I have a  practice which is to think back, every evening, on the three best things I have experienced during the day.  And so, of the 21 choices for this past week, here are two of them:

Manus x Machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology is the show that opened this past week at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  So large that it is located in the wonderful Robert Lehman Gallery Wing on the first floor, the exhibition addresses the founding of haute couture in the 19th century, when the sewing machine was invented, and the emergence of a distinction between the hand (manus) and the machine (machina) at the onset of mass production. It explores this ongoing dichotomy, in which hand and machine are presented as discordant tools in the creative process, and questions the relationship and distinction between haute couture and ready-to-wear.  The clothes are grouped according to the traditional metiers:  lacework, embroidery, artificial flowers, pleating and more.  It is a thoughtful, beautiful show.

Polo Bar, Ralph Lauren’s entry in to the restaurant world in New York, is located across from the St. Regis hotel..an old school location with an old school vibe and delicious – old school – food.  RL has a knack for making us feel at home, even if it is in an aspirational home.  But here we are again, comfortable, great lighting, and, as I said, delicious food.  We had pigs in a blanket (remember those?) delicious and small enough to pop in the mouth; new potatoes and caviar (divine); salmon (perfectly sized portion); chicken paillard (wafer thin); and even a kale salad (nod to the ‘never too thin or too rich’ crowd).  I found the restaurant a bit frenetic and an overabundance of staff that were a little crazy but, once seated, it was really pleasant.  However… and this does bother me… it is impossible to get a reservation and, once reserved, you are questioned outside of the restaurant by the doorman as to who you are and, again, at the coat check..it’s all a bit much and, I found, rather irritating.