More On Cynthia's Adventures in NYC

No matter how hard I try, I never seem to get to bed before 3AM. Just got back from the Bryan Brothers celebration party. Really fun and worth the late nite. Wayne Bryan had his band, with Bob on Keyboards and Mike on drums and guitar. Wayne conducts the band the same way he runs a kids day... lots of energy and mixing it up. “Everyone on the dance floor! Now everyone get a new partner!” Even the most reluctant can’t resist his call to boogie. They play cover tunes from the 80s which seem a little before the brother’s time, but everyone loves it, and has a great time.

Bartenders are shaking cosmopolitans with both hands, and waiters make their way through the crowds with trays of appetizers and chocolate truffles. It’s the last weekend of the Open, the first night without evening matches, and the Bryans have just won the Doubles Title, everyone is ready for a party.

I only brought my little point and shoot camera, but I take a few snaps... no problem with photos here, I’ve know the Bryan’s since they were only a little taller than me .. And that was a long time ago.

By 12:30, I’ve had 2 cosmos, chatted with everyone I know, and a few that I didn’t know, so decide it’s time to pack it in. I know I still have to write tonight, and I’d rather not be up until dawn.

They’ve been predicting heavy rain starting a around midnight all day, and sure enough when I walk outside, an occasional drop hits me. My hotel is only a few blocks away, and it’s not really raining yet, so I decide to start walking. I enjoy the warm evenings in NY, once the sun goes down in Los Angeles; it’s always cool enough to need a light jacket. When I get toTimes Square I’m tempted to stop and take some photos of the lights, but I’d like to make it back to my hotel before it starts raining hard.

I walk up 7^th Ave. and turn east on 53^rd. There is a huge crowd of people, sitting on a low marble wall surrounding an office building. They are all eating out of tin foil containers. Then I see a long line waiting at a corner food cart. I’m not really hungry, but I have to check this out. I get in line and strike up a conversation with the people in front of me. The man and his daughter are from Northern California, but the two young guys in front of them are regulars here. They come into Manhattan all the way from Long Island just to eat here. As they start explaining the food, I realize that this is one of the places I’ve been wanting to check out. Here is what the website StreetGrub.com has to say about it; “For years, masses of people have been flocking to the corner of 53rd and 6th to satisfy their hunger with the best meal in NYC. Some people call it the "Platter" while others know it as "Chicken and Rice", the "Chicken Guy" or the "Gyro Spot." Part of the secret to this delicious meal is in the white sauce. Nobody knows what it is, but everybody knows to ask for lots of it.”

I go for the Beef and rice, and the guy from Long Island squirts the famous white sauce and then some red hot sauce from plastic containers on the side of the cart. This is definitely a cult thing. There is a certain way to eat this and you need to do it right. I bid goodnight to my new friends, and start once again for my hotel with my foil tray of food in a yellow plastic bag reading “Delicious Halal Tasty Gyro and Chicken We are Different”.

The rain is starting to come down harder now. I only have 2 Avenues and one street to go, but Avenues are long, and it’s raining harder by the minute. I run between awnings, stopping to see if it is going to let up. No, it’s getting worse, so I keep going. I make it to 54^th the street where my hotel is and it is now pouring and I still have one Avenue to go. By now I’m really wet, so I just give in and reconcile myself to getting soaked. I make it back, and the doorman asks, “what happened to you?” Uh...did you notice that the sky is falling?

Well, it’s dry and nice in my room; I’ve had a hot shower, and am in one of the Hotels nice robes. The beef and rice was FABULOUS! Spicy orange colored rice with tasty ground beef, salad and pita bread for $5.00.. can’t be beat, I’ll definitely be going back, they are open until 4 AM everyday so no matter how late matches go I can still have something to look forward to.

I’ve typed my way down to the bottom of the page, so I’ll say, goodnight for now.

Cynthia