Eating the Big Apple: JW Marriott Essex House

***This is part 3 of my "Eating the Big Apple" trip report detailing my recent visit to New York City last month***

1. Looking for Food Heaven? Its At Smorgasburg
2. Dinner at Per Se
3. JW Marriott Essex House
4. Eating Our Way Through NYC
5. United Airlines: BusinessFirst Class JFK-SFO
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We were only in town for two nights and while the first night was spent at a friend's apartment in the West Village, the next day we headed up-town toward Central Park for a short one night stay at the JW Marriott Essex House. While I've had many recent experiences with Hilton / Hyatt / Starwood, Marriott is one chain that I just haven't stayed at very often. In fact I think my last stay at a Marriott was over five years ago. But since it was the recommended hotel for my wife's team we didn't look around at any other options.

The hotel is actually quite close to Colombus Circle where we had dinner the night before, and is in a great location if you're planning to spend some time around Central Park. It's also close-by to all of the 5th Avenue shopping and there are some great food options nearby which I'll be detailing in a future post. Since it was still early, we spent some time walking around before checking-in and checked out the hotel vicinity.

Apple store near Central Park

Strolling through Central Park

Walking along Central Park South

The Peninsula Hotel

The hotel's main entrance is on Central Park South between 7th Ave and Avenue of Americas and there is another smaller entrance on W 58th St. We checked in and headed up to our assigned room on the 10th floor. As a lowly Marriott Silver which I received through the complimentary reciprocal status match between Marriott/United, as expected no upgrade or special amenities were provided. Since our room was on a low floor on the opposite side of the park, unfortunately we weren't able to enjoy some of the Central Park views that the hotel is known for.

JW Marriott Essex House main entrance on Central Park South

Main lobby - check-in desk

Walkway to elevators

Hotel hallway

By NYC standards, the room was actually quite large and certainly comfortable enough for two people. Our standard room had lovely views of some concrete enclosure or roof top on the opposite side of the park. There was a large king bed along with a day bed, a desk/work area, and a small bar area next to the bed. While everything was clean and tidy, the room and the decor certainly felt a bit dated and it probably due for a refresh in the near future.

Standard king room

Bathroom

Aromatherapy Associates toiletries

Overall, a perfectly fine stay at the JW Marriott Essex House. But at a price tag of over $500 a night, even by NYC-standards it didn't feel like we were getting very good value for the price and wouldn't be a hotel that I'd recommend if other comparably priced options are available to you.

For the seasoned NYC veterans out there, what is your go-to hotel?

Eating the Big Apple: Dinner at Per Se

***This is part 2 of my "Eating the Big Apple" trip report detailing my recent visit to New York City last month***

1. Looking for Food Heaven? Its At Smorgasburg
2. Dinner at Per Se
3. JW Marriott Essex House
4. Eating Our Way Through NYC
5. United Airlines: BusinessFirst Class JFK-SFO
________________________________________

Each time my wife and I go on a trip we try to squeeze in as much eating as humanly possible. If we're really lucky that will include a fine dining meal at a restaurant on our bucket list, which includes many of San Pellegrino's "The Worlds 50 Best". Even though we were only in town for 48 hours, as luck would have it we were able to score a last-minute reservation at Per Se. While our reservation was on the same day as our visit to Smorgasburg, the silver lining was that it wasn't until 9:45pm so we had at least a few hours to try and digest before eating again.

Per Se is a Thomas Keller restaurant and the East Coast sibling of The French Laundry which is located in wine country in Northern California. While The French Laundry is set in a cottage-style setting, Per Se is as urban as it gets located right in the middle of the Time Warner Center near Columbus Circle. We had a few minutes to kill before dinner, so we did a quick stroll around Columbus Circle before heading up, and even made a giant new friend along the way.

Time Warner Center Entrance

Made a giant new friend on the way to dinner

"Fast and Furious"-style action shot at Columbus Circle

The restaurant is located on the 4th floor and starts with an entryway that leads to beautiful blue double-doors leading into the restaurant. There is a rather large waiting room and bar area which was empty when we arrived, presumably since we had one of the last reservations for the evening. We were led directly into the main dining room which is elegantly decorated and set up in a theater-style format with all tables overlooking Columbus Circle.

Entryway to Per Se on the 4th floor of the Time Warner Center

Entrance to Per Se

Dining room at Per Se

As described on Per Se's website, each day a nine-course tasting menu is created with the philosophy of creating a sense of surprise for diners. That means that while there are a couple main-stays, the menu changes daily and you don't really know what you'll be eating until you arrive. After being seated, we were presented with the menu and chatted with the sommelier to get recommendations on the best pairings for that night's menu.

Shortly after, it was showtime and the food started coming, and coming, and coming. In total, counting the amuse bouche, multiple desserts, and petit fours we probably had around 15-courses spread across the next three hours. The food was fantastic and service throughout was sharp and polished, but perhaps more than we would have liked since it made things seem overly formal to the point that it felt like we were dining with the Crawley's at Downton Abbey.

Here's a summary of all the food - sorry for the strange lighting in some of the photos:

Smoked salmon amuse bouche

Thomas Keller's signature dish - "Oysters and Pearls"

Salad of heirloom cauliflower

Six flavors of salt to choose from

Poached Alaskan salmon

Lobster "Boudin"

Lamb with sunchokes, asparagus, and dates

Dry aged rib-eye with asparagus

Shredded cheese in the shape of a flower

Trio of desserts

Petit fours

Small box of shortbread cookies, made for a great breakfast the next day

Overall, we had a truly lovely and enjoyable meal at Per Se. When you go to a restaurant that's built a reputation for being one of the best, its pretty much a given that the food will be amazing and in that regard Per Se certainly did not disappoint. But other than food, top restaurants can really differentiate themselves on the dining experience, which for us just felt too buttoned-up and corporate. We didn't get that pop of personality that we had enjoyed when we ate at The French Laundry. Perhaps that's just how things are in NYC, so it's a good thing I live out on the West Coast since I'd prefer flip flops and shorts over a suit and tie any day of the week.

Anyone else eaten at Per Se, and how was your dining experience compared to other fine dining restaurants?

Eating the Big Apple: Looking for Food Heaven? Its At Smorgasburg

1. Looking for Food Heaven? Its At Smorgasburg
2. Dinner at Per Se
3. JW Marriott Essex House
4. Eating Our Way Through NYC
5. United Airlines: BusinessFirst Class JFK-SFO
________________________________________

My wife was heading to New York City for a quick 2-day business trip, and I decided to tag along since I'm behind on my quest to re-qualify for Alaska Airlines MVP Gold and a transcon trip from SFO to JFK would certainly help. As an added bonus, we were able to get last minute reservations to Per Se which has been high on our eating bucket list for quite some time.

We were booked on a Saturday night redeye from SFO to JFK on Delta. It's been a really long time since I've flown Delta, but since Alaska Airlines partners with both American Airlines and Delta, it's probably something that I'll be doing more often.  As a benefit of that partnership, we were able to reserve Economy Comfort seats using my Alaska Airlines MVP Gold status, but complimentary upgrades aren't available on the SFO-JFK route.

It's worth mentioning that we were pleasantly surprised by the Delta flying experience - between the seat-back IFE, free sandwiches, and blankets for each seat, it was a welcome change from what we've been accustomed to.

Good night SFO, good morning NYC!

It had been a while since my last domestic redeye and had forgotten how brutal they can be. Major props to all the road warriors who do this week in and week out. We landed around 6am and after crashing for a few hours, were ready to head out and meet up with our good friends Rich and Meenakshi who we had actually met last year at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and have kept in touch with ever since.

They suggested that we check out Smorgasburg which is an outdoor food fair at the Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sundays (Saturdays in Williamsburg) with over 100 vendors. The Brooklyn Bridge Park is a gorgeous location with perfect views of the Manhattan skyline.

By the time we arrived in the early afternoon things were already in full swing. I was like a kid in a candy store and did a full lap around the park, scouting out everything that I wanted to eat. Even though it was crowded, there are so many vendors spread across so much space that aside from a couple spots (ramen burger and grilled cheese in particular), for the most part it was less than a 5 minute wait at each place.

A couple tips: Parking can be a bit hairy as the parking lot next door fills up, so be prepared to spend some time looking or take public transport/taxi. Also, it's cash only so come prepared as the ATM lines were very long.

In terms of the atmosphere, the best way I can describe it is food heaven. Almost anything you can dream up is probably there. Lobster rolls? Fried anchovies? Bacon on a stick!? It's also a nice respite from the hustle and bustle in Manhattan, with a vibe that felt really casual and relaxed.

For any food lovers out there I highly recommend a visit to Smorgasburg. Overall, it's just a fun way to spend a weekend afternoon with friends while enjoying some of the best food and drinks that NYC has to offer all in one place.

Here is the full list of vendors and a few of our favorites:

•  Porchetta - the first thing we ate! Juicy pork and crunchy pork skin inside a soft roll

• Brooklyn Piggies - Mini pigs in a blanket; delicious pork sausage inside a freshly baked buttery crust

•  Asia Dog - hot dogs with an Asian twist; spicy ketchup, kimchi, green onions, and seaweed flakes

• Landhaus - one of my favorites, maple bacon on a stick. Need I say more?

• Red Hook Lobster Pound - best lobster roll I've ever had (which may not be saying much, since the West Coast isn't known for lobster rolls). Buttery, toasted roll packed with fresh Maine lobster

• Parantha Alley - Big dough balls stuffed with meat and veggies, thrown on the griddle and basted in butter. Don't let the whole-wheat sign fool you, nothing healthy here!

• Bon Chovie - Not the typical anchovies you get on pizzas; huge anchovies covered in batter and deep fried

• Milk Truck Grilled Cheese - one of the longest lines, but well worth the wait for grilled cheese perfection

• Jack's Chedbred - if cornbread and a ball of cheese had a baby, you'd get chedbred - this one was a fan favorite among our group

•  Gooey&Co - time to move on to dessert! Gooey, creamy, and buttery cake bites

• Dough - grabbed a donut while waiting in line for People's Pops 

• Monsieur Singh Lassi - perfect way to cool off on a hot, sunny day in Brooklyn. Frozen mango lassi served push-pop style

•  People's Pops - hand-carved shaved ice with cool and unique syrup flavors

After spending a couple hours eating our way through Smorgasburg, the meat sweats were beginning to kick in and I needed to find a place to take a break and cool off. We walked around the block to River Deli which was a perfect place to sit down and chat and of course eat and drink just a little bit more.