My Recent Summertime NYC Food Adventures
This past June and July, I went home for about five weeks. My classes ended in March so I was mainly just hanging out in London working on my dissertation. I hadn't been home since January, my winter break, and technically, I didn't HAVE to be in London to write my dissertation. After much consideration, I thought, "why not go home? It's not like I can go on vacation, since I have to write. Might as well do that from the comfort of my own home" -- which is exactly what I ended up doing!
I split my time back home between NJ (with my parents) and Manhattan (with my boyfriend). If I'm honest though, I spent most of my vacation in Manhattan with my boyfriend. It actually worked out really well. Yes, R and I enjoyed a lot of fun date nights and enjoyed our weekends together, and yes, I did during the week occasionally get together with friends, but for the most part, I kept myself busy with writing. While R was at work, I too worked. I set up shop in one of the guest rooms in his apt and spent several hours everyday writing.
That said, just because I spent my time at home working on my dissertation, doesn't mean I didn't have fun. I made sure that while I was in London to get all of my archival research done, so that when I was back home in the states, all I needed to do was write my dissertation. I am pleased to report that my plan worked beautifully! A gal has to eat, right? Can't run on an empty stomach. Over my five week period, I did cook quite a lot, but I also got to enjoy a lot of yummy meals. Some places were new, others were favorites that I'd missed while in London.
Since I did primarily start this blog as a food blog, I thought I'd share some details about my meals and basically provide a list of food recommendations to any of you who might be planning a trip to NYC soon. Hope you enjoy!
Hot & Crusty (88th St & Broadway):
Egg white omelette, cheddar cheese, and bacon on an everything bagel with an iced coffee
Hot and Crusty is an absolute regular "go-to" for me and R. There are a couple throughout the city and this is essentially where we go for breakfast every weekend. You might think me crazy for saying this, but not all bacon/egg/cheese sandwiches are created equally. I didn't realize this until I'd had one at Hot and Crusty. I can't tell you why, but theirs is the best! The bagels are always perfect, the eggs are cooked perfectly, and the seasoning is always on point. I just can't get enough. My standard order is: egg whites omelette, cheddar cheese, and bacon on an everything bagel (preferably whole wheat). It's just utter perfection.
Hot and Crusty doesn't just make breakfast sandwiches. It's a deli, so it serves everything: sandwiches, salads, pizzas, cakes, etc... Still, for me, it's all about the breakfast sandwiches. If you're hankering for a breakfast sandwich or heck, you just want this for any time of day, look no further! I encourage everyone to go to Hot and Crusty!
Glass of rose, fried chicken livers (starter), ragu pasta (main), deconstructed strawberry shortcake (dessert)
As a belated birthday dinner, R took me to Nick & Toni's Cafe. He's never been, but he knows that this is a family favorite for me and my parents. This restaurant is a mixture of nouveau American and Italian cuisine. The food is excellent, as is the service. As far as Manhattan prices go, I think it's also pretty reasonable, considering it's near the Metropolitan Opera House.
I've been to Nick & Toni's many times and I honestly can't think of one bad meal I've had there. On this occasion, I ordered my usual appetizer: fried chicken livers. The chicken livers are fried to perfection and while the inside is a bit heavy, as is expected with chicken liver, it's just so yummy! The livers are then topped with balsamic roasted onions and a frisee salad. Heaven.
For my main dish, I ordered a ragu pasta. I'm a sucker for a good ragu and this pasta was something I'd never heard of, so I knew I had to try it! The pasta was really interesting and tube shaped, whilst the ragu was perfectly seasoned and really meaty. Yum yum!
I'd say though that the best part of the meal was dessert. For whatever reason, it's a family tradition that birthday cake = Japanese strawberry shortcake. Don't ask me why, but for as long as I can remember, for my birthday, my mom has always baked me a strawberry shortcake for my birthday. I actual missed the opportunity to celebrate my birthday this year with R and my parents because I was in London at the time. When I saw this deconstructed strawberry shortcake on the menu, I just knew that I had to order it, and man, what a smart decision! It was incredible!!!
Website: http://www.nickandtoniscafe.com
Big Apple Barbecue Festival (Madison Square Park):
Pulled pork sandwich, BBQ ribs, and BBQ brisket
Ok, this next one isn't a restaurant recommendation, but I wanted to mention it anyway. While I was home, R and I lucked out and managed to go to the Big Apple Barbecue Festival near the Flatiron Building. This is an annual event and it's MASSIVE. All of Madison Square Park is shut down, as well as a lot of the neighboring streets. For one weekend only, about 20-30 BBQ trucks set up shop, get their BBQ pits going, and grill lots of delicious BBQ. This even is not for the faint of heart!
R and I went on Saturday, right around lunch time, and the festival was already packed! While the lines are long and look rather intimidating, each truck is pretty well staffed and the turnover is pretty quick. When we arrived, we were both really hungry, so we decided to divide and conquer. R waited on one line and ordered one platter of pulled pork, whilst I waited on another line and got one order of spare ribs. This was the strategy we employed. By sharing plates, we were able to try a variety of the foods on offer. This was a brilliant move on our part!
As one would imagine, BBQ meats can be rather filling, so we didn't go too crazy. We shared a platter of ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and a bag of freshly fried mini doughnuts. Everything was delicious and it was just a really fun experience overall. We're already making plans to go back next year! If you find yourself in Manhattan in early-mid June, keeps your eyes peeled for this event. I highly recommend it!
Fried calamari (starter), shrimp scampi (starter), and fresh mozzarella/prosciutto/onion/basil pizza (main)
Moscow Mule, Shrimp scampi (starter), and parpadelle with homemade ragu (main)
Osteria Cotta is mine and R's favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant. It's only a 10 minute walk from his apartment, the food & drinks are excellent, and the ambience is really cool. Seriously, it's one of our favorite places to eat in Manhattan. We've yet to have a bad meal there.
While I was home this summer, we went twice, although we got very similar meals. One dish that is an absolute favorite is the shrimp scampi. R and I don't even have to ask the other if we're getting it because it's a given. The shrimp is pretty standard and tasty, but it's the broth that is DYNAMITE! We're still trying to figure out the recipe, but it's really phenomenal. The balance of garlic and white wine is just amazing. The first time we ordered it, they gave us the standard portion of 2-3 slices of grilled bread, but it was so good, we quickly dipped all of the bread in the broth. Since then, we always ask the waiter for extra bread. Yummy.
We're also a fan of the calamari, which is wonderfully seasoned and crispy. On this recent visit, I ordered a pizza and a pasta. I've ordered these dishes in the past and they're excellent. I have no complaints. The food is well prepared and seasoned -- nothing is pretentious. Just good old fashioned Italian cooking and tastes.
For me though, the cocktails and the shrimp are why we keep coming back to Osteria Cotta.
Website: http://www.cottanyc.com
Cafe Lalo (83rd St & Amsterdam Ave):
Ice cream sundae with mint chocolate chip/chocolate/vanilla ice cream and a Mississippi Mud Pie
Boozy chocolate milkshakes with peppermint schnapps
I am particularly excited to be writing about Cafe Lalo. R will tell you, I am OBSESSED with Cafe Lalo. As someone with a massive sweet tooth, this is my idea of heaven. Whilst this Upper West Side gem serves savory AND sweet, for me, it's all about the sweets! (Fun Side Note: Cafe Lalo was featured in the movie "You've Got Mail" -- I've placed a youtube link of the scene at the bottom of this section).
Cafe Lalo is our go-to dessert place on the UWS. Whenever we go out for dinner in the neighborhood, 9 out of 10 times, we swing by Lalo afterwards for dessert. I love everything! I've ordered many of their cakes, as well as their "cookie monster" dessert, which is a giant warm cookie topped with ice cream and served with a side of berries. It's massive, but so delicious. Every time we go to Lalo, I always agonize over what to order. I want everything! It's a good thing I have R with me, since he keeps me in check and stops me from over indulging.
This past visit, we went to Lalo twice. Our first visit, R ordered the cce cream sundae with mint chocolate chip/chocolate/vanilla ice cream, whilst I enjoyed the Mississippi Mud Pie. This might sound like really obvious advice, but when ordered the mud pie, be sure you love chocolate, like I do. This cake was so dense and rich, it was like cutting into chocolate fudge. Personally, I am very ok with this, but I know some people don't like super rich foods. I cleaned my plate.
On our second visit, we ordered a favorite dessert: boozy milkshakes. (That's what we call them). R and I love the chocolate milkshakes with peppermint schnapps. They're so satisfying! Apparently, they also serve this in hot chocolate form. We are eager to try this when it starts to get cold.
If you want dessert and you're either on the UWS or don't mind traveling, GO TO CAFE LALO! I'll warn you, it can get very crowded and the cafe isn't very big -- it's quite crammed with tables. Still, it's totally worthwhile!!!
Website: http://cafelalo.com
Sausage/pepper/onion/goat cheese omelette with a fruit salad
Normally, R and I don't go out for brunch on the weekends. We either order from Hot & Crusty, go to Hot & Crusty and bring breakfast home, or we cook it. One Sunday, we thought we'd break out routine and go out for brunch. While I've been in London, R had gone to French Roast a few times for brunch with his mom and her boyfriend. Being away from everyone I love is hard enough, but seeing them enjoy a delicious brunch without me, that's killer! Because of this, I made it a point that I too wanted to enjoy brunch at French Roast.
There are two French Roasts in the city, one of the UWS and then one downtown near 11th and 6th Ave(?). (Funny side note, whilst I'd never been to the UWS branch, R and I went to the downtown one for our second date! We had lunch there.) Anyway, back to brunch. We didn't get anything too fancy. I enjoyed a simple omelette of sausage/pepper/onion/goat cheese with a fruit salad. It was tasty, but not super impressive. In retrospect, I might've gotten something a bit more interesting or something more lunch-y. When we went there for lunch, the cobb salad I ordered was really delicious.
Although my omelette wasn't mind-blowing, it was still very tasty. I'd still very much like to come back for more brunches and even a few lunches and dinners! This little French-inspired bistro is still really cute, great ambience, and simple food.
Dessert Kitchen (Bleeker St & MacDougal St):
Black Temptation and Cocoa Kiss
If you recall from the Cafe Lalo blurb, I have a massive sweet tooth and I love desserts. It is for that reason, I don't just have ONE dessert place, but I have a couple. When I'm downtown, I go to Dessert Kitchen. R and I stumbled upon this little hole in the wall by chance one night after we'd seen a movie at Film Forum and finished dinner at a little Japanese restaurant we enjoy off Bleeker. This was one of the best finds I've ever made.
Before I moved to London, R and I used to come here pretty frequently. We really love Film Forum, so whenever we'd see a movie there, which was pretty often, we'd always come here. In fact, it got to the point where the staff knew us and already knew our orders! Actually, when we went back this summer, I was convinced that they would've forgotten us. I hadn't been there in months. Boy, was I wrong. The moment we walked in the door, the seating hostess goes, "Hey! Where have you been? We haven't seen you in ages!" She even remembered our usual orders! That really made me smile.
That brings me to: what do we order? Although Dessert Kitchen has a vast array of very interesting Asian inspired desserts, R and I are such creatures of habit and tend to always order a Black Temptation (him) and Cocoa Kiss (me). His dessert is basically vanilla ice cream (made in house), cocoa crispies, and chocolate bits. My dessert is chocolate ice cream, cocoa crispies, coffee jelly, a banana, and this liquid milky soupy thing. I can honestly say, this place has some of the THE BEST chocolate ice cream I've ever eaten. R and I obsessed about it all of the time. Heck, I'd just order that, if I wasn't in love with the entire dessert.
If you're downtown, near Houston and/or Bleeker, and in the mood for something sweet, you HAVE to go to Dessert Kitchen. It's phenomenal!
Website: http://www.thedessertkitchennyc.com
Yakitori Totto (55th St & 8th Ave):
Grilled beef tongue and grilled asparagus wrapped in bacon skewers
White rice covered with fried baby fish and a soft boiled egg
While I was home, I met an old college friend, E, for lunch. She works in midtown and by chance, she works around the corner from one of my favorite Japanese restaurants: Yakitori Totto. This restaurant specializes in grilled meats, although they do serve other foods. The restaurant is incredibly small and unassuming -- a bit of a hole in the wall -- but the food is incredible. R and I love coming here too! Actually, so do my parents...basically everyone I know loves this place as much as I do.
We arrived towards the end of their lunch service, so the restaurant was pretty empty. (Normally it's PACKED and you have to wait a bit for a table.) Although my instinct was to order everything on the menu, my common sense or I guess, better sense of decorum and judgement, prevailed, so I limited myself to a few items. E and I shared two skewers: gyutan (beef tongue) and asparagus wrapped with bacon. Now, some of you might be raising your eyebrows at the gyutan, but I assure you that when cooked properly, gyutan is out of this world delicious! It's so succulent and the meat has bite to it, which is a texture that I really love.
For my main dish, I ordered a donburi (rice bowl) topped with jako (baby fish) and mizuna (japanese green vegetable). The mizuna and jako are fried lightly, tossed together and the rice is covered with the mixture. Of course, my donburi would not have been complete without the soft yolked egg on top. (The Japanese really love raw eggs/soft boiled eggs). My donburi was soooo yummy!
Yakitori Totto is great for a casual dinner. The ambience is really chill and you can watch the chefs cooking the meats, which is an activity I enjoy. If you find yourself walking around midtown West and have a craving for Japanese food (but not necessarily sushi), I HIGHLY recommend this place!
Website: http://www.tottonyc.com/#home
Bayou Beast
When eating pizza, R and I love ordering from Two Boots pizzas. Not only is the pizza here delicious, the toppings are unique and the names are great! There are a couple chains all over Manhattan, including one near R! Although Two Boots has many types of pizzas, we are creatures of habit and always get one kind: Bayou Beast. This treat is topped with cheese, andouille sausage, shrimp, crawfish, and chopped jalapeños. It's spicy, but soooooooo tasty!!!!! Just thinking about it right now is making my mouth water!!! Highly highly recommend this!
Website: http://twoboots.com
Honeydew Margarita, fried calamari (starter), and chicken pot pie (main)
One night before we went to the movies, R and I tried a new restaurant near Lincoln Center called "The Smith." I've walked past this restaurant dozens of times and have always wanted to check it out! The Smith is very trendy, serves posher twists on classic American dishes, and is a rather large space. I'd come here once before for happy hour and my cocktail was delicious. My happy hour was so much fun, I really wanted to come back and try dinner!
On arrival, R and I ordered cocktails -- very important. He ordered a whiskey (super classy, I know) whilst I enjoyed a honeydew margarita. For our appetizer, we shared an order of fried calamari -- a favorite for us. The calamari here were delicious! Very crispy and well seasoned. Marinara sauce wasn't amazing, but acceptable. For my main dish, I ordered something I haven't had in AGES: chicken pot pie. This was a very tasty dinner. The ingredients were fresh, the pie was piping hot, and the crust was crispy and scrumptious. I really enjoyed every mouthful!
All in all, I'd say the food here was very respectable. I can't tell you it was the absolute most best food I've ever eaten, but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy my meal. My major criticism of The Smith is the noise level. Not really sure why, but the noise level here is a little ridiculous. It got so loud there that R and I had to yell to one another, and even then, we couldn't really hear each other. :( Makes date night a little difficult... Still, the restaurant was cool and the drinks/food were delicious. If you don't mind noisy, this is a great place for a casual dinner -- especially with friends!
Website: http://thesmithrestaurant.com
Fresh Vietnamese spring roll
Saigon Shack Pho
Whenever I'm in the food for Vietnamese food, I go to one place: Saigon Shack. Located near NYU, this is one of my favorite eateries in Manhattan. It's very small and it's a cash only joint, but the food is consistently excellent. My order is always the same when I go: fresh Vietnamese spring roll appetizers and the Saigon Shack pho.
The spring rolls are freshly made and taste phenomenal. The veggies are so crisp and the veggies/noodles/shrimp go perfectly together with the dipping sauce. As for the pho, I order the Saigon Shack pho for the simple reason that it's a little bit of everything. You get a bit of brisket, saigon meat balls, and sliced beef. The broth is delicious, though I do tend to add a bit of hoisin sauce. I've never been disappointed by my meal here. In fact, I'm always left pleasantly full.
From a more practical perspective, Saigon Shack, though it is a cash only establishment, is actually quite cheap -- perfect for a student's budget. Cheap and delicious? Sounds like a winner to me! :)
Bellini (83rd St & Columbus Ave):
Antipasti appetizer medley (arrancini, calamari, clams Casino, shrimp scampi), steamed mussels (starter),
spicy squid ink seafood linguine (main)
Over Father's Day weekend, I enjoyed an Italian dinner with my parents, R, and R's dad. We went to a tiny Italian eatery on the Upper West Side called Bellini. This restaurant was quite long and narrow, but really very quaint. Excellent ambience.
After ordering a round of cocktails, it was time for dinner! We ordered a massive appetizer antipasti platter, as well as some steamed mussels, which were shared by all diners present. The appetizers were good, I enjoyed them. I think the arrancini were my favorite. The rice was nice and tender on the inside, but the outside was wonderfully crispy. Yum yum.
I really enjoyed my main dish: squid ink pasta tossed in a spicy marinara sauce with seafood. I am such a sucker for seafood pasta AND I love spicy AND I love squid ink pasta. It was like the dish was made for me! Overall, the dish was ok. I found that the pasta was a little bit overcooked, at least for my liking, and the portion was just way too big. I was only able to eat about half! I can't really recall what other people had for dinner, but I recall a general sense of everyone enjoyed their meal.
Bellini wasn't bad, but it also wasn't necessarily the best Italian I've eaten -- it was acceptable. If you find yourself on the Upper West Side and in the mood for Italian, I'd tell you to go to Osteria Cotta. Better food, better drinks, cooler atmosphere.
Website: http://www.bellininewyork.com
Moonstruck Diner (there are a couple throughout the city):
Iced coffee with buttermilk pancakes and turkey bacon
At one point while I was home, my mom and I went for breakfast in the city. Originally, we were going to have breakfast and then go to the Morgan Library, however, in the end, he ditched the Morgan and my mom went shopping instead. Still, before we changed plans, we had breakfast at the Moonstruck Diner, near the Morgan Library.
I was rather impressed with this diner. There are a couple branches, and I've walked past a couple of them, but this was my first time actually dining at one. The tables had a really artistic feel, with the cool reflective tiles.
As far as the food went, typical diner fare, but pretty good. I ordered an iced coffee (which I drank with much enthusiasm as it was very warm and I was in need of caffeine), buttermilk pancakes, and a side of turkey bacon. I have no criticisms. Everything was delicious, the service was great, and the food came out really quickly. I think this is a great diner! If you're craving classic American diner food, I enthusiastically recommend Moonstruck!
Website: http://moonstruck.nyc
Crack pie
So technically, I didn't eat here, but I did but "crack pie" from this bakery. Momofuku is part of Chef David Chang's Momofuku empire and it is also the producer of the wonderful crack pie. This confection is a very sweet pie that is strangely addictive. I'm not totally sure what's in it, but what I do know is that it's yummy and that I always enjoy a mouthful of crack pie. You can by pre cut slices or an entire pie. There are a few Momofuku Milk Bar throughout NYC and if you find that you're craving something quite sweet, I recommend visiting your nearest branch and indulging with a slice of crack pie.
Website: http://milkbarstore.com
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