May | 2024 | I'd Like to Speak to the Manager!!!

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Our trip to NYC this trip was unlike many of the others.

We saw more shows.

We had lunch out most days instead of dinner.

And this brings me to lunch on Thursday.

It was an experience to last a lifetime.

We dined at Le Bernardin.

Le Bernardin is a 3-star Michelin restaurant. Voted number 1 restaurant in NYC over and over. And is 26^thon restaurants world-wide.

Adam made the reservations a while ago, as soon as they became available on the day we wanted to go. Lunch on a Thursday, so that we’d have nowhere to be.

We arrived last Thursday, right at 12:15, the time of our reservation. It feels silly, now that the experience is behind us, but we both felt a little nervous.

We are both in the business. We dine out a lot.

But there’s a nice lunch, and then there’s A NICE lunch.

I was afraid I was underdressed, as I was not wearing a jacket. But alas, I was not the only jacket free person in the dining room.

We arrived, and from the moment we sat down, we knew the experience was going to be special.

Unlike anything we’d ever done before.

We were led to our table, where the chairs were pulled out for us. The settings were exquisite. And everyone exuded hospitality, from the host who sat us, to the sommelier, to the person, who kept clearing our plates, and bringing us new ones.

I joked after the fact that we were given plates twice that we never used. The initial place setting was taken away, as soon as we ordered bubbles to start. The plate that replaced it was taken away, just before the bread was delivered to the table.

The bubbles were delivered promptly, we were asked if we were doing the tasting menu, or ala carte. We chose the tasting menu, and looking around the dining room we were the only guests doing so. We also chose the wine pairings as well.

We sipped bubbles and snacked on salmon rillettes.

And soon we were off.

Tuna-Urchin

Tuna-Tartare-Sea Urchin Toast; Jus de Viande

Albariño, Leirana, Rodrigo Mendez, Rías Baixas, Spain 2022

Langoustine

Seared Langoustine; Foie Gras-Cabbage Confit, Truffled Consommé

Riesling, Van Volxem, Wiltinger Ortswein, Saar, Germany 2021

Japanese Madai

Baked Madai; Fennel-Olive and Citrus Medley

Sauce Barigoule

Palomino Fino, Bodegas Luis Pérez, La Escribana, Andalucia, Spain 2022

Salmon-Caviar

Slowy Baked Salmon; Royal Osetra Caviar, Horseradish Emulsion

Bollinger, La Grande Année, Aÿ, Brut, Champagne, France 2014

Dover Sole

Pan Roasted Dover Sole; Green Olives, Toasted Almonds

Aged Sherry Wine Emulsion

Chardonnay, Evening Land Vineyards, Seven Springs, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2022

Halibut

Steamed Halibut; Baby Spring Vegetables

Red Wine Nage

Clos du Roi, Beaune Premier Cru, Domaine Chanson, Burgundy, France 2020

Rhubarb

Poached Rhubarb, Vanilla-Scented Chantilly

Bugey-Cerdon, La Cueille, Patrick Bottex, Savoie, France NV

Peruvian Dark Chocolate

Warm Peruvian Chocolate Tart, Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream

Taylor Fladgate, 20 Year Tawny, Portugal

Each dish was better than the next.

The pacing was perfect. Plates dropped. Plates cleared.

New glasses dropped at the table. They left the old ones for a while, so for about 30 minutes it looked as though we’d had four glasses of wine each.

The sommelier would stop by, describe the wine, pour two glasses and move on.

We didn’t take a lot of photos because we didn’t want to appear to be THOSE people.

But Adam did snap a few photos, and we had one of the server assistants take a quick photo of us.

In all we were there for three hours, although it felt like about 90 minutes.

The other thing that was interesting, was that the food was all approachable. There was nothing weird, or outrageous that made you go yuck. It was all delicious and prepared wonderfully.

It’s not a meal we’ll repeat again, anytime soon.

But I will look forward to the day that we do.

PS. It was interesting, looking around the dining room. We got the feeling that most everyone there was just out for lunch on a Thursday. There were business meetings going on. 20 somethings just going about their business. For most of our fellow diners I really don’t think it was a special occasion.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Hi.

I lied.

I didn’t post in NYC. I brought my computer. But I didn’t take it out of the bag once.

I was having too much fun, and was exhausted when I got home every night.

However, the fog seems to have lifted.

It was gone by the time we crossed into Manhattan last Monday.

Last week was a whirlwind.

11 shows in 7 days.

Lots of great meals.

One fucking amazing meal.

Lots of great walks. I’m very grateful for my new knee.

One of the best afternoons I had was sitting in Central Park, people watching. And by people watching, I mean watching shirtless boys jog by.

It really was a great week.

As for the shows.

They all had merit, and in case you haven’t noticed in the 15 years I’ve been posting about theater, I rarely ever tell you a show is bad. Too many people, work too hard, for me to post publicly that it’s not worth seeing.

That being said.

Hell’s Kitchen. Wonderful. Those actors sang their asses off, and the voices. Amazing. We saw it the day the Tony’s were announced so there was a special energy in the room. I actually made Adam wait by the stage door with me, which I never, ever do. But then it rained before the leads made their way out.

The Notebook. Oh, my goodness. I had never seen the movie, or read the book. Had no idea what it was about. I boo hooed through the whole show. Although. Not as loudly as the girl sitting next to us. You’d have thought her mother had just died.

Mother Play. Disturbing. Deep. So well-acted. But hard to watch as a gay man.

Suffs was fun. And I love that it will have a long, long, long life after NYC in regional theaters, colleges and universities, and it’s only a matter of time till a high school produces it.

The rest were all fun and I’m glad I saw them. But these moved me the most.

It did feel good to pull into the driveway last night though.

We were glad to be home.

It was weird driving each way. When we left yesterday, NYC was in full spring mode. It was green from the rain on Sunday. Trees had leaves. There were annuals in pots on the streets.

As we drove north, things became less green, until we got to Maine, where the trees have buds on them, but most do NOT have leaves yet.

We also saw a few famousish people.

J. Harrison Ghee saw Hell’s Kitchen a few seats down from us.

Judy Davis sat behind us at lunch.

LaChanze.

Micheal Grief.

Ronnie Larson.

Patti Lupone was in line with us when we saw Oh Mary. She sat in the orchestra, we were in the balcony.

And we saw Rollerena, a NYC personality if there ever was one.

When you are a New Yorker you don’t bother famous people, and you definitely don’t ask for an autograph or take a photo. So. I have no proof of these encounters.

We also used my friend David’s theory on parking tickets while in the city. We chose NOT to move our car for alternate side of the street parking. The first time we did NOT get a ticket. The second time we did. It was worth the price of the ticket to not have to pay to park, and to not have to get up and move the car.

All in all it was a great trip.

But.

It feels good to be home.

I feel better than I did before I left.

And.

That’s what I’m most grateful for.