The slate patio at New Leaf Restaurant & Bar is one of the few places in New York City where you can dine outside and the sounds of birdsong at lunch and crickets at dinner are louder than the hum of traffic. A charming stone country cottage tucked into Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan, within walking distance of The Cloisters, the eatery is part of the New York Restoration Project, a non-profit clean-up-the-parks group founded by Bette Midler. During the growing season, Executive Chef Scott Campbell plucks two types of sage, rosemary, lemon thyme, oregano, basil, lavender, chives and red and green lettuce from his small garden–three triangular beds of greenery right beside the patio–and uses them in his seasonal, modern American food.
On a recent balmy evening, my dining companion, who happens to be an amateur astronomer, was gazing at the small amount of clear sky visible through the branches of stately oak and elm trees and noticed a bright light, very high in the atmosphere, moving steadily from south to north. ”It’s the international space station,” he said between bites of spicy salmon tartare and ravioli with truffle butter and thin slices of duck prosciutto. “Yeah, sure,” I sniffed, taking another sip of my fragrant tea rose martini (organic Earl Grey infused gin, St.Germain liqueur, fresh lemon, rose water). He proceeded to point out his sighting, as well as Saturn and Venus, to a few members of New Leaf’s very hip waitstaff, who seemed fascinated by the impromptu science lesson.
When I got home that night, I checked the website Heavens Above and, alas, he was absolutely correct. On July 1st, 2010, at about 8:56 p.m., the international space station passed over Washington Heights. Thanks to Chef Campbell, NASA and the space agencies of Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe, I had an astronomic gastronomic experience—and it was delicious.
Have you seen any satellites, meteors, northern lights or other celestial phenomena while dining in the moonlight beneath the stars? Send me an email (bonnie.davidson@morris.com) or post a comment below.