Clarence Brown boosters: big time in the Big Apple

On our first night, we had no plays scheduled. But our friend Margie Nichols had selected the famous Gramercy Tavern for some of us to have dinner. Here’s our gang in the bar. From left, Margie and John Gill, Ginny and Bill Morrow, and Alan Carmichael in the back.

At Gramercy, you can eat in either the tavern or the dining room. We picked the dining room, where a five-course menu is served. Each course has two selections from which you can choose. I am a sucker for china and I loved this pattern.

The room was beautiful. It’s located at 42 East 20th Street in the Flatiron District.

The eatery, which has earned one Michelin star and won nine James Beard Awards, is famous for its bread service, among other things. These are sweet potato rolls and they did not disappoint.

The amuse bouche was a delicious carrot puree in flaky little crusts. It was out of this world, if you can believe I’m saying that about carrots! Might have been my favorite bite of the night — and there were a lot of good ones!

First course was a choice between hamachi with snap peas, coconut, and lime, left, or marinated beets with pistachios, maple, and sorrel. I enjoyed the beets while most of the others loved the raw fish.

Second course was a choice between squid ink lumache pasta with lobster and mussels, left, or mushroom tortellini with snow peas and black garlic. Folks raved about both. (I can vouch for the tortellini!)

Third course was a choice between caraflex cabbage with peanuts, nori and chili, top, or pan-seared skate with caulifower, shitakes, and bok choy. Again, both got high marks.

The only disappointing course in my book was the fourth. A choice between roasted duck breast and bacon, top, or roasted sirloin, which I had. The duck orderers were happier than those of us who chose steak. But, at this point, I really wasn’t hungry anyway!

But despite being stuffed, we all did manage to polish off both of the excellent desserts: a Meyer lemon tart with strawberry, buttermilk, and Limoncello, top, and chocolate brulee with coconut, cacao nibs, and mandarinquats. (Never heard of mandarinquats before, but they were delish!)

They sent each of us back to the hotel with these fantastic poppy seed coffee cakes. That’s what I had for breakfast the next day!

Here’s the interior. Coincidentally, I had just started reading a great new book by one of my favorite authors: “The Paris Novel” by Ruth Reichl. So, this was perfect for me! We were the first ones in for lunch!

Alan at our window table.

Hands down the best Eggs Benedict I have ever had. The smoked salmon on it was incredibly fresh and delicious.

Alan had a different preparation of salmon and really liked it, too.

Love the bread service at Marseille — butter AND olive oil!

Here’s the sign you are looking for! It’s at 690 Ninth Avenue.

Lucky for us, the famous Birdland jazz club is located across the street from our hotel at 315 W. 44th Street. We had early reservations to hear the High Society New Orleans Jazz Band.

We thought the piano player looked just like our good friend Bruce Hartmann! (We sent him this photo and he agreed!)

The pizza wasn’t bad!

Poor Alan. He’s usually the most available person to pose!

You can’t take photos during Broadway shows. So the curtain call is about the only shots I could get. I figure if I get thrown out at that point, who cares? It was a fun production — even if the Tony Awards folks didn’t like it!

Back at the hotel, our folks were congregating in the bar called “The Stinger.” That’s Julie Howard, left, and Ginny Morrow.

From left, Carol Beilharz, Myrwood Bessozi, Neil and Maureen Dunn McBride.

From left, Knoxvillians Ted Flickinger, Bill Morrow, and John Gill.

From left, Pandy Anderson, Shelly Payne, David Ratliff, Margie Nichols, and Lisa Carroll.

The next day: group lunch at Sardi’s! Tom Cervone, the Clarence Brown’s managing director is speaking with Pam Given at left; Susan Creswell and Alan Carmichael are at right.

Margie Nichols had a starter of melon and prosciutto.

I had delicious tomato soup.

Here are some of the entrees: clockwise from top: Alan thought his orange teryaki-glazed salmon and sauteed spinach were great; my crab cakes were a little dense and leaden; a lot of folks ordered spinach ricotta lasagna and loved it.

Pandy really enjoyed her tiramisu torte!

Alan and Beatrix Potter.

A young Beatrix Potter and her dog. She had more than 90 pets over her lifetime.

Beatrix Potter’s famous bunnies.

Given my penchant for china and place settings, I was more interested in the work of Beatrix’ father, Rupert, who made this plate for her when she was a child.

There were a lot of books in Morgan’s library.

Here was the best thing in the gardens.

Alan blending into the family!

Curtain call. The character that Jessica Lange plays ages more than 40 years during the 105 minutes of the play. By the end, she was in her 80s and suffering from dementia.

Our late dinner that night was at one of our favorite spots, an Italian place called Becco. Neil and Maureen Dunn McBride with Alan Carmichael, right.

Becco is another place with great bread service. Love the hummus, too.

Neil was hungry! He ordered the osso bucco and really enjoyed it.

I have a go-to dish at this restaurant: baked shrimp with spicy tomato sauce. It’s really an appetizer, but with a Caesar salad we all split, it was plenty. Love, love.

Alan’s gelato sampler.

Chocolate brownie sundae!

Here’s a picture of Becco during the day. It’s located at 355 W. 46th Street.

I thought the best play of the trip was the new musical, “The Outsiders,” playing at Jacobs Theatre, 242 W. 45th Street. We saw the matinee.

Curtain call for the large cast. It was about “the haves and have-nots” in 1960s-era Tulsa. The choreography and visual effects are fantastic.

The happy hour with Clarence Brown Theatre alumns living in New York was at Backstage Tavern, 346 W. 46th Street.

From left, Allison Bucher, Michaela Lochen, Sophie Smrcka, Lauren T. Roark, Joe Payne, and Amoirie Perteet. All are students except Roark and Payne who are faculty members.

Here’s Alan with our friends Mark and Amanda Shell Jennings. Amanda worked at Moxley Carmichael as an intern and then as an account executive and senior account executive over her five years with us. They are loving living in New York now.

From left, Shelly Payne, Margie Nichols, and Jessi Arnidis. Payne is external relations manager for Clarence Brown Theatre; Arnidis is senior director of advancement for the UT College of Arts and Sciences.

Pam and Jim Given, left, with Bill Morrow.

Kenneth Stark, Nancy Voith, and UT alum Grant Currin, right.

From left, Susan Creswell, Ted Flickinger, Julie Howard, and Tom Cervone.

Great Mexican eats were on the buffet.

Ken Martin offered greetings to everyone.

The final play, “Mary Jane,” is the one most of our group liked the least. Actress Rachel McAdams was excellent, but the play itself was just dark. It’s about a single mother with a severely brain-damaged toddler trying to deal with the medical system — and keep a job.

The set of “Mary Jane.”

From left, Karen and Brooks Clark, UT alum Sage Behrens, Nancy Voith and Kenneth Stark.

Adam Schneider and UT alum Christina Germaine Eddlemon.

The next morning: a group brunch at the hotel before heading to the airport.

Ken Martin leading a discussion about the trip.

An obligatory shot of Alan at Times Square.