Let’s be honest, though, it wouldn’t have been a summer-of-a-lifetime if I didn’t end up broke. The funny thing is - I barely bought anything. No presents – for others or myself (well, maybe a few tiny things here and there), but for the most part, no gifts. The majority of my money went toward food. Though I should probably be embarrassed by that, I’m not. I wined and dinned like a queen during my three months in NYC. So I would like to have something to show (other than my pudgy belly) for my money spent.
A Sweet Treat: The all-inclusive KP Restaurant Review
(which took me 10 weeks, and hundreds of dollars, to thoroughly complete)
Marakeseum – Traditional Ethiopian food just south of Washington Park. You eat pureed veggies that sort of resemble baby food with your hands. It’s a riot and should be done family style, with everyone reaching their hands across everyone else to soak up the smashed goodness.
Buddakahn – The place to see and be seen. A true celeb hot spot. Though the food is pricey, the décor is something not to be missed and the food is flavorful. It’s known for its Asian-fusion food, but also turns into a lounge at night, so the drinks are tasty too.
Fig & Olive – In the heart of the Meatpacking District, I consumed some of the best scallops I have ever eaten. As its name suggests, the restaurant specializes in olive oils, so before the meal, you get to try oil from California, Italy and Spain. Italy tasted like the regular olive oil your parents use in everyday cooking. California actually tasted like how you would imagine the state should taste if you could eat it – summery and light with a slight fog. Spain was a tad salty, but for obvious reasons, I favored it. This dinner took my friends Jessica, Dana and I two hours, but we had some good conversations.
Jing Fongs & Vanessa’s Dumplings – I dragged Irena and Jessica to Jing Fong’s with me because I was desperately seeking authentic Chinese dim sum. Sorry to report, but this place was a flop. They didn’t have the charts racing around with choices of steamed buns and such. The menu was totally in Japanese and the few dumplings we did order left something to be desired (probably because we were too worried we were eating dog or cat since the language barrier was just too hard to break). We left, leaving many of the dumplings behind. But I, determined to find some good dumplings, decided to try Vanessa’s, which came to me on recommendation from some random guy in a bar. For $2, I got a plate of 6 steamed dumplings filled with veggies and chicken. So yummy. Mission accomplished.
Di Fara’s – Killer pizza in Brooklyn. Totally worth every bite.
Elephant and Castle – A tasty brunch joint in the West Village. I thoroughly enjoyed my goat cheese and spinach egg white omelet. It’s a cute, quaint place that is reminiscent of someone’s home, which makes it the ideal locale for catching up with old friends.
Haru – Another trendy place, specializing in sushi. I would say you probably go for the atmosphere and the convenience (it was one block away from my apartment). The fish is fresh, but it’s so expensive for such small rolls that you almost feel guilty spending your mullah.
Bam – A true, honest-to-goodness automat. Like what you see on TV. Supposedly they’re all the rage in China and Japan and such. You put in your money, push a button and out comes a hot dog or a hamburger or chicken fingers. It really baffled my mind. But, hey, they say this is the food of the future and the place looked damn cool!
16 Handles – Great ice-cream by the ounce. A truly innovative concept place in which you mix whatever flavors of the soft serve you want and then top it with whatever toppings you want. Then, you pay by how much the whole thing weighs. It makes already fun ice-cream that much more fun.
Pinkberry – The city’s famous Fro-Yo place. It serves tart yogurt topped with fresh fruit or granola. My favorite was the coffee flavor with strawberries and bananas. My only complaint is that it seems a bit expensive for yogurt and fruit, ringing in at a little over $6 for a small.
Cafetasia – My absolute favorite cheap Thai restaurant in the city. If I wasn’t going there, I was ordering in. The tables in the restaurant are cafeteria-style, meaning you sit next to a total stranger. While the food is cheap (by New York City standards anyway) the atmosphere is not compromising. The lights hang low and the bathroom is co-ed. Plus, you essentially pee in the dark because if you turn the lights up (as I did), the waiter comes in to turn them off again. Strange...but fun. Only in NY, right? As for the delivery, one night I called in at 7:29 p.m. and the food was literally at my door at 7:38 p.m. Though it seemed almost impossible (and I am still confused by it), everything in the city is ridiculously fast, so I didn’t think twice about it. Don’t ask, don’t tell right?
Jamaican street vendor on the corner of 7th and 51st – Quick and affordable. Such scrumptious curried chicken. I always skipped the rice and got extra salad. The whole lunch cost me $4. And I had my food in less than a minute. Talk about a new spin on fast food.
S’Mac – A small hole-in-the-wall specializing in only macaroni and cheese. Because of the high calorie content, it was pretty hard to find someone to go with me, so I waited until everyone left and treated myself. Though they have every choice of mac and cheese you could ever imagine (including mac with hamburger, sausage, goat cheese, veggies and bread crumbs), I stuck with the all-American cheddar kind in the smallest size possible. It came out in a sizzling metal skillet with a crispy, baked top. Mmm, mmm good.
Levain’s Bakery – This place was featured on Food Network. Apparently, the owners began this cookie shop because they wanted to carb-load before running marathons. Each cookie they sell weighs ½ a pound (and probably makes you gain 10), but it totally worth it. Jess, Rachel and I essentially did their whole concept….but backward. After we ran/walked the 5-mile race in Central Park, we then chowed down on our cookies (so much for carb-loading BEFORE the race). We split all four types of cookies they sell, digging into each with our fingers and not caring that chocolate and oatmeal and peanut butter were smearing all over our faces.
Gobo: Food for the Five Senses – A vegetarian restaurant. But what they lack in meat, they make up for in flavor and color. A true foodie’s heaven. I enjoyed the veggie cobb salad with brown rice, lentils, beans, fruit, nuts and other deliciousness. Jess and I would dine here just to make ourselves feel good that we were providing our bodies with filling, yet organic meals, while getting our daily in-take of fruits and veggies. And we’d talk about how healthy we were being the entire meal.
And scene. Enough of the food review before I get hungry.
The food itself is only half of it, though. It is my philosophy that a delicious meal must be shared with great company in a pleasurable atmosphere in order to be an all-around remarkable dining experience. Sitting in the airport and going through some of my fondest memories of dinners and lunches and brunches and midnight snacks, I can’t help but relive all the memories. A girl should only be as lucky as I am to have had hundreds of splendid meals with even better friends and conversations...even if she only has a pudgy belly and empty pockets to show for it.
