Monday, October 12, 2009

Big Apple Blog

Volume 3

The word serendipity is quite possibly one of my very favorite words in the English language. Not only is it a beautiful word that simply slips off the tongue so delightfully, but the meaning behind it is something I believe whole heartedly in- fate. I don't really remember if my love for this word came before or after I saw the 2001 romantic comedy which takes place primarily at Christmas time (squeal!) and John Cusack and Kate Beckinsdale eat at a small little cafe in New York City named Serendipity. Serendipity was recently voted one of the hardest words in the English language to translate and while the meaning behind the word could be considered deep, to me it's very simple; a fortunate accident. Serendipity is the little sparks in life that we often stumble upon. It catches us by surprise and is mere reassurance that everything in our lives is happening not only for a reason, but exactly how it has been planned for us. In my world, this fortunate type of accident is nothing more than fate, and those snippets and puzzle pieces of life that are purely meant to just be.

With all of the above being said, Serendipity 3 on East 60th St. was strategically placed at the top of my "to eat" list with Mark last weekend. Not only is the little gem known for its short glimpse in the movie, but it is also been featured all over the public food media for their frozen hot chocolate! (you all know how I feel about my desserts and my chocolate) My family was lucky enough to be in NYC this past summer and my heart literally sunk to my toes when I knew they were there without me but I would be lying if I didn't say that being able to go with Mark was even better. I am pretty confident that Mark would back me up on this- that every phone conversation from the time that my flight consisted of at least one mention from me stating that we could do anything he wanted in the city as long as I could partake in the frozen hot chocolate experience at Serendipity.

After we ate at Carmine's and were stuffed like raviolis, we walked around the city that never sleeps in search of this chocolate I had been dreaming about. After a good amount of time exploring New York, we thought we would give it a shot and just meander through the streets to reach our destination. We walked through Times Square which at night, I must say, is breathtaking. It's quite a site during the day but at night, those lights illuminate everything and the city looks so alive. We walked on the outskirts of Central Park and spotted a breathtaking fountain that was lit up like something out of a Disney movie (picture regret #2 of the trip as I was too focused on what I was about to sip on to even take my camera out). As much as I had dreamed of this concoction for weeks, I was ready to give up our search and call it a night but Mark was insistent that we were not going home until we found our prize (I'm telling you... pure superhero).

After a few wrong turns and feet that were starting to feel a slight bit sore, my face lit up like you would never believe be
cause Serendipity was real and I was standing outside this little piece of magic. The twinkle lights scattered about made my soul smile and at nearly 11:30 on a Saturday night this place was packed. The wait was an hour and a half and as I turned my head to look at Mark, he said we were waiting. We were in New York and having the time of our lives so why let an opportunity pass us! Mark has incredible patience and I am so thankful that we waited because as full as we were and as much as we thought we couldn't eat another bite, in my world, there is always room for more of something sweet! We were seated upstairs (more twinkle lights involved here- total weakness of mine) and the whimsical decor inside was so much to take in! Frozen Hot Chocolate was a must on the order and as a second dessert, we ordered the "Can't Say No Sundae", as suggested by our waiter. My first sip of the frozen hot chocolate was pure bliss. This stuff was every bit as decadent as I ever hoped. The words escape my mind as my breath was taken away as I savored every bit that my tiramisu stuffed stomach could hold. Nothing short of a chocolate miracle. The sundae, I have to say, was yet another surprise as it was not only the perfect compliment to the hot chocolate but just as divine. I am not even sure what it all consisted of but it was a piece of dessert heaven in an over-sized sundae bowl consisting of rich homemade vanilla ice cream,
bananas, thick chocolate fudge dripping over the edge and peanut butter all kissed with a giant cloud of marshmallow fluff. Had we not been so full from our Italian feast I know we would have licked the dishes clean but a stomach can sadly only hold so much. We ate until we could not bring ourselves to lift our spoons anymore. I have no other words for this NYC experience than it was truly serendipitous!

Each bite was better than the one before and sitting at Serendipity with Mark, having these two desserts sitting right in front of my face, reminded me that the simple delights in life are what make my smile the brightest.

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