Santa Convention, Mini Restaraunt Row

It started off with Herbelicious wanting to get a new pair of jeans for Habibi.





When we got off the train, we bought some chestnuts that were “roasting on an open fire”. Each year around this time, the hot dog vendors start to roast them fresh. I had never had them before so I said “Let’s get some!” They tasted like Mochiko rice, and made my hands smell like I had smoked a whole pack of cigarettes!!

After Herbelicious purchased a pair of jeans from the H&M store on 51st and 5th (my favorite H&M store), we decided to head down toward Rockefeller center to see the Christmas tree. Our plan after that was to head down to Saks, see their windows; then for lunch I wanted to check out a new Hawaiian restaurant (on 53rd street) that I could blog about as a comparison with the other Hawaiian restaurant in NYC (L&L Drive-In).



Just as we got to Rockefeller center, we noticed the street filled with people dressed like Santa Clauses! It was the Running of the Santa’s! I quickly pulled out my camera and started taking pictures of the many different types of Santa’s:


Chinese Santa






Jewish Santa (yes Jewish Santa--Why does he have horns?)




Cowboy Santa

An Indian Santa



Drag Santa

Buddha Santa


And a Mexican Santa and Polar Bear.



We were not sure where they all came from (the North Pole maybe?) and we didn’t know where they were headed exactly, and they were starting to get pretty rowdy singing Feliz Navidad with tambourines.

I decided to ask the Polar Bear. “It’s The NYC Santa Con--a convention for professional Santa’s as well as… well.. anyone else who wants to dress up. They happen all over the U.S. and I think that it started in San Francisco”

(Later when I got home I found this website: http://nycsantacon.com/ It is Hilarious! It’s a convention for “No real reason” except to walk around the city and spread Christmas cheer. There are rules though for this event, such as: you MUST look like Santa and HO HO HO like Santa; but not fuck with cops; kids; security, and working Santa’s. They even have their own version of Christmas carols! Download their booklet, it’s really funny!).

It was freezing out, and when it’s cold, it makes me want to pee, so Herbelicious and I headed into Rockefeller Plaza to find a restroom which was overrun with shoppers, tourist, and SANTAS! I wanted to take a picture of Santa Peeing but I didn’t think he’d like it so I left it alone.



Then it was up the SKINNY escalator. I’m not sure if they are the skinniest in NYC, but the escalators in Rockefeller Plaza are so skinny that only 1 slim person can go up at a time. Getting a picture on the escalators proved to be a challenge since they were so short (hmm skinny and short… what were they thinking.. everyone likes long and fat….) We had to go up and down (hmm up and down on the skinny and short.. I think I’d rather go up and down on the long and fat!) several times to get decent pictures. We completely forgot about the Christmas tree! It didn't really look all that great in the daytime any way.

When we got to Saks, they had the Corral gates up to Corral the people around their windows that told a story about a snowflake. I didn’t want to deal with the lines, and since the sun was shining directly on the windows, all you could see was your own reflection. I’ll have to catch pictures of them at night.




We headed toward the east side toward the Hawaiian Grill. Along the way , we stumbled upon St. Bartholomew’s (E. 50th between Park and Lexington Avenues). It is an Episcopal Church with beautiful Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture. It is considered a landmark. It is also interesting to note that the church houses a restaurant in its court yard called” Inside Park”. The church initially had asked to build a high rise to help support itself, but was denied. Now they use this restaurant which I heard is first rate. It’s also interesting to note that New York’s Laws state that establishments serving liquor must be 200 feet from churches or schools. St. Bart’s is serving liquor right in it’s courtyard! They are getting around it somehow. Check out this article about exactly that:

http://www.tonypersonals.com/newyork/articles/i-new-york/69453/inside-park-at-st-barts

We enjoyed strolling through St. Bart’s looking at its amazing architecture and the art that went into making its stained glass windows and the dome above its altar. Even the domes in their foyer were amazing, covered in gold leaf.


After a quick re-grouping where my hand nearly froze off in the cold wind trying to locate this Hawaiian Grill place on the internet using my phone, we found it on 53rd street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues and it was CLOSED! Not closed for good, just wasn’t open during the hours that we were there. We did find however, that 53rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues is a mini restaurant row. They have almost every type of food imaginable.


Habibi food

Burgers

Italian food

Mexican food



We settled on a tiny hole in the wall Thai food restaurant with only 7 tables in it. It was right above the Hawaiian Island Grill. At first I actually complained because Herbelicious and I ALWAYS eat Thai food or Mexican food. But I was too cold to argue so I agreed to Thai food (much to Herbelicious’s delight.........AGAIN!)



The Little Thai Kitchen or LTK is a place worth visiting. Even though they are all the way over on the east side, the food was amazing and very cheap. There are only 7 tables in the whole place, and is decorated trading spaces like, complete with track lighting that would make any gay boy feel at home. We started off our meals with our favorite Thai drinks, Thai Ice Tea which is basically a spicy type of orange tea with milk. I can’t really tell you what it tastes like, liquid gingerbread maybe? You just have to have one for yourself.




I ordered the Duck which was really good, but really spicy, and Herbelicous ordered the ginger and garlic beef. Our meals came to be about 10.00 each—Great price for GOOD Thai food. We definitely need to bring Ivan and Robert to this place.
While we were eating, the workers of LTK were watching what appeared to be a Thai Soap Opera. We couldn't see the TV, only hear the DRAMATIC music, the violins, and then the tuba. Herbelicious informed me that in a lot of foreign soap operas, when the tuba plays, it's usually a fat character on screen.



When we were done eating, I was exhausted. I think being out in the cold air running around like crazy east and west of the city took a lot out of me. At the train station on the East side, we came across yet another unusual excalator. A very LONG escalator. I don't know if it's the longest in NYC, but it is definitely in the running.

We headed home. It was a very long day, I was full, cold, and sleepy, and needed rest for the Habibi party that night.....and to think it all started off because Herbelicious wanted a new pair of jeans!

OH NO! all those Santas and I wasn't able to tell him what I wanted!!

Learn Spanish: Los Santa Clauses eran de toda clase imaginable!

eran- They were; toda- all/every; clase- class