Eating More than Apples in the Big Apple

The buzz. The lights. The bagels. These things can only mean one thing: NYC.

Chris, Emma and I spent last weekend in "the city," and besides a marathon of revisiting cherished friends/colleagues, I also did my darndest to hit all of the food I miss the most from living in NYC - all in a span of 3 days. I have since developed a slight waddle (just kidding - sort of), but hit many of my favs from the city.

Of all the fates for tourists in NYC, there is little more tragic than standing in Times Square and watching them wander blindly towards Olive Garden and TGIFridays. Not that I have anything against Olive Garden - my husband and I would occasionally go and duly enjoy our unlimited salad and bread sticks - but when you have one shot at sampling the fares of the big apple, to fall into the trap of the known/predictable is lamentable. So where should you go instead? Oh, let me count the ways of my favorites (alphabetic by meal):

Breakfast

Joe's Coffee (Grand Central Terminal & others): Great coffee - mellow but flavorful roast, not as bitter as Starbucks. Nowhere to sit, and pastries in my opinion are nothing to write home about, but coffee is amazing. (They do also sell Doughnut Plant dougnuts... check out the Doughnut Tour post for more on DPD.)

Manhattan Espresso Cafe (49th btwn 3rd/Lex): Don't bet on finding seating (grand total tables = 0), but this little cafe offers great coffee and is a hidden gem of baked goods (pastries, cookies, yum). 

Paris Baguette & Financier (various locations): A tie for croissant deliciousness. Also check out Financier's oatmeal and PB's loaf bread.

Zuckers Bagels (Lex btwn 40/41): Mmm, bagels. There are many winners in this category, and New Yorkers will frequently draw blood (at least verbally) over their personal favorites - Esso, Daniel's, Zaro's, the list goes on and on. This one wins for me for a chewy factor, and a ton of spreads, including great fresh lox.

Lunch

Just Salad (all over): This is a bit of an odd addition since it's a chain/fast food, but man am I addicted to the Immunity Bowl salad wrap.  Mesclun, grilled salmon, butternut squash, dried cranberries, wheat berries, seedless cucumbers, fresh lemon juice, chopped and rolled into a wrap. Bring it on.

Nobu (57 & Madison, among others): Really more of a nice dinner place, I think this is best at lunch. If you're going to "eat the ocean," best to do it midday to digest. Pricey, but ohhh the seafood amazing-ness.

Ronin Bar & Grill (37th btwn Madison/5th): Don't be deterred by the sketchy website - or the fact that it is called a "bar & grill" - this is actually a great ramen shop. There is arguably better ramen in the city (if NYCers don't draw blood over what bagels are best, they will over ramen). Ippudo in particular is great, but the spicy ramen at Ronin is fantastic, and you can usually walk right in ... unlike the 2 hour typical wait at Ippudo.

Dinner

El Rio Grande (38th & 3rd Ave): The mexican food is (very) good. The margaritas are phenomenal. Seriously. If the weather is nice, hit their outdoor deck but be prepared to get approximately 3 inches of personal space between you and the other patrons. It's worth it.

Kunjip & BCD Tofu House (both are 32 btwn 5/6th): Both great Korean. But if you don't know someone Korean (or at least speak Korean yourself), skip Kunjip - you'll never make it through the line, much less convey your order. Be prepared to wait at either place, but so worth it.

Old Homestead Steakhouse (9th btwn 14/15th): Many great steaks in NYC. I love this one for the flavorful meat, great seafood, and unpretentious/old school charm decor.

Peking Duck House (53rd btwn 2/3): A family tradition for over 30 years, when my parents started eating there. Get the duck. Even if you are alone and have to eat 10 pancakes worth. Seriously.

Dessert

Levain Bakery (74/Amsterdam & others): Chocolate chip cookies. Gigantic. Gooey. Unhealthy. Delicious.

Magnolia Bakery (various): Do NOT get cupcakes. Tourists get cupcakes here. (The cupcakes here are rather dry/boring in my opinion - look elsewhere for cupcakes, and don't worry, they're everywhere in NYC). Get the banana pudding. My word, it is fluffy, delicious, and addictive.

Momofuku Milk Bar (13th/2nd, among others): Major points for creativity, this place specializes in using cereal milk (ie milk mixed in with cereal and strained so it retains the cereal sweetness/flavor). Get a couple of compost cookies - way better than the name implies.

Ok, let's be honest. This dessert list is short. There are many, many, many more alcoves of deliciousness tucked away in the city. I don't have the time or space to describe them all - perhaps another post to come just on dessert? - but the above can fuel plenty of calories in the short term.

Caveats

A few caveats for those who cared to read all the way to the end of this tedious list. 1: All donuts are excluded - I wrote an entire post on doughnuts, and no one wants to sit through yet more doughnut prattle. 2: Non-Manhattan boroughs, sorry - you have amazing eats, but I am a wimp in terms of traveling to try them, so the above is very non-representative. 3: NYC readers, what did I miss? A ton, I'm sure. Tell me your favorites so I can improve my list next time I get to NYC!