Dining with the 1%
Started off today going the the Museum of New York. Hoping to learn more about this history of this amazing city. The museum had a great video loop running on the history of the city. The rest of the Museum was OK, but the best thing was this lighting piece that was in the lobby of the museum.
Next we went to the Frick Gallery. A guy who made is fortune in the early 1900's in Coke, not the up your nose kind or the cola kind but the used to make steel kind. A millionaire by 30 who loved art. Lot's of old masters, Rembrandt, Degas, El Greco, Vermeer, and Goya's etc... A really enjoyable museum. The collections is large but not so large that it feels overwhelming, in a beautiful setting. Loved it. No pictures allowed, sorry.
Now dinner with the 1%
We had dinner reservations at Cafe Boulud. A restaurant just off Madison Avenue one of Daniel Boulud's restaurants The chef de cusine is Gavin Kaysen who was the former chef at El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. We had eaten at El Bizcocho a couple of times when he was there and his cooking was terrific, so we were excited about eating there now that Gavin had made it to the big leagues. We arrive and the welcome was gracious and warm. They gave us a great semi private table. The waiter was very nice and we had a terrific Pinot Noir. One of "The Best" ever. The meal however was very good but not great. maybe it was what I ordered Beef Rossini. Dry aged tenderloin with pan seared Foie Gras. The foie was the reason I ordered this thing and it did not disappoint, but the rest of the dish was very good but not great. Living in California Foie gras is not allowed so I had to order this thing. Plus I hadn't had a steak since we've been here. Very good but not memorable. The Pinot was memorable. One of the things that seemed interesting was that the special for the night was Fried Chicken with Potato Salad and Beans, supposedly being prepared by Gavin. This dish was only done for 2 and was $52 per person, the same price as my Beef Rossini with Foie Gras. Sorry I just couldn't bring myself to pay the same for a picnic as for tenderloin and foie. I don't get it but maybe Fried chicken is something the 1% never see.
I love fine dining but it sometimes gives me the creeps. I look around the dinning room and it's full of the ultra rich who are wearing suit and ties, and sport coats when it's not even required. The staff was very nice but you just feel that you are only allowed to visit this place but don't even think about staying or becoming a regular. You just don't belong to this world. Manhattan it strikes me as one of those places where the difference between the 1% and the 99% is so very apparent. You see it walking down the street especially on a street like Madison Avenue. You can easily tell the 1% from the 99% and I find that disturbing.
Next we went to the Frick Gallery. A guy who made is fortune in the early 1900's in Coke, not the up your nose kind or the cola kind but the used to make steel kind. A millionaire by 30 who loved art. Lot's of old masters, Rembrandt, Degas, El Greco, Vermeer, and Goya's etc... A really enjoyable museum. The collections is large but not so large that it feels overwhelming, in a beautiful setting. Loved it. No pictures allowed, sorry.
Now dinner with the 1%
We had dinner reservations at Cafe Boulud. A restaurant just off Madison Avenue one of Daniel Boulud's restaurants The chef de cusine is Gavin Kaysen who was the former chef at El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. We had eaten at El Bizcocho a couple of times when he was there and his cooking was terrific, so we were excited about eating there now that Gavin had made it to the big leagues. We arrive and the welcome was gracious and warm. They gave us a great semi private table. The waiter was very nice and we had a terrific Pinot Noir. One of "The Best" ever. The meal however was very good but not great. maybe it was what I ordered Beef Rossini. Dry aged tenderloin with pan seared Foie Gras. The foie was the reason I ordered this thing and it did not disappoint, but the rest of the dish was very good but not great. Living in California Foie gras is not allowed so I had to order this thing. Plus I hadn't had a steak since we've been here. Very good but not memorable. The Pinot was memorable. One of the things that seemed interesting was that the special for the night was Fried Chicken with Potato Salad and Beans, supposedly being prepared by Gavin. This dish was only done for 2 and was $52 per person, the same price as my Beef Rossini with Foie Gras. Sorry I just couldn't bring myself to pay the same for a picnic as for tenderloin and foie. I don't get it but maybe Fried chicken is something the 1% never see.
I love fine dining but it sometimes gives me the creeps. I look around the dinning room and it's full of the ultra rich who are wearing suit and ties, and sport coats when it's not even required. The staff was very nice but you just feel that you are only allowed to visit this place but don't even think about staying or becoming a regular. You just don't belong to this world. Manhattan it strikes me as one of those places where the difference between the 1% and the 99% is so very apparent. You see it walking down the street especially on a street like Madison Avenue. You can easily tell the 1% from the 99% and I find that disturbing.
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