{1} Dates with old friends

A doctor friend from Buffalo came into the city for an interview so we gave him the quick New York experience – hand-pulled noodles from Xi’an Famous Foods eaten picnic-style in Bryant Park.

I got the spicy hot oil noodles, extra spicy, and they were brutal and delicious.  Then we walked 10 blocks down to The Ginger Man to drink all of the beers.

The Ninkasi Noir was the best, a super roasty coffee milk stout.  We also had mead!

My bff from 2nd grade lives here in Brooklyn, and this week her mom (aka my part-time mom my whole childhood) was visiting.

Not only did I get to catch up with good people, we ate delicious bibimbap.

We went to Dobeki, a Korean bbq spot in Williamsburg.

{2} Yogurt bowls

Pumpkin featured heavily, of course.

{3} Taco salad

We made homemade Chipotle bowls.  Not to worry though, we also ate Chipotle!

Sweet romaine base + sauteed onions and peppers + ground turkey sauteed with shallots, garlic, lime, and spices + cheese and sour cream.  Plus an assortment of pumpkin flavored beverages.

They were very good!

{4} Nonni’s new seasonal biscotti

Nonni’s sent me a very exciting box, featuring their (new)holiday biscotti flavors.

Please note: I was given these samples, plus another set of samples for a lucky reader, free of charge to review.  I was not provided with further compensation for this post.  All opinions are my own.

New Seasonal Flavors:

• Nonni’s Caramel Apple Biscotti are made with delicious apples, a blend of brown sugar and cinnamon, filled with caramel and delicately dipped in gourmet white icing.
• Nonni’s Cranberry Cioccolati are made with sweet cranberries and delicately dipped in rich dark chocolate.

Seasonal Returning Favorites:

• Nonni’s Pumpkin Spice Biscotti are made with real pumpkin, a blend of robust spices and delicately dipped in gourmet cinnamon icing.
• Nonni’s Gingerbread Biscotti are made with real molasses, premium spices and delicately dipped in white icing.

I had Caramel Apple with an iced white chocolate coffee.

Pumpkin Spice with pumpkin applesauce and an iced coffee.  <– I realize a pumpkin spice latte would have been on theme here but I’ve finally accepted that I think PSLs are disgusting.

Gingerbread with a maple latte.

And Cranberry Cioccolati with a hot chocolate.

I loooooooooved them.  I’ve sampled Nonni’s stuff in the past and they really make the best biscotti I’ve ever had.  The texture is perfect, I am always expecting crumbly and hard and am pleasantly surprised by how easy they are to bite into.  I don’t think I could identify pumpkin and gingerbread in a blind taste-test, but they were yummy regardless and I was glad that they weren’t overly spicy.  The caramel apple was my favorite, it had pockets of chewy apple bits and caramel!  The icing on all of them was great, not too sweet and a nice complement to the rest of the bar.

{5} A giveaway!

Nonni’s said I could share the love with you guys.  One lucky (USA-based) reader will receive a box with all four holiday flavors.  To enter to win – simply leave a comment on this post telling me which flavor you are most interested in.  Comments must be received by midnight on Tuesday, October 27th.

***Update – Annamarie won the giveaway.  She has already been contacted.  Better luck next time 🙂