Tuesday, October 17^th: Deborah and I drove to Buffalo Airport to take a JetBlue flight to JFK New York. The purpose of the two-day trip is to have dinner with our cousin Paul and to attend the 20th anniversary dinner of Grapes for Humanity Global to be held at a private apartment on East 57^th Street.

We checked in to The Elysée Hotel on East 54^th and went to lunch at Fig & Olive (10 E 52^nd Street). Deborah ordered a kale, pear, fig and pecan salad and I chose the avocado and fresh pea toast, which we enjoyed with a glass of Licia Albariño 2021. When I asked the waiter to bring the bottle so that I could take a photo of the bottle, there was about three inches of wine left. He topped up our glasses to empty (and got a good tip!)

Deborah’s salad

My avocado dish

After lunch, we wandered over to MOMA and spent a couple of hours enjoying the art before heading to dinner at Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, at 151 West 51^st Street. (Aldo is Le Bernadin’s master sommelier, in collaboration with Le Bernadin’s chef, Eric Ripert.) Cousin Paul, and a second cousin from London, Jeremy, had already arrived for our 7 pm dinner. We ordered a variety of small plates (baked cauliflower, mushroom pizza, Lamb Merguez, truffle pasta), and I chose a Patagonian wine, Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir, “Barda” 2022.

Wednesday, October 18^th: Lunched at John’s Pizzeria (260 W 44^th Street). It’s housed in a former Times Square church. Great thin crust pizza.

After lunch we took in a Broadway show, Some Like It Hot, which was great entertainment. Quickly back to the hotel to change before getting a taxi over to E 57^th Street for the Grapes for Humanity fund-raiser dinner (the traffic in NYC is insane). Two Grapes for Humanity Canada board members, Garrett Herman and Steven Campbell, had also made the trip from Toronto for the event. After the champagne reception, we sat down to dinner. I was seated next to Marchesi Piero Antinori’s daughter Alessia, which was a pleasure.

At the silent auction I was the successful bidder on a double magnum of Frescobaldi Giramonte 2007. (When I got home, I checked a photo I had taken of our grandson Declan when we visited our friend Frederico Frescobaldi nine years ago! I hadn’t realized it was the same wine, same format, different vintage.)

Thursday, October 19^th: This morning we rode the subway down to see the 9/11 memorials. Amazing architecture – a very moving experience.

We went back to Fig and Olive for lunch. I had Tuna Tartare and Deborah had a salad. The wine: Domaine Veneau Côteau Giennois Sauvignon Blanc 2020. Took a taxi to JFK for our return flight to Buffalo. A great trip!

Nobody celebrates Halloween like NYC!