TRAIN TRAVEL
Earlier this week, we took Amtrak from the new Moynihan Train Hall to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Constructed within the classic old Farley Post Office building, the Moynihan Train Hall is stunning and beautiful! So new, it’s pristine and spacious with elegant arching struts and the occasional wash of magenta light.
The train schedule boards are both numerous and easy to read. The ticketed waiting room has both counter height seating with outlets for those who want to work and rounded soft benches. It’s a long space with restrooms at either end. My only quibble with the whole experience of departing and arriving is that the basement connections to the subway lines and Times Square need better wayfinding signage. We made it work and got to Line 1, but not without some to-ing and fro-ing.
LUNCH ON RITTENHOUSE SQUARE
After Manhattan, the sidewalks of Philadelphia, as we walked from 30th Street Station (a grand station in its own right), seemed quiet and mostly empty of pedestrians. The Rittenhouse Square area, on the other hand, was lively, and Parc, where we had lunch, a beehive of activity. This French bistro has an attractive outdoor structure. We had a lovely table and made our choices from a very appealing menu. Our friend had mussels and tarte tatin while the Chief Penguin ordered tuna carpaccio followed by chicken paillard and then the baba au rhum. I began with a sinfully rich celeriac soup topped with truffle duxelles followed by a warm shrimp salad. The butterflied shrimp were perfectly cooked and set on a puddle of lemon beurre blanc alongside mixed greens with avocado. It was delectable! And fun for us to be back in this familiar city.
MANHATTAN MEALS
Salt Mediterranean
Salt, a new Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant on the Upper East Side, opened several months ago. We believe it inhabits the space left by one of our old favorites, El Porron, a tapas place. Thinking that might be a good omen, we chatted outside with the owner one evening and decided to return for a meal.
Mostly, we were delighted with all the dishes we ordered. The Turkish salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, and walnuts was done chopped style and was simply delicious! The lamb kebab with rice and greens was also excellent as were the baklava squares and the delicate almond pudding. The only slight disappointment was the manti, meat-filled tiny pasta bites in a yogurt sauce. We first had this dish in San Francisco at Troya, a neighborhood favorite, and then at A La Turku here in Manhattan. This version was a bit too doughy so the meat inside got lost.
Tri Dim Shanghai
We’re grateful to our co-grandparents for introducing us to Tri Dim Shanghai several months ago. This spacious Chinese restaurant is a welcoming venue for lunch, dinner, or takeout. We returned for lunch and were delighted with the Peking duck spring roll, the hot and sour soup, and the barbecued spareribs. Leaning toward the tried and true, we ordered kung pao chicken which, while labeled spicy on the menu, seemed to have been dumbed down for Americans. With the addition of some chili oil, it was tasty! A Tsingtao beer completed the menu. Next time we’ll explore other dishes.
SWEET TREATS
To top off a meal or just a long afternoon walk, the black and white cookies at William Greenberg are a must! Fancy cakes and sticky cinnamon rolls also fill their cases.
TABLE TALK
How often do you talk with strangers? Recently, we had two engaging conversations with nearby diners. The first was at the very popular, family friendly Tony’s di Napoli. A lined slightly rumpled dark-haired woman at the next table smiled at us and asked us where we were from. Later, she commented that we looked tanned and that the young woman with her was her granddaughter. They had spent the day shopping, gone to lunch, and now were having dinner. We heard about the achievements of her successful grandchildren and the arrival of her first great grandchild. Slowly, the granddaughter warmed up a bit. She is a student at Baruch College, and the Chief Penguin was able to tell her we know her president, a former dean at Lehigh. A connection.
Last evening at Sel et Poivre, our comfort food French restaurant, two women had the table next to us. The more voluble one announced, all in the same breath, that she had had her Covid booster that day and had just turned 80! From that followed a lively conversation about her late husband, a literary agent for Steven King, and her accomplished extended family. Then, could I recommend a book to read. Having just finished Great Circle, which I loved, I told her about it.
Somehow, I mentioned having lived in Bethlehem. The second woman said her grandson was a freshman at Lehigh! That led to more conversation about our past life in Bethlehem, the Lehigh campus, the upcoming inauguration of Lehigh’s new president, and where we stayed in Manhattan and why. The first woman spends six months of the year in Venice, Florida, and the other woman knows a staff member at our granddaughters’ school. More connections. The whole experience made our evening memorable. And, since I gave her my card with the book title on it, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear from woman #1 in Florida!
Note: Photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).
