This past weekend we went to New York City for a whirlwind trip of less than 48 hours. New York is a big city, but you’d be surprised how much you can see, do and eat in that short time frame.
We arrived in NY at around 3:00PM and went to our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Times Square – perfectly convenient. Then we were off on our separate ways; Mark to a meeting, me to 5th Avenue… everyone has their priorities!
Fifth Avenue
We reunited at our friends’ apartment in TriBeCa, where we got to hang out with a pretty cool 2 year old, and her new little sister. Perfect time to see friends, catch up and relax.
Dinner: Ordered in sushi – only in NY can you order in sushi, that is presented just like at a restaurant.
On Saturday, Mark told me we would be going for a big walk. Having once lived in NY, when he goes back he likes to see as much of it as possible. And, walk we did!
13.3 Miles in NYC
Breakfast was a quick bite of eggs and bacon at a nearby diner.
Then, we started at Columbus Circle and walked through the winding trails of Central Park.
Central Park
Central Park
After Central Park we walked back down Fifth Avenue and passed Rockefeller Center.
Snack: At Rockefeller Center I spotted a California transplant, the one and only (of only 5 locations) Bouchon Bakery. We dropped in for a cup of coffee and fresh OJ, and I didn’t think for much else. Then I spotted macarons. Made with almond flour, these delightful, multi-color discs had the potential to be a gluten free hit. Here is my advice: go to NY just for these! They were the amazing, melt in your mouth, perfectly smooth, fragrant from real vanilla bean goodness that a macaron should be.
Bouchon Bakery Macaron
And then we kept walking and decided on a lunch stop which brought us through Times Square, Murray Hill, Chelsea and eventually the Flat Iron District, for our first visit to Eataly!
Lunch at Eataly
Lunch: I have been looking forward to visiting Eataly for months – that sounds crazy, but I’ve even written about it here, on this blog. In the shadows of the Flat Iron building stands Eataly, part food court, market, and piazza. I loved it. We ate at Verdure, the vegetable focused mini restaurant and watched the store’s motto, “We Sell What We Cook & We Cook What We Sell”, in action. I ordered an eggplant parmigiana with spaghetti squash, and Mark had a combination lunch of lentil soup, raw salad, farro and vegetable fritto misto. Of course, we ended our visit with a cup of gelato. Buon Appetito!
Then we continued our journey through Grammery, Bowery, NoLita, Soho Chinatown, Wall Street, the World Trade Center, all the way to Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan.
The New World Trade Center
Wall Street
The Statue of Liberty from Battery Park
Then, we turned back and walked North to the West Village for our favorite meal of the weekend, at Recette.
Dinner: This is our second time at Recette, and this time we decided to go all out and ordered the Chef’s Five Course Menu. Tip: Do the same, you’ll be thrilled to follow this chef’s leadership and choices. The meal by, the cousin of my cousin, Chef Jesse Schenker, was completely memorable. Each dish of the five courses, amuse bouche and sorbet, was unique and featured new flavors, ingredients and techniques. After devouring the Scallops with Artichoke, Asparagus spear, and Thumbelina Carrot in a Caviar Beurre Blanc sauce we asked Lindsay, Jesse’s wife and Recette partner, “How does he come up this?” She told us, before running to check on another customer, “he’s like a writer that comes up with crazy stories and surprises…” I’ll finish the thought, the meal like a good book, keeps you wanting more and yet still completely satisfied at the end.
Where are your favorite places to eat in New York? Have you been to any of these?
Tell me in the comments!
The Daily Batch 