A month in New York.

I feel like I am a little boy again every time I approach Manhattan after the long flight from Sydney. It is like Luna Park, Easter Show and New Year all rolled into one! Only this time I was sitting in first class for the first (and probably the last) time, upgraded due to travelling with United Airlines for the umpteenth time (I cannot afford Qantas any more). And first class is very nice ... but it is not all it is cracked up to be. Although United Airlines have looked after us well for 15 years or more, regarding first class, rather like real estate, it is location, location and location … as well as ‘lavatories’. There are two ‘washrooms’ for just twelve people (and they are exactly the same cramped style as elsewhere in this 20 year old 747 United jumbo jet). And I was told that there were no ‘seats’, but ‘suites’(!). In fact they are just like the old larger business class seats but with all places being on an aisle (and a narrow, tortuous aisle it is too).

The food was much the same quality as business class - perhaps one or two extra choices. The wines were pleasant but nothing special. There was no classic champagne. There was no caviar. There were no Godiva chocolates or truffles. Certainly nothing was cooked in the air. There is either no such thing as a first class airline chef or else such a person works on the ground. At least I can say I have done it … and on frequent flyer points rather than some of the others who may have paid up to twenty thousand dollars for the round trip first class (look it up on the web!) – while economy was just that ('economical') at fifteen hundred dollars return! [Australian dollars and American dollars are about equal at present]

This was my twentieth trip to the big apple – and probably the quickest as we were ensconced in the upper west side apartment by 8.30pm where it is sometimes close to midnight with delays in the various links, head winds and transfer delays in California. Those who travel on some cheaper tickets are obliged to take the overnight flight to arrive at sunrise. Poor devils!

The cab driver was Russian. On the freeway from JFK past La Guardia airport and the Tri-Borough Bridge our driver broke the speed limit by up to 20mph. I found it terrifying. But the rest of the traffic was doing similar speeds – it just seemed normal. But it was clear that there were no radar traps on this piece of road.

Our doorman greeted us at the building saying ‘Good evening doctor Byrne, how nice to see you again’. And the building we stay in is no particularly fancy building, just one of hundreds on the upper west side between Broadway and Central Park. My next stop was the supermarket to get some essential provisions. The thing one often finds in New York is the exotic … human, animal and vegetable. Even my first hour in the big apple had me finding yellow raspberries, blue eggs and 'horseradish' cheddar. While these may all be familiar to the reader they were novel to me. Unless the placebo effect is very strong, red raspberries win, bizarre and exotic the albino variety may look. Blue eggs actually taste much the same as white or brown ones … and as for the hot cheese my final judgement will have to wait until my taste buds have returned to equilibrium. The eggs, it turns out, come from blue hens from an exotic descendent of a Patagonian species cultivated by the original inhabitants of Chile. Small samples of a new soap made to smell like butterscoth caused havoc in the bathroom when I unconsciously almost put it in my mouth!

My first medical meeting was on pregnancy outcomes at the St Luke’s Hospital at 114th Street. Its previous CEO Dr Robert Newman insisted on showing me their beautiful chapel on the ground floor with its intricate stained glass. He also drew to my attention a bizarre study showing that methadone made rats uncooperative. Another colleague, Ed Salsitz said that the methadone actually gave the rodents such clarity of mind that they simply refused to cooperate with the pesky researchers and their silly toy games! http://www.healthcanal.com/public-health-safety/15407-Long-term-methadone-treatment-can-affect-the-brain.html

When I left the hospital there was a sudden spring snow storm as I hastened towards the subway. I had the good fortune to happen upon a local church in Amsterdam Avenue in which I took refuge. I looked around and realised that it was no ordinary kirk but possibly the largest church in the world, St John the Divine. Having been marooned by the weather I made the most of it by walking to the nave (which took about ten minutes!). The interior was positively enormous as I passed alternating marble columns, one as big in cross-section of a small house and the others about half that diameter. To my surprise, when I eventually reached the alter I noted a fine pair of stately gold Jewish menorahs (see photo). Were the Jews now taking over the churches or was this a move to inter-faith understanding and cooperation?

St John the Divine Cathedral

I eventually reached the subway, 110th Street and Broadway which is the 1,2 and 3 lines. It used to be the 1,2,3 and 9 lines but the World Trade Centre destruction eliminated the 9 line but of course nobody talks about it and almost every sign has now been covered up. The New York subway is a magnificent transportation system making the Sydney, London and even Parisian systems looks like toy train sets. Each line in Manhattan is four tracks, one 'local' and the other 'express'. The express goes through between 3 and 10 stations and rattles along close to 120 km/hr underground, often overtaking 2 or more of the 'local' trains. One can go from our local stop (72nd St) to Times Square (42nd) without stopping, in about 5 minutes. And this was built over 100 years ago, so it is old technology indeed. From 59th St to 125th on the B and C lines there is no stop! Each of these lines then goes out to the distant suburbs of Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. The cost is about $2.50 regardless of where you get on or off and a monthly ticket is $104 with tickets on entry, free exits (for a fast getaway).





Macy's annual flower show. Yearly treat of a week's massive display of all variety of flowers in, between and above sales counters on the entire ground floor.

Would this sign be understood back home I wonder?




Remnants of Winter's snows on a windless afternoon.



Lafayette Grill in Franklin Street held a Japanese tsunami benefit night of belly dancing and related artists.

These talented artists gave their services free in aid of the Japanese tsunami relief fund. One dancer was blind. Two performed part of Swan Lake using just their arms and hands. One troup of five did a moving tribute to life and death. Many others did traditional Turkish and Egyptian sexy belly dances - but nearly all had some connection wtih Japan. Mariyah and Tarik Sultan photographed.





Time-Warner towers at Columbus Circle.

More exotica: Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee; black couscous; Serrano jamon sliced paper-thin; Jamison Midleton whiskey; Johnny Walker Gold Label whisky; mesquite flavoured chips; Russian beer; miniature NZ kiwifruit 'mange-tout'(!).

Branzino Atlantic fish at 'Asiate'.

Asiate restaurant provided another exotic meal in the sky above Columbus Circle. Before even receiving the menu we were offered a plate of half a dozen dry savoury profiteroles of gruyere cheese and seaweed. These were a little heavy on the pepper, but delicious nonetheless (and FREE!). Celery root soup was one fine option on the prix fixe menu. Eight thin white fish slivers were served with an arugula salad. While it is a lovely concept, the restaurant needs to stop saying it is a ‘like sashimi but seared’ as this is an oxymoron in my book. Another bonus amuse-bouche was a morsel of lobster with salad on a Chinese spoon. Next came a main course of pan fried filet of Atlantic white fish ‘branzino’ on a bed of greens. Crispy chicken filet was another excellent alternative. At $34 for three courses this was good value, especially considering this is a truly elegantly decorated, relaxed venue with a one of New York’s best views.

Jean-Georges ‘Nougatine’ restaurant is doing serious competition on their ground floor venue just across the street, right on Central Park. With 3 courses for $28 the value is also very good and the standard of food of the highest order. Menus and even photos are available on the internet but for a personal view I can say it was a marvellous experience in a restaurant which has kept up the standard for many years. The best light-battered and fried calamari I have had in some time, tender and tasty skate with green purée. My friend ate hangar steak medium rare (and it WAS medium rare) with a pile of sawdust. Yes, sawdust! Which turned out to be a mixture of sesame seeds, ginger and lemon zest - exquisite! Desserts included a thick panacotta with citrus slices as well as a warm chocolate cake, dry outside, liquid inside.






Calamari and mousse aioli.








The opera in New York has predictably also been of the highest quality, starting with Romeo and Juliette PLUS Queen of Spades on the same Saturday. Both were marvellous and details are on my opera blog. There will also notes on the new spectacular Das Rheingold. However, I was unable to bring myself to write about Richard Strauss’s Capriccio which is not to my taste despite having some of the greatest singers (Renee Fleming, Peter Rose, Michael Devlin and Barry Banks, c. Andrew Davis).

For essential provisions make for Zabars food emporium on Broadway near 80th St. The entrance always has a magnificent display of world cheeses and free-tastings are encouraged. I bought some aged Ossau Iraty from the Pyrenees as well as some shredded Pecorino for pasta. It has some of the only edible breads in Manhattan while its pecan pie is unsurpassed.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has its wonderful permanent collections but at any one time they also have numerous special exhibitions. One was a Filipino Lippi (the son of Filipo) whose ‘Madonna and child’ has been cleaned of its varnish to reveal as spectacular painting of the most vivid colours imaginable: bright reds, green-sleeves, royal blue in a painting which also revealed traces of the original facial features which were pencilled in and were shown by modern imaging technology (X-rays or CT scans I presume this to mean). It is not the most impressive painting from the period but another marvellous example of early Italian art. Another exhibition claims to show the first “window” paintings dating from 1806 yet I found numerous examples in the Metropolitan galleries from the 16th and 17th centuries clearly showing foreground interiors and detailed background goings on.

Another special exhibit turned out to be rather disappointing physically. Pharaoh Horemheb was depicted as a strong military general under Tutankhamen and who subsequently became king himself. He is also represented as a seated scribe, being a man of letters. The exhibition does not point out that recent events in Egypt almost exactly mirror this ancient story as the army takes over from a very unpopular autocratic ruler, ensuring continued peace and prosperity for one of the most blessed of countries and its own particular ‘chosen people’.

The rest of the week was most productive with the new Met Ring ‘prologue’ opera Das Rheingold opera on Wednesday (see my opera blog for details). Then on the Friday there was an introduction to Die Walkure by director Robert LePage and the four main cast members.

I had an interview with a woman who is doing a documentary on the two tiered health system Americans deal with due to the avarice of the drug companies denying even cheap drugs to the public in a way that sees even wealthy Americans purchasing medications overseas. This is of little help to poor drug dependent citizens in American cities and suburbs who may be on long waiting lists for methadone clinics. She wants to put me on camera next week so I will have some preparation to do!

More anon …

Second half of our month in the city. Brooklyn Museum.

A New York visit is a great pleasure for Australians although it is still very ‘foreign’ in some respects. Apart from the inevitable jet lag, the air is so dry that skin problems are common (we use a humidifier 24/7). Some Australians have trouble getting used to traffic on the ‘wrong’ side of the street but this does not happen in New York. Since nearly all streets are one-way you really need to look in both directions before crossing.


To my embarrassment I was caught out with a plastic tube of Vegemite in my hand luggage - found on X-ray and confiscated at security! After a week of severe cravings I lashed out and purchased an expensive jar at Zabars on Broadway (made twice the price due to the good Oz dollar). Security rules have changed our lives - Mr Bin Laden must be very pleased with himself as we all scramble to protect ourselves against known threats while both man and nature come up with things none of us could ever have predicted such as tragedies in Japan and New Orleans, shoe bomber, swine ‘flu, petrol sniffing and now smuggling narcotics beneath postage stamps!



A visit to the Brooklyn Museum on Sunday 3rd April was a great pleasure, partly because it has a beautifully displayed collection and also fewer crowds than in Manhattan. As a bonus the botanic gardens are just next door (although they charge an entrance fee and spring has still not exactly sprung in Brooklyn as yet). The Egyptian collection is magnificent and better displayed than at the Met. Some sections have video explanations of the dynasties, mummification and aspects of daily life in ancient (and modern) Egypt. Their collection of early and pre-dynastic (pre-pyramid age) artefacts was mostly in storage which is unfortunate since this is my main area of interest. Even the Metropolitan only has a limited number of items in this category, mostly black topped pots.

A newly established Babylonian room has twelve massive carved limestone slabs erected by a Babylonian King (Asurbanipal must have been a relation). Each has a life size (or bigger) impression of the king or a griffin with text justifying his rule and divine provenance while extolling his virtues (like politicians do today - in a slightly different way).


Paintings from all periods are well displays with natural light coming from an open central courtyard with huge four-sided galleries on four levels. Since my last visit the stately columned monumental building has been desecrated with a huge curved steel and glass attachment to the front. It probably helps with security and crowd control, but it is a frightful blight to my eye.

Back in Manhattan, I passed the massive (reform) synagogue on Fifth Avenue near the southern end of Central Park, Temple Emanu-el. A sign indicated a Jewish Museum of artefacts and memorabilia from the Yiddish ages. While I did not have time to see their full collection I was shown briefly into the shule which is cavernous, containing 2500 seats in one large rectangular hall with no pillars, unlike the cathedrals I have seen recently. The current shule was built in 1920 and is beautifully appointed with a concealed organ and choir stalls high above the brass-gated Ark with paired matching pulpit and bimah on either side … and a circular stained glass window at the end, facing the park. The public entrance and museum are on East 65th Street. Along with a couple of other tourists we were shown in by an obliging guard who answered a few questions about the congregation. Probably from the look on my face when he told us it was a reform shule he added that orthodox people should not be concerned to attend as it was still the house of G-d … “after all”, he said, “I’m am actually Catholic!”

The weather had improved greatly with sun and warmer temperatures replacing the snow. However apart from the Sunday in Brooklyn most of the days have been overcast.

There seem to be Australians everywhere in Manhattan. I have just run into six or seven groups or couples since arriving 2 weeks ago, picking them instantly by their accent (or apparent lack of it). One was a lady and her young daughter in Fairways produce store. Others were in the street, on the escalators at Macy’s or in one case in the foyer at the Met opera. And I am not ‘looking’ for these people, one just cannot help notice the accent if people are talking - and it is nice to hear a familiar voice in this international polyglot of New York. My grandfather wrote the most insightful things about it in his postcards back home to Sydney in 1924. The exchange rate is almost back to what it was when he was here, something we never thought would happen. It is great for Aussie travellers but not much chop for those who are here earning US dollars then they return down under.

By expressing sympathy for their jailed peers who have their belts and shoe laces confiscated, the style of low trouser waists in young men is now near ubiquitous - it was originally confined to youth of colour. Often times (to use the vernacular) the ‘waist’ level has reached a third of the way to the knees, making crucial the integrity of underwear. From the most bland observation it is clear that in America, young men usually seem to wear voluminous underpants which is just as well in view of the new style. Another centimetre could even make piles public!


New York parks are now in full spring transition. The first week of April saw the appearance of the white magnolias and buds are appearing on cherry, apple, pear and other flowering trees. So daffodils (at least six contrasting varieties), crocus (see photo), snow drops, forsythia and other signs of the new season are visible everywhere. The trees are still without leaves apart from weeping willows which are already clothed in early green foliage.

The Metropolitan Opera has revamped the Berg opera called Wozzek, a 100 minute one-act marathon which sounds to me like traffic noise but which experts say is one of the great works. It had the Met debut of Australian tenor Stuart Skelton along with Gerhard Seigel, Alan Held, Waltraud Meier under (a very sickly and frail looking) James Levine. It was not the opera for me despite this star-studded line up. At least I can tick it off. Others are raving about how good it was and indeed there was a huge ovation in the house. I will have been fortunate to hear Tosca, Romeo and Juliette, Queen of Spades, Rheingold, Otello and Comte Ory (see my notes on the opera blog). Some names include Placido Domingo (conducting), Stephanie Blythe, Violeta Urmana, Salvatore Licitra, James Morris, Hei-Kyung Hong, Piotr Beczala, Vladimir Galouzine, Peter Mattei, Juan Diego Florez, Joyce deDonato, Diana Damrau, Dolora Zajick, James Levine and Riccardo Muti. Tickets were all easy to obtain over the internet, most costing less than $100 for excellent positions. It makes the quality and price of opera in Sydney very poor options - especially when a return air ticket is so cheap these days.

I have been to grand rounds at Bellevue Hospital and heard an interesting presentation on the use of peer mentors for alcohol and drug affected patients. In two pilot studies this improved patient compliance at very modest cost and deserves closer examination. The staff were obliging to an Aussie drop-in and invited me to lunch afterwards. These American hospital lunches often take the form of enormous baguette sandwiches cut into two or three, transfixed with coloured tooth picks. They appear on a tray with cans of Diet Coke and one either takes it or leaves it. Bellevue is an enormous complex occupying two city blocks between York and First Avenues near 23rd Street. Professor Marc Galanter is their D&A guru.

More anon ...


Scottie dog attentive to saxaphone player in "The Mall" in Central Park.

Last week in "the city". Something old, something new!

Dear Reader,

The third “half” of our holiday has been the best yet … at the same time possibly the most relaxing as we have had a few “days off” where we just hung around and took a walk in the park (10 to 20 April 2011). Every day more trees burst into leaf, more blossoms appear and more sunlight peeps through the ever-present clouds. The weather is quite the opposite to last year at this time - mostly overcast and cool. But Sunday was glorious.

Americans seem to delight in long words where shorter ones would suffice. There are dozens of examples although some of them are now changing: elevator (lift), apartment (flat), automobile (car), preserve (jam), penitentiary (jail), reservation (booking), lavatory (toilet), street car (tram) … the list goes on.

I took the Brooklyn Subway to the end of the line, just a few blocks from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. At Fort Hamilton is one of the many huge Veterans’ Hospitals where the terrible casualties of the American wars are brought with their burns, lost limbs and other horrific injuries. I was there both to inspect their methadone clinic as well as attend a Grand Rounds presentation on complex cases. It was a very successful day but very moving. Law makers in both the US and Australia should walk thru the wards of such facilites to be reminded of the mayhem caused in wars so far from home and which seem to be doing so little for our own freedoms while antagonizing others unnecessarily.

Despite my antipathy to some aspects of America (consumption, pollution, global warming, etc, just like Australia) I am delighted and privileged, almost embarrassed to be so warmly welcomed by Americans and the ‘international’ flavour of Manhattan. New York is often said to be a separate country from the rest of America.

I have seen Comte Ory, a sexy Rossini romp, first in the cinema and then in the theatre - quite a contrasting set of experiences of the same Met opera production. We have also attended Verdi’s Otello at Carnegie Hall with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti. Somehow a concert performance can be even more exciting than the staged work. It would be impossible to imagine a stage with all of the singers, chorus and children’s chorus as we heard before us with the entire orchestra from Illinois. Aleksandrs Antonenko has a glorious tenor voice equal to this giant role. Krassimira Stoyanova sang the heart out of Desdemona while Carlo Guelfi was a menacing Iago.

We were intent on seeing if there were any little pieces of Egypt available in the antiquities shops. We only have hundreds rather than thousands of dollars so nothing was available in either of the two shops which sell such items. Some of their items are over 10,000 dollars and for exhibits which are more impressive than those you see in the museums here or anywhere (except Egypt, of course). After a Google search Allan secured a Daunian pitcher for $400 which we were delighted about. The Daunian civilization was in Apulia on the eastern side of Italy while the Etruscans, who were much more advanced, were on the west, around modern day Tuscanny. The pot is over 2000 years old and is in perfect condition. A modern piece could cost more at an arts and crafts gallery! By chance Apulia is the very province where Riccardo Muti was brought up.

I attended an expert panel discussion on aspects of Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
They did not use one excerpt from the play and so it was not really a learning experience regarding the drama. However it showed many aspects of hundreds of years of serious discrimination and how people survive. One panellist (a Rabbi) read out a rather shocking and clearly anti-Semitic quote and THEN told us it was from President Truman’s private diaries. But afterwards I looked it up to find that he had edited the quote so that it sounded much worse than it really was (about the underdog becoming the boss, and forgetting the less fortunate, etc). All food for thought. I also made my first visit to Crown Heights in Brooklyn ... it is a veritable 'stetl'. My visit to Crown Heights

We have also taken in the parks and gardens which are all coming into bloom, leaf and blossom. The spring starts in about the second week of March with snow drops and crocus low down close to the ground. The forsythia yellow bushes are next, followed by daffodils, hyacinth and tulips. Just as the daffodils are wilting the weeping willows are coming into full leaf and the first prunus, white single cherry and apple blossoms appear. Just as the other trees are starting to get their leaves by about the third week of April the double pink Japanese cherry trees burst forth - one of the most spectacular sights in the horticultural world. I wonder that someone has not designed some recipes for them.

A meeting with a senior colleague from Yale University and then I give Journal Club at Rockeller with Dr Kreek before departing for Sydney on Wednesday.

Spring has sprung:

Restaurant review - Eleven Madison Park.

Highly recommended restaurant: Eleven Madison Park.

Well, we have now tried the “in” eatery of the moment. Called “Eleven Madison Square” that is its address. Here we had a magnificent experience with a full and elegant lunch. Our friends had advised us to beg, borrow or steal … but just try to fit it into the last few days in Manhattan. Everything we were told was correct.

It is indeed a unique and pleasant location being the huge lobby of an old insurance building (Metropolitan Life built in 1909) now the home of Credit Swisse. The enormous chamber has full height windows revealing the gardens opposite which are just coming into life for spring. Rather than a cold old financial institution, several low partitions make for three pleasant eating areas on split levels along with a corridor and adjacent bar. There appear to be private rooms upstairs as well.

While we awaited our menus there was a plate of six gruyere cheese profiteroles to whet our appetites. They tasted more like aged Parmigiano to me. Either way, they were delectable. As we discussed them we discovered our “menus” were in place … printed onto a small square card beneath our serviettes (read napkins in vernacular).

Rather than the usual list of recommended dishes, the ‘menu’ was a checkerboard of sixteen ingredients in four columns and rows. Those who have eaten here will know that rather than being presented with a nominated dish in detail, one chooses a main ingredient, gives a list of any dislikes or allergies, and the chef spins a wonder in the kitchen. And while he/she is getting artistic, the patron is brought a pot of tea in a classic hotel type Sheffield plate teapot. But the “tea” is actually smoked halibut stock with a bunch of herbs for the cup to dunk. Quite delicious with a hint of pea, thyme amongst a clear, delicate seafood stock. It was all I could do to resist asking for milk and sugar!

One is informed that one may order three courses for $56 or four for $74 … but it is more like 7 or 8 when you add the inter-course sabayon, amuse-bouches, petits fours and savoury tea which just arrive unannounced. Nor does this include the delicious hot brioche and choice of Californian goats butter or the Vermont cows version (both perfect temperature and delicious on the ‘bread’). Each of the courses was as surprising as it was delicious.

I chose crab for first course and the product made me realise that this cook was a devotee of the art of ‘cuisine compliquée’. Five small round rice paper sandwiches contained the thinnest slice of Japanese pickle and crab mince with lobster crème sauce and viola petals with ‘ground coral’ (there was no grittiness and I think it was there for colour only). Adjacent to each there were also 5 tiny blobs of thickened orange sauce speared by a small vertical ear of dill. This was five mouthfuls of excellent mixed flavours and textures. Somehow the crab was almost overpowered … but not quite. So judgment was on hold.

Next, and without ordering it, we were presented with two slices of thin crispy seaweed flavoured lavash, served with two egg shells, neatly sliced off and filled with warm smoked sturgeon mousseline with chive oil and tiny cubes of smoked fish below. Again, this was delicious but it was not clear how the crisp bread went with the mousse and one seemed to have no choice but to eat them separately.

Following this I had chosen halibut (not knowing we were to be served ‘halibut tea’ on arrival). This was poached in olive oil (‘in a bag’, we were told on enquiry, explaining both how its structure was so well preserved and the lack of any oiliness). With it came spliced baby radishes, leaves attached, one fresh and one pickled - colour and size of the four halves were identical. There was also some excellent sauce, all surrounded with ‘lobster oil’, whatever that may be. There was a substantial amount of fish in two pieces placed end to end. Each serving was a picture postcard of colour, symmetry and textures (I took a couple of sample photos).

But the red squab was the triumph. If the above two savoury choices were somewhat synthesised the pigeon was a piece of simplicity in comparison - it was all ‘bird’. There was a tranche of pink breast which had been poached and then roasted with a leg which had been previously cooked and exhumed as a confit. Apart from the size, it would be hard to tell the difference between the latter and duck confit, having similar taste and texture. However, the pigeon breast was uniquely flavoured. It is hard to imagine that a small game could produce such a large piece of meat as it was six or seven magic mouthfuls, each portion sliced through the red meat along with a thin layer of fat and skin. It was served with three styles of sweet potato including a crisp chip, roast and mash. A demi-glaze was spooned onto the dish at the table.

My friend had ordered two savoury courses, cauliflower and pork with a dessert of pear. The cauliflower was a seared segment about a centimetre thick surmounted by dehydrated grapes or rehydrated raisins. The pork consisted of two contrasting pieces of suckling pig and confit of pork neck. It had skin which had lost any crispiness which was adjacent to tender white meat. His pear looked splendid having three types of pear (poached, toffee and crumble) in a sauce duet composed as a work of art. The courses did not lend themselves to sharing around the table, being relatively small servings and with multifarious ingredients.

I noted on several occasions that there seemed to be more staff than diners. Yet they were all as professional as could be with the women mostly serving wine and young men the food. Not one had a ring on any finger, rather like in the opera where it is considered unprofessional to wear any personal jewellery on stage. I don’t know if this was just a house rule, OHS or coincidence.

After dessert and an offer of tea or coffee we were brought another black igneous block with some microscopic petit fours consisting of two tiny individual carrot cakes and another pair of mint/chocolate layer cakes (both of which fell apart as we picked them up).

Others were served a ‘milk-shake’ which rather than chocolate was made with malt essence and seltzer water with some drops of some flavouring, perhaps vanilla. I heard the waiter tell our neighbours that this was an old fashioned summer drink and a local tradition. I note one table nearby sent all of them back almost untouched. Perhaps the fare was just slightly over the top and too much.

An intriguing two hour sitting of culinary melodies. But did they join to make the balanced symphonic movements found in the masterpieces? I think not … but pleased that people are still trying new things. We were to eat at Jean-Georges on the Monday, knowing that it is a totally different type of cuisine, but probably more to my tastes. “Eleven” may be the Wozzek or Modigiani of restaurants while I am more comfortable with Tosca and Renoir.

Comments by Andrew Byrne ..

The original Metlife Tower erected in 1909 adjacent to 1893 block which was headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.


The web site states: Our menu format is intended to offer an experience in which our guests can enjoy the inherent surprise of a tasting menu, while still maintaining some control. Dishes are listed solely by their principal ingredients, and guests are invited to make their selections, share any thoughts or preferences, including any ingredient dislikes, and allow us to design their meal from there.

Lunch- Three courses for $56, Four Courses for $74
Dinner- Four Courses for $125, Tasting Menu for $195