nyc day 2

Day 2 in NYC
Woke up today after IW had gone off to study and ventured out by myself in the Big Apple. I walked over to Ground Zero and decided it was too sad to try and take a picture of it. However, there were plenty of tourists doing so. IW hosted a party at her place this evening with appy's and chocolate fondue so we headed out for a day of grocery shopping and prep work. I couldn't wait to see what a NY market would be like. We hit Fairway on the upper west side after being whisked to our destination via the subway. I really love not having to drive! We walked by H and H bagels so I had to stop in and try one. It was tough and a little like day old bread. Definitely not my kind of bagel. Fairway was insanely busy with narrow aisles and too many people and shopping carts, but a good selection of products (minus the west coast emphasis on 'organic'). There'll be pictures that I'll update with later. The products were the same for the most part as some of my favorite places in Seattle.
After getting back to IW's I made steak au poivre with a quick beef stock, 2003 MontGras Cab, Syrah reduction - recommended at a tiny wine shop that IW and I stumbled across in Soho last night - and cream sauce served over sauteed vidalia onions and sauteed asparagus. Yummy and quick. We then started prepping salsa, cutting fruit for the chocolate fondue and served a brie and manchego with crackers. There was plenty of wine and good conversation at the party and not a single person out of the 15 or so people was a native New Yorker. I did manage to meet someone who promised to show me some of the good restaurants in Brooklyn. Can't wait!