Today is the birthday of two great New Yorkers - though both were born elsewhere - who have contributed immeasurably to the literature of travel.
Kate Simon was born on this day in 1912 in Warsaw, Poland, though she moved to New York at a young enough age - 5 - that she titled her first memoir Bronx Primitive. Her follow-up memoirs, A Wider World and Etchings in an Hourglass, benefited equally from her love of travel and her love of language. Written before the glut of memoirs, they are shining examples of the genre. Her "Uncommon Guidebooks" can still be found in used bookstores and they are still worth reading, for she interspersed the practical information with elegant essays. She is the great, forgotten American travel writer, and if there were any justice in the world, the Society of American Travel Writers would ditch Lowell Thomas and name their annual awards after her.
Calvin Trillin was born on this day in 1935 in Kansas City, Missouri, though he seems to be the ideal of a Manhattanite, with a house in Greenwich Village and a job at The New Yorker. For years for the magazine he wrote the U.S. Journal (steadfastly refusing to mention de Tocqueville) and in 1971 he published a collection of these pieces on people and places most everyone else missed. (One chapter is beautifully titled "Middle-Sized Events.") Eventually, he ventured farther afield, and became more autobiographical, straddling the tantalizing line - in books like Alice, Let's Eat - between food and travel. He was like M.F.K. Fisher with a sense of humor.
I interviewed him in 1991 at a conference in Key West, and after the interview he invited me to join him and Alice (and their two daughters) for lunch. He was probably the most famous person I'd ever interviewed, and the only one who invited me to lunch.
2 comments
Ok...I know I am a foodie and have travelled quite a bit and been to lot many places but the one city which is always an extension of mine is undoubtedly New York. I am proud to wear my Nike NY cap and cheer my Basketball team without fail. I have been to almost all the food joints, restaurants, pubs and bars located in Manhattan and I must say they all are pretty good considering this age of twittering and Face book wherein if you fail once your name pops up on all the social networking websites with negative comments. This is a welcome change becoz ultimately we the customers become the king as shoddy service or bad quality food can easily land the owners into trouble.
But the one place which has succeeded in amazing me is the newly refurbished Restaurant named Point Break. Formerly named as Nation Restaurant & Bar, Point Break is a new Surf Bar located in the heart of mid-town Manhattan. Now I remember sometime back I had been to this place when it had the old look and feel and I thought ok..seems to be an average place..what's the big deal? But even during my last visit when it was still in its old shape it served me excellent food and the service was razor sharp. So last Saturday when one of my friend threw a party and told me the venue to be a swanky new outlet which he was speaking so highly about I thought ok..let's try this one too. When he told me about the address I wasn't sure it was the same place but when I reached there the whole look and feel from Outside was changed and once I entered in, the earlier known Nation was truly looking like a break from the past and hats off this guy, I don't remember the name of the owner, but he has rightly renamed it as Point Break!! It appeals to the newer generation guys like me. We had a great time there. The menu featured old classics and new additions. I loved the wheel o' shots which made me crazy!! I had the fish tacos which was delicious..yummeee and it has got plenty of room for parties, the DJ that they had was great, excellent sound system as well and the drinks were strong and I had a look at the menu and thought the prices were pretty good.
Guys on top of it the next day when I searched this place on the internet, this restaurant has a Face book page too wherein they post photos and updates of recent happenings/parties and upcoming events/parties/offers too. They tweet also which is really nice thinking by the owner.
Anyways not wanting to sound like a paid blogger I would say as a foodie this restaurant is a nice one and I would not hesitate to give my recommendation for it to my guests coming in from out of town. Go and try once and do not hesitate to leave a comment once you are there. I know I am only going to get thumbs up from you all!!!
Ciao…
John Smith, NYC
I looked over your blog and it looks really good. Do you ever do link exchanges on your blog roll? If you do, I’d like to exchange links with you.
Let me know if you’re interested.
Thanks..
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