V-Day in the city

We couldn't have asked for better winter weather on Sunday.I was excited about spending the day in the city after being away in Boston last weekend. Our initial plan of watching the latest Bollywood movie had to be shelved as it was sold out. After my getting over our initial disappointment, Nelson presented me with a number of options that made this day simply unforgettable.

Having arrived in the city early afternoon we headed uptown to Central Park. It really was a winter wonderland. Lots of families, couples and kids had come out making the park very lively on this sunny Sunday. We walked around and Nelson pointed out what has been voted as the most romantic bridge at Central Park. It really was a magical place to be and hard without having to pay a dime.

Then we headed to Chinatown hoping to see how the celebrations for the Chinese new year were going. The streets were bustling more than usual and all the bakeries were packed. We got some custard and coconuts buns and followed the direction of a drumbeat in air. What we saw were people in Chinese dragon costumes followed by drummers greeting each business. The mood was very festive with lots of Chinese confetti and crackers falling around us. It was such a pleasant day for walking that we were browsing through stores in SoHo before heading midtown for dinner.

We had dinner at Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar. The restaurant had a prix fixe menu for valentine's day that included champagne,a three course meal with dessert wine and a rose for the ladies. There were at least 4-5 choices for each meal. The artichokes hearts appetizer and the chocolate molten cake were my favorites. I'm looking forward to coming back to try some of their famed truffles in the near future.