NYC WITH MY PARENTS

I got to be in NYC with my parents this weekend - one of my favorite cities, with two of my favorite people. 

What makes it so fun to hang out with my parents in a place like NYC, besides the fact that we used to live 30 min outside the city and feel surges of nostalgia when we are here together, is that they are curious, adventurous, and are pretty much up for anything.   We arrived late at night and we met up with my sisters and her husband at this great little place called Earl's Beer and Cheese (yes, beer and cheese! And all sorts of grilled cheese sandwiches! ) which seemed to be mostly a college hangout place. We sat next to an older gentleman who was sitting alone, and struck up a conversation with him. He turned out to be a dancer, writer, artist, performer, professor who had lived in NYC for the past 25 years and we had a great time getting to know him. The agenda for the rest of our time there included bagels at the local deli, church at Brooklyn Tabernacle, opera brunch at the Met, some shopping, games and jazz at a game hall, dinner in the east village, and a visit to MOMA. 

I missed the girls and Ken but it was a much needed time with my parents. Without the girls to occupy all of our attention, I could actually make eye contact with my parents and sisters and have in-depth conversations, which we love to do.  Being in the city also inspires me so much and I felt grateful for the time and headspace to wander, brainstorm, and converse. 

*Shoutout to Ken, who did all the things a dad should do to take care of his two kids, but more importantly, did it graciously without complaining and put this mama at ease to enjoy this much needed retreat. 

Bagels at the Bagel Mill! We are a family that loves a good bagel. 

I like a sesame bagel with cream cheese and tomato.

People watching.

We had brunch at the Met with my sister and brother-in-law, who told us about this awesome opportunity to have brunch (with endless Prosecco!) while listening to Met artists perform beautiful opera pieces. I really loved this, and it made me want to seek out some more good opera!

These photos taken in honor of Last Night at the Met!

After some shopping in midtown, we went down to Fat Cat, a bar and game hall with live music. The jazz band performing there was so good!

In between beers and listening to jazz, we played shuffleboard!

After Fat Cat, we went to a late dinner at Huertas, a restaurant serving Basque-influenced tapas and my taste buds were astounded. It was rich and dreamy and delicious.

Some other highlights included Swedish candy from Sockerbit (above), and poke bowls from Sons of Thunder.  I love me a good poke bowl, and this was one of the best I've had.

Next up, our visit to the Museum of Modern Art!