Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Saying Goodbye to NYC

The City of David -- which began in the actual City of David, Jerusalem -- has traveled with me (virtually) to Seattle, Boston, and, of course, New York.  As we prepare to leave New York City this week and relocate to Aspen, CO, I thought I would reflect on some of our favorite New York experiences.  Not surprisingly, most of them are food related. We'll miss them all dearly, along with our friends and family in New York, but we'll be back...

Restaurants


Phoenix Garden, 242 East 40th St @ 2nd Ave
We discovered this gem while Rollin was living in Murray Hill, and it remains our favorite Chinese restaurant in the city.  Our favorite dishes:
•salt & pepper softshell crab (summer only)
•sauteed pea leaves with garlic
•vegetable fried rice
•sliced chicken or shredded pork with peppers and black bean sauce
It's BYOB and cash only. There's a wine store and beer mart on 2 Ave between 38 & 39th.

Cafe Mogador, St Marks Place between 1st Ave & Ave A
All around great menu, atmosphere, and location.  Our favorite things:
•curried chicken sandwich (lunch only)
•Greek salad
•labneh w/ zatar and pita
•french fries (the best!)
•Moroccan burger
•sparkling lemonade, Moroccan iced tea, bourbon cocktail with lemon and honey

Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches, 2nd St @ Ave A
In the recent trend of rising popularity of Banh Mi, we have benefited from having this excellent place so close to our apartment.  We actually prefer the tofu sandwich over the meat options.  Best as take-out and eaten in a park or garden nearby (of which there are many in the East Village).

Zaitzeff, Ave B between 2nd and 3rd St.
This underrated eatery has some of the best burgers in NYC, and the best turkey burger I've ever had.  All their meat is organic, hormone-free, and grass fed.  I also really like the Caesar Salad.

Lavagna, 5th St between Ave B and Ave A
You will never have anything less than an excellent meal and excellent service here.  Perfect for special occasions.  Their wine selection and recommendations are always great, too.

Robert, 2 Columbus Circle (9th floor) @ Museum of Arts and Design
After receiving a generous gift certificate here, we went on a special date night and had a fantastic meal, start to finish.

Il Bagatto, 2nd St between Ave A & B
Another great Italian place in the East Village.  We usually order it as delivery; we've only been inside the restaurant once (it was really nice!).  We usually order:
•Verdure all'agro (steamed spinach with garlic and lemon)
•Fagioli Alla Paolona (cannellini beans slowly cooked with tomatoes, garlic, shallots and rosemary)
•Rigatoni Sorrentina
•Penna alla Vodka

Clinton St. Baking Co., Clinton St. south of Houston
A LES breakfast and brunch staple, they also have a great dinner menu.  Unfortunately, it's so busy on weekends that we only go on weekdays.  Great pastries as well.

Shopsin's, Essex Retail Market (Essex and Delancey)
This quirky hole-in-the-wall inside Essex Market is well worth the trip and, on Saturdays, the wait.  It's not easy to describe...the menu is huge and creative, the food is good, and the owner/waiters will glare and snap at you. A unique LES experience.  It's also the subject of no small amount of literary output: NY Times article by Calvin Trillin, a cookbook (Eat Me), and a documentary (I Like Killing Flies).

Union Square Cafe, 16th St just west of Union Square
We finally went here (to celebrate our 1-year wedding anniversary), and it was as good as I keep hearing.  Nothing fancy or "out there" in dish concepts, but the quality and execution of everything is just above and beyond.  Every dish, every course, was perfect.

9 Edo Sushi, 17th St. between Broadway and 5th Ave
After Sushi Twist closed, we were lost without an affordable, excellent sushi place. Then we found it!  This place doesn't look fancy, but the sushi is fantastic.

Other Food


Essex Retail Market, Essex and Delancey
Definitely worth a trip, and there various vendors have really inexpensive groceries.  Also the location of Shopsin's (see above) and Saxelby Cheesemongers (see below).

Saxelby Cheesemongers
This is my favorite cheese place in the city.  They get cheeses from local farms (NY, PA, NJ, VT, NH), and occasionally they sponsor day trips to the farms to meet the animals and see how the cheese is made. They also sell great eggs and bread, and an unforgettable egg and cheese sandwich.  To top it all off, they're really nice and will let you sample anything before buying.

Sundaes and Cones, 10th St @ 3rd Ave
This place very quickly became our favorite ice cream place in the city.  From exotic flavors like Taro and Sesame to standards like Cookies and Cream and Mocha Chip, they do it all well.  They make great ice cream cakes, too; I highly recommend the Poo on Grass cake (trust me. look it up.).