NYC 2009: Conclusion of Day 2

This first picture is not the Tal Bagels we had lunch at, But, at the suggestion of Jeff, we did indeed have lunch at a Tal Bagels. I forgot to snap the photo at the time and saw this one a day later in the same neighborhood. It is my understanding that there is a handful of them in Manhattan, mostly in the Upper East side.

They made a mean roast beef sandwich, truthfully one of the best I've ever had. Kate had a turkey sandwich on a bagel, and I can't recall if Jeff had roast beef on a bagel or the traditional rye. I went for wheat bread.... I know, I know. But I'm not a big fan of bagel sandwiches, let alone bagels themselves. I probably would try a bagel from a nice NY deli for breakfast however, perhaps another time.

After eating we went to Jeff's apartment which was nearby. We sat around and chatted while the first disc of the White Album served as the afternoon's soundtrack. We all drank copious amounts of NYC tap water. Jeff travels a lot for work & pleasure, as well as eats out frequently- his refrigerator reflects this. However, I really can't say I'm too much better on the food stock front- especially since I've largely given up soda. Jeff had some previously planned evening engagements, so around 5 or 6 pm Kate and I headed off on our own.We decided to go to the main branch of the NYC public library which usually has some nice free exhibits. We were out of luck this time. The only large exhibit was a series of antique maps, which only holds one's interest for so long. We walked around the reading rooms and I snapped the picture of the Christmas tree in the lobby. It was decorated with birds and I thought my mother would appreciate that (It is a theme she'd like to accent her own tree with in the future), however it appears a little blurry since I was not allowed to use a flash.After the library we weren't quite ready for supper. We decided to walk to Rockefeller Center to take in the lights. We've seen them twice already during two different years, however they really don't get old.It was very very cold, Kate had a very nice get-up that I'm certain many people, including myself, were envious of.

Skaters still braved the cold, and the streets still were packed around Radio City Music Hall and 30 Rock. That rink was in desperate need of the Zamboni.

We had enough after briefly taking it all in. It was time to head back to the Comfort Inn and perhaps get a quick bite to eat on the way. In the spur of the moment we decided to go to the "Famous Rays Pizza"- the original one (There are several knock-offs) in Little Italy. It was a neat little place with a friendly blue-collar staff that seemed to be chatting up several regulars. Kate and I each got a coffee and a slice of Sicilian pizza. It was good- I'm not sure I feel it was exceptional, but it hit the spot, and the atmosphere was great. I did find it tough to imagine it as "famous" because it did not have that quasi touristy vibe, or hipster magnet feel that some of these places acquire. This was an unchanged, rough around the edges, neighborhood pizzeria that could exist in almost any "older" American town/city center in the northeast.

After eating we went across the street to a tiny grocery store where I bought a milk to bring back to the hotel (to go with Aunt Gigi's left over Brownies). We were really close to the hotel in Little Italy, literally a couple of blocks. However, with the wind howling and the cold burning our cheeks we decided to get back on the Subway and spend as little time on the surface as we had to.

We settled in quickly upon arrival. After brownies, milk, and a game of Skip-Bo we were ready to count some sheep.

Stay tuned for Day 3...