PX This.

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Week Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a real estate investor, developer and entrepreneur with considerable financial interest in the F&B industry.

And you have how many weeks off a year, generally?
I tend to take a lot of shorter trips throughout the year, about every 8 to 10 weeks.

What made you choose Costa Rica for this vacation?
My wife has a very good friend in Costa Rica (who also happens to be a restaurateur). She’d been planning a visit for several months, but I convinced her to postpone it for the holidays so we could travel there together. I’d been to Costa Rica several years ago and was curious to see how it had changed and/or developed. Plus, since we were planning to be away for the New Year, I thought it best she be able to celebrate with her friend, as that can make all the difference for the holidays.

And where did you stay?
Since my wife’s friend is based in Tamarindo, we chose the best hotel we could find closest to her friend’s home, which was Tamarindo Diria. It turned out very well, because we were a mere two blocks from her restaurant, and only five blocks from her home. It’s also quite centrally located, directly on the beach, with a lot of places within walking distance.

How was the ambience/service/amenities etc?
OK. For the price however, it was extraordinarily impressive. Any traveler would be hard pressed to find those accommodations at that astoundingly low price (especially during the holidays) anywhere in the world— except perhaps in Las Vegas (where the rooms in all the luxury hotels are essentially loss leaders).
Also, the food at the hotel wasn’t very good, so luckily there are numerous commendable places to dine very close by: Wok ‘n Roll, Carolina’s, Le Beach Club and El Coconut were all exceptional.

Any major glitches and/or disappointments?
The only major disappointment was that the two (other) restaurants our friend recommended to us (Paola’s and Nogui) were both closed on New Years day, and we weren’t able to rearrange our schedule to fit them in to try them. Oh, and for some reason, Tamarindo Diria was forever running out of towels.
Plus, we did have one incident where an errant forceful wave pushed my wife onto a rock and she scraped her foot and leg. She’s a trooper though, and thankfully she wasn’t hurt badly. It was a pretty good reminder that one must always be very mindful of the power of the ocean.

Any great standout experiences?
I think the trip overall was a standout, one of the best we’ve ever had. We got to meet another new friend on this trip too, and it was really wonderful and special to spend the time with them.
We also rediscovered a great modest little restaurant I first found years ago on my previous trip (Hotel Las Tortugas), and we absolutely loved its simplicity and rustic charm. We had two perfect lunches there (even though it was a good four mile walk down the beach to Playa Grande).

How much did you blow all week?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to plan the trip far enough in advance, and the last minute booking cost us pretty dearly. We barely managed to snag two available seats at $1200 each (economy; business was unavailable), which didn’t include a small domestic return flight from Liberia Guanacaste to San José ($115 each). The hotel was about $200 per night (including breakfast), and food/drink per day was probably about $200 averaged (including some dinners with friends). Other activities (sailing, equipment rentals, etc) was perhaps another $600 total.

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Week Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I was a General Manager/Maitre d’ for an [popular] restaurant in Tribeca, but I left there about a month ago. I also used to be a managing partner for a Midtown restaurant several years ago. I’m currently on hiatus until the end of January.

And you have how many weeks off a year, generally?
I generally take about 4 weeks off a year, but not in succession.

What made you choose Virgin Gorda for this vacation?
We weren’t able to book the trip that far in advance, so I guess our first priority was finding something that was available, nice and not too expensive considering the such late notice. I do have a travel agent and she recommended it according to my needs. We also didn’t want to travel too far and have a very long flight or a lot of connections. However, it still took almost 12 hours overall, because we had one connection and a boat ride.

And where did you stay?
At Little Dix Bay, which I think was originally built by the Rockefeller family. I did hear of Little Dix Bay prior to this; I know it was a super hotspot maybe 20 years ago. A friend of mine told me he visited there briefly around that time— he was sailing the Caribbean with friends and they dropped in there for a drink, and he loved it.

How was the ambience/service/amenities etc?
Not bad. However, the resort does seem to be a little worse for wear and could use some sprucing up here and there, especially the rooms. Also, it was a lot more family-oriented than we were led to believe, but that could also have been exacerbated because of the holiday. The beach was lovely, though.

Any major glitches and/or disappointments?
Our first meal upon arrival was at the more casual restaurant near the dock, and that was awful. The service was incredibly apathetic considering the cost of the resort as a whole. The food was pretty terrible, too. We decided to just avoid that place for the rest of the trip which affected our overall spending, because it was the least expensive dining spot. Also, if you chose not to partake in the very very expensive (!) all-you-can-eat/drink New Years Eve buffet, there were no other options for dining than room service. There must have been some kind of lesser surcharge for the buffet upon booking, because I find it very hard to believe a lot of those families (of 6 or 8+ people) paid that astonishingly exorbitant price per person for the experience. We could eat at Per Se for that kind of money.

Like I said, I also thought the room was shoddier than advertised. There were cracks in the walls and bathroom tile, for example, and the linens were cheap and worn out. There’s no TV and no dock for playing music, so late at night if we weren’t tired, we had to resort to watching movies (which we had with us) on my laptop.
Even the beach experience was somewhat strained, as these families get very territorial and downright rude about "their" little area with "their" lounge chairs and tables. So in that sense, the resort should have been better prepared for the upswing in holiday traffic and provided ample accommodations for everybody.

Any great standout experiences?
The water is the clearest and most beautiful I have ever seen in my life. It was the one thing (aside from my companion) that salvaged the trip and made it all truly worthwhile. I’m an avid swimmer, so being able to swim in the sea that was as warm, clean and placid as a pool was wonderful. The prevalent stingrays are a little scary though, but thankfully, there were no bad incidents.
Also, the complimentary daily afternoon "tea" was a nice welcomed touch. Perfect for the sunset after a day on the beach, right before freshening up for dinner.

How much did you blow all week?
The airline tickets were about $700 each. And the room was about $650 per night. Food/drinks every day were probably about $150 per day (but breakfast is included with the cost of the room).

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Week Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a bartender, but I’ve also worked as a waiter. I’ve been in the F&B/Nightlife industries for about 14 years for various [very popular] places in NYC.

And you have how many weeks off a year, generally?
I don’t get paid vacations, but I do try to take off at least 2 or 3 weeks a year if possible.

What made you choose St. Lucia for this vacation?
I usually like to travel to warm places in the wintertime. My girlfriend’s family is from St. Lucia, so she was visiting them for the holidays already. We arranged our trip so that I would fly to St. Lucia to meet her there later, and she came to meet me at the hotel we booked especially for this occasion.

And where did you stay?
At the Jalousie Plantation which is currently being run by Hilton hotels. A friend of mine had recommended it since he’d stayed here several years before. It sounded great, but from what I gather, it had previously been privately owned by a somewhat eccentric English gentleman. My friend had gotten to meet him on his visit, and he said it made the experience a lot more charming, as he was invited to a private party thrown by the owner on the property of his personal home on the resort. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to have the same experience.

How was the ambience/service/amenities etc?
Overall I’d say very good. Our room was beautiful, but we got lucky, since apprently they are in mid-construction to convert Jalousie into a Tides hotel, and we received a room that was already renovated. The construction noise was irritating at times, but it was sporadic enough not to affect the trip that badly. The service was all right, but I’ve traveled to the Caribbean before, and it’s somewhat to be expected that everyone and everything moves much slower than New York, but mostly everyone was very warm and friendly. The food was a standout, as it was quite good, which is another thing that doesn’t come easily in the Caribbean. Aside from the fresh seafood and amazing fruit, I even had some American staples like the burger, and that was much better than I had expected.

Any major glitches and/or disappointments?
The only thing I can think of is that the long ride from the airport is a major pain. It’s about an hour’s ride since it’s slow-going at times over the rough terrain. I tried to book a helicopter for the return trip, because I was so not looking forward to the ride out. I was happy to see that the cost wasn’t prohibitive, and I booked a reservation, but at the last minute the pilot just decided not to fly so that was a major disappointment.
The other thing is that you have to get up very early and be aggressive if you want to save a first-come-first-served "cabana." Luckily, my girlfriend is an early bird so it worked out great, but the beach does get crowded all day every day. People move into their cabanas at sunrise, and it seems like they don’t move out until they check out.

Any great standout experiences?
We mostly just laid around the whole time, as my girlfriend isn’t so into hiking or other activities like that. She does waterski though, and the great thing is that local boats are always hanging around that will just take you out randomly on a whim. They also do tube rides if you’re into that sort of thing.
Also, the fireworks show on New Years Eve was nice. Being there in the sand watching fireworks on such a warm gorgeous night with my girl felt really great and special. And some of the people we met there were nice and cool too.

How much did you blow all week?
Ha ha, I don’t even want to think about it. But the room rate was lower than I’d expected. At first I thought it was due to the economy (as usually places will jack up the prices quite a lot for the holidays) but now that I think about it, maybe the reduced rate was due to the fact that the resort was under construction in some areas. My flight was about $750 economy, and the room was around $600 per night (but I think it’s normally around $900 for the holidays). We didn’t have an all-inclusive plan (but breakfast was included), so we probably spent about $150-$200/day average on food/drinks.

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m an architect, but I worked in the F&B/Nightlife industries for about 8 years as both a waitress and a doorperson at several [very popular] places in NYC.

And you have how many days off a week, generally?
Right now, ostensibly, I have weekends off, but often I end up working one way or another either one or both of those days. When I worked in nightlife, usually I had 2 to 3 days off a week.

What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
I was up pretty early so I ordered room service and had coffee and pastries while I did some work on my laptop. My boyfriend ended up sleeping in ’til later in the morning, which turned out well, since I was able to get a lot more work done. When he finally got up, he said he wasn’t hungry, so we skipped breakfast and headed straight for the beach.

Lunch?
The Setai is very close to the W where we’re staying, so we decided to leave our things and walk over and have lunch at the pool bar there. It’s actually one of my favorite places on the beach; I think the food is great there. We had the caprese salad and the caesar salad, which were both very good, but the ceviche was the best dish of all. It was a twist on a classic ceviche, with sour mango and jicama— so fresh and delicious. I also had a lychee martini, because the Setai makes the best one I’ve ever had— it’s not too sweet, because they use fresh lychee instead of the canned syrupy stuff. I don’t normally go for sweet tropical drinks, but it’s Miami!

And afterward?
Went back to our beach chairs and stayed a few more hours just lounging around. We ordered a bottle of white wine and enjoyed the sun and ocean. What a gorgeous day it was.
Afterward we decided to go for a walk on the promenade, and since we ended up walking farther than we thought, I sent a message to a friend of mine from NYC that we happened to run into the day before at the W bar. I haven’t seen her in years, and she and her husband just happened to be in Miami the same weekend!
She answered my text message pretty quickly, so we decided to stroll over to the Mondrian where they were staying. I had planned at some point to go and see it anyway, so that worked out really well.
When we got to the Mondrian, they were sitting by the pool in a cabana, so we just joined them for a drink. It turns out there’s a great view of the sunset from the bay side of Miami Beach, so it was beautiful to hang out there.
When I’d been booking our hotel for this visit, I actually couldn’t decide between the Mondrian and W, but because my boyfriend likes the beach, I chose the W. Well, evidently, Mondrian guests have access to the Delano beach, which I didn’t realize. If I had known that, I probably would have booked us at the Mondrian instead. It’s a very cute hotel, and even though I think the W is also very nice, somehow the crowd at the Mondrian seems cooler and more urbane to me. I think next time I’ll very likely try staying at the Mondrian.

Dinner?
We left our friends so that they could get showered and ready for dinner and took a walk back down the promenade toward the beach. I guess we were getting tired, because the walk seemed longer, and my boyfriend started feeling hungry. It was still early though (about 6:30PM) so we decided to just pop into Nobu for a light nibble, because he loves it. We weren’t dressed, so we just sat at the bar, which worked out fine, because apparently the dining room doesn’t open until 7PM anyway.
We ordered a medium-sized bottle of sake and had the shishito peppers, the rock shrimp and the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño. I felt like we didn’t order that much at all, but that still ended up being $144 (including auto-gratuity).

And afterward?
Went back to the hotel to shower. It just so happens our friends that were staying at the Mondrian had reservations at Mr. Chow, so we planned to meet them there later. We weren’t hungry anymore after our meal at Nobu, so we just decided to sit by the pool and have another drink.
We stopped into Mr. Chow to see our friends, and even though we had only planned to join them for drinks and not dinner, it turned out they had two extra seats at their table anyway, so we sat down with them. Since we weren’t that hungry, we just had the chicken satay, the quail lettuce wraps and the shrimp spring rolls (which, obviously, are Mr. Chow classics). There seemed to be a lot of familiar faces there that night, and Michael Chow even stopped by the table to say hello.
Then after dinner, we all decided to check out Wall. Seeing the doorman initially was a turnoff, but he ended up being very nice. Inside was very dark (despite the neon laser light show patterns) and loud, so we ended up just taking a quick look around and leaving, because none of us were feeling into that kind of scene. So we just went to the main lobby bar instead, which was a lot more comfortable and easy-going.

How much did you blow today?
Oh god, I don’t even know. But I guess if I had to estimate? For everything all day? Maybe about $425? (Our friends got the check at Mr. Chow, and my boyfriend paid the tab at the W lobby bar).

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a Maitre d’ for a 110+ seater in a well-known upscale boutique hotel.

And you have how many days off a week, generally?
Until very recently I was up to three days off a week, but now we’ve just lost someone, so I have to go back and give up one of my days off.

What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
Met some friends for brunch at 10 Downing. It was my first time for brunch, and we chose it because I couldn’t think of anyplace else that’s good that would be able to accommodate 6 people without much of a hassle and no reservation. I figured if we met at 10 Downing and it was too busy, we’d have plenty of other decent options available in the area within walking distance. As it turns out, the weather was still warm enough for outdoor dining (if we kept our jackets on) so we opted for the sidewalk cafe, which was almost empty anyway. The dining room also would not have been a problem if we had chosen to sit inside.
The bartender recommended the fried chicken to me— he said it was "sooo good," but it turned out to be somewhat overcooked and possibly the driest chicken I’ve ever had. I did like the apple cider, though— my friend was having it and I tried it for the first time and liked it. I ended up having three, almost without even realizing it. My other friend kept ordering it for me; he himself was up to five beers by the time we left.
Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals just fine, but the omelette that was custom-ordered ("just ham and cheese") looked the best out of everything.

Lunch?
10 Downing was still "lunch"— we got there around 1:30PM and stayed until about 4PM.

And afterward?
Went home. My friend from out of town who was staying with me had to pack his bags, and I sent him off in a cab to the airport.
Then I met up with another friend. We just walked around SoHo for a little bit and then decided to stop for a drink. I’d been meaning to drop by Brinkleys, because I’d heard a friend of mine just started working there, so I suggested we go there.
Unfortunately, my friend wasn’t behind the bar like I had hoped, and the bartender that was working completely ignored us for a good two minutes even though the bar wasn’t that full. I tried to sit in an empty stool but a minute later a girl walked up to tell me it’s her seat, even though the dish and drink that were on the bar were both finished; she must have been outside smoking a cigarette or something. So then I tried another seat and then some other girl claimed that seat as her own, too.
So then I got frustrated, because still after all this time, the bartender hadn’t yet pulled his face away from the computer terminal. So we decided to just leave.

Dinner?
Walked over to Blue Ribbon Sushi, which has been one of my favorite places for years. Normally, I make it a habit to avoid seafood on the weekends, but my friend was feeling up for it, and there are a lot of things on Blue Ribbon’s menu that aren’t necessarily served raw. It turns out I had the kanpachi anyway, because I couldn’t resist; to me it’s the best thing they have, and this time it was as perfect as I’ve always had it. They also make the best miso soup, so I had that too. We shared a wakame salad, pork shumai and rock shrimp, and my friend decided to order sushi of his own, because he apparently doesn’t have the same apprehension I have about seafood (especially raw) on the weekends. However, he did say afterward he felt "a little disappointed" about the tuna.
I’d already drunk so much at brunch, so we decided to split a small bottle of sake. I can’t remember the name of it, but they have one that’s $18 for a 300ml which I thought was very reasonable. Usually I prefer nigori sake, but this one was actually pretty good, and I would definitely order it again.

And afterward?
Met up with a bunch of friends at Rose Bar. It took a little while to get in, because they kept saying to wait for the doorman, but he was late showing up. Then when they said he’d finally arrived, it was still hard to find him, because he wasn’t at the front door. I know one of the guys that helps run the place, so I sent an email to his blackberry but I never got a response back. Eventually I did find the doorman I know, and he let all five of us in with no problem.
After our second round of drinks, my friend noticed that one of the managers was lurking near us, and she overheard him telling the waitress to "get rid" of us. It just so turns out that my other friend was already paying the check at the same time. He didn’t realize that the gratuity is automatically added, so he ended up paying a 45% tip. But then when he discovered that they were actively looking to bounce us, he hunted down the waitress and demanded the extra tip back (it was all paid in cash).
As we were leaving, my friend gave her business card to one of the managers, because I guess she felt like they were being rude to us. When he found out that we’re all from the industry, he said to her, "You didn’t tell me you’re here." It seemed like a moot point to us, but he apologized and I guess they made friends that night.

How much did you blow today?
$60 for brunch— I threw $80 on the pile, but for some reason they gave me $20 back. Another $8 cab fare to Rose Bar. My friend paid for dinner at Blue Ribbon Sushi, and my other friend got the check at Rose Bar.

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a Service Coordinator and Floor Manager for a [highly publicized] 150+ seater in TriBeCa.

And you have how many days off a week, generally?
Two.

What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
Had an english muffin (with butter) and coffee at home while watching the morning news.

Lunch?
Met a couple of friends at Ippudo on 4th Ave. They’re big fans of the ramen, and I think one friend even knows one of the cooks there. It’s usually packed (or rather, the wait is long) for dinner, so lunch is a better bet if you can make it there early enough. I used to be a fan myself, until a girl I was dating a while back had an allergic reaction which she attributed to MSG. I was surprised that a ramen house as well-known as Ippudo would still be using outdated and controversial ingredients like MSG, so when I got home I googled "Ippudo MSG." Even though I didn’t actually get a definitive answer, there were enough reports online of people with similar doubts and experiences to make me somewhat of a believer. I haven’t eaten at Ippudo since, and I try to warn my friends of the possibility of MSG in the food. Some friends care — others don’t.
Obviously, these particular friends still love it, but I stuck with two pork buns, piquillo peppers and a small bottle of sake. I hope the pork buns don’t have any MSG, but if it weren’t for my friends insisting on lunching there, I wouldn’t have gone back even for those.

And afterward?
Walked around Union Square with my friends, then went home to clean my apartment and catch up on the laundry.

Dinner?
Met another friend at Ed’s Lobster Bar in SoHo. She was craving a lobster roll, and Mary’s Fish Camp is too much of hassle (long wait) most nights. I also won’t go to Pearl’s because the staff has such an attitude problem there. Ed’s isn’t much better, but the irony is that at Ed’s the staff is nice, but the owners are real dicks. Usually whenever I see Ed or that other big guy through the window, I keep walking. But this time my friend was starving so I gave in.
I always try to get a seat at the counter as far away from Ed as possible. Sometimes he mans the front oyster/raw bar, and other times he darts in and out of the kitchen in the back. Unfortunately, this time there were only seats toward the front, and we had no choice but to plop ourselves smack in front of his surly mug.

The funny thing is I was bracing myself for a mediocre to downright awful experience, but I think Ed heard us talking and realized we were from the industry. He was unusually attentive, and no exaggeration, the lobster rolls arrived more overstuffed and perfectly prepared than I have ever seen before (more often than not, it’s a crap shoot). The fries were also perfect (ditto on the crap shoot) and even the little ramekin of pickles was practically overflowing. We also shared a Caesar salad to start, and even that was fresher and better prepared than it’s ever been. It ended up being the best meal I’ve ever had there.

And afterward?
Popped into Cafe Select to see if another friend of mine was working, but she wasn’t, so we dropped into La Esquina instead. Had two rounds of margaritas, which was one more than I wanted, but I know the girl that was bartending, so she refilled the glasses when we weren’t looking. We spotted Mischa Barton walking by, but I think I heard she’s there all the time. Also ran into a couple of other people we know.

How much did you blow today?
I treated my friend to dinner at Ed’s so all in all, about $190, including tip (which I gave the bartender at La Esquina a little extra for the sneak round). My friend paid for the first round of drinks at La Esquina. No cab fare all day which is one of the main reasons I mostly only go to places I can walk to (I hate the subway).

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a Floor Manager and Beverage Director for a [very popular] 160-seater in SoHo.

And you have how many days off a week, generally?
Two. I’m off today as well [as yesterday], but I’ll still have to go in for a meeting…

What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
I don’t do breakfast. Just coffee, at home.

Lunch?
A friend invited me to a menu tasting for the new chef at Mangia on 48th St. I must have tried over a dozen dishes and they were very good (my favorites being the fried baby whitefish, the “croquettes varie,” the langoustine, the bacon-wrapped dates, and the tuna slider). I’m not in midtown very often, but I’m glad I went. I was a lot more impressed with the food than I thought I would be. Saw a few friends from the industry that work/ed for The Standard, Indochine, La Esquina, Jean Georges and The Breslin. It was fun, but I probably drank a little too much for so early in the afternoon.

And afterward?
Went with a few friends from the tasting for a drink at Rouge Tomate. I know a manager there, but unfortunately she wasn’t around. The space is very nice, and the bartender was really great. They have an unusual beer list, so even though I don’t drink beer often, I gave one a try. I had something called a "Double White" that my friend recommended, which was pretty good… and I liked the olive oil with sea salt popcorn.
Took a look at the menu for the first time, and it looks interesting and appealing. I may have to try and make it back up there for dinner sometime. I heard they had a few problems in the beginning, but that the food has improved and gotten better.
Then dropped off one friend at The Armory for the Arts/Design preview show (at $150 a ticket, it was too steep for me).

Dinner?
Cercle Rouge. I have friends in from out of town, so I wanted to take them someplace simple and effortless and not in the MPD, since it was a Thursday night ("amateur night"). Cercle Rouge has a great GM/Maitre d’ that I’ve known for years. It was the perfect choice, because my friends loved it. I did steer them toward more of the classics, though (escargot, moules frites, onion soup, etc). Sometimes some of the fussier creations at Cercle Rouge can be a little too much for me, but I find the classics are consistently good.

And afterward?
Thought about meeting up with friends at The Box, but never actually made it there. Walked with my friends from out of town all the way from Tribeca to Union Square, and after popping into the apartment where they’re staying for a nightcap, I decided to just go home. The weather got cold, and I was pooped.

How much did you blow today?
Myself, about $70. [Lunch: $0, Drinks: $20, Dinner $50, all including gratuity, but did split the total tabs with friends (Cab fare to/from midtown was paid by my friend).]