There were a couple of crucial topics left out of Monday's post about New York City: Food and Art; two things that infiltrate every nook and cranny of this wonderful city.
Let’s talk grub.
Between the food carts, sidewalk stands, and hole in the wall restaurants on every corner, there is no shortage of food and we did our best to try as much as we had time for based on recommendations from friends and family. While I wouldn't necessarily couch midtown as the greatest food hub {there are lots of chains and just "ok" spots that cater to the tourist crowd}, there are good eats if you look. There is also always the option of taking a short trip north or south on the island for even more authentic grub. Here were a few of my favorites:
In the bottom of the glorious Plaza Hotel, you’ll find the Plaza Food Court, an upscale cafeteria filled with almost anything you can imagine. We dined on crab and lobster rolls from Luke’s Lobster and for dessert, indulged in french macarons from Three Tarts.
I met Jess here for dinner and somehow managed to get through the entire meal with no photos! Perhaps the conversation was just too good? At any rate, we decided to try out this Italian spot because they were participating in New York Restaurant Week – a 3 course dinner for $35. My courses included:
Seasonal Greens and Tomato
Orecchiette Ear-Shaped Pasta in a Rabbit Ragu
Poached Peach with Marscarpone and Berry Puree
This was my first time trying rabbit….and it was…..good? It had a sort of strong, metallic taste when I took the first bite, but the more you ate it, the more you got used to it. When in Rome {or NY}…..right?!
After a full day of sightseeing, we were making our way back to the hotel via Bryant Park and decided to stop here for dinner. I thought for sure it would be so-so since it’s in such a touristy part of town, but to my surprise, it was DELICIOUS AND reasonably priced! I had chilled gazpacho soup {with avocado, chili and lime marinated cucumbers}, jumbo lump crab cakes with a petite green mix and honey mustard dressing, and a café fresca {voli lyte vodka, st. germain, pineapple & grapefruit}. YUM!
We were lucky enough to visit one of only two Grom shops within the US. Ever since travelling to Italy, gelato is my lifeline. I could eat it every day…with all meals. Since it was a balmy one million degrees with 100% humidity in NYC, I just couldn’t do chocolate and instead opted for their summer fruit gelato sorbets – peach and fig. Heavenly. Melissa had lemon, which looked equally as refreshing. Oh man….I LOVE lemon anything.
Thanks to Melissa’s brother in law, we had the most perfect Sunday breakfast brunch before our stroll through Central Park. A short subway ride and it felt like a completely different world, so quaint, less crowded, and the most friendly bartender I’ve ever met! I had the best bloody mary I’ve EVER had and some crazy omelet with avocados, tomatoes, and bacon in it. Instead of plain butter, they give you STRAWBERRY BUTTER. How can you go wrong? The food was sooo good and it really felt homey and not pretentious at all. I love me some good old fashioned cookin’!
Now, onto the masterpieces.
On our first full touring day in New York, it started raining. It was hot, sticky rain and rather than explore outside, we opted for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). here, you'll find lots of introspective art.....giant canvases with a few splotches of paint that are supposed to "speak" to you or stand for some sort of greater meaning. It can be a little odd, but also a pretty cool. Keep with it and when you finally reach the 5th floor, you'll find something more immaculate - Monet's Water Lillies, Van Gogh's Starry Night and Olive Trees, Matisse's Red Studio, Any Warhol’s Gold Marilyn, and various Picasso's. Pretty impressive.
It’s always hard to process that you are standing in front of the REAL THING. It almost feels fake or just surreal. I was so thankful they allow photos {as long as you don’t use the flash}. What a great privilege to get to see!
One museum that I would LOVE to visit but didn't get a chance to is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. From what I hear, you can take days, weeks, or even months to explore this vast cavern and still never truly "see" everything. It sounds quite epic. The American Museum of Natural History would be another fun one to visit! Next time NYC…..next time.
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