A warm day in NYC

 

Today, RQS and I met in the city to have a birthday lunch at a nice restaurant.  The company was perfect, but the weather was not - it was too damned hot for comfort.  This is why we chose the Grand Brasserie at Grand Central.  And it was the perfect setting for "Ladies who Lunch."  

We first heard of this place through the UA Eats YouTube channel.  The restaurant has a nice Prix-Fixe deal which set $35 as a base price for lunch there.  (Trust me, you WILL spend more!)  So, I got showered, made up, and dressed in a new dress from Universal Standard, then out the door I went.

It usually takes 15 minutes from the time I call for a taxi to the time it arrives.  So I knew that I had to be ready by 11:10 for a 11:42 train, as the cab could arrive any time within 20 minutes of the call. Luckily, the cab arrived when I expected it, and I was at the station in time to catch the train I wanted.  While on the train, I noticed that I had lost a good pair of reading glasses.  So I made it a point to call RQS to being my pair from her place AND to walk over to a drug store (assuming I had time) and buy an overpriced replacement pair.

Arriving at Grand Central at 12:35 (or so), I decided to brave the heat and walk over to either CVS or Walgreens/Duane Reade.  Since the latter was closest to Grand Central, I bought a replacement pair for $28 - easily twice the price I'd have paid for similar glasses at Walmart.  But I digress.  Walking back to Grand Central's waiting room, I passed through the food market wishing I could take some of the offerings home to cook.  Then, I reached the waiting room, and killed a few minutes before RQS met me around 1:10.

 

 

 

Our next stop was the Grand Brasserie.  We were both a little warm from our travails, and sat down to eat.  We looked at the Prix-Fixe menu, and noticed that two of the courses had surcharges: The Oysters and the Steak Frites.  Couple this with 2 iced teas each, and the base bill was roughly $140.  (I made sure to take care of the tip, as RQS was treating me to lunch.)   Although the service was a little spotty, we would go here again.  

The oysters were some of the best I've ever had.  Their taste was strong, as if fresh from the sea an hour ago. The steak was good, but not exactly what I was looking for.  (Next time, I'll try the salmon, as I was not impressed with the idea of having an omelette for lunch.)  Too bad that I didn't get pictures of the Ice Cream that RQS had or the Sorbet that I had.  Both were perfect ways to end the meal.

Just after leaving the restaurant, we encountered a photo shoot in progress.  Who and why we did not know.  But it was one of the typical things visitors to Grand Central will see while in the terminal.  I kissed RQS goodbye, and we were off to our respective houses.  I could have used more time to nap on the train, but that's another story for another day....
 

The Doctor, the car and the board

 

The last things I wanted to do today were to visit my doctor, to get my car serviced, and to be at my co-op's board meeting.  Yet, I scheduled all 3 things for today, as I'd avoid having to switch back and forth between male and female presentations.  

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The day started with a visit to my doctor.  Every month or two, he monitors my vitals and adjust my prescriptions as needed. My alarms were set for 60-90 minutes before the appointment, so that I could dash into the shower, shower and dress, then make it to the doctor's office by 10 am.  I did just that, and made it to the office by 10 am.  Just one hitch - my appointment was for 10:30 am.  At least, I was out of the office by 11 am, and had time to relax at home before my next appointment for the day - car service.

I was semi-conscious between 11:30 am and 1 pm, and didn't get out of the house until 1:15 pm.  Luckily, I wasn't kept waiting at the dealership for service.  However, I had to wait until 3 pm to get my car and make a stop at Walmart before going home for the day.  There was still some time to kill before the co-op board meeting, and I killed it well.

Around 5:30 pm, I fired up the co-op's zoom account, and started our zoom meeting.  The board's president brought us up to date on events, and then we interviewed an applicant to purchase an apartment.  After this, the general business part of the meeting started, and I made it a point to make sure that the rest of the board look at a document of mine and review it ASAP, as we need to send it to our managing agent. 

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Good news came to me today - I received an email from Fed-Ex telling me that the printer I sent in for servicing will arrive on my doorstep on two days.  YAY!  Although I expect to be having a late lunch with a friend, I will finally be able to be back to normal in things requiring the use of a computer.

Tomorrow, I'll be heading into NYC to have lunch with RQS at the French Restaurant in Grand Central Terminal, the Grand Brasserie. RQS and I first heard of this place while viewing a video on the YouTube UA Eats channel.  This reviewer does not enter restaurants looking for ultimate experiences. Instead, he is an "every man" reviewer, experiencing each restaurant from the point of view of someone who rarely dines at fancy restaurants, who wants to get a really enjoyable meal for money spent.  Like him or hate him, his appeal is his personality, and not a well educated taste palette. He's one of the rare content creators who I might pay to see his videos.  Let's hope that his review of this restaurant is on target....