After day 1's midnight adventures, I awoke the next morning at 9:30 am after only having gotten 4.5 hours of sleep. I wasn't going to let that faze me. It was a shower and out the door within an hour and Robyn and I were on our way to the New Amsterdam Market by the South Street Seaport.
When we got there, I was already pretty hungry, and even though we were going to the Shake Shack later. I knew I needed something to tide me over. Insanely enough, I decided that the first thing I should eat in the morning was oysters. Bad choice? I think not! My only complaint was that they didnt have any tabasco around. I could have used a stronger pick me up in the morning.
I then proceeded to sample almost everything I could think of at the Market, in the process scaring poor Robyn with my amazing powers of ingestion... On the menu was, a brisket sandwich, a watermelon mint verbana popsicle, sausage, hard cider, some chocolate... and errr.. part of a plum scone from Saltie. With the New Amsterdam Market conquered it was time to make the trek to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.
Juice was already in line by the time we got there. I was sooo ready for a Shack Stack... the line was long, but it was a beautiful day and it gave me a little extra time to digest my previous meal. However, soon the moment arrived that I would taste the awesomeness that is the Shack Stack. A cheeseburger and mushroom burger in one. It is.... absolutely fantastic. Soft potato roll, crispy mushroom patty, cheesy, At one point I swear I lost the ability to process language and was enjoying that burger so much that when Juice said something to me, I told him, "I can't understand a word you're saying right now. All I hear is angels singing in my head." Some other notable taste sensations from Shake Shack was Juice's peanut butter and chocolate milkshake, and the purple cow. A grape soda and vanilla custard float.
With out hunger sated, it was time to hit up the Top of The Rock! The view up there was beautiful, but the three of us agreed that it would probably be better at night.
This is actually the ceiling of the elevator going to the observation deck. The lights go off when you're going up and you;'re treated to a pretty light show.
Oh, and while we were there, the NYPD chopper buzzed both the Rockefeller Center and the Empire State building. He hovered there for a while so we could take pictures of him.
After the Rockefeller Center, we had some time to waste before meeting Dinh again at Grand Sichuan. So we stopped by Books Kinokuniya. Where I found two rather interesting books.
Buying both together would probably be the best. So you can read one, and that gives you the vocabulary to fill in the other one. After filling out the log, then you could use the other as reference to tell you what is actually going on in your bowels.... books of poo = WIN!
It was finally time to go to Grand Sichuan... it was an enjoyable meal. The Sichuan side really shows in their dishes. It's tasty, not subtle at all, and the inclusion of sichuan peppercorns in fried vegetables gave it a rather awesome taste. I quite fancied it. The star dish was the cold cucumber. Cold cucumbers, salt, sesame oil, garlic and scallion juice. Refreshingly light, yet has enough substance from the sesame oil. Fantastic.
After dinner, it was time for everyone to go their separate ways, except Juice and I decided to go to the Highline. The High Line is a public park built on a 1.45-mile-long elevated rail structure running from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street on Manhattan's West Side. I don't know what to say about it, other than. If you're there. GO.
On our way out of the park, there happened to be fireworks coming from the Jersey shore. We couldn't figure out what is was for, but I took pictures anyway.
After the park closed, Juice and I walked around for a bit down by the piers and saw these 2 seating art pieces. Rather kewl.
There wasn't much to do by now, and I was tired from the previous 2 days of adventure. Time to go home....
Continued on... Day 3