Food & Art in One Afternoon

 

I'm not sure if I'd call it a late lunch or an early dinner but, my travel companions and I dined at a very fine Japanese restaurant in New York City last month one afternoon.  When we were finished eating, the restaurant was empty.  That made for a great opportunity to photograph the beautiful decor.  

The restaurant is called Kappo Masa and it was a delicious experience.

The kitchen was open so we could see the chefs preparing for the evening meals.

I had one of the lunch specials that started with this delicious kale gobo frisée salad. I ate every last bite.  

My entree was the steamed salmon on ikuro mushroom rice bento bowl.  It was another delicious treat.  I must admit that I did ask for a fork for this part.  I've never been any good at eating rice with chopsticks.  

Dessert came in the form of a green tea layer cake topped with soba ice cream.  We shared this treat and there was not a crumb left on the plate when we were done.  It was an outstanding meal with superior service in a beautifully designed setting.  The restaurant is owned by Masayoshi Takayama and Larry Gagosian.

Larry Gagosian is a well known art dealer with a chain of art galleries.  In fact the restaurant Kappo Masa is located on the lower level of his Madison Avenue gallery.  After that delicious meal, we stopped at the gallery to take in an exhibit of work by Tatiana Trouve.  This group of paintings is called "From March to May 2020" and represents the 55 days following the pandemic lockdown.  You can read more about the exhibit at the link above.  I only snapped this one photo inside the gallery.  I was impressed with the neat row of art works and how they were mirrored in the floor.

Landing In New York

I remembered taking photos while landing the last time I flew to New York so I was ready to do the same on this last trip in October.  I started snapping before we had even gotten close to the city.  I have no idea what part of New York or possibly New Jersey I'm seeing here but I liked all the lakes.

It wasn't long before heavily populated areas were beginning to show up out my window.

And then Manhattan appeared with its jungle of tall buildings.  

When the buildings of lower Manhattan appeared in view, I started looking for the Statue of Liberty.

And then, there it was.  I tried zooming in to get a better shot but I will admit it's almost impossible to get a sharp photo from a moving airplane and through a window.  However, there is no denying that I was seeing Lady Liberty!

Rockefeller Center

 

Let's take a little walk around Rockefeller Center in New York City.  Not many people know that the center is composed of 19 commercial buildings.  It's mostly associated with NBC studios and Radio City Music Hall.

I like to walk around the area and look at the different art works that are incorporated into the building.  And, popping into the many shops is fun too.

It seemed like every door into the building and its shops was decorated in some way.

This one looks very elegant for an entrance to shoe store.

This one is even fancier leading into the Michael Kors store.  

I've wandered around this area many times but I've never made it up to the infamous Rainbow Room.  Maybe next time!

Discovering Hudson Yards

 

When I was in New York three years ago in 2018, I noticed a building that I could see from the hotel window.  The thing that caught my eye was what looked like a triangular shaped structure jutting out from the side of the building.  I posted photos of it here but I didn't know what or where it was located. I just knew it looked like it was still under construction.

A little over a year ago, I read about a huge art installation called "Vessel" that was opening in New York and that article led me to learning the building I was curious about was part of development called Hudson Yards.

 When preparing for my recent trip to New York City, I did some investigating and found there was a restaurant located at the top of that mysterious building so I made a dinner reservation there.

The first thing I wanted to see upon arrival was the art installation.  I had been reading about it and the artist who created it, Thomas Heatherwick.  I was curious to see it in person.

It is described as a 16-story free standing structure of connected staircases.  When it first opened in 2020, people were able to climb to the top of it.  However, after a series of suicides happened from the top of the structure, they no longer allow people to climb it.

I enjoyed seeing it from my ground level view.  To me it looks a bit like a bee hive.  

Behind "Vessel" was another building I had read about, this one called "The Shed".  This one houses a space to be used for performances and exhibitions.  The thing that makes it unique is its retractable shell.  All of that area that is lighted, slides back to open the exhibition space to the outside.

After exploring this plaza, I took one last look at the "Vessel" before making my way to the restaurant for my dinner reservation.

The restaurant called simply "Peak" is located on the 103rd floor of the building.  It proved to be an excellent place to dine with excellent food and service. And of course, a fabulous view.

Before we were seated at our table, they asked if we would like to visit the observation deck located two floors below the restaurant.  That is where I got a few photos of the New York City skyline with a full moon in the sky.

There were quite a few people enjoying the views from the observation deck.  Some were even brave enough to venture out onto the section of the floor made of glass.  

All things considered, it was a wonderful evening.  I'd do it again.

A Celebration of Halloween

 

I've posted before about a plant nursery in Newport Beach California called Roger's Garden.  It is one of my favorite places to visit when I go to California.  In addition to plants it also has a restaurant and a variety of items for sale, everything from gourmet treats to beautiful "objet d'art".

While I was there in September, they opened their annual Halloween store.  Stepping through this doorway, opened up a world of spooky things to enjoy.

All kinds of creepy-crawly things could be seen (and purchased).

Skulls and bones were everywhere.  One entrance to a room was framed in skeletal remains.

Of course, it wouldn't be Halloween without the appearance of Dracula.  On this occasion he was seated at a table full of ceramic pumpkins.  

And Frankenstein was also present he stood against a wall and reached out for people as they passed.

And in case you want to put a spell on someone, there was a book available with instructions.  

Hey, that book is watching me!

Happy Halloween everyone!

A Day at the Beach

 

In this case it was four mornings at the beach.  Today I have a few photos taken on my walks on the beach when I was in California last month.  

There is something very soothing about a long walk in the sand while listening to the sounds of waves crashing into the rocks and along the shore.

While listening to the sounds of the ocean, I can amuse myself with the antics of the water birds.  They supply an endless amount of entertainment.

Every now and then, I might see a lone kayaker out on the horizon.  This one looks like he might be sinking but that is actually a trick of the undulating water.  He was perfectly fine.

We went early enough that there were only a few other people on the beach and sometimes it looked like we were all alone. 

However, there were always birds to keep us company.  They never seemed to tire of the little dance they did with the teasing waves of water.

After about two hours of walking and breathing that wonderful sea air, it was time to head back to the Crystal Cove beach community and make our way back to the resort.  Exercise doesn't get any better than this.

New York on My Mind

 

I'm leaving for a week in New York tomorrow morning so I thought it might be fun to post some photos from some of my past visits.  The photo above was taken from my hotel window the last time I was there. Since I'm going to be staying in the same hotel on this trip, I might get a similar view.

One thing I'm looking forward to is seeing the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The last time I was in NY, the temple exhibit was closed so I didn't get to see it.  I'm looking forward to once again standing among these ancient stones that were reconstructed inside the museum.

It will be fun to see Bryant Park again and see how it has changed.  And I'm sure I'll get glimpses of the Empire State Building on my trips around the city.

When I visited New York in 2002, I saw this memorial to the World Trade Center.  This was part of a sculpture that was located at the site and was damaged when the buildings fell.  We have plans to visit the new memorial on this trip.

I'll also look for The Statue of Liberty with her welcoming torch raised high.  

We have dinner reservations for some great places to eat and a few reservations at some of the museums.  Almost all the museums are operating on scheduled visits at this time.  I'm looking forward to visiting the Neue Galerie  where the beautiful Klimpt painting "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer" is located.  I've always wanted to see that painting in person.

Oh yes, we also have tickets to three Broadway plays.  It's going to be a busy and fun week.