travelicious: let's hear it for new york

2/20/2017

New York City is my first travel love. The first time my parents took me here, at the wildly impressionable age of 13, I was blown away by how very, very different it was to my rural/suburban North Carolina upbringing. Some people are turned off by those differences. I was not. I fell in Love, with a capital L.

My infatuation with New York has lasted two decades now. I've been wanting to go with B for ages now - we've both been, but never together. I hadn't been to NYC in six years, since my two best friends and I visited our other college roommate who lived there.

B and I discussed planning a birthday trip for me, and when I happened to mention it to my sister-in-law, she said she and my brother hadn't been since they got engaged there five years ago. So we invited them along. The four of us have tried to cut back on Christmas and birthday gifts and instead invest in spending time together - going out to dinner, playing games, and, well, taking trips together. Hence, New York.

We had a blast. It was cold and crazy and fast and furious, but it was such a fun trip. And oh, how we ate. We ate so well. If you need restaurant recommendations in NYC, look no further. You're welcome.

xoxo,
E, B, W, and M

where we stayed

The Millennium Hilton - Financial District // This is where my brother and his wife stayed when he brought her to NYC to propose. Because hubby and brother both have a ton of Hilton points, we decided to stay here. This falls under the category of "good life decisions." We had a king bed suite, with a view of the new One World Trade Center literally across the street. We were on the 37th floor, so our view of the skyline was on point. The Cortlandt Street subway station was literally right outside our hotel, so getting around the city was a breeze. You can't ask for better, especially for free.

where we ate

Jeffrey's Grocery // Wandering around the Village while we waited on Wes and Megan to arrive, we stumbled upon this adorable restaurant that just happened to have $1.50 happy hour oysters. I did not have any, because oysters, especially raw ones, are vile, but B really enjoyed them, and I had a very nice glass of wine. It was a cute and cozy bar and restaurant with a casual atmosphere, but what looked like a great seafood menu. I would definitely make a point of coming back here again and trying some other items on the menu.

Sarabeth's // Our one "meh" experience. The food was great - we got the three-course restaurant week menu - but the service was an absolute joke. Maybe it was just our waitress, but seriously. Several orders were wrong, and she never refilled our water glasses. The best part was the dessert - s'mores in a jar. Mine and my brother's steaks were both a little overcooked, although my grilled eggplant with feta cheese and pomegranate seed starter was pretty good. Reviews online raved about brunch items, so maybe this restaurant really isn't known for its dinner. The food was good - but try it at your own risk.

Kaffe 1668 // You think we're going to hang out in 30 degree weather and not find a good coffee shop? Yeah, no. This is about as cute and hipster-ish as you could ask for, and only a couple of blocks from our hotel. Their cappuccinos were wonderful, and the coffee shop is so cute. It has real wooden benches and tables, and the interior is decorated with a LOT of llamas. They're all really cute. Plus, this place sells bagged coffee, which I was stupid and did not buy. Totally should have done that. There are several locations for this coffee shop, so don't despair if you're not staying in the Financial District. There may be one near you.

The Smile // We found this because it's near Astor's Liquor Store, which Wes wanted to visit. It was a lucky find. Cute, shabby-chic, and a little hipster-ish, this restaurant had a great inexpensive menu of salads and sandwiches. Brother and sis-in-law got a great harissa chicken sandwich,while B got a quinoa, lentil and kale bowl, and I got a kale bowl with delicata squash and avocado. SIL also got a chocolate chunk sea salt cookie, which she was extremely gracious to share with me, and it was basically heaven. YUM. So totally hidden and cute, this is worth a quick stop even if you don't need any booze nearby.

Tartine // This is a tiny, authentic French restaurant in the Village. But the real draw is that the restaurant doesn't have a liquor license, so it's BYOB - with no corkage fee whatsoever. The restaurant is tiny and they don't accept reservations, so get there on the early side to make sure you get a table. I got a side salad and a warm artichoke gratin with spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese, but the real winner is their boucheeé a la reine - a chicken pot pie-type thing in a delicious puff pastry with mushrooms and tomatoes. B got that, and I definitely helped myself to a few bites. Okay, more than a few bites. We also got escargots, which are hard to find here in the U.S. So, win.

Magnolia Bakery // Yeah, yeah, yeah. Diet, schmiet. If you're in New York City, and especially if it's your birthday, you can't not have a cupcake from the wonderland that is Magnolia. It is something like 400 feet from Tartine, so it's an easy after-dinner walk, and the bakery is open until midnight. My favorite is the classic yellow cake with creamy delicious chocolate buttercream icing, but hey, you do you. Brian got some kind of Snickers cream bar thing that was also to die for. We took them back to our hotel and devoured them along with a bottle of wine, and we had a great time. You only live once, right? Right.

Calle Ocho // A Spanish-themed restaurant on the Upper West Side, CO is known for its brunch, specifically, the 9 flavors of all-you-can-drink sangria that come with your entree. I'd been once before with my college roommates, but knew the husband, brother, and sis-in-law needed this treat, too. They loved the bright, colorful, loud restaurant. The food isn't pricey (by NY standards) but it's divine. I got the chicken ranchero, and I just didn't eat the tortilla. Easy. And the sangria is actually strong - no weak fruit juice here. Go easy on these guys. But be sure to make reservations the minute you book your trip to NYC - spots fill up fast - and this is definitely a don't miss.

Cafe Mogador // This was possibly the best accident we've ever had. Brian just randomly found this place online, and holy mother of Moroccan food, it was amazing. I got a lamb kebab, and it was out of this world (disclaimer: I did eat some of my rice. So sue me). B and Wes got some kind of seafood business, and we split some kind of roasted eggplant with tahini starter. It was, like many NY restaurants, tiny, crowded, and a little dive-y, but it was utterly freaking delicious, and I would go back again just for this. Everyone agreed: this was a huge win, and even more so because it was such a last-minute surprise.

Cafe Duke // Dubious name aside, this cafeteria-style joint with make-your-own salads, noodle bowls, quinoa bowls, and a hot foods bar is a great quick lunch. We got salads before catching our plane back to Greer, and it hit the spot and did the job. There are lots of options for different cuisines and different dietary restrictions (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc), so it's a great catch-all if you've got a group. The service wasn't great - the folks preparing your custom orders were less than thrilled to be doing so and it took a while, but it tasted good and the price is right, so that's what counts - right?

what we did

One World Observatory // This is the one touristy thing we did, because since it was so new, none of us had done it before. It was a little expensive for what it was - basically a fast elevator ride and a really high viewing platform, but Wes and I had both been up in the old World Trade Center towers, and we wanted to see the view from this one, too. It's very sobering when you consider all that happened to cause this tower to exist. But it's definitely worth a trip, especially if you're new to New York and haven't seen the full skyline from up high.

Astor Wine and Spirits // Apparently this liquor store has a lot of hard-to-find bourbons, so it was a must-visit for my brother and his wife. They bought so much that we had to carry some of it home in our luggage because they didn't have room. The salespeople seemed friendly (especially by New York standards), and they had a really good wine selection, particularly French wines. We got two bottles to take to Tartine, and we weren't disappointed with either.

Brooklyn Brewery // We found ourselves in Brooklyn at another supposedly good liquor store. The store was a dud, but we decided to make the trip out to Brooklyn worthwhile by stopping at this brewery. I LOVE their high-gravity stout (which is, uh, dangerous for someone my size). The tour was a bit of a dud, but the taproom was a lot of fun, with plenty of goodness available. We went on a Saturday afternoon and it was super-crowded, so I would recommend going during the week if you can.