FAB New York Eats

My hubby and I just got back from our 2-week vacation. Our first stop was New York where I decided to create an itinerary based on the restaurants featured on two of my favourite Food Network http://www.foodnetworkasia.com/  shows – “Best Thing I Ever Ate” and “Unique Eats”. My goal was to taste the best that NY had to offer and I only had a week to do so.

So, here are my FAB New York EATS  ... 

(1) Shake Shack was the first place my hubby brought me to for lunch when I arrived in NY. We opted for the branch located at 86^th street since this was closer to our place. I have to say that I really enjoyed the combination of fresh lettuce and tomato, juicy beef, gooey cheddar cheese and potato bun. This is the quintessential burger to have when you visit NY. http://shakeshack.com/

(2) We had the best fall-off-the-bone beef brisket at Fete Sau (aka Fat Pig) (Brooklyn), it was so good that we ate there twice in one week. I could not get enough of the slow-cooked beef slathered with their homemade barbecue sauce. This BBQ place was a few subway rides away from the City but it was worth the trip and the blisteringly cold weather walking back to the subway station after dinner.  http://www.fettesaubbq.com/

(3) We had a delicious lunch at Momofuku Ssam Bar – we ordered the famous steamed pork buns, Dirty Duck Rice - Duck gizzards and hearts with Wasabi and the Duck Rice Set with chive pancake and a side of Broccoli Salad. http://www.momofuku.com/

I crossed the street to Momofuku Milk Bar for some Cereal Milk, Chocolate Malt Truffles and a Chocolate-Marshmallow-CornFlake-Cookie. I’m still dreaming about the Cereal Milk which was “comfort” in a bottle.

(4) I was surprised at how much I loved the Vanilla Rice Pudding at Rice to Riches. We were only planning to check out the place and since we were there I decided to sample some of the flavours and I was hooked! We were quite full from dinner so I had my Vanilla Rice Pudding to go for breakfast the next day. The rice pudding was fantastic so we decided to go back the next night for more breakfast takeout. http://ricetoriches.com

(5) Brunch is quite propular in New York so we had Sunday brunch at Popover Cafe. This place had great omelettes. My favourites were the Creole Scramble made with Andouille sausage, garlic, onion, horseradish, cheddar & tomato and the French Flopover filled  with brie, roasted pears, diced jambon de paris & scallions. We also had their version of Eggs Benedict called Eggs Benedict Arnold with smoked salmon over a split-open popover.  What a great way to start the day! http://www.popovercafe.com/

(6) Chelsea Market is a haven for foodies like me. My most notable eats were the Boston Clam Chowder and Lobster Roll Sliders at The Lobster Place http://www.lobsterplace.com/ and the Wicked Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Chip Cookies at Jacques Torres http://www.jacquestorres.com/.

The Lobster Roll Sliders were so fresh and delicious that I could have eaten a dozen but I had to leave room for dessert and I was not disappointed because these were absolutely without a doubt one of the best Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve ever had ... chewy, moist, oozing with chocolate and crisp around the edges.

(7) Since I’m on the subject of cookies, I have to mention the Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies at the famed Levain Bakery. There was a line outside the door when we arrived at the bakery. One bite and I knew why everyone was lining up to get their hands on these freshly baked treats. These cookies were huge and were literally a handful. http://www.levainbakery.com/

(8) I was so glad we had time to visit the Smorgasburg Weekend Market because I had the BEST Fish Tacos  at Chonco’s Tacos , Pastrami on Rye Sliders with whole grain beer mustard at Brooklyn Cured  and the Goodwich Ice Cream Sandwich at The Good Batch. The vibe was great at this open air all-food market.  

https://www.facebook.com/chonchostacos,http://www.brooklyncured.com/, http://www.brooklynflea.com/smorgasburg/, http://thegoodbatch.com/.

(9) I adore Mario Batalli’s cafe-deli-restaurant EATALY, this place had anything and everything Italian. We explored this gastronomic marketplace and opted to have a picnic-style dinner with cold cuts, artisan cheese, fresh fruits and a French baguette.  http://eatalyny.com/

(10) Since we were at Times Square we decided to have dinner at Junior’s. I totally devoured the Pastrami Reuben Sandwich. Being the dessert person that I am, I could not pass up the oh-so-popular Junior’s No. 1 Original Cheesecake which definitely lived up to my expectations. I personally loved the chunky cheesy texture and the moist cake crust. http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/

(11) I know that Magnolia Bakery is famous for its cupcakes but I came in looking for one thing and it wasn’t a cupcake ... I was there for the Banana Pudding! I guess you can say that I saved the best for last because this was one of the best things I ever ate. The creamy vanilla pudding and cake pieces were heavenly, my taste buds were soaring. This pint of creamy goodness was hands down the best dessert I ever had in New York!

Our next stop was San Jose, CA we weren’t here for a food trip because I was looking forward to some shopping. I do have a couple of FAB San Jose EATS to share ...

If Shake Shack is the must try burger place in New York then In-N-Out would be the place to get a good burger in the West Coast. We always grab a quick cheeseburger when there’s an In-N-Out in the area. This fast food joint knows how to make a good and fresh tasting burger.  

On our last night in San Jose, we opted to dine in and we had a great time eating with our hands and enjoying our Cajun Seafood Feast – crawfish, fried catfish, shrimps, clams,  sausages and corn on the cob. 

After this entry, I might want to consider changing my blog to “My Fab Eats” ...  haha!