This is the life! Sure beats waiting in the taxi line. We were whisked away to the newish Trump SoHo, the tallest building presiding over the SoHo, TriBeCa and West Village districts. The 2-story lobby impresses with textured wood sculptured walls, gold leather chairs and rectangular fountains. Joe and I immediately appreciated the level of service afforded to us by the desk staff, doormen, and any passing staff member. We were shown to our room on the 41st floor, which featured fabulous floor-to-ceiling windows that afforded spectacular views up 6th Avenue towards famous NYC icons like the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.














We were awaiting the arrival of my sister Jill's flight to NYC, which to our chagrin, was delayed almost 4 hours. I passed the time with a refreshing bath in the giant soaking tub, while Joe ran out to a wine shop to pick up some bubbly for our room. Night settled on the city, Joe's sister Terese joined us in our room for drinks, and then Jill arrived; we were all ready for our dinner reservation at Plein Sud, located in the Smyth TriBeCa Hotel (arranged by Condé Nast Traveler).

















We took advantage of the house car at the Trump (a 7-series BMW town car!) to get to the restaurant, where we were joined by Terese's friend, Alex, and Joe's college roommate, Greg. Service at Plein Sud was impeccable and the atmosphere quaint and cozy. This French brasserie presented a delectable menu, so we each ordered some things to share. Our waiter recommended a bottle of Sancerre, which we enjoyed, along with the cheese plate. Then our food came: Jill ordered the skirt steak with a shallot red wine reduction, Joe ordered the braised rabbit with truffled spaghetti, and I ordered the smoked bacon,onion and white cheese flat bread and a side of brussel sprouts. We ate hungrily and savored every morsel. Too stuffed for dessert and mindful of our upcoming day of meetings, we headed back to the hotel. It was nice to see the beds turned down and slippers waiting by the foot of the bed. Sometimes it's the little things that make you happy.

Looking forward to meeting the Editor at Large for Condé Nast Traveler, Hanya Yanagihara, tomorrow and riding in the Lexus LS F Sport!