NYC-3/27

If I hadn't been so tied up on family and community matters I would have gotten the rest of the New York trip on the Blog sooner. Hope my prioritise have been correct.
Thursday, March 27 was clear and cold. Glad there was little or no precipitation, as you will see.
We left the Apartment around 10:30 AM and returned almost 12 hours later.
We took the subway to West 23rd and walk up and over to some of the glass galleries on West 26, between 10th and 11th Ave. One is an old haunt, from whom we have bought several times in the past and the other was a first time experience. In the new one we found 2 pieces of glass and a piece of Jewelery which all jumped into our check book; they all now reside in our Cincinnati apt.
For lunch we stopped at Bottino, 246 tenth ave.-212-206-6766. Several gallery personnel recommend lunch here as a neighborhood gathering spot. From the outside Bottino looks like a closed bar. Upon entering we found a fairly large pleasant space with a bar and 3 dinning rooms and friendly patrons and staff as well as an outside patio. The menu is Italian and the kitchen is staffed by Orientals, where but in NYC.
Marilyn had Lasagna while I settled for a light pear and green salad and a glass of white Italian wine. I succumbed to a piece of delicious, warm bread, NY bakers sure beat our local efforts. I knew what was ahead at dinner.
The afternoon was spent a several more galleries and two museums which were new to us. All this was in lower Manhattan and was covered by foot, good exercise. One of the Museums was The Tenement Museum and gallery. They show, continuously two films on immigration from the 1830s to the present, and the groups who lived in the tenement, in which the Museum is located.
From the lower East Side we hiked to the Union Square Cafe, 21 East 16th St-646-747-0615, past Cooper Union and NYU. I opened my big mouth, somewhat intentionally, and told them about our wonderful evening at Gramercy Tavern the night before. They decided to top the previous evening, which they almost did. Neither place could be described as "shabby" in food, service or hospitality.
We started with a small flute of Champagne, from the Management, followed by an appetizer, also "on the house". USC was determined not to be out done.
For dinner I had their wonderful bib lettuce salad with Gruyere, a house specialty, and the special Indian spiced Vegetable plate. This is the second time at USC I have chosen a Vegetarian dinner, neither of which disappointed. The Chef, Carmen, sent a piece of Lasagna, for our enjoyment, which we divided into quarters, since there were 4 of us, dining together. We had a beautiful, reasonably priced, bottle of red wine. We finished the meal with coffee and two desserts, one from the Chef, divided amongst us. Outstanding in every way and still Marilyn and my home away from home when dining in NYC. Dinner, tip and tax was a little under $75/person thanks to the USC staffs hospitality.