The Special Ed Mix: Day 10: NYC (3)

I was extremely disappointed with the street food selection. It seemed to me that this one middle eastern vendor had a near monopoly on the street food market as I constantly saw the same truck peddling the same falafels/kebabs/etc all over Manhattan. So I gave in this morning and had a egg and turkey bacon sandwich for $2.25. At least it was a good deal.

Today I went to see the US open in Flushing. During the first weeks of the US open, general admission tickets are offered to the public for a mere $50 giving one unlimited access to outer court games from 11am – 7pm. From what I read, it’s a much better deal than spending more to sit in the nosebleeds and dealing with the bad viewing angles of Arthur Ashe stadium. Granted, you’re not going to see the top draws or seeds in the outer courts, but there are a number of seeded players in the outer courts.

I *just* missed seeing Maria Sharapova signing some autographs before enter Arthur Ashe. I actually like her more for her tennis skills rather than her looks. Go figure.

They were handing out fans at the entrance and this was a lifesaver as the temperature was in the mid 90s (~35 ^oC ). I imagine that the heat was a bit more intense on the hard courts and as I found later, a player collapsed because of the triple digit heat on the courts.

It was that hot.

Lifesaver

Citi Field

Joe’s Shanghai (Flushing NY)

Sliced braised beef

The beef appeared and tasted like it was sliced off a larger hunk of cooked meat. Still alright.

Pork boiled dumplings

Some of the best dumplings I’ve ever had.

Crab meat with pork meat steamed buns

Very good.

Scallion pancakes

Views from the Empire State Building

New Jersey, Lower manhattan, Ellis island and Liberty island

Flat iron building

Central park

The Chrysler Building aka the art deco skyscraper aka the pointy one

Madison Square Garden and One Penn Plaza

I headed for Shake Shack @ Madison Square Park, but ran into this line. The counter said it would be a hour, so I decided to come back later. Shake Shack sounds like NYC equivalent of In-n-out.

Line up for shake shack

Republic

Chicken and rice: chicken, Vietnamese rice, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms, asian basil and bean paste.

I then head all the way uptown to Harlem. I wouldn't recommend walking in Harlem at night. Although some areas were undergoing gentrification, some other areas were a bit shady looking.

After much walking I finally arrived:

Amy Ruth’s

Complimentary corn bread

Chicken and waffles. Side of sweet potatoes.

The chicken wasn’t anything to write home about, but this was one of the best waffles ever. I really wanted to order the sweet potato pie, but I was ready to burst at this point.

Times Squares at night.