This hotel is a dump. It's in the middle of nowhere. In Queens. And it's pretty horrible. But the wedding is here, so it will be convenient, what with Loretta being here and all.
And what a view!
They also have a shuttle bus to take you to civilization. It dropped us off on Vernon Boulevard, and we window- and restaurant-shopped until Loretta got tired and we decided on Masso Restaurant.
It is an Italian place. Loretta had a Vegetable Pannini, and I had a personal Lasagna.
They were OK. I wouldn't get on an airplane to eat there, but if I was hungry and standing in front of the restaurant, I would stop in.
Later in the afternoon, I took a walk somewhere, and found a street with stores, restaurants, and Pizza places. I decided to stop into two if them and do a comparison of two Slices: one standard with Sausage, and a square Slice. Here's the first one:
And here's the second:
The first place was fancier, but the second one was better. Don't ask me where either of them were; I have no clue.
Denise, Patrick and I escaped Queens in the evening and went to the Village to pay a visit to Spain Restaurant (Trip Advisor Link - New York Magazine Review).
Spain is my favorite place in the whole world. There's definitely fancier, there may be better, but I just love it there. I've been going there for, I don't know, 45 years now, and nothing has changed. Except the prices.
We enter. The same 105-year-old Bartender is there. The same Manager. The same waiter. They sit us at my regular table (in a small side dining room; not the main one), and -- as usual -- they bring you Free Food before you even order.
Our Free Food to share was Mussels with chopped up Onions and Spices (in Peru, we call these Choros a la Chalaca), Meatballs, and Chorizo. Sometimes, you get Lamb Ribs, but not today, apparently. I really like the Lamb Ribs. Sunday, maybe.
Then everyone gets a Salad. I swear it is the same Bowl that I first ate from in 1969.
Then, for our Appetizer, we ordered a Main Dish of Pork in Almond Sauce, and asked for Potatoes instead of Rice. When he brought it out, he started serving immediately, so I didn't get the Pork to pose first.
He broke it into three, and gave us Rice as well. Here's my plate, and Denise and Patrick with theirs.
Then, for our Main Courses, we had a Paella, a Mariscada in Egg Sauce, and Shrimps in Green Sauce.
The Paella had Rice, Peas, Chicken, Shrimp, Clams, Mussel, and Lobster. The Mariscada had Shrimp, Clams, Mussels,Lobster in a thick, Egg Sauce. And the Shrimps in Green Sauce had Shrimps in Green Sauce. We were all appropriately in awe.
They also brought us some more Rice and Potatoes, as if what we had wasn't enough.
We did it all justice... there might have been a Mussel or two left when they cleared the table.
The only thing that has changed at Spain is the prices, and even now, the whole thing is a relative bargain. The tab for all this opulence -- four Main Dishes (two with Lobster), and all the Free Food, but no drinks or Dessert was $91.
And not just a lot of it, but a lot of Delicious it.
We walked around the Village after that, looking at places that weren't there any longer. Then we Uber-ed back to the hotel. Here's my steps.
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