The weather was picturesque again today, and we made the best of it with a trip to the Net York Botanical Gardens for their annual orchid show. We had planned to take the train to the Bronx for $15, but the total journey would have gotten us there an hour and a half later. For $60 we could get there in 30 by taxi or Uber. As we walked toward Grand Central to pick a trail, we agreed that if Woody was here he would suggest we just get the taxi… first class only a nickel more. About 30 minutes later we were at the botanical garden.
Leaving the hotel for adventures
Napping in the cab.
Jane was admittedly skeptical about the orchid show but it dramatically won her over instantly. The entire conservatory was decorated with complex orchid blossoms throughout the rainforest plant exhibit. We delighted in them all and Jane is committed to Orchid gardening. I’ll burden you now with too many orchid pics.
We learned that vanilla plants are orchids!
The theme of the show was fashion and orchids. The fashion designers decorated exhibits with orchids and other plant material. We agreed that giant ball gowns and hats or orchids were notably absent from the fashion designs, a huge pity.
Jane also noticed she was absolutely the only child in the whole place. Joel and I were the next youngest, and everyone else was older. We were perhaps the most boisterous and enthusiastic orchid appreciators there today.
After a quick snack, we headed to Columbus Circle for a late 2:30 pm lunch reservation. Last year, we wanted to eat at NYC’s most popular restaurant (before we knew it was popular). To get a reservation, one had to wait until midnight precisely one month in advance and try to reserve a table. Needless to say, we didn’t get in. This year, we were shocked to find it absolutely UN-busy, with declining reviews. We easily got a reservation and found the restaurant mostly empty. The decor was sumptuous but nothing compared to the flawless food. This one Michelin star restaurant, Bad Roman, was a ghost town. Reviews had fallen to 4 stars, a shock. As we waited for our food, we realized that influencers had made the restaurant so hot last year, but now they’ve abandoned it for other hot new restaurants. We were delighted, waiting no time at all for our memorable meal, getting great service, and experiencing the empty restaurant at the time of our preference.
We started with garlic babka, mmmmmm…
Followed by Caesar salad:
and courses of pasta: fillet mignon filled tortellini:
and short rib pasta
Joel had a lobster salad that was so huge it came in a mixing bowl type vessel. Absolutely everything was spot on, a worthy pick. We have decided that we are always going to be trend latecomers. Whenever influencers abandon a place, we want to go there then. There was absolutely nothing g 4 star about this place.
That’s a lot of food talk. Moving on.
After lunch, we did some shopping around Rockefeller center, including a stop at the Nintendo store and the Lego store. We came upon a bizarre Law and Order SVU pop up experience with the giant lit L&O SVU logo and the words “Dun Dun”. There was both security and a giant line to control the SVU crowd around the experience. We bypassed it without fanfare but it was random enough to be worth repeating.
Tonight’s entertainment was Book of Mormon. Joel and I remembered it being funny 10 years ago, but I was worried that maybe it wouldn’t be funny anymore. Our fears were unfounded. Jane laughed so loudly I thought that our seat
companions might complain about us.
After the show, we worked again on finishing the Hobbit and probably stayed up too late. We have early reservations tomorrow morning so it’s time to turn in now. Tomorrow is our last full day!
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