Some weekends are for chores, some are for catching up with friends. This past weekend, we went to New York City for a civilized brunch at the Russian Tea Room and a matinee showing of La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera.

I had been inside the Russian Tea Room before, but never to dine. It’s red, opulent and Old World. The red leather sweetheart seats are comfy and made for people-watching. We arrived at 11 a.m. and the doors were locked, so we called to get inside. The wait staff was friendly, but service was spotty as we asked for salt and pepper and for cream — twice. Other than that, brunch was pricey — no surprise — but good. The crème brûlée was unusually large and perfect for sharing.

Once brunch was over, we took a quick cab ride to Lincoln Center for the opera.

I normally don’t care for modern sets in the theater — it always looks like they are trying to save money — but this time the spare scenery added to the stark contrast between party scenes and death bed.

Sonya Yoncheva, the Bulgarian soprano, was Violetta and beautifully captured the tortured, dying courtesan. Her lover, Alfredo, was New Jersey-born Michael Fabiano. It was pure magic when they sang together, eliciting rowdy cheers from the audience — nothing like a good tragedy to make you appreciate your own sweet life!

The show runs through April 14, and I highly recommend it. There are two sets of singers. I’d check out Sonya Yoncheva, as she gets high marks no matter what she does; however, Placido Domingo plays Violetta’s father, which would be something to see as well.

— Kimberly LaGueux, director of sales