A Fork And A Suitcase

In a city so packed with spectacular department stores, shops and boutiques, ABC Carpet & Home is truly one of a kind.    We have been coming to ABC for many years; sometimes to shop but mostly to browse, to admire and to ooooh and ahhhh.  I love that I discover something new with each visit. This beautiful building in Manhattan's Flatiron district greets almost a million visitors each year.  ABC Carpet & Home has a very typical to NYC beginning; an immigrant's story.  In 1897, Sam Weinrib, an Austrian immigrant was selling used carpeting and linoleum from a cart on the Lower East Side.    Over the years his carpet business went from one generation to another, changing locations in the process, and it finally settled in the current building in 1961.  In 1988 ABC began to sell furniture, antiques and reproductions.  Now, the store still sells carpeting, furniture and so much more.  The ground level...

Lafayette turned out to be my final lunch during the NYC Restaurant Week, I had to cancel Aureole due to a snow storm.     A very lovely French bakery/cafe greets visitors as they come in. Right behind the bakery there is a stylish bar with counter space for dining. I really liked this restaurant, the high ceilings, the large windows and the wooden inlays around the columns helped to create an airy, sharp and classic feel.  My favorite were the "lover's deuces" - demi-booths designed for cozy, side-by-side seating.  The good quality light chocolate leather booths, along with the sturdy wooden tables with iron legs gave the restaurant a timeless feel.  Sitting at Lafayette, I felt transported to a lovely Parisian brasserie, akin to La Coupole on Blvd. Montparnasse.  The menu was designed to span a variety of regions, from Provence to Normandy to the Mediterranean.   My son ordered this nice lemonade. ...