NYC Saturday afternoon-evening

Given the distance and our tired feet, we grabbed a cab to the Museum of Food and Drink.  I found this on a map search on Yelp!  It was an exhibit on the history of Chinese American food (distinctly different from actual Chinese food) and the attitude towards Chinese Americans at the time. (It will seem familiar)

There was an Exclusion Act- part of the reasoning is that men who must eat beef and bread at meals can not work with men who can live only on rice.  Racial stereotypes prevailed.  The fact that the railroads were near completion and the Chinese were still around looking for work was a contributing factor in the discrimination

The poster celebrates the Democratic president signing the Democratic Chinese Exclusion Bill and was an advertisement to come out and celebrate the democracy of excluding Chinese from the country.  With so much discrimination and exclusion in our country, it must be hard to keep track of it all.  The food itself  transformed as the Chinese worked to improve/transform their image.  Chop Suey (not a traditional Chinese dish) became all the rage.  

After walking through the history of Chinese restaurants in America (that included a myriad of menus from across the ages), we reached the chicken exhibit. Note- all exhibit chickens died of natural causes as indicated by a sign nearby.

After a walk through the chicken exhibit we stood in line for some Chinese food prepared on site.  A crab rangoon made with fake crab, some egg foo young and some coconut rice milk pudding.

We finished here and did some walking around Williamsburg- found an artists collective with some unusual exhibits and items for sale including a crab coat and an astronaut costume. While here I purchased a batik bandana to help with the crazy heat of the day.

Our next scheduled stop was at a place called WonderWorldNYC at 7:30.  It was 2:30.  We were in Williamsburg with tired feet and five hours to kill. We had heard tell of flea markets along the river and walked in that direction.  What looked to be flea markets was actually a food truck sort of event called smorgasbord.  Having just eaten at MOFAD, we were not interested and walked toward the water's edge where there was a great view of Manhattan.

By now we were beyond exhausted. And still four hours until WonderWorldNYC.  In desperation, I was struck by insight.  WWNYC had multiple times available when we purchased the tickets.  Why not call and see if it was o.k. to come early.  Success! 

The cab dropped us off at a bright pink warehouse looking building.  This exhibit was advertised as an immersive exhibition that invites you to the realm of the fantastical. This was accurate if by fantastical realm you meant carpet attached to the walls and fake clouds hung by fishing line and a glue gun.  It also advertised many instagrammable options.  Watching others take advantage of these options proved to be more interesting than actually trying to stage any.

          

      

                               

One of the highlights was the machine meant to create the illusion of a windblown look.  Fortunately drknitnightjustine had the foresight to video rather than snapshot.

I can't even imagine what our state of mind would have been if we had killed 5 hours in Williamsburg to see that.  The hilarity gave us a boost and we took the L train back to the city headed towards Chinatown.

We dined at the same vegetarian dim sum place as the last time. And took a walk into Little Italy for a cannoli for dessert.

And though we were ready to call it a night and had no room for any more food, we had to stop at the local Rice Pudding store where we shared some lemon poppyseed rice pudding. (no toppings.) It's of particular note because drknitnightjustine, on an earlier NYC adventure, spent 3 hours on a quest to find said location.  It is the Baskin Robbins of rice pudding.  And they deliver.

And though it must be hard to believe, we haven't even come to the high point of the trip!

NYC 2019 Saturday morning

We woke up on Saturday morning and took the subway to Delancey street on the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg bridge.  Breakfast was at Russ and Daughters where we could have ordered a flight of caviar for $150 or a boiled potato, raw onion and a shot of vodka for $18.

We walked across the bridge looking down at the cars and subway and over to the city.

  

My first purchases of the morning were prints of birds on a wire from a woman who had set up shop along the sidewalk.  Notable sites as we headed toward the city reliquary included a giant snail mural, a sidewalk appliance store,

a liquor infused ice cream shop 

and a vegetarian restaurant featuring carrot hot dogs.

The carrot dog image makes them look less than palatable but when you consider what is usually in hot dogs, anything is likely a step up.

This sign is pointing to the department of education- I've got to believe there is something amiss given that it's pointing to a junk yard.

Finally, The City Reliquary, which was actually a small collection of weird and/or old stuff from around the city.  Exlax containers, seltzer bottles, metro cards, subway tokens from across the ages.  My favorite part was the art installation.  The artist gave materials to people to use to create a three-dimensional self-portrait and made a giant neighborhood including these works.

Click the pictures to look closer if you are so inclined.  It's all so very interesting, as are the relics.

Next up- Saturday afternoon, tired feet, the Museum of Food and Drink and WonderWorld NYC.

So what if school’s starting

I’ve got plans anyway.

Rack was assembled by me.  Sometimes I surprise myself.

NYC- Friday

A photo as the train approached the city-

Arriving at The Hotel Pennsylvania, we were pleased to find a "self check in."  That was until we reached the room  the computer assigned.  It was one double bed that collapsed as I sat on it to use the phone that didn't work.  This hotel has seen better days and has deteriorated a good bit since greathusbandbob and I stayed there 15 years ago.  After some disagreeing as to the type of room requested and haggling, we did get a room with 2 double beds and a working phone. And really, those were the only two amenities provided. It's why I never go through the expedias of the world.

The bonus of this hotel is the Shining imagery that is easily summoned as one goes down the hallway toward the room.

We had fresh legs on Friday but that didn't last long.  Fitbit says we logged 7+ miles after an 8 hour train ride.  Dinner was at a restaurant called Altesia where we began the food photography. Pictures can not do justice to the subtlety of flavors and the impeccable service the city offers.

         

Also if you just take pictures of the food, you miss the fact that the al fresco dining makes one want to wave at the diners across the street.

We tried to go to The Color Factory and The Kellogg's Store but both were closed.  We found our way to Washington Square.  It's one of my favorite places and was alive in a Central Park Sunday sort of way. There is a dog park nearby and we watched the city dogs play.

Our next destination was Chelsea Market stopping at the Russian Espionage Museum for a photo on the way. That will be a place to go on the next trip.

I would call Friday night "absorb the city" night.  It was hard to pay attention. It was hard to hear.  It was distracting in a delightful way. An endless loop of Mary Tyler Moore spinning in a circle and throwing her hat in the air in Minneapolis kind of evening.