The Normal Heart, walking Manhattan streets, Druze Israeli snack, Eataly

Have mercy on everything you can do and see in a day in NYC when you don’t have your kiddies with you.

The Normal Heart was incredible, possibly the best Broadway show I’ve ever seen. Impeccably and powerfully written, the acting was also simply superb. I was angered, moved to tears, rendered speechless and left laughing throughout and felt profoundly grateful to have gotten to see it. NYers, two weeks left. If you haven’t seen it, please go.

Tom met me at the theater after the show, and by then, my lettuce wraps were long since gone. We came across a Druze Israeli teensy hole-in-the-wallish place that was terrific- perfect for a hearty afternoon snack. Baba ghannouge, hummus, falafel and grape leaves, tahini and this great bread, saj, that was like a whole wheat crepe. Yum. I like what’s happened to Hell’s Kitchen over the past ten years.

T ultimately headed back to the hotel, but I continued to wander, relishing the myriad eccentricities that abound in NY. Anything goes, especially if you do it/wear it/say it with confidence. I love the number of enormously ripped men with tiny dogs walking the streets together, the ridiculous array of cat strollers I’ve seen, the sheer variety of outfits, hairstyles, languages…

And though I said I wouldn’t, I had to head back to Eataly. For one, I love the Flat Iron building- it is a gorgeous testament to old, good, grand architecture. And two, I just had to get some goods and did leave with: three small jars of different kinds of honey (lime tree! chestnut! mountain honeydew!), a divine bottle of extremely peppery olive oil, some anchovies and two neat pastas. That in combination with the persian cukes, 4 bunches of radishes and large amount of fava beans that I bought from the Greenmarket this morning should make for some delicious creations this week.