The NYC Trifecta: Sports, Food, and Culture

Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond excited to study abroad in London in the spring, but after the semester I’ve had, I cannot imagine living anywhere except New York for any period of time. I have two more years to enjoy the city, so hopefully I’ll survive a few months away…

Before Thanksgiving began, I used a bit of my free time for some New York moments. I took my first trip to Madison Square Garden, saw a Broadway show, and ate at one of New York’s top restaurants.. Hey, I’m going away for 5 months…I have to squeeze it all in!

The Rangers play the Bruins at Madison Square Garden.

I am lucky enough to have gone to a high school with an incredibly strong alumni network. Two or three times a year, all the New York area alumni get together at a downtown pub to catch up, network, and meet the new alumni in the area. The October social also included tickets to the night’s hockey game at Madison Square Garden between the Rangers and Bruins. Of course, the Boston boys in all the alums weren’t shy about who we supported! To be honest, I was more excited to go into MSG for the first time than for the actual game. The facility I’ve heard so much about didn’t disappoint, but I was a little disappointed in myself. I have chosen not to buy tickets to multiple shows at MSG, because I thought the venue was too big. But once you get there, you realize that there’s not a bad seat in the house. I’ve missed some opportunities, but now I know better! The game itself was a thriller, with the Bruins taking an early lead, and the Rangers catching up as the game headed to a conclusion. The entire arena exploded when the Rangers got an opportunity to score while two Bruins were out of the game on Power Plays. Sorry Rangers fans, better luck next time! They didn’t score, and the B’s won the night much to our delight. Great seats, great new friends, and a great game…

Kyle Dean Massey in "Next to Normal." credit

I’ve been saying I have to take more advantage of having Broadway right downtown for a while, so I jumped on my chance to see “Next to Normal” last week. Theater isn’t usually my thing, but it was such a phenomenal show! It won a Pulitzer Prize thanks to its groundbreaking subject matter, and the execution on stage was nearly flawless. The story was incredibly written, the cast was talented and dynamic, and the standing ovation at the end was more than deserved. I left the theater, and told my friend Casey I would be going back to see the show again when I got back from London. I was shocked when Casey told me the show was closing, and I would never get that chance. I guess it is all part of the business, but I was disappointed. If you’re going to be in New York, and want to see a Broadway show, I have no qualms about recommending “Next to Normal.” Catch it while you can.

Nobody can deny that New York has some of the best restaurants in the world. I was afforded the opportunity to dine at Charlie Palmer’s Aureole, consistently ranked among the best restaurants in the city. The 42^nd street location is just a short walk from Grand Central, tucked away to the side of Times Square. My friend Jason and I ordered from the three-course menu, deliberately picking very different dishes, including pheasant, duck, ham, and ceviche (not all on one plate). Our meals were phenomenal. Each was a piece of art, and I hated eating it because it looked so darn pretty! I savored each course, not always even entirely sure what I was eating...but it didn’t matter. I will definitely be recommending Aureole to my family and grandparents (it doesn’t fall into most of my peer’s budgets, but I’ll tell them about it too). Just a picture of the desert takes me back, and makes my mouth water. And we got a brief glimpse of Pee Wee Herman out the window (his show plays in the theater next door), so it had to have been a successful night!

Aureloe's dark chocolate tort. Amazing.

I can’t believe I only have a few short weeks left to enjoy this amazing city (for now). I know I’ll be busy, but hopefully I can find time to do one or two more blog-worthy things before I leave!

Ninjas in New York

When my friends told me that we were going out for Japanese food in Manhattan, I was not expecting to be running down a dark, creepy tunnel as ninjas jumped out at me. If this is how NYC does Japanese, I am going to have to become a lot braver before I want sushi again.

Ninja New York, in Manhattan's TriBeCa neighborhood, is a one of a kind experience. While the menu contains the usual Japanese cuisine one expects, this restaurant is anything but ordinary. Waiters dressed as ninjas not only serve the food, but make sure to scare you from the moment you step out of the elevator. Jumping out from dark corners, yelling at you through windows, and pretending to throw fake water balloons at their costumers is all in the ninja job description.

I took five of my friends with me to Ninja and together we braved the "dark and scary" section of the restaurant. This meant that from the moment we were greeted by the hostess to finally setting down our chopsticks, ninjas made sure to keep us on the edge of our seats. While at first we were all screaming anytime one of the ninjas jumped out, by the end we were laughing and practicing our ninja moves with help from our waiter.

Ninja New York was a Friday night completely out of the ordinary. As we laughed about our experience on the 1 train back to Lincoln Center, we all agreed that only in a place like New York City would sushi and ninjas make a successful restaurant combination.

Study Break: Indian Fusion Dinner

I was raised by an Italian mother who stayed true to her roots and cooked a pasta dish or something (chicken, eggplant, etc.) parmigiana practically every night for dinner when I was growing up. But despite being raised on meat sauce (or gravy), pasta, and cheese, I’ve always been adventurous when it comes to trying new food. However, up until yesterday I’d never tried Indian cuisine. Basera Indian Bistro was the perfect first step into my new found obsession. Located on 9th Avenue between 51st and 52nd, Basera offers a comfy environment, college student friendly price tag and delicious Indian American fusion food for its patrons. My favorite part of the meal was the garlic naan which was great for dipping in the chettinad chicken I ordered. Its sauce was very spicy, which I love, and the chicken was really tender (for under $15!). I was totally full by the end of the meal. After my friend and I could not stuff our faces any longer, we casually walked the 10 blocks uptown to our Lincoln Center campus and caught the 9 o’clock Ram Van back to Rose Hill. In 30 short minutes I was back to studying for midterms but at least got to savor a little break from it all with some yummy Indian American cuisine.

For Basera's full menu click here.

Best Pizza on Arthur Ave

Sometime last Saturday between dusk and nightfall, my stomach starting wailing for some TLC, Naples-style, so I booked it to Trattoria Zero Otto Nove for some melt-in-your-mouth, nothing-in-life-can-be-this-good wood-oven pizza.


Usually, I'd sit down in a room decorated to resemble the quaint streets of Naples to some of their buttery focaccia and sinful homemade cannoli sandwich. But my growling tummy wasn't interested in niceties, so I ordered a margherita (pizza, that is) from the bar, in and out in 10 minutes flat.






(All photos (c) Zero Otto Nove web site.)

If you're new to 089, ease into the wonders of margherita pizza's flaky crust and sweet sauce. Afterwards, try the Quattro Formaggi with smoked mozzarella, gorgonzola, provolone, and fresh mozzarella, or a spectacular 089 special like La Cirilo with butternut squash puree, cream of truffle, mushrooms, and fresh mozzarella.

Salivating yet?

Don't worry, you can wash all of that down with the Pizza Alla Nutella for dessert. Just be sure to tell them it's your birthday for a unique, 089 surprise.

So I'll see you there next weekend, then?