HOTEL BELLECLAIRE
Interrupted by Central Park, Manhattan’s cross-town transit is a “you-can’t-get-there-from-here” nuisance. We’ve been apt to say “Put on your pith helmets, folks, we’re going over to the West Side,” but our perceptions have altered a little since a brief staycation at 77th Street and Broadway.
The Hotel Belleclaire had been a fixture on that corner since 1903 when it was designed in the Beaux Arts/Art Nouveau-Secessionist style by noted architect Emery Roth. Babe Ruth, Mark Twain and Maxim Gorky are among the notable guests whose stays preceded mine.
Once configured with suites of up to five-bedrooms, the hotel has been totally done over with an array of room sizes, most with windows or window bays overlooking Broadway or to the west toward the Hudson River. All done in similar beige tones with red accents, the rooms boast charming quirky entryways and corners, without overlooking lots of closets, vistas and space to move around.
I spent a night in an eighth-floor room with a bay window and pocket balcony overlooking Broadway. Besides my room’s wood-like desk, whiz-fast wi-fi, flat screen TV, and convenient credenza cupboard, the closet was stocked with an iron and ironing board, roomy safe, and fluffy terrycloth bathrobes, and there were lavender-minty shampoo and lotions from CO Bigelow Apothecaries in the bathroom.
Down in the lobby, there are three seating areas, Mark Twain exhibits, a rediscovered skylight that had been covered over sometime in the past, free copies of the NY Times and USA Today and a station serving complimentary coffee until noon.
On the second floor, a fitness room is full of exercise machines enabling guests to “jog over Broadway.” The Business Center supplies three computers on one side, and on the opposite wall two video games for the restless. Potentially the rooftop restaurant will be restored and a bar added off the entry on the ground floor.
While there’s no room service, the Westside Market is two doors away with ample supplies of cheeses, beverages, and fruits and the neighborhood is crowded with eateries. For dinner we tried comfortably rustic Fishtag, where dishes are listed on the menu in ascending order from lightest fare to most substantial. The dishes conceived by Chef Michael Psilakis are skewed somewhat Greek and we sampled almost all the appetizers like feta and spicy chili bruschetta, bacala and skordalia brandade “melt” and scallop ceviche. Moving along to entrees of roast salmon served with diced peppers and vegetables and fluffy sheepmilk dumplings made of ricotta and Peccorino cheese. Despite one diner’s misgivings about the headcheese stuffing, the grilled branzino turned out to be a hit.
For dessert we adjourned a few blocks away to the popular Cafe Lalo. Featured in “Sleepless in Seattle” it greets guests with a counter packed with tempting sweets and pastries from fluffy lemon meringue pie to hazelnut mousse to cheesecakes with two dozen different toppings like caramel pecan, dulce de leche and raspberry almond.
After a full night’s sleep in my bed with its leather headboard and “running boards,” breakfast was offered at nearby light and airy Nice-Matin where fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and banana maple walnut French toast launched the day. Checking out with some regret, I headed back home to the Upper East Side with reverse crosstown misgivings.
Hotel Belleclaire, 250 West 77th Street, www.hotelbelleclaire.com
HOTEL CHANDLER
Downtown just north of the Flatiron District, a cozy lobby fireplace, upholstered wing chairs, and a square-studded reception backdrop welcome guests to the Hotel Chandler. Recently renovated by interior designer Jane Capellini, this member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World has been updated with rooms painted in a neutral palette with pops of blue. Superior and deluxe rooms feature cherrywood armoires, tufted headboards, and rainfall showerheads.
Guests can walk to the nearby Empire State Building, Macy’s and historic Madison Square Park (site of the original Shake Shack outdoor eatery). Until the hotel’s new high-end organic restaurant Juni opens this summer, visitors can sample the cuisine and scene at the popular new NoMad on Madison.
Hotel Chandler, 12 East 31st Street, www.hotelchandler.com
SEA FIRE GRILL
Snapper, swordfish, salmon, sea bass, halibut and crab. True to its name the Sea Fire Grill focuses on foods from the sea, but don’t overlook the lamb chops and steaks. A combination seafood/steakhouse, this elegant mid-town restaurant done up in blues and browns with a mirror accents, a cozy fireplace and a wall of wines shelved in walnut can suit almost any palate.
Guests are greeted with chef Ted Pryor’s delightful salty, creamy Whitefish Spread deliciously slathered on toasted rosemary focaccia. Moving along, there is a towering seafood sampler of clams, oysters, shrimp and half-lobster. Lobster bisque, bibb lettuce salad with dried cranberries and candied pecans and smoked brandade fritters are other appetizer dishes.
For dinner choose between blackened Montauk swordfish with piquant tartar sauce or filet “Rossini” with foie gras, black truffles and Madeira or absolve yourself of choices and opt for the filet Mignon/steamed lobster surf and turf.
There’s an almond pear tart or molten chocolate cake for dessert if you have room, or linger at the bar with one of the creative cocktails: the bourbon/maple syrup “Thyme Will Tell,” “Love Potion 2 & 1/3” concocted of pear vodka, lychee, and passion fruit nectars, or the “Angel’s Sip” of rye, sweet vermouth, and 10-year aged balsamic vinegar!
Sea Fire Grill, 158 East 48th Street, 212-935-3785, www.theseafiregrill.com
