Thursday, July 22, 2021

The Intrepid Museum and Dinner at Becco

My father and I took a field trip into NYC today. Mainly to visit the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum have dinner with Amy, and partly to experience the bus commute from the house for his future reference.

Having taken the bus at the end of the block to Port Authority in NYC, we walked the 7 blocks to the Museum.

Starting with the Sea part... The Intrepid is a decommissioned aircraft carrier that had been in active service from April 26, 1943 to March 15, 1974.

The aircraft carrier's island contains the bridge
and command center for flight-deck operations

There is also the USS Growler on the north side of the pier.

The only American guided missile submarine open to the public,
the USS Growler offers a close-up inspection of the
once "top-secret" missile command center.

Not part of the museum, but on the south side of the ship, is the Manhattan Community Boathouse on Pier 96 with free kayak rentals.

Free kayaking in Hudson River Park

For the Air part, there are many fighter planes

And a British Airways Concorde

This Concorde first flew August 25, 1976, and crossed
from Europe to the United States in under 3 hours.

And finally Space

Barney and a replica of the Mercury Space Capsule

The first space shuttle, Enterprise, never made it to space: it was not capable of spaceflight as it was built without engines or a heat shield, but here it is on the flight-deck of an aircraft cattier in NYC.

With the Space Shuttle Enterprise

After an exciting visit to the museum, a short walk to Becco to meet Amy.

We dined curbside, as is the practice in this Age-of-COVID

Barney's father, with a well-deserved Prosecco after the museum

Becco is one of Lidia Bastianich's Restaurants and has a great wine list of $35 bottles.

Becco is known for its $29.95 unlimited table side service of Executive Chef William Gallagher's Three Daily Pasta Preparations. You start with your choice of Isalate Cesare or Antipasto Misto, followed by the three unlimited kinds of pasta. BUT THERE IS MORE! It is Restaurant Week here in NYC, so for an additional $10, you get a glass of Prosecco and a “Choice of 1 Secondi”. So let's start!

The main Antipasto Misto plate...
add to this some octopus, ricotta with honey,
fresh peas, and sweet potato.

Tonight the three unlimited kinds of pasta are:

FETTUCCINE with Veal Bolognese and Fresh Peas;
MEZZI RIGATONI with Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil, Black Olives, and Onion;
Potato GNOCCHI with Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce.

For the Secondi

Trancio Di Salmon
(Pan-seared salmon with roasted potatoes,
green beans, and red onions
with grainy mustard vinaigrette)

Costolette de Maiale alla Maniera dello Chef
(Chef Gallagher’s signature brined, grilled pork chops
served alla pizzalola {green, red & yellow peppers,
green pepperonici, sweet & hot cherry tomatoes
& extra virgin olive oil})

Or the [sorry no image] Pollo alla Milanese (Pan-fried breaded chicken breast topped with arugula, cherry tomatoes and red onion tossed with sherry vinaigrette and extra virgin olive oil).

After all of that, there was no room for dessert.