When I was a little boy, I mean like 2 years old little, my Nana and Papa, Thelma and Sam, respectively, took me to New York. When I returned, my parents asked me what I did there. I can still see and hear my Nana telling this story over and over through my life. She would use a very small sing-songy voice as she imitated, lovingly mind you, my answer to that question. “We went to a restaurant and… a restaurant and… a restaurant and…”.
When I was six my parents took my brothers and me to London and Amsterdam and Israel. My brothers kept journals but my parents had me dictate my thoughts and ideas to them. My folks recorded my words exactly as I said them. ”Today we went to the market and saw the chickens and the bread being made,” reads the first line of that journal.
It’s in my blood. This love for food, for people, travel and for the restaurants and the restaurants and the… you get the idea.
I tell these stories as much for my own appreciation as to enlighten you too about who I am and how I think and feel. It doesn’t make me special. It just is.
What makes me special is that 41 years later I went back to New York and guess what I did? I ate in restaurants. I saw live music. And I attended a Broadway show. My interests have clearly broadened with the passage of time.
Porter Airlines put me on an early flight and the hotel, The Standard East Village, let me check in early. I dropped my bags and headed for a coffee at Abraco, lunch at Freeman’s and a shopping trip to Astor’s Liquor Wonderland. My pal Gregory had suggested each of these places and the man hit the trifecta.
I ended up going to Abraco three times in the four days I was there. It is the smallest and happiest coffee shop in the world.
What makes it so awesome is that Jamie and his crew are waaaaaay cooler than me but they don’t lord that fact over me.
They love what they do. They’re amazing at it and they’re happy to share their gift with me.
Freeman’s is down an alley in the Lower East Side and serves awesome cocktails and totally solid American food.

Devils on Horseback followed by Smoked Trout on toasted rye w boiled eggs and grainy mustard.
I sat at the bar where Raphael shook me up a couple of fine cocktails: a Rustic Sour and his own creation called a New Mexican Handshake.
Afterwards, I made my way back to the hotel for a nap. When I woke I walked around the corner to Bianca for dinner. Instead of having to wait the 45 minutes indicated, George let me in quickly when I showed him a picture of Tia, my FB friend who suggested the place.
Very good Italian fare and great value. Deep fried gnocci, perfectly cooked chicken livers and a simple spaghetti totally finished me off.
Friday was epic. Breakfast at Shopsin’s in the Essex Market. Mark Shopsin is notorious for his rules, his temper, his ridiculous menu and his fantastic food. Only the latter two were on display during my visit. Shopsin himself was delightful and helpful. Luke Kaplan worked the floor and took great care of me. He was concerned that 6 Mac and Cheese Pancakes with chorizo and hatch (green chillies) would be too much for me.
Especially since I got some sausages on the side. I ate five and all the sausages with the maple syrup and home made hot sauce.
To digest I walked to Mercer St and met a friend who was also in town for the weekend. Rebecca navigated us by foot up to the High Line – an abandoned railway line that’s above grade and converted into a park. Before heading up the steps we collected a picnic worthy of far greater people than we: lobster rolls, clam chowder and sushi. It was windy as hell but wonderful.
After dropping her off at her place I headed over to Ippudo, a Ramen place near my hotel. Loved it. Mostly I loved watching the really beautiful woman across from me eat her noodles. There’s something very sexy about watching a beautiful woman eat.
Clearly I needed a nap and drunk on noodles and lobster and mac and cheese pancakes w chorizo and hatch I made my way back to the hotel and crashed. At 5.30 pm I got ready for Round 4: Mile End Deli. Noah Bernamoff and Rae Cohen opened their acclaimed deli in Brooklyn just after I opened on College St.
We are often grouped together, most famously by the Wall Street Journal in an article about “Artisinal Deli as a New Global Food Trend”. Awesome or what?!?
Noah and Rae were holding a Friends and Family soft opening party at their new location in the East Village.I brought Kevin, another friend from home visiting NYC that weekend and we fressed like champions. You’d never know that I was on meal number four the way I smashed a beet gazpacho, Roast Beef on Weck and smoked meat poutine. And I’m totally stealing the Roast Beef too. That was a fave of mine when I was a kid.

How’d I miss that one? Duh.
Kevin went on his way to another movie in his festival plan and I went back to the hotel for nap #2. I had a 10 pm reservation at The Dutch and I had every intention of keeping it. The Dutch is the HOTTEST new spot in the city.
Reservations are impossible. So how’d I get one the day before? Buddies Norm and Jay at home hooked the brother up.
Unfortunately they didn’t have the dishes I was suggested to order so I had to settle for the Seafood Tower. Settle? Hahahhahahahaha. I was in my glory. In fact, a gentleman passing my table stopped as they will in this town. “You’re eating like a king,” he said. “You are a king,” he said walking on. 
And you know what, motherfuckers? I think he was right. Not better than you. You must know by now that I am as much a motherfucker as the next guy but at that moment, I felt like I was on top of the motherfucking world. I know I walked home but my feet never touched the ground.
Oh man: I forgot the best part. Well not the best part but a really good part. After demolishing the tower, the one that was fit for a king, Patrick the Manager came over and we chatted. He knew I was from Toronto and suggested a few places I might visit in Brooklyn when I went the following day. He was charming without being too familiar. A serious pro.
He offered me a digestif which I sipped as I enjoyed my table and looked at the pretty girls and watched the waiters and bussers and bartenders do their thing. It was an amazing scene. The waiter offered me pie. Norm had strongly recommended it but it wasn’t going to happen. “No thanks,” I said. ”Just the cheque.” “There will be no cheque tonight, Mr. Caplansky,” he said showing me his palms and smiling a pure and perfect smile.
Crazy, eh? The motherfuckers comped me. Then I walked him as if on clouds blah blah blah.
Strangely enough, when I woke on Saturday morning I didn’t feel hungry. I went for a walk to try and waken the tiger within. A coffee at Abraco nudged the tiger but the sight of Russ and Daughters lit a fire under him.
Matjes Herring, whitefish salad and a bagel lox and cream cheese with tomato, red onion and capers (don’t forget the salt and pepper) make the perfect picnic in the park along with the Saturday Times and a big latte served by a gorgeous girl with great tits.
Noah wanted to get to Fette Sau early so I kept it light and headed back to the hotel for another nap. Napping isn’t just for 2 years olds anymore.
I took the subway under the river and met my new friend Noah at the best BBQ place I’ve ever been. Pork cheeks, lamb shank, sausages, pork chops, brisket, potato rolls, pickles, sauerkraut and baked beans. Fette Sau was really the only place on the whole trip I was dying to try and it didn’t let me down.
Even better than the food was the chance to get to know someone I’ve respected and admired from a far. Noah’s an amazing guy. 14 years my junior and without any restaurant experience he knew things that took me years to figure out. He has a wonderfully generous attitude along with integrity, sincerity and kindness. Plus he’s funny.
It felt like dinner with an old pal. Noah drove me back to Manhattan where I was meeting Rebecca and her friends at the Kathleen Edwards show.
Sunday was quite simple. Cousin Neal picked me up at the hotel. In fact, his boys Sam and Max came in and helped me with my bags. They loaded me in the car and the four of us went to meet Neal’s lovely wife Carolyn and her friend Lisa. We all had breakfast at the Popover Cafe. Here the meal took a backseat to the company. The kids are just sooo much fun. Like their mom and dad, they’re smart, funny and very loving. The kids don’t know me too well because they live in New Jersey but it just felt like family to me.
After breakfast we said goodbye to Lisa and the 5 of us went to Spiderman on Broadway. I arranged tickets through one of my investors although I hadn’t expected comps. It was a very generous gift – more so because the show was a blast. Again, it was the kids that made it special. Sam sat next to me and Max next to him. We had incredible seats and when Spidey threw his web it landed all over us. The kids screamed (the good kind of scream) and it made me feel so good to share this with them.
After the show we hugged and said our good-byes. Neal drove me to Newark to catch my plane home. It’s three days later and I remember each moment vividly.
That’s one of the things I like about recording my thoughts. Like when I was 6 in Israel, its a way to remember how you felt at a particular time and place. It reminds you who you were then. A kid who is impressed by stewardesses and restaurants or a man who eats like a king and swears like a sailor.
A special “Thanks” to all my friends and family who enrich my life by going a little further than they need to just to look after me. You share your time and thoughts and ideas to make sure I have a great time and live a great life. Many of you were mentioned here but many more were not. ”Things will come and go. They can be replaced but people matter most of all,” my mother says. She’s right. Thanks peeps. I love you all.