If you’re not into traveling these days, I say- “Good. Stay home and enjoy the peace.” However, if you’re a glutton for punishment, feel free to head to the airport like the rest of us fools. Our trip last week to NYC/DC was fraught with delays, missed connections, and frustration. Lots of frustration. The smoothest, least complicated bit of transportation we experienced was the train from Penn Station to DC which I highly recommend. A quiet three-hour ride to nurse an epic hangover was just the ticket in the middle of our whirlwind trip.
But the time in the city yielded some nice results. Specifically: an absolutely lovely meal at Ci Siamo in Hudson Yards. My one complaint about our dining experience is that we didn’t have more time to spend there, as we were headed to a show. Well, and the prices were steep, but to be expected? It’s NYC? (Our Manhattan cocktails were $24 apiece) The bright, new space with tall windows was filled to capacity within 30 minutes of our early reservation. Even on a bitter, windy night, New Yorkers came out to enjoy whole fish roasted in the huge wood-burning oven. We were pressed for time so we kept our order strictly on the housemade pasta section of the menu.
The Rapini Agnolotti was rave-worthy…the lightest, fluffiest pillows filled with ricotta and finished with a creamy lemon-scented sauce, topped with crispy breadcrumbs…I came close to picking up the dish to lick it clean! We also thoroughly enjoyed their special pasta of the evening—a spaghetti with shelled clams slathered with olive oil and studded with big slices of garlic. When I requested a glass of Pinot Grigio to accompany my meal, it arrived so perfectly chilled that I declared it the best white wine I had ever enjoyed.
Too soon we had to dash out to make the start of “Funny Lady” and leave the toasty, vibrant Ci Siamo behind. But I hope to return to sample more goodness from the menu and those pillows will live long in my food memories…
