There are healthy measures (and medicines) one should take. But most are not enjoyable – they all involve some degree and elements of deprivation, denial, restriction, discipline, and holding one’s nose. One of the great joys of living in this city is that many of the things one should do or see are very enjoyable. It’s like waking up one day to the New York Times and reading that the American Medical Association has just found that the healthiest thing you can do is eat Häagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream every day.

Here is why we do it – the answer to what is so perplexing to many visitors – why we would endure such hardship to live here, where ordinary tasks can become such large endeavors. The answer is that living here can be like being a boy or girl in a candy store, with its plethora of culture and activities, all so convenient, typically a walk or short subway ride away. And, like any good shop, there are new products and the old standbys.

Visiting Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel is to sample one of those delectable confections New York has to offer. As many an old standby (the Plaza dates to 1907), traditions remain, and one is the afternoon tea, which has been recently been brought back to the Palm Court – a magnificent room with a European flair.
Welcome to a world with harp and classical guitar, tables with the finest linen, crystal, Bernaudaud-Limoges china, Christoffle silver, outstanding floral arrangements, high-backed blue velvet upholstered chairs, and memories of fictional character Eloise (who lived in the hotel). Ellen Easton serves as tea consultant, and pastries are made by Executive Pastry Chef Nicole Kaplan, named as one of the top ten pastry chefs in the USA.

Dine under the Palm court’s recently recreated stained-glass laylight while surrounded by palm trees. The Palm Court tea menu will set you back $60, so if you don’t have a desire to finance a meal here, at least drop in and feast your eyes…

Related Posts: The Plaza, Stairway to Heaven

As a child, I loved hot dogs. In fact, were it not for dietary concerns, I would still be eating them. And as you descend the slippery slope of fast food and stratospheric calories, you might as well throw in some French fries. On my recent pilgrimage to Coney Island, which I wrote about yesterday, four of us decided to stop by the original Nathan’s Famous on Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Brooklyn, started in 1916 by Nathan Handwerker. I wrote of Nathan’s in 2006 (see here).
We had decided to snack only and ordered French fries and fried clams. For myself, since I eat fries so infrequently, there are only good fries or very good fries.

What’s more American than hot dogs and fries? Eating to excess, so a hot dog eating contest is the perfect American sport. Since 1916, Nathan’s has been sponsoring a hot dog eating contest. In 2007, the Japanese hegemony was finally broken by Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, eating 59 dogs in 10 minutes, beating Takeru Kobayashi, who had held the record for 6 years straight.

I learned today that competitive eating is actually an official sport with an organization: International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). They sponsor more than 100 international eating events. Personally, I find eating contests rather disturbing. At a time where health consciousness, obesity, and food-related illnesses are paramount, I do not see embracing a sport like this as sending the right messages to society. But perhaps if it were found that eating large amounts of French fries or ice cream was actually a health benefit…