I'll Take Manhattan

The Jewel of India wears its name quite aptly: our dinner there was an evening of enchantment, as we were attended to by at least 3 waiters. It had the perfect ambiance for the occasion, although the birthday boy did not get a cake. A blessing in disguise actually, as it was mere steps from the hotel.

Finding a beautiful basket of fruit in our room on our arrival literally put the cherry on the evening's cake. A nice touch by the Royalton which will not be forgotten.

We were also fortunate in that the next day, the Rockefeller Foundation for the Arts was hosting a week long arts and crafts fair which was close enough to reach on foot. If you are in Manhattan this week, go see this.

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On specific request of the Royalton, we were asked not to show photos.

The Royalton sits on West 44th Street in a totally recessed fashion, sandwiched between two buildings. Its façade bears no number, and its name is etched into the stone which frames the entrance, so that if you’re not looking up, you’ll never know where you are. I recognized the hotel by its two massive doors with miniscule portholes, so as if to give the visitor a preview of the extreme privacy within. I remembered having been here 5 or 6 years ago to meet customers for "drinks" during one of our industry’s trade shows.

When the main doors were out of the way, the long and narrow vista immediately became familiar: the white cloth covered chair with exaggerated backs, the dim lighting, the patina of the woodwork on the right which appeared to be a solid wall, only to be broken to reveal a registration area and the elevators. At the very far end of the long corridor was the dining room with a podium to the left and the bar to its right.

The Royalton is apparently a great meeting place for the after-five yuppie crowd, and the beautiful people that might grace the pages of a magazine like "W". It is the ultimate urban oasis, the "in" place to cozy up after dark.

To get the flavor of the ambiance, take a look here as there isn’t much of a website. The flashing photos reveal cutting edge design at all the Schrager locations.

Pauline checked us in and gave us a room on the 15th floor, which is only one away from the Penthouse. The elevator can barely fit three people, and I challenge anyone to read the numbers of the floors on the right hand side panel. Corridors are tunnels of dark blue. Room 1508 is immediately to the right as you exit the elevator; hey, we had real keys! As we entered, the pure white of the bed, love seat, larger than life pillows created instant calm; an ocean liner comes to mind; rather than flank night tables at bedside, there are two portholes cut from the polished wood which frames the bed. Inside either you will find telephone, notepad, a digital clock so tiny that it practically disappears on the glass shelf. The lighting in the room is generally hazy and is supplemented by a single tapered candle on a wall sconce. We loved that idea so much that we used the bathroom candle as well. There is a small desk where everything on it is for sale. We amused ourselves looking at the various articles in a Filipino straw basket which included a disposable camera. A well stocked snack bar, and a small refrigerator filled to the brim will handle all of your urges at a price: Lifesavers anyone?? Only $3.50.

Jewel of India is quite large in size belying its outward appearance. We were seated immediately without reservations. Menus came very quickly, however, the water did not. There was an apologetic note on the inside of the menu indicating that water would be served only on request due to the water shortage we are currently experiencing in the Northeast. We had a booth table which was quite comfortable, facing a wall that had been entirely decorated of small round ivory-like discs. I hope it was mother of pearl or something of that nature rather than genuine ivory. I felt reassured as I heard some Hindus coming into the restaurant; as a rule of thumb, if the natives like it, chances are that you will too.

One of our waiters brought a plate of papad crisps which is customary in most Indian restaurants; these are flat rounds made of potato, lentils and other flavors, the size of pita bread, which are very thin, deep fried or dry roasted. The menu was fairly standard and includes a wine list, mostly sold by the bottle. Chuck had the red house wine. We started with a basic salad of tomato, cucumber and lettuce with sliced lemons, which you have to season yourself; white vinegar and what looked like ordinary cooking oil landed on the table. Thank heavens for the lemon!

For appetizers, I suggested we have the vegetable pakooras , remembering Chuck’s distaste of his last Indian meal because of the excessive spicing. They were positively delicious! Pakooras are made with chick pea flour and filled with of a variety of cubed vegetables, such as potato, cauliflower, peas, etc.. flavored with garam masala; they can also be meat filled. We had mango chutney on the side which was quite tasty and sweet and balanced the sometimes peppery flavor of the course that followed.

We had a mixed grill plate which featured surf and turf, and included chicken, shrimp, beef topped with sweet onions. An aftertaste of pepper and chili is always present, and particularly in the small pieces of kebab on the plate. We ordered some puri bread to buffer the spices. After dinner, I ordered some chai and my favorite dessert of all time, ras malai , which Chuck and I shared. The latter is a sweet cheese dessert topped with grated pistachio, and awash in sweet milk and rose water.

It wasn’t terribly difficult to pass on the $19 pancakes at the Royalton. As the sun shone through the blinds of our room, we were encouraged to get up and hit the street, so to speak. In midtown, one is never, ever at a loss to find an eatery; however, at 8:00 am, there is always the risk of a wait as the population is headed for work and usually will stop at one of any number of coffee houses for their morning Java, bagel, croissant, whatever.

We had not even gotten to the corner of W. 44th and 6th Avenue, that I had spotted under elaborate scaffolding the Red Flame Coffee House. We looked at each other approvingly, and jaywalked across the street.

The restaurant was literally mobbed with people, some tourists, most workers on the run and, of course, a line that never stopped forming by the sign indicating "Take Out". But the smell, sounds and frantic pace were so familiar, it all felt very good; the shouting of orders across the tables: "Vivian, these people need a check, or else they’re leaving!" It was not hard to guess who Vivian was: she was undoubtedly the one with the brisk pace across the floor, her arms balancing four breakfast dishes as she ran past our table. Vivian came to us too fast, and we had not yet decided as we had been watching the people and the activity instead of studying the menu.

Tea and Coffee got us started, and Chuck went for the pancakes and I zoomed in on the Feta cheese omelet with whole wheat toast. At one point, we both caught a glimpse of a Belgian waffle topped with whipped cream that was so tall, it could have passed for a Mayan Temple. Who would eat this at 8:00 am?

The food arrived nice and hot and I was dismayed to see potatoes on the side of my omelet. Not to worry here, as my other half helped himself between pancake bites. I liked the atmosphere of the place as it reflected the "no-nonsense, let’s have your order, I have no time for you" New York attitude of yore. But the food was excellent and we had refills on our hot beverages as we savored our breakfast. Total bill? Less than $15.00 for the two of us.

A mélange of people apparently eat here, the majority seem to be workers on their lunch hour. Chuck and I were sandwiched between 2 women lamenting about life over their oversized salads, and 2 other women who apparently hadn't seen each other for a while. No matter, the place was quite lively and the waiter attentive.

The menu is nouveau American, with some extra touches. For instance, when you arrive, in addition to water, you are given a whole French baguette with a wonderful spread for starters. It didn't take us long to put that away! The food is prepared fresh daily, and presented quite attractively. Salads, sandwiches, soups, your choice of wine. In fact, in the center of the restaurant is a beam which has been put to great use: it serves as a showcase for all the different wines they serve and sell. Right next to the restaurant is a take-out food place with fresh food and boxed goodies from Italy. Fresh muffins, croissants and brioches are also available at very affordable prices.

After checking out the menu, Chuck ordered a double chicken cutlet, a term I've never heard, with fennel and arugala salad on the side; I decided to have prociutto on ciabatta with basil and fresh mozarella that tasted amazing. As always, we are heavily engaged in conversation and people watching. The pace is quite frenetic and I can imagine people being regulars here; there is enough variety on the menu to sample every day. The portions are huge, so if you arrive starved, so much the better.

They also serve dinner, and I'd recommend them just on having tried their lunch. Some of the other alluring items are on the menu:

Foccacia with grilled vegetables and chèvre (goat cheese)

Croque Monsieur, using Gruyère and ham gratinée

Sautéed shrimp with chick peas

Black bass with caponata!

Trofiette pasta with pesto, green beans and potatoes.

Death by dessert also available.

The displays were indoors on the concourse and outdoors on the plaza. We started outdoors and hunger drove us downstairs where we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at the Cucina & Co Café

. For more information on the artists working with paper, you can go to my website at Victoria Paper and read about the talent.

Music Mountain Clay Works had a heart stopping exhibit of stone porcelain lamps in the forms of floral buds, so perfectly smooth it was hard to believe it was rock!! Each piece had the craftsman signature on it, just as you'd number a limited edition.

Another exhibit which beckoned was Vitrix Hot Glass Studio with forms that were bewitching. Several objects had helices of glass wrapped around a central piece; the colors were incredibly intense. By contrast, the Spruce Hill Studio showed custom designed stained glass which incorporated amethyst and agate to give the work a focal point. We met a husband/wife team from West Nyack who have wanderlust! How much better does life get when you can combine pottery and travel? Judy moved to West Nyack where she could escape oven restrictions imposed in the city for her pottery baking.

Also on the concourse was a most unusual Czech artist with provocative paintings which definitely stirred strong emotions. One would have to stand back a bit from the work and focus on the subject, usually the only design on the canvas. It is a human being, almost always in some sort of angst, with some body parts not always visible. As in hands held up in prayer, or despair? He obviously wants you to think.

On the upper level, there were 2 demos being held on Raku type pottery. If you want to find out more about Raku, you can go here where you can read about its Japanese origins.

We also found some lovely handwoven items like scarves and cardigans, as well as vintage clothing. Chuck fell in love with Tom Thompson's one of a kind sculptural woodboxes which looked like miniature televisions from far away. The base incorporates one or two exotic woods and recycled objects finish the decoration; ancient Roman and/or Chinese coins, parts from pianos, radios, motorcycles - unbelievable creativity.

This event lasts 3 days, and brings the best of what seems to be the northeast to the heart of Manhattan. The event has its own website at ArtsFest if you wish to check out the calendar for next year.