We arrived in Manhattan at about 5:45pm and the curtain rose at 8:00pm, leaving us just enough time to go for dinner.  There is a French Bistro called Tout Va Bien on 50th street, just off 8th Ave that is owned and operated by a French woman.  It is a small restaurant with a series of tables lined up in rows as a bar off to the right.  It feels more like dining in a French family picnic than an actual restaurant.

Most of the patrons are French and because they only have less than 30 sets, it is impossible to get in.  However, I keep trying.  It would help if I actually made a reservation in advance, but I never remember.  So when we arrived at ten minutes to six, she just could not set us.

We then began to walk a bit further down the block, where we discovered what I believe to be one of the best Japanese restaurants in all of Manhattan, Shimizu.  This simple, elegant, classic and authentic Japanese restaurant catered mostly to Japanese people.  In fact, we were one of two Caucasian tables (and there were two Journalists/locals next to us). 

I sat facing a beautiful spread of fully blossoming Japanese cherry blossom branches that spread along the wall like a 17th century Japanese print.  Our waitress brought us steaming hot towels and we began our usual order…

Cold Sake for me along with a bowl of fresh, delicious, hot, salty edemame…

Michele and I split an order of Agadashi Tofu. Masterfully prepared, the outer skin was both crispy ad glutinous while the tofu melted in my mouth.
 

Next came the sushi…  Michele ordered Spider and Shrimp tempura rolls while I ordered sushi pieces.  My Toro was perhaps the softest, most delicate fatty Blue Fin tuna I have ever eaten.  I had the Anago (fresh water eel) and the Unagi (salt water eel), the giant clam, the Spanish Mackerel, Yellowtail, and the Tamago (egg custard).

As my friend Doi-san always said, you can tell the quality of a sushi restaurant by the quality of their signature Tamago.  Well, this Tamago was outstanding!  It had the perfect, delicate balance of sweet and savory and it allowed for the flavors of the sushi rice (also excellent) to provide structure to the flavor combination. 

Michele and I decided to order dessert.  She opted for the tempura ice cream (she stole the cherry before I could take the photo) and I opted for a small bowl of green tea and red bean ice cream.

Well sated and somewhat drunk, we made our way to the theater to see perhaps one of the worst plays I have ever sat through.  Sunday in the Park with George is a story of the painter George Seurat.  As someone with a BFA in Fine Arts, I love stories about artists. However, this musical was abstract, long, slow and the music was abstract and awful.  The storyline was sad, and there were few strong enough human elements to tie it together in an engaging way.  

In the end, the highlight of our evening turned out to be this excellent sushi at Shimizu.  I must go back there again!

Now, I am off to shop for last minute items so I can begin preparing Michele’s birthday brunch before people start arriving…