Hi everyone!
Sorry to be late with this blog entry but this is the first opportunity I've had to write since returning from Libby and David's wedding in New York. It was an amazing weekend - starting with a lovely dinner on Thursday evening with David's parents at the Homestead Inn in Greenwich, Connecticut; Friday night was the "rehearsal" dinner at John's Pizza in the West Village; Saturday night was the wedding at the Blue HIll at Stone Barns in Westchester County, NY. I'll give some food details later on but I must tell you that Libby was a beautiful bride and David a handsome groom and both were amazingly gracious hosts. We all had a wonderful time at this most memorable occasion.
I do have a book to report on - Lib asked me to pick out a good book for her honeymoon in Cabo.
Both Jexy and Rae recommend Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.
From Publishers Weekly
With its spotlight on elephants, Gruen's romantic page-turner hinges on the human-animal bonds that drove her debut and its sequel (Riding Lessons and Flying Changes)—but without the mass appeal that horses hold. The novel, told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joined during the Great Depression. When 23-year-old Jankowski learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of Cornell veterinary school and parlays his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures[...] He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers—a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for. Despite her often clichéd prose and the predictability of the story's ending, Gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes and freaks who populate her book. (May 26)
Website of the Week - http://www.winezap.com/ - find, price and compare wines
Podcast of the Week - Diane Rehm's interview with Judith Viorst broadcast on Thursday, November 1
Vocabulary Word of the Week - enoteca
Enoteca. A wine store. Also a place to drink wine, often with small snacks.
Cooking and Dining Report - here's a brief review of some of the fine dining experiences we had this weekend in New York/Connecticut - as many of you know, great cooking and fine food is pretty important in our family. Although Libby was pretty particular in her eating habits as a child, she has certainly broadened her horizons and along with David has developed a tremendous appreciation for great food. This was certainly evident in their dining choices for their wedding weekend.
Dinner with Libby, David and David's parents, Cora and David at the Homestead Inn in Greenwich Connecticut - http://www.homesteadinn.com/hs/home.htm - a very beautiful inn and restaurant in the tradition of southern New England. The decor, menu, service and company were outstanding.
Rehearsal Dinner at Libby and David's favorite pizza place at John's Pizza http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com/ in the West Village of New York - what a fun, relaxed place to usher in the wedding festivities! Great pizza, calzone, meatballs and topped off with cupcakes from the renowned Magnolia Bakery http://www.magnoliacupcakes.com/. The evening was capped off by a visit to a private room in a karaoke club, Karaoke One 7. We had a great time!!
Wedding Dinner at Blue HIll at Stone Barns in Pocantico HIlls, New York - http://www.bluehillstonebarns.com/bhsb.html -
Blue Hill at Stone Barns combines a working farm, restaurant, and educational center in the spectacular surroundings of Pocantico Hills, New York, revitalizing a collection of barns and creating a space that highlights the abundant resources of the Hudson Valley. The menu was just outstanding - a salad of field greens, fennel, pistachio nuts topped with a soft-boiled egg, cavatelli pasta with woodsy mushrooms, sliced beef, tender and rare and a very unique chocolate bread pudding for dessert. The accompanying wines were perfect!
Jack and I had dinner Sunday night with Jeff at Mario Batali's Otto's Pizzeria and Enoteca in Greenwich Village near NYU http://www.ottopizzeria.com/index.html - we shared a selection of cheeses - tallegio, gorgonzola and pecorino - along with some proscuitto. Jeff had an arugula salad with tomatoes and we all shared a clam and mozzarella pizza - yum!
Two hotel recommendations if any of you find yourselves traveling to New York City and want to stay in Greenwich Village or Soho. Both of these areas give you an opportunity to discover two of the most interesting neighborhoods in Manhattan and offer a nice departure from the typical tourist spots of mid-town Manhattan. Most of the wedding guests stayed either at 60 Thompson, a small boutique hotel in Soho http://www.60thompson.com/ or the Washington Square Hotel, a small and more affordable hotel right on Washington Square in the heart of Greenwich Village http://www.washingtonsquarehotel.com/.
Oh - I almost forgot to mention our wonderful brunch on Saturday morning at the famous Katz's Delicatessan on the lower East Side. http://www.katzdeli.com/ This is the real deal if you want authentic New York Jewish deli fare - also was the site of that famous scene from When Harry Met Sally. We shared goodies such as kugel (noodle pudding), knishes, pickles, chopped liver, and potato latkes. Jacob and I shared a salami sandwich!
Whooo - that's it for now! Hope you all have a great week ahead!
Love,
Susan
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