Thanksgiving Dinner (NYC-style)

Erin had to work since she has Christmas off.  That left me alone for Thanksgiving.  Fear not, because restaurants here stay open to serve Thanksgiving meals.  They're not cheap, but it's better than sitting at home.  (Although you can order a turkey online and have it delivered.)

My local (and credible) spot.

 I have to specify credible because take-out Chinese places advertise serving Thanksgiving dinner.  No thanks.  I would rather eat turkey than "turkey".

Crab and corn chowder.

All the usual Thanksgiving treats.

Cherry pie.  I never eat sweets, but I suppose it's a Thanksgiving obligation.

I initially sat alone, but you're never really alone for long.  I met two other solo Thanksgiving diners on each of me.  One was excited to be out of prison for Thanksgiving this year.  I suppose that puts it into perspective.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

It was horribly cold outside, so Erin stayed in bed.  I suffered through four hours of blistering winds, but survived.  Many people left early because of the weather.

This is Jason, the CNN reporter who did a segment with me.

How do you think this turtle feels about carrying Richard Simmons?

My favorite float this year.

The Goo Goo Dolls and a giant baker.

Pikachu!

Macy's has their own private band?

Santa!  (Also my cue to head home to soak my hands and feet until I regain feeling!)

The Magic of Food Carts

When it's 30 degrees outside pouring rain, you may be feeling sad because you have no umbrella.  Luckily, New York throws random happy things at you to help you get through.

For example, as I trudge through the rain, I see a Belgian waffle cart.  Instant improvement!

Even the people on the box look happy.

Take your waffle home and although the box is soaked, the fresh Belgian waffle is ready to cheer you up.

Non-NYC Photos

Most everything I post is related to New York, but I do travel, so I'll put it all together here.

New Hampshire is beautiful.

Tranquil too.

The Basketball Hall of Fame is in a strip mall.  That seems wrong.

Chicago has a nice skyline.

It also has a shiny jelly bean.

Seattle has a lot of cranes.

It also has mountains.

And trolls live under the bridges!

Seattle looks nice at night from the Space Needle.

Seattle has the world's best toast and potatoes, as judged by Erin.

Seattle also has the first Starbucks.

And scenic highway views.

The downside is that all these pictures were taken in the month of November.  That means my schedule has been a disaster, hence the lack of blog postings recently.  That should improve until the December/January break when I head to Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Thailand!

Horrifying Things

Which of these three things is most horrifying?

Carrying a huge knife in the subway.

Enlisting the services of this person.

Wearing this grotesque outfit.

Killing Time in Grand Central

After eating at the Oyster Bar, I still had a few hours to kill.  I perched up at the Apple Store and watched the people go by.

Wedding #1.

Wedding #2.  (Probably one of the best pictures I have ever taken.)

Gorgeous building inside...

...and out.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

I had a few hours of time between interviews near Grand Central, so I stopped in to watch people and eat lunch.  Great idea.

Clam chowder.  A classic.

The bar seating, full of interesting people.

Oyster po'boy, coleslaw, and funny crackers.

Oyster bar menu.

Grand Central Oyster Bar entrance.

I wish I lived closer because this place was a lot of fun.  The man next to me ate three bowls of clam chowder and the women on my right had been eating here every Friday for years.  Someday I want to be an Oyster Bar regular too.  It just seems like a natural part of an interesting life.

Date to Coney Island!

I went once before when everything was closed.  This time I took Erin to the last weekend of the season to see Coney Island.

Erin thinks the Boardwalk is fun.

She also likes the Wonder Wheel.

Then we moved to the pier.

A view of the giant beach.

The ocean!

I thought it would be fun to ride a horse, so I followed the music.

Sort of creepy music.

We didn't ride because everyone else was under the age of 10.

On the way out we found a few treats.

Nathan's Clam Bar sounded exciting.

Erin said they looked disgusting.

I prefer oysters, but the clams were a fun ocean-type food.  They do sort of taste like seawater, but in a good way.

Leaving Nathan's.

 But we made one last stop before heading back...

I learned some products have no legitimate use.  Do people really buy these?

I did buy a caramel apple for the first time from a fair.  Great idea!

The Best Pizza in New York

The pizza debate has probably been happening for decades.  I'm not qualified to judge, but I do follow the debate.  Generally, a few names are tossed around as the best in New York.  Lombardi's, John's, Grimaldi's, and Di Fara's.

I finally finished the quartet.  Erin and I headed deep into Brooklyn to find the perfect pizza.

The old man in the back is the pizza master.

Dom is ancient.  You can read about him online, but he makes every single pizza himself, every single day.  He's nothing if not dedicated.  This means the pizza takes forever, but that might be part of the appeal.

Sicilian style.

I didn't choose the classic round because Erin likes this kind better.  In fact, she decided this was the best pizza in New York.  Come visit us and we'll take you to decide for yourselves.

I will say it was delicious, although that may have had something to do with my being ravaged by hunger.  Still, it's worth a trip at least once just to say you did it.