The bitter cold this weekend couldn’t stop us from having absolutely fantastic New York days! We ran a bunch of errands, spent an evening in Brooklyn (complete with unphotographed frozen pina coladas!), and spent Sunday walking around the East Village/Lower East Side. Things…
I’ve been eyeing the black and white cookie latte from Zaro’s for months and finally caved — too sweet but still tasty.
Humble Cafe is our favorite Long Island coffee. This was a wonderful latte with ube and white chocolate.
Even better – the cà phê sữa đá with salted cold foam from Le Gaz.
Cinnamon rolls from the new Sunday Morning. We tried guava cheese and pistachio. The toppings were tasty but the buns were weak – we were underwhelmed for the price/wait time.
Dinner at Little Grenjai was our best meal of the year so far! I don’t remember what was in this mimosa but it was nice and refreshing.
Crab rangoons.
Pad Thai with shrimp. This was tamarind-forward in a lovely way.
Drunken Noodles with confit duck. These were some of the best (read: marshmallowy) broad rice noodles I’ve eaten. And there were fresh green Sichuan peppercorns!
Braised short ribs in a Massaman curry sauce. Super tender and wonderful.
Pandan cream pie.
Lunch at Little Kirin was also a 10/10. We shared the Pho Sandwich – slow-braised beef, onions, scallions, cilantro, Thai basil, jalapeno, crispy shallots, and hoisin on ciabatta with pho broth on the side for dipping. Plus the crispiest tater tots.
The weather warmed up enough this weekend that a long Manhattan walk was actually enjoyable! We traveled Grand Central to Essex Market and back with some great stops along the way. Also some fun in the other boroughs on Sunday. Weekend highlights…
Fern and Aurora. Filipino bakery in Queens. We got a fun assortment – ube butter mochi, a strawberry cream doughnut, and a calamansi meringue tart. Plus a great iced coffee with ube cold foam.
La La Bakeshop. We were super impressed this new East Village Vietnamese dessert spot. Taro lava bun.
And a wonderful pandan foam Vietnamese iced latte.
Noona’s. Asian-inspired ice cream in the East Village and now our favorite ice cream in NYC. If anyone remembers Ice and Vice the vibes were similar. We got banana bread mochi ice cream topped with mochi and black sesame and swooned. I also housed a slice of yuzu poppy cake with strawberry jam.
Super Bueno. I don’t know how we keep getting lucky with walk-in seats here but they make our favorite drinks in the city. Salted plum and tamarind milk punch. (My unphotographed vodka y soda with guava and pasilla is the best thing on the menu.
Milu. This is hands-down our favorite fast casual spot. We shared a great lunch. Soy-roasted chicken bowl with rice, ginger scallion sauce, and charred broccoli.
Egg yolk fries. They came with a creamy scallion sauce that was the best bite on the table.
Plus a Yuzu Palmer with jasmine flower and lime.
Dhamaka. Indian in Essex Market. The service was great but the lighting was not photo-friendly. My Bombay Blues cocktail on fire when it arrived at the table! Indian rum, basil eau de vie, cultured coconut, pineapple, genepy, celery, lime, blue spirulina, and ajwain.
Kashmiri Gosht Chaamp – lamb loin with garam masala and ghee. This was my favorite dish of the night.
The paratha was Adam’s favorite. So buttery!
House-made paneer with ajwain and yogurt.
We shared two entrees. Malai Murgh – young chicken with cream and Amul butter.
Rara Gosht – goat meat and mince with yogurt, onions, and garam masala. It is rare to find goat in the states so this was a treat.
P.S. Tonight we have fun dinner reservations at Residence of Mr. Moto. I’m carrying a small/camera-free purse but I will definitely be ordering the Aka bowl!
One week down, fifty-one to go! Here were some highlights from the start of 2025…
The best yogurt bowl of the year (haha) – plain skyr with blueberries and ube polvorons.
I also went classic with granola, peanut butter, and blueberries.
The passion fruit ice cream mochi from Bubbies are a 10/10.
We were home on the 1st for a fancy last night of Hannukah lunch – bagel latke plates. Trader Joe’s frozen potato latkes / cream cheese home-mixed with sauteed scallion and garlic / mashed avocado / cucumber / Acme smoked salmon candy.
Every year on the 1st we make sure to eat black eyed peas and collard greens for dinner. Fun fact – I also make sure to go for a run on every new year and birthday. Collard greens sauteed with garlic, duck sausage, and Crystal hot sauce. Black eyed peas sauteed with green onions, roasted poblano, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt, Kewpie, and chipotle Cholula.
Ground turkey sauteed with cream cheese, gochujang, lemon juice, mustard and honey mustard served on sauteed shredded brussel sprouts with leftover laktes.
Turkey meatloaf (a buffalo version with Frank’s and blue cheese) with roasted broccoli and homemade ranch sauce.
Afghan take-out from Kandahar Grill. Mantoo dumplings, chicken tikka skewers with rice, Bolani flatbread, Banjan (fantastic fried eggplant) with Afghan bread, plus chicken kofta and lamb tikka skewers.
Fun things from the weekend so far included a long walk around Manhattan – it was super cold but super beautiful. We admired the Rockefeller tree, the tree at Union Square Park, and decorations at Chelsea Market, Hudson Yards, and Grand Central Station. Food highlights…
This was our first time trying Bluestone Lane‘s eggnog iced latte but we will definitely be back next year.
See also – Buzz’d Coffee‘s cold brew with espresso and bourbon eggnog cold foam.
Seasonal things from Supermoon Bakehouse – brûléed eggnog danish and a peppermint marshmallow brownie.
Plus a scoop of ube condensed milk ice cream that was fantastic.
Librae Bakery‘s za’atar labneh morning bun is the best baked good we’ve eaten this year. Their halvah chocolate pasty was a very close second but no photo because of the wind/cold/crumbles situation.
I’m not that excited about peanut M&M’s but these holiday toasty peanut ones were delicious.
Candy cane syrup! We’ve enjoyed it in ice coffee (good) and Diet Coke (better).
The best cocktail I’ve ever made – eggnog with Blue Bottle’s instant nola coffee, amaretto, and dark rum.
Lunch at Dante West Village so we could get their tiramisu eggnog – Seven Tales XO Vin Santo, amaretto, mascarpone, espresso, and whole eggs.
Plus I had a wonderful Harvest Bowl – maple miso tofu, picked red cabbage, kale, buckwheat, mutsu apple, crispy chickpeas, avocado, roasted butternut squash, soft-boiled egg, and garlic tahini dressing.
Leftover chilaquiles casserole with all the sauces.
During the world’s most exciting trip to 7-11 I scored both the Oreo flavored Coke Zero and the Coke flavored Oreos! Super fun. I thought both were very successful and would definitely buy the soda again.
Casa Enrique. Their brunch is just as good as their Michelin-rated dinner service. Jicama and beet salad with queso fresco, mint, candied pumpkin seeds, and lemon vinaigrette.
Chicken mole enchiladas. Their mole is a work of art.
My mezcal tamarind margarita was the best drink of the weekend.
Katana Kitten. We thought the drinks could have been more alcoholic but loved the food. My amaretto sour was a standout – Wild Turkey rye, amaretto, salted plum, honey, lemon, egg white, and yukari.
We had deviled eggs with white miso, Japanese mustard, and salmon roe.
And an astonishingly good Sukiyaki Sando – soy-braised ribeye, caramelized onion, pickled ginger, jalopeno, and mayo on a baguette with au jus.
Foul Witch. The lighting was unflattering, the food was magical. We shared a great dinner. Their house bread was a 20/10.
Fairytale eggplant with heirloom tomato and fresh cheese.
Maine lobster bucatini.
Lamb shoulder with squash blossom and chimichurri. The very best bite of the night was a dessert that was too dark to photograph but blew our minds – carrot cake with meringue and husk cherry.
An easy but great homemade dinner. Mandu bulgogi chicken frozen dumplings / roasted zucchini / cold silken tofu / spicy peanut sauce (peanut butter with sugar, chili crisp, sesame oil, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, and water) / furikake.
It is normal to have a weekly food theme, yes? This week had two – the 1st week of Apple Month and breakfasts for dinners! On-theme highlights included…
{Apples} Duh.
Over Easy apple cinnamon granola bar (7.5/10).
Health-Ade pink lady apple kombucha (8/10).
Trader Joe’s apple chips (9/10) with a caramel apple iced matcha – matcha with caramel, apple cider, and Spindrift lime and mint seltzer.
Jelly Belly cinnamon and apple mix jelly beans (8/10).
Caramel apple cocktail – apple whiskey with apple cider, lime mint seltzer, and caramel.
{Breakfasts/Brinners} Trader Joe’s coconut cold brew. I actually really don’t like this and need to stop forgetting and rebuying it every two years or so but one morning I had a cup with young coconut water and sweetened condensed milk and that was great.
A complete breakfast coffee shake – iced coffee with half and half, cold brew powder, brown sugar, vanilla protein powder, edible glitter, frozen banana, and Lucky Charms!
Matzoh brie. We used egg and onion matzoh and it was fantastic. I top mine with salt and sugar. Plus roasted purple cauliflower.
Blueberry cottage cheese pancakes. This recipe but I used all-purpose flour, skipped the maple in the batter, and added a bit of lemon juice. These were great. I ditched my plate for a larger one so I could smoother them in maple syrup though.
Paired with the best green smoothie I’ve ever made – frozen spinach, mango, and banana, with hibiscus powder, vanilla protein powder, and water.
Egg burrito from Roast. Scrambled eggs, avocado, crispy potatoes, peppers, onions and hot sauce aioli. Plus their sweet potato tots and (homemade) green beans sauteed with honey and mustards.
Paired with a fantastic mimosa sour IPA from Abomination Brewing.
Ming Bings plant-based sausage, egg, and cheese bing. With yellow squash and fairytale eggplant that I roasted and then sauteed with gochujang, tahini, sesame oil, brown sugar, and water. After the matzoh these veggies were my favorite bite of the week!
It was a fun week! Monday my parents were still in town and we took the day off to do Manhattan things with them. P.S. NY readers – we went to Lido Kosher Deli for their last dinner and the food was so good I got too excited to take a photo; you should go immediately.
Wednesday was my birthday and Adam and I took a long walk and got a giant ice cream (with BYOB sprinkles!). Plus I started my day with my free birthday Starbucks (with BYOB sprinkles).
Thursday we went to a bachelorette party and I had a margarita and discovered that the Trader Joe’s watermelon cucumber juice is the best mixer on the planet.
Friday we had reservations at Silver Apricot and did more fun Manhattan stuff. P.S. NY readers – they make some of the best Chinese food in the city and unfortunately are closing on August 11th so get a reservation ASAP.
Some highlights from the week included…
Joe Coffee yuzu elderflower coffee spritzer. The whole family thought this was delicious.
Donut Pub marble cruller. Stopping here after Strand book store is a great date.
Glace by Noglu‘s Rockefeller Center truck has the same menu as their storefront with half of the line. Classic s’mores – frozen hot chocolate, marshmallow hallo, whipped cream, and chocolate drizzle.
Indoor s’mores bowl. I broiled marshmallows and chocolate chips on top of Heritage Flakes. Served with plain skry.
You know I had a cache of birthday cake snacks. Premier Protein protein shake (7/10), Made Good granola bar (9/10), Pop Art kettle corn (9/10), Sprinkles cupcake cups (11/10).
Chimango chili pineapple wedges have a wonderfully satisfying balance of savory-sweet and a great chewy texture.
This Wild Twist apple was Adam’s and my new favorite variety; crisp, juicy, and sweet.
All the leftovers. This bowl was pasta and harissa chicken from Sonder, pasta and garlicy greens from Rolos, and evoo and cheese from home.
My favorite sheet-pan hash. Roasted purple sweet potatoes and baby bok choy with smoked sockeye salmon and smoked salmon candy. Plus a sauce – plain Greek yogurt, mayo, Sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar – and furikake.
Spinach and artichoke gnocchi bake. This dip-lasagna-gnocchi abomination made a great casserole. Baked Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi; shredded chicken breast; spinach and artichoke sauteed with evoo, garlic, gochugaru, and salt and pepper; ricotta cheese, plain skyr, lemon juice, nutmeg, eggs, and extra-sharp cheddar; baked with mozzarella on top.
Silver Apricot. We shared and loved a ton of dishes. Adam had a great orange wine and I got an apricot spritzer.
Deviled tea eggs with pickled mustard seeds, chili-garlic aioli.
Crispy turnip cakes with scallion chili crisp, pickled radish, and garlic crunch.
Grilled summer squash with cashew chili crisp, cultured cashew cream, and coriander / rice rolls with celtuce, kohlrabi, and hoisin sauce / grilled hen of the woods mushrooms, pickled wood ear mushrooms, and salted egg yolk.
Mille-feuille with caramel / ridiculously good sesame panna cotta with grape granita.
Peanut butter iced latte! I shook warm espresso in the last of a jar of peanut butter. Plus brown sugar and skim milk.
Yogurt bowls. Plain skyr with plucot, passionfruit, and chocolate cookie granola.
Skyr, plucot, blackberries, Fix and Fogg super crunchy peanut butter, and Love Crunch espresso vanilla cream granola.
PB&J with whole wheat bread and blueberry jam.
I didn’t eat anything red-white-and-blue this week but we did enjoy some fair-inspired foods. Dirt Cake ice cream. P.S. I put mini Jr Mints on this and the combination was delightful
Cotton candy.
An easy dinner. Trader Joe’s frozen nuggets + roasted broccoli and cauliflower + homemade Greek yogurt honey mustard sauce.
BBQ plate. Baked chicken breast that I tossed in Stubbs bbq sauce and chili crisp / roasted zucchini / esquites – fresh corn off the cob sauteed with green onion, fresno chili, and cojita cheese, tossed with mayo, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and smoked paprika, gochugaru.
Hash. Roasted purple sweet potato and brussels sprouts / sauteed yellow onion, orange bell pepper, and poblano pepper / cojita cheese / Seemore chili verde chicken sausage / fried egg.
Fourth of July. Chicken sausage on a brioche bun with mustard and ketchup / fresh watermelon / homemade cole slaw (shredded cabbage with Greek yogurt, mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, and celery seed).
Eating Chalk 