While in Manhattan we ventured over to the East Side the one afternoon for lunch. Steve and Nancy had read or been told about a place that was known for their Christmas decorations which were over-the-top. It was someplace new and they knew Jeff would love it. They had made reservations a day-or-so earlier. We arrived right on time; the staff had misplaced the reservation. Luckily, it wasn't a problem and we were seated promptly. They might not have had the reservation but they certainly were decorated to the hilt. As you can see in the bottom four photos; there are a bizillion balls, a bizillion lights and other stuff, too.
I had to ask our server how long it took to put out the display. He told us they waited until they closed at 10PM and set about decorating for hours each night for three weeks. The name of the place is Rolf's. It is located at 3rd and 22nd; I think. It is a German pub. Real German beer and various wursts and brats, too. It was fun and, no doubt, something to see.
That evening Jeff and I went and met other friends in Manhattan, Tom and Janelle, at a small pub down in Lower Manhattan. We read about it in the Zagat guide and it sounded very interesting. It was called the Bridge Cafe and is located on Water Street. The building dates from 1792. The streets are very old and narrow down there. The Brooklyn Bridge crosses into Manhattan just across the street. The pub lies almost beneath it. From the window by my seat I could look up and see the lighted suspension cables above the walkway and traffic lanes going off towards Brooklyn to the right. It was very cool. Tom and Janelle have lived in Manhattan for many years. They had never been there, either. They told us they thought they would try someplace new.
It was very cool. True to what was said in the guide; it was close to the South Street tourist area but there were no visible tourists inside. It was like any small town tavern. You would never guess you were in Manhattan; never guess you were almost under the bridge, either. The atmosphere is casual; the menu fare classic Americana. One item, however, jumped out at both Jeff and I. It was called 'Lobster Pie.' We both had to get it.
The Lobster Pie was just as the name implies; a light puffy pastry pie stuffed with big chunks of lobster in a white sauce with peas, diced potatoes. It was awesome. Janelle was seated across the table from me. I couldn't help but think from her comments as Jeff and I enjoyed them immensely; that maybe they will go back sometime so she can order one, too.
The top photo above was taken of the side of Bridge Cafe from across Water Street as we walked up towards City Hall to catch an uptown bus. As I mentioned, Tom and Janelle have lived in Manhattan for many years. She knows the mass transit system very well. She knows the city very well. This particular bus took us through Alphabet City and the Lower East Side. We passed through Chinatown and past Bellevue Hospital, too. It was fun to have Janelle point out anything of interest along the way. Jeff and I hadn't seen them for quite some time. It was very good to see them. It was a lot of fun.
Hope all's well with everyone.
Stay warm, have fun and take care.
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