| I woke on my second morning in New York having slept very well. The quality of the bed, bed linen and pillows in The Towers at The Lotte New York Palace are excellent. Breakfast with a Spectacular Snowy View Fresh snow was falling & I had breakfast in my room, never getting tired of the breathtaking view of Manhattan from the 47th floor. It was Saturday and so the weekend newspapers were delivered (including the Weekend Financial Times). I was in heaven, despite the weather. Showering with Molton Brown products was a fun blast from the past. However, using Molton Brown toothpaste was a first for me. A Relaxing Day Staying Safe Having fallen in the snow & ice a few years ago in London, & broken ribs, I decided to stay safe inside the hotel. It is a shame that a hotel as large at The Lotte New York Palace does not have a pool. I just read newspapers in the lobby, before a cheeseburger lunch from room service. Another thing that always must be done in New York. Meeting Brenda, Director of Front of the House, & Chatting to The Towers Team In the late afternoon I met with Brenda. I arrived early and Andy on the desk wanted me to say hello to the Mandarin Oriental, New York concierges from her. Always love chatting to hotel people. The Fifth Avenue Hotel: Cafe Carmellini When I booked Cafe Carmellini I assumed The Fifth Avenue Hotel would be close to Bergdorf Goodman & The Lotte New York Palace. However, it is at the other end of Fifth Avenue, near The Flatiron Building, in NoMad. It is a quirky photogenic new hotel, formerly a Gilded Age Mansion, and far more opulent & interesting than 'Bad Roman'. Elegant & High-Class Cafe Carmellini Chef Andrew Carmellini was in the kitchen, the restaurant is grand & exquisite and service was impeccable. A Martini with a 'Side Car' My perfect very dry Grey Goose martini, with a green lime twist, came with a 'side car' of pickles & olives. A very nice touch. The table bread was incredible too. Cannelloni of Lobster, with Golden Osetra Caviar, & Squab en Croute The French/ Italian food was mouthwateringly delicious but very rich. The sweet huckleberry sauce that came with the pigeon helped to add balance but come hungry. Grapefruit Sorbetto ABC I picked the dessert that was a homage to Chef Carmellini's grandmother in Miami. I now know I do not like white vermouth on my grapefruit sorbet. Breakfast in The Villard Restaurant Before my transfer to Mandarin Oriental, New York, I had to have a steak & eggs breakfast in The Villard restaurant, with its English oak paneling. This is part of the renaissance palazzo style glamorous Villard House. This building was commissioned in 1882 by railroad tycoon Henry Villard. Originally several houses, made to look from the outside like one mansion, which Harry Helmsley built the glass & metal New York Palace Hotel & Towers behind. You may have seen The Lotte New York Palace on 'Gossip Girl'. This New York trip continued to be '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) perfect. The lack of a pool at The Lotte New York Palace might have lost a 'teddy' but the flawless Cafe Carmellini's more than compensated for this. Tip: avoid the suggested 5 courses at Cafe Carmellini, unless you have starved yourself before. |  When the snow stopped again, the magnificent view of St Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Centre etc looked even more impressive.  Chef Andrew Carmellini's rich cannelloni of lobster, with a generous portion of golden Osetra caviar from the Caspian Sea, was a heavenly dish I did not want to end. |
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