Getting Out of Dodge: NYC
My daughter had a networking trip organized by her school, and she didn’t seem to mind if I tagged along (to pay for the hotel room, NOT to hang out at the interviews!). I don’t get to NYC nearly as often as I used to when she lived at home, when we’d occasionally gallivant around for theater, museums, and shopping. I sometimes forget it’s a mere two hours away. We settled on the Made Hotel, because it is 1.) new and 2.) smack in the middle of all her appointments which were uptown and down. The NoMad area has even more to offer these days (I’ve written about The NoMad and The Ace before) and it’s an easy subway or Uber to just about anywhere.
STAY: The Made Hotel
The hotel is just four months old and eager to please. Our double-bedded room had just enough space for a cozy stay (not QUITE as teeny tiny as my beloved Marlton), and was thoughtfully laid out. A clever brass and bronze racking system held our clothes, a drop down desk, some artisanal treats (of course), and a small library of magazines. Super comfy beds (and I found out you can buy them online at Leesa.com!) were draped with down comforters and African mud cloths, and everything appears hand “made”, down to the ceramic water cups and hefty stone vessel sink in the bathroom. The materials are juxtaposed intentionally…gray bluestone, japanese ceramic tile, and white oak floors make for a zen-like stay.
The coffee shop in the lobby proffers Devocion espressos and cappuccinos, avocado toast, and chia pudding, plus a towering display of croissants, and the bar is a sweet spot for an afternoon hot buttered rum (yes!). The lobby is a popular hang out for creative types and hipsters, all pecking away madly on their macs. As much as I love my office, it was a happy change to be among so much youth and beauty! I got my reservation through Tablet for an incredible $208 a night. No gym, unfortunately, but the hotel has a relationship with one right around the corner, and there’s a happening bar on the roof (partly sheltered) that I didn’t make it to. The restaurant, Ferris, has been getting so much buzz, we didn’t get in (although I learned later that they give priority to hotel guests). Next time.
(lobby/cafe/room photo above courtesy of Made Hotel)
Avocado Toast for breakfast at the Made Hotel (photo credit: Bobbie Semple)
EAT:
Her Name is Han
You know the feeling….you stumble on a restaurant, so cute and quirky with the sweetest staff, that you know before you’ve had a bite that you’re in the right place. That’s Her Name Is Han, a Korean spot in NoMad. From salmon Bibimbap, noodle bowls, and full-on feasts of soup, kimchi, and bulgogi, Korean food fans will love it here. We stopped in for lunch and never left. The charming waitstaff didn’t question our gluttony and seemed happy to let us hang out for as long as we wanted despite the lunchtime popularity. LOVE IT HERE. www.hernameishan.com
KFC (Korean fried chicken)
Maysville
Ferris, the super buzzy new restaurant in our hotel was booked solid due to the NY Times review THAT morning, so, unfortunately, we missed that treat. We traipsed around the corner for an unbelievably tasty meal at the southern-inflected Maysville. This long and narrow room with massive sketches of horses (?) is a cozy spot on a cold night, and we ordered ummm, just about everything. Do not miss the crispy grits with country ham, crispy Brussels sprouts and YES, chicken under a brick (also crispy!).
Crispy Grits at Maysville (photo credit: Maysville)
Maysville (photo credit: Maysville)
Vin Sur Vingt
This mini chainlet of authentic French wine bars has an outpost in NoMad which made for the perfect pre-theater nosh. Choose from charcuterie or cheese boards (or both), or order up several of the adorable cassolettes (yup, teeny casseroles; 3 for $32, and we shared) bubbling with creamy chicken and mushrooms, boeuf bourguignon, or salmon with dill sauce. Sop up those sauces with baskets of fresh baguette. Oh, and everybody speaks French. We did, too, after a second Sancerre. So fun.
SHOP:
Everlane
Fans of this online retailer of well-priced high, quality goods will love their only retail outpost on 28 Prince Street. You’ll find most cashmere sweaters (lots of boxy and oversized styles) are in the $100 range, a perfect slim wool trouser at $115, lovely classic leather bags, plus an interesting selection of shoes and boots, too. If you’re on the hunt for a new and perfect pair of jeans, here you go: high-waisted and slightly cropped with a skinny leg and a couple of classic colorways (me, I’m a dark denim girl) at a super easy on the wallet $68. Shop Everlane here: www.everlane.com
You know me: always after a Parisian moment. If you need a pick-me-up after your Everlane spree, head across the way to Cafe Gitane for a cheese plate and Kir in authentic French style.
Glossier
I’m sure you’ve seen the ads for this tantalizing makeup brand by now, but purchasing makeup online is oh-so-iffy. My daughter couldn’t wait to get to their only store (mecca for twenty-somethings), so it was our first shopping stop. I gotta say: the clean packaging, easy pricing, and limited range of colors (wow, not overwhelmed buying lipstick! A first), had us dabbing and swiping for an hour. What we loved? Leo lipstick, coconut balm (think Aquaphor but better), and the Boy Brow, an easy (and not obvious) fix for thinning brows. 123 Lafayette Street. p.s I’ve been calling it GlossiER, but apparently, it’s pronounced GlosseeAY.
EVERYONE should have “You Look Good” imprinted on their mirror!
Bulletin
We happened upon this shop, for women, by women, and about women. Feminists (that means all of us, right?) will love this place, stocked with a super-curated selection of handmade goods by indie designers. We snagged a bunch of notebooks, cards, and this I Miss Barack tee. Find Bulletin online here:
The Masterworks
Hamilton:
Was Hamilton as great as everyone says it is? Yes. It. Is. A. Work. Of. Genius. Prices have come down just a little bit, and if you never saw it with Lin-Manuel Miranda, you won’t know the difference. The cast is OUSTANDING. I’m scheming how to see it again…
Michelangelo at the Met:
I expected Michelangelo to be packed and there’s nothing worse than a slow slog through a crowded museum, but NO! I arrived promptly at 10am and although I didn’t exactly have the place to myself, I had enough space to gaze contentedly at the rooms of drawings, paintings, sculpture and architecture, oh, and the 1/4 scale Sistine Chapel which was almost as exciting to see as the original (or at least revisit that lovely trip in my mind, 23 long years ago!). Hurry, the exhibit closes on 2/12.
Michelangelo, Divine Draftsman & Designer through February 12th.
David Hockney:
The David Hockney Retrospective was a rare traipse through his oeuvre (who knew he was a master at flowers?), from abstract to realism to abstract again, and a simply fascinating video installation of how his current passion is painting with an iPad (at 80 years old!). If I’m at the Met with my dad, we always head to the Petrie Cafe overlooking Central Park, but on my own, I much prefer Cafe Sabarsky in the Neue Gallery just a few blocks north. This Austrian outpost with an authentic European vibe dishes up schnitzel, wurst, potato pancakes, and the most decadent desserts, plus hot chocolate with schlag. Don’t forget to visit The Woman in Gold while you’re there. It’s one of my favorite places in NYC.
AND I spent an afternoon happily ensconced with an enormous bag of popcorn watching Daniel Day Lewis in his (supposed) last hurrah. If you haven’t seen Phantom Thread, RUN. It’s the best movie since Out of Africa.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (Everlane & Glossier) which means The E List gets paid a very small amount if you happen to purchase something from the link. HOWEVER, all opinions and content are my own.
