February 24, 2011
I recently returned from an astounding, once in a lifetime foodie trip to New York City. When we travel, my husband and I love to sample the local cuisine, but I honestly don’t think we’ve ever gone to so many different types of restaurants in such a short time and had such overwhelming successes with food and wine selection.
I ate and drank with fervor and gusto, throwing my weight cautions and my work out regimen to the wind! Our good friends joined us for this…bender (for lack of a better word), and it was so memorable.
Our trip was filled with fun and good times, tons of laughter and bacchanalian pleasures. Even at the most elegant and staid restaurants in Manhattan, we managed to make our time absurdly fun.
Going to new restaurants always motivates me to make fresh creations in my own kitchen. This trip inspired tons of new recipes that I can’t wait to share on the site. In the mean time, here are some of the fantastic restaurants we sampled.
1 Central Park West
(212) 299-3900
Sunday Brunch– a more casual version of Jean George’s restaurant on Columbus Circle. Great people watching and tasty food. Mr. Georges is usually in-house and lunch is worth it just to get a peek of him (hubba hubba). Let me clarify, living in Southern California, it’s pretty hard for me to still get star-struck, but for some reason Jean George makes me completely weak in the knees.
I loved this flower arrangement at the entrance to the restaurant. It was so fresh, seasonal, easy and organic (basically everything I love), so I had to photograph it.
Champagne: Pierre Gimonnet & Fils, Non Vintage, blanc de blancs
240 Central Park South
(212) 582-5100
I didn’t get any photos while I was here, but this one, taken from Marea’s website, shows the feel of the place.
We went to this restaurant for the crudo offerings, but stayed for the pasta and entrée courses. The pastas were absolutely out of this world. Each of us tried a different one so we got to sample four of them:
Then, the turbot came out, it was simply prepared and so delectable. Also, notable was the preparation of simple braised escarole – incredibly tasty.
60 West 55th Street
(646) 943-7373
Lunch — The perfect French bistro! The staff was great and food was amazing. On this trip, I ate the gratin of endive wrapped in French ham — delicious! We drank a super Sancerre with a screw off top. I also love the whole roasted chicken, and their appetizer menu is fun and fabulous. You can make a selection of 3 or 5 picks from the list.
Wine: Joseph Mellot 09 Sancerre Le Montarlet
60 East 65th Street
(212) 288-0033
Elegant Valentine’s dinner like no other. Delectable meal and AMAZING wine. What can I say? The four of us drank 7 bottles. Don’t you judge me! (Ok, judge away. It was incredible).
21 West 52nd Street
(212) 582-7200
Burger, Pommes Soufflés and red Burgundy. Need I say more?
An official 21 Club photo. I love the dark. old-school vibe of this restaurant.
47 Bond St # 1
(212) 533-1932
Fare hailing from Umbria with super fresh, seasonal ingredients. Their kale salad is still on my mind…
Photo of the fabulous dining room, taken from Il Buco’s website.
