Two E Lounge

I was impressed with Arabelle's versatility when I visited the award-winning restaurant. For drinks or an intimate meal, there is a dark lounge area next to an ornate bar; and for a traditional dining experience, guests can continue on to a brighter room filled with white-clothed tables. Besides its breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, Arabelle also serves a classic Afternoon Tea complete with homemade scones and clotted cream. At all times, the restaurant exudes a luxury that complements the Plaza Athenee Hotel

Upon entering Sant Ambroeus, our senses were flooded with the tantalizing smell of buttery pastry. While the other Manhattan Sant Ambroeus restaurants provide ample seating and more extensive menus, Sant Ambroeus on 61st Street, is a simple cafe, serving exceptional espresso, paninis, bread and European sodas. On a street with many sit-down places, the cafe is the perfect spot to grab breakfast, eat a quick lunch, or sneak a heavenly Millesfoglie, a traditional Italian puff pastry with cream.

There are many hidden gems to be discovered on the side streets of Manhattan, but the beginning of my walk on 61st might trump any that I have had thus far. For it was here that I was suddenly convinced that I had stepped into a time portal. Nestled between the skyscrapers that perch along the East River is a stone house dating back to the eighteenth century with a glorious garden (even in the middle of winter) tucked behind it. "Eighteenth Century" may be a bit misleading, since the building, which was built as a carriage house to go with a central mansion, was constructed in 1799. Originally named the Abigail Adams Smith Museum, as this is where she and her husband owned the land on which it was built, it was turned into a "day hotel" in 1826. This was a popular kind of institution that possibly resembled a country club more than an inn. With the rise of the middle class, centers for leisure were popping up all over the island. The city proper mainly existed below 14th Street, causing 61st to be considered a vacation getaway. Though the Mount Vernon Hotel is the only day hotel left standing, at one point in time there were numerous similar ones dotting both rivers. In 1833, the building returned to being a private residence. During the following century, it changed hands multiple times, once even being used as a soup kitchen, until it officially opened as a museum in 1939 in the capable hands of the Colonial Dames of America. To this day, their overall mission continues to be to preserve and teach America's history. The Museum also hosts guests and events of many different kinds: One of their largest affairs is Washington's Birthday Ball, but they also host pie-making workshops, school programs (which are often booked solid for three months at a time), and public events in the auditorium next door.

Descending down Scalinatella's ("little stairway") steps felt like traveling back in time as we entered a magical, underground grotto. Although it was a late winter afternoon, there was a perfect shaft of light shining down from the street onto the glistening display of luscious-looking grapes, blueberries, and strawberries. The sweet scent of the berries was a winning welcome to a stunning discovery below 61st Street. The decor was classic, as we were surrounded by a three dimensional still life that Cezanne would have loved to have painted: baskets of impossibly red tomatoes, bouquets of orchids, pussy willows, and, of course, bottles of wine. The feeling of entering a timeless wine cellar was made easier to comprehend when we learned that the building is 145 years old. Apparently, some twenty years ago when Luigi Ruso was first building his restaurant, he watched as the workers chipped away at the cement and glass walls until they hit the original brick. He knew he had something special and chose to leave the raw beginnings down below in tact. In front of the kitchen, bricks have been removed, putting the chefs partly on display, as if the diners were peeking at them through a secret chink in a wall, while the bar seems to be chiseled out of the side of the cave. The food is as classic as the ambience, with Scalinatella's specialties being pasta and fresh fish. Diego, our server told us that he has been working along side Luigi for decades, as the two met at Il Mulino on West 3rd Street. While preparing and plating the food, he told us that he cooks much of his pasta dishes right in front of diners. "We do everything – any pasta you want. " Some of us sampled a soft and buttery dish of amorini pasta blackened with squid ink and liberally decorated with shrimp and lobster. Diego also paraded a feast of fish past us, including Branzino, Dover Sole, and more lobster. While listening to stories from several members of the restaurant's team, we learned that every night the dining room is filled with clientele that have been frequenting this hidden romantic gem for years and years.

Suzanne Newman had always been interested in fashion and design. She began sewing on her parent's sewing machine as a child in South Africa - first teaching herself how to sew clothes for dolls, and then for herself. She began her career in London at a department store, where she stayed for ten years before moving to New York City. As a single mother, Suzanne began making hats under the tutelage of Josephine Trippoli in 1985. Two years later, she opened up her own boutique on Madison Avenue. For fifteen years, she developed her creative instincts and gained an enviable list of followers. In 2002, she moved to her current 61st Street location, bringing her regular customers with her, while simultaneously acquiring a host of new ones. With returning clients from the 80s as well as a host of younger customers, Suzanne continues to enjoy the range in hat requests that she receives. Suzanne finds inspiration in the world around her, often looking towards magazine, theaters, museums, and fashion trends. Since the vast majority of the hats she creates are custom made, she considers the settings the hat might be worn in, personality of the client, and, of course, the client's wishes. For bridal parties, Suzanne can very easily design head wear based on a swatch of a dress. With remarkable attention to detail, there are casual hats for simple occasions and then some extraordinary and extravagant ones for the Kentucky Derby or even England’s grand millinery event of the year, The Royal Ascot. While Suzanne especially loves “hat events” where women often want a hat that “goes all out, ” she believes that a women’s head piece is important no matter the occasion. “A woman looks good in the right hat - the right hat brings out her personality and it’s a form of expression. Express your whimsy! ”Located in the back of the stunning shop is where each step of the hat-making process is completed. Inside, the workshop is piled with all sorts of materials, including a variety of fabrics, straws, and feathers. Most amazing were the hats in progress, including a fascinator in the shape and colors of a coy fish, a shiny blue Spanish-style hat, and a helmet-like pink hat that could have come right out of the 1960s. The designers are constantly on the lookout for new materials to incorporate into their designs, such as 3D printing, and they are always experimenting with new ways to prepare and recycle the materials they have on hand. Suzanne told us that she is especially pleased to have her business be in New York City, as she is often able to source her materials locally. “We have a remarkable amount to choose from, I think the best in the world. ”While chatting with some of the staff, one of the first things that they shared with us was that Suzanne has her hand in every project. If  one of them is feeling creatively challenged - not sure if something is working properly - or simply looking for feedback, they turn to Suzanne. And, whenever Suzanne and her assistants go out together, they wear samples of their work. Not only do they make a statement, but it allows them to determine if they need to reinforce parts of a hat to combat the wind, or tell clients to duck low when exiting cars to spare long feathers. There is something beautiful about imagining that scene – these exquisite pieces of art being worn by the people who can best appreciate them.

Walking down the stairs and passing the espresso bar to enter Altesi, I felt like I had been transported onto an Italian street: the design was so perfectly European, with a calmness and slower tempo that signaled a Mediterranean location far removed from the bustle of Manhattan. The true jewel of Altesi, however, is the owner Paolo Alavian, who, after introducing himself and his very sweet wife, Antonia, treated us like royalty. Paolo's generosity and kindness is extended to each and every individual who enters his restaurant. As he guided us through the orange and cream interior, with wine trellises tucked into geometric patterns on the walls and out into the lovely backyard garden, he warmly greeted his guests before sitting himself down to speak with us. As we savored our veritable feast, beginning with sauteed artichoke, octopus in yogurt and tuna carpaccio, Paolo entertained us with stories. Having opened in 2014, he said that it had been an excellent first year. His other restaurants in Soho - Savore and L'Ulivo - have been around for many years, but, surprisingly, it is on the Upper East Side that Paolo finds the people to be the most supportive and friendly. As he said, "the neighborhood really wants you to succeed. It is the first place I have found where people are protecting the businesses. " Paolo does his part to create a neighborhood hotspot. He let us know that he often hosts breakfast and yoga sessions in his back garden. As our second course of pappardelle with duck, black truffles, and peas along with pasta decorated with chanterelles covered in melted pecorino cheese arrived, Paolo continued to amuse us with stories from his childhood and his arrival in the US. Paolo may be one of the few Italian restaurateurs who did not receive his love of food from his family. He explained that his mother, though a wonderful woman, was a terrible cook, and that until the age of eighteen, he weighed only ninety pounds. His parents, both pharmacists, assumed that he would follow in their footsteps and study pharmacology at the University of Miami, where he received a scholarship. Arriving in Florida, it did not take long, however, for Paolo to realize that his passion laid elsewhere. While continuing his studies, he got his first job in a restaurant as a dishwasher, and then quickly worked his way up to busboy and bartender. He would leave class early to "go to the bathroom" in order to get to his shift on time. He never dropped a class, though - Paolo is a big believer in education. He has always told his employees, "If you want to go to school, I will help you. I will work with you. "Paolo described his love for the restaurant business because it is a true meritocracy, where promotions happen quickly and fairly. His story of moving up the ladder sounds like a fairy tale: as a dishwasher, he was bullied by the kitchen staff, and his hands were cracked and bleeding because his coworkers would keep unplugging the dishwasher so that he would have to do everything by hand. When his employer, his figurative fairy godmother, found out, she moved him to the front room as a busboy. As the third course arrived and the Manhattan Sideways team indulged in a remarkable veal cutlet Milanese, a beautiful piece of salmon with exceptional spring vegetables, and a whole branzino, we continued to be impressed by Paolo's extraordinary generosity to others in need. He spoke of his effort to teach a trade to a person with Down Syndrome, hoping that by working in his restaurant that this person would have a skill that they can use throughout their life. Paolo also told us about the success of the Manhattan Girls Chorus, a group that was begun in 2011 by a patron of the restaurant, Michelle Oesterle. Her passion for music and her desire to provide an outlet for girls who are experiencing bullying, unpleasant situations at home, learning disabilities, or any of the other difficulties in simply being a teenager, drove her to found this organization. It is here that Michelle is able to provide a safe haven for the girls to come each week to practice and confide in one another. Having had the extraordinary opportunity to attend their first gala at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and to hear these young girls share their stories of their personal struggles was incredibly touching, but then they gathered to sing, and my heart could not stop pounding. They were magnificent. Paolo, too, has been affected by these teenagers and has taken one of them under his wing. In her, he recognized a well-behaved, smart girl who needed help, and he hired her to work in his restaurant. He has now, essentially, become her father: mentoring her, pushing her to be the best person she can be, and, Paolo jokingly said, "I even crack down on any clients who ask for her phone number. " Paolo explained that he has always remembered the woman who promoted him to busboy when he was having a hard time, and will always feel the desire to give people similar opportunities.

I was impressed with Arabelle's versatility when I visited the award-winning restaurant. For drinks or an intimate meal, there is a dark lounge area next to an ornate bar; and for a traditional dining experience, guests can continue on to a brighter room filled with white-clothed tables. Besides its breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, Arabelle also serves a classic Afternoon Tea complete with homemade scones and clotted cream. At all times, the restaurant exudes a luxury that complements the Plaza Athenee Hotel