36 Hours in Portland, Ore.
By FREDA MOON
Published: August 25, 2011
WITH its celebrated bike culture and obsession with all things independent and artisan, Portland is a small-scale metropolis with an outsize cultural footprint. Spread across the twin banks of the Willamette River, this provincial hub of the Pacific Northwest has more than its share of natural beauty and an earnest, outdoorsy reputation. But in recent years, the city has emerged as the capital of West Coast urban cool, earning it a television series, IFC’s “Portlandia,” devoted to satirizing its aesthetic and progressive social bent. Indeed, Portland — whose nicknames include Beervana and Soccer City, USA — is easy to poke fun at. It’s also hard to resist.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) JAPANESE, IF YOU PLEASE
Adorning the hillside above the Rose Gardens, the five-and-a-half-acre Japanese Garden (611 Southwest Kingston Avenue; 503-223-1321; japanesegarden.com; $9.50) is less crowded than its photogenic neighbor. Instead of being packed with people, this elegant corner of the 400-acre Washington Park has five distinct gardens — artfully designed “compositions” of sand, stone, water, flowers and foliage — with views of Mount Hood. On the third Saturday of each month April through October, a Japanese tea ceremony is presented at the Kashintei Tea House (1 and 2 p.m.).
6 p.m.
2) SMALL PLATES
Continue your Japan-themed afternoon with a happy hour sake or shochu at one of Portland’s proliferating izakayas, Japanese-style pubs that serve small plates to accompany drinks. Biwa (215 Southeast Ninth Avenue; 503-239-8830; biwarestaurant.com) is a low-light basement with booming music, concrete walls and a fanatical following. Two-year-old Miho (4057 North Interstate Avenue; 503-719-6152; mihopdx.com), in a remodeled Craftsman house on the residential north side — is less moody, with a patio and small plates priced in even-numbered increments ($2, $4, $6 and up). Opened in February, Mirakutei (536 East Burnside Street; 503-467-7501) is the newest dot on the izakaya map, serving delicate starters like Quilcene oysters with ginger sorbet ($5) and $9 three-sake flights.
8:30 p.m.
3) CLAMS AND CRABS
Tucked into a small storefront in a neighborhood of tidy lawns and German beer gardens, Cabezon (5200 Northeast Sacramento Street; 503-284-6617; cabezonrestaurant.com) has the unaffected feel of a small-town restaurant. A fish market by day, seafood bistro by night, the place has an easy sophistication; the only distraction from the food — a seasonal menu of fresh-off-the-boat dishes like Totten Inlet mussels with Borlotti beans, chorizo, fries and unctuous rouille ($13.50) and thin-brothed cioppino with Dungeness crab ($20.50) — are colorful glass sculptures with flowing tentacles that hang above the bar like psychedelic jellyfish.
11 p.m.
4) FUNERAL PARLOR PARTY
After dinner, head to the retro Sellwood-Westmoreland neighborhood. Window shop for tchotchkes at Stars Antiques Mall (7027 Southeast Milwaukie Avenue; 503-235-5990; starsantique.com) or slurp Jell-O shots at the Cosmo Lounge (6707 Southeast Milwaukie Avenue; 503-233-4220). For a less kitschy postdinner drink, settle into the attic at Corkscrew Wine Bar (1665 Southeast Bybee Boulevard; 503-239-9463). Then listen to live music at the Woods (6637 Southeast Milwaukie Avenue; 503-890-0408; thewoodsportland.com), a former funeral home in a Mission-style 1929 building with gaudy chandeliers and an Art Nouveau lounge. Opened in 2009, this 3,000-square-foot space draws musicians, D.J.’s and performers from across the country. On off-nights, there’s karaoke, stand-up comedy and movie screenings.
Saturday
9:30 a.m.
5) NORDIC BREAKFAST FEAST
Come early to the perpetually packed Scandinavian brunch spot Broder (2508 Southeast Clinton Street; 503-736-3333; broderpdx.com), which serves atypical offerings like lefsa (a thin potato crepe) stuffed with goat cheese ($9) and Pytt I Panna, which is Swedish hash with smoked trout ($11). Afterward, walk off your Bloody Mary at Mount Tabor Park (Southeast 60th and Salmon Streets; portlandonline.com), a forest-covered cinder cone with sports courts, open reservoirs and a statue of a former Oregonian newspaper editor by Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore’s granite presidents.
Noon
6) ARTS AND CRAFTS
The 811 East Burnside Building houses an array of boutiques, like Redux (No. 110; 503-231-7336; reduxpdx.com), an analog Etsy with products from some 300 artists, including frames made from salvaged bike hardware; the gallery-cum-specialty shop Nationale (No. 112; 503-477-9786; thenewnationale.com); and Sword + Fern (No. 114; 503-683-3376; swordandfern.com), home to outsider art, handmade housewares and vintage oddities. Walk over the Burnside Bridge to the Pearl District and the Museum of Contemporary Craft (724 Northwest Davis Street; 503-223-2654; museumofcontemporarycraft.org; $3), which houses nearly 1,000 works in clay, fiber, glass, metal and wood.
2 p.m.
7) WORTH THE WAIT
Don’t be daunted by the line at the taqueria ¿Por Que No? (3524 North Mississippi Avenue; 503-467-4149; porquenotacos.com). You will be rewarded with an umbrella-shaded sidewalk table, colorful papel picado (perforated paper flags) strung between beams, fish tacos ($3.50) and horchata borracha (rum-spiked rice milk, $6).
4 p.m.
8) BREWS CRUISE
Start your pedicab brewery tour (Rose Pedals Pedicabs; 503-421-7433; rosepedals.com; $60 per hour, one or two people) with a sour beer tasting at Cascade Brewing Barrel House (939 Southeast Belmont Street; 503-265-8603; cascadebrewingbarrelhouse.com). Next, stop in at the tasting room at Upright Brewing (240 North Broadway, No. 2; 503-735-5337; uprightbrewing.com) before taking the North Williams “bike highway” to the brand new Hopworks Bikebar (3947 North Williams Avenue; 503-287-6258; hopworksbeer.com). Opened in June, the cycle-centered organic brew pub has 75 bike parking spaces, bike tools and energy-generating exercycles. For sober sightseeing, Rose Pedals also offers tours of the Willamette waterfront.
6:30 p.m.
9) PUT A BIRD ON IT
Join the sunset crowd at Skidmore Bluffs (also known as the Mocks Crest Property, 2206 North Skidmore Terrace), a grassy expanse of hillside above industrial rail yards on the banks of the Willamette River. On warm nights, clusters of 20- and 30-somethings spread picnic blankets and watch the sun slip beneath the West Hills. For dinner, sit at a communal table at Le Pigeon (738 East Burnside Street; 503-546-8796; lepigeon.com), flagship of the chef Gabriel Rucker. Mr. Rucker, who was just named Rising Star Chef of the Year by the James Beard Foundation, serves French-influenced nose-to-tail fare, like beef cheek bourguignon ($22) and veal sweetbreads with bread pudding ($26), from a hyperactive open kitchen. Reservations are a good idea. If you can’t get in, give Mr. Rucker’s newly opened Little Bird Bistro (219 Southwest Sixth Avenue; 503-688-5952; littlebirdbistro.com) a try.
9 p.m.
10) CURTAINS
For dessert, head up the street for a scoop of salted caramel ice cream at Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty (4039 North Mississippi Avenue, No. 101; 503-281-4060; lovelysfiftyfifty.com). Or skip dessert and skirt past the black curtain at an unassuming Old Town storefront and pull up a stool at Central (220 Southwest Ankeny Street; no phone), a new speakeasy with a moose head on the wall, a converted windmill ceiling fan and a bartender who builds cocktails with the care of a perfectionist furniture maker. For a quiet evening, catch a 3-D blockbuster or indie hit at the stylish, modern Living Room Theaters (341 Southwest 10th Avenue; 971-222-2010; pdx.livingroomtheaters.com), where you’ll find a full bar and cushy seats.
Sunday
10 a.m.
11) LOVABLE LUDDITES
Ben Meyer’s first restaurant, the beloved wood-fired bistro Ned Ludd, shares a name with the English weaver who inspired the anti-technology Luddite movement. With his gorgeous new north-side restaurant Grain & Gristle (1473 Northeast Prescott Street; 503-298-5007; grainandgristle.com), opened in December, Mr. Meyer has found another outlet for his culinary craftsmanship and woodsy aesthetic. At brunch, look for the homemade lox on a house-baked soft pretzel ($8) or the doughy beignets with bacon caramel sauce ($3) on the ever-changing specials board.
12 p.m.
12) RAILS TO TRAILS
Take Highway 26 to Banks, where you can rent a bike at Banks Bicycle Repair & Rental (14175 Northwest Sellers Road; 503-680-3269; from $8 an hour) and ride Portland’s rural answer to the High Line in New York — the Banks-Vernonia Bike Trail (oregonstateparks.org), a 20-mile route built on former train tracks. Completed in October 2010, the trail leads across two 80-foot-high trestles, past farmland, into forests, up hills and through the nearly 1,700-acre Stub Stewart State Park, where there’s a picnic shelter and dozens of trails.
IF YOU GO
The Crystal Hotel & Ballroom (303 Southwest 12th Avenue; 503-972-2670; mcmenamins.com; from $85) has 51 rooms — each inspired by a performance from the Crystal Ballroom’s 100-year history — a soaking pool and a hard-to-beat location.
The second Ace Hotel (1022 Southwest Stark Street; 503-228-2277; acehotel.com) to open in the country, Portland’s outpost of this trendy hotel chain has 79 rooms (from $95), recycled furniture, Malin+Goetz bath products and free bike rentals. Adjacent to the lobby is a Stumptown and the “European-style tavern” Clyde Common.
Copyright by The New York Times 2011.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
36 Hours in Downtown Manhattan
36 Hours in Downtown Manhattan
By SETH KUGEL
Published: August 18, 2011.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/travel/36-hours-in-downtown-manhattan.html?hpw
ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER is rising, and the 9/11 Memorial will open right below it next month on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Although progress on the World Trade Center site has been slow, the surrounding neighborhoods did not wait to revive (and in some cases reinvent themselves) after all the emotional and economic devastation. The financial district is bustling, Chinatown is as quirky and enticing as ever, and TriBeCa is bursting with new restaurants, bars and hotels. With the exception of those seeking a night of relentless club-hopping, travelers hardly need venture north of Canal Street for a complete New York weekend.
Friday
2 p.m.
1) CRUISING THE HARBOR
Been there (Liberty and Governors Islands) and done that (taken the free Staten Island Ferry)? There are other options for harbor cruises, and what better way to get an overview of Lower Manhattan? One possibility is a 90-minute sail on the Clipper City tall ship, a replica of a 19th-century lumber-hauling schooner (Manhattan by Sail; 800-544-1224; manhattanbysail.com), which departs from the South Street Seaport. Another is a one-hour harbor cruise with Statue Cruises (201-604-2800; statuecruises.com). The company will soon launch its Hornblower Hybrid, which relies on several power sources, including hydrogen fuel cells, solar panels and wind turbines.
4 p.m.
2) SUGAR AND SOAP
Venture to TriBeCa for a treat at Duane Park Patisserie (179 Duane Street; 212-274-8447; duaneparkpatisserie.com, lemon tarts, $5; “magic cupcakes,” $4) on the shady pocket park it’s named after. Then wander into the nearby shops, ranging from the cute to the serious. At Lucca Antiques (182 Duane Street; 212-343-9005; luccaantiques.com) the owners salvage old wood and metal objects from Europe and brilliantly reformulate them into modern furniture, lamps and wall décor. Torly Kid (51 Hudson Street; 212-406-7440; torlykid.com) has funkily functional clothes for babies to tweens. At the Working Class Emporium (168 Duane Street; 212-941-1199; workingclassinc.com), a shop, you can buy quirky gifts like three-dimensional puzzles and soap shaped like dogs.
6:30 p.m.
3) BANKERS’ HAPPY HOUR
If you resent investment bankers’ salaries and bonuses, then here’s something else to hold be envious of: the cobblestone stretch of Stone Street. What might be New York’s greatest outdoor drinking spot happens to be right next to Goldman Sachs’s former headquarters. When it’s warm, this quaint block, lined with 19th-century Greek Revival buildings, is practically blocked by tables occupied by financial types, a few sundry locals and knowledgeable tourists. Choose a table outside Adrienne’s Pizzabar (212-248-3838; 54 Stone Street; adriennespizzabar.com) and order a meatball and broccoli rabe pizza ($28.50), enough for three people; a bottle of wine starts at a few dollars more.
10 p.m.
4) THE ANTI-COPA
Midtown’s Copacabana recently reopened, bringing some throwback flash to New York’s music scene. But for throwback grit, try the Friday night party at 2020 (20 Warren Street; 212-962-9759; 2020latinclub.com), where Latinos working in every kind of downtown job come to dance to the D.J.-supplied rhythms of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
Saturday
10:30 a.m.
5) BUENOS AIRES BRUNCH
Under one form or another, the restaurateur Stacey Sosa has run an Argentine restaurant in this cool space in TriBeCa since 1997. And though brunch at Estancia 460 (212-431-5093; 460 Greenwich Street; estancia460.wordpress.com) is very New York, with frittatas, granola and some innovative egg dishes, there are flashes of Buenos Aires, like French toast with dulce de leche. (Brunch for two about $30.)
Noon
6) MANAHATTA
Most people don’t put the Smithsonian on their New York must-do list. But the National Museum of the American Indian (212-514-3700; nmai.si.edu), in the Beaux Arts splendor of the old Customs House near Battery Park, is a reminder that Manhattan and the rest of the Western Hemisphere has a long and vibrant cultural history. The Infinity of Nations exhibition has everything from a macaw and heron feather headdress from Brazil to a hunting hat with ivory carvings from the Arctic. To get an up-close view of a wampum belt and corn pounder used by the Lenape Indians, who called the island Manahatta, head to the museum’s resource center and ask. The museum is free — not far from the price for which the Lenapes famously sold Manhattan to the Dutch.
2 p.m.
7) DOCTORAL DOWNTOWN
Continue your historical education with a Big Onion tour. Downtown’s a complicated place, with layers upon layers of history: Dutch, African-American, Revolutionary and financial, among others. It takes a doctoral candidate to decode it, and that is who will lead you on a two-hour $18 tour that might include “Historic TriBeCa,” “Revolutionary New York” or “The Financial District.” Times vary; see bigonion.com.
7 p.m.
8) WINE BY THE T-SHIRT
At the wine bar Terroir Tribeca (24 Harrison Street; 212-625-9463; wineisterroir.com), the young servers dressed in wine-themed T-shirts don’t look as though they could know what they are talking about, but don’t get them started. (Actually, do get them started.) A glass of wine begins at $8.75, and the menu is full of temptations so nonstandard you can justify it: fried balls of risotto, wine and oxtail ($8), for example, is a perfect way to spend your allotment of deep-fried calories.
9 p.m.
9) SALVAGE AND BRUSCHETTA
Who knows how many diners have walked out of Robert DeNiro and company’s Locanda Verde, the big northern Italian spot, and wondered what was going on in the tiny, bustling restaurant across the street? Decked out with salvaged materials that evoke an old factory or warehouse, Smith and Mills (71 North Moore Street; 212-226-2515; smithandmills.com) seats 22 at tables shoehorned between the standing, drinking crowds. The menu includes tomato bruschetta, oysters with horseradish, burgers and brioche bread pudding; dinner for two about $70, with drinks. One must-see: the bathroom, in a turn-of-the-century iron elevator.
11 p.m.
10) DRINKS ON DOYERS
Head east to Chinatown, where Apotheke (9 Doyers Street; 212-406-0400; apothekenyc.com) is a non-Chinese intruder sitting on the elbow of L-shaped Doyers Street, the spot known as the Bloody Angle for the gang-related killings there in the early 20th century. Here you’ll find one of the city’s top cocktail bars, with throwback décor and dim lighting. Try the Deal Closer, made with cucumber, vodka, mint, lime and vanilla, along with “Chinatown aphrodisiacs” ($15).
Sunday
8 a.m.
11) BROOKLYN BRIDGE CROSSING
With the arrival of the dog days, you have to get up pretty early to walk across this beloved landmark in comfort. As romantic as ever, a walk along the elevated pedestrian walkway provides a photo opportunity a minute. On your way back, stop by City Hall Park to see four decades of Sol LeWitt’s sculptures, on display until Dec. 3. Then head west across Chambers Street to pick up bagels and smoked salmon from Zucker’s (146 Chambers Street; 212-608-5844; zuckersbagels.com).
12: 30 p.m.
12) IN MEMORIAM
On Sept. 12, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum opens, with its pair of one-acre reflecting pools in the footprints of the fallen towers, names of victims inscribed in bronze panels, and rustling swamp white oak trees overhead. The on-site museum will have exhibitions on the original World Trade Center and the day of the attacks. Visitors can reserve free passes at 911memorial.org. No pass is needed to visit the “Unwavering Spirit: Hope and Healing at Ground Zero” exhibition at St. Paul’s Chapel nearby (209 Broadway; trinitywallstreet.org). St. Paul’s became a refuge for rescue workers in the days after the attacks. Now it houses photographs, testimonials and artifacts from those weeks after the city changed irrevocably.
IF YOU GO
The Greenwich Hotel (212-941-8900; 377 Greenwich Street; thegreenwichhotel.com), Robert DeNiro’s 2008 creation, has 88 individually designed rooms in the heart of TriBeCa. Free Internet and local phone calls, and for rooms starting at $495 a night, you actually get your choice of local newspaper.
To keep it boutique but lower the rate, try Gild Hall (15 Gold Street; 212-232-7700; thompsonhotels.com), a member of the Thompson Hotels, where 12-foot ceilings and marble bathroom floors go for as little as $179 a night on weekends.
Copyright by The New York Times 2011.
By SETH KUGEL
Published: August 18, 2011.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/travel/36-hours-in-downtown-manhattan.html?hpw
ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER is rising, and the 9/11 Memorial will open right below it next month on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Although progress on the World Trade Center site has been slow, the surrounding neighborhoods did not wait to revive (and in some cases reinvent themselves) after all the emotional and economic devastation. The financial district is bustling, Chinatown is as quirky and enticing as ever, and TriBeCa is bursting with new restaurants, bars and hotels. With the exception of those seeking a night of relentless club-hopping, travelers hardly need venture north of Canal Street for a complete New York weekend.
Friday
2 p.m.
1) CRUISING THE HARBOR
Been there (Liberty and Governors Islands) and done that (taken the free Staten Island Ferry)? There are other options for harbor cruises, and what better way to get an overview of Lower Manhattan? One possibility is a 90-minute sail on the Clipper City tall ship, a replica of a 19th-century lumber-hauling schooner (Manhattan by Sail; 800-544-1224; manhattanbysail.com), which departs from the South Street Seaport. Another is a one-hour harbor cruise with Statue Cruises (201-604-2800; statuecruises.com). The company will soon launch its Hornblower Hybrid, which relies on several power sources, including hydrogen fuel cells, solar panels and wind turbines.
4 p.m.
2) SUGAR AND SOAP
Venture to TriBeCa for a treat at Duane Park Patisserie (179 Duane Street; 212-274-8447; duaneparkpatisserie.com, lemon tarts, $5; “magic cupcakes,” $4) on the shady pocket park it’s named after. Then wander into the nearby shops, ranging from the cute to the serious. At Lucca Antiques (182 Duane Street; 212-343-9005; luccaantiques.com) the owners salvage old wood and metal objects from Europe and brilliantly reformulate them into modern furniture, lamps and wall décor. Torly Kid (51 Hudson Street; 212-406-7440; torlykid.com) has funkily functional clothes for babies to tweens. At the Working Class Emporium (168 Duane Street; 212-941-1199; workingclassinc.com), a shop, you can buy quirky gifts like three-dimensional puzzles and soap shaped like dogs.
6:30 p.m.
3) BANKERS’ HAPPY HOUR
If you resent investment bankers’ salaries and bonuses, then here’s something else to hold be envious of: the cobblestone stretch of Stone Street. What might be New York’s greatest outdoor drinking spot happens to be right next to Goldman Sachs’s former headquarters. When it’s warm, this quaint block, lined with 19th-century Greek Revival buildings, is practically blocked by tables occupied by financial types, a few sundry locals and knowledgeable tourists. Choose a table outside Adrienne’s Pizzabar (212-248-3838; 54 Stone Street; adriennespizzabar.com) and order a meatball and broccoli rabe pizza ($28.50), enough for three people; a bottle of wine starts at a few dollars more.
10 p.m.
4) THE ANTI-COPA
Midtown’s Copacabana recently reopened, bringing some throwback flash to New York’s music scene. But for throwback grit, try the Friday night party at 2020 (20 Warren Street; 212-962-9759; 2020latinclub.com), where Latinos working in every kind of downtown job come to dance to the D.J.-supplied rhythms of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
Saturday
10:30 a.m.
5) BUENOS AIRES BRUNCH
Under one form or another, the restaurateur Stacey Sosa has run an Argentine restaurant in this cool space in TriBeCa since 1997. And though brunch at Estancia 460 (212-431-5093; 460 Greenwich Street; estancia460.wordpress.com) is very New York, with frittatas, granola and some innovative egg dishes, there are flashes of Buenos Aires, like French toast with dulce de leche. (Brunch for two about $30.)
Noon
6) MANAHATTA
Most people don’t put the Smithsonian on their New York must-do list. But the National Museum of the American Indian (212-514-3700; nmai.si.edu), in the Beaux Arts splendor of the old Customs House near Battery Park, is a reminder that Manhattan and the rest of the Western Hemisphere has a long and vibrant cultural history. The Infinity of Nations exhibition has everything from a macaw and heron feather headdress from Brazil to a hunting hat with ivory carvings from the Arctic. To get an up-close view of a wampum belt and corn pounder used by the Lenape Indians, who called the island Manahatta, head to the museum’s resource center and ask. The museum is free — not far from the price for which the Lenapes famously sold Manhattan to the Dutch.
2 p.m.
7) DOCTORAL DOWNTOWN
Continue your historical education with a Big Onion tour. Downtown’s a complicated place, with layers upon layers of history: Dutch, African-American, Revolutionary and financial, among others. It takes a doctoral candidate to decode it, and that is who will lead you on a two-hour $18 tour that might include “Historic TriBeCa,” “Revolutionary New York” or “The Financial District.” Times vary; see bigonion.com.
7 p.m.
8) WINE BY THE T-SHIRT
At the wine bar Terroir Tribeca (24 Harrison Street; 212-625-9463; wineisterroir.com), the young servers dressed in wine-themed T-shirts don’t look as though they could know what they are talking about, but don’t get them started. (Actually, do get them started.) A glass of wine begins at $8.75, and the menu is full of temptations so nonstandard you can justify it: fried balls of risotto, wine and oxtail ($8), for example, is a perfect way to spend your allotment of deep-fried calories.
9 p.m.
9) SALVAGE AND BRUSCHETTA
Who knows how many diners have walked out of Robert DeNiro and company’s Locanda Verde, the big northern Italian spot, and wondered what was going on in the tiny, bustling restaurant across the street? Decked out with salvaged materials that evoke an old factory or warehouse, Smith and Mills (71 North Moore Street; 212-226-2515; smithandmills.com) seats 22 at tables shoehorned between the standing, drinking crowds. The menu includes tomato bruschetta, oysters with horseradish, burgers and brioche bread pudding; dinner for two about $70, with drinks. One must-see: the bathroom, in a turn-of-the-century iron elevator.
11 p.m.
10) DRINKS ON DOYERS
Head east to Chinatown, where Apotheke (9 Doyers Street; 212-406-0400; apothekenyc.com) is a non-Chinese intruder sitting on the elbow of L-shaped Doyers Street, the spot known as the Bloody Angle for the gang-related killings there in the early 20th century. Here you’ll find one of the city’s top cocktail bars, with throwback décor and dim lighting. Try the Deal Closer, made with cucumber, vodka, mint, lime and vanilla, along with “Chinatown aphrodisiacs” ($15).
Sunday
8 a.m.
11) BROOKLYN BRIDGE CROSSING
With the arrival of the dog days, you have to get up pretty early to walk across this beloved landmark in comfort. As romantic as ever, a walk along the elevated pedestrian walkway provides a photo opportunity a minute. On your way back, stop by City Hall Park to see four decades of Sol LeWitt’s sculptures, on display until Dec. 3. Then head west across Chambers Street to pick up bagels and smoked salmon from Zucker’s (146 Chambers Street; 212-608-5844; zuckersbagels.com).
12: 30 p.m.
12) IN MEMORIAM
On Sept. 12, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum opens, with its pair of one-acre reflecting pools in the footprints of the fallen towers, names of victims inscribed in bronze panels, and rustling swamp white oak trees overhead. The on-site museum will have exhibitions on the original World Trade Center and the day of the attacks. Visitors can reserve free passes at 911memorial.org. No pass is needed to visit the “Unwavering Spirit: Hope and Healing at Ground Zero” exhibition at St. Paul’s Chapel nearby (209 Broadway; trinitywallstreet.org). St. Paul’s became a refuge for rescue workers in the days after the attacks. Now it houses photographs, testimonials and artifacts from those weeks after the city changed irrevocably.
IF YOU GO
The Greenwich Hotel (212-941-8900; 377 Greenwich Street; thegreenwichhotel.com), Robert DeNiro’s 2008 creation, has 88 individually designed rooms in the heart of TriBeCa. Free Internet and local phone calls, and for rooms starting at $495 a night, you actually get your choice of local newspaper.
To keep it boutique but lower the rate, try Gild Hall (15 Gold Street; 212-232-7700; thompsonhotels.com), a member of the Thompson Hotels, where 12-foot ceilings and marble bathroom floors go for as little as $179 a night on weekends.
Copyright by The New York Times 2011.
Friday, August 5, 2011
36 Hours in San Sebastián, Spain
36 Hours in San Sebastián, Spain
By INGRID K. WILLIAMS
Published: August 4, 2011.
Copyright by The New York Times 2011.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/travel/36-hours-in-san-sebastin-spain.html?hpw
TO visit San Sebastián, on Spain’s northern coast, is to fall in love. The first sight of the shimmering scallop-shaped bay, replete with crescents of golden sand and turquoise waves, will sweep you off your feet. Pairing this natural beauty with the unrivaled local cuisine — from decadent Michelin-starred feasts to delectable bite-sized pintxos (Basque-style tapas) — may leave your head spinning. A spruced-up seaside promenade, a renovated museum and a forthcoming culinary school all add to the city’s allure. But this love affair doesn’t have to be a fling. In June, the city secured a coveted designation as a 2016 European Capital of Culture, ensuring that it will put its best foot forward for years to come.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) PHANTOM BEACH
Start with a stroll along the four-mile oceanfront promenade that hugs the city’s three sandy beaches. The loveliest segment cradles La Concha beach and the bay. Or, for a new perspective of this gorgeous shore scene, take the 10-minute boat ride offered by Motoras de la Isla (Paseo Mollaberria; 34-943-000-450; motorasdelaisla.com; 3.80 euros, or $5.35 at $1.41 to the euro) from the port to Isla Santa Clara in the middle of the bay. Depending on the tides, the uninhabited islet might reveal its own slip of sand — San Sebastián’s phantom fourth beach.
6:30 p.m.
2) MUSEO PASEO
Take the scenic route to the San Telmo Museoa (Plaza Zuloaga 1; 34-943-481-580; santelmomuseoa.com), which reopened in the Parte Vieja (Old Town) in April, by following the promenade from the port around Mount Urgull, the wooded peak crowned with a statue of Jesus on the eastern edge of the bay. The museum’s new facade — a stark gray wall pocked with holes through which greenery sprouts — mimics the natural rocky surroundings but sharply contrasts with the adjoining building, a refurbished 16th-century former Dominican convent where the permanent collection of Basque art and historical artifacts is displayed.
9 p.m.
3) DRAMATIC DINING
Ni Neu (Avenida de Zurriola 1; 34-943-003-162; restaurantenineu.com), which means “I Myself” in Basque, is the new restaurant at the Kursaal, the auditorium and convention center occupying a pair of glowing modernist cubes beside Zurriola beach. The restaurant’s slick black walls and spotlighted tables are the stage upon which the stylish set gathers to dine on tuna tartare with green lemon cream, or roast lamb with flourishes of coffee and cardamom. If you prefer less drama with dinner, consider Narru (Calle de Zubieta 56; 34-943-423-349; narru.es), which reopened in April beneath the Hotel Niza after a crosstown move. The popular subterranean restaurant serves pared-down, unpretentious fare like a meltingly tender secreto Ibérico with Basque apples. Dinner for two (including wine) at either hot spot is about 60 euros.
11:30 p.m.
4) THE LAID-BACK OPTION
Avoid the cheesy beachfront discos and seek out the laid-back bar Ondarra (Avenida de Zurriola 16; no phone; ondarraclub.com) in Gros, the neighborhood that flanks the surfing beach Zurriola. Early in the evening, the tables that spill onto the sidewalk are the ideal spot for a round of gin and tonics with new friends. Later, the downstairs club, 16 bis, plugs in.
Saturday
9:30 a.m.
5) EAT YOUR HOMEWORK
Don’t sleep through this class. A multi-Michelin-starred chef might be at the head of the classroom at the Basque Culinary Center (Paseo Juan Avelino Barriola 101; 34-943-535-103; bculinary.com), a new culinary school and research institute with an international consultancy board headed by the nonpareil chef Ferran Adrià. The brand-new campus and four-year degree program won’t make its debut until October, but continuing-education courses for professional chefs and half-day classes for “gastronomic enthusiasts”(the rest of us) — like an introduction to avant-garde sweets or a summer grilling lesson — have already begun in off-site locations around the city. For now, classes are conducted only in Spanish, but the center plans to add courses in English beginning in September.
2:30 p.m.
6) STELLAR CELLAR
Hidden among the pintxo bars of the Parte Vieja is a simple staircase that descends to the sunny-walled restaurant Bodegón Alejandro (Calle de Fermín Calbetón 4; 34-943-427-158; bodegonalejandro.com), a longtime bastion of stellar Basque cuisine. The colorful tile and sturdy wooden tables feel traditional, but the six-course tasting menu — a steal at 38.50 euros, without drinks — is a modern riff on regional classics. A recent version included “lasagna” of anchovies and ratatouille atop gazpacho cream, and a rich risotto infused with cuttlefish oil and Idiazábal cheese.
5 p.m.
7) T-SHIRT TIME
At Kukuxumusu (Calle Mayor 15; 34-943-421-184; kukuxumusu.com), goofy cartoons are slapped on everything from T-shirts to flasks. This storefront in the Parte Vieja was this design company’s first, but the kooky brand has since expanded all over Spain. For an authentic upstart vibe, instead visit Viva la Vida (Calle de Narrica 12; 34-943-430-378; vivalavidatodalavida.com), which opened last year. The tiny shop peddles playful, original graphic designs, like melting rainbow-colored sunglasses, that are splashed across simple tanks, tees and tote bags.
6:30 p.m.
8) FOR HIPSTERS AND KIDS
The sublime mingles with the absurd atop Mount Igueldo (34-943-213-525; www.monteigueldo.es) on the western edge of the bay. Ride the rumbling funicular (2.80 euros) to the summit where the Mount Igueldo Tower claims to offer “the best view in the world” (it is indeed grand). Then revisit childhood at the ancient amusement park, where the rickety rides and classic carnival games are all so ridiculously — though unintentionally — retro that they transcend tackiness and become hilariously fun for small children and hipsters alike.
9:30 p.m.
9) TXIKITEO CHEAT SHEET
Tailor a txikiteo — the Basque term for a pintxo-bar hop — around the bars in the Parte Vieja where traditional pintxos are being elevated to haute cuisine in miniature. Start at the long wooden counter of Astelena (Calle de Iñigo 1; 34-943-425-245) with croquetas coated in crunchy pistachios, or crispy crepes stuffed with salmon and cheese. Then squeeze into the narrow La Cuchara de San Telmo (Calle 31 de Agosto 28; no phone; lacucharadesantelmo.com) for sumptuous seared foie gras with apple compote, or tangy orzo and goat cheese risotto. Round out the tour at the black-and-red bar A Fuego Negro (Calle 31 de Agosto 31; 34-650-135-373; afuegonegro.com), the pinnacle of pintxo prowess. Order the “Makcobe,” a mini wagyu burger on a ketchup-infused bun with fried banana “txips,” but don’t miss the three icy scoops of spider crab, avocado and licorice (a strangely delicious trio), or pastel cherry-meringue wafer with mackerel, sheep’s cheese and mint. Each pintxo costs about 3 euros.
Sunday
9 a.m.
10) BREADCRUMB TRAIL
This year marks the 800th anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, the final destination of the pilgrimage trail known as the Camino de Santiago. One major route of the Camino passes through San Sebastián, so for a taste of the celebrated trek, hike up Calle de Zemoriya in Gros and follow the yellow trail markings (in reverse), weaving through lush forests and past postcard-perfect panoramas of cliffs sinking into the sea. Before you set off, carbo load with a moist, chewy brioche or a crusty baguette from Galparsoro (Calle Mayor 6; 34-943-420-113; galparsorookindegia.eu), a phenomenal little bakery that supplies the area’s top restaurants.
1:30 p.m.
11) TWO IF BY LAND ...
Last year, a fire devastated the kitchen of Mugaritz (Aldura Aldea 20, Errenteria; 34-943-522-455; mugaritz.com), a two-Michelin-star restaurant in an understated country house nestled in the hills outside town. After a four-month closure, the restaurant reopened in June 2010 with the chef Andoni Luis Aduriz once again puzzling and delighting diners — often simultaneously — with ingenious dishes like an aromatic mortar soup (which requires diners to pestle-pound spices and seeds before servers add finishing touches of herbs and fish broth) and crispy shredded beef tongue (presented as “mystery meat”). Curious to find out what clinches that elusive third star? Book a table with a view overlooking the sea at Akelarre (Paseo Padre Orcolaga 56; 34-943-311-209; akelarre.net), the three-Michelin-star gastronomic temple where Pedro Subijana has been feeding foodies for over 30 years, with concoctions that range from edible paper and foie gras with sugar to ethereal mousses. Tasting menus (18 courses at Mugaritz; 8 courses at Akelarre) are about 140 euros, without drinks.
IF YOU GO
The Hotel Gran Bahía Bernardo (Calle de Trueba 1; 34-943-298-049; www.hotelgranbahiabernardo.com) opened in December 2010 in Gros, a few blocks from Zurriola beach. The 10 simple rooms have hardwood floors, cool photography on the walls and free Wi-Fi. Doubles cost 144 euros, or $203, in high season.
The two-year old, 102-room Hotel Astoria 7 (Calle de la Sagrada Familia 1; 34-943-445-000; astoria7hotel.com) pays homage to the cinema stars of San Sebastián’s annual film festival. The top-notch food emporium Don Serapio is nearby, but the pintxo-packed Parte Vieja is a 20-minute walk. High-season doubles from 140 euros.
By INGRID K. WILLIAMS
Published: August 4, 2011.
Copyright by The New York Times 2011.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/travel/36-hours-in-san-sebastin-spain.html?hpw
TO visit San Sebastián, on Spain’s northern coast, is to fall in love. The first sight of the shimmering scallop-shaped bay, replete with crescents of golden sand and turquoise waves, will sweep you off your feet. Pairing this natural beauty with the unrivaled local cuisine — from decadent Michelin-starred feasts to delectable bite-sized pintxos (Basque-style tapas) — may leave your head spinning. A spruced-up seaside promenade, a renovated museum and a forthcoming culinary school all add to the city’s allure. But this love affair doesn’t have to be a fling. In June, the city secured a coveted designation as a 2016 European Capital of Culture, ensuring that it will put its best foot forward for years to come.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) PHANTOM BEACH
Start with a stroll along the four-mile oceanfront promenade that hugs the city’s three sandy beaches. The loveliest segment cradles La Concha beach and the bay. Or, for a new perspective of this gorgeous shore scene, take the 10-minute boat ride offered by Motoras de la Isla (Paseo Mollaberria; 34-943-000-450; motorasdelaisla.com; 3.80 euros, or $5.35 at $1.41 to the euro) from the port to Isla Santa Clara in the middle of the bay. Depending on the tides, the uninhabited islet might reveal its own slip of sand — San Sebastián’s phantom fourth beach.
6:30 p.m.
2) MUSEO PASEO
Take the scenic route to the San Telmo Museoa (Plaza Zuloaga 1; 34-943-481-580; santelmomuseoa.com), which reopened in the Parte Vieja (Old Town) in April, by following the promenade from the port around Mount Urgull, the wooded peak crowned with a statue of Jesus on the eastern edge of the bay. The museum’s new facade — a stark gray wall pocked with holes through which greenery sprouts — mimics the natural rocky surroundings but sharply contrasts with the adjoining building, a refurbished 16th-century former Dominican convent where the permanent collection of Basque art and historical artifacts is displayed.
9 p.m.
3) DRAMATIC DINING
Ni Neu (Avenida de Zurriola 1; 34-943-003-162; restaurantenineu.com), which means “I Myself” in Basque, is the new restaurant at the Kursaal, the auditorium and convention center occupying a pair of glowing modernist cubes beside Zurriola beach. The restaurant’s slick black walls and spotlighted tables are the stage upon which the stylish set gathers to dine on tuna tartare with green lemon cream, or roast lamb with flourishes of coffee and cardamom. If you prefer less drama with dinner, consider Narru (Calle de Zubieta 56; 34-943-423-349; narru.es), which reopened in April beneath the Hotel Niza after a crosstown move. The popular subterranean restaurant serves pared-down, unpretentious fare like a meltingly tender secreto Ibérico with Basque apples. Dinner for two (including wine) at either hot spot is about 60 euros.
11:30 p.m.
4) THE LAID-BACK OPTION
Avoid the cheesy beachfront discos and seek out the laid-back bar Ondarra (Avenida de Zurriola 16; no phone; ondarraclub.com) in Gros, the neighborhood that flanks the surfing beach Zurriola. Early in the evening, the tables that spill onto the sidewalk are the ideal spot for a round of gin and tonics with new friends. Later, the downstairs club, 16 bis, plugs in.
Saturday
9:30 a.m.
5) EAT YOUR HOMEWORK
Don’t sleep through this class. A multi-Michelin-starred chef might be at the head of the classroom at the Basque Culinary Center (Paseo Juan Avelino Barriola 101; 34-943-535-103; bculinary.com), a new culinary school and research institute with an international consultancy board headed by the nonpareil chef Ferran Adrià. The brand-new campus and four-year degree program won’t make its debut until October, but continuing-education courses for professional chefs and half-day classes for “gastronomic enthusiasts”(the rest of us) — like an introduction to avant-garde sweets or a summer grilling lesson — have already begun in off-site locations around the city. For now, classes are conducted only in Spanish, but the center plans to add courses in English beginning in September.
2:30 p.m.
6) STELLAR CELLAR
Hidden among the pintxo bars of the Parte Vieja is a simple staircase that descends to the sunny-walled restaurant Bodegón Alejandro (Calle de Fermín Calbetón 4; 34-943-427-158; bodegonalejandro.com), a longtime bastion of stellar Basque cuisine. The colorful tile and sturdy wooden tables feel traditional, but the six-course tasting menu — a steal at 38.50 euros, without drinks — is a modern riff on regional classics. A recent version included “lasagna” of anchovies and ratatouille atop gazpacho cream, and a rich risotto infused with cuttlefish oil and Idiazábal cheese.
5 p.m.
7) T-SHIRT TIME
At Kukuxumusu (Calle Mayor 15; 34-943-421-184; kukuxumusu.com), goofy cartoons are slapped on everything from T-shirts to flasks. This storefront in the Parte Vieja was this design company’s first, but the kooky brand has since expanded all over Spain. For an authentic upstart vibe, instead visit Viva la Vida (Calle de Narrica 12; 34-943-430-378; vivalavidatodalavida.com), which opened last year. The tiny shop peddles playful, original graphic designs, like melting rainbow-colored sunglasses, that are splashed across simple tanks, tees and tote bags.
6:30 p.m.
8) FOR HIPSTERS AND KIDS
The sublime mingles with the absurd atop Mount Igueldo (34-943-213-525; www.monteigueldo.es) on the western edge of the bay. Ride the rumbling funicular (2.80 euros) to the summit where the Mount Igueldo Tower claims to offer “the best view in the world” (it is indeed grand). Then revisit childhood at the ancient amusement park, where the rickety rides and classic carnival games are all so ridiculously — though unintentionally — retro that they transcend tackiness and become hilariously fun for small children and hipsters alike.
9:30 p.m.
9) TXIKITEO CHEAT SHEET
Tailor a txikiteo — the Basque term for a pintxo-bar hop — around the bars in the Parte Vieja where traditional pintxos are being elevated to haute cuisine in miniature. Start at the long wooden counter of Astelena (Calle de Iñigo 1; 34-943-425-245) with croquetas coated in crunchy pistachios, or crispy crepes stuffed with salmon and cheese. Then squeeze into the narrow La Cuchara de San Telmo (Calle 31 de Agosto 28; no phone; lacucharadesantelmo.com) for sumptuous seared foie gras with apple compote, or tangy orzo and goat cheese risotto. Round out the tour at the black-and-red bar A Fuego Negro (Calle 31 de Agosto 31; 34-650-135-373; afuegonegro.com), the pinnacle of pintxo prowess. Order the “Makcobe,” a mini wagyu burger on a ketchup-infused bun with fried banana “txips,” but don’t miss the three icy scoops of spider crab, avocado and licorice (a strangely delicious trio), or pastel cherry-meringue wafer with mackerel, sheep’s cheese and mint. Each pintxo costs about 3 euros.
Sunday
9 a.m.
10) BREADCRUMB TRAIL
This year marks the 800th anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, the final destination of the pilgrimage trail known as the Camino de Santiago. One major route of the Camino passes through San Sebastián, so for a taste of the celebrated trek, hike up Calle de Zemoriya in Gros and follow the yellow trail markings (in reverse), weaving through lush forests and past postcard-perfect panoramas of cliffs sinking into the sea. Before you set off, carbo load with a moist, chewy brioche or a crusty baguette from Galparsoro (Calle Mayor 6; 34-943-420-113; galparsorookindegia.eu), a phenomenal little bakery that supplies the area’s top restaurants.
1:30 p.m.
11) TWO IF BY LAND ...
Last year, a fire devastated the kitchen of Mugaritz (Aldura Aldea 20, Errenteria; 34-943-522-455; mugaritz.com), a two-Michelin-star restaurant in an understated country house nestled in the hills outside town. After a four-month closure, the restaurant reopened in June 2010 with the chef Andoni Luis Aduriz once again puzzling and delighting diners — often simultaneously — with ingenious dishes like an aromatic mortar soup (which requires diners to pestle-pound spices and seeds before servers add finishing touches of herbs and fish broth) and crispy shredded beef tongue (presented as “mystery meat”). Curious to find out what clinches that elusive third star? Book a table with a view overlooking the sea at Akelarre (Paseo Padre Orcolaga 56; 34-943-311-209; akelarre.net), the three-Michelin-star gastronomic temple where Pedro Subijana has been feeding foodies for over 30 years, with concoctions that range from edible paper and foie gras with sugar to ethereal mousses. Tasting menus (18 courses at Mugaritz; 8 courses at Akelarre) are about 140 euros, without drinks.
IF YOU GO
The Hotel Gran Bahía Bernardo (Calle de Trueba 1; 34-943-298-049; www.hotelgranbahiabernardo.com) opened in December 2010 in Gros, a few blocks from Zurriola beach. The 10 simple rooms have hardwood floors, cool photography on the walls and free Wi-Fi. Doubles cost 144 euros, or $203, in high season.
The two-year old, 102-room Hotel Astoria 7 (Calle de la Sagrada Familia 1; 34-943-445-000; astoria7hotel.com) pays homage to the cinema stars of San Sebastián’s annual film festival. The top-notch food emporium Don Serapio is nearby, but the pintxo-packed Parte Vieja is a 20-minute walk. High-season doubles from 140 euros.
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