Great Expectations... (Part 3- Conclusion) - Beauty & Essex

Continued from Part Two…

We were led to the perfect table and settled in.  Amidst the great chaos of the past few days, in this strange, new chaos, I felt I could finally breathe. 

Our server was awesome, (I wish I could remember her name.)  She helped us to navigate the cocktail list by suggesting one of their signature drinks, Earl the Pearl - a very grown up iced tea.  Perfect.  With each sip, I slipped further into my reverie, so pleased that, for once, everything looked exactly like it had in my head. 

The room was packed, the sounds of clinking cocktails were in the air, and at the same time, it didn’t feel at all pretentious.  Tables of stylish girls on their Thursday night out made me miss my ladies enormously.  (I decided then and there, that another trip was in order… and soon.) 

It was a tapas-like menu, small plates meant to be ordered and shared and everything looked so fun we had a hard time deciding.  We narrowed it down to the Thai Lobster Salad (which I adored), the Chicken Fried Oysters (I could have eaten 10) and the amazingly adorable Grilled Cheese, Smoked Bacon and Tomato Soup Dumplings... yes, read that again, I had to... Grilled Cheese, Smoked Bacon and Tomato Soup Dumplings.

What, you might ask, are those?  Exactly. I had to find out. Well, they were about the cutest, tastiest little treats- served in an amuse-bouche spoon, they were both cozy and classy, and I am still thinking about them.  To be honest, I don’t even want to describe them to you... I want you to go to New York and order them! (Let’s hope he doesn’t take them off the menu!)

We quickly added the Chile Relleno Empanadas and General Tso’s Monkfish to our smorgasbord of tapas, finished it all off with several more cocktails, mini, sparkly cupcakes and the black-bottomed, butterscotch pot-de-crème with coconut Chantilly... and it was almost over the top.  No, let me rephrase that- it was totally over the top.

Thanks Chris Santos.

You have exceeded my ‘great’ expectations.  This was the New York I had wanted. 

There was no sex in this city… just two tired friends, enjoying the little jewels that were clearly made just for us. 

It really was a perfect end to a not-so-perfect day.

This, as they say, was my New York minute.

http://www.beautyandessex.com

Great Expectations… Beauty & Essex- (Part Two)

Continued from Part One…

It was a late reservation- 9:45, and like I said, I was a tired kitten.  Day one in New York had not brought me the ‘perfect’ day- nor the handsome stranger - Times Square had just kicked my ass and I was ready to pack it in….

… But for my expectations.

I still wanted that thing that was in my mind - The New York I had envisioned.  So I opened my heart, and the mini-bar, poured myself a stiff glass of get-over-yourself, and got ready.

I wanted real New York nightlife.  Not a club (I’ve been to Ibiza), not a quaint, perfect wine-bar (we have those at home), not even a huge event.  I wanted New York.  This may be an unclear concept to you New Yorkers out there, to whom it would be just ‘any old night’, but for those of us outside of Manhattan - living in that collective consciousness bubble - New York nightlife is this fantastical thing.  It holds the promise of something bigger than everyday.  I’m not a small-town girl, but to me, dining out in NYC, would be magical. 

Beauty & Essex had been a recommendation from a colleague who used to live in New York.  It’s one of two restaurants by Chef Chris Santos- (a happy coincidence as I’m a huge Food Network junkie.)  It was a place she used to go with her girlfriends, not a tourist destination at all.  I was stoked.  It sounded perfect.  My expectations were on fire.  (Uh oh.)  We hopped in the cab and sped towards Oz… what would we find behind the curtain?

And curtain there was…

We pulled up to a storefront.  Literally.  It appeared to be a vintage store or pawn shop.  Could this be right? Yep, there was the sign… Beauty & Essex…

We were greeted by a lovely pair of ladies who checked our names off the list and we followed them through the quiet store and into… my fantasy.

It was perfect.  High ceilings, busy bar, awesome chandeliers, stylishly jam-packed with ‘real’ New Yorkers sipping champagne cocktails.  The shoes, the dresses… the men.  I’ve traveled all over the world, but have ever felt so much like a kid in a candy store… and Beauty & Essex had great candy!

Stay tuned for the Review in Part 3... !

                    

Great Expectations… Beauty & Essex- (Part One)

I wonder if New Yorkers could ever grasp what’s it’s like to visit New York?

The sights, the sounds, the people… I know it’s just a city, but the skyline is one of the most recognizable in the world, and New York is one of the most talked-about cities of all time. 

We see it movies and on TV, and we write plays and books about it.  It is both broadly drawn out and filtered to us daily through detailed accounts.  We don’t even always see it happening, but some of the most epic tales of all time take place right here, in your own mind, your own vision of New York City.  It’s a force that encompasses almost every aspect of contemporary North American life- politics, fashion, entertainment, literature… dining.

To have these images engrained in your mind, and to have a sense of New York City in our collective consciousness creates a very powerful expectation. 

It was my first time, and it was a whirlwind.  Only two days as a tag-on trip after a conference in Chicago.  So I was arriving with a somewhat weary spirit and a definite sleep-deficit.  After several delays out of O’Hare, the time ticking by, and a rapidly shortening temper, I wondered if this trip was a mistake.  What could I really see in two days in New York? What the hell do you try and do?

Well, I discovered very quickly that you don’t TRY and do anything… you have to let New York happen. 

In relationships, I’m told, I have an issue with having too many specific expectations.  Apparently, I build up detailed scenarios in my mind... hoping against hope that they will turn out exactly as I’d like, thus resulting in my frequent disappointment.  (I like to think that I’m simply preparing myself for the ‘perfect’ experience in my life, visions and scenes that I can live out fully and get really excited about.  Sadly, I do set myself up to be disappointed.) The advice has been to relax and be surprised in the discoveries of life as they unfold, rather than trying to choreograph the desired outcome- (I’ve been attempting this lately, and it does seem to be working nicely, though I do think people should try and meet me halfway at times… but, I digress.)

So… New York City.

In my mind’s eye, I would sleep late, have breakfast at Tiffany’s, practice my catwalk in Bryant Park, sip ridiculously fabulous cocktails with some handsome tycoon at a smoky hole-in the wall jazz club deep in the heart of Manhattan, and fall in love with a stranger as I hailed a cab in the rain…. Busy day.  When would I fit in the slow-motion ice-skating?

I awoke in the wee hours of the morning to a jackhammer- no it wasn’t construction, but rather my friend’s snoring (who knew?) and it was 38 degrees and humid. The closest I got to breakfast at Tiffany’s was a walk-by with a Starbucks latte, and sadly, they had neglected to cordon off Bryant Park for me, so it was jam-packed.  The best thing we did was to book the big red bus tour (I highly recommend the cheesy red bus on your first day in ANY new city) and as I fried my usually sun-loving self on the top deck of the bus, I passed by many sights, many jazz clubs, and many handsome strangers.  As it was August, there was no ice-skating of course, but I did hail a cab or two (no rain), and by then end of the day, I was an exhausted kitten.

We almost cancelled our dinner reservation at Beauty & Essex.  Almost...

Stay tuned for Part Two... "Beauty & Essex"...