New York City is the best place on Earth and that is doubly true around holidays! Adam and I had a lovely weekend with lots of walking and we explored Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan and saw and ate all sorts of fun holiday and city things.
Like lights in the Lower East Side.
And wild swans in Sheepshead Bay.
Coffees, specialty cocktails, pizza rolls, and other fantastic eats…
Mace’s Miracle Christmas Cocktail Pop-up is officially my new favorite holiday activity! I wish I had taken pictures inside because it was freaking magical.
The specialty cocktails were so fun! I had a Not Even a Mouse – pumpkin spice infused rye whiskey, Budweiser-marshmallow syrup, pumpkin puree, egg, and a marshmallow mouse.
And a Snowball Old Fashioned – gingerbread bourbon, sugar, and pecan bitters.
Iced latte love. Brooklyn Roasting Company.
Orso.
Yogurt bowl win. Plain Greek yogurt with maple jelly and vanilla bean powder with golden kiwi and granola on top.
Ice & Vice double scoop that was truly the best ice cream Adam or I have ever eaten. TBT – earl grey, dark chocolate, and speculoos chip and PSL – pecan, sorghum, and latte toffee.
The Nog at Sugar Sweet Sunshine, pumpkin cake layered with eggnog pudding and whipped cream.
We shared shrimp and loaded potato with garlic sour cream and mushrooms on top.
Brunch at Butter & Scotch, aka the restaurant that’s decorated like the inside of my heart.
I had biscuits with mushroom gravy and an egg on top.
The NameShake.
Birthday cake slice (the leftovers were still moist 24 hours+ later, fyi) and a Unicorn Treat – a brown butter cookie drenched in sprinkles!
The space was adorable, the music was wonderful, and as we were rolling ourselves to the door the waitress brought us a chocolate chip cookie to go since we had been so excited about everything.
Dinner at Thursday Kitchen.
You have to get a light-up booze-filled capri sun! I went with strawberry.
The menu is tapas style so we got to taste a lot. Everything was so interesting, and perfectly spiced. Pan-seared plantains with Korean chimichurri, honey ricotta, roasted pistachio, dried cranberry, and crispy plantain crumble.
Duck confit empanada with dill crème fraiche, cumin, and pickles.
Gnocchi with Korean chili pepper sauce, garlic aioli, parmesan, and crispy seaweed.
My homemade dinners weren’t bad either. I made vegetarian “rice” and beans casserole.
Riced cauliflower / pinquito beans / onion and bell peppers (yellow, orange, and green) baked in evoo / red enchilada sauce / sour cream / shredded cheese. I topped my bowl with more sour cream and some Cholula sauce plus beet and goat cheese cassava chips.
An epic take on cheeseburgers and fries.
Roasted green beans and butternut squash.
Cheeseburger roll ups! Crescent roll dough / ground turkey sautéed with chopped onion and pickle relish / mayo and ketchup / shredded cheese / brushed with garlic butter.
Happy 1st week of December!
Eating Chalk 