New York - Day 1

21 April, 2026

Our “car service” delivered us to the local airport without difficulty or fanfare. (And by “car service” I mean our oldest son) and we navigated the ongoing terminal and parking deck construction without distress. Check-in was simple, and clearing TSA Pre-Check came off without a hitch. There was a slight flight delay, which had no impact on us, since our only scheduled event for the day was a dinner reservation in the evening. The service on American Airlines was solid on this day. From the front counter, to the gate, to the (almost always) polite and attentive cabin crew. 

Durst Hives

We arrived at LGA within 30 minutes of our original schedule and were met by the driver from NY Airport Limo just as we have every time before. Upon arrival at the Hilton Garden Inn Times Square you’re directed to the elevators and directed to the lobby on the second floor for check-in. The process was quick and easy and we were on our way to our room on the 21st floor. Our view over 42nd Street wasn’t particularly Earth-shattering, but we did have a nice view of the Durst Hives, on the roof just across the street. Owned by Durst Real Estate, the hives are kept “mostly for fun” and the honey is used in the on-site cafeteria and given as corporate gifts. After unpacking a bit we dressed for dinner and I ordered a Lyft. For reasons of economic conditions and algorithms I found Uber to be consistently 20% (or more) higher than Lyft this trip. I have found little difference in the two over the years other than price differentials and the color of the icon I select on my screen. With one small exception in Baltimore several years ago (2018) we've rarely had a glitch with service from either platform.

Patsy's Italian Restaurant

Our driver delivered us to Patsy's, the favorite dining choice of Frank Sinatra, where we were warmly welcomed and shown to a corner table. I'm ashamed to say I failed to record the name of our server, who was the epitome of an old-school Italian waiter, displaying a delightful combination of class, sass, and attention to the smallest detail. 

10/10 would drink again

The wine list at Patsy's is abbreviated in selection but long on drinkability. Why clutter things with unnecessary options? Our bottle of Chianti was on-par with all but a few bottles of the varietal we've consumed over the decades, and for the price I'd place it very near, if not at, the top of my value per dollar chart. After careful examination and consideration of the menu, we made horrible mistakes.

Not in selection or preparation, in quantity.

The problem with Patsy's is EVERYTHING is known to be good, and the descriptions reinforce the reputation, and your eyes are going to exceed your hunger by an order of magnitude. We started with fried mozzarella (to share, because we didn't want to over-order) but failed to understand how incredible

the fresh bread was going to be. I true American fashion we had bread while we waited, and then we proceeded to demolish the mozzarella. This isn't your run-of-the-mill mozzarella, this is probably some of the best mozzarella you can imagine. Lightly breaded, delicately fried, warm and stringy with marinara you would probably fight for to dip in.

About the time your stomach registers the first round of indulgence your entree hits the table.

My wife selected Tortellini with meat sauce, and with an eye towards variety and contrast, I chose the Chicken Marsala. When the dishes hit the table we made a move to split the plates for sharing, and were immediately admonished by our server that HE would split them for us, on two new plates, so we didn't have our dishes mixing in each other. Our plates disappeared briefly, and reappeared as if they came from the kitchen as a combination plate. The whole while he's mumbling at us for even considering that he would allow us to undertake such a task when he could handle it more effectively with a flick or two of the wrist. 

Chicken Marsala & Tortellini with Meat Sauce

Our plates split, and appetites waning, we dove in to the best Italian food we've had in years, outside of Italy. We were transported back to the late 1990's when we'd roam Mulberry Street and land at the first restaurant that didn't have a tuxedoed greeter ushering people off the street.

The chicken was tender and perfectly cooked. The mushrooms delicate and meaty. The sauce was silky smooth and purely decadent. For the first time in memory, I didn't reach for the pepper shaker. Everything was wonderfully balanced. The Tortellini was the epitome of al dente, with a meat sauce so rich and flavorful you could eat a bowl if it as a meal and not give it a second thought. We forced ourselves to slow down and savor the dishes, as much as we wanted to scarf them down in a feeding frenzy.

Tiramisu & Cappucino

 After clearing our plates, and against our STRONG protestations, our server had the audacity to bring over the dessert cart, which I was more inclined to describe as a wagon. We decided to "compromise" (again) and share a single dessert. He split a single serving of Tiramisu across two plates which could have easily satisfied four people, then delivered two excellent cappucinos. The Tiramisu didn't disappoint, and was some of the best we've had (again) outside Italy. I make a fairly decent tiramisu myself, but need more experience to reach their level of execution. I should probably get to work on that. ;-)

We managed to stagger out the door and down the street a couple of blocks to aid digestion before surrendering and summoning a Lyft for the ride back to the hotel. After a short trip we drug ourselves into the room, showered, and lay whimpering on the bed in a state of digestive misery until we drifted off to sleep.

Next time we plan better.