What a Day!

My mom and her friend, Tony, came to visit yesterday. Kim and I met Eric, my older brother, at 10:30am at Penn Station. He was flying solo because, unfortunately, Jenn's been pretty sick lately and couldn't make it out. Mom and Tony arrived around 11:15am. Since they were leaving at 7pm, we had only a matter of hours to enjoy each other's company (we hadn't seen each other since Christmas) and see New York. With what little time we had available, however, we managed to do the following:
1.) Empire Diner for brunch.

Having met at a bustling Penn Station, we thought it best to start by settling down and getting a bite to eat. With that in mind, I'd read about the Empire Diner, a 1950's-style restaurant with a great menu, and we thought to walk to it (22nd St. and 10th Ave.). It was a beautiful day, a nice way to stretch our legs, and a cozy dining experience. The menu was everything we'd hoped for, we beat the rush (you'll note the line extends well out the door), and the food was pretty good. I enjoyed my French Toast (slices of bagget, dipped in Haggen Dazs vanilla, egg, and cinnamon) served with sliced almonds and bananas. I liked Kim's sizebale cheddar and bacon omelette served with "Empire chips," as well. The prices weren't "dirt-cheap," but also weren't considerably more; Kim's omelette was $12 and my dish was $10. I'd go back again, thought the service was great, and really enjoyed the company of friends and family.

2.) Rockefeller Center.
From the diner, we headed up to Rockefeller Center (5th Ave. to 7th Ave. btwn. 47th and 51st Streets). There was a bit of a hurry to make the subway, but that was all part of the fun.

We started by checking out the Plaze, replete with active ice skating rink, before heading up to the Observation Deck.


3.) "Top of the Rock" Observation Deck.
I've spoken about this on earlier blogs ("Top of the Rock" and "Central Park from the Top of the Rock"), but it was just as enjoyable this time. Eric pointed out the Statue of Liberty to Mom, there was the ever-confounding "Concrete Jungle," more Central Park, and time for Mom and Kim to enjoy the view and each other's company.




4.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Balcony Cafe.
After all the walking, trains, etc., Mom was ready for a glass of wine. So, we were off to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's cafe. We passed by St. Patrick's Cathedral, and were but a few of many tourists who witnessed the beginning of a wedding, and then continued to the Met.


5.) The "Temple of Dendur" Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Following the refreshments and snacks, we only a matter of hours before the train would be heading back out of town. We hurriedly visited the Temple of Dendur and then went back towards downtown Manhattan.



Kim and my Mom really seemed to enjoy themselves throughout.

6.) Appetizers and drinks at Mustang Sally's before heading back out of town.

Finally, we settled in for another cocktail and some appetizers. It was nice to come together, again, and enjoy good company and good food. This particular sports bar/restaurant has come to be one of our (Kim and I) favorites; it's very close to Madison Square Garden (located on 7th Ave. between 28th and 29th Sts.) , has classic pub food, and cold beer, all at decent prices.