NY Day: Punch Brunch, Pippin & DBDG

On Saturday, Ashleigh and I ventured into Manhattan to reunite with our New Yorker loves! We kicked the day off right with Punch Brunch at Millesime, a brasserie-inspired restaurant in midtown. 

For $32, Punch Brunch includes unlimited punch! We ordered two varieties to share: Lemon Rosemary Fizz and Elderflower Blueberry. The lemon one was particularly delicious.

Pro tip: Be sure to order some food with substance, otherwise you might go a little overboard on punch. Ashleigh and I both ordered Croque Monsieur, a classic French ham and cheese sandwich topped with bechamel sauce and more cheese!

At one point, Ashleigh felt like we needed to consume more food to soak up some of the alcohol, so she asked if they had any rolls. The waitress misheard her and brought us a punch BOWL. Hilarity ensued, but eventually we got a basket of pastries.

We wanted to see a show, but we aren't millionaires, so we wanted to try to score a deal. We showed up to the Music Box Theater at about 9:45 a.m. to get rush tickets to see Pippin. We managed to get three seats together, for about $37 each. Not bad! Then, when we got to the theater, we saw why our seats were available...they were in the FRONT row. I'm talking below the actors' crotches, beside the piano player, practically on the stage FRONT row. I immediately thought, "oof this is going to give me vertigo."

But, I'm happy to report it was really fun! Seeing it that up close made us feel weirdly connected to even the chorus people because we could really see their faces. We also had a few moments of honest-to-goodness interaction; there was no doubt they could see us as well as we could see them!

After the show, we stopped into my favorite store, ABC Home. I can't afford anything in there, but it's always a great place to get inspired. This display of Astier de Villatte pottery just about killed me.

We finished the night with a fun dinner reunion at DBDG Kitchen & Bar, an ode to American taverns from famed chef Daniel Boulud. The menu has delicious takes on hearty fare, from spaghetti with lemon ricotta to an entire selection of house-made sausages to a variety of burgers. Everyone said their food was delicious, and the big booth was perfect for our group of six high school and college friends!