It was the first time I had flown American Airlines across the U.S. to New York, and I had this odd feeling that I was cheating on Virgin America by making a left instead of a right inside San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2. I have to admit, AA totally surprised me with its seats that lie flat. The flight was on time, and the crew was pleasant.
There might be more AA in the future. Of course, the sleep on the redeye must not have been enough: A little dazed, I left my Bose headphones on the plane, along with my iPhone charger. I don’t think I can live without a pair of noise-canceling headphones on this mega trip, so I might be visiting the Apple Store later this morning on my way to the airport! 
The day in New York was spent mostly doing some personal errands: going to a doctor’s appointment, getting a quick haircut and meeting two dear friends. I squeezed in a meeting with a founder too. There wasn’t that much time for photos yesterday, but hopefully today I will grab a handful before leaving town. By the way, if you are looking for a good espresso in Nolita, stop at American Two Shot (corner of Crosby and Grand): It is a fashion-and-clothing store with an espresso bar and a good barista. There isn’t much room to sit, but, hey, I like my coffee standing up, Italian style.
The second day of the trip ended last night after a long and leisurely dinner with Naveen and friends at a fine new establishment called Chef’s Club, which is backed by Food & Wine magazine. The concept is nice: They bring in 10 new (hot) chefs a year to run the main dining room and showcase seasonal produce and a solid wine list. There isn’t a specific cuisine: We had a nice tomato-and-ricotta salad and also grilled chicken. A fellow diner ordered scallops and another got steak, and were raving about them. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience: The service was attentive but not hovering, the food was delicious without being pretentious. The only knock on the beautiful place — if there is any — is that like all New York restaurants, it too suffers from poor acoustics.
As I crept into bed, I felt a little niggle, the early onset of a cold perhaps showing up. My throat is burning a bit, so I know there are a few difficult days ahead. I might need to visit a pharmacy before I get on the plane again.
#fullcircle #newyork