I _ _ I _ or _ _ I I _ or _ _ _ I I

Saturday, March 19, 2022 

I defected.  I purchased an Apple iPhone.  It’s red and it’s a bargain.  It replaces a black Samsung phone.  Red will reduce the occasions when I can’t find it on the black marble kitchen counter and other dark places.  A bargain needs no explanation.

Not only did I defect to Apple, I surrendered on Wordle this morning, the unofficial one at WordleGame.org.   

Please send me the answer; I lost the link.

. . .

How not to spend 1 hour and 32 minutes according to a New York Times movie review

If you can remain awake until the final moments of “Windfall,” then yes, something exciting actually happens. But that’s a very long wait in Charlie McDowell’s oppressive Netflix drama, a gabby hostage movie with a single, covetable location and three unappealing characters.

. . .

It only took me a few hours to encounter Apple’s rapaciousness.  Packed with my new phone was this cord, presumably for recharging the battery. 

Notice that it has a middle and two ends, but no beginning.  Unless you can generate electricity in your sweaty palm, there is no connection to a power source.  I returned to the phone store to point out this seeming oversight and was informed that instead this was Apple’s 20-20 vision, not a case of myopia.   Use the plug provided with your other Apple product purchases (don’t we all have a closet full of them?) or spend 20 bucks more.  

Monday, March 21, 2022

Dim sum is normally a social occasion, originating in China, where no-need-to-be-working class men sat in the tea house all day nibbling away.  Today, in the absence of the usual suspects, I went alone to Dim Sum Palace, 28 West 56 street, for lunch.  It is one of three related joints around the Holy Land.  It has a full bar, four four-tops in a shed on the curb lane, six tables of varying sizes at street level and additional seating upstairs.  

It offers 44 dim sum items and two assortments, colorfully illustrated on a placemat, which is also the order form.  Items range from $4.95 to $9.95.  There is a complete conventional menu with 32 lunch specials ($13.95 or $14.95), including choice of rice and soup, not such a special deal.  I also raised my graying eyebrows at the cost of a pot of tea, $8 for any of six choices.  

I had seafood peashoot dumplings (3 pieces for $5.95), shredded roast duck dumplings (3 pieces for $5.95) and crispy garlic spare ribs (18 chunks for $7.95).  The dumplings were undistinguished, their wrappers so gummy that it was hard to get them out of the wicker serving baskets.  The spare ribs, lightly breaded (pankoed?), deep fried and loaded with garlic, were a treat.  

Unless you want a martini with your dim sum, I am not enthusiastic about Dim Sum Palace.  However, West 56th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue may replace East 53rd Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue as the best place to be hungry in Manhattan.  I did not do a complete inventory, but I saw Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Italian and Cuban restaurants, along with some pubs, Starbucks, Benihana and a sandwich shop.  Only a dessert place seems to be missing, a serious omission. 

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Two Wheels, 426 Amsterdam Avenue, is a small place with a small menu of Vietnamese food.  The interior is equally simple, two long unadorned white walls bracket the narrow space.  There is no picture of Ho Chi Minh, the man or the city.  Six small tables topped with blond wood are permanently fixed to the floor.  Service was efficient and friendly.  

I had the very good Signature Bánh Mì, marinated steak with pickled daikon radish, carrot, mayo, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeño on a fresh 9" baguette ($13.75).  No, I don't know what the name of the restaurant means.



Wednesday, March 23, 2022

One friend often asks “Why have Jews won so many Nobel Prizes?” and answers his own question with reference to our gene pool.  I think that this is a widely held belief among us, but not frequently expressed aloud.  It is the secular version of the controversial biblical concept of chosenness.  

I found a very satisfying, non-chauvinistic answer in “Genius & Anxiety -- How the Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947” by Norman Lebrecht, an examination of the lives and work of Marx, Disraeli, Heine, Felix Mendelssohn, Freud, Proust, Einstein and Kafka, among others.  This list contains some well-known apostates, but, as Lebrecht demonstrates, Judaism stayed with them.

If Jews happen to excel in any particular area, it is generally a consequence of culture and experience rather than DNA.  Jews learned from adversity to think differently from others, and, maybe, harder.  The composer Gustav Mahler was fond of saying: "A Jew is like a man with a short arm.  He has to swim harder to reach the shore."  Anxiety acts on them like an Egyptian taskmaster in the book of Exodus.  It goads them to acts of genius.

Of course, anxiety may be an inherited trait, although not an exclusively Jewish one.

. . .

I went to the second of three Tipsy Shanghais, 594 Third Avenue, for lunch.  It's a small joint, but very attractively decorated.  Six two-tops sit alongside a built-in, glass-fronted China (!) cabinet.  Opposite are six four-tops separated by filigreed red screens.  When I walked in, I was the only customer, but there were 10 more by the time I left.  

I started with Steamed Xiaolongbao, soup buns ($6.95 for four pieces).  They were very good, as you might expect from a Shanghai staple, and, as long as they were that good, they should have been bigger and/or more numerous.  I continued with sweet and sour ribs ($15.95), hoping they were not conventional.  They were not.  Although the 15 small chunks (smaller than the pieces at Dim Sum Palace on Monday) were on the wrong side of the bone to meat ratio, their rich, dark sauce (soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar and spices) was a treat.  

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Another stanza of Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.

Employees in New York City’s securities industry got extra payouts averaging $257,500 in 2021, up 20 percent from their previous peak a year earlier, according to an estimate by Thomas P. DiNapoli, the state comptroller.

. . .

It’s worth noting that the United States Senators expressing the most intense opposition to Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court are from Confederate states.  Will they ever accept defeat or maybe they never lost?

. . .

Time Out New York presents an “interactive map rank[ing] over 200 of NYC's best bagels,” based on the prodigious research of Mike Varley.    https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/this-interactive-map-ranks-over-200-of-nycs-best-bagels-031822.

Varley spent over one year going in and out of bagel shops, always purchasing an everything with scallion cream cheese, an excellent baseline, in my opinion.  However, his thoroughness was not thorough enough.  Omitted are the last four bagels that I have eaten just within the last two weeks: Fairway, Orwasher’s, Zabar’s and Zucker’s, all within a short stroll from Palazzo di Gotthelf.  Back to the pavement, Mike.

Friday, March 25, 2022

New York City Mayor Eric Adams removed the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for professional athletes, proving that it is better to be reckless, stubborn and rich rather than just reckless and stubborn.

. . .

 

Terrific Tom and I had lunch at Don Antonio, 309 West 50th Street, a place that takes pizza seriously.  It uses a wood-fired oven imported from Italy and traces its roots back to Naples, the reputed birthplace of pizza.  It has about 20 two-tops and a full bar serving food and drinks to another dozen customers.  Tom and I agreed that the product was superior, chewy, not doughy, with blistered edges.  My 12" pie was topped with sausage and mushrooms ($18) and Tom's with prosciutto and mushrooms ($19).  Tom and pizza made a very good ending to my week.                       

Cookie Heaven

Saturday, March 12, 2022
Vayikra, this week's Torah portion, deals extensively with animal sacrifice, very much a part of Hebrew custom in the old days.  It made me wonder why all the attention to this practice; why did the ancients even bother with it at all?  

 

I think that at an early stage humankind realized that there were forces beyond its control, lightning, earthquakes, volcanoes.  In many societies, this coalesced into a view of a transcendent force intervening in human affairs, putting humankind at its mercy.  Even way back then, human ego was probably well developed and someone decided to exercise control over animals to compensate for the fearful lack of control over his/her own destiny.  Animal sacrifice offered the fleeting pretense of mastery of the surrounding world.

. . .

 

In 1992, historian and political scientist Francis Fukuyama published "The End of History and the Last Man," a work that drew a lot of attention.  He argued that the fall of the Soviet Union heralded the worldwide spread of liberal democracies and free-market capitalism.  Western values and lifestyle were the end point of humanity's sociocultural evolution.  This was very encouraging to many, but someone forgot to give Vladimir Putin a copy and Fukuyama would soon back away from his thesis.    

 

Now, I understand how Fukuyama felt prior to publication.  I think that I may have found the best cookie in the world, which will allow me to rest.  This is Fortnum & Mason's "Chocolossus Biscuit," 16 cookies, weighing 600 grams, in a decorative tin cylinder at £18.95.  Fortnum & Mason is Zabar's with a British accent.

You have to pardon them for the silly name given the brilliant execution.  Deceptively simple, but richly satisfying, it is a dense chocolate macadamia nut cookie covered in thick dark chocolate.  The generosity of Robina Rafferty opened this world of delight to me.  I'll be forever grateful.

. . .

 

Thanks to Stony Brook Steve for submitting this story.    https://patch.com/new-york/upper-west-side-nyc/upper-west-side-sushi-bar-raises-its-prices-over-1-000-meal

 

I'm so pleased that I don't have to go far for a $1,000 sushi meal.

 

Sunday, March 13, 2022

An interview with Karen Jay Fowler, a novelist, in the New York Times Book Review has this Q&A:

 

Has a book ever brought you closer to another person, or come between you?

 

As a young woman I dated a man who told me I should read “Dune.” Also “The Left Hand of Darkness.” If I hadn’t loved those books, I probably wouldn’t have married him.

 

I had the opposite experience.  I read "Dune" at the urging of a woman with whom I was madly in love, until I read "Dune."

. . .

 

Since returning from London, we have not ventured very far from Palazzo di Gotthelf, so my cousin Michael, who lives 16 miles away, gave me this shocking news.  Jacques Torres has closed his store at 285 Amsterdam Avenue, that reliable source of chocolates, hot chocolate, ice cream and my favorite chocolate chip cookies (now second overall to F&M's fabulous creation).

 

He is not entirely out of business, but the nearest cookie is at Grand Central Station, which is, after all, closer than London.  

. . .

 

The national environmental nonprofit Sierra Club has canceled its scheduled trips to Israel in response to pressure from progressive and anti-Zionist groups.  Fortunately, their trip to China on October 9-22 is still open.

. . .

If you would rather search for a new home rather than travel to China, here is where the vacancies are.

https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/vacancy-rates-study/

To summarize: Vermont, Maine and Alaska are the states with the highest vacancy rates, although seasonality may affect this.   Oregon, Washington and Connecticut are the states with the lowest vacancy rates and there is no ready explanation for this.

Monday, March 14, 2022

Stony Brook Steve and I had lunch at Jin Ramen, 462 Amsterdam Avenue.  Although it had a shack in the curb lane and four two-tops on the sidewalk, we ate at one of the ten two-tops inside.  The menu is relatively large, with many rice dishes and noodles in and out of soup.

I had Japanese Beef Curry Dry Ramen, which was actually fairly wet ($16).  It's described as thinly sliced beef brisket sauteed with onions, garnished with benishoga (pickled ginger), white scallions, shredded nori (seaweed) and sesame seeds over ramen noodles.  It was very filling and very good.  It was also fun ignoring a fork and attacking it with chopsticks.

Steve ordered Tuna Yukke Don, cubed tuna sashimi, shredded egg, avocado, cucumber, and kaiware (radish seeds) in a sweet sesame sauce, topped with a poached egg, sprinkled with togarashi (a mixture of sesame seeds, chili peppers, orange peel and other spices [might be good on a bagel]) over rice ($19).  He, too, pronounced himself satisfied and full.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

12 days ago, we had lunch with David Mervin in Manchester, England.  Tonight, I had dinner with his son John at Turntable Chicken Jazz, 20 West 33rd Street, possibly the best name for a restaurant anywhere.  This is a Korean joint, with an emphasis on chicken, no surprise.  In spite of the name, I saw lots of reel-to-reel tape recorders mounted on the walls, but no turntables.  Whatever the source of the background music, it was loud, but most of the young crowd shouted over it. 

We shared a large combo, five drumsticks and 10 wings, some (very) spicy, some not ($31.95), and very good French fries ($8.50).  You'll eat well, but not quietly.

. . .

Our evening wasn't over.  John and I proceeded to Madison Square to watch the Rangers win in overtime, thanks to Adam Fox, the Jewish hockey player from Long Island, born on February 17th, don't you know.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

The Sierra Club has changed its mind and restored trips to Israel, along with other nasty places.    https://www.timesofisrael.com/sierra-club-reinstates-israel-trips-after-outcry-over-decision-to-nix-visits/

. . .

All my lunches are special, but today was extra special.  I had lunch with Ilana Marcus a judge of the New York City Civil Court.  We worked as fellow clerks during the last years of my employment in the court system and I quickly came to admire her personal and professional strengths.  Even then, we hit Chinatown together on occasion, a demonstration of her sound judgment.

We met at Hop Lee, 16 Mott Street, a classic Chinatown joint.  Only the bottom of its two levels was open, furnished with half a dozen booths and a couple of large round tables.  It has a very large menu, too large perhaps because there was no Peking duck or snails in black bean sauce, our initial requests.  Instead, we ordered two lunch specials, chicken with bitter melon and scrambled eggs with shrimp, full-size portions at $6.75.  We added Singapore chow fun ($8.95), loaded with eggs, green onions, yellow onions, pork, shrimp and bamboo shoots, but too sparing of the curry powder.  With tea and rice, we still ate very well for $15 a person.  Given Ilana's position, I could neither treat nor be treated.

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Here is a fascinating survey of American public opinion.  It demonstrates amazing gaps between perception and reality.  At the top of the list is the estimate that Jews constitute 30% of the population.  From your mouth to God's ears.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2022/03/15/americans-misestimate-small-subgroups-population 

Friday, March 18, 2022

The temperature approached 70 at lunchtime today, which made my meal with Nancy Heller even more pleasant.  Previously, I've enjoyed lunches with Jeffrey Heller, her husband, a dedicated human rights warrior who raises money and awareness on cross-country bicycle rides, but now I had time with the power behind the wheels.

We met at Miriam Restaurant, 300 Amsterdam Avenue, the second location for the Israeli chef-owner.  Miriam's menu is predictably Israeli, unlike the more experimental Israeli menu at Miznon North around the corner on West 72nd Street.  Miriam has red shakshuka, green shakshuka, chicken schnitzel, chicken shawarma, lamb shawarma and salads based on chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.  

I had lamb shawarma, braised lamb, yellow rice, chickpeas, roasted green chili and seared tomatoes, served with a fresh pita and tahini ($25). It was good, but the conversation was better.  Nancy has fascinating tales about her German Jewish ancestors; her mother's family left in 1933 and her father's in 1937.  Of course, that led to a discussion of would American Jewish families leave?  Specifically, would we leave?  We skipped dessert.

There and Here

Saturday, March 5, 2022 

We spent the afternoon on Regent Street, one of London's prime retail areas, without spending a shilling.  Afterwards, we had a theater date with David and Katherine, Lord & Lady Kennington, but first we met them for dinner at Tas Authentic Anatolian Turkish Cuisine, 33 The Cut.  While it's a large, bustling restaurant, it operated efficiently, delivering very good eats.

We started with a double order of mezze, 9 dishes in all (£35).  We probably could have stopped there, but the K's are insatiable.  I followed with Pilic Shish, nicely charbroiled chunks of dark meat chicken with a side of couscous (£16.25).  The house white wine was refreshing and quite reasonable at £19.95 a bottle. 

We proceeded to The Old Vic for a revival of Caryl Churchill's 2002 play about cloning, "A Number."  Lord K agreed with me that the plot's complexities are best understood when awake. 

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Acting in a style to which we are thoroughly unaccustomed, we went to Brown's Hotel, 33 Albemarle Street, for a Champagne tea.  Brown's seems to be London's oldest hotel, founded in 1837, and is considered the quintessential setting for afternoon tea, scones, clotted cream and all that.  This exercise in extravagance was a birthday gift from the Left Coast delegation, America's Loveliest Nephrologist and the Oakland Heartthrob, for which I am very grateful.

. . .

Man cannot live on sandwiches without crusts alone, so, after a respectable interlude and a nap, we went to dinner at Harry's Dolce Vita, 27-31 Basil Street, down the block from our hotel.  While proximity was the initial attraction for us, the quality of the food and the service would draw us back from afar.  

I had Harry's Seafood Spaghetti, loaded with prawns, mussels, squid, clams and some unadvertised lobster meat in a sauce made with tomatoes, rather than just a tomato sauce (£22.75).  As I dug into it, madam was enjoying Spigola Grigliata, grilled sea bass (£24.95).  Bravo Harry.

Monday, March 7, 2022

We had our last outing with Lord & Lady K today, the British Museum's new exhibit on Stonehenge, a very hot ticket right now.  What surprised me most was the vast number of similar structures throughout the British Isles and Western Europe and the continuing mystery surrounding their creation.  On the other hand, it is remarkable how much is known or, at least, deducible about events 7,500 years ago using contemporary scientific tools.

. . .

The Upper West Side's Power Couple proceeded to a convenient branch of Boots, London's answer to Walgreens, to take Covid-19 rapid antigen tests in order to get on a plane tomorrow.  On the streets of Manhattan, pop-up booths offering free testing abound.  Here, generally, an appointment to an established facility is needed, costing at least £30.

Actually, Boots and Walgreens answer the same question: What are the two major retail chains owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance?

Results -- Good to go.

. . .

For dinner, we went to Layalina, 3 Beauchamp Place, a Lebanese restaurant.  In fact, in Knightsbridge, the neighborhood of our hotel, the man in the street is likely an Arab, although the woman in the Rolls Royce is probably a Russian.  Speaking of ostentatious displays of wealth, there's no place like London, to quote a line from "Sweeney Todd" (https://genius.com/Stephen-sondheim-no-place-like-london-lyrics).  I've seen more Roll-Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris and Maseratis here in one week than in one year in the Holy Land.

We shared the dip sampler, generous scoops of hummus, moutabal a/k/a babaganoush and mouhamarah (walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses) (£9).  I had spice-roasted breast of duck, with sour cherries, yogurt, freekah (wheat groats) and roasted pumpkin (£28).  It was a good duck, but not a great duck. 

Madam chose two small plates -- cheese rolls, crisp pastry with halloumi (a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk), feta, kashkaval (a Balkan yellow cheese) and roasted capsicum sauce (£6.50) and grilled aubergines with goat yogurt, Aleppo chili oil and coriander (£6.50).  Our waiter, who emigrated from Lebanon 15 years ago and yearned to move on to Canada, was very friendly and informative.  

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

We departed on a bright sunny day, although the temperature remained in the 40s, as it has been all week.  Virgin Atlantic accepted our patronage and our money, something that American Airlines was only half able to accomplish.  Our return to New York was as free from drama as our departure was fraught with it. 

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Looking back on the wonderful week that we spent in England, I realize that it may disqualify me from attendance at Bernie Sanders' Annual Rosa Luxemburg Birthday Celebration.  We stayed in a hotel where every room had its own toilet; we had Champagne tea at an institution dating back to Victorian times; we sat for two hours before boarding our flight home in the American Express Centurion Lounge at Heathrow Airport, accessible only to Platinum Card holders.  Is it sufficient to claim that I gave up privation for Lent? 

. . .

Of course, America's Favorite Epidemiologist was interested in the public health posture of the English compared to us, but the calendar tricked us.  The day before we left, the UK lifted almost all pandemic-related constraints and mandates, while the Holy Land lifted most the day before we returned.

Nevertheless, we wore our masks everywhere in London except when walking outside or eating.  By a rough estimate, about 10% of those around us usually did the same, although, when we took the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport in a burst of egalitarian behavior, a majority of our fellow passengers wore masks, something that they would still be required to do on board their flights.  Also, as a generalization, a person wearing a mask was more likely a person of color.  

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Wordle is big.  We saw people on the underground playing it alongside us.  Someone has taken the trouble to measure the worldwide participation.  https://word.tips/wordle-wizards/

 

Here are the supposed results:

• Canberra, Australia is the global city with the best Wordle average: 3.58 guesses.
• Sweden is the world’s best country at Wordle, with an average of 3.72.
• The US is ranked #18 in the world for Wordle, with a national average of 3.92.
• The American state with the best Wordle average is North Dakota (3.65).
• The US city with the best Wordle scores is St. Paul, Minnesota, with an average of 3.51.
  

In case you doubt these conclusions, what are you going to do about it?

. . .

Another set of numbers that interested me is the census of billionaires conducted by Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/ 

There are (or were at a certain moment) 724 billionaires in the United States; California has the most at 189, New York is second with 126.  I checked the list as I often scan the obituaries to see if I made an appearance.

Un-American Airlines

Monday, February 28, 2022

I am going to tell you why the National Football League is so popular, as demonstrated by its new broadcasting deal, "valued at more than $100 billion . . . [with] Amazon, CBS, ESPN/ABC, Fox and NBC."  https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/18/media/nfl-tv-deals-amazon-cbs-nbc-espn-fox/index.html

The left seeks "a place (as on a college campus) intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations" (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safe%20space), while the right passes legislation to ensure that "[a] person should not be instructed that he or she must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress for actions, in which he or she played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex” (https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/florida-house-oks-bill-limiting-discussions-on-race/2699208/). 

Both sides are attempting to deny us conflict, thumping, bashing -- verbal and/or physical.  Meanwhile, NFL games draw crowds of 60,000 to 80,000 in person and are watched by an average of 17.1 million people.  https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/01/12/with-an-average-audience-of-17-1-million-nfl-has-highest-regular-season-ratings-since-2015/     

Eliminating conflict and confrontation, feeding students pap, does not seem to satisfy some of our primal urges.

. . .

Rent or buy?  That's a question that many of us have faced and many others strive to face.  A recent survey shows that, with the rarest exception, renting is cheaper than buying family-sized residential property in much of the world. 

https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/home-contents-insurance/features/renting-vs-buying-2021/

Monday, February 28, 2022

In what's becoming a habit, I had lunch at Pastrami Queen, 138 West 72nd Street, for the third Monday in a row.  Stony Brook Steve was my companion today.  I had the lunchtime special, matzoh ball soup and half a roast beef sandwich ($18.95), an excellent combination. 

The bowl of hot soup was loaded with two golf-ball sized matzoh balls, lukshen (egg noodles), shredded chicken and carrots.  The roast beef was as rare as Kosher roast beef can get (only slightly), generously heaped on rye bread.  Steve had two Hebrew National hot dogs and a portion of potato salad ($10.95).  

Another successful foray into Kosher Delicatessenland.

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

In the immortal words of one of the 20th century's leading philosophers, Roseanne Roseannadanna, "It's always something!"  The Upper West Side's Power Couple was up bright and early, ready to be picked up at 5 AM for our 8:05 AM flight to London on British Airlines, booked by American Airlines.  

At that time in the morning, the roads were relatively empty, but we didn't expect the airline terminal to be empty as well.  Four British Airlines employees sat at elevated desks, talking to each other with no other passengers in sight.  Of course, they had no knowledge of a flight to London any sooner than 12 hours hence.  They informed us that the flight that we booked had been canceled in December, information that American Airlines never shared with us.  They could only suggest that we go to American Airlines (one terminal over), who had been holding our money for over two years.  

American's personnel were mostly unhelpful, contending that a telephone call to a number that I abandoned in 2003 was the sufficient and sole notice of their change in plans, ignoring their use of my long-standing e-mail address in a variety of other messages about the flight as booked, including two dated yesterday.  They canceled the now non-existent transaction as we hurried off to Virgin Atlantic, four terminals back, to try to catch their 8:20 non-stop to London. 

The Virgin folk, who do not deserve any cheap jokes from me, worked very hard to get us on their flight at a reasonable price.  We were seated comfortably, with a few minutes to spare, in time to encounter a 185-minute delay, because of a fueling problem. 

We landed in London at 10:45 PM local time (2245), 2 hours and 45 minutes later than anticipated.  That, too, produced a problem.  The car service that I reserved last week, and whom I kept informed of the change of airlines and the receding arrival time during the long day, was not at Heathrow and, following the lead of American Airlines, canceled the trip.  Regular taxicabs were available, fortunately, and it was indeed a small fortune to deliver us to the quiet elegance of The Capitol Hotel near midnight.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Oh, did I mention that they threw a transit strike on our behalf?  Total stoppages are alternating with slowdowns on public transport.  Otherwise, mild temperatures and rain opened our visit.  Short errands and a long nap fit quite nicely during the day.  The good times began to roll at dinner at ROVI, 59 Wells Street, one of Yotam Ottolenghi's popular restaurants.  We were joined by David and Katherine, Lord and Lady Kennington, and Robina Rafferty, their great friend and now ours, as well.

While we were delighted to have such wonderful company at dinner, the food upheld its end of the bargain.  We shared two of what the menu called "Nibbles," trout crudo, with Meyer lemon and winter radish (£10.50), and parsnip & pecorino croquettes, with smoked garlic aioli and pickled walnuts (£9).  As different as these dishes were, they were each excellent in design and execution.  By coincidence, all of us chose the same main course, "Jerusalem Mixed Grill," either centered on mushrooms (£22) or chicken, including hearts and liver (£24), prepared with Baharat onions and served with pickles, pita and tahini.  

We ended by passing around three superb desserts, but, by then, my food and wine intake dulled my powers of observation.  

Thursday, March. 3, 2022

The transit strike essentially shut down the London Underground, but we crossed the city by bus to take an express train to Manchester, neither the London buses nor the intercity railroads involved in the labor dispute.  After a comfortable train ride of just over two hours, incorporating some nap time, we met David Mervin, my friend from graduate school days, whom we had last seen at his 50th wedding anniversary party in 2014. 

He treated us to lunch at The Ivy Spinningfields, The Pavilion, Byron Street, a relatively new branch of a London institution.  It is spread over three floors, each beautifully and distinctively decorated, so beautiful that I feared for the quality of the food.  Not to worry.  The menu combined traditional British dishes (I had fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding for dessert) with imaginative creations (my young bride had baked miso aubergine with cracked durum wheat, cauliflower, red pepper, raisins, almonds, coconut yogurt and rocket).  They would have elevated a basement location.  I omitted prices, since we were guests.  However, they appeared reasonable when my eyes strayed over to the right hand side of the menu.

After lunch, we went to the Manchester Jewish Museum, which combines a brand new exhibition space with a carefully restored 18th century synagogue, once in the center of a large Jewish neighborhood.  As happened in New York's Lower East Side and London's East End, the Jews moved up and out, replaced by newer immigrants.  The number of Jews has grown in the general area, we were told, but they are increasingly Orthodox, with typical large families.  Judged by the number of synagogues, Manchester is a far more Jewish city than London.

Friday, March 4, 2022

On my first trip to London in 1985, I wandered around Chinatown and dropped into Canton Kitchen, 11 Newport Place, for a late meal.  While I was not documenting meals back then, I had a favorable enough opinion of Canton Kitchen that I returned a few times over the years.  Today, as Lord K and I walked through Chinatown, I herded him into Canton Kitchen for lunch.

Addressing the pandemic, it had a tent-like structure fronting the premises, a much rarer sight in London than in New York.  We first shared a mixed dim sum platter, 9 pieces for £10.50, ordinary at best.  But, the Aromatic Crispy Duck a/k/a Peking duck was brilliant, as the British say when really excited (£21.50 for 1/2 duck).  It came with 10 pancakes, spring onions (scallions), cucumber slivers and hoisin sauce to roll your own blintz/burrito.  The duck was as fat-free as any that I have ever encountered, just meat and crispy skin -- an exceptional delight.

                               . . .

Friday night, at the end of an exciting week, some excitement coming as a complete surprise, we chose to have a traditional dinner.  We went to Madhu's Brasserie on the fifth floor of Harvey Nichols, a very fashionable department store, 175 Knightsbridge, where a handful of restaurants surround a big, airy retail space offering wine, liquor, chocolates and such.  I had a delicious lamb biryani (£19.50).  Of course, there are traditions and there are traditions.