Central Park in November

There has been some apologizing going on for the state of autumn in Manhattan this year…“we skipped fall,” “leaves are really better upstate,” etc. I refuse to accept this! After having been constantly told that the fall I experience in California isn’t fall at all*, I want some legit leaf action! I’ve been (a little obsessively) checking the Current Foliage Report on the official I ♥ NY website, and it told me that this week is supposed to be the real deal. To Central Park!

(*Disclaimer: lots of leaves turn spectacularly red and orange and gold in the Bay Area, so I'm not entirely sure what those West Coast complainers are on about. That said, the East Coast is doing a pretty good job of fall.)

Spot the Devin!

There's some give and take--spectacular leaves in exchange for daylight. New York is considerably further north than Silicon Valley, so after the time change it's already pitch black at 5 PM, and it can only get darker. This is making us treasure each fleeting hour of sunlight all the more.

Outside In

Bought some mums, scavenged some leaves. Now it's autumn inside our apartment, too!

All the fruit I want (persimmons and pomegranates) is imported from California. Also, what is up with having only one kind of kale, NYC? Where's my Dinosaur and Russian Red?

Foraging for bouquet ingredients in Riverside Park. Time to drink some tea with honey and lemon!

Taco Crisis Averted

You can all rest easy now, knowing that the Great Lack of Good Mexican Food cerca August 2011-November 2011 is at long last over. And none too soon. Yesterday we were supposed to get some tortas from a place right by Target in Harlem...good reviews on Yelp, on the way, etc. Well, when we got to the corner it was supposed to be on, there was a brand-new gas station instead. So today I was on a mission: tacos or bust.

And we found some! Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana is actually really close by, on Amsterdam and 108th. And it is GOOD. The taco con carnitas was yummy (not as good as tacos back west, but you know). Doubled up on the fresh corn tortillas, a lot of meat, pico de gallo, and cilantro. But what blew me away was the salsa...DELICIOUS. Both kinds (roja y verde) were really spicy, and the verde was nice and garlicky.

And the horchata! Refreshing, not too sweet, and super cinnamony--the best way. The restaurant is a teeny tiny hole in the wall with an open kitchen right behind the register, and a few tables and chairs. Perfect.

Since the taco was kind of giant (I rather prefer tiny tacos), I only ate half of this delicious torta. But that means more for later! I've had some awesome tortas in my life--Three Brothers in East Palo Alto especially, and some good stuff in the Mission district of San Francisco--and this was on par with these. Crispy and light bolillo roll, melty queso blanco, black beans, well-seasoned carne asada, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, pickled jalapeño, and mayo. Plus I piled on the salsa.

Blissed-out after devouring the food of my dreams, sporting newly acquired jumper and infinity scarf to ward off the November chill.

Sojourning Eastward

Target is two miles east of our apartment through Harlem. It's a nice walk...we head over and down into Morningside Park, which is made up of steep staircases and trees, and then follow 117th until we're on the other side of the island.

Harlem rooftops from the west side of the park.

We saw a lot of kitties today! This one was hanging out in the park. The other two were half-grown tabby kittens.

Target is worth the trek because of the low prices...we stocked up on nonparishables and knitwear. Target Brands, Inc. might not be globally sustainable, but as a clichéd poor grad student I have to ration out my scruples. And looming concrete parking structure, you reminded us of home!

Post-Oktoberfesting

Today we walked down and across Central Park to the Upper East Side in order to catch the lunch special at the Heidelberg Restaurant. We were also going to check out the Neue Galerie, a museum of German art, but it was closed, so that will have to wait for another time. They have a lot of Gustav Klimt, I'm told!

View of the Jackie O Reservoir from our walk cross-park.

The Upper East Side has a different vibe from Morningside Heights/ the UWS. It is overrun with tall children wearing pressed private school uniforms, their posh and sunglasséd mothers, and droves of nannies. Dogs come in one breed: foofy, the streets are ultra clean and crowded, and occasionally a chandelier will sparkle at you through an apartment window. And every residential building has a doorman sporting gold tassel and trim.

Devin's order came with a cup of consomme with spätzle (chicken broth and egg noodles).

Hot roast pork sandwich with sauerkraut.

I ordered a (delicious) bratwurst with sauerkraut and (amazing) potato salad. Our folk-dressed and German-accented waitress left an entire jar of brown mustard for me, so I was a happy camper.

Devin gets really intense about German food.

For dessert we split a piece of plum tart. Their whipped cream (which looked like ice cream) was extra thick and amazing...I'm not sure how they did it, but I want them to reveal their secrets to me!

This outfit is supposed to look German, but I think it turned out more like an American interpretation of what French people are supposed to wear, with a dollop of Heidi of the Swiss Alps.

Pin dots!

New York is definitely teaching me about layering...in that I need to get more layes, and cheaply. Soon, there will be a Target expedition.