Beautiful weather at last, the wind and cold is gone, the sun and blue sky remained. Perfect day to be a tourist in this, America’s first capital city. The Brits were particularly keen on visiting the attractions commemorating their country’s historic loss of territory and so we went to the well-done museum of the American Revolution, which has lots of mini-films with re-enactments of battles and other significant moments and hands on stuff for kids.
Frieda’s
Lunch was light, delicious and convenient at Frieda’s (thank you to our favorite Philly public school teacher for that recommendation.) good salads, sandwiches, pastries and rugalach in bright cheerful space. onto independence hall where we missed our timed entrance ny five minutes and fortunately got on a later tour. (Tix were sold out for the day by 3 pm.) The guide was excellent.
Independence Hall
Very dramatic presentation and pretty cool to see the room where it happened with George Washington and Ben Franklin et. al. Across the street we caught the liberty bell in a rare tourist-free moment where we had it all to ourselves..dinner was in south Philly, Italian of course, a red sauce (actually “rose” or creamy red sauce place) called Pesto where our server talked the teacher from south Philly on Abbott Elementary.
And then came summer. Or close. In the three days we’ve been here the temperature went from blustery 40s to balmy 70s. Today was perfect for a lot of walking south to the Italian market which is actually several blocks along 9th street lined with old food shops and fruit markets.
Italian market
We visited several including diBruno Brothers house of cheese, whose large selection spanned cheese from Francine and Russ’s London (Neal’s yard) to Myra’s beloved finger lakes (Cayuga blue cheese from Lively Run creamery near Seneca Lake.)
Cheesesteak
We had gooey chewy meaty Philly cheese steaks at Angelo’s. I could eat only half of mine, which in of itself was enormous. We ate outside at a picnic table in an open lot provided by Di Bruno brothers.
Bok building view
The Bok building is an enormous former technical high school, art deco, turned into makers and artists studios and some shops, pricey sandals make out of old Kilims. That sort of thing. There’s a club at the top with an amazing deck overlooking the city. Dinner was Filipino at Tabachoy, which we all decided was a little too odd for our tastes. It makes me question again the NYTimes annual list of innovative restaurants. Maybe a little too innovative for my tastes.
breakfast on out last morning was at the lovely Parc, which resembles a French bistro, overlooking Rittenhouse Square. our London pals checked into the Alexander Inn, an old world, well-located place that was a reasonable $165. Next trip:Washington Square. Elspeth place, walk along the river, old prison. But as is, we feel like we got a good feel for this historic old city that is my grandfathers hometown.
It’s not everyday that you get to vacation with three of your closest friends who live far away and far from each other but here we are in Philly. How great is that?!
We’re staying in a very old red brick row on a narrow one-block lane in center city, mid-1800s we think. Charming, centrally located Airbnb. With narrow planked wood floors, a tight twisting, low ceiling wood staircase, small pretty rooms, a tiny back yard with a flowering tree of some unknown sort with pink blossoms.
A 25 minute walk in a blustery cold and blindingly bright sunny morning took us through graceful old Rittenhouse Square to the fantastic Barnes Foundation. Fascinating place. I feel like returning today.
The museum is in a very contemporary building with a Japanese feel. The art is uniquely displayed, as prescribed by the original collector. Each room has a mishmash of work carefully arranged (Renoir, cezanne, Monet, among the heavy hitters and lots of unfamiliar names and some no name folk art plus textiles, African sculptures, a micro rug…) symmetry and all, plus interesting metal utilitarian objects that when hung on the wall call attention to their decorative features. Old Pennsylvania Dutch hand painted chests and other antiques are also displayed in each room, just so.
It may sound precious but it’s more ingenious and mysterious. After awhile I gave up trying to see everything or trying to figure out the thinking behind the odd juxtapositions and just let my eye wander to whatever caught my eye. Literally. Apparently I am a Rousseau and Modigliani fan. And folk art, which is no surprise.
To each their own. Myra’s eye for example was caught by completely different work. It was fun to watch docents and teachers in action with young school kids. Oh and there are no informational labels. You can take a photo of a work on your cellphone and a description will pop up. The app also lets you keep a record of the work that most grabbed you. Cool!
Lunch was at very busy Reading terminal food hall. Tons of stalls and a bit overwhelming at first but a great local scene. We planted ourselves at a central food cart table and took turns foraging. The beef brisket sandwich was even better than the sliced pork with broccolini sandwich that was recommended to me by a local. ExcellentGermansweet chocolate cake.
Dinner was at Kalaya, a lively fun scene-y place in fishtown that is well regarded nationally. I found the Thai food a bit too complicated (and pricey.) I should have learned by now that the NYTimes annual list of innovative American restaurants plucked is not always a sure thing.
We are staying at a great Airbnb on Otis and Holmead in Columbia Heights a few streets north of where Noah lived for several years. The neighborhood is still slowly gentrifying – our snazzy airbnb is one sign, an old brick storefront (we’re guessing) that is now a vertical townhouse with blond wood floors and contemporary furniture and a spacious rooftop deck where I’m lounging on a couch.
The Londoners…and Chicagoan
Dinner was nearby at Trip Khao, a Laotian restaurant. very good. Today Francine and I took the bus to near DuPont circle and the weather was so lovely that we got sandwiches at Call your mother deli and sat in Adirondack chairs around the fountain. perfect dining Al fresco spot.
Going girly
Francine and I got our pre wedding manicure at allure Nails, I lost it briefly at the rehearsal, had excellent pork asada for rehearsal dinner at Mi Cuba and drinks/roast by the couple’s friends at The coupe, where the mashup of people from various chapters of Noah’s life (and mine) was a dizzying treat.
My baby boy is getting married.
We returned to the coupe on a rainy Saturday for brunch and the place was packed. Nice upscale independent market Odd Provisions a few blocks south on 11th for a baguette. The wedding was at the Josephine Butler House, pretty old mansion and worked well for lovely wedding. The day after brush was at the Georgetown Marriott which isn’t really in Georgetown and then a treat – post wedding lunch with the groom/ husband at the duck and the peach in Capitol Hill neighborhood.
On a lovely Saturday morning, with bright blue sky, sunshine, temperatures in the low 70s, we visited Wakodahatchee Wetlands, a natural oasis hidden among huge condo developments. We walked along a boardwalk that looped around wetlands with amazing wildlife, lots of birds – storks,egrets, herons ducks – and spooky looking orange iguanas and green iguanas. Saw a few turtles but no alligators. Although we were told they’re around.
In downtown Delray Beach we ate at LuLu’s, a lively spot with a great streetside outdoor patio and good breakfast and lunch fare, browsed at a farmers market and a few galleries, shared some excellent frozen custard at Whits, and now here we are at the Fort Lauderdale airport, which is very quiet on a Saturday night. Heading back to Chicago and winter after a welcome respite. Thanks Aunt Shelb! 😘
Many traffic jams to, across, and from Miami which did not surprise us. First stop, a little hip oasis with shops and restaurants surrounding a huge decorated banyan tree, with a few thatched roof huts to boot, in an otherwise inner city neighborhood. It’s called Upper Buena vista. Good coffee place and Turkish restaurant.
Upper buena vista
On to Wynwood walls, a large urban art installation that seems to have spread out in every direction since we last visited seven years ago. More buildings covered in graffiti, more shops and restaurants, more South American touches. I don’t remember having to pay to see the original murals/walls, which we skipped. But so many old warehouse looking buildings and new sleek modern buildings have graffiti murals.
Smoke & DoughWynnwood walls
We drove way west for over an hour in traffic to Smoke & Dough, a bbq place that was one of only three Florida restaurants on a list in the nytimes 53 “exciting” restaurants for 2023. It turned out to be in a nondescript strip mall, which was affordable for the young entrepreneurial couple that opened the place. We tried a little of everything. Excellent – ribs, brisket, pulled pork, sausage made with a cheese, corned bread, fries, coleslaw. No weak item and the flan, with a slightly smoky taste was deliciously rich and creamy. We got a few empanadas from the “dough” part of the little restaurant to take back to aunt Shelby’s. The mushroom one was particularly good. They were also making some sort of Venezuelan (I think) bread pudding that looked interesting. I love the South American vibe in Miami!
Upper buena vista
Our last stop was the Miami beach north of south beach called Surfside. (Yes, it’s the place where there was a tragic collapse of a high rise last year that killed many people.) The beach was gorgeous. And it had a Hasidic crowd, as it turned out.
As winter weary Chicagoans, we are getting a welcome dose of sunshine, Palm trees, manicured green lawns and golf courses, blue sky, and mild temps (low 70s) here in southern Florida visiting my wonderful self-chosen aunt! Dinner was pleasant at J. Alexander’s, which was packed on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. Good grilled artichoke, cheeseburger, salad with crispy chicken, and key lime pie.
Dune patio
Today, we had a lovely lunch on the back patio overlooking the beach and ocean at DUNE in Fort Lauderdale – good poke salad and flat breads and sushi. Good service. I saw another side of the spring break crazy Fort Lauderdale, quiet and classy.
Atlantic Dunes State Park, Delray Beach
This evening we drove along the Oceanside highway A1A past astonishingly nouveau Spanish and Italianate mansions, chockablock, blocking the waterfront view, that looked like knockoffs of the Versace mansion in South Beach but we managed to find a Atlantic dunes state park that offered the rest of us access. We could park on the west side of the highway and then cross the highway and walk through a woods along a boardwalk to a gorgeous stretch of sandy white beach that was largely empty at dusk. The water was surprisingly warm and the waves tame, certainly compared to our last Atlantic visit in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Dinner was fun, sitting at a high top table at Kapow! a design-heavy noodle bar with a fun, funky vibe, lots of colorful graffiti/anime graphics. The food was good inventive and traditional Asian – pad Thai, waygu beef potstickers, charred edamame in a tamari-based sauce. kapow! Its among several restaurants in Mizner Plaza, a high end outdoor shopping mall in downtown Boca Raton. A later dinner at a cozy Italian place called Dorsia was also good.
How exciting to see one of my favorite paintings in the flesh! I first (and last) saw the real “Olympia” by Manet in Paris in 1978. She has hung on my wall, in small reproduction form, ever since in Ithaca, Boston, Stamford, Wichita, Kansas City, Des Moines and, of late, Chicago. I forgot how big the original was.
Olympia and me
I gasped when I spotted another favorite “The Balcony” in the distance. I came for Olympia. The Balcony was a bonus! I am between posters for The Balcony. Or was until I bought a small reproduction at this show. My original poster got water damage a few years ago. I last saw the balcony in the Mid-1980s and not one but two friends got me the poster as a gift. Fond memories.
The show at The Met, BTW, is Manet and degas who were friends and rivals. I prefer Manet but was impressed by Degas in this show and it was interesting to see the two artists work side by side, sometimes of the same scene – for example a beach / and see the different choices they made, from color (Manet = more vivid) to perspective to moment.
Nom Wah Tea Parlor, on tiny Doyers street in Chinatown, looks from the outside like a Wes Anderson movie set with its faded red sign with yellow letters and it did not disappoint inside either, full of old knickknacks and signs. And the dim sum was delicious. After a short wait in line outside in light drizzle at 2 pm on a Sunday, we got in and quickly got oolong tea, sautéed greens with oyster sauce (I think) scallion pancakes, shrimp and chive potstickers and pork shu mai. Delicous, hot, fresh. The place was packed but service was swift. Maybe that’s why it’s been around since 1920.
Nom WahThe swimmers on Park Avenue
For dinner, we went to a good Mediterranean/greek place called Elea on 85th street near Amsterdam. And today, after going to the Henry Taylor show at the Whitney with my dear friend Myra (Myra Monday!) we picked perhaps the most unassuming place in the meat packing district, a diner called Hectors cafe that serves breakfast all day and has a perfect tuna sandwich. And they let us hang out for hours, which was great. We walked on the high line and then across town in the 30s to Grand Central where we lingered in the basement, first at a cheerful place for smoothies and drinks then at the Oyster Bar, for some fried oysters. Good hot tea too, which is what I needed for laryngitis.
My cousin Scott showed us a great hike through the woods onto a rocky beach with a spectacular view of Shelter Island in the distance and beyond that, the North Fork of Long Island. A handful of trails begin behind the Sag Harbor golf course. The area is refreshing unspoiled by development.
TakeBetsywithyou 