If this were a “normal” summer, I’d have joined my family and about 40 of our close friends on Lake Michigan. For the past 30 years, the same group has gathered for a commune-style week of fun in the sun, and this is the second full year I’ve missed. Alas, alack! It’s sad not to be there, especially as there are new babies to greet and pregnant mamas to celebrate. But I’m glad to think of everyone relaxing on the beach, sipping cocktails and laughing together. And next year, once I’ve graduated (if all goes well), B and I will be there with bells and whistles.
So even though I’m not quite on vacation, I’d be dishonest if I told you I wasn’t having a grand ole time. This is already shaping up to be a wonderful summer, and we’re only a week into it! Here’s what I’ve been loving:
Fancy (fancy) dinner. My friend Ryan turned 26 last week, and we celebrated by experiencing one of New York’s best (and, yes, most expensive) restaurants: Per Se. I can’t even tell you how many courses we ate… 10? 12? The desserts alone were more than I can remember! Per Se has been some place we’ve both wanted to try for a very long time, and we treated ourselves. It’s obviously not the kind of experience I can have every week, month, or even year. But it was something we’ll both never forget.
Ice cream! What better way to cool down from? A gelato shop I’d loved in Paris, Amorino, recently opened up near Union Square. Once you pick your size, your server will put as many flavors as will fit into the cup. I tried: cherry sorbet, chocolate sorbet, caramel gelato + hazelnut gelato. Bliss.
The inaugural season of LIC Flea! Every weekend until the end of the summer, there’s an awesome flea market packed with food fun. B and I went last week and came home with $15 of pickles (onions, horseradish cucumber, sugar snap peas)! We also bumped into the Ice Riders, aka my friends David + Jet, who operate a snow cone-dispensing food bike. Pretty cool.
Date nights! Somehow, despite how busy we both are and with opposite schedules, B and I have managed to do at least one thing together outside of the apartment every week. Last Saturday, we sat in the back garden of a neighborhood Thai restaurant, and feasted on salad + curry.
Picnics! We were lucky enough to score tickets to Shakespeare In The Park, which was a truly magical experience. Even though I’ve spent 25 summers in the city, I’d never before experienced these free performances put on by the Public Theater. This year’s comedy is “The Comedy of Errors,” starring Hamish Linklater and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The weather was perfect: a breeze kept us cool as the sun set.
Anyway, back to the picnic part! Before the show, we sat outside the theater in Central Park, munching on CSA veggies (roasted beets + carrots) with carrot top pesto, crackers, and Sauvignon Blanc. (Imbibing is legal if you do it within the theater’s grounds, and leave your glassware at home.)
What’s on your summer shortlist?
