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RANKINGS

Our last day in town we went for breakfast down the street and strolled around the neighborhood ultimately landing at an al fresco eatery on a busy street.

We watched the hustling, scurrying lunch crowd as we indulged ourselves, making rude comments to passersby.

I'm certain that what you, dear reader, have been waiting for . . . our rankings . . . the top three in order in each category:

SPECIAL FRIENDS--

Scott- Tenille, The One-Armed Man, Cory at Il Cortile.

Ray - Captain (the same as Tenille), Weng, Sal et. al. at Il Cortile

EXCURSIONS--

Ray--Cigar Bar, Ellis Island, NYU

Scott--Rooftop Cigar Bar, NYU, Central Park

MEALS--

Scott--That Italian place near Times Square, Ray's, Ben's

Ray--Il Cortile, Sparks, Ben's

and of course, the purported reason for the trip,

BASEBALL PARKS/TOTAL EXPERIENCE

Ray--Yankee Stadium, Nats, Citi

Scott--Nats, Yanks, Mets

SPECIAL MENTION:

Scott--Most stupid theme song of any baseball park anywhere--

Here it is:

Ray's Special Mention cites two comments heard in Spark's--a famous NY steakhouse.

1. 'Ahhhhhh Mr. Santo, we have a special table for you.'

2. '. . . the one guy is the consigliere, the other is probably the boss.'--S. Eshelman

Packing In as Much as We Can . . .

. . . and I'm not just talkin' about food.

On Sunday the 17th we decide to go different directions although like a few years ago in New York, we visited virtually the same places.

I started the day with the most important meal, by wandering over to the Ritz-Carlton. Breakfast was terrific, but I thought I was overhearing some juicy political intrigue, when a table with two women and one man were analyzing the positions of various Congressional members. But the man, who dominated the discussion, and along with his wife were trying to convert the second woman to Christianity.

My morning was jarred when my waitress asked me if I was here for the Resurrection. I informed her that I wasn't religious, and she said loudly, "Good, then you'll have the whole city to yourself!"

Ray, as you'll hear on the audio below, went down to the White House and watched a protest, then obtained a cigar and watched a hockey game.

I opted for the Corcoran Gallery and the Maya Lin exhibit--extraordinary! Afterwards I ambled over the Vietnam Wall to pay respects and buy some gifts for a friend.

Dinner at a Georgetown seafood place was a bust because it was so busy with grads. GWU and Georgetown held their graduations this day and the night was filled with celebrating families.

Monday, however, was a different story.

We began the day at the Supreme Court. Outside a group of 30 or 40 people were ranting loudly about how the sky is falling to a crowd of 2--Ray and me. In all fairness, several bystanders stopped out of curiosity, but quickly scurried away. The video below will give you a sense of the 'presentation.'

Ray attempts to convert a Christian

The Supreme Court docket was light, announcing two decisions and admitting lots of young attorneys to the bar. Some proud parents, already in good standing, nominated their son or daughter. All nominees were accepted.

Feeling dutifully patriotic we Metro'd over to Ben's Chili. Ray had been there the day before. This was my first time and it was memorable. Loud music, great food, and happy people made for a terrific lunch.

Following this was a visit to the Pentagon memorial, the first 9/11 memorial completed. A somber and respectful, memorial to those on the plane and in the air that lost their lives.

Having forsaken food for almost two hours, we waddled into the Metro cattle car headed for Arlington, Virginia, and Ray's Hell Burgers, a stop on the Obama/Biden burger tour.

It was a lengthy walk from the Metro stop, but we needed the exercise. Ray's may be the most

non-descript place to eat we've ever frequented. In a strip mall, with no sign on the front, the only way we would know we were in the correct place was how busy it was along with the hand-printed sign that read, "Please be patient with your order; things are busy since the President's visit."

And we now know why he visited. That was some burger.

Needing to be wheeled out of Ray's, we made yet another visit to the National's park. This time the weather was much more cooperative, a beautiful night, even a bit chilly. But the bats weren't as you shall soon see.

We were disappointed to learn that they did not have available for sale our vaunted $5 grandstand tickets, but we stumbled on to something even better.

His name was Godie, he had a couple of tickets, and the game was about to start so he needed to unload them. His first offer was $20 apiece, but quickly dropped his offer to $10 when all we said was 'No.'

The tickets looked good, so the only item left was their authenticity. Godie offered to walk us up to the gate to prove their worth. We had a deal and Godie followed through.
But before leaving Godie on the other side of the fence, he left us with high praise, calling us a 'couple of political white boys.'

And his tickets were pretty good, I'd say--in the first row behind the Nationals' dugout. Seated next to us were two guys who sold Godie their tix, for the same exact price we paid for them. So it was a wash for Godie, a bath for the sellers, and the winners were . . . . . . .two mopes from the Midwest.

Seated behind us were a group of rag tag, and a little bit sauced group of guys, one a one-armed veteran who provided our whole section with entertainment the entire game. They were the best ball beggars I've ever seen, accumulating many for themselves but also numerous gifts for the whole section.

On one occasion an actual foul ball landed just in front of this guy (and just behind us). He dove for it and several baseballs fell out of his pockets, which were quickly scooped up by other patrons. He, however, arm and all, got the foul ball.

It was a fun night and a great day--our last on the road.

NEW SPECIAL FRIENDS: Johnson, Godie, The One-Armed Man

The Obama Train to DC and the Nats

We hoisted ourselves out of bed this morning, forgoing the most important meal of the day, and trundled off to get a cab to Penn Station. In doing so we successfully avoided Jumer and Tenille, our special friends from our stay here in the place so nice they had to name it twice.

For some time now in planning this venture, we looked forward, with anticipation, to what we called "The Obama Train", the same train route President Obama took in the days before his inauguration.

Something tells me we were treated differently than the President, both of us being disciplined by the conductor for using cell phones in our car.

But the trip was worry free, passing through such rust belt wonders as Newark, Wilmington, Philadelphia (where tons of Phillie phanatics boarded) and Baltimore. All trains seem to run through the back yards of cities, but the back yards of these cities are certain signs of our decadent society, the detritus, the refuse, the graffiti.

But soon enough we arrived in our nation's capital.

We hopped on the Metro to DuPont Circle and after getting oriented and re-oriented, shlepped to our hotel.

By the time we hit our hotel, we were famished and a terrific Chinese place was right across the street that had been frequented by local pols. The food was as advertised.

After we were engorged, we trundled off to the Metro to go to the game.

Our plan was simple, and traditional--pay no more than face value for tickets. As the Phillies were in town, they comprised over half (well over) of the attendees. But there were still plenty of seats available.

And the Nats have a wonderful plan where you can buy a $5 grandstand ticket and roam around the ballpark, often sitting in pricier seats as the ushers don't seem to care where one sits.

A couple of ducats were available so we snapped them up and skated in to the ballpark.

Fugitives from Justice in DC

Don Vito Rogina

Having a few hundred million bucks and Congress behind you can get things done. They built a great ballpark in a decaying portion of the city. The only thing they couldn't buy was a ball team.

The plethora of Phillie fans made for a rowdy evening, topped off by one of the biggest rainouts we have every seen. The clouds opened up and the winds swirled; the grounds crew had a difficult time putting the tarp on the infield.

Click on any image to enlarge

We waddled out of the stadium with 20,000 other fans, looking like some collection of soggy refugees. Still, it was baseball in our nation's capital.

We saw a notice of an oyster place near the White House that piqued our curiosity. When we arrived it turned out to be a place that had a contest pairing wines and oysters. The contest was judged by, among others, Antonin Scalia, who unfortunately for him, did not make our special friends list.

The pairings were exquisite.

Fully sated from a day of traveling, eating, baseball, eating, laughing, we hit the hay and looked forward to whatever tomorrow would bring.

NEW SPECIAL FRIENDS: Panama Jack, Big Boy 2

The Titanic, also known as Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium, the new one, is 63% larger than the old edifice--still looming across the street by the way. It's enormous--everything is outsized it seems. The concourses are huge and maybe the best part about the place is the people who work there.

No joke! New York sensibilities aside, these 'hosts' walk around with little signs that say "How May I Help You?" And they mean it. They seem to like working there and genuinely want to help make a good experience for all. I was impressed.

No visit to Yankee Stadium is complete without visiting Monument Park in center field.

Our seats were supplied with oxygen, but offered us a birds' eye view.

New Special Friends--That guy with his hookers.

Fusia with Weng

The day started, after a healthy breakfast (the most important meal of the day) by taking the train up to the Guggenheim Museum. This building, long controversial was built in 1959. Frank Lloyd Wright did not live to see its completion.

It is right across the street from Central Park where Ray took this great shot.

photo courtesy of Rogina Enterprises

Weng and his new special friend at Fusia, on Lexington, where we, yet again, ate like pigs.

New Special Friends: Weng, Annie

Lunch or dinner or breakfast or 2 am snack includes a generous helping of gerkins.

Rain glistens the nightime 4th avenue.

By now we're pro's at navigating the subway system, much to the suspicious glances of at least one resident.

Ellis Island provided a distinctive diversion from our baseball related activities.

Miss Liberty rejects Ray yet again.

In the evening we partook (is that even a word?) of a different kind of dinner--Spark's, chosen not only for its fine dining, but for the fact the Paul 'Big Paulie' Castellanato was clipped outside on the sidewalk one evening.

Afterwards, we partook of a couple of cigars on the rooftop of Artemsky's, a couple of doors down. The evening was a tad soggy, but with cigars, drinks, and baseball on the tv, we were well satisfied.

Special Friends Discovered: Big Boy, Wisconsin People

Metsies and Larry/Chipper

The Mets' new ballpark, CitiField, has nice inside fundamentals, but . . .

. . . regrettably it still sits among the squalor and detritus of Flushing, NY.

While inside, a fan friendly environment (despite the constant loud rock music) with pretty good food.

And outside, the planes from LaGuardia still encroach.

Special Friends Discovered: Barb, Jenelle, Scott/Larry, Jumer

Meet the Mets

The Citifield Rotunda greets fans with a plethora, yes a plethora of Jackie Robinson material.

The Mets made a conscious effort to provide the best (and most) food possible, at least in comparison to Yankee Stadium.

Two bald Mets fans.

Arriving and Getting Mobbed Up

After landing at LaGuardia, making connections with one another, and making it to the hotel, the Affinia Dumont, we decided to head toward a deli for our first taste of this great city. On the way we passed a little old lady being loaded in to an ambulance. Ray, out of concern I'm certain asked, 'How ya doin'?'

The little old lady, in a plaintive furtive voice intoned, 'ooooooookayyyyyyy.'

The tone for the trip now set, we headed for Little Italy, getting of at the Greenwich Village stop. And what we encountered set the tone for the trip--discovering special friends.

Here Ray meets up with a statue of Rocky. After several pictures, which, by the way, you may see even more by clicking here, Ray was finally rejected by Lady Liberty who told him to get to the end of the line, not unlike Italians who landed at Ellis Island. But more on that later. For now, you may click on either picture above to enlarge it or look at the vast array of snaps that didn't make the final cut by clicking here.

After spending a couple hours at Il Cortile and drumming up business for the restaurant, we waddled back to our digs.

Special Friends Discovered: Iris, Tenille, Cody, and Sal the waiter.