24 Hours in NYC: Good Fun, Great Food & New Family

We haven’t been to New York City since just before Covid hit. With David on the road with The Hooters most of the summer, it was definitely time to get back to the Big Apple, and September is a perfect month to go.

We were actually supposed to go for two days. But, nasty weather and flooded roads reduced our trip to just one day. The sky looked ominous as we pulled into town. But, it turned out to be great weather. Not too hot and a perfect temp of about 75 degrees.

Our first stop was Russ & Daughters Cafe, the lox and bagels institution on the Lower East Side. Last time we were there, we had to wait over an hour for a seat. But on this cloudy Wednesday, there were plenty of seats. So, we cozied up to the counter.

We had the Matzoh Ball Soup, and of course, Lox and Bagels. Both were absolutely divine.

After lunch we drove over to the our favorite NYC hotel, the Soho Grand. When we arrived, we were greeted by the same friendly face that has welcomed us many times before. I turned to David and said, “it feels like home here.”

We checked in and were offered a complimentary glass of bubbly.

We settled into an oversized comfy sofa and enjoyed the sights…It was fashion week. So, there was a lot of great people-watching.

We asked if it was possible to get an upgrade (I always ask), and were given a King Superior room with a beautiful view.

We dropped off our bags and took a walk through the streets of Soho. Oh, how I’ve missed this city.

After a little siesta back at the hotel, we departed for dinner at Via Carota. I had asked a few friends for restaurant recommendations and they all had Via Carota of their list.

We started with the Grilled Artichokes. They were lemony and heavenly.

We followed with Rice & Spicy Pork Fritters and Cacio Pepe (David’s new favorite pasta dish).

For our third course, we lifted our self-imposed ban on Octopus (it was insanely delicious). And finished with Vongole, clams in vino bianco. OMG!

For dessert David had Affogato, vanilla ice cream drowned in espresso. I had the Hazelnut Mousse.

If you look closely behind David, in the far right corner is Rachael Ray! When you have people who cook for a living in the restaurant, you know it’s going to be great, and it did not disappoint!

We rolled ourselves out of the restaurant and headed back to the Soho Grand. But, first we had a little fun on the hotel steps 🙂

We woke up to a picture perfect day.

New to the hotel, since our last visit was the Soho Diner. So we decided to grab breakfast, before one last stroll through the streets of Soho.

After our morning walk, we packed our bags and headed on to our next adventure…Meeting my new found cousins, from my grandfather that I never knew existed!!! The journey continues…

It was so lovely to meet my new cousins Deena and Barry. They welcomed me into their family with open arms. I had so many emotions going into this. But in the end, it was natural and loving and wonderful.

Until next time.

Love,

Dallyn & David

Tagged: dallyn pavey, David Uosikkinen, David Uosikkinen's In The Pocket, New York Restaurants, romantic getaway, russ & daughters, Soho, soho grand, The Hooters, via carota

Posted in: Food and Restaurants