The Best of Summer 2014

     As my stay in NYC officially came to an end two weeks ago, I have compiled my "best of" list for all the things/places/foods I ate.  I hope you enjoy!

Coffee Shop: Perk Kafe

      To be honest, I didn't visit many coffee shops this summer, but Perk was close to me and and off 3rd Avenue so it was never overly crowded.  And the coffee was delicious as well.  I was a big fan of their iced expresso.

View: Williamsburg--Preferably a rooftop, a la Northern Territory

     The drinks are pretty awesome and the view is hard to beat.  I also just opened their website and their food looks pretty bangin' as well.  I guess another trip will be in order!

Quick Bite: Little Collins

     I LOVE LITTLE COLLINS.  I cannot say enough about this cute little Australian coffee shop.  The food, the decor, the coffee, the accents... what more could you want! Not to mention it was dangerously close to my office. 

Favorite Meal: tie between Sweet Chick and North River Lobster Company

     Sweet Chick had me because their chicken and waffles combo is pretty awesome.  The waffle is light and fluffy and the chicken is perfectly fried and salty.  My only qualm is that there was no kind of topping like fruit or butter (but I guess I have a high standard from Dames).  North River Lobster is amazing fresh seafood and the restaurant is a boat! 

Favorite Workout: Aqua Studio

     Just as expensive as Soul Cycle but way more fun.  Although I wouldn't make a habit out of this place, I would definitly go again.  I love any excuse to get in a pool! 

Best Pizza: Di Fara Pizza

     Welllllll worth the long trip into Brooklyn.  And the long wait.  Just bring a bottle of wine and a great friend. 

Ice Cream: Davey's. Hands down. No competition.

     Just like Little Collins, this place has no competition.  Their Chocolate Chocolate is one of the most deep and satisfying flavors I have ever tried.  Be sure to also try and catch their special chocolate babka at some point. 

Best Place to Run: The Reservoir at Central Park

     Although I could only run for a month until my knee gave out, I love every day of it.  In the early morning there were few runners and it was unusually peaceful. 

Shopping: Artists and Fleas at Chelsea Market 

      I have visited the Williamsburg one as well, but for some reason I really like the Chelsea one better.  There were too many things to buy and I didn't have enough money!   

Drinks: the mojitos at Rare View

     Maybe I'm allowing the great view to cloud over their $15 price tag, but the mojitos are always on point. 

NYC Landmark: Grand Central

     I think that sometimes New Yorkers can take for granted just how beautiful the city is when they are constantly hustling and bustling their way through.  There are so many historic and beautifully crafted buildings in this city and this summer Grand Central Terminal stole my heart.  I walked through it almost every single morning on my way to work and noticed something beautiful and new about it every time.

Weekend/Day Getaway: Governor's Island

     Governor's Island has the old town feeling of Charleston but without the 90% humidity.  Walking around and exploring the whole place was a relaxing and fun way to spend the day.  I need to try to make it to Gov Ball one day... 

Bar: The Jeffery

     The vibe is super relaxed and its a casual and cosy environment.  Aside from the amazing list of craft beers that they serve, they also have some delicious sandwiches and chips.  Great spot for you and a couple of friends to drink brews and veg out.  It is also very uniquely designed in that there are two entrances and is in a "U" shape.   Must go back sometime soon! 

And finally, best dessert: again a tie, between Levain Cookies and Chocolate Babka French Toast from Russ & Daughters Cafe

     This place is heavenly.  If the smell seeping out the door isn't enough to entice you, the taste of their dense half-baked cookies should do it.  I would consider living on the UWS just for this place.

Feasting and Goodbyes

     

Pic from my last morning commute

     As last week was my last week of working in NYC, I have been very busy and did not get a chance to blog.  The week involved lots of eating, drinking, saying goodbye, and a few tears.  I think it was so hard saying bye to everyone this year because more than ever before, I made real friendships with my co-workers.  

     I had a few really great meals during that week.  First up was lunch at Patsy's Italian Restaurant, right next to the Cash Money office.  WOW.  Growing up with Italian relatives I have had some truly delicious meals, but this is probably the best Italian meal I have had at a restaurant in a longggg time.  I ordered the shrimp marinara and was so full afterwards that I needed a nap.  

     With Ehrenkranz we went to Ammos, a Mediterranean place near Grand Central.  Italian and Mediterranean are my two favorite types of food so you could say I was pretty spoiled this week.  At Ammos I had their king prawns, which were more like baby lobsters.  They came with the head still on and I had to fight every last temptation to pick them up and play with them in Katherine's face.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that as a future lawyer, that kind of behavior is not totally acceptable. 

Me and Katherine

     Another night I went to dinner with one of my oldest and best friends from swimming, Hillary.  We went to Westville, a place I had never tried until that night.  I ordered the grilled salmon with a side of asparagus and was 100% pleased.  I look forward to going back and trying their brunch one day soon. 

     A few co-workers of mine from Ehrenkranz went out for drinks after work one night and had a ball of a time.  We started pretty early, around 5:30, and definitely felt it the next day.  We started our evening at Draught 55 (their long bench tables were great of our large group) and then eventually made our way to a midtown rooftop bar.  I seriously should just make a to-do list of only rooftop bars because I love them so so much.  

Pesto angle hair with shrimp from Grifone

     My last delicious meal of the week was another great Italian place.  A small hidden gem in midtown named Grifone.  More on the pricey side, but well worth it.  It's one of the few restaurants that I have been to in the City that is actually quite and small enough to hear the person across from you without having to yell or lean across the table!  A very small and intimate place that I would visit again if I needed a quite space with tasty food. 

     I will give more updates soon about some of my other activities in the city that I completed before leaving, but I had to get in the last week because I wanted to remember every detail!  Tomorrow is FRIDAY! 

Brooklyn Adventures

     I have been to Brooklyn quite a few times this summer and I don't hate it.  In fact, I greatly enjoy it.  I recently ventured into Williamsburg/Greenpoint for a friend of a friend's birthday party.  The party was at a bar named Northern Territory and aside from the amazing view, the vibe was quite chill and beachy and the drinks were on par.  See above for an unedited picture of the sun setting.

Make out bug

     After hanging out there for a while, we decided to move to another rooftop bar (quite prevalent in the area).  Along the way, Ashley and I stumbled upon one of the coolest things ever--essentially a bar, street vendors for food and jewelry, mini golf, ping pong, and live music, all at night in a huge warehouse.  Plus a photo booth and neon lights.  To say we had a blast would be an understatement.  There was also an old VW Beetle that you could sit in and watch a screen that flipped through car make out scenes from old movies.  This amazing place is named the Brooklyn Night Bazaar.  MAKE A TRIP.

     Once we finally arrived at the bar we planned to visit, we were exhausted and craving some fried food.  So we quickly opted for the fancy french fries that appeared on the menu.  Upon arrival, Ashley took a moment to admire the fries in all of their glory.

     Two other highlights to mention here: I have become quite skilled in cooking mexican food and so I ventured into the shrimp realm and made some garlic lime shrimp and guacamole.  I knocked it out of the park, just saying'.  Not that many things can top my cooking skills, but, the image of Matt Bomer in the flesh did just that.  They were filming White Collar outside of my office at 8AM and so I got to see him in all of his glory.  Not many better ways to start your morning.

HEYYOO MATT BOMER

Goodbyes and Hellos

Me, Adrian, and a friend

     Sadly, I recently had to say goodbye to my friend Alyssa.  She just had to return to Canada for this little wedding where she will marry the love of her life… so saying au revoir to her was a very sad day.  In order to console my pain, I went to a album release party for the artist Adrian Marcel.  If you haven't listened to his music, go check him out ASAP.

     While I did have to say goodbye to Alyssa, I said hello to some very good foods.  Top among them was my trip to J.G. Mellon on the Upper East Side.  They are famous for their burgers, and they definitly deserve that reputation.  I went all out with the bacon cheeseburger and was not disappointed.  I complemented that burger with a side of fries which were pleasantly crispy and delicious as well. (Side note when you visit, they are cash only).

   Since we were on the UES, we decided to visit the Met and check out the Charles James exhibit.  I love how the Met is showing so many fashion exhibits now and this one was just another addition to those before it.  And any trip to the Met is not complete without going to the roof and enjoying the view.

     After the Met I decided to complete my tour of the UES with a visit to an ice cream place that looked quite tasty to me from the images I spotted on Instagram.  Emack and Bolio's, while the cones are very unique and delicious (I got one covered with fruit loops!), has just average ice cream.  If you are on the UES I would recommend a visit, but do not feel the need to go all the way up there just for that.  Plenty of other great ice cream options down town that are much more satisfying.

     During the week I also discovered the amazingness of Little Collins.  Located right near my morning office, this place is dangerously delicious and too cute for words.  Must go back again before I leave!

The Big Dill and an iced latte at Little Collins

Flashback

    

 

      This past weekend my best friend from high school, Kira, came to visit me.  And it was a great visit.  We went all over the city and tried LOTS of delicious foods of course.

     We started off Friday by meeting with a couple of my work friends for drinks at South Street Seaport.  The weather could not have been any more beautiful and we drank refreshing beverages while watching the boats rock back and forth.


     We then left South Street, grabbed some pizza from a great joint by me called Garlic Pizza and fueled up for the night.  Once 11:30 rolled around, we met up with Alyssa and went to Le Poussin Rouge for 90s night.  It was wayyy more fun than I ever imagined.  I guess I forgot how awesome 90s music is.

Le Poussin Rouge

     Some more highlights from the weekend: I had an exception appetizer at a Spanish restaurant by me; squid in its own ink.  I have had squid ink linguine many times, but never squid served like this.  Delicious.  Saturday we went to Tompkins Square Bagels and I got the MOST AMAZING bagels ever.  First up was a sesame bagel with roasted red pepper cream cheese, seasoned lox, capers, tomatoes, and toasted to perfection.  Dessert (yes I do believe in breakfast dessert, obviously) was a plain bagel with birthday cake cream cheese.  New York really does know bagels.



     As a side note, I recently started watching Orange Is The New Black and I am obsessed.  Cannot stop watching.

Water and Indian

Me on my bike!

Alyssa!

     I have officially done one of the coolest workouts ever: aqua cycling.  Developed in Europe, and now available in NYC, you can do a spin class in a pool.  As a swimmer, I obviously loved it, but aside from that, the class was an amazing workout as well.  The water really forced you to concentrate on your core and using your legs. I went with Alyssa and we had a blast.

     The class is available at Aqua Studio in Tribeca.  While it is a bit expensive ($35 per class), that is not unusual for NYC and the instructor was perfect.  They provide you with towels, a locker, and aqua shoes ($2 rental).  I highly recommend everyone to try it at least once!

     After our intense workout, we went to grab some Indian food.  A friend suggested I try a place named Panna II.  Huddled next two three other Indian restaurants with the same decor, Panna II is by far the best so do not be tricked--you must go upstairs and to the right!  I do not remember exactly what I got, but it was phenomenal.  Panna II is also BYOB if you are interested in combining a bottle of whatever with your meal.

Happy Sunday! 

Lots of Food, Friends, and Fun

Art Exhibit on Governor's Island 

     Since my last post I have eaten A LOT of good food and spent a lot of time exploring with some great people.  Here are some of my food highlights for the past week:

1. The Melt Shop--amazing grilled cheese sandwiches and sweet tea to boot!
2. Two Little Red Hens--pretty good cupcakes on the UES. To be honest, not my favorite, but at the same time I licked the wrappers… And while everyone raves about the Brooklyn Blackout, I found the peanut butter to be my favorite.
3. Di Fara Pizza--hands down the best pizza I have had while in in NYC.  It is quite a ride into Brooklyn but well worth it.
4. Davey's Ice Cream--the double chocolate and the babka blew my mind.  It is actually quite devastating how few true ice cream shops exist in Manhattan but Davey's kind of makes up for it. 

Di Fara

     Aside from my food extravaganza, I also traveled to Governors Island and explored with my friend Kathryn.  The Island has so much to offer and was really a lot of fun to just walk around and get lost on.  The views of the Freedom Tower with the flowers in front was truly breathtaking.

     On Sunday I visited the Whitney with Alyssa and got to see the Koons exhibit.  While I think that they layout was a bit straightforward and not that creative, I still really appreciated his work and much of it is very aesthetically pleasing.

     His balloon forms really are quite captivating and I enjoyed learning about his life through a kind of time-line fashion.  It really is quite sad that the Whitney will be leaving this beautiful building for Brooklyn this year, but at the same time, I am excited to see what the new building has in store.

Catch Up Fast!

Verrazano Bridge and cannon

     Again, I have fallen a bit behind on my blogging!  But to defense, these past couple of weeks have been crazy full of friends, family, food, and exploration!

     Two weekends ago my cousin got married and so my Mom, Dad, and Sister came into town.  It was so great to see my whole family again and we had a blast at the wedding.  My cousin got married at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, with the beautiful Verrazano Bridge in the background.

     My sister and I did many fun things in the City, but some of the highlights include paddle board yoga, Russ & Daughters Cafe, and cruising around the Hudson on the North River Lobster Company boat.

Halva Ice Cream from Russ & Daughters

     On Sunday night I took her and a few of her friends around Chelsea and then we ended the night at Salvation Taco.  While the roof deck is small up there, the view and atmosphere are pretty amazing.

NRLC Boat Top!

     I had a wonderful weekend with the best sister in the world and got to try out some new activities and restaurants along the way!

4th of July Weekend

     So this weekend I finally made my first trip out to the Hamptons!  And it was perfect.  The weather (except for the 4th) was beautiful; sunny and breezy and cool at night.  We didn't even need the AC because it was so cool! My kind of weather for sure.

Fried seafood!

     I took the train out on Thursday and it was miserable.  It was so packed that there were people who had to stand the whole way--standing by the doors, in the isle, and on the stairs.  It was insane.  But definitly worth it to make it out of the City.


     While out there, we ate some delicious seafood, kayaked, tanned at the beach, drank sangria, and ate lots of s'mores.  Even though it rained all day on the 4th, we still made the most of it by driving into Southampton and walking around to the shops.  Despite the foul weather, there were still many people out and shopping the day away.  All in all, it was a great weekend with some awesome friends, that I will surely never forget.  I can't wait to make it out there again!

Tomorrow is Hump Day AND my sister is coming to visit!