by Wendy

It’s not February but I’m writing a mushy blog post full of love for New York City, the Village Vanguard, and the late night restaurants that make us swoon. 

Dearest NYC, you know we heart you and thank you for all the fun we’ve had during our previous visits. It had been almost a year since we’d seen you, so my husband Jack found a good deal on both Amtrak train tickets to Penn Station and rooms at the Hyatt Union Square. SInce we’ve seen many of the traditional tourist landmarks and the Mets weren’t playing, we decided this would be a weekend to just hang out in all your wonderful neighborhoods. Walking for miles, wandering into shops or cafes when we felt like it, admiring the architecture, eating delicious food, and checking out a show at the Village Vanguard.

Oh, Village Vanguard, what can I say? There’s a lot of mystique around you. You’re celebrating your 80th anniversary! So many jazz legends have graced your stage. You’re referenced in my favorite Salinger novel. You were a beatnik hangout. You may remember Jack’s sophisticated, worldly godmother stopping by during a night out in the city. Both of us have wanted to visit your esteemed club for a long time. So we bought tickets to the 10:30pm show via your website. I was glad we did, because it appeared to be sold out and people were getting turned away for the show, a trio featuring pianist Jason Moran performing a tribute to Thelonious Monk. The music was sublime. Amazing, skillful musicians. We’d stopped for a drink at a different bar before the show and there happened to be live jazz. They were very good – but as Jack said, going from there to your club was like going from high school basketball to the NBA. We declined one of the tables in the crowded basement venue for one of the 7 or so seats at your bar, which gave us a little height and a near perfect view. Who cares that you don’t serve food, and we definitely don’t have an issue with the one drink minimum. Village Vanguard, you lived up to the hype! You are still the coolest. And thanks to your bartender, we learned about this place, just a few blocks away…

French Roast brasserie, did it hurt when you fell from Heaven? A restaurant serving top quality food almost 24 hours a day? You are a dream come true. Yes, there are fun diners that serve late. The glow of an open 24 hours Taco Bell sign is a beautiful thing. But when you’re in NYC, the place that never sleeps, you want somethng special. Sharing a bottle of wine, escargot, poutine and croque madame at 1:30am in the morning? That’s it. Not to mention a comfortable table with a street view to watch nocturnal Manhattan go by? And a friendly waiter with stories of moving to the big city to pursue an acting career? French Roast, you delivered.

Dearest NYC, we were having a great time. We visited The Strand bookstore, walked around Chinatown, Little Italy, checked out the giant Eataly market (even spotted Chef Mario Batali). On previous visits we’ve enjoyed Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock!), St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Times Square, watched Jack’s beloved Mets, toured the United Nations, and hopped on the free Staten Island Ferry for a great view of the Statue of Liberty. But on this trip, we were all about hanging out, especially in the Village, and especially at unreasonable hours. Jack and I are night owls. While we’re pretty responsible during the workweek, Friday and Saturday are another story. NYC, you just get us. We have to be Best Friends Forever. Especially when there are places like…

Chef David Chang’s Momofuku Ssam Bar. We should send a dozen roses to your kitchen. And to your hipstress hostess who told us that we could probably get a table if we stopped in around 11:30pm. We really didn’t expect to be able to drop by a popular, trendy place like this on a Saturday night and get a seat – but the stars aligned! And the steamed pork buns, fried fish buns, and honeycrisp apple kimchi swept us off our feet. Anyone who appreciates creative spins and dishes executed perfectly in a low-key but hip environment will develop a crush on this place. XOXOXO!

Enough gushing from me. What’s your favorite New York City Valentine? Bonus points if it’s open late!