A Bite of the Big Apple

My older sister, Christy, lives in the most incredible city: New York. I had the greatest pleasure to spend a week with her to ring in the New Year. It was my first extended trip to the city and while we did so many amazing things, the best part was definitely the food.

One of my Instagram weaknesses is photogenic food. I follow so many restaurant accounts and was dying to try them ALL. What I did was make a bucket list for my sister and I, and we made sure to eat at the top places on my list. The thing about New York is that you can’t really plan for anything: when you’re going to eat, who you’re going to see. It’s always unexpected. With that being said, a few of my top choices had to be pushed to my next visit due to lines being WAY too long and the matter of time.

Street Food: Day 1

We got into the city around 10. My sister lives on Wall Street and after our flight was delayed for an hour and we had to wait for our Uber, we were starving. Luckily, I had one of the best NYC dining experiences right off the bat. There’s a street food truck right outside her building. We ordered chicken over rice with tzatziki sauce, and it was amazing. It was a Greek flavor profile and it was so cool to see them chop it up and make it right in front of you. I really wish I had taken a photo of it because the portion was HUGE and we were able to split it as a midnight snack.

Overall, you can’t beat the convenience or the price of a good food truck!

Healthy Food: Day 2

Our first full day in the city, I went to work with Christy at 10 Hudson Yards. (If you Googled that then let me confirm, yes my sister works for Tapestry aka. Coach.) I explored the building and had an appointment at L’Oreal then we met for lunch up on the top floor in the cafeteria. Here we got sushi, that was made right in front of us. I’m a huge fan of sushi and this did not disappoint.

The highlight of the day was going to my sisters gym. She works out at Equinox and it’s the most luxurious gym I’ve ever seen. We did a yoga class after our very long day out in the blistering cold and afterwards we went to Westville, a small chain in the city that has a lot of vegetarian and healthy options. Christy ordered the Westville cobb salad, and I got a quinoa artichoke burger with a mixed green side salad. I’m always very hesitant to order veggie burgers, but I was so pleased with the taste and texture of this one! They had sprouts, avocado, and a delicious mayo on the burger as well. It was the perfect end to a zen evening.

Comfort Food: Day 3

Day 3 was our first adventure in Brooklyn. We headed out to Park Slope to explore one of Christy’s favorite neighborhoods full of thrift stores, vintage shops, gift shops, quaint restaurants. At the time, comfort food sounded good and what’s more comforting than Mexican? We found an adorable little place with a vintage industrial feel to it; definitely not like the traditional Mexican restaurants in the mid-west.  They had a lunch special, 2 tacos, rice, beans, chips and guac for only $12. For NYC, that’s a good price. Christy ordered the chipotle pork tacos, and I ordered the fish tacos, then we each swapped one. I can’t say which one was better because they were both SO GOOD! This was our big meal for the day, as we were still full come dinner. 

Crazy Food: Day 4

We spent the day in Soho on the fourth day, starting at the place I was most excited to go: Cha Cha Matcha. It is a place dedicated to matcha and that’s all there is to it. Matcha softserve, matcha latte’s, matcha pastries. I got a peppermint matcha latte, and Christy got a coconut matcha latte. Both were extremely delicious, and I’d definitely go back to try some of their soft serve.

Our dinner was at a restaurant that both Christy and I have been dying to go to for quite some time. She’s lived in New York for a total of three years and has been waiting to go to Black Tap with me. They are known for their crazy shakes and ridiculous burgers. We ordered the Mexico City burger, which had pepper-jack cheese, a fried onion ring, pickled jalapenos, and a chipotle mayo.

Let’s talk about this milkshake. These are all over Instagram, and it’s no wonder why there was a line to get seated at Black Tap. These milkshakes are crafted so carefully. They start with a chilled glass. They mix up the milkshake (they have 9 flavors), then begin decorating the glass. For The Cake Shake, they frost the glass with vanilla frosting and roll it in sprinkles. They fill the glass with a cake batter shake, and top with a piece of Funfetti birthday cake, which is THEN topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry. Christy and I split the burger and shake and we were STUFFED.

Brunch: Day 5

New Years Eve started with brunch in Fort Greene, Brooklyn at this quaint Mediterranean restaurant. Nestled between breathtaking brownstones, Olea is a popular Sunday brunch spot for many families and Brooklynites. This spot is my sisters favorite, and I feel like she brunches there every week. The restaurant is filled with cozy window seats, plush pillows, tons of plants, and ornate decorations. Christy got green eggs and lamb, and I got the savory french toast. I have never tasted anything even similar to this dish; it’s Parmesan breaded french toast, topped with a poached egg, peas, pea shoots, scallions, and avgolemono sauce. The toast was served with homefries. I have to say that my favorite bite was the homefries dipped in the avgolemono sauce. The sauce sounds kind of daunting because I cannot pronounce it, but it reminds me of a hollandaise sauce. Definitely check out this gem next time you’re in the city. It’s only a quick train ride away!

Classic Food: Day 6

This is the day I encountered the most iconic food of New York City: the New York slice. After a long day of looking at the holiday windows on 5th Ave and scoping out the Hearst building (aka my favorite building) Christy took me to Mariella’s for the best slice of pizza I’ve ever consumed. For only $5 I got a ginormous piece of cheese pizza and a bottle of soda; and one slice definitely was enough for me!

I can’t wait to go back to NYC to experience more of the amazing food they have to offer! A few places that are still on the bucket list are Tiffany’s Blue Box Cafe, Ellen’s Stardust Diner, and Seamore’s. Where are some of your favorite places in New York to eat? Let me know in the comments below!

(I apologize for some of the low quality pictures. iPhones only do so much.)