A New York Night

I did it, I went to the Upper Westside for dinner.   Even though it is a quick jaunt on the subway to 79th and Broadway, it seems like light years away. 

We ate at Gari Sushi on 78th and Columbus.  There is another Gari Sushi on the Upper Eastside too.  Our friends knew the chef, so he just brought it on.  The food was beautifully presented and really good.   Two memorable items were the beef short ribs that had been hammered out, braised, grilled and spicy.  The other was a small square dish that was a sea urchin custard.  It was delicious and smooth.  Sake was served in a magnum type bottle but only half filled which was pretty cool.  It feels like a neighborhood restaurant but it is far superior to the other neighborhood restaurants in that area.  It is about time that the Upper Westside had a higher quality of restaurants for local fair.  The audience is ready and waiting.

We blew out of the restaurant and grabbed at cab down to Carnegie Hall.  Our friends have a series for the classical concerts.  They also happen to have great box seats.  We saw a 80 minutes Symphony by Gustav Mahler performed by Valery Gargiev who oversees the Kirov Opera and Orchestra. 

I haven’t been to a classical performance in years.  I played piano for 10-12 years, so I certainly have an appreciation for the art.  I admit, I nodded off a few times, as did most of the audience, but it was really great.  The musicians, the conductor, the chorus and singers were all wonderful.  80 minutes was perfect and it was really a treat to go see. 

We walked out of the performance and opted for drinks at The Plaza to cap off the evening.  The Plaza is going to go through a condo conversion beginning April 30th,  so I am glad we were able to have a drink and walk through the place before it closes. We went to the Oak Room for drinks.  They don’t even have much liquor left.  Only one type of scotch, one type of port, etc.  Our waiter had been there for 18 years and now was going to be out on the streets.  An end of an era.  Bad management?  Who knows but at $24 for a sandwich in a very stuffy room, I am not surprised to see the Plaza become part of NYC history.