i will post each photo (which was captured with the hipstamatic app) and a little review of the food by day, by location...get ready for a serious food coma!
[SATURDAY, 10.23] east village & lower east side (includes the arrival to nyc; solo visit to midtown; quick bite in chinatown)
this was my first time flying a red eye and i HATED it! i'd rather lose a day, then endure a sleepless night. my flight arrived at jfk at 7:30am and wasn't excepting my friend until 4pm, so i tried to catch some zzz's at the airport before i made my way to manhattan.
i took the subway to midtown so i that i could enjoy central park and maybe grab a quick bite.
DEAN & DELUCA (1:07pm): sadly, their hot foods station was closed, so i decided to grab a pre-made sandwich & a jasmine tea ginger ale. the roast beef, gorgonzola spread, and arugula sandwich was not very comforting on my cold nyc greeting, but it hit the spot. and, the ginger ale by bruce cost is not for the faint of heart...it is unfiltered and incredibly strong.TASTY HAND-PULLED NOODLES (5:15pm): aside from the uncomfortably small quarters, this was much needed and pretty tasty, as the name implies. the noodles were delicious and cooked perfectly. the broth was light, but flavorful.
so, this is how we found our way (across the street) to the dessert club. we shared a choc eclair ice cream sandwich, a hot fudge sundae (vanilla bean soft serve, chocolate pearls, kataifi, & toasted pistachio), and a chocolate macaron ice cream sandwich. the eclair had a denser consistency, but i guess it's necessary to hold the fast-melting soft serve. the sundae's components added a crunch and flavor. the macaron was soft and chewy.
MOMOFUKU MILK BAR (8:18pm): this was a must from all i spoke to of the nyc food fest. i also read how it may be confusing to find (as confusing as my first sentence there). we were still sugared-out from chikalicious, but went after the pumpkin cheesecake soft serve and the crack pie (toasted oat crust & gooey butter filling). if you know me, you know i love fall for one thing...PUMPKIN anything. so, getting the featured soft serve was a must. disappointingly, the soft serve was like eating whipped pumpkin-flavored butter. it was a dark moment when i actually tossed the three-fourths that was left. the crack pie was extremely sweet, but it was good. the crust was yummy and the filling had a caramel consistency.
YAFFA CAFE (8:52pm): we wanted a place to chill and honestly assumed this was a coffee shop (cafe doesn't imply coffee shop). so, we sat in the garden and ordered a mediterranean platter with tahini, hummus, & babaganoush. the dips were all pretty much the same color, so it was a little hard to tell which was which. i have definitely had better mediterannean...way better. but, not only was it a place to relax for a minute, but the garden had an awesome atmosphere. perfect for a girls' night out or a date.
[SUNDAY, 10.24] lower east side, upper east & west side, & theater district
this was a day that i felt was a more balance meal: breakfast, brunch, & dinner. we also had a broadway show planned, avenue q. if you want something light-hearted, sarcastic, and for everyone, then entertain yourself with avenue q.
RUSS & DAUGHTERS (10:41am): i am a big fan of lox bagels...so, during my search for goodies to try in nyc, this place caught my attention right away. this actually was not our first stop this sunday morning, we were adamant about getting into clinton st. baking company, but so was everyone else for sunday brunch. so, we put our names down for a one-hour, forty-minute wait and walked a couple blocks down to russ & daughters. seems a little crazy to grab something to eat while having your name on a waiting list to eat some more, right? well, the timing was actually perfect and regina and i shared a lot of food.we ended up sharing a norwegian lox, everything bagel with horseradish cream cheese. so, how was it? simply delicious, which it really was...simple, in the best way possible. there were no veggies to give it an extra crunch or flavor, but i can see why you wouldn't want to add silly capers or all-over-the-place sprouts to such a delicate slice of lox. i was hoping the horseradish cream cheese would have a little more kick, but it didn't. in any case, i loved it and wish i could start my day off like this everyday.
i almost forgot, i ordered the pumpkin hot chocolate special. the pumpkin note was definitely there and the hot chocolate was light and not overly sweet. i also got to try what everyone else ordered: potato pancakes with cinnamon sour cream & apple sauce (that was good, but not really something i'd choose for myself), vanilla waffles with peanut brittle & apples (this was also a special and really tasty...think apple pie for breakfast), and blueberry pancakes (the night before at katz's, the very friendly guy making our reuben wrote a few key things and places we needed to try in nyc and this was on his list...they were fluffy and delish). as i said before, well worth the wait!
unlike vegas, you cannot order it togo (vegas has a separate stand for ordering togos) and must sit and enjoy. that was fine with me. luckily, we beat the early dinner rush and only had to wait half an hour. there is a mandatory amount you need to spend, so that the servers aren't dealing with frozen hot chocolate orders only. so, we added the spudnicks, which were essentially potato skins and that was a nice little snack. this time i got to try the frozen mint hot chocolate and it gave the icy effect some extra zing.
53RD & 6TH HALAL CART (10:13pm): what the eff is halal? that's exactly what i asked myself. so, i looked it up on wikipedia and in arabic it means "lawful" or "legal" and is used to designate food seen as permissible according to islamic law. it gets more specific, so click the link if this has piqued your interested. going back to the food...my traveling foodie basically had this listed at her #1 place to go back to. and, although we were sharing everything, she insisted that she had to have her own from this cart. okay...i'm good with that. little did i know that the amount of food for $6 was gigantic. so, we both got the combo (chicken & lamb) with rice, lettuce, & pita bread. the tzatziki and chili sauce were on the side for you to add to your liking. i guess the trick is to add a lot (LOT) of tzatziki and go easy on the chili (add more for as much as you can handle). so, was it out of this world good? umm...i agree it was good and would definitely be something i'd want to come upon in a drunken state, but it wasn't the best thing i ate i nyc. maybe i needed more tzatziki.
[MONDAY, 10.25] greenwich village & theater district
today was a little less jam-packed. we signed up for a guided food tour through greenwich village and i was planning on meeting up with some of my other nyc friends.
FA GUO SAN CANDY SHOP USA (11:23am): as i mentioned before, we were staying in chinatown and we were headed off to greenwich village for our food tour, but felt like we needed something in our tummies. so, i proposed some bubble tea. this place wasn't our initial choice, it was actually teariffic we were headed to, but they claimed to be closed even though they seemed pretty open...oh well, i'm sure we can manage finding a bubble tea place in chinatown. and, we did...right across the street. when you walk in, it's like the chinese version of dylan's. some classic asian candies with the iconic cartoon characters, as well as bins filled with dried fruits, jerky, and seafood. this place is not for the faint of heart, but i think it's a great introduction for anyone actually curious enough to give it a chance, as they let you "try, before you buy". anyway, we ordered the thai milk bubble tea, but i think we got the rose milk. it was still substantial.
FOODS OF NY TOURS (12:09pm): as reg and i were planning the foodapolooza, we were discussing other things to do and thought going on a guided tour would help kill some time and find some eats we didn't already have. so, i chose the greenwich village, which had 7 spots listed...honestly, murray's cheese shop was what helped me choose. when we arrived to greenwich, i thought, "how quaint," this was definitely one of my favorite districts. so, you're asked to meet in front of a certain shop a half hour before the tour is scheduled to start and your guide should be around to take roll. our guide was quirky and assertive. she was knowledgable and entertaining. in the disclaimer, they do mention that restaurants are subject to change and 3 of the 7 were, but i didn't miss them. i highly recommend doing this. there's enough little bites to give you a good amount for lunch and some serious history to learn about.
MURRAY'S CHEESE SHOP (1:09pm): food tour stop #2. i love cheese and found out that murray's hosts their own tour of their shop...i may have to schedule one during my next visit. (as you can see, i took lots of picture). i wish i could recall the types of cheeses presented, but i think i was having camera issues (the images are clearly different in aesthetic than the rest...that's okay, this was a special). one of my favorite things to snack on is a formage with some olives and meats to complement the cheeses. i can't wait to go back and make a truly special grilled cheese.
OLIVIER & CO. (1:46pm): food tour stop #3. isn't that a beautiful chandelier? no, it not actually olive oil because you should store olive oil in a dark, cool area.
this stop was a pleasant alternative (this was not among the list stated on the website), so much so that i had to come back and use the 10% discount to buy a souvenir. we had a sampling of the basil olive oil with fleur de sel and rosemary honey with white truffle salt. magnifiq! the store clerks were very knowledgable and passionate, which is always a tell-tale sign of quality and value.
SOY & SAKE (2:14pm): food tour stop #4. this was the only sit-down stop and was also substituted from a stop that was posted on the website. again, this was a pleasant surprise...literally! sadly, my photo didn't come out so well (it was pretty dim lighting in the restaurant). what you can't see is the faux bbq pork at the top left corner. the texture and taste was just like real bbq pork. if we weren't told that we were going to be eating vegetarian food, i would've thought we were just going to an asian restaurant. it was delicious! i would easily become a vegetarian with food like this.
MILK & COOKIES (2:43pm): food tour stop #5. the best time to eat a cookie is fresh from the oven (or anytime, really). so, the name is so sweet, cute, and genius! it piques your curiosity and makes you a little nostalgic, which gets you in the door...great name! does the name live up to what's offered inside? you bet! i was so happy with this delicious cookie (it was chocolate chip with oatmeal). honestly, as famous as levain is, they're cookie ranks second in nyc to this one. it's just how i felt at the time. maybe i'll do another comparison, but i believe that this cookie had both the textures i loved from levain, but the oatmeal is what elevated this cookie to the top for me. you may argue that these are two different cookies, but as a chocolate chip, milk & cookies was the winner for me.
BLEECKER STREET PIZZA (3:24pm): food tour stop #6. another pleasant alternative on our tour. in the front of the pizza shop, there is a front easel stating, "best pizza in new york, voted by food network." if that doesn't get you in the door, i don't know what would. so, does it "deliver" (heehee)? YES! best.pizza.in.nyc...voted by me! the topping are so fresh and great quality, but it was the crust. the crust was flaky on the outside and soft on the inside. everything about this pizza hit the right notes for me. i truly believe that one of the things you need to do in new york is have yourself a pizza taste test...it is so much fun!
PASTICCERIA ROCCO (3:40pm): food tour stop #7. the last and final stop through greenwich...and what better way to end it than with cannoli? actually, we started the food tour with a black & white cannoli (while we were waiting for the tour to start, regina wanted to wandered around and found rocco's right before and had to have one, not remembering that this was going to be part of the food tour). i don't have a point of reference for cannolis, so i can't tell you if this was the best or not. as my first try, i thought they were a fun treats...the pastry shell and cream center is always an instant favorite in my sweet world.THE LOBSTER PLACE (4:11pm): so, the tour ended less than a half hour ago, yet we're getting more food. that's the sign of a true foodie. regina wanted to try their clam chowder and i just really wanted to see the seafood offerings in the shop. i tried a small bite or two (i was actually full from the tour) and it was definitely a high quality cup of chowder. i definitely enjoy a good bowl of clam chowder and this was worth the overload of food in my belly.
STAND4 (4:37pm): i don't know if you've started seeing a trend, but i have serious problem...it's called a sweet tooth. my contribution to the list involved the toasted marshmallow shake from shake4. we sat at the bar and ordered a mini toasted marshmallow shake and honey lavender shake. so, the main attraction was everything i had hoped for. it tasted like a blended toasted marshmallow! i loved it...this is for sure going on my list of places to try again because i really wished i could've had their burgers. oh, and the honey lavender tasted exactly like tasty ice cream version from bi-rite and i love, LOVE that flavor! all great things, but very confusing theme for the restaurant...is it just americana?? i don't know.
NUM PANG (5:14pm): to our pleasant surprise and utter demise (we were FULL), the next stop on our list was right across the street. i could not, would not eat anything else, but i did take a bite of the coconut prawn banh mi and i was so glad i did. it was super light and just a great combination of flavors...i really wished i wasn't full! i also tried the blood orange lemonade, which was refreshingly tart. again, something to add to my returning list. i want to actually be able to eat a sandwich and enjoy it to its full extent!PAM REAL THAI FOOD (9:23pm): this was not on our list, but upon meeting up with my friend, i was able to find my appetite. one of the things i remember doing with my friend when she and her husband lived in the bay area was going to our favorite thai restaurant, thai time...so, when they move to the east coast, they made it their mission to find one as close as possible to what was near and dear.
in my opinion, pam real comes really close. the food was very tasty. my pick for the family-style meal was the crispy pork with basil and it was full of thai flavor. i would definitely visit this place again!
BAR CARRERA (11:31pm): when we were making our plans for nyc, i was really looking forward to going back to woo lae oak, where my friend was a mixologist. i loved the food and the delicious drinks that were created, but found out that was working somewhere else in the village and went from korean to spanish tapas...oh yeah, i was all for it! lyndsay told me i needed to try the egg in a blanket (i also ordered a strawberry sangria, which was super delicious). the egg in a blanket is essentially an egg in a hole, but elevated with a truffled egg in a brioche with serrano ham and manchego cheese...seriously decadent! if you try anything at carrera, try that and you will be hooked!
LEHNER RESIDENCE (2:15am): so, this is actually my friends' apartment and the link is to their outstanding food blog, "beer meets food". the night before, they orchestrated a 8-course tasting menu, which consisted of 8 guests (including the two of them) and each guest was assigned a dish, which they had to find a wine pairing. i really wish i was on the guestlist, but this was organized way before the idea of the foodapolooza was confirmed. i was, however, given some special treatment and was saved the two desserts to try. the first was a lavender shortbread with fig and herbes de provence & lavender sorbet. this was delicate and fragrant. the next was a bourbon chocolate cheesecake with a pretzel bacon crust and brown butter ice cream. this was heartier, in the best way possible. both dishes were extraordinarily impressive and i am happy to have such talented friends! by the way, i was also treated to the marjie drink, which is essentially a chocolate martini, but i wasn't allowed to photograph it. not because it's top secret, but because there was an ingredient that was substituted that cause my cocktail to look pepto bismol pink...i totally appreciate the fact that they keep chocolate vodka on-hand for my visits!
[TUESDAY, 10.26] lower east side, brooklyn, & midtown
today was the last day of running around nyc and this was to be our carb day, but we were ending it with and awesome hurrah...read on!
WAFELS & DINGES (10:09am): so, we had actually been trying to eat at this cart since day 1, we officially attempted the night before, but missed it at its posted location by half an hour...so, you can imagine how determined we were. we were very happy to finally see the yellow truck...so, what did we choose on this much anticipated visit? de throwdown wafel, of course...how can you not want to try the waffle that beat out bobby flay? and, what about that spekuloos spread? it's a spread that's supposed to taste like a gingerbread-cinnamon cookie. so, did it live up to its hype? mmmm-hmmm!
DOUGHNUT PLANT (11:22am): i remember seeing this place on the food network, so this was also a MUST! that day, we had the pleasure of trying the creme brulee and peanut butter & jelly doughnuts. the creme brulee was small and had a custard filling and caramelized glaze and was a great little doughnut. the pb & j was the best of the two for me. the peanut butter glaze and the jelly filling was the best pb & j i've ever had. i wouldn't mind trekking it back over here to try the rest of them. it was so worth the calories.
GRIMALDI'S (11:52am): this was reg's choice of best pizza in nyc (i already declared mine). i can definitely see the appeal because the actual slices of mozzarella took this pizza to a whole other level. again, the ingredients were high quality and it was definitely one of the best i've ever had.so, why did it get 2nd place in my book? the crust...as soft as it was, the one from bleecker street was my preference. grimaldi's is more of a thin crust, which i like, but i prefer fluff more in the center, i guess. like i said, conduct your own taste test and see for yourself.
PARK SLOPE CHIPSHOP (2:04pm): again, another food network moment for me. when i saw that they accommodate customers who bring something in to be deep-fried, i had to try it. it's like a brick & mortar fair, how could i resist? unfortunately, we weren't hungry...our appetites were failing us here and there. so, we just got the deep-fried snicker, hoping it would be similar to the dessert ravioli that reg and i used to share at macaroni grill. it was our early days of becoming the foodies we are today. as fun as it was, it was not the same, but the british decor was awesome and my friends joined us so they can have lunch. this was great because we got to try haggis. don't know what that is...well, the dictionary on the menu says that you probably shouldn't be ordering it. just a head's up, it is sheep's heart, liver, and lungs encased in its own stomach lining. this one was deep-fried, which might have helped. as they say, "everything is good when it's deep-fried". 
DUMONT BURGER (4:21pm): as you can see in the photo, we did not come for a burger, like when we went to stand4. that right there is a large dumac & cheese that dumont is famous for and something i decided to attempt this year for thanksgiving. when you go to dumont, you'll find that sit-down restaurant to the left and the take-out are to the right. we didn't want to bother another server and order one dish under $20 to share, so it we hit up the take-out.the mac & cheese was superb, not the best i've ever had (that one goes to home), but damn good! the comination of swirly pasta (radiatore) that holds everything, bacon lardons, and cheddar & gruyere were harmonious. definitely going to add this to the returning list. i'll also let you know how mine turns out.
BLT STEAK (8:30pm): can you tell what's in that over-exposed photo? large cauliflower or broccoli? muffins? nope, that are signature gruyere popovers (which i have the recipe for and hope to succeed). now, get ready because this was a true feast! another friend of mine works here as the bartender and i thought this was a classy way to wrap up nyc. instead of trying to explain every bite, i will just add captions to the photos. here;s what was on our VIP menu (lyndsay used to work here, too): |
| another marj special made by luis |
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| VIP charcuterie |
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| duck liver mousse with fig compote |
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| fontina & bacon |
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| tuna tartare, avocado, & soy-lime dressing |
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| lobster cobb salad |
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| baked, fried, & sauteed potatoes (basically, potato skins) |
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| onion rings |
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| peanut butter chocolate mousse with banana ice cream |
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| VIP cookies & gelee |
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| crepe souffle with passion fruit sauce |
what a fun bonding trip this was. i got to see old friends, meet new ones, and had a serious food adventure with my best foodie. i do have one bonus review, if you have room.
AMERICAN AIRLINES FIRST CLASS (10:39am): so, i married into an airplane pilot family and one of the perks is flying standby and potentially getting a first class seat. there are definitely downsides, such as the stress of possibly being bumped off and having to wear business attire to be considered for first or business class. thankfully, i got it when i needed it the most. i was still out the night before with my old friends and when that clock hit 2am, i guess that logically there would be no need to sleep before leaving for the airport...i felt like i was dying. so, i got a seat that fully reclined into a bed, a blanket, some wine, and leather seats...i definitely went to heaven.so, what's heaven serving for lunch?
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| marinated cheese antipasto & warm mixed nuts |
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| salad with olive oil & balsamic |
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| chicken achiote |
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| ben & jerry's vanilla ice cream sundae with butterscotch sauce |
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| coconut oatmeal cookie |
