New York - Day 2

 22 April, 2026

I had big plans of enjoying a fresh NY bagel piled hight with lox and cream cheese for breakfast, but we were still absolutely stuffed from our glutinous repast at Patsy's and were somewhat focused on recovering in time for dinner. We opted for a bit of a lie-in to mitigate our digestive distress.

In a stroke of luck I was able to locate one of our favorite London "quick bite" spots just around the corner and a block or so up the street. Far enough for a nice stretch of the legs and settling of the stomach, but close enough that there were no worries about having too far to walk in the opposite direction to the theater, which was one of the reasons we were in New York in the first place.

Pret A Manger

Rewind to last November (and apologies to the two or three of you who have read the entirety of this blog and find this information redundant.) Actually, rewind even further than that. Rewind to June 2, 2025. (Based on the topic I'm about to discuss I just realized how apropos the "rewind" reference is - a subconscious interjection, or just a twist of luck?)

A co-worker, who was not someone I would have ever selected to be a theater geek, had just returned from his annual theater junket. He and several friends go for a long weekend and pack in as many shows as possible, relying heavily on TodayTix and the infamous TKTS booth for last-minute deals. I've found TodayTix to be a good source if you're planning in advance, but if you're flexible and open to seeing just about anything at the last minute, there are outrageous deals to be had at TKTS. But I digress!

Nic was telling me about the shows he had seen,  and among them was Cursed Child. He couldn't stop gushing over the production quality and effects. He was torn to bits because he wanted to share details, but didn't want to spoil anything. I'm thankful that he held his tongue and we were able to enjoy the production with only expectation of being amazed and not anticipation of when the amazement was about to occur.

With this information in-hand, I searched for tickets that would fit our November cruise schedule and purchased them. (Remember, this is June 2, 2025.)

On June 5, 2025 they announced that Tom Felton would be joining the cast on November 11, 2025. Lourie is a huge fan of Tom's after reading his book. Some people complain that he's just another wealthy "poor child star" whining about his life, but she doesn't share that opinion, choosing to see him as a person struggling to manage the expectations of others.

Our tickets were for November 4 and our cruise returned on November 16. I don't know if it would have been less expensive to see the show then or plan a return trip to see the show. Other than our dinner at LeBernardin, I'm not sure that it wasn't cheaper to return!

Now, back to last November - we're sitting at the gate in LaGuardia, waiting for our flight home after the cruise, and I'm checking out Tom Felton's run thus far in Cursed Child, Originally it was announced that he would appear through March 22, but due to demand he was extended through May 10 on his opening day. Our anniversary is May 5. I now have an excuse to bring Lourie back to New York for an anniversary trip and, potentially, make seeing Tom Felton a complete surprise. As I searched I discovered that Dan Radcliffe would be appearing in "Every Brilliant Thing" From February 21 through May 24. I knew nothing of the show beyond it being a one-man cast with heavy audience participation. But I did know that seeing Tom and Dan perform on the same trip would be viscerally satisfying.

Simply Brilliant!

So I sat with my phone, searching for tickets that intersected within a day or two of each other that were at least leaning towards the affordable end of the price spectrum. Luckily enough there was a matinee of Every Living Thing on April 22 at a price much more digestible than the evening productions, and a pair of fairly reasonable tickets for Cursed Child on April 23.

So, here we are, having a nibble at Pret A Manger before our matinee. The crisp walk of a few blocks provided an additional stretch and we arrived in ample time.

After reaching our seats I was somewhat shocked to see the star of the show scurrying around the theater talking to people. He'd introduce himself simply as "Dan" and offer a handshake, chat for a moment, then rush off to someone else. This continued right up to curtain time. As someone who lives near a movie studio, I've grown accustomed to meeting famous people in random situations and witnessed many uncomfortable interactions. "Dan" managed each encounter deftly and without fanfare, as if it were two people discussing their preferred flavor of ice cream in the grocery aisle. People seemed to be more stunned by his normalcy than his stardom, which I consider praise of the highest order.

Dan

As previously mentioned, we had no idea what the premise of the play consisted of. In summary, it's a story of emotional struggle and growth, as seen from one person's perspective. The story is broad enough in scope that nearly everyone can gain something from it, and most will gain a great deal. We found ourselves moving from laughter to crying, and back, several times during the performance. There were twists and turns, and the audience participation was, dare I say, brilliant. There are warnings that the topic of suicide is mentioned, so please act accordingly if this is a concern. This is a production I would definitely see again, and would be interested in seeing a different lead performer as I think the personal interjections would make the contrast compelling. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and I'm thankful that we had the good fortune for things to come together as they did.

After the play we had a few hours to relax before hopping in a Lyft to another highlight of the trip - dinner at Le Bernardin. I've been a fan of Eric Ripert since I first discovered him, thanks to Top Chef. My first impression was of the classic snobbish French chef. After watching a couple of episodes with him as guest judge I realized I was horribly mistaken and he seemed to be a regular nice guy with a passion for the culinary arts that couldn't be contained. His passion and focus in those days could overwhelm his foundational "good guy" demeanor and sometimes he came across as a bit on the brusque side. As his public persona has grown I think that Chef Ripert has overcome this tendency and communicates his enthusiasm with a disarming, almost a youthful, charm. Eating at his restaurant became a goal many years ago, and I finally had my chance.

Reservations at Le Bernardin at "civilized" hours are not easy to come by unless you plan in advance. Reservations for the month open on the first of the prior month, at 7:00 am online and 9:30 am via telephone. I didn't have any issues making our reservation, but I was online just a few minutes after 7:00 on March 1. Generally speaking you can get a table late in the evening (10:00-10:30 seating) with just a few days notice. Seating in the bar and lounge are on a "first come" basis (come early to avoid a wait) and feature the same quality if not the same selection of dishes.

My original intent (pre-Patsy's) was to indulge in the Chef's Tasting Menu with wine pairings. Unfortunately neither of us had quite the appetite for that, so we "downgraded" (heavy sarcasm) to the more "pedestrian" <cough> four course Prix Fixe menu and a glass of wine.

We've enjoyed several tasting menus of varied themes and influences over the years, in a selection of Michelin-starred restaurants, this being somewhat obviously the only Three Star venue we've visited. If you don't appreciate delicate and subtle, this may not be the place for you. This isn't to imply in any form or fashion that Le Bernardin lacks in any sense of the word, but you're not going to get sensory intensity in the manner of spice or heat. Everything is prepared to perfection, and the flavors are layered and delicate, coupled with textures that inspire adjectives that border on unsuitable for polite company.

Dinner started with an amuse bouche, which, shamefully, I failed to document in any way other than a photo. I blame shock, awe, and being a bit star-struck over actually sitting in the restaurant. I do remember that it was, in all respects, tasty, interesting, and a little challenging - which is what I consider to be the perfect combination. I don't want something I've had before, I want to try something different that the chef has prepared to display his creativity.

Tuna

We didn't make any tasting notes, so you've successfully avoided being bored to tears by inane descriptions of each dish, and I won't beat you about the shoulders with photos of every dish. Suffice it to say that nearly everything we had was the best of that particular preparation that we've ever had, with, perhaps, one exception, which I'll point out as I move through the dishes.

For the first course (entitled "almost raw" on the menu) Lourie selected the Crab Salad. It was presented as a perfectly round stack of layered ingredients with remoulade and sauce placed to the side, allowing you to build a bite of your preference. I enjoyed (and I do mean ENJOYED) the Tuna. It literally melted in my mouth, in both flavor and texture. I could have eaten a pound of this without regret.

Tuna Tataki

The second course ("barely touched") consisted of tuna for Lourie (Tataki-style in this case) and the Scallop-Sea Urchin for me. Tuna Tataki is a favorite in our house; rarely does it appear on a menu and not get ordered. Even in the aftermath of the previous dinner Lourie managed to devour this with eyes rolled-back in her head. If I had to name my least-favorite dish of the evening, it was the Scallop-Sea Urchin. I anticipated an umami-bomb with the underlying sweetness of fresh scallop. Between the Sea Urchin and the broth the sweetness of the Scallops got lost. Texturally the dish was wonderful, flavor-wise it was nice, but lacked the depth and breadth I anticipated. Certainly not a "bad" dish, just the least remarkable of an array of world-class plates. I didn't take notes, but the dish is memorable in it's distinctiveness.

Dover Sole

For the main ("lightly cooked") I had no choice. It simply had to be the Dover Sole. Any lack of amazement that I may have experienced in any other dish was eliminated by this plate of amazing flavor and delicacy. The Dover Sole exceeded my already high expectations. Lourie chose the lobster, which she reported was likely the best preparation she had ever enjoyed. While the Dover Sole was light and delicate in texture, the flavor was broad and rich. I've seen Chef Ripert prepare this dish many times on television and in videos, but had no idea it would be as good as it is.

Peruvian Dark Chocolate

After basking in the afterglow of our main courses, we casually moved on to dessert. I chose the Pistachio, which was a lightly sweetened nougat that complemented the preceding dishes perfectly. Lourie selected the Peruvian Dark Chocolate, and absolutely swooned over it. The light and delicate adornment was an enigma - almost a pressed powder in texture as compared to a molded liquid. I'm no fan of dark chocolate (I attribute that to my Y chromosome) but a taste of this substantiated the praise I was witnessing across the table. I paired my dessert with a glass of Tokaji, an incredible wine from (primarily) Hungary that can be challenging to find. We were introduced to it about ten years ago at Victoria & Albert's in Walt Disney World. Tokaji is a sweet wine made from grapes affected by noble rot,  it covers a range from the traditional syrupy dessert examples to a more modern dry presentation. My glass was along the middle of the sweet-dry spectrum and thoroughly enjoyable.

It's easy to be intimidated when dining in an establishment of this acclaim in a city such as New York. You may be sitting with a hedge fund manager on one side, who eats here weekly, and a couple on the other side celebrating a milestone with a once-in-a-lifetime experience - there's no way to know. We started the evening with two young gentlemen next to us, celebrating a birthday. One was about to get married and the other was anticipating the arrival of his first child. We were celebrating 36 years of marriage and had a three-month old grandson at home, which facilitated a little friendly conversation. Our experience exceeded our already lofty expectations in every regard and I hope to return in the not-too-distant future to partake in the tasting menu.

We hopped in another Lyft for the return to our hotel neighborhood, hopping out a a block away to stroll through Times Square and allow our dinner to settle a bit. We returned to our room for a much more restful evening than the night before, sated but not stuffed to the point of misery.

New York rarely fails to deliver a day filled with memories, usually good ones. This day ranked among the very best.

EPCOT and Victoria & Albert's

 7 February 2024

Spaceship Earth, SLJ-style

Hump day. After two days of going strong we needed a breather. My wife opted to stay behind for rest and extended ice therapy on her ankle so I made my way to EPCOT for our time slot on Guardians of the Galaxy with #2 son and #3 nephew. I'm not a particular fan of the movie franchise, but when Disney spends as much time building an attraction this large I'm not about to pass it up.

When we arrived at the park we tried to sneak in a ride on Soarin', but the app completely botched our Lighting Lane slots. Just one of many failures in the system that happened over the course of the week. While I applaud the integration of technology, especially when it improves the guest experience, it did very little to improve our experience while introducing a massive amount of annoyance and frustration. As a computer scientist it reminds me of a senior project that wasn't tested very well. One moment you could see a subset of your group, the next time you might see a completely different subset, and a third time you were likely to see another subset consisting of some from the first group and some from the second group. But you could never see your entire group at once. When you tried to use Genie or  Lightning features it would allow you to add someone to one attraction, but not another, and the same problem would occur with another person, but in reverse. And no, those people didn't already have reservations for attractions that caused the problem. As I told Disney in a survey they sent me for the app:

"Visiting Walt Disney World is no longer magical. These days you purchase a $100+ scratch-off and then try to navigate the worst app in history to game the worst system ever devised only to end up frustrated and disappointed. Bring back the ticket books, this sucks. Enough with the Genie, LightningLane, Virtual Queue, Standby, extra cheese, supersize nonsense. You've made things so complicated that a visit is no longer fun, it's an exercise in logistics and planning."

Grinning on Guardians

As lousy as the app is, Guardians of the Galaxy is as good as the app is bad. Unfortunately I only had one opportunity to ride, and there was so much to take in it's all a blur. For a non-inversion coaster it is just off the charts. You'll get a random musical accompaniment (I've learned this, not experienced it) as you zip through the ride. If you're not grinning ear-to-ear throughout this adventure then I suggest having yourself screened for a stroke. The next time I'm back in EPCOT I'll do everything I can to ride this at least twice, just so I can get a better grasp on what happens. 

After Guardians we reconnected with the rest of our party at The Seas with Nemo & Friends. This aquarium is larger in diameter than Spaceship Earth (the "EPCOT ball") and holds 5.7 million gallons - which now makes it the second largest saltwater tank in the world, behind the Georgia Aquarium, which opened in 2005. It houses over 2,000 animals from dozens of species. If you're a certified SCUBA diver you can sign up to dive the aquarium: Disney Dive Quest The last time I participated all proceeds from the program benefitted the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund – Disney did not profit from the program at all. I have no reason to believe that this has changed, but have not heard definitively. In addition to the actual dive you get a full pre-dive presentation and briefing and a backstage tour unavailable anywhere else.  All dive gear is provided (if you're human, they have a shorty that will fit you) but they do allow personal dive masks, if you like. This is primarily a consideration for those who have prescription masks, but if you prefer to use your own, you may. I took mine both times. The rules are stringent to protect the animals, but the staff is purely Disney in their enforcement – they'll tell you how it is, but in such a polite manner you won't even consider being offended.

After visiting Nemo I made my way back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. #2 son had never eaten at Victoria & Albert's, and we had reservations. 

Miyazaki A5 Wagyu

I tried to get reservations in the Queen Victoria Room, but it was fully booked. Fortunately we were able to enjoy the same menu in the main dining room. This option was not available in the past and, while the service is elevated in the QV room, thanks to the guest/server ratio, service in the main dining room is still among the best you will ever experience. The Chef's Dégustation Menu consisted of 11 courses, including desserts. The courses consist of caviar, king crab, quail, Wagyu beef, venison, and lamb, to name a few ingredients. Each dish is thoughtfully conceived, sourced, created, and presented. I've eaten here more times than I care to admit, and I have never had a single bite that was disappointing. 

Sunset over Bay Lake

Disney Wedding!

We've been to Disney plenty of times over the years, but never for a wedding. When our oldest son and his fiancé opted to tie the knot at the Happiest Place on Earth we thought it was a pretty good idea. It certainly simplified many things! They planned to have the ceremony at the Grand Floridian with the Magic Kingdom in the background, so most of the guests chose to stay at the resort, adding to the festivity of the occasion.

As things go, the event was not without a few challenges! The day of our arrival (Tuesday) we had reservations for dinner in the Queen Victoria room at Victoria & Alberts. We thought this would be a great way to start things off and a particular treat for our culinary-graduate son. If you consider yourself a foodie and want to experience the meal of a lifetime then take the plunge and make reservations. Not only is the food some of the most amazing you will ever experience, the service is off the charts as well. If you appreciate wine then go whole-hog and add on the wine pairing option. For most people this is a one-time experience and, in my opinion, it's worth it. We dined with them for our tenth anniversary, many years ago, so we were very much looking forward to a return visit. The challenge, you ask? Well, Victoria & Alberts is a coat & tie venue and our luggage didn't arrive with us.

DOH!

Unsure of when it might join us, I called the restaurant manager and explained the situation. She was outrageously helpful and insisted that we not give it a moment's additional thought. If the luggage arrived, wonderful. If it didn't arrive then she would see us at the appointed time and that was that. She wasn't about to let an airline snafu ruin our plans or cast a shadow on the beginning of what should be a joyous celebration. As luck would have it, our luggage arrived about 30 minutes before our reservation. Just enough time to clean up and change! The food and wine were everything we remembered and the service was even better than before. Inventive dishes consisting of unusual and rare ingredients (not the same as bizarre and strange ingredients, mind you) are presented with a flair and a complete description of where the components originated and how they were selected and prepared. The wines, some of which are always on my list of "not favorites" are impeccably paired, to the point that even the wines that I don't usually enjoy are quite delectable.

Wednesday was enjoyable and low-stress. While some family trickled in during the day, we spent our time at EPCOT, indulging in the variety and deliciousness of the Food & Wine Festival. Small bites and libations from around the globe (not just the World Showcase countries) are offered from kiosks spaced every 50 feet or so around the World Showcase Lagoon. This is the second time we've visited during Food & Wine and we still haven't managed to sample everything, but with rare exception everything we've sampled has been wonderful. Each afternoon and evening there are concerts on the stage of the America Gardens Theater, so you can relax, digest, and enjoy a beverage before continuing your culinary assault.

Thursday morning was rehearsal time and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We congregated on the patio and did a walk-through of the ceremony with the requisite harassment of the betrothed. The rest of the family arrived throughout the day while we enjoyed the parks prior to hosting a cocktail hour in the evening for the wedding party. Once again, the staff of the Grand Floridian exceeded our expectations and helped to pull off an enjoyable event with minimal effort required on our part.

By Friday morning everyone had arrived and we had a full-scale wedding party in full swing. Most of us ventured back to EPCOT (there was food and wine, after all!) and a majority of the group enjoyed dinner in the German pavilion, complete with LARGE servings of beer. Not wanting to over-do things prior to the Saturday morning wedding we erred on the side of caution and headed back to the resort at a reasonable hour.

Saturday dawned less than ideal for an outdoor ceremony. By less than ideal I mean wet, and by wet I mean a tropical storm was brewing. The wind was whipping and rain was coming down by the bucket full. The ever-attentive, courteous, and efficient Disney Cast Members were at the ready with enclosed golf carts to shuttle the wedding party to the substitute venue at the conference center. While not as picturesque as a dockside venue with Cinderella's castle in the distance, the substitute venue provided plenty of room for all the guests in a comfortable (and dry!) environment. The storm escalated to the point that they honeymooners spent the first night of their Disney cruise securely tied to the pier at Port Canaveral, waiting for the weather to pass. Rain on your wedding day is supposed to be a good omen. I haven't heard any prophecies with respect to torrential tropical systems and must admit that this was a first in our family. The plan was for the wedding attendees to join the newlyweds in the Magic Kingdom for an afternoon of fun and frivolity. We made a strong effort, but the rain was simply too much for many. Even with the ubiquitous Mickey ponchos we were soaked to the bone in a matter of minutes and keeping track of a large group in a mass of people who are all wearing the same rain gear is the epitome of frustration. Those who stuck it out had great fun while the others retired for hot showers, dry clothes, and a fortifying adult beverage.

As Murphy's Law would dictate, Sunday dawned dry and mostly sunny. EPCOT was back on the agenda (still trying to visit all the kiosks!) and the crowds were moderate. After the energy and latent stress of the wedding it was a nice change of pace to stroll around World Showcase with just a few family members. Monday was get-away day for the rest of the family and after seeing everyone off to the airport we spent a few more hours at EPCOT, wrapping up a few loose ends and sampling the remaining items on our list.

If you, or a member of your family, are looking for a destination wedding and have an affinity for Disney then give it a look. You'll certainly not have any worries about keeping guests entertained and they do an excellent job of taking care of the details. It comes with a Disney price tag, of course, but for a small event the convenience is (nearly) priceless.