Since I was with a school group so we didn't have the flexibility of choosing many of our own meals which was extremely disappointing. We'd walk past dozens of cafes, bars, and tantalizing eateries who's heavenly aromas taunted our taste buds only to end up in the back room of a diner with a burger and fries. Needless to say, we were elated when we got to choose our own meals and purchased plenty of tasties between meals and our digestive tracts and waistlines were elated at the break from fries.
A couple observations about the streets of New York:
1) There was ALWAYS construction going on. Drilling, scraping, and roads blocked off. ALWAYS.
2) Scaffolding was everywhere! Apparently pedestrians don't like aging brickwork falling on their noggins so scaffolding is the norm. It does detract from the city's charm.
1) There was ALWAYS construction going on. Drilling, scraping, and roads blocked off. ALWAYS.
2) Scaffolding was everywhere! Apparently pedestrians don't like aging brickwork falling on their noggins so scaffolding is the norm. It does detract from the city's charm.
*Breakfast in Grand Central Station. I had no idea Grand Central was so big and offered so much for travelers! We headed downstairs to the food concourse where, after breakfast, we checked out the 'whispering gallery'.
Grand Central had many other dining options (surprisingly) but after getting only two hours of sleep the night before on the plane, healthy sounded smart. Riece opted to do 'doughnut tastings' with his group of friends. They took turns purchasing doughnuts from the different vendors, rating them on taste, variety, and appearance. Honestly, he was just happy to be eating doughnuts.
Grand Central had many other dining options (surprisingly) but after getting only two hours of sleep the night before on the plane, healthy sounded smart. Riece opted to do 'doughnut tastings' with his group of friends. They took turns purchasing doughnuts from the different vendors, rating them on taste, variety, and appearance. Honestly, he was just happy to be eating doughnuts.
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| Apple turkey sausage and egg whites in a whole wheat wrap with a side of fresh fruit. |
*Lunch at Manna's Soul Food.
We drove through Harlem and pulled in front of this small soul food eatery squeezed between shops. This was technically 'lunch' but we had a scheduled dinner less than three hours later so I went light with my selection.
Food was offered buffet-style, which was the norm for many of the places we visited. This made sense as city-dwellers don't stock pile groceries or buy in bulk since storage space is limited. If they eat out, especially at familiar locations, they want variety.
We drove through Harlem and pulled in front of this small soul food eatery squeezed between shops. This was technically 'lunch' but we had a scheduled dinner less than three hours later so I went light with my selection.
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| Marinated avocados, asparagus, and other veggies. Crab salad, black bean salad, curried rice and candied plantains. |
*Dinner in a non-descript diner located in Hell's Kitchen. They had a fantastic menu but our group was only offered burgers or wraps. The food was fresh and good but we were discouraged by the lack of options.
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| Turkey wrap with honey mustard with a side of peppered fries. |
*Mid-morning snack at Wafels & Dinges. Our group passed a waffle truck after touring a portion of Central Park, starting at Strawberry Fields and ending on Fifth Avenue.
The seducing aroma of sweet bread summoned my taste buds and I lingered as long as possible by the cart before catching up to the group. Much to my delight, our group split up to shop Fifth Avenue and I immediately blazed a trail back to the waffle truck. The menu alone caused me to salivate. And chuckle a bit.
I ordered a mini Wafelini and two toppings (dinges)- Spekuloos (a Belgian gingerbread cookie spread) and chocolate. There are no words to describe the ballet of joy that overtook my mouth.
The waffle had a sweet, near candy-like crispness on the outside and soft and fluffy waffle innards. While I had the option to shop Fifth Avenue, I chose to sit on a nearby bench, savor my Wafelini and watch kids unload off school buses. It was a beautiful and peaceful moment.
Lunch in yet another fantastically- menued restaurant who gave us the very unfantastic options of pizza or cold cut sandwiches. Thus they will remain unnamed and unimportant.
At least the sandwich came on incredible fresh baked rye bread (which was fresh and amazingly yummy) and my can of cream soda pictured Lady Liberty.
Mid afternoon treat at Chinatown Ice Cream Factory!
There were some bizarre flavors but I tried the Zen Butter and Black Sesame and ordered a scoop of the latter before I was trampled by middle-schoolers. It tasted like toasted sesame seeds but milky sweet. Oddly delicious!
One of my besties dropped into Godiva and purchased a few chocolate delights for us to both try.
The Essex World Cafe also hosted a medic station for two years following 9/11 as it was located around the corner from Ground Zero. "Uncle Jimmy" came downstairs and talked to our kids about the various construction workers, volunteers, and service men and women who came to Essex Cafe for help. He was full of stories, back slaps, and smiles. He was incredibly personal and warm.
And because I couldn't leave New York without saying I did, I tasted:
1) A bagel. A small slice was served with my oatmeal. It was yummy and light in texture, not dense like our grocery store bagels. I'm not a huge bread fanatic but it was scrumptious!
2) Pepperoni pizza. It tasted like pizza.
3) A slice of cheesecake. Alright, it was really good. It didn't taste too cream cheesy, wasn't overly sweet, and was also fluffy. (What's up with everything having such a fluffy texture?!?)
4) A hot dog from a street vendor. It had mustard, ketchup, and sauerkraut. It tasted like a hot dog with mustard, ketchup, and sauerkraut.
Bring New York to your home! Enjoy the following links:
*Epicurious recipe for scrumptious Bagels!
*Jeff Varasano's award winning Pizza!
*Martha Stewart's step-by-step recipe for New York style cheesecake. She IS the queen of all things domestic!
*How to serve up a hot dog, New York style. I didn't have the choice of onions though.
*Food Network's, Alex Guarnaschelli's recipe for homemade cannoli.
The seducing aroma of sweet bread summoned my taste buds and I lingered as long as possible by the cart before catching up to the group. Much to my delight, our group split up to shop Fifth Avenue and I immediately blazed a trail back to the waffle truck. The menu alone caused me to salivate. And chuckle a bit.
 |
| Thought this was hilarious! |
I ordered a mini Wafelini and two toppings (dinges)- Spekuloos (a Belgian gingerbread cookie spread) and chocolate. There are no words to describe the ballet of joy that overtook my mouth.
The waffle had a sweet, near candy-like crispness on the outside and soft and fluffy waffle innards. While I had the option to shop Fifth Avenue, I chose to sit on a nearby bench, savor my Wafelini and watch kids unload off school buses. It was a beautiful and peaceful moment.
Lunch in yet another fantastically- menued restaurant who gave us the very unfantastic options of pizza or cold cut sandwiches. Thus they will remain unnamed and unimportant.
At least the sandwich came on incredible fresh baked rye bread (which was fresh and amazingly yummy) and my can of cream soda pictured Lady Liberty.
Mid afternoon treat at Chinatown Ice Cream Factory!
There were some bizarre flavors but I tried the Zen Butter and Black Sesame and ordered a scoop of the latter before I was trampled by middle-schoolers. It tasted like toasted sesame seeds but milky sweet. Oddly delicious!
One of my besties dropped into Godiva and purchased a few chocolate delights for us to both try.
 |
| Raspberry Cosmo, Kahlua, Chocolatini (I finished it!), and Banana Strawberry Daiquiri. |
 |
| We attempted an encore while in DC and it didn't work out so well. |
Our last day in New York we ate lunch at Essex World Cafe. Not only did they cater to our group and offer us lots of options, they were simultaneously feeding multiple other groups - businessmen, other tour groups, construction workers, cops, etc. The food was fantastic and the service was amazing.
 |
| 1/2 of a Lamb Gyro and 1/2 a Philly Cheese Steak (it's great having friends who split meals!), fresh cut fries and a cannoli. |
Both the sandwich and the wrap were really good and fresh! And Cannoli was on my list of 'must try's' before I left NYC. I'm not sure I actually enjoyed sweetened ricotta cheese but loved the cookie/pastry shell. Since it was dipped in chocolate, I would be easy to follow advice from The Godfather- "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." Except I don't carry a gun, so that would've been tricky.
The Essex World Cafe also hosted a medic station for two years following 9/11 as it was located around the corner from Ground Zero. "Uncle Jimmy" came downstairs and talked to our kids about the various construction workers, volunteers, and service men and women who came to Essex Cafe for help. He was full of stories, back slaps, and smiles. He was incredibly personal and warm.
And because I couldn't leave New York without saying I did, I tasted:
1) A bagel. A small slice was served with my oatmeal. It was yummy and light in texture, not dense like our grocery store bagels. I'm not a huge bread fanatic but it was scrumptious!
2) Pepperoni pizza. It tasted like pizza.
3) A slice of cheesecake. Alright, it was really good. It didn't taste too cream cheesy, wasn't overly sweet, and was also fluffy. (What's up with everything having such a fluffy texture?!?)
4) A hot dog from a street vendor. It had mustard, ketchup, and sauerkraut. It tasted like a hot dog with mustard, ketchup, and sauerkraut.
Bring New York to your home! Enjoy the following links:
*Epicurious recipe for scrumptious Bagels!
*Jeff Varasano's award winning Pizza!
*Martha Stewart's step-by-step recipe for New York style cheesecake. She IS the queen of all things domestic!
*How to serve up a hot dog, New York style. I didn't have the choice of onions though.
*Food Network's, Alex Guarnaschelli's recipe for homemade cannoli.
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