Bostonian in New York (Day 3)

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4/5

DAY 3 (January 7th, Wednesday): Flatiron district, Freezing my face off for the The Daily Show and Xi'an Famous Foods

Wow, what a day.

chocolate almond croissant heaven from Maison Kayser - a good portion ended up on my lap. I really do not belong in classy places.

I spent the morning catching up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. We walked around the Flatiron district, stepping into Maison Kayser for a late breakfast. Maison Kayser is a cute,  part-boulangerie, part-cafe where the waiters dress as stereotypically French as possible. Their chocolate almond croissant - flaky and buttery, doused in powdered sugar and filled with milk chocolate - was marvelous. I could have this for breakfast everyday, ya know, if nutrition wasn't a thing. I also got a kick out of the waiter uniforms: striped shirts, black pants, suspenders and french berets...I mean, really? Someday I want to come back and get their amazing rustic-looking breads. We also explored Eataly, an Italian grocery with plenty of wonders to see (and cry over when you know you can't afford them) and eateries offering a range of Italian foods, from desserts to freshly prepared spaghetti. Someday I will come back to try the food.

At noon, I caught the train to Hell's Kitchen to line up for The Daily Show ticket issuing. Even though ticket distribution begins at 2:30, past attendees have said that people began lining up around 12:30. I happened to reach the building (which was white and rectangular with handle-less doors, surprisingly modest, pretty inconspicuous; only recognizable by its blue awning)  at 12:20 and became the first person in line. Boo-yah. No big deal.

Except for the fact that it was fricken COLD. Bone chilling cold. Almost below zero. Gusts of icy wind whipping your face. So cold that at 1:30, the Daily Show staff passed out handwarmers to the steadily growing line of masochists standing outside in arctic weather for a chance to see Jon Stewart go at it for, what, half an hour. I question my life decisions.

Our tickets :D We snagged #1-4.

To my surprise, right after I established my place at the door, a small line began to form behind me - immediately. Which means that there are people in this world who are just as crazy. I'm glad we all decided to band together today under the blue awning for the Daily Show.



At some point, my friend held our place as I walked to grab some lunch. Here's the deal: the Daily Show studio is situated smack between a Subway and Food Market. Smartest business decisions, ever. So I chose Food Market, where I got a toasted HLT bagel for $5.50. It was pretty good, except for the fact that the wind kept whipping my hair into my face, so each bite I took consisted of hair and bagel, Neither cute nor tasty. Note to self: you should probably definitely wash your hair today.

What a cute goat.

After tickets were issued, most of us made a mad rush to the Subway located right next door to use their bathroom/eat something/hide from the cold. After defrosting for a bit, I trekked down a few streets to Jolly Goat Coffee Shop, the teeniest tiniest coffee shop I've ever seen. It's basically a box with a window and three chairs. I ordered a hot chocolate with almond milk, which was rather pricey ($4.50) for its small size and subtle chocolate flavor. I like my chocolate to pack a bitter punch; even Starbucks' is more satisfying. Ah well. All the seats were taken, so I just stood awkwardly in the already-tiny space, effectively and shamelessly occupying 1/6 of the place while nursing my hot chocolate, defrosting and eavesdropping on conversations. Turns out that Jolly Goat Coffee also serves vegan ice cream, so I've made a mental note to return here during a more weather-appropriate time of year (NY Trip #2?! Already in the works? Yes!).

Four-thirty rolled around, and it was time for second line-up, after which we were seated for The Daily Show. Finally! Nearly three hours in Antarctica has culminated to this moment. And woah. the show flew right by.

Here's the lowdown: After you are seated, you have some time to snap photos. A warm-up comedian comes out and and teaches you how to properly "cheer" for TV.  There's a quick Q&A with Jon Stewart before he starts the filming the intro, news segment and interview. Annnd, it's a wrap! It was over in barely 20, 30 minutes. No mistakes, no redos - just bam, bam, over before you realized it. It was thrilling to see behind-the-scenes and see how quick-witted and smooth Stewart, who's really a veteran of TV, was in his performance, interview and even Q&A.

Somebody asked about why they didn't use heated awnings like Stephen Colbert did. Jon joked about how they watched us freezing from inside (not really a joke, pretty accurate actually) and how his office is actually a cup of hot cocoa. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't smile at that.

The Daily Show studio prior to filming - the only time we are allowed to take photos.

For dinner, my sister and I were eager to make it good, so we hit up Xi'an Famous Foods off of flashy 5th Avenue for their chewy gan ban noodles (hand-cut noodles). I got the pork noodles with soup  ($8 including tax), which were hearty and comforting and exactly what I needed after a long day of skirting frostbite and questioning my life choices. We sat in the crowded back corner after managing to nab two seats.

Hand-cut noodles with pork in soup from Xi'an Famous Foods

When I returned home, I discovered my foot was bleeding. The last time this happened, it was because I was running miles in sneakers one size too small. I was more surprised than anything, but I will consider this my battle wound, a rite of passage for any city explorer.

DAY 3 Food total: $21.65

Today, I learned an important lesson: that when you plan to do something that requires long waits  outside, it's probably best to hold off on those activities until temperatures outside are above 10 degrees. No, make that above 50 degrees. No, actually - 70 degrees, no precipitation, with a chair or picnic blanket, a friend or two and a big bowl of popcorn.