My TOP 10 Places to Eat in NYC

#10: Schnippers

Watching the Food Network late at night does in fact, help. On an episode of that Bobby Flay show, where he challenges restaurants and cooks their famous dish, what was it called? Challenge? Anyway Schnippers was on that show. Schnippers does Sloppy Joes. I have always wanted to try sloppy joe's!!! Bobby Flay won that throw down...THROW DOWN! Thats the name of the show!! So when Bobby won, I thought... that can't be right. So I went to try it for myself. And it.was.gooooood. So much flavor. So much history behind this dish. Granted it's not duck a l'orange but it was what it was. Good. I'd go back for more.

I think that show was rigged.

#9: Papaya King

This was a tough one. Because New Yorkers are known for their hot dogs. There's Nathan's, Gray's Papaya, Papaya Dog, Katz's Deli, Crif Dogs...But for some reason I was drawn to Papaya King. Now I don't know what the deal is behind all these Papaya hot dog places. But what I do know is that this Papaya Juice has made me a convert. I used to H.A.T.E payaya anything. But this juice, and this hot dog, were the PERFECT combo for a cold day pick me up in NYC. Highly recommended. 

#8: Roberta's

I know. How could Roberta's be number 8?! Well, for one, Roberta's is allll the way out in Brooklyn. So for a Manhattan tourist that's like walking into the badlands. But its WORTH it. Roberta's is also at number 8 because there was an hour and a half wait minimum for a table. Only for Dumbo's finest pizza connoisseurs I guess. Never mind the out of town tourist. Pffft. So instead I took my pizza with me back on the L train. Funny story: my cell phone ran out of charge in Brooklyn. Had no metro card to go back to the city. And commited a minor felony by entering through the emergency exit down to the trains! Shhh....don't tell... #i #will #commit #crimes #for #pizza. It basically froze by the time I got back to my hotel room. But that's ok. I love cold pizza.  Also I had major Home Alone 2 vibes. Remember?

#7: The Halal Guys

                                        

You guys.....*SIGH* All I'll say is order whatever you're having with extra white sauce. EXTRA WHITE SAUCE. Got it? 

Tip: the new cart is in the East Village. They're also opening their first flagship restaurant there! Congrats Halal Guys!!

#6: Burger Joint

                                                  

              
                                         

So let me get this straight? There's a great burger place right in the corner of a lobby of a 5 star hotel? Now this I gotta check out. << my thought process after hearing about the Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien. Be warned. The wait is as long as Rockin' Roller Coaster at Disney World. You'll see the line of people creeping out of an ominous red curtain. Just stand there. And wait. You shall be rewarded. I promise. It's a great burger. The bun is perfect. The meat is ugggnnh SO tender and juicy. I got why people waited. So I waited. And now I hope you will wait. If not for the burger at least for the story. 

#5: Balthazar

                                         

I heard Balthazar was over rated. I'm here to tell you that it's not. The staff were friendly. The atmosphere was as close to a Parisian bistro as one would get in SoHo. And the food...might be a bit more delicious than Paris...I know! Blasphemy! But what can I say. That steak was as close to perfection as it gets!! And I stopped ordering steak because everyone gets it wrong. Not at Balthazar. Oh and that béarnaise. Ugh! TDF!! Don't even get me started on those fries!!!!! 

PS. The mushroom and asparagus croissant at the bakery next door, is the answer to life's mysteries. THE ANSWER I TELL YOU!

#4: ABC Kitchen

      

      

As I was ordering the crab toast, my waiter was like, "Niiice."

The crab toast was a revelation. I can honestly say it was one of the best things I've eaten in 2014 thus far. If I may be so bold and say probably all year.

I just keep thinking back to Luke's Lobster. Comparing the two, this is just so much more complex. Luke's is for the purists. It's a classic. Like an expertly made laser cut dress from Alaïa. The ABC crab toast is like the finale dress from Dolce and Gabbana. The embellishments in this case being the lemon and the mayo (which is light and divine), the herbs, and the spices. And the way the oil shines around the sourdough bread, almost like an adipose halo. Truly a genius of a tartine.

Somewhere in that sundae is a peanut brittle to end all peanut brittles. The first bite was lackluster and I thought -"Oh what have I done! I over hyped the dessert!" but curiously enough every subsequent bite got more and more complex. The salt and the sugar started up a marvelous harmony that my taste buds couldn't ignore. Along with the faultless base line of the chocolate sauce, and the brassy crunch of the popcorn, this melody is one of the sweetest tunes ever to be tasted. And deserves an encore. The minute it starts turning into a marbleized beige soup, that's when it culminates to a flavorful extravaganza.

Leave feeling stuffed but ridiculously well fed.

 #3: Los Tacos No.1 at Chelsea Market

      

BEST.CARNE.ASADA.EVERRRR!! Order it on the corn tortilla. SO GOOD!!!

(i dream about this taco, almost every day...)

#2: Lukes Lobster at the Plaza Food Hall

      

      

What can I say about Luke's Lobster? Tender. Delicious. Buttery. Salty. Sweet. MMMMmmmm. I had this Lobster Roll two times during my trip! TWO TIMES! Yes I went back. In my hectic schedule of restaurant hopping I came back. Because it was that good. The lady at the beauty counter at Henri Bendel's told me to go to the Plaza Food Hall and have the Lobster Roll and the green tea crepe cake. I doubly obliged. Listen to the locals people!! My advice! Can't leave New York without trying these two things. You.just. CAN'T!!!!

      

     #1: Momofuku Ko

      

{image source: bionicbites.com}

The Best. Try to get a table. Then you'll know why. Best overall meal of my life. I wrote almost 20 pages in my notebook about the food that was presented to me. David Chang famously banned mobile phone photography in his little atelier of YUM. So sorry, no photos. But if any of you are curious enough, I might do a post about the meal. So, are you as curiously hungry as I am? ;)

**Honorable Mention: Katz Deli 

One can.not go to NYC and skip this iconic deli. Needless to say order the pastrami. And don't forget to tip  your carver! 

         

Baked by T - Rockin' Psychedelic Treats

"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold

And she's buying a stairway to heaven."

That's basically me last week, buying a Stairway to Heaven bar from the quirkiest most innovative baker in Bahrain. Baked by T is the brain child of Tala Bashmi, a talented muli-tasking artist, who is currently exploring what her creativity can produce in the kitchen. From what I can see (and taste) her experiments proved to be a success! With a menu ranging from the classic (Sticky Fingers) to the exotic (Purple Haze) to the avant-garde (Stairway to Heaven), Baked by T has solidified its delectable presence on the Bahraini food scene. 

There is no store yet. Baked by T is somewhat of a food market nomad. You can expect them at Bab market or various charitable events throughout the year. But you can always e-mail them for an order, with a minimum of 2 days in advance notice! I personally would really like to get my hands on an Earl Grey frosted Lavender Cupcake! MMMMmmm! 

"Excuse me while I kiss the sky!"

Baked by T

E-mail: bakedbyt@gmail.com

Orders minimum 2 days in advance

                        

Angelina - Quel Délice!

In lieu of a post on a restaurant in the region, I figured I'd go through my archives and talk about: Paris. Yes, Paris! Fashionistas will note that today marks the first day of the A/W13 fashion week in the French capital; so in honor of that, (and for sheer nostalgia) je vous parler de Paris. 

Two Novembers ago I took a girl's trip with my sister, you know, for a sort of refreshing mid semester break to show her my old haunts. Upon our arrival to the hotel early in the am, we were informed that our room wasn't ready. As expected. And so naturally, being so close to rue Rivoli, I had the brilliant idea of having hot chocolate for breakfast at (where else) Angelina. 

Everyone has their own experience with Angelina's hot chocolate. Mine was as follows: I remember immediately rating Laduree's a close second. I remember closing my eyes and smiling, and then opening them to watch my sister do the same. We started laughing. We were entranced. Lost in a world of cocoa and cream and unicorns. Pure chocolate delirium. A sort of high that can only be achieved through the surrender of your own conscious; to feel no guilt after the consommation of such an alarmingly calorific substance. 

Coupled with that, the most delectable, decadent Mont Blanc I have ever come across. Soft strands of chestnut paste lay on top of each other, concealing beneath them a layer of whipped cream that only the most self-indulgent eater would dare uncover. Say good-bye to lunch because you're not going to be able to eat anything until dinner time. 

A good idea after such a crime meal would be to walk through the Tuileries, like we did. I showed her my favorite bench, my favorite fountain, and where I like to sit and read on my off days. The air was crisp, but not chilly, we were lucky that it was a sunny day. I was happy to be in a familiar place, one that I love dearly. 

Attends-moi Paris! Je serais très bientôt avec vous.

226 Rue de Rivoli 
75001 Paris, France

+33 1 42 60 82 00

Mon-Fri: 7:30 - 19:00

Sat-Sun: 8:30 - 19:00

Lola's Cupcakes - ZOMG so g00d!!

Hey guys. So I’m going to be brief here. Pick the passionfruit cupcake. Thank me later. The other flavors were average. But the passionfruit was a knockout!! Not to mention unique...AND one of my favorite flavors. Yep, I like tart tarty things. Enjoy!