and —crucially — it is just one block from
the Airport coach, you know, the big bus that takes you to whatever
airport you need. If you are coming in, exhausted, from a long flight,
you’re just steps from where the airport buses drops you off. And if you
need a 5.30 am bus to take you to the airport for only a few bucks,
Bob’s your uncle: No taxis, no nerves, you’re right here. Bus stop,
located at 41st Street between Park & Lexington Avenues, goes to
Newark.
Bus stop at 125 Park Avenue, between 41st and 42nd Streets, is for both
JFK (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA) Airports.
Living in midtown means never having to say “Taxi!”. Step out the door
and you’ll find the city buses that take you to toney Madison Avenue
boutiques and art galleries, as well as the fabulous museums that
populate Manhattan’s Museum Mile. Or grab the crosstown bus on 42nd
Street and zip over to the Theatre District in Times Square.
For more information about the Library Hotel, click
here.
Library Hotel
299 Madison Avenue
New York NY 10017
212.983.4500
877.793.READ Toll-Free USA
If you haven't yet run the gauntlet, you really must take a walk
along Sixth Street from Second Avenue to First Avenue, Manhattan's
“Little India.” Peer into the restaurants, as you are “invited” by the
many restaurant owners to step inside their wildly lighted
establishments.
The food's pretty much the same — better than average, at least — in all
of them. Some folks favour Ghandi, some prefer the always reliable
Mitali East. And those who don't know any better get sucked into
Banjara, perhaps because it's more expensive, and many people in this
country (including, unfortunately, the Zagat and New York magazine
reviewers) don't know Indian food very well and can't tell good from the
average.
If you want a thoroughly delightful Sixth Street experience, turn to the
right when you reach First Avenue, and walk a few steps, where now you
will see four - count them, four! - Indian restaurants, two up, two
down, all good, and festooned with the wildest flashing lights of all,
some of them, winking, blinking red chilli peppers in endless rows.
And four men will be standing outside, smiling, calling, egging you on,
egging you in, aggressively waving you into their doors. You probably
haven't felt so sought-after since you took your shirt off on the
balcony on Bourbon Street at Mardi Gras. Well, you're going to have to
break three hearts. And the food's lovely in all these places. But
one place has a hidden surprise:
93 First Avenue (between 5th and 6th Streets)
Ny NY 10003
Surprise, surprise...this one features a cpsychedelic forest of
glittering lights. They're like Christmas lights except they take the
form ofchili peppers.A great place to delight your friends, have a
party, or throw one of those buy-your-own-damn-dinner parties that are
becoming increasingly popular these days. Lunch special is $.95 and
$.95 and includes a pappadum, soup, samosa, banana pakora, bhujia,
eggplant pakora, a curry, rice, dhal, and dessert! click
here.
119 Lexington Avenue
NY NY 10016
This world famous pit stop (since 1976) for taxi drivers, film stars,
Indians families, homesick diplomats and obsessed nutcases like your
reviewers who once in awhile wake up and must have the full smorgasbord
of Indian dishes for breakfast at 11 o'clock in the morning
is not to be missed. In you come, look at the Big Board above, and point
to all you want. They load it all onto a tray and then you teeter up the
narrow stairs, where, waiting for you is a room full of tables and
another buffet. We're not talking high gourmet dining here, but the
pakoras are stunning and the dishes are the real thing, home cooking,
perhaps, just like Rama used to make.
Travel tip: Get take-away samosas for a picnic on the plane, or to stash
in your mini bar for a jet-lag snack. Click here.
30 West 52nd Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
NY NY 10019 BP on the Web
You can always count on Bombay Palace to serve you a delicious, superior
excellent meal...it almost guarantees excellence in every dish. If you
need to take someone to a special lunch at a moment's notice, the
cooking will never let you down .The rooms are constantly being
renovated and glitzed up and convey a casual sense of occasion. People
feel flattered to be asked to join you here. Bombay Palace is an
international chain. The up side to this is it has extremely high
standards.
Nice stop for Fifth Avenue shoppers or midtown execs. I like to "test"
Indian restuarants by ordering difficult, variable dishes: Mattar Paneer
is a case in point. The peas should be bright green, not army coloured.
The paneer should be large, plump, rectangular, soft and taste of
rosewater. Bombay Palace's always passes the paneer test, where hardly
anyone else does. They sell their own cookbook: a must have.
& The Bombay Palace's approach has a brightness and
confidence and gourmet swagger, a genuine polish that makes you want to
eat these foods every day. We've got three copies, and whenever we go
into the hinterlands, the book goes with us. (Want to buy the book?) Go
here.
IIf you've got to have an Indian meal right away, you could do worse. The
cooking has a harshness to it, and some dishes are too oily.
Two tricks here: 1) Diners are entitled to a free basket of pappadums,
but you have to know to ask for them, or you're out of luck. 2) At lunch
everything on the menu is 50% off the listed price. This seems a silly
practise - why bother going there for dinner? Tips: Paneer Tikka makes a
great starter, The veg kurma tastes good, though the sauce is thin and
runny; the veg jalfrezi is too sharp. Veg kofta is terrific, and those
pappadums are worth fighting for...they're very nice, washed down with a
salt lassi.Click here.
Many visitors to New York assume it’s an adult playground. That’s
true, but that’s also a myopic view of America’s most interesting city.
Manhattan is a wonderland for kids. You can take the family to the usual
sites—the Statue of Liberty, Central Park and the Empire State
Building—but for a truly family vacation, branch out. The choices are
infinite, but here are a few to spice up your itinerary.
Theater
No city in the world has better theater than New York. So head straight
for Broadway musical "The Lion King" at the New Amsterdam Theater, 42nd
and Broadway. "The King" is an artistic triumph, the music, set
design and costumes are a feast for the eyes and ears. It’s safe to say
you’ve never seen anything like it.
Food
After the theater, treat your kids to a New York staple: ethnic food.
Most cuisines—from Ethiopian to Greek—are available, but Chinatown is of
special note. Once you find Mott and Canal Streets, just walk. There are
hundreds of restaurants, shops and an active street life. Chinatown
bursts with an energy all its own. Once you’ve had lunch or dinner, head
across Canal Street to Mulberry Street and Little Italy. Here, you’ll
find cafes with desserts to die for
Museums
Of course, no visit is complete without a visit to a museum. The
Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd Street, 212/721-1234, has
a TV studio, courtesy of Time-Warner, and a wealth of interactive
exhibitions, while the Forbes Magazine Galleries, 62 Fifth Avenue,
206-5549, has a fleet of over 500 toy boats and an army of 12,000 toy
soldiers. Admission is free, and since it’s in Greenwich Village, you
can introduce your kids to the city’s bohemian section. Older kids will
appreciate the Anne Frank Center USA, on Broadway between Houston and
Prince Sts. 212/431-7993. If the weather is clement, head to the South
Street Seaport. Board the clipper ship, the Peking, and the Ambrose, a
former light ship, to appreciate what life at sea was like.—Fern Siegel
The
Andaz Wall Street is a couple blocks from the South Street Seaport
and a couple blocks from Trinity Church. A few more blocks and
you’re at St. Paul's Church and Century 21 department store (a
shrine for Euro bargain hunters).' It is in the heart of an NYC
beehive; and when you step inside, you feel as if you are
definitely in New York but at rest. At ease soldier.
Hyatt’s Andaz brand is defined not so much by price
point (although it gives plenty of bang for the buck), as by
the indie spirit. Pampering but not luxe; cost-saving but not
shabby. It’s kind of just right. Goldilocks would love it.
New York State of Mind
Each Andaz hotel is designed to be awash in the local vibe. This
location, designed by David Rockwell and Rockwell Group, conveys the
24/7 activity of New York City and yet offers comfort and ease to
its guests. All the bustle and none of the hustle.
A smiling “host,” carrying an ultra small laptop greets you. Don't
worry. The host won't ask you to sign a petition. Instead he or she
will take you to comfortable chairs in the airy, cheery Lounge
(a/k/a/ lobby) and offer you wine, soda, juice or coffee, and then
gently check you in. Hosts also carry your bags, give information
and act as concierge.
The Lounge has an intimate feel. Guests can gather here for a
welcome (and complimentary) croissant, coffee, little snacks, juice
and wine (depending on time of day).. Wait a minute! Something is
missing here. The stylings are contemporary. Art is all over the
place: but... but where’s the 'tude. Allow yourself the faintest of
smiles. The guest — that's you — is the one who is cool here.
Yes
the Andaz Wall; Street hotel is modern. But its corridors manage to
have pinstripe grey walls without being gloomy. The lighted room
numbers are beamed onto the doors. Welcome to room 1012.
The Rooms
While the hotel leans toward the minimalist, it never takes you into
frost territory. With white walls and black tiles, plenty of whites.
blacks and greys meet the eye. They are tempered by textures or
patterns or both.
The space ordinarily would be a suite divided into separate rooms.
Instead it suggests New York style loft-living. Discreet areas have
clearly defined functions. The. pale ash furniture both pleases the
eye and is utilitarian. A long blonde table, bridging
office and sleeping areas, serves several roles. A 42” flat screen
TV rests on the section facing the bed. Beneath the TV are the
fridge and safe. (By the way, minibar snacks and nonalcoholic drinks
are free as are wireless Internet access and local phone calls.) The
other side of the table serves as desk and vanity table. The
telephone and so-easy-to-access electrical outlet on the work
surface make it fun to play office. Under the adjoining table
section is a bench facing a mirror. Actually the mirror is mounted
on (are you ready for this?) the back of the TV screen.
The –ahem- facilities are separated from the rest of the room by a
glass door. Like Gaul, the WC is divided into three parts. In the
center is the sink and all that serve it. Turn left and go through
the glass door for the shower and its rainfall showerhead.
There’s another glass door to the sink’s right and that leads to the
commode. What solitary bliss! Toilet amenities are nice big aloe
goos and gels. There’s no shower cap, but they cheerfully will bring
you one, and toothpaste and extra pillows on request. Traveler
not only has an airport hotel fetish but a pillow fetish. The Andaz
pillows are made by San Francisco-based Down Etc.
.Enough of sleep. Traveler must work.
The Restaurant
Opposite a Bolton’s, a Duane Reade drug store and a Verizon shop is
a hidden haven, the hotel’s restaurant, Wall & Water. It offers
seasonal dishes, crafted from regionally sourced ingredients.
Traveler chowed down in the final days of the restaurant’s
winter menu.. Again the word intimate arises. With its roomy,
open, stainless steel kitchen, the dining area is divided into three
sections: the 12-seat chef’s table by the kitchen, the main dining
room, and a lovely private dining room. The main
dining room has a goodly amount of olive-toned banquettes. The live
wood tables are made of Guanacaste. Tipped Mirrors up high reflect
the street views revealed by large windows, and give a subtle sense
of constant activity. Oh, look! There goes a taxi.
Traveler did not have to search for vegetarian dishes. They had a
menu category all their own, a list of three selections (two more
than you often find in other places).
We
were enchanted by the crusty farmhouse bread, served with well
salted butter. Our starters were endive salad (endive, candied
brazil nuts, blue cheese), pumpkin soup (poured from a pitcher
into tea cups, containing a soft dot of goat cheese, fresh ginger
strips and baby carrot strips), and mushroom salad with oysters,
criminis and chanterelles. Entrees were vegetarian pie (with
carrots, onions, and chickpeas in a lovely flaky crust) and a.
winter greens plate (with ricotta cheese baked until it looks like a
flat matzo and tender Swiss chard, sprinkled with raisins).
Dessert was berry crumble with crème anglaise and prune with
Armagnac ice cream. Both the vegetable pie and the crumble were
served in black iron ramekins
For the winter menu, chef chose a lot of humbler vegetables and did
them nicely. Although not a fan of root vegetables, Traveler
appreciated the preparation. Gabi, our server was marvelous. We
followed her suggestions and were not sorry.
Breakfast also is served at Wall & Water. You can have your
eggs Florentine with Hollandaise or béchamel sauce. Traveler opted
for both. Traveler loved the spherical poached eggs —so very outer
space — and the accompanying cippolini onions and grilled cherry
tomatoes. The personable Kevin McQueen excelled as our breakfast
server.
So Traveler slept, ate and hung out in the Andaz Wall Street. We
should add that the place has a new spa and fitness room and some
marvelous meeting rooms.
At its opening in 2010, Andaz was the only hotel on Wall St. That’s
nice; but more distinctive is that it’s a relaxing place to stay.