Ristorante Morini Review

I was invited by Krista of NYC Talon to join her for lunch at Ristorante Morini a few months back. So much going on these days, it has taken a while for me to show you! It is an amazing Italian restaurant by Chef Michael White. 

Homemade focaccia bread and olive oil are always a real treat 

This was my appetizer, we had 3 courses for lunch, sometimes they offer a prix fixe which is a good deal. You can also purchase on Groupon when offered, which is becoming my favorite app lately. 

These meatballs were so amazing, I can't being to tell you. My Mom would have really loved this place, the food is really quite sublime! 

BOCCONCINI 

tomato-braised chicken-eggplant meatballs, mozzarella di bufala , basil

 TONNO bigeye tuna tartare, crispy fingerlings, radish, parsnip crema

Krista had the TONNO which she was was very good, I have to experiment more with these types of dishes. 

MILANESE crispy veal cutlet, spring salad, bruschetta, aged balsamico

Krista's main course was the veal cutlet, something that was a staple in my Italian home. My Mom would make loads of these and they would take them to a small cottage near a lake and enjoy the cutlet on an Italian roll. My Dad loved it for lunch as well, so darn good! The portion here was very generous size. 

SEA BASS grilled sea bass, cauliflower, pinenuts, golden raisins, saba

I am becoming a real lover of Sea Bass, and this was so amazing. The flavors really were exploding in my mouth! A beautiful, healthy and tasty dish! 

Vanilla panna cotta with citrus, pistachio, toasted meringue, and blood orange granita.

This was good, but, I felt a bit too orange for me. They were actually little mini meringues throughout which were ADORABLE! 

Budino featured Gianduja, chocolate crema, banana, and hazelnut gelato

This was Krista's dessert, and although I didn't get to try it, looked amazing. Chocolate anything makes me smile.

I really enjoyed this restaurant, and will be back for sure, as it is near many  museums on the Upper East Side. They offer a Sunday Supper family style dinner for $49.00 which seems very reasonable to me for the food you will enjoy. Chef Michael White has about 7 restaurants now in New York City, and I think more are in store. Good for us!

Address: 1167 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10028

Phone:(212) 249-0444

Hours: 

Saturday	5:30–10:30PM
Sunday	11:30AM–9:30PM
Monday	12–10PM
Tuesday	12–10PM
Wednesday	12–10PM
Thursday	12–10PM
Friday	12–10:30PM

Reservations: opentable.com

Menu: ristorantemorini.com

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Happy Memorial Day 2016

A fabulous collage of the lovely US Flag on this Memorial Day. A wonderful tribute to all those who have served in our military to allow us our freedoms. Many of my Uncles served, my Dad did not due to his health, and I have many photos from their travels. We owe quite a bit to these brave folks, and should think of them highly on this holiday!

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Dessert Shopping in New York City

Dessert shopping? I think that is a great idea, especially in NYC ! The above wonderful cakes are from Lady M in The Food Hall at the Plaza Hotel. 

More from the Plaza Food Hall, at Payard, they are almost too pretty to eat 

I think I could get over it after a while, these are worth going off your diet for a day! 

I am obsessed with Paris Baguette! I love the colors and designs of their wonderful desserts! 

Maison Kayser is just silly for dessert! They are great for savory foods too but if you are dessert shopping, this is a must-stop! 

These Yumballs were located at the Plaza Food Hall and Three Tarts .....they are just amazing! 

Yes, more from Paris Baguette I just can't help myself ! 

If you are a serious dessert person, this fun set from Sprinkles would be great to own! 

As much as I want to like their cupcakes, I am not over the moon with them. I tried some of their cookies and actually thought they were better than the cupcakes! Go figure! 

Maison Kayser again and a Saint=Honore which is pure heaven! 

Paris Baguette is my new obsession - I confess 

Red velvet eclair at Pomme Palais 

Yes, it had a cream cheese filling - makes you very happy !! 

I never met a macaron tower I didn't like, this one was found at our favorite Woops! in Port Authority!

It is very easy to do a dessert tour all on your own. There are so many great places in the city, and if you have folks to join you, you can share all the yummy selections! I think I now need to go find a cupcake!!

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Throwback Thursday " 5th Avenue in 1905"

Another great photo from Howards Hollow website, 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, in 1905. There is so much detail in this photo! The horse drawn carriages, those great hats on the gentlemen, and the gorgeous architecture which we still enjoy today! I really need to order some of these amazing photos and frame them for my walls at home. What a treat to enjoy these on a regular basis! If only that DeLorean car really was a time machine! I would be first in line to take a ride. Would you?

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Lotte New York Palace Hotel Review

Here we are with another hotel review! I must say, it is pretty neat seeing what the various hotels in the city offer, or don't offer. The Lotte New York Palace is a historic building on Madison Avenue. I am in and out of their lobby many times as it is near where my bus picks up when I am in the city for the day. You can check out my photos of the gorgeous lobby on this blog! Their courtyard and the shop Pomme Palais have been featured here many times as well. To say I was excited to finally stay here was putting it mildly.  

I had one of their corner rooms with the St Pat's view, which was amazing. The room was a very large size, plenty for one to two people.  

Positives: 

• No Resort Fee (as of 06/25/19) 
• Catherdal views if in one of the rooms which offer the view
• Location near many attractions and shopping 
• Molton Brown products in the bathroom
• Room ready when I arrived at 10:37
• Home feel to room, liked the wood decor 
• 2 door size mirrors, 1 large closet with safe 
• Comfortable bed 

Negatives:

• Fee for Wi-fi, even in the lobby, except if staying in The Towers 
• No full size spa for a hotel of this magnitude  
• Business Center small and printing boarding passes can be difficult 
• No Water bottles for free in the room
• No fresh flowers in the room 
• Waited 10 min on hold to request early check in, had to call back When calling for room service, had to let it ring about 30 times before someone answered 
• Could hear next room talking on phone and adjusting their shades 
• Pomme Palais closes at 5pm daily and there is no restaurant in the hotel 

Lotte New York Palace

455 Madison Ave at 50th Street
New York, NY 10022
212-888-7000

909 guestrooms  
Location: Midtown East
Non-Smoking Hotel
Five Star Hotel
7,000 square foot Fitness Center with yoga mats
Full Service Business Center
WiFi (fee)
Pets are allowed, fees involved
Trip Advisor Ranking 99 of 471 (as of 05/15/16)
Trivago Rating 90 out of 100 (as of 05/15/16)
Price Range: $276 - $885 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room) US Dollars

Hotel prices are at their lowest in the months of January and February; their highest September and October. Sunday nights are the lowest prices for hotel rooms, in most cases. My go to places for checking prices for hotels are Trivago, Trip Advisor, Hotels.com and Travelzoo. I am learning quite a bit about booking hotels during this process of featuring different hotels on this blog. 

Always remember to check the hotel's website itself, they are really trying to have you book direct and sometimes offer specials or a discount with AAA that is cheaper than the websites I mentioned above. I am also finding that if you book on your mobile device, you can save some money as well. I actually got a better rate via my mobile phone than using my AAA discount online direct at the hotel. You should really do some research on your price for hotel a few different ways, and ALWAYS book a room that you can cancel, you never know what may happen in the future. 

Remember to take into account for your total cost the NYC Hotel tax of 14.75% plus Daily $2.00 per room occupancy fee.

Would I stay at the Lotte New York Palace again? I would say if you can get this hotel for under $300, it's a good deal. If you are looking for a premium 5-star hotel, I would make another choice. I was very disappointed in the stay, just the little things I felt should be better for a hotel of this level. I actually got a better deal booking directly with the hotel than on hotels.com which I found interesting. I would suggest to you to always check the hotel site to see what they are offering before you book with another site. Comparing is always good, and can save you some money in the end.

My rating for this hotel, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being perfect in every way, is a 6. 

Be sure to sign up for my future posts, so you do not miss the next hotel review. You can also follow me on Instagram for live photos during my stay, and see where the next stay will be! 

Disclosure: This stay was paid for by me. I will always state at the end of each review whether my stay was paid for by myself or if I was hosted by the hotel. I will honestly tell you about my experience at this hotel, not being swayed in any way by complimentary services. I know you value my opinion, and it is important to me to be as honest as possible. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much.

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Tiffany Clock in Flatiron District

We are back in what is becoming my favorite part of the city, the flatiron district. 

Is this not gorgeous? Makes you feel spring/summer is around the corner!  

I decided to take a photo of this gorgeous clock to show you, one of those things I walk by dozens of times, and kind of take for granted. It's so lovely, isn't it?  

From 1909, and a landmark since 1981. How cool to think folks from 1909 have been looking at the same beautiful clock as we do! I just love that whole idea, how lucky are we??  

There are so many new shops and restaurants in this area, it should be a must see when you visit the city. If you have already been to the flatiron area, what is your favorite place? Do tell .........

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