Skyscrapers and everything! (A Seattle Sweet Snob moves to New York City)
I’m going to have to change the “Seattle Culture” heading soon since I leaped off a metaphorical cliff and moved to NYC, for any readers who do not know me personally. (Are there any?)
First observation? It’s a lot harder to get a truly good cup of coffee here! I did find at least one nice place in Manhattan where I’m staying though, at Cafe Grumpy. Not bad. Not bad at all. It’s no Vivace though.
I’ve been exploring the Manhattan neighborhoods: Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, etc.
I love the street food. I got a kabab (bbq’d chicken on a stick, in a hot dog bun with BBQ sauce or ketchup) which was serviceable but sadly raw enough to give me salmonella. Then I had “chicken and lamb over rice” with some white sauce on top which was hot, vital and amazing. It’s sort of like arabic teriyaki.
Lastly, my first night in NYC I went to see Portishead at Hammerstein. That was some serious shit. Always wanted to see Beth sing, and I was not disappointed. She did a stripped down no-beat version of Wandering Star that just blew me away! If you have never listened to their newest album, Third, and you like the idea of Portishead a little more abrasive and adventurous, I highly recommend it. They are still a hell of a band after all these years.