NYC eats

It’s been a while since I’ve done a food post, but don’t worry – I’ve still been eating! I am such a fan of trying new places in NYC and love to share my thoughts and recommendations. I am going to do my best to make this a regular series on the blog (no, I am not turning this into a food blog – just sharing a bit of what I love), so hopefully many of you that want to visit NYC (or live here now) can find some new places to explore. I have a soft spot for desserts, so that will always dominate on my food posts, but I have a few other good restaurants thrown in my post for good measure. So here is a look at some great places I have been frequenting over the past few months:

1. Emack and Bolio’s Ice Cream – The cone sealed the deal for me when deciding if I wanted to try this place. They make these amazing waffle cones dipped in different options such as fruity or cocoa pebbles mixed with marshmallow fluff. It takes the average ice cream experience to the next level. The flavor assortment is quite good as well but it really comes down to the cone. GET A GOOD CONE. 

2. Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit Co – I have such a weakness for soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt. I like harder ice cream, but I LOVE soft serve. This place provides a healthier alternative but it certainly doesn’t taste like it (which is a good thing). I got their banana soft serve which was unreal and proceeded to douse it with peanut butter, chocolate sauce, bananas and pretzels – which took it to a whole other level. The level of “I need an entire gallon of this stuff for the rest of my life”. You get my drift.

3. The Smith – The Smith is an institution in NYC almost. It is a chain of restaurants that somehow manages to appeal to New Yorkers, since it’s quite known that we are not fond of chains. But this restaurant bridges the gap effortlessly and serves some great American food. Basically you can bring your parents here from out of town and then meet your girlfriends here for a bite – it will surely please any and every palette. I recommend the Mussels, mac & cheese side and though I’m not a fan of deviled eggs, I hear they are to die for here.

4. Root & Bone – Do not come here to be comfortable – come here strictly to eat. This place is teeny tiny and the tables are insanely close together so you most definitely will be eavesdropping on the next table over during your entire meal. But who really cares when you are eating a fried chicken sandwich that comes served between two waffles. Your mind will be too blown to care. And though the sandwich sounds stereotypically “foodie” or “trendy”, it’s stinkin’ delicious. And don’t forget to add on a mac & cheese side and a spoonbread to start. A nap will soon follow

5. Oatmeals – Who knew oatmeal could be so exciting? This place really jazzes it up and takes it to the next level. I went for the standard sweet offering with bananas, peanut butter and honey but I am dying to try a savory option such as one with diced ham, gruyere cheese, nutmeg, sea salt and pepper. Breakfast never tasted so good. Heck, these oatmeals are a meal for any time of the day. 

6. Dough Brooklyn – Get ready for the largest and fluffiest (and delicious) donuts around. I recently popped by here and was in heaven. I splurged on a cheesecake donut which was one of the best donuts I’ve ever had, and then picked up a nutella filled donut for the next day. My husband grabbed a chocolate covered salted caramel and thought it was delicious. But be warned, these are not your average sized Krispy Kreme donuts. These are an eat-in-two-sittings kind of donut, and are large enough to even split with a friend. Just make sure your friend isn’t looking when you divide up the halves. 

A few other places I have loved recently, but was not able to get pictures of the meal were: 1. Los Tacos No. 1 in Chelsea Market – these are some of the freshest tacos you will ever eat. 2. The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market – they steam a fresh lobster right there for you and you can eat it standing up at the tables nearby, simply amazing. Ronnybrook Dairy, also in Chelsea Market serves farm fresh ice cream that will make you want to quit your job and go work on a diary farm – seriously I had that thought after eating this. It’s magical.

Hope you enjoyed my off-the-beaten path post, and if you are in NYC and try any of these places, let me know! And also, if you have any great recommendations of your own that I should try and review later, let me know in the comments below. Happy eating! 

A post of a different kind today. Not beauty, not my outfit but the thing that just may trump it all – FOOD!!! If you follow me on Instagram (do it. all the cool kids are. @alittlebitetc), you know that I love to chow down. Heck, I even have an entire hashtag dedicated to it – #albetceats. Desserts, ramen, pizza – it’s all good to me! One of the best parts about living in NYC is the exposure we have to so many great places to eat. I decided to compile some of my favorite and/or most visited restaurants. I plan on making this a regular series so stay tuned for more recommendations over the next few months. No, this will not turn into a food blog, but like makeup, when I find something great I feel the need to share it! If you are not hungry before reading this, you may be after.

1. Marea – I will start with the splurge of the bunch – this place is truly mind blowing. We went there for our wedding anniversary recently and could not stop raving about it weeks later. Marea is a seafood restaurant with some of the freshest fish you may ever eat – with stunning presentation and even more impressive decor. We began with a crudo tasting that was so fresh it almost swam off the plate, and then had a whole branzino for dinner. Ex-cell-ent. And because I can never say no to dessert – I got the bombolonis and thought I would never eat a better piece of dough. The best part? It’s across the street from central park so you can work off some of your dinner with a stroll through the park.

2. Momofuku Milk Bar – Yes the lines are long. Yes the hype is huge. But is it all worth it? You bet your sweets loving behind it is!!! My husband and I are such suckers for this dessert (and some savory) heaven that we try to get there at least 1-2 times a month. Their cake truffles are legendary (one of the first ingredients is butter – YUM), the cereal milk soft serve sends me into a fit of rage each time I finish it because I want more, and the compost cookies make me want to be a better person! Or at least be a more fit person who can reward herself with MORE COMPOST COOKIES.

3. Otto Enoteca Pizzeria – This restaurant is part of the Mario Batali empire, situated a block away from Washington Square park, has the most cozy but refined decor and some of the best pizza and Italian dishes you may ever eat – yet the prices are ridiculously affordable! Every time my husband and I eat here we say “how are these dishes so decadent and delicious yet so inexpensive?!” It’s one of life’s mysteries but I am grateful for it. Now what should you eat? Well whatever you darn well please, but here are a few of my favorite dishes. The spinach salad with ricotta salata and truffle honey is one of the best salads I have ever eaten. The pizza vongole is a pizza with clams on it. Clams in the shell. It’s delicious and so unique. And the funghi and taleggio pizza makes my heart sing. Oh, and get like a gazillion antipastis to start. They are $6 and come in the cutest ramekins. But DO NOT leave there without trying the olive oil gelato. Just don’t.

4. Trattoria Del’Arte – We stumbled upon this place based off a recommendation from a tourist actually. They were raving about how they visit this place every year because it has the best antipasto bar around. Boy were they telling the truth! This has become a regular dinner spot for my husband and me when we want to avoid the “scene”, be casual and eat good food. We ALWAYS sit at the antipasto bar, and the selection is amazing. So many choices, fresh and seasoned perfectly – and they have an option to pick 6 and it comes with a homemade ball of fresh burrata mozzarella. I should warn you however, the ball of mozzarella is approximately the size of my fist and could feed a small army so come hungry, and just know you will be leaving with leftovers.

5. Ippudo – I was not particularly a huge ramen fan before I met my husband, but his passion for it is infectious and has rubbed off on me. I had heard of Ippudo for years, but knew more of their epic long lines rather than their actual food. But we were roaming around the area on a Sunday at 4:30pm, and realized this was the best time to try and get in without waiting the standard 2 hours. The restaurant opened at 5pm, so we headed over and of course there was already a line forming. But it was well worth it. I am by no means a ramen expert so I wish I could expound upon what exactly makes it so good, but I really don’t know. It’s just yummy. I got the Akamaru Modern mainly because it comes with garlic oil and I live for all things garlic. But before you get to the slurping, you MUST order the steamed pork buns (or chicken, your preference) and try to keep your cool. Try not to eat them, hug your waiter and then running around the place screaming “more buns, more buns, more bunssssss!” Try to eat your meal with some dignity, no matter how much it’s deliciousness makes you want to lose your mind. 

Now there are just a small selection of some of my favorite restaurant spots. Stay tuned for more posts in the coming months with more recommendations. 

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