My Monday in NYC

I think I wrote earlier that this was a very short trip but I did stick around through Monday thank goodness.  I always need at least a full 48 hours in the city.

Right around the corner from Uncle Boons is this place which I knew would live up to expectations.  The same folks that own Mile End and Mile End Delicatessen opened Black Seed to spotlight Montreal bagels. Who knew they were worth an entire shop? They've started serving egg sandwiches since my visit and also bagel pizzas but only from 10 pm to 4 am on specific days.  I will return for an egg sandwich.

Yes it was early before 10 am but I believe all good ice cream shops open at 8 am.  So many reasons to love Morgensterns.  This could be an "every visit to NYC must" kind of place.  Today's flavors were chocolate oat (love) and sesame caramel.

Any photos of the actual exhibit were strictly forbidden but I loved Charles James.  Absolutely gorgeous dresses that had the architecture to be studied and honored. He was a genius.

I also stopped in the Garry Winogrand exhibit that is closing later this month.  I walked into a group of experts discussing the legacy of Winogrand.  Regardless of their decision, a very worthwhile exhibit of an artist who took very good street photos.

Russ & Daughters and Uncle Boons

I love my friends for many reasons but a particular one is their flexibility in agreeing to eat where I want to eat when I'm in NYC.  I especially love Dan and Jackie because they always seem to meet me at an early hour on Sunday for brunch.  This time was at Russ & Daughters Cafe in the Lower East Side.  I've always loved the shop on Houston so I had high hopes for the cafe.

Dan ordered latkes with apple sauce for the table.

Jackie and I split our dishes (one of my favorite things to do) - Eggs Benny with salmon and Lower Sunny Side (salmon, eggs and latkes).  

We ordered babka french toast for the table and it was devoured.  My favorite dish on the table.

And Dan had some type of fish sandwich.  

Overall, the environment is cool and very much the sister to the shop but the food did not excite me.

This was completely different from my dinner that night at Uncle Boons.  Chris told me this place was delicious and the reviews have been great. They don't take reservations and I really wanted to go so Brigham, Broek and Lauri met me for a very early dinner.

Koong - Grilled Head On Prawns

Yum Kai Hua Pli - spicy chicken and banana blossom salad

A dish that I can't remember but that we couldn't wait to start eating.  

Massaman Neuh - the most delicious curry with beef ribs

And for dessert - coconut sundae and mango and sticky rice.

I could happily eat here daily. One of my new favorite restaurants in the city. 

A New Jersey BBQ

I meant to stay in NYC over the weekend once I returned from Paris but my allergies dissipated that desire pretty quickly.  But I knew I was returning the next weekend as Nick and Whitney were in town from Singapore and it had been a year since I last saw them.

I love these two a great deal and I'm excited to meet their new baby daughter when they return to the States someday.  Moving to DC made me realize that seeing friends if only for a few hours is worth the time and money when they aren't that far away.  And this was a quick trip.  I came up Saturday morning and left Monday afternoon.  I wanted to see everyone and eat everything.

The traveling was during the World Cup and thank goodness for Twitter to keep me posted on the games. It was a good year for games.  No one was really sure who would take the championship and I liked that.

I arrived in New Jersey where Nick picked me up for a BBQ with Whit's family.  There were a couple of us including Trish who traveled to the suburbs to see them.

I really didn't take too many photos except of this little boy who loved drawing with crayons on my legs.  I wished the crayon markings had actually transferred.

Nick and Whitney and a really good blueberry pie we ate that night.  None of us were hungry for it but we had to order it.

France Adventure Day 1: Leaving the United States

I left for Paris on one of the hottest days in DC and a pretty hot day in NYC.  I woke up Tuesday morning after seeing Andrew Bird the night before.  I packed and walked to Union Station to catch a train wondering why I even bothered to shower.  The tickets to Paris were significantly cheaper flying out of JFK than DC so I decided to visit one of my favorite cities before going to my other favorite city.  I just didn't realize how hot it would be.

Lesson learned:  You can check a bag at Penn Station for a few dollars.  But if you tip $5, your bag will really be looked after.  It's completely worth it.

Lesson learned:  Eat lunch at Momofuku Ssam Bar around 2 pm because it's nearly empty.  Ryan met me for lunch and it was really lovely to just spend time with a friend in the middle of a travel day.

He had never been there before so I let him pick what sounded good considering everything is always good.  We split the broccoli salad with crispy duck skin and the smoked salmon buns with horseradish, egg and sesame.  And also the chicken ssam. It's the best kind of burrito.   

Lesson learned:  Eat ice cream everyday.  We still had a couple of hours to kill and the weather was begging for ice cream.  We walked down to Morgenstern's on Rivington because I really wanted to try this ice cream.  I loved the interior and we admired the tile.

I had the salted pretzel caramel and Szechuan peppercorn chocolate.  This is the ice cream that I crave.

Lesson learned: You can take a shower at JFK terminal 5 for $38.  I was hot and sticky and finding a place to shower was one of the greatest gifts.  I happily showered before boarding my 9 pm flight to Dublin and then on to Paris. 

Lesson learned:  Don't think you'll be able to sleep on a flight to Dublin.  We boarded, they fed us at 11 pm est and then again at 2 am est.  They just wanted to feed us all the time.

My Favorite NYC Restaurants and Where To Eat Next

I've been compiling a list of my favorite restaurants in all of the cities I've lived or visited for a few years.  I've eaten at a lot of fine restaurants but once was enough.  These are the restaurants where I cannot wait to eat at again and this is an update to this list.  I mentioned this list to Ty and he thought I should post it here and also the NYC restaurants that are on my list to try.  There are too many places to write descriptions after each one but I'll link it to a post if I've talked about it here.  And if you go to any of the places that I want to try next, let me know.

These are in no particular order.

Clinton Street Bakery - brunch, not dinner
Momofuku - all of them
Gramercy Tavern
Craft
Shopsins
Frannys
Buttermilk Channel
Bills Burgers - I can only speak for the one in the Meatpacking District but I always loved my burgers there.
Alta
Maialino
Commerce
The Smile
Torrisi Italian Specialities
Cafe Cluny - there is a new chef since I've been there
Char No 4 - a particularly great night with Whitney but not a place that is on any best of lists
M Wells Dinette
Locanda Verde - breakfast
Eleven Madison Park
Roberta's
Mile End/Sandwiches
Pies n Thighs
Redfarm - brunch and dinner
Annisa
Nomad
Pok Pok
Per Se
Battersby
Russ & Daughters - this is the shop, not the restaurant
Yunnan Kitchen
Buvette
Mighty Quinn BBQ
Han Dynasty
No. 7 subs
Martha's
Marco's 
Charlie Bird
Rose Bakery

Desserts

Oddfellows
Momofuku Milk Bar
Levain
Rose Bakery
Maison Kayser
Laboratori del Gelatio
Dough

To Try

Aamans-Copenhagen
St. Anselm
Perla
Aska
Estela
Uncle Boons
Bunker
Toro
Piora
Betony
Hanjan
The Elm
Katz Deli

One of My Favorite Places in Paris, Now in NYC

I was so excited to hear about the opening of Dover Street Market in NYC because it meant Rose Bakery would be that much nearer to me.  I fell in love with the bakery back in 2010 on a trip to Paris and I've tried to replicate some of the recipes from the cookbook - Rose Bakery Breakfast - Lunch - Tea - but it's so much better when it's already made for you.

I attended another Soul Cycle class my last day in NYC and it was fine.  It didn't excite me as much as my first class but that often happens with different instructors.  I chilled with Brig for a little while and headed out to Kip's Bay to the market.  I've walked through Dover Street Market in London and it's a beautiful store but this trip was about the bakery.

I arrived right when it opened, sat down and then felt that little embarrassment when you're alone and the only customer in the place.  I didn't take too many photos.  The kitchen staff were bringing out the baked goods while I was sitting there and everything looked so very good.  I knew I was leaving with something to eat on the train ride home.

I ordered the eggs and toast.  I love that it was served with Marmite which I did not open. I've tried it before and it doesn't taste good to me at all.  The fruit salad was a simple salad of citrus fruits but it was such a good fruit salad. Another example of how the simple things are often the best things.

I walked out with a chocolate chip walnut cookie which I think is the best one in the city I've had and I've tried a lot.  I was told that they only have one type of cookie at a time and they alternate it with chocolate chip peanut butter. 

I walked around the city and later met up with Ty and Brigham for a late lunch at Han Dynasty.  We tried to eat ssäm at Momofuku Ssäm Bar but it was closed for a private event.  Private events are never convenient.

I caught the train home and it was nice to walk into my own apartment but I always miss my friends in NYC.

I Want To Be In NYC For All Of My Birthdays, Part 5

My last night in NYC and the last of the birthday celebrations in NYC.  I met up with Trish who I love so much to celebrate both of our March birthdays at Charlie Bird.  This is one of the restaurants that I kept reading about it and deserves all of the favorable press.

Trish looked lovely as usual.

This Farro Salad is one of the best things in the world. It's mixed with pumpkin, mint, parmigiano, and pistachio.  We both commented that we could eat this everyday and thank you NYTimes for publishing the recipe here.

Just believe that everything we ate was incredible.

Gnocchi Rosa with ricotta, basil, and travaglini tomatoes.  

Crispy Skin Cod with Tuscan bean ribollita.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with spicy garlic sauce.

Blood Orange Cake with caramelized hazelnut gelato.

Happy Birthday Us!

I met up with friends that night to see The Grand Budapest Hotel.  Long Live Wes Anderson!

I Want To Be In NYC For All Of My Birthdays, Part 4

I broke tradition and decided to eat birthday dinner in Brooklyn and not in Queens.  I read about Marco's and had eaten at Franny's previously (same owners) so I knew the food would be very good.

We all loved the food but my happiness came from being with these friends.