Shrinkrap would probably love Despana - you can eat in or take out, plus they have take-home-with-you stuff that you can’t find elsewhere.
3 Likes
Spanish is on husband’s short list!
2 Likes
At the moment we have NO plans to cross the blue pond !
We are planning to go to Italia again in January or February 2022 …
We were last in Italy, 2020 - January for a major food and wine trade fair.
There are 2 trade fairs that we wish to attend. So, we shall probably go if all be well …
So I made it last week. Wrote up a somewhat long winded review and being a dope put it on the wrong board. Sutton was right. Sigh.
PM me with a link, why don’t you.
Re: Italian pastries
Ferrara is neat location-wise, with respect to the building and corner.
When it comes to Italian pastries, the pastries at Eataly and at the Leonelli focaccieria (sp?)/pasticceria in the Evelyn Hotel, which are within a half hour walk of Bryant Park, are more delicious.
2 Likes
Taxis are so affordable in NYC. With our group of 8 on my trip with relatives, with ppl aged 22-76, 2 taxis were a better way to get to a restaurant or museum than having come-from-aways attempt to navigate the subway.
I don’t use Ubers. They could work for people who really like using Uber.
Taking NYC taxis is part of the NYC experience for me.
I walk or taxi, and occasionally take the bus or subway.
2 Likes
Agreed, but I don’t think they stop for everybody. I think that’s why I prefer walking.
2 Likes
Ugh. I would hail for you if I could. We use Lyft.
1 Like
@shrinkrap and others: Is it better to start my own NYC thread or hijack this one? Labor Day weekend trip.
1 Like
I LOVE a hijack story! Fine with me!
See if you can snag a table at Ernesto’s (basque).
Otherwise take a cab to La Vara in Bk.
2 Likes
2 Likes
Agree. Only time I ever to Ferrara is with tourists. Coffee is fine, pastries are meh, service is off-putting.
Veniero’s on 1st & 11th is a similar option, usually fewer tourists.
3 Likes
They’ve gotten better. Issue is less the cab not stopping for you as making sure someone else doesn’t step in front and steal the cab, lol.
Had an interesting experience a few weeks ago late at night when I’d been waiting patiently for a while, and a guy with a tiny dog (who had been busy chatting with his friends with similarly tiny dogs after they left a nearby restaurant) gave me the whole outraged shtick. As I got in, I described exactly where they had walked over from and who else had been with them, and then told him that just because he didn’t notice me waiting in his preoccupation didn’t mean he was first. And no, I wasn’t letting him steal my cab.
His mouth fell open, and my cabbie and I had a good chuckle on the way.
This is probably why I recommend Lyft, Via, Uber to visitors.
2 Likes
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that I think you might be pleasantly surprised (but what do I know - if I were any paler, I’d be see-through). Cabdrivers took a massive hit both from the pandemic (when people weren’t leaving home) and before that, from Lyft/Uber. Refusing fares is a lot more economically damaging than it used to be.
Also, if I’m inadvertently being insensitive or offensive or just a dumbass, please feel free to tell me to STFU, and I will.
2 Likes
Yes. Life changing for me and mine. I understand why cabbies got on board. I should probably not be too casual when saying "life changing ".
I’m sorry if that has been the case, and understand what you’re saying. I’ve been lucky in NYC- and I understand that not everyone has had that experience or privilege.
I have taxi horror stories from other cities, esp Rome, Athens, Madrid twice and Nice, not because the cabs didn’t stop to pick me up, but because the drivers I lucked out with were scheisters taking advantage of people who were travellers. I’ve been pretty lucky overall.
I walk everywhere, too. Usually around 20,000- 30,000 steps a day in Manhattan when I visit. I usually wear birks or runners.
We have had some sexual assaults in Canada involving Uber drivers. I suppose every business could have some bad apples unfortunately.
1 Like
I heart that place so much. Note that they’re on vacation from 8/30 - 9/6.
2 Likes
(I enjoy your use of emoji’s) 
1 Like
