Best Parent Visit, 2013

I'm avoiding blogging Yellowstone like I used to avoid Spanish homework. How about instead I blog about my folks' visit from last week?

FRIDAY

We dinnered at Frankies, it was as excellent as always. Had a saffron and jowl spaghetti that was new to me, ate all the old reliables (celery root and fennel salad, ante pasta plate, meatballs, chocolate tort, etc.) and then we went and saw Matilda on Broadway. I didn't remember the movie very well, I was watching it thinking "Is this the one where she moves stuff with her mind?" I liked her mean parents. I liked Miss Trunchbull. I liked it.

SATURDAY

Up and over to Domenique Ansel, which my dad has loved since before the Cronut. We did not have cronuts. We walked right in and he got a DKA and I had an apple turnover. They only had enough hot chocolate making materials for one small hot chocolate.

Saturday morning kind of lazed into some Soho wanderings and then we were going to early lunch at Xi'an Famous Foods but it wasn't open yet so . . . 

we dim sum'd at Nom Wah Tea Parlor.  Chinatown's oldest dim sum establishment.

Of all the things that wound up on our table, I was most into shrimp-related items.

Then we walked down to the train

And rode up to the Met.

Mom said "I found a painting I think you'll like."

Detail of snuggling tiger kittens.

Lilith.  A wall-mounted sculpture.

Looking at other people look at my favorite statue.

Inside Medusa's head.

Go Cougs.

Went looking for the crossing of the Delaware. Sometimes gigantic paintings can be hard to find.

Looked how spooked the little brother is by his bedtime story. Would you believe it's Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

The Contraband, the Recruit, the Veteran.

Afterward we went down to the boat pond to see what the Captain was up to. 

Dinner: Momofuku Noodle Bar with Jeff.

Couple other friends came . . . can't remember who, though.

Jar of pickles.

Tomato and Watermelon Salad.

Chorizo and Octopus and Bean Salad.

Their latest Roasted Corn offering.

We had the chicken. It's a lot of chicken.

Traditional tabletop carrot patch.

Group photo.  Basically.

Then the age old debate: When on 7th street, will you go to Ven Leeuwen or Big Gay for ice cream? This time Van Leewen won.

SUNDAY

After church, a trip to PS1 to eat at the M Wells Dinette.

Two years previous Dad and I ate at M Wells. He had a foie gras grilled cheese. He's still talking about it.

Mom had not M Wellsed before.

I had. My mind swims with M Wells memories. The original M Wells was just the best, most next-level place you could go if you wanted a total punk rock food time. Goin to old M Wells made me feel like a rapper up in the club. Dinette is dope and bigger but the original's energy was just a unique thing.

But trust me, we still partied in Queens that afternoon.

Foie Gras and Rabbit Terrine.

My portion of a Frisee, Duck Heart, Fried Bread and Smoked Egg Salad.

Not pictured: Tomato and Béchamel Tart.

And this is the King of the Universe right here: Forgot the official name, but it's a "Pork Chop" on Yukon Gold Potatoes with Pan Gravy. The pork chop is actually a ground pork ball with a bone stuck in it. For fun. This dish was punch-the-table good. If you can get to the M Wells Dinette to eat this thing, get to the M Wells Dinette and eat this thing.

Cavatelli with Wild Mushrooms and Foie Gras. Would have ruled the day if it weren't for that pork chop. Don't know what the foam was, though.

The meal was an undertaking that required a lot of stickers. 

Oh wait! We had dessert, too. A Blackberry Poppyseed Cake and Peach Strudel (that wasn't very Strudel-y. We all expected something a little more Entenmanns.)

How I feel.

Then we looked at all the art at PS 1. Don't worry, this is art.

Family map time on the subway.

Went to Mast Brothers and ate lots of chocolate samples and then we walked through the parts of Williamsburg that you don't typically walk your parents through. Or yourself.

Did you know there's a public dirt bike run in the shadow of the Domino Sugar Factory? So Berlin.

Couple of Brooklyn hipsters.

Pizza dinner'd at the East Village Motorino. Turned in.

MONDAY

Monday we had lunch at Parm.  It was the best, as usual. But that place gets better and better every time, so each time I go "the best" is redefined. We had roasted broccoli, zucchini slaw, roasted corn, smashed potatoes, I had a meatball hero, Dad had a veal parm roll, Mom had the chicken francese, and we finished it off with their Almond Joy ice cream cake. I did not take any pictures, but I took a video: 

Really, it was that good.

Then we went up to the MoMa for a minute.

Subway ads are getting weird . . .

And then we went to closing night of the musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.

How to describe it succinctly? Russian Moulin Rouge that happens all around you.

TUESDAY

Can you believe my parents stayed until Tuesday? I had to work. But we had a nice calm farewell dinner at Les Halles near work. Wound up in there on a lark, I figured we'd be getting takeout somewhere. Best $21 steak of my life. Sorry, Outback.