Sweet 16 Weekend in Manhattan

When you're in boarding school 600 miles from home and your birthday falls during the week the options for a 16th birthday party are a little different. Our daughter opted for a weekend in Manhattan with dinner, a little shopping, and a play.

We took Amtrak up from Philadelphia and landed at Penn Station in the middle of the afternoon rush, which means LONG taxi lines. Fortunately it's not difficult to locate limo drivers who are looking to pick up a fare, which is actually more economical for a group larger than 3 with luggage, and we were quickly on our way to the Ameritania Hotel, located adjacent to the Late Night studios.

I first stayed at the Ameritania in 2000 when I was in town for a trade show. While the rest of the company stayed at the Roosevelt, my budget-conscious group chose more modest accommodations for less than half the cost. Back then the rooms were adequate and the staff was top-notch, but it was on par with the price point. When I started researching for this trip I decided to see what the old haunts looked like and discovered that the Ameritania had undergone a complete remodel in the interim and the photos of the property showed drastic improvements while the rates were still quite reasonable by New York standards, even if they were markedly higher than before.

To cut to the chase, the entire property is now modern, yet comfortable, and they've added a full bar so there's a place to relax and socialize without having to venture out. Rooms feature flat-panel televisions, comfortable beds with nice linens, showers with ample water pressure, and soft, fluffy towels. The fact that it's just a block down and a block over from the Carnegie Deli is just icing on the cake.

We kicked off the celebration with dinner at Le Cirque. Long ranked as one of the top restaurants worldwide, Le Cirque has launched the careers of many industry leaders such as Daniel Boulud, Rick Moonen, and Alex Stratta. Given the auspicious occasion we opted for the tasting menu and were absolutely blown away (as was expected.) Truffles, foams, gastriques, and mousses complimented brilliantly prepared lamb, scallops, lobster, fish, and beef. Everything was topped off with a range of desserts that were nothing less than pieces of edible art, as delightful for the eye as they were for the palette. The weather was relatively mild for mid-January, so we walked a few blocks after dinner to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city and avoid a food coma.

There's nothing like New York City at night, especially a crisp, clear, winter evening. As the marquees and billboards light up the workaday city disappears and the world showplace comes to life. Lines form at theaters, throngs collect outside bars and restaurants, street performers consolidate and Times Square becomes an amusement park with pliable moral guidelines.

Saturday was spent shopping. From Union Square to Columbus Circle there were no stones unturned. The males among us spent much of the time scouting coffee shops and planning the next stop on the tour while the females contemplated everything from heels to hats. After the shopping marathon we did manage a bit of a breather to rest and recharge prior to our evening festivities.

While Peter Luger was my preference our schedule didn't allow the flexibility that a trip to Brooklyn would have required. Based on a pleasant experience in years past, as well as being conveniently located midway between our hotel and the theater, we opted for dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse. Opened in 1927, this NY institution still serves up an excellent dry-aged steak with capable staff, even if the decor has passed the point of "retro" and is approaching the "slightly tattered" mark. If you want frills you may want to consider dining elsewhere. If you want your money to show up on your plate and don't put stock in glitz and glamor then this is probably the place for you. We informed our waiter that we had tickets for a show a couple of blocks away and he made sure that our meal was well-paced to meet our deadline without making us feel rushed. We enjoyed a complete meal, from appetizers to dessert, and made it to the theater with time to spare while taking a reasonably casual stroll to cover the final two blocks.

The presentation of Chicago was adequate, but less than stunning. By all appearances a fair number of understudies were in the lineup and the lack of chemistry in the cast showed through by way of a few rough spots here and there. We've seen much better productions and would encourage you to investigate  closely before deciding on any show in order to avoid the same disappointment that we experienced. After the show the walk back to the hotel was invigorating and just long enough to work out the kinks before turning in and winding down our weekend. Sunday morning saw us back on the train for Philadelphia to return to the real world.