The Andrews Sisters Out on the Town in NYC

Last week, Amy came to visit me in NYC. The first night we hung out and chatted at some local bars, such as Vol de Nuit. The next day, we had lunch with Jeff at Galaxy (YUM!) and then walked around the city enjoying the fact that neither of us had to work. The day was warm and sunny and pleasant. We had to stop by my apartment to get Amy something less warm to wear.

First stop was Evolution, an art and science store in Soho, that Jeff recommended for Amy a long time ago. Despite the fact that it was during the afternoon on a weekday, the store was crowded. I suppose they were mostly tourists. The walls were covered with stuffed animals -- monkeys and birds and wolves. There were thousands of shiny bugs in glass cases. It made me a little nauseous. Upstairs, we saw real human skeletons -- a male, a female with a fetus, and a five-year-old kid. It was interesting and creepy at the same time. Amy turned from the skeletons and went to the case of stuffed birds pointing out one that was native to Australia.

From there, we headed to Kiosk, another small and interesting shop. Tara told me about this one a few months ago. It's interesting because many of the products on sale are part of a changing exhibit. Some of the objects are always there.

After that we were ready to have a beer at Eight Mile Creek, an Australian Bar in Soho, but it wasn't open, yet. We continued walking around Soho and Nolita and then up the Bowery. We passed some of the grittier parts of the City until we eventually passed Houston and entered the lower part of the East Village. On the way, we passed the New Museum and took a photo. We stopped to have a lambic and a blonde beer at dba, where there is a large outdoor garden. The after work crowd was beginning to fill it up.

Soon it became too chilly to be outside, so we headed to PDT, a local speakeasy. To enter PDT, you need to go into the (fake) phone booth at Crif Dogs, a hot dog stand. You press the button on the phone and a wall opens up. If you don't have reservations, you can try to grab a stool at the bar. The bartenders, who look like they are from the 1920s, are skilled mixologists and can whip up some cool drinks. We were fortunate enough to land a small table.

Amy ordered the Cranberry Cobbler and I ordered the Persephone. The cranberry cobbler was like a grown-up slushie. Tons of ice with some cranberries and mint on top. It was delicious. My drink was a little strong and a bit difficult to drink, but fruity. Amy ordered one of the famous hot dogs, which appears through a little door behind the bar from the hot dog stand. These dogs are not like any you've had before. Amy ordered the Chang Dog, which has kimchi on it and was designed by the Momofoku chef, David Chang.

After that Amy headed back to NJ on the train. All in all, we had a great time!