New York City – Robert Reiss Travel Blog and Other Ramblings

Birthday Celebration Day #3 “Recovery Day: Or Californians Cannot Deal With Rain”

November 11, 2025 by reissmd, posted in New York City

Yesterday was so special we were bound to have a let down today. It started out well in that I did make it to the gym today. Oops, I forgot we are at a fancy hotel and they don’t have a gym. I got up early and went to the Fitness Center. I did a short run on the treadmill and then headed back to the room. Much to my surprise, Patrice was awake and soon we were on our way to the lounge for the breakfast we missed yesterday.

The hotel breakfast buffet was good but not great. I tried to eat healthy after my day of debauchery yesterday. For example, today I thought some cheese would be good. Since the tomato and cheese (mozzarella) salad was a little devoid of cheese (see below) I decided to have a cheese danish instead. Healthy choice, no?

After breakfast we whined for a while because today was much colder and it was raining. Definitely something Californians do not enjoy. We decided to brave the elements and take a short walk to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). I have to confess I am not much of a modern art guy but the other museums were much further away so MOMA was my choice as well.

First we saw this Jackson Pollock painting. I don’t recall the name but I think it was “Painter falls and spills his supplies”. See below.

If your mind works like this is it any surprise the artist had a drinking problem?

We also saw this sculpture. I think it was called “Jafar from Aladdin”.

We did see one of Patrice’s favorites, Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh so the trip was worthwhile.

Another art piece I enjoyed was this one with a medical theme entitled “Jewish Penicillin”. See below

Andy Warhol’s rendition of our cure all.

Please don’t think I didn’t enjoy myself. Actually I had a very good time. I really enjoyed the Senior Discount we received and all the steps I racked up on my pedometer.

After MOMA it was time to eat. I told Patrice I wanted to head to Junior’s across the street from the hotel for a corned beef sandwich. Followers of the blog know that I never eat Shrimp and Grits (which I love) north of the Mason Dixon line. I have a similar rule for corned beef on Rye. I only eat it when we come to New York. This serves me well in that I always enjoy a good corned beef sandwich on our trips here and my longevity is not severely compromised. The meal was delicious but I was disappointed that they didn’t offer potato knishes. A New York deli and no knishes?

Tonight we decided to stay at the hotel for entertainment. The reasons are simple, it is cold and raining outside and Monday is typically a dark night for Broadway so all the shows that interested us are not performing. Instead we saw “Stranger Things: the First Shadow” at the hotel theater. This was a prequel to a show of the same name on Netflix. The people in attendance seemed to love it. I assume they were fans of the show because I didn’t get it and could hardly wait for it to end.

We leave early tomorrow so this will be my last post of the trip. Followers know I like to end with some interesting photos so here you go.

Health food truck around the corner from our hotel.

See you in December when we travel to ………………….

Ciao

Patrice here. Thank you for a very nice birthday trip.

Birthday Celebration Day #2 “Life Can’t Get Better Than This!”

November 10, 2025 by reissmd, posted in New York City

I started off today with great plans; let Patrice sleep in while I went to workout. Well, things didn’t quite go as planned but at least I did let her sleep in.

After Patrice awoke we headed to the lounge where breakfast is included with our room tab. We got a relatively early start leaving our room at 7:00 AM Los Angeles time but upon arriving at the lounge were told that breakfast ends at 9:30 AM eastern time. They did supply us with some yogurt but that wasn’t adequate. I thought we should see if the gelato place from last night had a more reasonable waiting line this morning. Upon arrival we found no one on line or inside the store. We were greeted by Uriel who offered us samples from a wonderful selection at “Anita’s Gelato” (1561 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028).

Turns out Anita is an Israeli woman who has stores all over the world. In addition to 4 in Manhattan there are stores in Spain, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and other countries. They even have a store in Los Angeles. I found out the only store in Los Angeles is in Tarzana. Yes, Spain, UK, Australia, and Tarzana?

Uriel and his co-worker Loïc. Patrice thought she said she spelled her name Loïz. She is Israeli. I Googled it and the only name I found was Loïc, a French male name. The only Israeli name close to that would be Lior. Whatever her name, both she and Uriel were very nice. As was the gelato.

After leaving the gelato place we learned how the NYPD is able to respond to emergencies when confronted by bumper to bumper cars.

I edited out some people from this photo. Can you see that part of one is still there?

We then saw the ultimate picture of harmony. Check out this gorgeous child.

I of course asked mom and dad if I could take a picture and put it on my blog. I told them that no one looks at my blog so they are safe.

Motivated by the baby in the picture we went to our room for a brief rest (Hey, missing out on breakfast and eating gelato requires some recovery time) and then headed over to see the musical that encouraged us to make this trip, “& Juliet”. We saw the show in Los Angeles and loved it in spite of having horrible seats. We bought our tickets for tonight’s performance quite a while back. Tickets were available in the 4th row and front row. We chose the front row seats and realized they were half the price of the 4th row seats because during one of the musical numbers your view is obstructed by a prop. That was unfortunate but for the remainder of the show you are in musical heaven. The show was every bit as spectacular as it was in LA.

Patrice and me at our front row seats hoping the cast will come back and do the show again.

Following the show we went back to the hotel to pick up an umbrella (yes, it started to drizzle) and then we were off to dinner. Tonight we dined at Milos (125 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019). This place was recommended by one of my patients. He told me it’s a bit pricey but he loves it. He goes there every time he is in New York. I have to admit, it was spectacular, but was very pricey.

We started by sharing a Lobster Salad. This was amazing.

Patrice had the halibut. Very moist and delicious.

I had the pasta primavera. It wasn’t on the menu but was offered to me when I asked what kinds of vegetarian options they had. That really impressed me (as did the taste of the dish).

We shared the grilled vegetables. Have you ever seen a more lovely display of veggies?

And how can you go to a Greek restaurant without having Baklava?

To help us celebrate Patrice’s birthday they gave us a small fruit platter. I love the candle holder (see above).

As I said the food was expensive but I can be thankful that neither of us are drinkers. See below.

People really spend this much for wine? I think that is the definition of a drinking problem.

We are back in the room now and ready to call it a night. Until tomorrow.

Ciao

Birthday Celebration Day #1 “Don’t You Just Love to Fly?”

November 9, 2025 by reissmd, posted in New York City

Patrice and I headed to New York today in order to celebrate her ??? birthday. Her actual birthday was yesterday. So if you forgot to call or message her forget it, it’s too late, and you are on her no fly zone list. Don’t worry she got congratulatory messages from her credit card company and insurance agent.

As a special birthday gift we both get rewarded by flying when the government has been shut down resulting in TSA agents and Air Traffic Controllers working without pay.

We had a pleasant ride to LAX. Our taxi arrived on time and we seemed to have a great driver. Apparently there is an app that he uses that critiques his driving. A couple of times we heard this mysterious voice announce, “Rolling stop detected”. Wow, glad I don’t have one of those in my car. I can just imagine what it might be telling me: “You might want to drive a little slower” or “Is your turning signal broken?”.

Boarding was uneventful as was the flight. Unfortunately the ride from JFK to our hotel was less than ideal. A crash on the highway slowed our voyage. But it wasn’t a total loss because we learned some interesting phrases from our cab driver. At one point I checked Google maps and it said we were 1.1 miles from the hotel but the estimated arrival was 24 minutes.

Don’t these people know it is my wife’s birthday and we need to get to the city?

After checking in at the hotel we got a quick bite to eat and then tried to get tickets to a Broadway show. With travel being so unpredictable we didn’t want to buy tickets in advance, in case our flight got canceled. So we tried to get rush tickets at a variety of shows. We failed at 3 locations and finally were successful at getting the last 2 tickets for the show “Chess”. We heard a lukewarm review from one of Patrice’s friends but we thought what the heck, what else do we have to do? The show is a fictitious story about a chess match between an American and a Russian that supposedly happened in 1979. All I can say is that we won’t be asking Patrice’s friend for show recommendations. We loved the show even though we got the last 2 seats and had to sit on opposite sides of the theater (Patrice here, that was the best part).

The set of “Chess” before the show began.

After the show we decided to stop by for some late night gelato at a store next to the hotel. We arrived there at about 11:15 pm and saw about 50 people on line. We decided that we didn’t need gelato that much and came back to the room so I could write the blog.

Great first day of our birthday celebration. More fun planned for tomorrow.

Ciao

New York, New York Day #3 “Our Final Day in the Big Apple”

November 13, 2023 by reissmd, posted in New York City

Today we headed out to have a New York treat, a corned beef sandwich on rye. We decided to share a sandwich after our experience yesterday at Carmine’s. The waiter at the Majestic Delicatessen (200 W 50th St, New York, NY 10019) asked if we wanted mustard to which I said “Of course”. Patrice then asked if we could have Russian dressing. I quickly looked around to see if anyone heard this sacreligious request. Luckily no one was nearby and apparently the waiter was used to dealing with people from California and said “No problem”. Patrice here: Maybe I don’t know what is the proper dressing for a corned beef on rye when eating in New York but I do know how to spell “sacrilegious”.

After lunch we headed to Broadway and saw “Neil Diamond, A Beautiful Noise”. The show was a bit of a downer. I didn’t realize that his life wasn’t just filled with love and happiness. The music was incredible of course. Well, with the exception of the guy behind me who would join in at times. I guess he didn’t realize Diamond was a solo act.

Neil Diamond’s life had so much more than mine in many ways. He created a myriad of successful records, earned millions of dollars, and attained international fame. But there’s one category he exceeded me in that doesn’t make me at all envious. Diamond has had 3 wives. I am happy with just one. Patrice here again: “He better say that!”

After the show we headed to dinner. Patrice is in charge of dining selections when we travel and she always does a great job. “Tonight” she said, “we are going to USC for dinner”. I said, “Fight On!, that sounds great”. To which she replied, “The Union Square Cafe”. Patrice here again: Did I really think it out when this guy asked me to marry him?

We arrived early and they were happy to tell us that they would seat us promptly. Promptly at the time of our reservation that is. I’d like to tell you that they had a comfortable place for us to sit and wait. I’d like to tell you that but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Well, we had the option to take a walk around the neighborhood. With the current temperature being 41º that would be a no. So I decided to use my influence and told them “I’m Robert Reiss, author of REISSTRAVELBLOG.COM”. The hostess immediately replied “What?” So I repeated myself a little louder suggesting that she might not have heard me. To which she replied “I heard you allright, I just never heard of your blog!” I was duly insulted and told her that my followers will have a word of two for her. To which she replied “Really? All 12 of them?” Ha! Not only had she heard of my blog she knew how many followers I have.

As it was she did seat us early. See I am an influencial blogger. Patrice here again: “The person Robert spoke to must have been on a break because someone else led us to our table, 2 minutes early.”

The dinner was spectacular. I think the restaurant might be trying to conserve energy in that three of the appetizers were uncooked (tuna crudo, steak tartare, and seared scallops).

We shared a Caesar salad.

They divided the Caesar Salad for us. Good not great (the salad, not the dividing).

Patrice had the trout.

I had the duck.

The duck was fantastic. At least I thought it was fantastic, I can’t speak for the duck.

We shared the Brussels Sprouts.

For dessert we had Baklava Sundae.

This was good but the name had me expecting something a little more special.

Overall USC, I mean Union Square Cafe was delightful. Very good food, excellent service, lovely dining hall, but prices to match.

We took a cab back to the hotel and I have a little travel tip here. Friday night we took a cab back to the hotel from Gramercy Tavern. The driver did not appear to take a direct route. Tonight’s restaurant was one block further from the hotel. When we entered the taxi I put on Google maps with the volume audible. I don’t know if it influenced the driver but tonight we took a direct route which resulted in a lower fare.

Tomorrow we will be waking early to head home. This was a short trip so I didn’t get a chance to collect a series of interesting photos for my final post as I usually do. So this is it. Not sure when we will be posting next but if you are subcribed to the blog you will be notified.

Ciao,

I mean sayonara,

I mean bye.

New York, New York Day #2 “Broadway Overdose?”

November 12, 2023 by reissmd, posted in New York City

Today we planned to get an early start. So at 12 o’clock we finally got our act together and entered Carmine’s Italian Restaurant (200 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036) for breakfast and lunch. This is an NYC icon and famous for its “wow-size” portions. Sorry I was a bit absentminded and forgot to take a picture of our eggplant parmigiano before we started to eat it. We both ate more than we should have and we still had enough for another lunch. See below.

This was how much was left after we both ate a ton. It was amazing.

We also had bread pudding. Loyal followers of the blog know that we are on a quest to find an equivalent to our definition of the perfect bread pudding which you can find at Masa of Echo Park Bakery and Cafe (1800 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026). On the “Masa Bread Pudding Scale” with 10 being best, the Carmine’s bread pudding rates an eleven. Yes, Masa has found it’s match.

Carmine’s Bread Pudding. The picture does not tell the whole story. My mouth is watering as I type.

After breakfast/lunch (and possibly what might be our dinner tonight) we strolled down the street past Times Square and all the street performers. As expected we saw Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Spider-Man, Elmo, among others. Superman, Darth Vader, and Batman were absent. Someone said they were at a bachelor’s party for the Incredible Hulk. Apparently the Hulk is marrying one of the Jolly Green Giant’s daughters. His parents only let him date women of their own color so it limits his field.

There was one guy out there that I hadn’t seen before. Armed with a guitar, cowboy hat, and little else he billed himself as “The Naked Cowboy”. See below

We didn’t hear him sing. I was too cold just looking at him so we had to move on.

A few steps after seeing the Naked Cowboy we went to see “Six” a musical about the 6 wives of Henry VIII. It was a very energetic musical with 6 very dynamic women singing about each of Henry’s wives. The choreography, music, and singing were all very good. There were also some humorus moments. The production was based on historical fact but I think there might have been a few inaccuracies. For example as I recall 4 of Henry’s wives were not Black, were they? After the show we waited for the majority of patrons to leave so as to not get crushed as we exited. One thing we noted as we left was that we are not in Japan any longer. See below.

Blog followers will remember seeing Japanese baseball fans bringing their trash out of the stadium and disposing it in trash bags.

After the show we decided that we didn’t have enough of Broadway so we then walked a short distance and got tickets for tonight’s performance of “The Play That Goes Wrong”. We saw “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” with our son and his family just a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it so we signed up for its predecessor.

“The Play That Goes Wrong” was funny and enjoyable but I think I liked the Peter Pan version more. I guess seeing three of your grandsons giggling and having a good time makes the experience much more fun.

Enough for tonight. What’s on tap for tomorrow? Broadway of course.

New York, New York Day # 1 “I Love My New Job”

November 11, 2023 by reissmd, posted in New York City

As many of you already know, in January Robert “Fight On For Old SC” Reiss became Robert Reiss, MD employee of UCLA Health. You are also probably aware that I am really enjoying my new work environment. The staff and doctors have been incredibly welcoming and making this old man feel young again. I’ve been very busy seeing a full schedule of patients every day. Since many of my patients are new to me I frequently look ahead to get familiar with the medical histories of these new people.

Last weekend I checked my schedule for Wednesday and Thursday and saw a full line up. When I got to Friday my slate was blank. No one scheduled to see me? How could that be? I checked the other doctors and their schedules were blank as well. Hmmmm, I thought for a second and then immediately yelled to Patrice. “The office is closed Friday for Veterans Day let’s go somewhere!” Patrice gave her usual answer by the time I said “Would like to go to …..”, she interrupted me with YES! We gave it some thought and decided on a trip to New York.

I quickly found a hotel then I looked for a flight. Unfortunately the business class tickets were insanely expensive even if we wanted to use miles so being the travel snobs that we’ve become (flying business class for anything longer than 3 hours) we decided to just chill at home. The next day I received an email from American Airlines promoting flights to New York. It got my blood boiling again and we booked two coach tickets hoping we would get a complimentary upgrade. So today we took off for the Big Apple but no upgrades were offered so we were seated in the back. The last time we took a long flight in coach I was seated next to a 17 year old kid who was bouncing his leg up and down the entire flight. This time I sat next to a guy who slept the entire way – a significant improvement. We watched two movies “Shortcomings” which Patrice would recommend but I would not and “Jules” with Ben Kingsley and Jane Curtin which both of us enjoyed very much.

Much to my surprise they served us a meal on the flight. We had a choice of three items all served cold #1. Waffle and yogurt #2. Oatmeal #3. Fruit and cheese. Waffle and oatmeal served cold? I opted for the fruit and cheese. It was not bad and it satisfied my tummy for the duration of the flight.

The flight was smooth and uneventful other than when I spilled a glass of water onto Patrice. She was very undertanding. I offered her my water so she could reciprocate but she graciously declined. No way would I have made the offer if I thought she would take me up on it.

Stepping out of the JFK terminal we were quickly reminded that we were no longer in Los Angeles. Temp in NYC 51º while back home it was 72º. We got in line for a taxi and were quickly on our way to Manhattan. The ride took over 1 hour for the 15 mile trip to our hotel.

We are staying at the Algonquin Hotel. The room is nice but incredibly small. The bathroom is even smaller than the one we had in Bologna in 2022. I didn’t think that was possible.

We decided to look around the hotel and found ourselves in the fitness center. Patrice did some curls with some light weights. See below.

I scoffed at her use of such tiny weights and tried to hand her something more appropriate. Unfortunately my eyes were bigger than my biceps. See below.

After touring the hotel we headed off to dinner. Tonight we ate at the Gramercy Tavern (42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003). We ate there for Patrice’s birthday in 2019 and we were just a few days late of repeating that event. If you want to review that post this link should take you there: https://wordpress.com/post/reisstravelblog.com/7631

The place was as spectacular as we remembered. It has a Michelin star rating and it is well deserved. We walked to the Gramercy Tavern because we knew the caloric intake was going to be extensive. I remember the meal being amazing in 2019 and tonight was no different. See below.

Squash with sunchoke. I thought the waiter said Squash with “Sancho” and when I looked up Sancho all I found was an English Soccer player.

Patrice had the beets. Her’s looked prettier but mind tasted much better.

Corn Agnolotti followed for me. It was like a ravioli. It also had shrimp.

Patrice had the gnocchi which again looked beautful but my corn agnolotti was far superior.

We both had the sea bass with cauliflower and bok choy. Another taste delight.

The lamb followed and it looked much better than it tasted. Maybe our expectations were pumped up by the previous dishes.

Finally a little birthday gift for my bride.

The walk to the restaurant was enjoyable. The meal wore us out and we had to take a taxi back to the hotel. Now we will try to crawl into bed. See you tomorrow.

New York and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Day 5 “Showtime!” November 9, 2019

November 10, 2019 by reissmd, posted in New York City, Uncategorized

Today we felt obligated to workout again since clearly we have not slowed our eating at all. So with this tremendous urge to exercise upon us we rested until it passed. Then we set out for lunch at the Brookyn Diner (155 W 43rd St, New York, NY 10036). The diner is know for its excellent (but overpriced) food. Then we took a short walk to look at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree which was delivered yesterday and is getting readied for the tree lighting ceremony on December 4th.

We were told that the tree came from Florida which was a surprise to me. Another source said it came from Orange County. That too seemed hard to believe. I later learned that both statements were correct. The tree started its journey 58 miles north of New York city in a place called Florida, Orange County, New York,

The 77 foot tall Rockefeller Center Christmas tree being installed at its final resting place.

A little further down the road we saw this sign that to me said, “Californians Go Home”.

“Californians go home !” sign. This is nothing, temperature will dip to 28 degrees.

We then headed to see the show Hadestown, winner of 8 Tony Awards. The show was excellent. Music, story, staging, and choreography were all a treat. At the end of Act I there was show-stopper song entitled “Why We Build the Wall” which was sung by the character Hades. In case you are not up on your Greek mythology, Hades was King of the Underground.

The lyrics went like this:

Why do we build the wall?
We build the wall to keep us free.
That’s why we build the wall.
How does the wall keep us free?
The wall keeps out the enemy.
Who do we call the enemy?
The enemy is poverty.

I wonder if the lyricist was thinking of any other wall builder when she wrote the song that was sung by the King of Hell?

After a rest at the hotel we were on our way back to Broadway. We saw a delightful musical comedy called “Tootsie”. It is based on the movie of the same name. It was funny and enjoyable. The only sad part of the show was that its conclusion marked the end of our trip. I am not sure if I will have time to post tomorrow or if I will have anything worth talking about (Did I hear someone ask, “Does he ever have anything worth talking about?”). I hope to talk to you soon.

New York and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Day 3 “Birthday Celebration?” November 7, 2019

November 8, 2019 by reissmd, posted in New York City

Today is Patrice’s birthday. What a wonderful idea to enjoy your birthday in the “Big Apple”. Well, not quite. Today we spent the entire day in an office with a bunch of researchers much smarter than me (I know that isn’t saying much) discussing proposals for funding of inflammatory bowel disease research. Patrice and I act as Stakeholders for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. As such we review applications for funding by the Foundation and voice our opinions about which studies should be approved. At the meeting we sit amongst a bunch of researchers who discuss very technical proposals and we try to understand what is being said. The experience for me is like watching Spanish television. I understand a word or two but the meaning often escapes me. Needless to say, this is not how you would probably plan to spend your birthday. But it is incredibly rewarding to feel like we are helping the cause that means so much to us.

After the meeting I wanted to go to the hotel gym and work out. But I didn’t.

Instead we did a bit of chilling in the room until heading out for a birthday dinner celebration at Gramercy Tavern (42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003). This place was recommended to us by one of the managers at The Modern where we dined two nights earlier. Apparently one of their former employees is the general manager at Gramercy Tavern. Both restaurants have the same owner.

Patrice has said that The Modern is her favorite restaurant. Well Gramercy Tavern is right up there too. This restaurant has had a Michelin star rating for the past 11 years (The Modern has two Michelin stars). The food was incredible as was the service. It was not just food but rather an experience.

They started us off with Roasted Cauliflower with whipped Ricotta Cheese to
“Wake up your palette”

Next we had “Whole Wheat Angel Rolls with Goat Cheese Butter”

Those first two items were just add ons. Next we had the first thing we actually ordered and that was:

I can’t begin to tell you how luscious this was. The shrimp were perfectly prepared. The sauce is making my mouth water as I write this sentence. The only thing that kept me from licking the plate clean were these magic words from Patrice, “If you do that, I swear, I will walk out of the restaurant and not look back for one second”. Yes, that stopped me but I would be lying if I didn’t say II did mull over my options.

Then they brought out our main course selections:

Patrice ordered: “Winter Skate with Butterball Potatoes and Almond Butter Sauce”

I never heard of Skate (fish that is) so I looked it up. It looks very much like a stingray. Not very appetizing looking but her dish was spectacular. I ordered:

Striped Bass with Cauliflower Puree Sauce

This dish tasted even better than it looked. The sauce was a bit spicy but I loved it.

The staff knew it was Patrice’s birthday so they personalized her dessert.

Apple Upside Down Cake with a personalized message

As a present they brought us:

And just in case we didn’t have enough sugar they brought us a couple of candies.

Peach and Amaretto on the left; Pear and Clove on the right,.

We paid the bill and had to get out before we developed diabetes. But they were not done,

Chocolate Banana Amaretto Cake as a to go gift for breakfast in the morning.

I need to go to the gym.

But first I need a nap.

New York and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Day 2 “A Day of Culture” November 6, 2019

November 6, 2019 by reissmd, posted in New York City, Uncategorized

This morning our guilt from last night’s never-ending meal at The Modern, was a tremendous burden so we got up early (about 11 AM) and went to the gym for a work out. After that we headed out for some food of course. Patrice found a place called “Friedman’s Kitchen and Bar” (233 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019) which was on the way from our hotel to the Museum of Modern Art (our destination for today). I was in the mood for a good New York deli, so I was all in favor.

The place looked good and the staff was friendly but I have to admit I was a bit confused by the menu which featured Grilled Fish Tacos, Chicken Tostada Bowl, and Chicken Banh Mi. I asked our hostess if the restaurant was named after the owner (“No, his name is Mr. Phillips”). She explained that the restaurant was named after Milton Friedman, the famous economist. Now I was really confused, I inquired if Milton Friedman was a gourmet among his other more notable talents. She said she didn’t know about that but she said he was known for the phrase, “There is no such thing as a free lunch”. Now it all made sense and my hopes for a Senior Discount was quickly forgotten. We got to meet the owner, Mr. Phillips, who, like his staff was a very friendly young man. The food was good and like I said the staff was great.

Our server, Matthew, Patrice, and Hostess, Jess.

After lunch we headed to MOMA. The museum recently reopened after being closed for 4 months as part of a $450 million renovation. The place looks fantastic. The design is very contemporary (hmmm, who would have guessed that?) and the layout is very user friendly. The exhibits are on 6 floors (there is a gift shop and theaters on a lower floor below the street level entrance) that are all very easy to access and laid out in a circular design letting you see all the exhibits without missing anything.

We got to see Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory”, and Warhol’s “Campbell Soup Cans”. You can also see all three of those masterpieces in our home. Of course the ones in our home are a little less valuable than the originals at MOMA. The one exception in the Campbell Soup Can in our house which is a needlepoint made by my sister, Annette, and given to me as a gift.

Campbell’s Soup Can by Andy Warhol (I like mine better).

There were some things in MOMA that left me a little befuddled regarding their art value.

What about a leg sticking out of the wall?

I think these two clocks were entitled, “A Waste of Time”.

We were just about to leave MOMA when Patrice and I got into a big fight. I found two things on exhibit that she made me throw out recently. Just think what we could do with the money we could have had from selling these two treasures (see below).

“Pine Cone” An obvious treasure but not recognized by my wife.

I am sure you have had enough of my whining and complaining for one day. After all, it’s time for DINNER.

New York and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Day 1 “The Real Reason We Came to New York” November 5, 2019

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 by reissmd, posted in New York City, Uncategorized

As many of you know 2 of our 3 children have Crohn’s disease. This is an ailment that causes intestinal inflammation resulting in abdominal pain, diarrhea, difficulty absorbing nutrients among other wonderful experiences. Because of them we are very active raising money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (Team Reiss brought in $74,180 for the nation’s second highest total for the Take Steps program this year). We also participate on a committee that determines which scientific studies are funded by the Foundation. It is this later function that brings us to New York. But let’s be honest, the real reason is to enjoy this marvelous city.

Tonight we had an incredible meal at “The Modern” (9 West 53rd Street). We were also here in May of 2017 at which time I blogged about our dinner. Towards the end of our meal tonight, I looked for that post from 2017 and saw that we had a very similar experience at that time. We had a spectacular meal. The food was great, the service superb and the presentation was incredible.

Here is what we were served tonight:

Buckwheat Tartelette. Don’t ask me any questions. We were told to eat these with our hands and in one bite. I promptly complied. That is why you just see one in the photo (Patrice was a bit slower than me).

“Eggs on Eggs on Eggs” when it was brought to the table.

Remove the top and you find, three different types of eggs. Amazing combination.

Pretzel Croissant. Meant to cleanse our palette but with the Dijon Mustard Butter inside it did more than that.

Below you can see the Pole Beans which Patrice said was wonderful. I had the Foie Gras Tart which was beyond words. By the way if it is still Un-PC to eat Foie Gras it was Patrice who had it and I had the beans (yuck).

More appetizers followed.

Then on to the main course.

And for dessert:

Of course they had to acknowledge Patrice’s birthday.

But just in case we had any room in our tummies they sent us home with these luscious Coconut and Mango Shumai.

Enough food?

Until tomorrow.

	ANGELICA MADERO GAVI… on Super Bowl Sunday 2/8/202…
	Eric Bahor on Super Bowl Sunday 2/8/202…
	austinsherman4921143… on Super Bowl Sunday 2/8/202…
	lisaschnauss384b0ff2… on Super Bowl Sunday 2/8/202…
	Mike Don on Super Bowl Sunday 2/8/202…