Labor Day & Ritz Carlton Milkshakes

My mom and brother came to visit me for Labor Day weekend. We were all worried that Ernesto's crap weather was going to delay their flight on Saturday, but they actually landed about 20 minutes early.

Saturday's weather was still awful, but we still managed to eat at Nyonya, take a tour of the newly renovated French Culinary Institute, try samples at the Spanish gourmet market Despana, and have pizza for dinner at Lombardi's. I've been touting this other pizza place L'Asso that's on the same block as Lombardi's. I hadn't been to Lombardi's in a while, and I was making foolish claims that maybe L'Asso's pizza had moved into 1st place on my list of favorite pizza. We tried a regular slice at L'Asso immediately after eating at Lombardi's to do the comparison. Lombardi's still wins (but L'Asso does make some awesome gourmet pizzas).

Sunday they came to Brooklyn to see our new apartment.
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We had lunch a a Cuban restaurant in Carroll Gardens, then made a trip to Chelsea Market, Balducci's and Perry St, just to check them out.

Mom and Jason stayed at the Ritz Carlton Battery Park, which has the most comfortable beds I've ever flippin' laid in. Since Mom's birthday was on August 27th, I made her a massage appointment at the Ritz spa for 5 o'clock on Sunday. And because my birthday is September 12th, she decided to get me a massage also! So we both went in at 5 for deep tissue massages. I'd do it again. After that, Mom stayed in the room to relax. Jen, Jason, and I went to Haru sushi in Union Square. I'd do that again too.

Monday, we went to Columbus Circle and Central Park in the morning, then up to St. John the Divine cathedral.


We had lunch at Les Halles (Tony Bourdain's place), where I had a "ground-to-order" burger with a slice of foie gras terrine on top. The best dish was a calamari and shaved fennel appetizer.

Before they left for the aiport, we tried to get a milkshake in Battery Park. I ordered one from this tourist trap of an Italian restaurant. What I got was more like vanilla-flavored milk - thin and tasting nothing like ice cream. I took it back and asked if they could make it again, but they said if they did it would come out exactly the same. No remorse. They gave me my money back. So, we ended up back at the Ritz, ordering milkshakes at the bar. Keving made us proper milkshakes with Ciao Bella gelato plus half and half. They didn't actually have milkshakes listed in the computer system, so he had to make something up. On our bill was a charge for 2 orders of chocolate milk: $14. Next time you want $7 chocolate milk, you know where to go.

There's Kevin and the Milkshake