NYC Tastes

I absolutely love Sunday afternoons with nothing to do.  I suppose I could use the time to clean the apartment or run some errands but it's so much nicer to just go for a long walk instead and relax with a solo dinner at Balthazar. Their incredible Steak Tartare chopped with capers, cornichons and anchovy then served with crispy slices of baguette and a lovely glass of Bordeaux. This classic NYC restaurant is always lively and bustling.  Even when Mr. T and I had our somewhat secret court house wedding we got the very last table in the bar area at 10:30 on a Friday morning.  And we certainly weren't the only couple drinking a bottle of champagne at that early hour either.  It's just one of those magical spots that everyone seems to love.  Simple, delicious Sunday at its finest. Balthazar 80 Spring Street New York, NY 10012

I remember the first time I ever went to Balthazar.  I had been living in NYC for about two months.  I was unemployed, earning some money from temp positions while searching for a job and learning the ins and outs of this big city.  We had been living on dry packaged noodles from Costco and playing beer pong on our apartment floor for fun on the weekends (we were young I tell you).  When Mr. T’s parents invited us out for brunch.  I remember sitting at Balthazar, feeling totally out of my element but absolutely loving the buzz and excitement inside the brasserie.  Along with the buzz I was absolutely amazed at the enormous tiers of seafood being brought to the tables.  I had only seen these on vacation in Florida- LOL!  I remember thinking to myself someday I would order one. Well someday finally came last week.  Now I’ve had a seafood platter twice before at J Sheeky’s in London but never back at the place I was first introduced. ...