// NYC day two//

Day two started with a botched trip to David Yurman (we went to their Manhattan Offices when I failed to read the ‘LLC’ immediately after their name on my google machine) but was salvaged by a delicious lunch at The Breslin with our friends Francis Lam and Chef Gavin Kaysen.  Yummy food and a comforting space were just what I needed after our drizzly morning walk.  I mostly listened as the fellas talked shop (Francis is an incredibly talented writer and graduate of the C.I.A. so his stories are usually right up my alley).  And I can’t imagine anything more fun than listening to these guys wax poetic about the high end cuisine world in which I’ve found myself living?  The lunch ended with a mocha latte and a promise to see each other in Lyon in a few weeks.

Dave and I then walked around and found ourselves in my favorite neighborhood, Chelsea, and then to the Spotted Pig in Greenwich after a little shopping at two of my favorite spots…  

(Tory and Vince! They are even besties in NYC!)

After some oysters and a glass of wine, my sister Blythe texted to remind me that her husband Greg was in town for work and what do you know?  Was actually in Chelsea!  After a quick call to the “brother I never wanted” we had solidified drinks and later-that-evening dinner plans.  

Fast forward to 8PM, and you’d find Dave and me at Booker and Dax ordering hot cocktails waiting on our friends.  Dave’s Chef friend Kyle was first to arrive and then my brother in law Greg showed up.  Chef Danny from our first night’s dinner at Mission Chinese and his wife came by for a quick spell and then our friend Zac who was in town filming a movie joined us.  What a funny group we must have been to see! It was great to finally meet Kyle, especially after all of his text messages I had to help Dave reply to while he was driving, since Kyle graciously helped Dave with the Next: Kaiseki menu in its research phases.  It was also fun to introduce Greg to Zac, as they had never met and I couldn’t imagine two different people ever meeting!  The movie star and the accountant found common ground and talked football for most of our dinner next door at Momofuku Ssam Bar.  

During dinner, I felt like the “Keeper of Keys” at Hogwarts when I was voted to choose the wine to pair with our meal.  Kyle helped and together we did a pretty great job picking some funky bottles.  After dinner we met our friend Will who is the GM and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park and The Nomad at Pouring Ribbons, which is a new bar by our dear friends Toby and Freddie.  Hilarity ensued.    

brother Greg, me, and Zac.  

After cocktailing with our Motley Crue, the night turned into cabs and night clubs, Vinny from Jersey Shore asking Dave for his phone number, billiards in our friend Justin’s loft and hunting down taco vendors asking for bananas at 4AM.  Needless to say, night number two in NYC was a success!