Bucket List

A few months back, with our time in Philadelphia finite, Gus and I made a "Bucket List" of sorts. A list of stuff we want to do, food we want to eat, places we want to go (for the first time or to revisit), before we leave the east coast and its unique offerings behind.

One entry on the list was to revisit New York City, stay overnight and dine at a spectacular restaurant. A couple we're close with was also interested so the four of us put our heads together and made plans for a fantastic weekend, which has finally arrived and begins tomorrow!

A well-timed coupon lets us stay at the recently opened Hotel Eventi in Chelsea for only $199 a night, an all but unheard of price for nice digs the Big Apple; the Mega Bus will have us arriving into Midtown in style. But the real highlight of the trip will be tomorrow evening, when we taxi to dinner reservations at Daniel for 6:30 PM. Yes, Daniel, the restaurant of French chef Daniel Boulud that was recently awarded three coveted Michelin stars and is ranked as one of the top ten restaurants in the world. It's a splurge, yes, but we've saved our pennies and, c'mon, you only live once...and you definitely only live in Philadelphia once! This is not likely to be an opportunity that will pass this way again, what with us living down the street from New York and our dear friends close by to share in the extravaganza.

And so suits pressed, jewelry packed, reservations printed and menus sufficiently drooled over, we are all madly texting one another like Twihard tweens with giddy countdowns to the grand event. Tall tales of gastronomic gluttony to surely follow...