Your Nomad-in-Chief made a brief visit to New York last week. These are penurious times and so I was delighted to find a room at the Park 79 Hotel for just $99. It is a basic property: no bar, no restaurant, no business center. But the sheets were clean, the water was hot, and there were plenty of towels so one can’t complain too much. The WiFi was a bit sketchy and the room hot (with no temperature control I could find). Still, it’s not a bad choice if your budget is tight and the Upper West Side is convenient for you (it is just two blocks from the 79th Street subway stop).
I did have two fun meals. One was at Pamplona on 28th Street between Park & Madison. It’s an unpretentious place with a friendly staff and a reasonably priced, interesting menu. This is northern Spanish cuisine, not southern so there’s no paella. Instead, try the confit and roasted chicken breast with butternut squash spatzle or the seared salmon with spinach. There is a good selection of Spanish wines as well.
The other was at Bar Breton on Fifth Avenue just off 28th Street (yes, I stayed on the Upper West and ate my meals in Chelsea, go figure). Again, it’s unpretentious and quiet with a pleasant staff. The galettes (Breton crepes) are wonderful. I had one with braised lamb and winter vegetables.
And since these three places save you so much money, you can treat yourself to a cocktail at the bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. I was there with a fellow Nomad and we had a lovely time looking down on Central Park.
What are your current favorite spots in New York?
