NYC: The Food

I will be honest in saying that eating really good food in NYC was very high on my list of priorities during my visit. I made it a goal to eat well at every meal and to savor every bite. Well, I did just that. Here are a few places I loved. I would recommend each and every one of them...

We made it a point to visit Chelsea Market for brunch. After all, it is the home of Food Network and to some notable bakeries and restaurants. One of the first places we saw was Eleni's bakery. Those cupcakes looked amazing, but I was good and bypassed them so that I could fully enjoy brunch at Friedman's Lunch. I downed a delicious mimosa + ate everything on that plate. Very tasty and very fresh...

Have you heard of Beecher's?? This place was new to me, but we are now very familiar with each other. They make the BEST cheese. This was their signature Four Year Flagship cheese that I sampled twice - on two different days. They are also known for their macaroni and cheese. It is rich and creamy with a little bit of spice. I also sampled that twice - on two different days. Mouth-watering I tell ya...

Perhaps my favorite restaurant was ABC Kitchen. The decor was amazing and the food was super fresh as it is all organic and local. I found that table of fresh vegetables to be quite beautiful. It was too dark to photograph the food I ate (veggie burger w/ minted yogurt on a housemade whole wheat pita), but I promise, promise, promise you it was good. 

Ok, so me and the macaroon met for the first time during my trip. I now see what all the hype is about. These were from Laduree and they were SO incredibly good and fresh. You can see that I thought chocolate would be my favorite, but the lemon one stole my heart. Note that I ate these all at one time as I people-watched on a bench in Central Park... :) 

If you love sushi, then Lure Fishbar in Soho is the place to go. I heart sushi and this place did not disappoint. The sushi was extra fresh and I left the restaurant full, yet wanting more sushi than I ate. Very good...

Can you tell I like fresh food??

A few other restaurants I loved...

Otto Pizzeria: The decor was amazing, their spinach salad was the best I ever had, the thin crust pizza was authentic and fresh and everything was very reasonably priced.

The Boathouse: This gorgeous restaurant is right on the edge of a little lake in the middle of Central Park. The food is a bit pricey, but SO worth it. I had a the Scottish salmon with Meyer lemon and a side of cheesy polenta. Fabulous...

Pastis: I had lunch at this famous little French bistro located in Manhattan's meatpacking district. I loved the ambiance and the food was delish. I ate a really cheesy, delicious croque madame for the first time and I'm still thinking about how good it was.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm off to eat a salad and schedule a Pilates class... :)

xo,