Bon Voyage NYC, It's Been a Ride

So my trip back to NYC was fast coming to an end and after the feast of the Chef's Table the night before, I had big boots to fill on my last full day.

I started the morning by heading down to the West Village to meet a friend for breakfast. We ended up at an old fav called Cafe Cluny. It's really strange as most cafes in the Village open around 10am but Clunyy opens at 8am which always made early morning breakfasts an option. Great coffee and those excellent views of West 12th and West 4th and the cobblestone road make this a great spot.

Cafe Clooney

They must have put the bisque on the menu for me.

Only in NYC can you go to a cafe where someone has a dog in a bag hanging from the wall

After breakfast we headed on foot over to the East Village. It was turning into a lovely sunny day. The first really decent day of the year in NYC and people were really getting out. We hit the village and all that walking had worked a thirst up on both of us so we headed to Cafe Ost. Ost is my favourite cafe in all of NYC. The room itself is the epitome of a NYC interior. Pressed tin roof, exposed brick, quirky wall paper and that slight industrial feel. Ost was where I had my first bev when I arrived in 2010. My temporary room was right above it. It was also my local go to place in the last few months before we left. Their coffee is great and 10/10 for people watching.

Cafe Ost

I split with my friend after this and headed to Tomkins Square Park to check out the dog run. The East Village between Houston and 14th and 1st Ave and Ave B is one of my favorite spots in NYC. The hole in the wall shops and cafes and bars and eclectic people mean never a dull moment. Tommo's is a real melting pot of families, homeless, punks, weirdos and dog walkers.

Tommo's Dog Run

After checking out a few old haunts I walked over to NoHo to meet another friend at a place called Saxon and Parole. We'd gotten our wires mixed up on plans. I thought we were catching up for a drink and my friend thought we were catching up for brunch. We ended up deciding to do both. It was here I was introduced to the delights of a Ramos Gin Fizz. This beast of a drink has its roots down in New Orleans and is a real monster to make. The end result tastes exactly like sherbet. I was trying to pace today so didn't go with the delicious Flintstones style bone marrow and stuck to oysters.

NYC came out on the first nice day of the year. Google decided to photo bomb my picture with the Hoff for April Fools Day

Saxon and Parole

After drunch (drinks and lunch) we headed down to SoHo as my friend had to pick up a jacket. I did some random wandering while waiting. I headed to an old fav graffiti spot on the corner of Wooster and Grand but it was no more. Like so many other spots it had been replaced by a multi story condo style complex.

We wandered back through the Lower East Side and ended up at a spot I'd been hanging to get to all week, Luke's Lobster. By this stage in the trip I'd smashed three other rolls but they were merely a warmup for Luke's. It's here I became addicted to these delights. There mix of herbs and toasted roll perfectly compliment the lobster. I was pleased to see my VIP card was still posted on the wall and could not wait to tuck into it. Start to finish time about 60 seconds. Amazing.

My card is left side and third card from the bottom

From Luke's we headed down to 2A, a almost dive bar on Ave A and East 2nd St. There are 2 really cool things about 2A. Cheap drinks with 2-4-1 before 8pm and the view. The bar is wrapped in almost floor to ceiling windows and it provides the perfect frame for the streetscape outside. You may wonder what it is with the streetscapes down here. It's difficult to describe and easier to just experience. I think I'd surmise it as nothing is ever the same and you are guaranteed to always see something you'd have never seen before. Never a dull moment. I should mention they also have Hoegaarden on tap.

2A

After possibly one to many Hoegaardens we headed back to the Lower East Side to a restaurant called The Musket Room. This is a fairly new place by a kiwi chef. We sat at the bar and ate and the food was really good. I must be having a desert fetish at the moment as the highlight for me was the Pavlova cake. The night may have included a bar or two after The Musket Room but nothing particularly interesting to report there. 

Delicious

Today epitomises what I love about NYC. I had two things organised. Meet a friend for breakfast and another friend for a midday drink. Everything in between was unplanned randomness and so much fun. Bon voyage NYC.