courtesy goodfoodstories.com 
courtesy seattleite.com
image courtesy Eats on Lexington
image courtesy Keen’s Steakhouse
thisweeksf.net
courtesy hauteliving.com
Is this not all that is beauty and perfection in a few choice ingredients?
Yesterday, I had a little day in the city. It was filled with memorable visual and sensory vignettes of classic New York Christmas. There was all the expected hustle-bustle but sans the chilly wind and cold. Happily, I for once, did not engage in mid-town, thereby avoiding the ultimate in push-shove stimuli which would have no doubt crowded out some of the uplifting imagery I collected. There were, however, shop-keepers in the venues of which I did partake, cheerily trying to engage you into purchases, oh-so-craftily, in some cases plying you with “refreshments”, while in the back of their heads worrying that the season wasn’t going to pull itself out. At a quick lunch at Eats at 1055 Lex – Oysters, Burgers and Martinis, I watched as large servings of Oysters were brought up the stairs and the briny shimmer made my mouth water – and sent me into a wave of nostalgia, yet again. Later, when I crossed Park Avenue……..
The shopkeeper, age 71 he claimed, at Peter Elliott called me adorable and said he was amidst of some drunken-Christmas. He must have been seriously drunk to call me adorable. Anyway, it was good for a chuckle.
We drove downtown just at dusk and all kinds of reminiscing began. Perhaps it was “the moment” of the Winter Solstice taking effect – all of the aura of the shortest day of the year coalesced, and I was smitten. I was partially right there, and partially right back on my stroll with Ryan through Hyde Park last January and down Piccadilly a night later. An instant later I was partially in Paris at Easter in the frigid cold in the few moments when we strolled and waited for Ryan to arrive on the train from London. There is just something about dusk in a great city, but I digress:
Hyde Park and Piccadilly (yes, I am getting very homesick for last year’s Winter trips!)
and, in Paris:
Back to New York: Later, downtown, we strolled about around 6th Avenue and took in a few favorite stores. The kids were pooping out (huh?) just as I got a fresh head of steam going and could have sauntered for quite a bit longer. Cased a few florists to see if there were any bargains on Amaryllis, Paperwhites and fragrant greens and, well, no bargains. Went to Greenwich Letterpress, a charming shop on Christopher St. and bored my family to tears while I carefully regarded their original design Christmas cards. Perused through CO Bigelow, a classic old-fashioned pharmacy, looking at favorites of bygone eras and took a relatively quick tour through Citarella, did a visual of their pastry and seafood departments and picked up a few staples. I really like 6th Ave right here.
Later, at The Lion I enjoyed the evening hues and cozyness as a couple across from us enjoyed again, a plateful of Oysters and big Martinis. This seems to be the pre-eminent choice, as people begin to celebrate – or perhaps it was a herald to some solstice-induced kind of ritual, initiated by some psychic pull of the universe driving one to self-soothe at that turning point of the earth, and feast among the rawest of earthly pleasures.. In any event, it did indeed seem to be the choice de rigeueur as everyone settles in to celebrate in earnest. How classic, I thought – what a photo! Sometimes I wish I could run around the world and snap photos everywhere – as I do on my own in an unobtrusive way, like in my own backyard and environs and not disturbing anyone. But, yesterday I felt like I wanted to snap those images of others in the restaurants, the waiter at Eats with platter balanced upon palm and the raised platter of oysters and glistening martinis avec perhaps the fattest monster olives I’ve ever seen, with those diners in silhouette, at the Lion. How lovely – for me, a quintessential moment of intimate indulgence, right out in public in a restaurant in NYC……. Sort of made me wish I could imbibe with a martini and a plate for myself. But, one martini and I’d be, well, not present.
Well, as agitated tempers settled down a bit, we had a nice dinner together and I watched in awe some of the changes in my kids. One is distracted, stressed but maturing, one is a little calmer right at the moment. No one can describe the angst created in a Mom who rides along on the wavelength of her children’s vibes……..
So, after all, I got to wondering about the tradition of eating oysters at Christmastime. There is no shortage of journalist output on this very topic. Here is a nice compendium of reading along with a couple of choice recipes:
http://www.metnews.com/articles/2004/reminiscing061704.html
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705395762/Our-Christmas-Eve-dinner-tradition-Oysters.html
http://islandcreekoysters.com/ico/joyeux-noel-belon-oysters-and-the-french-christmas-tradition/
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-12-24/features/8903210188_1_oyster-stew-christmas-day-belon
http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20131222/LIFESTYLE/131221017/Seafood-Christmas-Oysters-Rockefeller
and, while I personally find the whole Mad Men thing depressing, http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/mad-men-drinking-at-work
http://www.laudizen.com/gathered/martinis_and_oysters.htm
http://theoystersmyworld.com/2011/12/19/drinks-and-oysters/
http://www.goodfoodstories.com/2011/06/15/oysters-and-martinis/
So, spend a little time reading and imbibing. Enjoy the day!