By Jacob Engels
The Guggenheim Museum —
To start off our second day in NYC, we decided to check out The Guggenheim Museum, which is currently showing the Gutai: Splendid Playground exhibit. Gutai art is Japan’s most famous postwar art movement. I really enjoyed it. It was messy, unsettling, and disorganized. For those who would enjoy an out of the box experience at a museum, this is the place for you. We rate this a “Must Do.”
Cafe Sabarsky —
Having woken up at little later than needed for the concierge breakfast, we were extremely hungry after tooling around The Guggenheim. So, we walked a few blocks and stumbled upon Cafe Sabarsky, which is located in the NEUE Galerie. The NEUE specializes in German and Austrian art. Unfortunatley, breakfast was no longer being served as it was after 11AM, so we we forced to dive right in to lunch. We ordered the Kleines Wr. Schnitzel mit Erdäpfel Gurkensalat & Preiselbeeren, Ungarisches Rindsgulasch mit Spätzle, and two Hausgemachte Trink schokolade mit Vanille Eiscreme. Having not had good authentic German food in a LONG TIME, it was good to be able to return home so to speak. Oh and Yoko Ono was sitting behind us and was very gracious when we said stopped by her table to say hello. Food was delicous, service was superb, and we rate this a “Must Do.”
CakeShop —
At this point, our day took a hipster turn. We had been wanting to check out the CakeShop, which serves as a bar/concert venue/bakery/record store. Since it was pretty early in the afternoon, it was relatively calm and we had a great time flipping through the records and enjoying a couple of vegan cookies (oatmeal raising being the best). Our favorite record find was Timmys Organism, you should check them out. For all the hipsters out there, CakeShop is just the place for you. For everyone else, go for the baked goods and do yourself a favor and flip through the records, you might find something you like. We rate this a “Must Do.”
The Meatball Shop —
Seeing the line at Katz’s Delicatessen, and being quite famished, we decided to bolt and head towards The Meatball Shop. As we entered, we knew it was going to be cramped. The seating arangment was very unsual. They had a bar, one long table in the middle, and a couple two person tables peppered throughout. We were plopped into the middle of the big table and had to write in our own order on the menu with a dry erase. After waiting 20 minutes for them to come pick it up, our order was finally processed and we were served shortly thereafter. Sadly the food was pretty nasty, service was sub par, and seating was cramped. We have to put this on the “DO NOT GO” list.
Whole Foods, Bowery (Game of Thrones Ale) —
Yesterday, when we were wondering about the Bowery, we saw a sing outside the Whole Foods advertising the launch and tasting of the Game of Thrones inspired blonde ale “Iron Throne.” They started at 4PM with over 50 cases (12 to a case) and by 430PM when we arrived they only had 1 case left (with 6 bottles remaining). We copped a bottle, as Whole Foods was limiting it to one per customer. Brewed by Ommegang, it’s made with grains of paradise and lemon peel and served in a 1pt 9.4 oz bottle with a corked top. We are drinking it now and it’s a really smooth specimen. Not sure about when they are doing a wide release for this line, but we will give you a heads up and let you know where you can get it locally.
Strand Bookstore —
Our next stop was Strand Bookstore, which boasts 18 miles of new, used, and rare books. It was very much an old style bookstore in terms of layout and architecture. We didn’t stay long because it was packed and hot, but we did buy a couple limited edition books. For anyone that has ever liked books, Strand Bookstore is a “Must Do.”
Baked by Melissa —
Looking for a quick sweet before the town car scooped us up for our next stop, we turned to Baked by Melissa. Her logo, which is a psychedelic cupcake, was interesting enough to draw us in. Once we came through the doors and saw the mini cupcakes, we were ready to get baked. Our favorites were the tie dye and triple fudge. Baked by Melissa ships nationwide, so we will definitely be ordering some as soon as we get home, so some of you can get baked too.
Loews Theater, Broadway (The Place Beyond The Pines) —
We decided to end our night by seeing the newly released Derek Cianfrance directed, The Place Beyond The Pines. Cianfrance, who most of us know for directing Blue Valentine, was actually on site to take questions after the movie concluded (we didn’t know this when we bought tickets). The movie follows three separate chronological story-lines, and spans almost 15 years. The movie, which addresses the way society/family influence our decision making, is visceral and gritty. When asked by the East Orlando Post what he had in mind when writing the film, Director Derek Cianfrance said he wanted to make a triptych style movie that focused on formula before content, not the other way around. The film stars Ryan Golsing, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, and a lot of other great people. As far as the theater is concerned, it was very well built, clean, and passes muster. Loews Broadway and The Place Beyond The Pines are both definitely on our “Must Do” list.
Jacob Engels, is the Founder of East Orlando Post. Along with the Post, he owns several other businesses and is currently enrolled at Valencia College. Jacob has lived in Avalon Park since it’s founding and enjoys playing with his black Labradoodle Jasper, listening to indie rock, and seeking out new business ventures. He can be reached at info@eastorlandopost.com
