Yup, Beecher's really DOES have the "world's best mac & cheese"!

A few years ago, I conducted a search for the best mac & cheese in midtown Manhattan and I believe that I gave Virgil's the honor.  I've since discovered Schnipper's which pushed Virgil's into second place.  Now that I've been venturing out of midtown more often, I discovered that Beecher's in the Flat Iron district is my new favorite mac & cheese in NYC. They're even nice enough to put their signature recipe on their website which, of course, means that you should most definitely buy their cheese before attempting the recipe.  (I don't think substituting a block of Kraft will have the same effect.)   While you're at Beecher's, you can actually sit (on milk can stools) and watch the cheese-making process.  You might not think that's very interesting, but I spent a good five minutes mesmerized by the curds and whey.  Then again, I'm a confirmed cheese freak...  


If you're not into baking a batch of mac & cheese yourself, you can buy frozen portions in their cheese shop or order it online and have it shipped to you at $58 for two 20 oz. trays--which may seem like a lot, but is actually cheaper than buying it in the restaurant ($11 per serving).  It was served piping hot in an au gratin dish (my server felt the need to advise me to not lick the dish because it was so hot) and the portion size was just right for a lunch meal.  I actually left about $1.50 worthin the dish because I just couldn't force those last couple of bites in.  If you're ever in the Flat Iron district, stop by for a free sample of the mac & cheese and grab some free samples of their flagship cheese--I promise you won't be sorry.

Right around the corner from Beecher's is the birthplace of Teddy Roosevelt and I arrived just in time for the 2 p.m. tour.   There's no charge (donations are appreciated) and it's an excellent way to spend an hour.  The building is actually a reproduction of the original building which was demolished in 1916 and (excluding the addition of air conditioners), each room has been recreated as it would have been when  lived there as a child.   Our guide was very informative and very happy to share all of his knowledge about Theodore (our 26th president did not like being referred to as Teddy).


I'm really enjoying the time that I spend exploring other areas of NYC.  There are so many fabulous buildings, beautiful parks, and interesting stores that are a nice change from the tourist areas and souvenir shops.  Don't get me wrong--I love Times Square and the theater district but when the weather is nice, I like to walk around and discover different areas and neighborhoods.   

The Flatiron District 
is named after the Flatiron (Fuller) Building which got its name because the triangular shape of the narrow building resembles a cast iron clothes iron.  It's not available for touring, so I had to limit my photos to the exterior, which I had to shoot in sections due to the height of the building.














In addition to plenty of shaded areas to sit and relax plus free WiFi access (just sign up for a free account), Madison Square Park (named for our 4th president, James Madison) also has the Shake Shack .  There was such a huge line of people that I wondered if maybe they had the "world's best shake" so I had to join the line to find out.  We moved along fairly quickly and I ordered a chocolate shake.  It was OK.  Not spectacular, not bad, just your average shake.  But I learned that what IS special about the Shake Shack is that a portion of each purchase benefits park maintenance and programs and they've raised quite a lot of money.  If I hadn't already stuffed myself with mac & cheese earlier, I would have tried the cheese fries because they did look awfully tasty.  They also offer dog-friendly items on their menu as well.  So I understand now why the long line.

I had planned to stop by Eataly to check out the rooftop restaurant Birreria, but I ran out of steam and time (did I mention that I had walked from 49th Street and was also walking back?).  There's a lot more to see and do in the Flatiron District, so it's worth a visit back at another time.  OK, the real reason for returning will be to get more mac & cheese, but there are a lot of other neat things to do and see.

We truly lucked out with the weather again on this trip. Both of my recent NYC trips fell smack in between some nasty weather systems, so I hereby give my thanks to Mother Nature.  Hopefully she will smile on us again when we head to the Bronx on August 30 for the Yankees vs. Orioles game.  We've got some great Field Level seats available and we even supply the Cracker Jack!

Magnificent Morning in Morningside Heights

I've been wanting to visit The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for several years and yesterday was finally the day.  I don't necessarily have a fear of heights; however, I do have a bit of claustrophobia which made the Vertical Tour a challenge.  I'm not a fan of spiral staircases to begin with, but the stairs on this tour were as narrow as they could possibly be.  At one point I even considered staying put and rejoining the group when they made their way back, but there was an 80+ woman in our group and I decided that if she could do it without whining, then so could I.

The first batch of steps truly was the worst because there were so many of them before we finally reached the buttress.  After that, each group of steps seemed a little easier and the views at each stop along the way were reward for the effort.  

For those who want to enjoy the cathedral without climbing the stairs, there are a variety of other tours or you can explore on your own (donations are appreciated).

Being a fan of the TV series White Collar, I knew that the mansion used for the exterior shots of Neal Caffrey's home is the Schinasi mansion at 351 Riverside Drive which was an easy walk from the cathedral.  I was very disappointed to see the condition of the exterior, especially since it's for sale (at the bargain price of just $13.5M).   I have to believe there was some serious PhotoShopping that went into the exterior shots on the realtor's website.  Check out the website and then look at my photos and you decide...

Spent some time wandering and trying to decide where to relax for a while.  Saw an Irish pub across the street (you can't go wrong with an Irish pub in my mind) and waited for the light to change.  Happened to turn around and realized I was standing right next to the Underground Lounge which was a place I had wanted to check out.  So I headed down the stairs (stairs being the theme for my day apparently).  It's a small place, staffed by very friendly people.  There was a brunch taking place in the back room where they normally hold shows during weeknights and it seemed to be very popular.  Would have happily spent more time hanging out there, but I wanted to explore some more.  

Came across lovely Straus Park, named in memory of Isidor and Ida Straus who perished on the Titanic.  Isidor was a successful businessman (ultimately owning R. H. Macy & Company), congressman, and philanthropist.  Although Mrs. Straus had the opportunity to escape the Titanic on a lifeboat, the New York Times quoted a survivor as saying, "Mrs.

Straus declared she would not leave her husband...They were standing arm in arm as the last boat left.  As she refused, she clung to him, and they went down arm in arm with the boat."      

I coordinate a lot of group trips to NYC for schools and other organizations and the groups often like to include a meal, so I wanted to check out Buca di Beppo which recently opened in Times Square at the same location as the newly remodeled Planet Hollywood.  I was not impressed.  While I was warmly greeted at the entrance to the building and seated quickly when I arrived at the third floor restaurant, my server left much to be desired.  Even though there was just one other occupied table in the entire restaurant, my server seemed rushed, spoke much too fast, acted slightly annoyed that I was even there, and made me wish that I had chosen Planet Hollywood on the second floor instead.  I ordered the cheesy bread Florentine appetizer and a peach Bellini.  Appetizer came fairly quickly and was OK, but the drink took much too long to arrive.  I popped in PH on my way out of the building.  It looks like they have far less memorabilia on display but they had a lot more patrons and they all appeared to be enjoying themselves much more than I did at Buca.  When I first heard that Planet Hollywood was going to add Buca to their location, I was confused.  I'm still confused.


It probably goes without saying that I stopped by Frankie & Johnnie's to visit everyone and I had a quick drink there.  Have been going there for at least 15 (probably more) years and what keeps me going back is the people that work there (and the fantastic salmon).  Maybe the Buca people should send their servers to F&J for some training on how to treat customers??

Heading back to NYC on the 19th.  Half the folks are going to see The Lion King and the rest of us will be on our own.  Haven't decided what to do yet, but you can bet it will not involve a lot of steps.