New York City (April 2014)

My spouse and I enjoyed a weekend in New York City in early April 2014, joining some other family members for meals. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Grand Central Station, remitting some gift cards that I accrued from employer-sponsored reviews.

We walked from the hotel to Salvation Taco for lunch, followed by a visit to the Morgan Museum. While enjoying the museum, we received a call from family members to join them after our visit at the nearby Ginger Man. Afterwards, they two of us visited Peter Dillons Bar, where we had stopped once previously, before returning to the hotel. We later returned to the hotel to relax, followed by dinner at Bar Americain. We had lunch the next day at Hakkasan before returning home.

Hotel:

• Grand Hyatt Grand Central Station Link to my review

Restaurant:

• Salvation Taco Link to my review
• Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Link to my review
• Hakkasan Link to my review
• Peter Dillons Bar
• The Ginger Man

Activity:

• John P. Morgan Museum and Library Link to my review

New York City: Grand Hyatt New York (April 2014)

My spouse and I stayed at the Grand Hyatt New York for one night in mid-April 2014. We reserved our room on-line using the Hyatt website, and we paid our bill using multiple Hyatt gift cards.

This hotel is located in Midtown Manhattan and connects directly to Grand Central Terminal. Many bars, restaurants, and shops are located around the hotel, and additional facilities are inside Grand Central. In addition, Cipriani restaurant is located directly across the street from the Hyatt.

The hotel lobby is spacious, and contains multiple seating groups arranged in a chic, Zen atmosphere with a water feature and a giant Buddha head. Guests enter this hotel on the street level, but they access the second-floor lobby using an escalator or elevator. At the reception desk, several employees are available for check-in; however, one employee serves Hyatt Gold Passport executive members only. In addition, guests can use several self-serve kiosks to check in / check out, print a receipt, and return (recycle) room keys. One employee supervises the kiosk area.

A 24-hour market in the hotel lobby sells cold drinks, coffee, and snacks such as hot pretzels, bagels, and pastries, as well as Sugar and Plum confections. The hotel restaurant, New York Central, is located a few steps up from the lobby (a ramp for handicapped access is available), and its bar, the Lounge at New York Central, is adjacent to the restaurant.

This property has ten elevators arranged in two groups. The first bank of five elevators serves floors 1 through 24, and the second bank of five elevators serves floors 25 and higher, including the fitness center (FC) level. Although ten elevators seems like a reasonable number, with 1,300 total rooms at this property, guests always wait for an elevator.

The top floor of the hotel contains the fitness center, which features windows that overlook the city. The facility contains 12+ machines (such as treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes, and weights) in a somewhat cramped space. The hotel provides cold towels and headsets during your workout. It seems as if outdoor space exists on the fitness center level, but we could not access it.

This hotel offers rooms in several different categories: Standard (King, Two Doubles, or Queen), Hypoallergenic, Grand Club, Deluxe, Suite, and rooms with views. We booked a Standard Grand One King; however, we were placed in a corner unit (although still a Standard Room), which gave us more space. The foyer area was large (but it was essentially empty / wasted space), and it led to the main living / sleeping area that contained a king-size bed with two nightstands, a small lounging sofa with a table in front and chair aside, and a console table unit that held the empty mini-fridge and flat screen TV. (The mini-bars are empty, so guests can purchase their own drinks and snacks at one of the nearby shops.)

The Grand Hyatt New York is well located, well designed, and attractive. We will stay there again! 

New York City: Hakkasan (April 2014)

My spouse and I dined with two friends for Sunday brunch at Hakkasan in mid-April 2014. We made a reservation using the Open Table reservation system. Originally, our reservation was for a party of six people, but one couple cancelled, so we arrived as a party of four. (We called the restaurant in advance to decrease the number of our party, a request that the restaurant handled graciously.) Hakkasan serves weekend brunch and dinner daily.

Hakkasan has additional locations in London, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Miami, Shanghai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Dubai, and the UK. This restaurant “group” first opened in London in 2001. Michelin has awarded the UK location one star every year for the past 10+ years. The New York outpost of Hakkasan opened in 2012, and it has received a Michelin star every year since that time.

Hakkasan is located on West 43rd Street in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, not far from the Port Authority Terminal. Patrons nearly miss the understated door to this restaurant when they approach. After guests enter the restaurant, they walk down a long corridor past the coat-check toward the host stand. Then, they pass by the doorway to the large, chic bar (named Ling Ling) and by the windows to the kitchen before they reach the table seating area. The restaurant interior features dark cutout screens that separate the space. Tables are spaced closely together, and many tables share a wall of banquette seating.

This restaurant serves Cantonese cuisine in the dim-sum style of small bites (although the staff does not serve from steam carts). The menu is expansive and varied. Because it was our first time dining at Hakkasan, we ordered the plentiful brunch chef’s tasting menu (approximately $50 per person). The tasting menu included a variety of appetizers, entrees, dessert, and a non-alcoholic drink. It provided an opportunity to sample many of the popular dishes served at the restaurant, including various steamed and fried dumplings, noodle dishes, rolls, buns, and flavored macarons for dessert.

We enjoyed our brunch at Hakkasan because of the food, the atmosphere, and the service. We will return to try the a la carte menu next time.

New York City: Bar Americain (April 2014)

My spouse and I dined with three friends at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain for a late Saturday night dinner in mid-April 2014. We planned to have dinner elsewhere that night, but we revised our original plans. Instead, we called Bar Americain about 30 minutes before our arrival to make a reservation. This restaurant also accepts reservations using the Open Table system; however, we were unable to use the system, either because of the size of our party, or because we reserved on short notice.

This restaurant serves lunch on weekdays, brunch on weekends, and dinner daily. Another Bar Americain is located at the Mohegan Sun Casino (in Connecticut), and Bobby Flay owns other restaurants such as Gato and Mesa Grill (in New York City), Bobby Flay Steak (at the Borgata in Atlantic City), and Bobby’s Burger Palace (multiple suburban locations in various states).

The American-style brasserie is located in the Midtown / Rockefeller Center area, with seating on the street level in the bar area or main dining area, as well as on the second-floor mezzanine that overlooks the main dining area. The bar is long and seats many patrons. Regular table seating exists in the main dining area, although a few tables share a banquette seat on one side, and some tables are semi-circular curved booths.

When we arrived at the restaurant, the host attempted to seat our party of five at a table near the door, even though preferable tables were available. He grudgingly moved us to a slightly better table. (It was after 9:30 pm, and the other tables remained empty during our dinner.)

Our server was flippant and surly. She declined to answer questions and was unwilling to entertain any menu substitutions. “No substitutions” is a respectable policy, but staff can refuse requests tactfully. For example, we requested two orders of the deviled eggs appetizer. When we asked that the kitchen staff cut the eggs in half so that our larger party could share them more easily, our server informed us unpleasantly that it was impossible. Therefore, we omitted ordering any appetizers at all. For our entrees, I ordered the shrimp and grits; however, another member of my party requested to substitute an alternative starch for the grits, but the server rebuffed him. I sampled the rabbit, as well as the skate, the mussels, and the steak (all were tasty). We did not order dessert, because our server was “missing in action” by that point in our service, nor did we order the additional round of drinks that we wanted.

Our meal at Bar Americain was not successful, and we would not chance another dining opportunity at a Flay restaurant with so many competitors from which to choose. 

New York City: Salvation Taco (April 2014)

My spouse and I dined at Salvation Taco for brunch on a Saturday afternoon in mid-April 2014. This restaurant does not accept reservations. Salvation Taco is open for lunch on weekdays, brunch on weekends, and dinner daily. The restaurant also offers food “to go” for lunch and dinner.

Salvation Taco is located in the Pod 39 Hotel on East 39th Street in the Midtown East / Tudor City / Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. (Another Pod hotel is located on East 51st Street.) The restaurant is named Salvation because it occupies the space formerly inhabited by the Salvation Army. This tacqueria and cantina restaurant has a young hip vibe.

The restaurant is located on the street level of the building adjacent to the hotel lobby. The primary / front restaurant space contains tables near the front windows, terracotta floors, brick walls, a long bar, and high-top tile tables that share a common cushioned banquette. Toward the rear of the restaurant is a lounge area that contains low chairs and tiny tables and two Ping-Pong tables. The lighting in the restaurant space is dim and dark. The quirky decor showcases walls lined with little cubbyholes that hold an interesting collection of memorabilia from every possible religion. The hotel and restaurant offer outdoor rooftop space, where Salvation Taco provides the drinks and snacks. The restaurant shares bathrooms with the hotel. Restrooms are located on the lower / basement level; however, both stair and elevator access are available.

April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman own Salvation Taco. British Chef Bloomfield owns several other restaurants in Manhattan. Her first restaurant, The Spotted Pig, is a British gastropub that features nose-to-tail eating. The Spotted Pig opened in 2008, and it has held a Michelin star for many years. Another Bloomfield restaurant, The Breslin (located at the Ace Hotel), opened in 2010. The Breslin has held a Michelin star for several years. Chef Bloomfield’s most recent NYC venture is the Joh Dory Oyster Bar (also in the Ace Hotel). She also owns a restaurant in San Francisco. “Food and Wine” magazine once named April Bloomfield as Best New Chef.

Our server was knowledgeable and offered her preferences and suggestions. As a shared appetizer, we ordered the pork belly and kimchi pozole, followed by two delicious entrees: Moroccan lamb roti and carne asada tacos. For dessert, we shared the tres-leches cake. Our food was tasty! Although we dined for lunch, the dinner menu is more interesting, offering items such as empanadas, pig’s head tostadas, pork shank, spicy meatballs, and hand pies.

We enjoyed our lunch at Salvation Taco, and we would return sometime to try the dinner menu, or to have some drinks and snacks on the rooftop terrace. 

New York City: John P. Morgan Library and Museum (April 2014)

My spouse and I visited the John Pierpont Morgan Library on a Saturday afternoon in mid-April 2014. The library complex is open from Tuesday through Sunday. (It is closed on Monday. The library is located in the Murray Hill neighborhood of the city, a few blocks from the New York Public Library.

 The cost for full adult admission is $18, which was expensive for the size of the site. However, some discounted admission times exist. The museum offers free full admission on Friday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. It offers free partial admission (to the library, study, rotunda, and librarian's office but not to the rotating exhibits) on Tuesday from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and on Sunday from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Visitors do not have to pay admission if they simply want to dine or shop. The admission price includes a complimentary one-hour audio guide that offers additional information about the library, its history, architecture, and permanent collection.

 Renzo Piano (an Italian Pritzker Prize-winning architect) designed the modern building that houses the museum entrance, lobby, coatroom, staircase, elevators, and bathrooms. The modern building bridges the original structures (including the library, study, rotunda, and library) and the Madison Avenue building (that houses the dining room, reading room, and gift shop). The basement level of the new building house the education center, lecture / event hall, and bathrooms. The coatroom accepts outerwear and small bags so that guests can tour in comfort.

The Morgan Library offers two dining venues: the casual Morgan Cafe and the formal Morgan Dining Room. The Cafe offers more flexible operating hours than the Dining Room. The Dining Room is open for weekday lunch and Sunday brunch.

The highlight of this museum is the original collection of rooms called the McKim Rooms, which include Mr. Morgan's Library, Mr. Morgan's Study, the Rotunda, and the Librarian's Office.

The Library was completed in 1906 and houses a collection of rare books in a gorgeous vaulted-ceiling room with two levels of balconies surrounding it (visitors cannot access the balconies). The roof of the room features beautiful murals. A huge fireplace, tapestry, and chandelier offer additional focal points. The library collection contains printed books and bindings, medieval, Renaissance, musical, literary, and historical manuscripts by authors such as Voltaire, Sir Isaac Newton, Gutenberg, Mozart, Rubens, Hemingway, Kerouac, and Thoreau.

The Study (also called the West Room) was Mr. Morgan's office. The open and airy (although dark) room houses a small collection of wall art, sculptures, and other decorative objects. The Study contains a vault in which precious objects were stored. (Guests can peek into the vault but cannot directly enter it.)

The Rotunda contains the original entrance to the complex on East 36th Street. It is a grand room with a rounded vaulted ceiling that features marble and mosaic panels. The Rotunda displays pieces of Americana, including letters by Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln and copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Star-Spangled Banner.

The North Room (also called the Librarian's Office) is the most recently opened space on the property. The room is clad in wood paneling. Glass-fronted display cases that line the room contain interesting artifacts, especially the extensive collection of metal seals and tablets.

The East and West Galleries, the Clare Eddy Thaw Gallery, and the Marble Hall stage rotating exhibits. When we visited, one exhibit featured Antoine de Saint-Exupery's book, "The Little Prince". Another exhibit called "Photographs at Play" contained photos hung / arranged in a way that required the viewer to draw conclusions and make visual associations between the pictures hanging on either side.

We are glad to have visited the library, but the admission price is a little steep to make us return. Perhaps one of the rotating exhibitions will draw us back someday.