Nothing like a trip to Manhattan to nourish one’s passion for art, culture, and great food.

John and I took the fast train to New York City, whereupon I kicked off the morning with coffee and conversation with my wonderful VIV magazine editor. Next came lunch with friends at A Voce Columbus, a fresh, light Italian restaurant in the Time Warner Center. A walk through Central Park brought us to The Frick Collection, where we saw the Renoir exhibit (small, but delightful). I had forgotten how beautiful the Frick is what with that tranquil, white marble pool area lined with flowers and plants and the various rooms filled with exquisite decorative arts. (Photos are off  The Frick Collection’s website.)

That night we supped at Felice Wine Bar (65th and 1st), a candlelit nook, where we ordered excellent wines by the glass and small plates, like shaved raw artichoke and arugula salad; oily Brussels sprouts with bacon; and various crostini topped with sauteed mushrooms, burrata, prosciutto and other goodies. It was homey Italian comfort food at its best.

Saturday brought warmth, sunshine, and excellent morning coffee at Joe the Art of Coffee, which I’d read about in a New York Times piece about the best new coffee spots in the city. The basic drip was earthy, rich, and deeply satisfying. We went to the one in Grand Central Station, which has been renovated since I last saw it and has an impressive food hall, enticing restaurant stalls, and several cute shops. From there, we strolled up to the MET to see the American Wing–wow! So many treasures, so well organized, so informative. More walking and then a so-so dinner at Dovetail on the west side. Not only were we given the least attractive table in the house (cramped and next to the kitchen), but it wasn’t even ready when we arrived. The food was good, not great, and extremely pricey. Suffice it to say, I won’t recommend Dovetail or go back.

But I will return to Chinatown, a bustling part of the Big Apple that’s fragrant with incense and grilling meat and ripe with the anticipation of a great meal. It reminds me of Hong Kong, one of my top three favorite cities in the world (along with Paris and Kyoto).

After a long wait, we finally got a table for two at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant, where we ordered a flurry of dishes from the rolling carts: steamed buns filled with BBQ pork; sauteed Chinese broccoli; bean curd rolls; shrimp shumai; fried calamari and cashews; crescent rice flour dumplings filled with watercress, round rice flour dumplings stuffed with veggies, pork and peanuts, and round rice flour dumplings crisped in oil and filled with veggies and shrimp. Yum! It was the perfect prelude to an afternoon performance of War Horse, which won five Tony awards. And, for good reason. It’s a moving story and the choreography was superb.

We left the theater and walked down 9th Avenue to 43rd for dinner at Esca, the seafood-centric restaurant owned by Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich, and Dave Pasternack. Done up in tones of cream and dark wood, it has an elegant, yet casual feel. Over a bottle of crisp white wine, we shared grilled octopus over white beans (smoky and robust), creamy sea urchin spaghetti (unctuous), tuna belly “bacon” with a farm egg (too salty), grilled bass, and a chocolate-hazelnut ricotta cannoli (heavy, but good).

Sweet dreams and then the train ride up to Boston the next day, during which we reflected on the fullness of our weekend.