New York City - Part 2... The Food
Honestly, I don't know which city has better food... the restaurants are great in both cities, but NYC has places that stay open later - so that's a plus. Food is always hard for me when I'm in a new place. I get a bit obsessive with trying to find a place that is good and not too touristy. Sometimes it works, but other times I fret so much that I can't decide and then I just get cranky from being too hungry. None of that had to
happen on this trip because Parisa and Daniel took us to so many wonderful places! Here is a summary of our culinary experience of the Big Apple:
We began and ended our stay at Parisa's house enjoying slices of fresh baked pizza that we bought around the corner at Grandaisy Bakery. We tried them all - the tomato, the cauliflower, the zucchini, and the potato. (The zucchini was my favorite.) On the last day I also bought a "snail" and it was probably the best "snail" pastry that I've ever had! (Entemann's it is NOT.)
I think I already mentioned that I rarely got up in time to sneak more than the last crumbs of the free pastries in the lobby of the hotel. The Starbucks at the corner of Canal and Centre basically saved my life. Scoff if you will, but (sad though it may be to say) NYC still doesn't have that great of coffee. It's very difficult to come from the West Coast and have to drink the warm brown liquid that others call coffee. To misquote Erasure... Starbucks, I love to hate you!
M and I were pretty much on our own for lunches. They consisted of stopping wherever we were touristing at the time. On Friday, we stopped in at Fraunces Tavern - one of the oldest buildings in NYC (although with a remodeled exterior). This is the Tavern in which General George Washington gave his farewell speech to the troops after spanking the British in the War of Independence. There is a cool museum upstairs that you can peruse for only $4. A bargain for so much history! If I had wanted to be true to my vegetarianism I could have had a salad and a cup of onion soup... but I took the tack that I was having a "cultural experience" and went for the Salmon. What can I say... I'm weak. Carnivores could have a fine time here with corned beef sandwiches, chicken pot pies, beef stew, steaks, and even prime rib. Oh boy. The only lame lunch I had was at the Cafe on 1 at the American Museum of Natural History. The museum itself is freakin' fantastic... the cafe... not so much. The food was fine, it was the lack of tables and crowds of (pushy) tourists that made it suck. As we in Cali say... "whatever."
By Sunday I was craving eggs so badly. I am a BIG fan of breakfast, and coffee, oj, and pastries just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. Luckily that was the day that M and I were traipsing around Greenwich Village with Parisa who promptly took us to her favorite diner... The Waverly Restaurant! It hit the spot in ALL THE RIGHT WAYS. The eggs come to the table in a mini-frying pan and are deeeee-lishus! M and Parisa had "diet plates" (consisting of a scoop of salad - tuna salad for M & shrimp salad for P - over a bed of lettuce with tomato slices and a scoop of cottage cheese.) Sounds weird to me but they both enjoyed it immensely. The menu there is enourmous, they basically have everything. Really. Go there. Now. I would.
happen on this trip because Parisa and Daniel took us to so many wonderful places! Here is a summary of our culinary experience of the Big Apple:
We began and ended our stay at Parisa's house enjoying slices of fresh baked pizza that we bought around the corner at Grandaisy Bakery. We tried them all - the tomato, the cauliflower, the zucchini, and the potato. (The zucchini was my favorite.) On the last day I also bought a "snail" and it was probably the best "snail" pastry that I've ever had! (Entemann's it is NOT.)
I think I already mentioned that I rarely got up in time to sneak more than the last crumbs of the free pastries in the lobby of the hotel. The Starbucks at the corner of Canal and Centre basically saved my life. Scoff if you will, but (sad though it may be to say) NYC still doesn't have that great of coffee. It's very difficult to come from the West Coast and have to drink the warm brown liquid that others call coffee. To misquote Erasure... Starbucks, I love to hate you!
M and I were pretty much on our own for lunches. They consisted of stopping wherever we were touristing at the time. On Friday, we stopped in at Fraunces Tavern - one of the oldest buildings in NYC (although with a remodeled exterior). This is the Tavern in which General George Washington gave his farewell speech to the troops after spanking the British in the War of Independence. There is a cool museum upstairs that you can peruse for only $4. A bargain for so much history! If I had wanted to be true to my vegetarianism I could have had a salad and a cup of onion soup... but I took the tack that I was having a "cultural experience" and went for the Salmon. What can I say... I'm weak. Carnivores could have a fine time here with corned beef sandwiches, chicken pot pies, beef stew, steaks, and even prime rib. Oh boy. The only lame lunch I had was at the Cafe on 1 at the American Museum of Natural History. The museum itself is freakin' fantastic... the cafe... not so much. The food was fine, it was the lack of tables and crowds of (pushy) tourists that made it suck. As we in Cali say... "whatever."
By Sunday I was craving eggs so badly. I am a BIG fan of breakfast, and coffee, oj, and pastries just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. Luckily that was the day that M and I were traipsing around Greenwich Village with Parisa who promptly took us to her favorite diner... The Waverly Restaurant! It hit the spot in ALL THE RIGHT WAYS. The eggs come to the table in a mini-frying pan and are deeeee-lishus! M and Parisa had "diet plates" (consisting of a scoop of salad - tuna salad for M & shrimp salad for P - over a bed of lettuce with tomato slices and a scoop of cottage cheese.) Sounds weird to me but they both enjoyed it immensely. The menu there is enourmous, they basically have everything. Really. Go there. Now. I would.