Back to New York...

Tuesday night I got home from 5 days in New York City.  It was my first visit to the city during the warmer months, and I have to admit, it's a totally different vibe.  The one thing that continues to inspire and impress me is the food...and the art...and the stores...and the people.  We arrived around 1pm on Thursday and after checking in at the hotel, made a b-line to Bobby Van's for filet on toast with gorgonzola sauce and a dirty martini.  The dirty martinis at Bobby Van's are the most consistent martini I have ever had...and trust me, I have had enough of them there to compare.  We left Bobby Van's and grabbed a black and white cookie and headed to Central Park.  We listened to the saxophone player and took a long walk through the park.  We headed back to the hotel to get ready for the first of three shows we would see....Wicked.  One word...amazing.   Dinner after the show was a pretzel from one of the street vendors. 

Friday morning we had a late breakfast/early lunch at a place called Le Pain Quotiden.  I had a turkey tartine with chipotle aioli and chorizo chips...so simple, but soooooo delicious.  We did some shopping at Fishs Eddy (check out their website if you need anything for your kitchen)...Stopped and got a cupcake at Crumb's (red velvet), but the most amazing find...New York Cake & Bake....it's like the promised land of baking.  Anything you need to make cakes, cookies, etc is in that store (you can check out them online too!!!).  We went back to our hotel to get ready for our second show...Promises, Promises starring Kristen Chenoweth and Sean Hayes.  I loved the show.  The costumes, the feel, the dancing...it was all very visually impressive.  After the show we had dinner at Carmine's.  Ceasar salad, stuffed mushrooms, and meatballs with rigatoni...and of course, a dirty martini.

Saturday we spent most of the day at the MOMA.  Some very interesting exhibits and when they closed at 5:30, we stopped off for what turned out to be about one of 3 visits to H & M.  Several pounds of new clothes later, we changed and took the subway to Spring Street for dinner at Balthazar.  I have to start by saying that the french fries at Balthazar are the best french fries you could ever eat.  I mean, the risotto with fresh morels, the goat cheese and carmelized onion tart, the mango cheesecake...they're good and all, but those french fries may very well change your life!

Sunday started with a subway ride to Brooklyn and a walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge.  We had lunch at a place called Red at the South Street Seaport, walked through the financial district, then headed back to Times Square for tickets to see another show.  We decided to see "The Fantasticks".  It was in a small 200 seat 1/2 round theater and was really well done.  After the show, we headed over to Serendipity for a frozen hot chocolate.  It was well worth the 45 minute wait for the table.

Monday morning we took the subway to Canal Street for some "shopping".  We had lunch at Lombardi's ( the oldest coal fired pizza joint in America)...delicious.  We wandered through Little Italy and Chinatown, Soho and the Village.  Had a vanilla cupcake at Billy's Bakery and then took the subway to the hotel for a quick nap and then dinner at the Carnegie Deli.

Tuesday we made another stop at H & M then walked up 5th Avenue to Madison Square Park and lunch at the Shake Shack....the shroom burger, much like the Balthazar french fries, could change your life.  Sadly I kicked and screamed all the way back to the hotel to take the car to the airport....
All in all, I came back inspired, as I always do...ready to write some recipes, create some artwork and wear some new clothes!!!!!!!!!