We have never experienced Christmas in a hotel and this year, with Beau's loss still hanging over us, we decided to give it a try. We took the train up to New York City and spent two nights in the Ace Hotel, which is a very easy walk from Penn Station. On our way to the hotel, we made a lunch stop in Korea Town at BCD Tofu House, a chain from California that makes a phenomenal tofu stew. If you think you don't like tofu, try the silky kind at BCD and you might change your mind.
The Ace Hotel's lobby is quite the scene--very hipster, very cool. It's dimly lit 24/7 and has a shabby chic decorating approach. I'll admit I was skeptical of this hotel, but the location and the amazing deal we nabbed on Travel Zoo ($149 night, thank you very much), well I was willing to give it a try. The staff were friendly and our room was spacious, the bed was comfortable. Plus, it was quiet despite being in a busy part of town. I could quibble with the shower, but overall, I would recommend this hotel for anyone who likes an easy walk from the train station and a lot of major sites (both downtown and Times Square are easy walks).
We hit the ground running with a happy hour extravaganza at The Pony, which serves only American Craft Beer. After a few rounds with an old pal, we headed to dinner at db Bistro Moderne for a pre-Rockette meal. I had an amazing piece of skate in beurre blanc sauce while Kevin had sea bass in a red wine reduction with figs. We then headed to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes! I must say, the production was cheesy and over-the-top, but it was fun and I'm glad I went once in my life.
After the show, we sauntered over towards Rockefeller Center and took in the tree, the ice skaters, the crowds (filled with people at 11 pm on a cold night)--it was thrilling and magical. One of the observations we took away from the moment was how diverse the crowd was; in fact, I would wager most of the people did not celebrate Christmas, but the Christmas spirit is bigger than a religious holiday. I like that. I like it very much.
The next morning we feasted on bagels at Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee (you just cannot get bagels like that in DC) and then we walked up to Macy's to check out the holiday windows and on to Bryant Park Holiday Shops. I love Bryant Park. The space has a European feel to it with its ornate green buildings. We then made our way downtown to Eataly, the Italian food emporium and hall created by Mario Batali and Lidia and Joe Bastianich. It was swarming with people, but we enjoyed wandering the aisles. Next up was lunch: John's Pizzeria on Bleeker in the West Village. We are repeat visitors to John's. The coal oven does something amazing to the crust. Just get a plain cheese--trust me you'll love it. We wandered further south the Jacque Torres Chocolate shop on Hudson in seek of a wicked hot chocolate. At this time, we were seriously bursting but both ordered small hot chocolates and happily slurped them down and bought a tin to make more at home!
For Christmas Eve dinner, we had one more culinary trick up our sleeves: a proper Feast of the Seven Fishes meal. This time we headed to The Hearth in the East Village. We had a lovely meal and wandered back to the hotel along empty streets humming Christmas tunes. The next morning, Christmas morning, we had the streets to ourselves and trekked up to Scotty's on Lexington for a proper diner breakfast. The diner was packed and it reminded me that not everyone gets Christmas off. Before heading back to DC, we made one more homage to Rockefeller Center for a final glimpse of the holiday magic. Of course, it was still filled with people snapping pictures and smiling.
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| Enjoying Korean food at BCD Tofu House. |
The Ace Hotel's lobby is quite the scene--very hipster, very cool. It's dimly lit 24/7 and has a shabby chic decorating approach. I'll admit I was skeptical of this hotel, but the location and the amazing deal we nabbed on Travel Zoo ($149 night, thank you very much), well I was willing to give it a try. The staff were friendly and our room was spacious, the bed was comfortable. Plus, it was quiet despite being in a busy part of town. I could quibble with the shower, but overall, I would recommend this hotel for anyone who likes an easy walk from the train station and a lot of major sites (both downtown and Times Square are easy walks).
We hit the ground running with a happy hour extravaganza at The Pony, which serves only American Craft Beer. After a few rounds with an old pal, we headed to dinner at db Bistro Moderne for a pre-Rockette meal. I had an amazing piece of skate in beurre blanc sauce while Kevin had sea bass in a red wine reduction with figs. We then headed to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes! I must say, the production was cheesy and over-the-top, but it was fun and I'm glad I went once in my life.
 |
| Rockefeller Center all glammed up |
The next morning we feasted on bagels at Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee (you just cannot get bagels like that in DC) and then we walked up to Macy's to check out the holiday windows and on to Bryant Park Holiday Shops. I love Bryant Park. The space has a European feel to it with its ornate green buildings. We then made our way downtown to Eataly, the Italian food emporium and hall created by Mario Batali and Lidia and Joe Bastianich. It was swarming with people, but we enjoyed wandering the aisles. Next up was lunch: John's Pizzeria on Bleeker in the West Village. We are repeat visitors to John's. The coal oven does something amazing to the crust. Just get a plain cheese--trust me you'll love it. We wandered further south the Jacque Torres Chocolate shop on Hudson in seek of a wicked hot chocolate. At this time, we were seriously bursting but both ordered small hot chocolates and happily slurped them down and bought a tin to make more at home!
For Christmas Eve dinner, we had one more culinary trick up our sleeves: a proper Feast of the Seven Fishes meal. This time we headed to The Hearth in the East Village. We had a lovely meal and wandered back to the hotel along empty streets humming Christmas tunes. The next morning, Christmas morning, we had the streets to ourselves and trekked up to Scotty's on Lexington for a proper diner breakfast. The diner was packed and it reminded me that not everyone gets Christmas off. Before heading back to DC, we made one more homage to Rockefeller Center for a final glimpse of the holiday magic. Of course, it was still filled with people snapping pictures and smiling.
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