THIS

is what NY's Upper West Side looks like on a PERFECT - and I do mean PERFECT - spring day. That gelato is from GROM, several locations in the city, much loved and reminiscent of Venice where I first had it.

So far behind...

...there's probably no catching up. I'm going to post a bunch of captioned photos and just say NYC was perfect, I'm enjoying Portland and looking forward to Seattle tomorrow.

First up...several NY museums have lovely new restaurants owned and operated by some of the city's best restaurateurs. "Robert" is on the 9th floor of the Museum of Arts & Design. Ultra-modern design, delicious food, fabulous views. Two photos of the interior, one of my cousin Heidi perusing the menu, one of the view down to a little seating area in Columbus Circle - Mayor Bloomberg intent on converting some heavy traffic areas into outdoor cafes! - and our server Leonard bringing our Venetian Sparklers (aka Spritz). What do you mean 12:30 is too early for cocktails??

This pretty much sums it up

Thursday, April 29

My beautiful cousin Heidi - she came early Thursday morning to have breakfast with our auntie and me and then she and I headed into the city - two museums, two great restaurants. Comin' up..

Presiding over dinner

Did I say Thursday? I meant Wednesday. And that's my cousin Michael at the head of the table hanging on to a very good bottle of bourbon. The rest of us drank wine. My auntie's delicious food, lots of reminiscing, LOTS of laughs, the cousins seem to get closer the older we get. Family is a good thing.

Pupu

Dinner at auntie's last Thursday - we started with a little pupu of Caprese Salad - Sheepshead Bay Style - with tomatoes, smoked mozzarella and basil, served with various crackers and a lovely Pinot Grigio

Guess who's coming to dinner?

My auntie's world-famous "Crummy Chicken." She's been making it since my cousin Michael and I were little children. We both love it. Actually, everyone in the family loves it. And the best part is picking the leftover crumbs off the foil that lines the pans. There are several of us who fight over those yummy, crunchy bits. Tonight, there'll be enough for everyone.