Category: Out and about

I’ve been figuring out the best way to tackle our two-day trip to NYC. We packed in so much in under 48 hours it wasn’t funny. Getting back to the city was well overdue; now that we went, we will be going back again soon.

Rather than write about our trip chronologically, I will write about subjects. This will keep me from flitting from one thing to another, making the piece hard to understand.

Travel & accommodations

We started the night before our trip by going to our favorite Chinese place, Ala Shanghai, and spent the night in Albany since we had an early train to catch. Again, the weather forecast was not a pretty one with ice and mixed precipitation.

Our whole Amtrak experience was an excellent one! The ride was pleasant, comfortable, and quick. The trip into the city is less than 2 1/2 hours and went very fast. The train was sold out, picking up passengers along the way.

We stayed at the OYO Hotel, 800 ft from Times Square and a 5-minute walk to the Richard Rodgers Theater. It was a great location!

It was a small boutique hotel with only nine floors. The building was old but updated. Our room was on the 6th floor, small but modern, clean, and comfortable. It was perfect. The mattress was incredibly comfortable, and the two pillows seemed customized for me.

The only drawback was that the elevator was extremely slow, so we walked down the stairs to save time. We walked down, not up, since our legs and feet were so tired from all our walking.

Like the rest of the city, the hotel is under construction, which you did not see. It seemed like most of the city’s buildings had scaffolding around them, but this is good when it is raining like it was our first day. Scaffolding = staying dry.

We bought a Metrocard and took the subway everywhere for the rest of the trip. We were a little rusty at first, but we both got back into our NY groove and found the system as second nature as it had been years ago. The subway is the best way to get around the city quickly and affordably.

Ghost town

To say we were shocked and dumbfounded is an understatement. Times Square was empty. There were virtually no people. There is no traffic like it used to have since it is a pedestrian zone, but the were no people!

The usual touristy places like where the late show is filmed and NBS Studios were empty. I took photos to show just how quiet the streets were. It was a little creepy and scary; I can’t imagine how it was a year ago.

Many people are working from home so that accounts for some of the lack of people along with March not being a touristy time of the year.

The streets filled up more in the evening with theatergoers and other visitors, which was good to see. New York is struggling for its economy to come back; it felt good to support it.

Hamilton

We’ve been listening to the soundtrack to Hamilton for years. I’ve heard it hundreds of times and know most of the words to the songs. We lost track of how many times we watched the show on Disney + with the original cast.

Just seeing the Richard Rodgers Theater was exciting! We almost bought tickets right before the pandemic, but they were too expensive for us at the time. This was a major regret of mine during the shutdown of our country. It was sad that the lights went out on Broadway for over a year for the first time.

Sam chose good seats for us in the orchestra section, on the end, in case I need to “go potty.” 😂 Our seats were good; we could even see the expressions on the actor’s faces and close enough to hear their shoes squeak when they did turns.

I may be the only person to notice spin squeaks, but I did because the same thing happens when we do spins in belly dance when the floor is tacky from humidity. It was raining out, so maybe this was the case at the show.

When we got to our seats, I can’t describe how exciting it was to see the stage and be “in the room where it happened.” From our seats, I could see where the actors waited in the stage’s wings to come out and what props they had for the next scene.

I realize most people wouldn’t think to watch the wings of the stage, but I knew the show so well it was cool to watch what was about to unfold in person.

I was concerned I would be disappointed seeing the show live since the original cast is no longer in the show. I was wrong. The actors that night played their roles amazingly close to the original cast with the same passion, emotions, and expertise. Their voices sounded so similar, and their mannerisms on point.

The only character I was disappointed in was Angelica. The actress is excellent, I’ve seen her in other shows, but she seemed to be on stage just performing, not in character. The original Angelica played by Renee Elise Goldsberry made me cry every time she sang “Satisfied” and started the song “It’s quiet uptown.”

When Renee Elise Goldsberry played Angelica, she was Angelica. She was filled with emotion, and you could feel how heartbroken she was. When she was interviewed after Hamilton aired on Disney +, it was the first time any of the original cast saw the show for themselves; she said watching the show, she was a puddle of tears and felt the heartache all over again. She exhibited anguish and sorrow at every performance. The actress we saw had no emotion even though she had a lovely voice.

After the opening number, Alexander Hamilton, while the cast stood at the edge of the stage singing, I was so overwhelmed that I cried. Nothing can ever replace live theater and experience it.

Gluten-free food tour

After being disappointed with the lack of gluten-free food in Vegas, I did my research. I read blogs and followed dedicated gluten-free bakeries and restaurants on social media. I watched YouTube videos of gluten-free restaurant reviews. NYC didn’t disappoint; according to Hamilton, it is the “greatest city in the world.”

We started at Friedman’s, a Jewish deli where the phrase “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” was coined. We asked our server about gluten-free choices; he told us everything on the menu was or could be gluten-free except for the matzo ball soup.

We were in a New York Jewish deli, so we ordered a pastrami sandwich with herb-tossed french fries. We also had an order of potato latkes; again, in a Jewish deli, you get the latkes.

The food was delicious! It felt good to feel normal and order whatever we wanted off the menu without worry. We shared our meals so we could save room for more items to try.

Later that day, we headed up to the upper east side and went to a dedicated gluten-free Parisian bakery called Noglu NY. They have two locations, one in Paris, the other in NY. If I can’t go to a bakery in Paris, I figured I had to go to this one.

The bakery was how I imagined it. The website is in French, so I was relieved the staff spoke English. We had the most sexy-ass quiche I had ever seen or tasted! The crust was brioche-like; the wilted spinach filling was as light and fluffy as a cloud.

Marty and I split the quiche and one of their pastries filled with a caramel-like cream, topped with thinly sliced almonds. Holy shit, you guys, it was just like being in Paris. I was so happy we went.

The next day, we headed back uptown and went to a dedicated gluten-free bakery called Modern Bread and Bagel. I’ve read on social media their bagels are authentic NY bagels, and you can’t tell the difference. Could this be true I wondered?

First of all, unless you have had the real deal, an authentic NY bagel, you haven’t had one. Modern Bread and Bagel’s bagels were exactly as explained. We couldn’t believe we were eating real NY bagels! I almost cried with joy; it was that good.

The staff were friendly and explained the various cream cheeses and other “schmears” to us and their pasties. It was hard to make a choice, but we will be going back there again for sure; it took some of the pressure off.

Marty had his favorite sesame bagel with veggie cream cheese. I had a plain bagel; I wanted to try a plain one to taste the bagel and not the toppings with olive cream cheese. There were whole kalamata olives in the cream cheese!

We also found an everything bagel with housemade lox, cream cheese, arugula, and tomato in our bag by mistake. They told us to keep it and enjoy it. It was my first time trying lox; the sandwich reminded me of a BLT. The lox tasted like the kosher answer to bacon.

Next, we headed downtown to Chelsea Market, which we had never been to before. It is a foodie’s dream place with various food vendors and artisan shops. We stopped at Berlin Currywurst. We had to see if their currywurst was as good as those in Berlin, and yes, it was. It tasted just like my food memory. Everything at Berlin Currywurst was gluten-free except for the buns.

We walked off the currywurst while heading to the Union Square Green Market. It is a farmers market that is open 5 or 6 days a week. We knew a few vendors there and said hello to them. After hearing about this market for so long, it was fantastic to see it.

We also went to Washington Square Park to rest our legs and watch some street performers. It was sunny and warm; the magnolias and daffodils were in full bloom. Spring had sprung in NYC, which felt great.

We kept walking and stopped to check out two more dedicated gluten-free places. Senza Gluten and Posh Pot Bakehouse. Senza was closed for dinner until 5 pm, but we got to go in and see it anyway.

Posh Pop Bakehouse is a sweets eater heaven with over-the-top cakes and other sweets. The whole place is very girlie and all pink, which I loved. The staff was so friendly and passionate about their bakery. They were happy and proud to have such a purpose in the gluten-free community. If you love sweets, you have to go there.

Our last gluten-free food stop was a Thai place called Kati Shop. It was like a Thai version of Chiptoles where you pick your rice, protein, sauce, and toppings. Everything in the shop was gluten-free and delicious. The owner was very friendly and gave us samples of all their curries and explained the dishes in detail. We got so much food for under $25 and walked out of there stuffed and tired.

During the trip we also had drinks and other gluten-free bites in bars so we could sit down and use their bathrooms. Bathrooms are hard to come by since they are for patrons only or in fancy hotels or department stores. Marty found the “best place to take a dump” at the Moxy Hotel. 😂

We packed in so much in two days! We were exhausted while waiting for our train in the comfortable Amtrak waiting area. The train ride home went quickly and was restful. The hour-long car ride also went simple, hitting no traffic.

Tomorrow, I will be writing about how Marty and I went back to a place in Greenwich Village where we had our first date back in 1985. This post is long enough, so I figured I would do it justice and write about it tomorrow, giving us all a break. Lol.

Yesterday and today, I am relaxing because we are back to work tomorrow with so many orders that came in during our time off, which we are thankful for.

What a great trip we had! ☺️

The last time I wrote, I was worried about a snowstorm. As it turned out, I worried for nothing. The snowstorm didn’t dump nearly as much as initially forecasted and didn’t hinder our overnight trip to Schenectady at all.

The storm started winding down just as we were leaving Friday around noon. We had our overnight bags packed, cases of spätzle to deliver, and our farmer’s markets coolers ready to go for Saturday morning; then, we hit the road.

The ride was slower than usual since the roads were still snow-covered. Our first stop was the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany to drop off their three cases of spätzle. While we were on the Northway, I saw my first rolling roadblock, snow plowing. I have to say this is genius! Four trucks plowed the entire highway at once, leaving all four lanes snow plowed instead of one lane at a time. Brillant!

I am always stressed out when we are traveling on snowy roads; the only thing I could think of was finding a Bloody Mary somewhere in Schenectady to help my shoulders come back down from up around my ears.

We decided to check-in and park at the hotel before doing anything. After we parked, we saw the Backstage Pub 50 yards away from the parking lot. We didn’t know what to expect; I really didn’t care what the place was like; I just knew I wanted a Bloody Mary.

I haven’t frequented bars, especially during the day, in a long time. I forgot how much I like walking into a dimly lit bar and finding that perfect bar stool. In my case, the perfect bar stool is right on the corner of the bar.

We had a fantastic young and beautiful female bartender who was very good at her job. I ordered a Bloody Mary with all the “stuff,” and Marty got a fresh berry tequila cocktail. I let out a “Holy shit!” when I saw my drink. It was exactly what I wanted and more. Marty’s drink was gorgeous, fresh, and delicious. I forgot to take a photo of his; I was so over the moon over my drink.

I would consider this Bloody Mary the equivalent of a salad. A healthy salad at that too! Let me break it down for you. My salad drink contained potatoes from the vodka, tomatoes, horseradish, cucumbers, olives, two different hot peppers, cheese, and bacon. I have to say this was the best Bloody Mary I ever had.

It was already 2 pm, so we didn’t want to eat anything too big since we would have an early dinner before the show. We picked corn tacos with braised brisket, creamy coleslaw, and sriracha. I completely trusted the bartender when she checked with the kitchen if the tacos were gluten-free, something I don’t always do.

My first bite of the taco may have been the best taco bite to date. Everything was balanced with some nice heat. The brisket wasn’t fatty or chewy; the coleslaw had the perfect amount of creaminess to cool down the sriracha. I told Marty that if these tacos ended up making me sick, I didn’t give a fuck; they were that good.

Fortunately, they didn’t make me sick, hallelujah! I will be thinking about these tacos for a long time. They are not a regular menu item, just a special, so I probably won’t be able to have them again.

I had a good buzz on from the Bloody Mary as we walked across the snowy parking lot back to the hotel. We stopped to help push a car out of the driveway, something we always did in Jersey when someone was stuck in the snow. I felt 12 again!

As soon as we got into the hotel room, I yanked off my snowy clothes, jumped into bed, and took a restful nap. Good thing I set the alarm because I am not sure how long I would have slept I was that comfortable.

As I showered and got ready for dinner, Marty made a reservation for an Asian fusion restaurant right across the street that assured him they could prepare us gluten-free food without worry. Good!

Dinner at Zen was ok. The location was perfect. I loved the decor. The hibachis shrimp and vegetables were meh but didn’t make us sick and filled us up. The best part was Proctors Theater was right across the street.

The Broadway show Waitress was so good! We knew the music and storyline, but I wasn’t expecting to love the play this much. It was witty and funny. The singing and acting were dead on. It made me tear up a couple of times. It had everything that makes up a great show.

We were grateful we stayed only two doors down since the show got over at 11 pm. We played with the idea of hitting one of the bars for a nightcap, but we had an early wake-up call in the morning to get up for the farmer’s market. I should have gone out because I tossed and turned all night like I usually do whenever I am away.

The streets were still slick and snow-covered in areas on our way to the market. The streets and parking for customers with the snowbanks made me think the market would be slow. It was quiet, long, and felt like being in a refrigerator for seven hours.

Saturday nights, I don’t want to cook anything elaborate. A gorgeous bowl of spaghetti, a salad, and a glass of wine is usually what I fall back on. Yes, we make our pasta as a business, but it’s either all gone or has been flash-frozen and in the freezer on Saturday nights. I keep Schar gluten-free spaghetti on hand for these kinds of nights.

I decided on spaghetti with tomato and creamy ricotta sauce, caesar salad, and a glass of red wine. It hit the spot. This morning I slept until 9:45 am, making up for the lack of sleep the night before. I woke up feeling refreshed, which rarely happens.

I woke up craving French crepes that I topped with a Meyer-lemon simple syrup. It was so light and bright on a cold morning. This dish makes me think about having breakfast on the back deck in the summertime.

I am relaxing today and deciding what I want to make for dinner for my birthday tomorrow. The curtain on the stage of Waitress was a humongous cherry pie, so that is what I will be making instead of a birthday cake. If we are ever on a game show together, and the question is, what is my favorite pie? It is cherry.

In the middle of last year, Marty ordered us tickets to the Broadway hit musical comedy, Waitress, performing at Proctor’s Theater in Schenectady, NY. We have tickets for tonight’s show!

In 2018 & 2019, we did the Sunday Schenectady Farmer’s Market, which was held outside in the summer season and in Proctor’s Theater during the wintertime. The theater is beautiful, making you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The lobby and film theater were modern.

Week after week, we watched excited show-goers arrive at Proctors for a matinee show. Great shows, Broadway shows still appearing on Broadway, and holiday shows like the Nutcracker. I love the Nutcracker and danced in it when I was little.

We decided to stop doing the Schenectady market, which was hard for us because we liked the customers and vendors at the market. We realized that we couldn’t keep working seven days a week as we had for two years.

We began to burn out. I started resenting the customers who would tell me they were going home to curl up on their couch and watch football or Netflix. Others were going to a Sunday dinner or just came from church or brunch. I started to become jealous of the theatergoers. Yes, we were building a new and thriving business, but we had zero life, and it sucked.

In 2020, we got tickets to Proctors to the Broadway musical Frozen. The theater was even more grand and beautiful than I imagined. The show was incredible. We haven’t been to a broadway show in decades; we were amazed at the lights and effects. We were living our lives again! It felt fantastic. Then fucking covid hit.

Covid made us realize how much time we wasted not doing shit even more. Shit, we wanted to do. We had kids, dogs, bills, a business, and responsibilities to our aging parents. All we did was wait and wait. Wait for what? All I could think was we were knuckleheads during the lockdown and closures. We vowed when we got out of this pandemic; things would change.

We still have our business, bills, grown kids, dogs, and responsibilities but are slowly managing to go places and do things we want to, like going to Vegas in September or buying a pool. We put so many things on hold for so long we have a lot of catching up to do.

I’ve been stressed out all week every time I looked at the weather forecast for today, Friday, the day of the show. A big snowstorm was coming. What if we couldn’t go?

We have tickets to the show, a free hotel room with our Hilton Honors club points two doors down from Proctors. A plan to pack up our farmer’s market supplies and product for the market Saturday morning, which is only 20 minutes away. We found a restaurant with a great gluten-free menu, someone to let the dogs out at bedtime while Sam will be working in the ER tonight.

What could go wrong? Nothing Marty said. Fuck it. A little snow isn’t going to close down the show or the hotel. The farmer’s market is never canceled due to the weather. We were going, and everything was going to be okay. He’s right everything will be alright. It even looks like the snowstorm may be winding down earlier than expected.

Happy Friday! I’ll let you know how everything turns out. ☺️

Since belly dance class last Wednesday night, I haven’t been away from the house. I had nowhere to go, plus I didn’t want to go out in sub-zero temps and messy roads. Last night, I hit the cabin fever wall. Marty, the dogs, and I have been cooped up together for too long. 

Skye, my truck was still encased in ice even though she was started up a couple of times. We had to stop on the highway pull-off when some of it started to let loose. We didn’t want a chunk of ice to crack someone’s windshield. 

Every stop we made, we pulled more ice off of the truck. I was shocked by how much ice there still was on everything on the ride. The trees in the forest looked like they were covered in crystals when the sun shone on them. It was still so beautiful four days after the storm.

When we got home, some ice finally began to melt, dropping ice chunks down below. Thank goodness, since we are under a winter advisory again. More ice and snow are forecasted. Ugh! Snow is one thing that I expect living in Vermont, but everyone can agree we can live without the ice.

Life is crazy busy here in Spätzle-Ville trying to pump out enough product to fill our holiday orders. We have large orders for a few restaurants and many retail stores filling their freezers and cooler with our spätzle for the Christmas holiday.

When we started this business almost five years ago, I was shocked at how many families have spätzle on either for dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Up until they could buy our tasty, no-boil spätzle, they were making it themselves. This gives our customers more time to spend with their families and not in the kitchen cleaning up a spätzle making mess; I should know I do it almost every day. Ironically, 80% of our customers are not gluten-free folks, just people who like our product’s taste, texture, and convenience.

We love hearing people’s stories about Christmas’ past and how they remember their omas’ or mothers’ making spätzle for their holiday meals. It always makes them smile while telling us their stories, and we feel privileged to be on their Christmas dinner tables.

This morning we had one of the owners of a restaurant in Ludlow, VT, pick up a bunch of cases for their restaurant called Sam’s Steakhouse. They are as excited as we are having our spätzle on their menu as a killer Macaroni & Cheese. We are thrilled to be at another fabulous restaurant in a ski resort town.

Later in the day, Skye (my new truck) had her very first delivery to our distributor Wilcox Ice Cream. The delivery schedule is different due to the holiday, so we had to scramble to make enough for all the orders to various specialty and co-op stores in the state.

The truck was easy to load and unload since the bed of the truck isn’t too high for me to reach; for those who don’t know me in person, I am a short 5’2″ on a good day.

So far, between yesterday and today’s production, we have made more spätzle in two days than we do in a week sometimes. Tomorrow is another big production day, and Wednesday, we are on the road making our NY deliveries. One of our stops is to one of our customers, a principal of a school. He is giving each of the teachers one of our two-pound bags. We will be delivering his spätzle directly to his school. What a lovely gift indeed!

I can’t believe Christmas Eve is only four days away. We will be having raclette for dinner. I will write more about raclette tomorrow when I get the equipment out. Have a great night and stay warm; it was in the low teens here this morning. 🥶