So I've been wandering around NYC for the past week mostly on my own. I've also been working (stuff to do for a company gets a little backlogged when one is skipping about inner China) and looking for work. I've been doing this mostly on my own because M is badass and uber-busy with her 3 internships.
Yeah.
THREE.
Oh. She is also taking 2 courses at NYU's school of continuing education.
Again.
Let's all say it! M is BADASS.
Not that I'm complaining at all! I enjoy walking around the city by myself. Much to my delight, I got really lost in the Village the other day and ended up at Murray's Cheese Shop (and caught my bearings again) which was a pleasant surprise. I like getting lost in cities mostly because that's the best way to really get to know them.
My walking around NYC has been punctuated by culinary adventures with badass M. We've had breakfast at Zabar's twice already (say it with me: the BEST lox and cream cheese on a bagel can ONLY be found in NEW YORK CITY! Read and repeat until it sticks to your memory!) and visited some of my favorite culinary haunts in the world - including Katz' Delicatessen. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
Katz' Delicatessen...how can I explain the amazingness of a pastrami sandwich from Katz'? Oh yeah. IT MAKES ME BREAK VEGETARIANISM. That's how good it is. There's also that orgasm scene from "When Harry Met Sally"...yeah, that happened at Katz. Should give you an idea of the power of that pastrami sandwich.
Going to Katz' was a culinary adventure in itself. See, M and I had agreed to go eat there on Tuesday night. But M had class at NYU until 8:30 so we figured we'd meet somewhere on Houston street. Problem was that when I got to Houston street, I got confused as to where I was walking and called M in a bit of a panic. M then told me to walk in the wrong direction, which I realized was the case after walking 6-7 blocks. I doubled back and called her up and we both got confused. By the time we got our bearings, and got to Katz, it had closed.
We were left with a lot of sadness over the lack of pastrami sandwich that night...but realized that we were close to Veselka's anyways and went there instead. Veselka is really really good too. It is this Czech diner that's open 24 hours. You can get all-American classics like a hamburger or mac and cheese or you can go for some pretty amazing pierogis.
I got some mac and cheese after it dawned on me that I hadn't had any cheese for the 3-4 weeks I had been in China and I was sorely sorely missing it. M went for some blinis with really yummy raspberry sauce.
Our defeat that night didn't stop us from trying to go to Katz' again the next night. This time successfully! We even got to sit at the "When Harry Met Sally" table. M and I split a sandwich between the two of us and were happy. The pastrami there is - well, so soft, and flavorful and warm...they cut it right then and there when you order it and just pile it up on some rye bread with a little mustard.
Personally. I think it is the perfect sandwich.
Besides Katz and Veselka (which M and I usually go to when I visit anyways) we had lunch at Chipotle once and also tried a new restaurant - Eataly. Eataly is one of Mario Batalli's many restaurants but it boasts an innovative concept that is somewhere between a gourmet supermarket and a restaurant. It is a really big space that has different dining stations for different kinds of food - fish, coffee, gelato, pasta & pizza - but also has a bunch of supermarket aisles lined only with products that have been imported from Italy. The cheese selection looked really amazing and so did everything they had at the bakery (my suggestion would be buying a loaf of olive rustic bread or a focaccia - which I had for lunch one day). The not-so-great thing is that because Eataly is relatively new (M said it opened sometime around October) it is still a bit of a novelty in the city and thus consistently crowded. Our wait time was estimated to be around 40 minutes when we got there for dinner (somewhere around 8 pm) but we did get seated much earlier to their credit. If you don't mind having a long wait, or call ahead for reservations, I think it is a really good option for a nice meal. M and I opted to eat at pasta and pizza - M ordered a butternut squash lasagna and I had a pizza (fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato, olive oil). We agreed that both choices were very very good (although I will admit the pizza was slightly oily for my taste - but that being said, it did taste rather heavenly). This was earlier tonight by the way.
After Eataly, we took the subway back to the Upper West side but got off a few stops short because we're going to Vermont tomorrow to visit S and we thought we'd bring up some cupcakes from Magnolia bakery. It was a good idea because (a) S will think we're the coolest people on Earth for hauling up cupcakes to Vermont, but also (b) we got to walk off some of that dinner (which was pretty filling - Italian food is always filling).
Besides eating my way through NYC's best restaurants with M, I've been doing a lot of walking and catching up with friends. I went to the Strand the other day and fell very much in love with it. I had to stop myself from buying books by telling myself that they would weigh down my already really heavy luggage. I also wandered about the Village for a bit that same day (which is when I got lost). I left the village after getting into a pretty heated argument with a friend that afternoon. I had planned to go back to the apartment, but because I felt like knocking people's hats off, I though better of it and decided to walk it off. I got off the subway somewhere around 66th street (M's parents' apartment is on 85th) and angrily walked my way up 20 streets. A lot of that anger went away when I ducked into my favorite store (Lush Cosmetics) and replenished some of the stuff I had been meaning to replenish anyways. The scent of their Sexy Peel soap (smells like Lemon and Grapefruit) did wonders for me then. I walked back the rest of the way feeling a lot less stressed and more at ease.
A day before that, I met a dear old friend of mine from Vassar, DW, for coffee at Union Square. We caught up for a bit and then went our ways. I also met with a good friend of mine from High School at Think Coffee on Mercer Street (near NYU) to catch up. Her name is GT.
Think Coffee is amazing btw. I finally discovered a place I could go get a cup of coffee and work at without feeling rushed. I was there when GT called to see if we could meet up and catch up. I suggested she drop by there since she was in the area (sort of). It was really good to talk with her. She's working as a nanny in NYC and working on her art at night. Which I think is incredible. I have so much respect for her dedication and passion for her craft. Talking to her was also really helpful. It gave me hope. I realized right then and there that being in Quito was not going to cut it - that in a way, being in Quito this past year has been a bit of a waste of time. I mean, I've been productive, I've grown so so much, but at the same time I know it is a dead end, a transitional place and that I have to take bigger risks - that if I want to make it in film, that I need to be in the middle of the action.
And Quito...well, Quito is kind of cinematically dead at the moment. I've tried, but right now, that's not the place I need to be at.
And here is someone who is also an artist trying to make it in her field, who is risking it all, making it work, and not only surviving but starting to become successful in a way. It gave me hope that if I move to NYC, I can make it work and not be a starving artist. That there are ways of making it happen.
It is time.
It is time to take the big plunge and really play in the big leagues.
Talking with her really got me thinking about what I should do next and where I should go. Which is good.
I think that's a pretty good summary of my week. Right now, I'm sort of tired, but really excited about going to Vermont tomorrow. M and I are flying there ($59 plane tickets! SCORE!) but driving back in a rental car. Looks to be exciting!
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