Jumeirah Essex House Hotel

E and I were sick all last weekend. :(   But before you feel too sorry for us, especially for me, this resulted in a baby-free, husband-free weekend trip to NYC to visit steph.  Full-time mommy life can really be the pits, No?  

Steph was in east-coast town for the week to direct/produce the shooting of a forum for Donna Karan's foundation Urban Zen.  I initially attempted to get up to see her with E early in the week, but fatigue, sniffles and a sad clingy baby are not good ingredients for a happy trip.  Since my joseph is the most amazingly supportive friend, I was able to leave Saturday morning on the train and have two solid days with my dearest steph.  True to our adventurous spirits, our Sunday culminated with the most amazing Italian meal prepared by a friend of a business associate's family, who owns a pizzeria in New Rochelle, NY (Bronx).  

Saccone's Pizza (washington ave and 6th ave) is the most delicious Italian food I have ever had with two exceptions: Italy, and anything maria has ever fixed for us.  We walked in with some defroasted multi-grain pizza dough from Wholefoods, intending to toss up a pie, and within 20 minutes had been seated while Maria and her son, Joe, brought out dish after dish of decadent cuisine:  Artichoke hearts with freshly made mozzarella, goat cheese, gruyere, home made sausage, green beans in vinaigrette, broccoli, fresh grapes and strawberries, easter breads, fried dough dipped in honey, cherry goat cheese tart, oh, and of course the pizza chazz made us from the multi-grain dough.  The Saccones even brought out a beautiful bottle of wine for us.  Too bad about the wine, of course, but the gesture was heart-warming.

It's been a long time since I met total strangers, they took me in, fed me, opened my eyes to another way to live this incredible life, and when we parted the kisses and hugs felt like souls departing that had known each other for many, many years.  Steph and I both experienced what we called 'on the mission'...a feeling of closeness with people we have just met.  

I missed e and joseph, but I am refreshed and ready for the day-to-day again.   ...although casa Wheeler is wonderful (especially now that we have our own little house to live in), the lights- out option on the controller, down mattress-topper, 60 inch HDTV, and South Gate Restaurant at the Essex were a little difficult to leave.