New York City...

For me, 2011 started out just like every other year has since 2005, but it's ended quite differently.

I started the year by working the same territory I have since 2005; Canada. In September, though, things got a little bit changed around, and I'm ending the year in the northeastern United States. The new year will bring new challenges, to be sure, but I'm eager to get started.

For my last trip of the year, I went to New York. I flew to New York City on Tuesday, November 15. I had a bit of a travel snafu in Denver, and that resulted in me arriving at LaGuardia not at 8:30pm like originally scheduled, but 11:10pm. By the time my car picked me up and got me to my hotel on West 26th street, it was almost midnight. With dinner no longer being an option, I wandered down to the hotel bar to hang out with my good friend, Mr. Sam Adams.

Now, from this point, this could be known as "The Food Blog". Let's face it, man, when you come to New York, there's no shortage of great places to eat, and there's probably no place on the planet where you can find a more varied selection of restaurants at which to eat. I love places like this. My waistline may not appreciate as much, but I love a good meal.

So, I woke up Wednesday morning, hit the shower, and got dressed. This was New York City, after all, and bagels were calling me. I asked the concierge for a recommendation, and was out the door on my way to the Corner Cafe.

You can always tell that an eatery is a good joint when the line is out the door. That was damn near the case with the Corner Cafe. But, despite the long line, it moved really quickly, which was good, because I was jonesin' for a salted bagel. I was tempted, mind you, by the cannolis, but I fought the temptation:

The cannolis at the Corner Cafe on West 24 Street...

A salted bagel and a cup of black coffee from the Corner Cafe...

Monte was driving in from Long Island, so I had plenty of time to walk the two blocks to the Corner Cafe and back. It was raining a bit but, somehow, that didn't seem that bad. I was actually diggin' the weather a bit.

Once Monte got to the city and picked me up, we went to visit some clients. On our way to visit the first one, it dawned on me just how many quintessential "New York" things you see while you travel through the city. Things like the Flatiron Building have been here for years. And, sadly, the "Freedom Tower" has not:

The Flatiron Building in New York City...

The Freedom Tower, not yet completed, in New York City...

Now, as I mentioned earlier, this could easily be called "The Food Blog". In New York City, if you're gonna' eat a quick meal, it's gotta' be pizza. I mean, c'mon, it's New York. We found our way down to John's of Bleecker Street. Want a nice slice of pizza? Well, don't bother stopping here, because you can't get a slice. They sell full pies only and, while not the best pizza I've ever had, it was pretty damn good:

The menu cover at John's of Bleecker Street

A nice slice of good ol' New York City pizza...

After we ate, we had to make our way over to JFK International, as we had to fly to Rochester, NY late that afternoon. I'd spent a whopping 16 hours in the Big Apple. It was far too short a time, of course, but definitely more than most people get to enjoy...