A few months after moving to the 'burbs, we started a weekly tradition. Every Friday, I pile my brood in our mini-van and head into the City to have dinner with Steve. It's a quick ride, between thirty minutes to an hour depending on traffic. Just enough time to watch a little Backyardigans. We meet up with Steve and a bag of hot H&H bagels on the corner of 79th & Broadway and ditch the car in a nearby garage. Then we walk around and pretend to be New Yorkers for a few hours.
Some nights are tough with cranky kids, freezing rain, and rude waiters. But other nights, like tonight, remind us why we make the effort.
We started out by walking down Amsterdam, enjoying the sunshine, and checking out the menus at the restaurants along the way. Everyone was out, drinking beers at outdoor tables, eager to celebrate the arrival of summer. We ended up walking to Ruby Foos, an old favorite that we hadn't been to since Juliette was born. I had forgotten how delicious the food is, and how incredibly kid friendly it is . The coconut sticky rice is decadently sweet. The kids basically licked the bowl of the noodles with chicken and broccoli. My chilled glass of riesling went perfectly with our assorted dumplings and fried calamari.
We got our check quickly, before anyone started fighting or crying. Then we strolled across the street to the real reason to drive into New York City: Grom Gelateria. It's a gelato place that's been around for a year. It's ridiculously expensive (about $4.50 for a small!), but worth every penny. I've never had ice cream or gelato like this in America. When it first opened, you had to stand on line for over thirty minutes to get a scoop. There is still a line, but it's usually only five to ten minutes. After many trials, I've decided that the best combination is vanilla and gianduja (or Nutella as we call it). When I finish my little bowl, I literally lick it. And I have to restrain myself to not lick the kids' bowls too!
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