NYC the end

So, Thursday morning I booked a tour through Urban Adventures on Tastes and Tenament of the Lower East Side.  It was amazing.  Brian our guide is a part time actor and was so enthusiastic about his subject.   He obviously loves NYC and it's history.  We started at City Hall and had caramel waffle cookies (Dutch) and learned about the first settlers of Manhattan.  Then we walked (in the pouring rain)past the African burial ground to Chinatown>. There we had the most amazing pot stickers in a little hole in the wall (they would have been 6 for $1.25 if we had paid for them).  Then to an Asian jerky place.  Then to Little Italy for fresh mozzarella and prosciutto,  Across the street was the Ferrara store with torrones and baked good.  I got some cannolis.  Then to the Jewish section to a knish shop where we noshed on knishes.  Our final stop was at a German beer hall for pretzels.  A bit of carb loading, but wonderful.  All the while, the guide told us about the history of the places and people.  We then went to a candy store which had every kind imaginable and the Essex Market.  We then went back to the "neighborhood" for drinks. That night was the Carnegie performance,  There are so many kids in the PAHS orchestra they had to split them in two.  The older kids did an Ave Maria that was amazing.  Afterwards we went for coal fired pizza with Chet and Louise,
Friday we decided to go to Bensonhurst (the real Little Italy).  We took the train to Coney Island which we saw from the train windows.  It wasn't open, so we didn't get out.  I had found a walking tour of Little Italy on line which was a total bust.  We eventually made our way to a hoagie shop in the neighborhood that was fantastic.  The bread was from a brick oven bakery in Brooklyn and was perfect.  We ordered too much food, but did get to try the Sicilian rice balls, my new favorite food.
Got back in time to go out to dinner with Ron and Debbie at Sarid's.  A fun place with caricatures of all the famous of NYC,
Today, Lucas and I went to the upper east side to find black and white cookies and had an egg cream. Then we all went to MOMA (not as good as the Guggenheim in my opinion) and to db Bistro Moderne for brunch.  We had coq au vin and Alsatian tart flambe,  All wonderful.  Wee went to the NYC Library and Grand Central Station.  I am posting this from JFK.  The trip is done,  Aside from the weather, it was great.  So wonderful to be with Lucas as well.