*hey there, it's christa*

My Favorite New York Moments

I can't believe it's already been two weeks (!!!) since we returned from our whirlwind week in NYC, but alas, it has, and I haven't even (gasp!) downloaded our vacation pictures from my phone.

But even though I'm way behind on the downloading, that doesn't mean I can't write about our trip anyway and sub in a pic from one my all-time favorite movies, right?

It's New York appropriate, after all...

In another one of my favorite flicks set in NYC, Serendipity, Sara (Kate Beckinsale) asks Jonathan (John Cusack) about his "favorite New York moment" as they ice-skate on their impromptu date in Rockefeller Center.

Answering "Well, this one's climbing the charts," she announces she's flattered before prompting falling on her bottom. Incidentally, only Kate Beckinsale could make falling look that adorable...I probably would've sprained my ankle, hence why I never ice skate.

But I'm getting off on a tangent...typical Christa behavior.

Anyway, with Serendipity in mind, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite New York moments from our recent trip (in no particular order, of course)...

Pizza for Breakfast: On our first full day, we thought we'd start the trip off with a proper breakfast. So after hitting up Dean & Deluca for coffee, we decided against the coffee cake and chocolate croissants in search of an omelet or waffles or anything relatively substantive. But then, quite unexpectedly, we came across the most delicious smell that kicked any other breakfast options straight to the curb—the smell of yeasty, freshly baked NYC pizza with an array of fresh toppings. And while it was technically too early for lunch (10:45 to be precise), we simply couldn't ignore the pull of such deliciousness. 

In case you wondered, yes, it totally lived up to our respective sniffers' hype. While Will went straight for the meat lover's varietal, I chose a slice of white pizza with gobs of gooey mozzarella, garlic, basil and a healthy dollop of homemade ricotta, and it pretty much changed my life.

Broadway x 2: We saw two incredible shows that really couldn't have been more different from each other—a musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying with the littlest Jo Bro in the lead (he was actually really good) and Death of a Salesman with the always-fantastic Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield of Social Network fame.

Every time I'm at the theater, I regret that I don't go more often because I love it so much. That was definitely the case this time around, too, well, except for the $14.00 drinks. But they do make a mean amaretto sour at the Ethel Barrymore theater—you know, just in case you were in the market for one. :)

Exploring on Our Own Terms: Aside from the Broadway shows, a couple of restaurant reservations and meeting up with my friend Anna, we really didn't keep much of a schedule during the trip which allowed for all kinds of fun adventures. I absolutely loved all the walking, people-watching and seeing everything from mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral to the natural charms of Central Park to all the random shops (and trust me, some were very niche to say the least) we spotted along the way.

Seeing What Paintings Will Loved at the Met: I've always liked art, but I feel like a total flunkie whenever I'm looking at it with Will. Not only does he know so much more about the paintings' historical contexts, but I absolutely love seeing what he likes and what he doesn't and why. So as you can probably imagine, checking out the Met was an absolute pleasure, even if he does like Picasso more than I do. :)

Viva La Vida-After arriving at LaGuardia on Sunday night, we took the shuttle to our hotel in Midtown, and our driver graciously let me sit in the front seat. Since it was around 10:30 and pitch, pitch black, my first view of the Manhattan skyline was absolutely stunning. I can just never get over how beautiful—and big—this city is. And with Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" playing in the background, I'll probably never hear that song again without thinking of NYC.

Artichoke Lasagna at I Sodi-A stone's throw from historic Bleeker Street in the West Village, I Sodi is this great little Tuscan restaurant I kept hearing about, and now I totally understand why. From the warm crusty bread and fruity olive oil that arrived not long after we sat down to the truly innovative pasta and second courses, I couldn't stop smiling. And while I'm sure their traditional lasagna is quite delicious in its own right, I simply couldn't resist trying the artichoke lasagna since it a different way to eat one of my favorite vegetables. Such a revelation, by the way. It was so good that I barely had room for the chicken main course.

The Sweetest Things: For better or worse, I have a serious sweet tooth. And while I tried not to indulge every whim (and trust me, the array of sugary delights are practically endless), I did sample a few sweet treats of note—a cupcake at the famed Magnolia Bakery (mmmmmm!), a veritable vat of tiramisu that rivals about any I've had to date at Patsy's and roasted banana ice cream at Dos Caminos, the ideal sweet finish to one of my all-time favorite meals. In case you're curious, I always get the irrestible guac and chips and the open-faced crunchy shrimp quesadilla that probably doesn't sound like much when you're reading about it, but is absolute perfection when you're wolfing it down. If only we had Dos Caminos in DFW...okay, it's probably good that we don't.

Being Among All Sorts of Creative People-When you're in a coffee shop in Nashville, many of the conversations revolve around the music biz, while practically everyone in L.A. is talking about movie scripts, acting gigs and the like. But in NYC, the conversations were so varied—there were writers talking about their next book, playwrights, poets and musicians who sang everything from opera to Indie rock. I absolutely loved the diversity and couldn't help wondering what it would be like to be a writer living there on a regular basis. Incidentally, for inspiration, Will took a picture of the Simon & Schuster office for me.

While most people will stop and take a snapshot of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty or Rockefeller Center, we opt for the Simon & Schuster building. I kind of love that about us...

The Third Time's Truly the Charm in NYC...

Considering I grew up in a city with no stoplights and less than 4,000 people, a veritable behemoth like NYC can feel a little intimidating the first time around.

And when your first trip to "big city" coincides with Black Friday, well, multiple that by like a million. I was a fish out of water in the manner of Will Ferrell in Elf, minus those garish yellow tights and love of pre-chewed gum of course.

Even though it's been almost nine years now, I still remember being on the verge of a claustrophobic fit smack dab in the middle of an H&M. Simply put, I'd never been sandwiched between that many hungry bargain hunters before, and I was struggling to breathe.

After unsuccessfully navigating the sale racks (in oh-so-cute but nasty blister-giving shoes to boot), my friend Adrian took pity on me and decided to introduce me to all the touristy must-sees instead.

So for the better part of two days, we hit up Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Ground Zero and the Empire State Building, not to mention a holiday performance from those fierce kicking Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.

Basically, short of wearing one of those ubiquitous I ♥ New York t-shirts, I was every local's worst nightmare.

After checking all the iconic sites off my list, we then indulged my love of all things pop culture by  taking the "Seinfeld" bus tour complete with Junior Mints, a drive by the café that Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer frequented and a visit to the Soup Nazi's domain, where he almost denied me the bread to go with my minestrone because I didn't move to the left fast enough after ordering.

Last but certainly not least, I was given a crash course in the art of haggling for the best price on  Louis Vuitton knock-offs . While they looked anything but authentic, I simply had to have a purse since the real thing is like $1,400. But after I was labeled "much too eager," hence an amateur, by my street-savvy friend, I settled for a fuzzy pink winter hat instead (don't ask).

All in all, that late November excursion was a great introduction to all things NYC, but I still couldn't wait for the city to feel a little more like home the next time around.

Thankfully, my second journey to Manhattan two years ago went a whole lot smoother. I was in town for all of 48 hours for a movie junket, so there was no time for frivolity. Still, I had a few free hours to walk around and explore (and yes, I actually learned my lesson and wore quasi-sensible shoes), so I made sure to do just that.

Let's just say I think the Upper East Side and I got along just fine, and thanks to a cozy Italian meal at this cute little local bistro, the people watching was superb, too—always a total bonus when you're a writer in want of inspiration.

But of all my visits to NYC, the third time was totally the charm. Not only was it Will and my first time there together, but I actually (gasp!) felt like I belonged there...

More on that in the next blog post, I promise. Unfortunately, this post is already getting a little long, and I wouldn't want your eyes to glaze over from reading and reading and reading. It's Memorial Day weekend, after all, so consider that my gift to you. :)

Until next time...

:) Christa

When a Trip to Italy Isn't in the Cards, This Just Might Ease the Sting...

While Rome is just one of many cities I have Travelocity track the fares for, I know that short of winning the lotto, a trip back to Italy probably isn't in the cards anytime soon.

But when doing a little research for Will and I's upcoming pilgrimage to NYC, I did uncover something pretty spectacular (thank you, In Style for the fabulous tip)...a patisserie called Dolce Vizio that only has coffee and tiramisu on its menu.

Can I just say that whoever came up with that idea is nothing short of a genius?

I absolutely love tiramisu, which literally means "pick me up" in Italian, so this restaurant is basically right up my alley. In fact, I'm even willing to ditch the requisite visit to Serendipity and their to-die-for frozen hot chocolate just so I can sample some of the tiramisu bliss.

Really, the only problem will be choosing which flavor to indulge in. In addition to the regular cocoa/espresso variety, they also have limoncello, raspberry, orange espresso, mango and Nutella tiramisu, too.

In a word: Yum.

Expect a full update next month once we've returned...I'm guessing it'll be one of the highlights of the trip.