I just got back from my sojourn to the US of A. What a hectic and crazy trip! My tour started with NYC, then onto chilled out Boston and edgy San Fran, or SF as the locals called it. I'll start with the NYC chapter, in a nutshell.
Let me say this first off, NYC rocks! Although it was my second visit here, I discovered new views, restaurants, shops and streets. It really is the city that never sleeps. Everything is open till late, especially the restaurants. On my first night there, I got a restaurant reservation at 9.45pm (a week in advance mind you!) and did not eat until 10.30pm. Surprisingly, it was not that hard to adjust, although the jetlag possibly had something to do with it.
Here is a brief review of my (shared) meals, highlighting the ones that were especially memorable and recommended for anyone heading over to NYC soon.
Balthazar - this is apparently the place to be at the moment. I had breakfast here twice. It's traditional French fare was done well but did not dazzle. My granola with yogurt and fruit was massive and rightly so at US$9 a bowl. It was my first taste of American style granola that's toasted, sweet, crunchy and served with nuts, cranberries and sultanas. Would recommend the waffles with berries and sour cream. Coffee (latte) was quite weak and milky not just here but pretty much all over the USA.
Spice Market - reserve well in advance online through opentable.com that allows you to reserve at loads of NYC restaurants. Very NYC in that, it is huge, cavernous, slick service, large number of staff, funky interiors and music and modern Asian-fare to match. Highly recommended. The tofu with pickled veges was the best tofu dish I have ever tasted! The tuna sashimi was amazing served in a sweet and citrusy soup with fish roe and lime sorbet.
Hudson Hotel Roof Bar - our hotel had its' very own roofbar (there are a few in NYC). Pricey drinks, but nice view and way to soak up the summer sun. There are 3 other bars in the hotel. The one behind the lobby and the one with the illuminated floor both go off at night. With the Philippe Starck designed interior, this place is worth visiting even if you're not staying there. Location near Columbus Circle meant proximity to a subway line, walk to Central Park and Broadway. Recommended hotel if you can deal with small rooms. Not even enough room on the side of my bed for my bag. Also our toilet broke twice on two consecutive days. Good value if you book on hotelclub.com for a discounted rate.
Good Enough to Eat - typical American breakfast diner. Old school style basics. I had the continental breakfast of toast, fruit and yogurt. The fruit was not that fresh. J had Mexican style scrambled eggs served with 2 warm tortillas and salsa. Could have given this place a miss. Forgettable and in a slightly dodgy location. I blame my 2002 Let's Go travel guide for this tip. I threw it away after this discovery.
Cafe Nomi (since closed) - awesome wine bar and tapas restaurant in Gramercy (trendy dining and nightlife district). My Sydney friends, Scott and Sam took us here. Particular standouts were the lamb cutlets that were juicy and perfectly medium rare, salt and pepper squid had a crunch and tangy saltiness and the lobster was moist and oozing freshness. Wine list was awesome too. Dimly-lit and crowded. Highly recommended. Drop by the pub on the same block. S showed us to check out photos of celebs that had been there since it is one of the oldest pubs around.
Whole Foods - this mecca of healthy food is like Sydney's Macro on steroids! The branch at Columbus Circle is huge, the size of a Kmart and stocks everything you would find in a supermarket but instead is organic, biodynamic and good for you. You can also get hot breakfast or cold breakfast in self serve trays that you pay for by weight. Incredible things like granola crusted French toast. They also have a dining area where you can sit down once you've made your purchases. Highly recommended.
United Nations - Delegates' Dining Room - Eva took us here for a buffet lunch. It's great value is you like buffets, US$29. Unfortunately, we weren't that hungry on the day we dined here but still managed to enjoy plenty of fresh smoked salmon, salads, fruit, cheese. I had the freshly sliced roasted chicken that was tasty. Otherwise there were about 6 hot selections of various meats, fish and vege. Unique view of NYC from the UN building but otherwise not a must-do. Note that the general public can dine here but there is a dress code of basically, no jeans.
Rosa Mexicano - surprising find on a main street. This is refined, modern Mexican at its' best. The guacomole made freshly in front of you is awesome. We also had the salmon served with mashed black beans and a dried fruit compote as well as the vegetarian burritos. They both came with rice and extra black beans. No drenching in sour cream and cheese, unlike the crappy Mexican restaurants we have in Sydney. Unique interiors. Highly recommended.
Vegetarian Dim Sum House - the one time that my 2002 Let's Go guide got it right. This delightful find in Chinatown is not much to look at but the made to order yum cha was so good, that it could convert carnivores to vegetarians. The monks' dumpling is a vege siu mau and the snow pea shoot dumpling in a green dumpling wrapper is worth a mention too. They were my 2 favourites. Recommended.
Hearth - Eva and Ben took us to this restaurant on a whim. It is American style which is the same as saying Mod Aus in that they had fish and veges, pastas, meat and veg etc. I had the seared salmon that was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and J had the cheese tortellini served with spring veges that was light and fresh. The side of mushrooms is a must for funghi lovers. These unusual morels were chargrilled to perfection. The gnocchi side dish is missable unless you like soggy bits of potato in nothing but plain cream. Recommended but not highly unique.
Cafe Luxembourg - this Upper West Side establishment was recommended for breakfasts in the Zagat Guide (sort of a SMH Good Food Guide equivalent). Cute French-inspired interior but the average food, service slip up and lack of patrons let it down big time. Don't be fooled by the US$4 poached eggs. It was literally that without any sides or even a garnish. We had to order toast separately. The coffee was worse than the usual crappy US stuff. Not recommended unless you happen to be in the area.
Eatery - again, I have Eva and Ben to thank for taking us to this place. My fave breakfast was here. I had buckwheat pancakes that was served with real maple syrup, berries and whipped butter. Others had eggwhite scramble served on a potato rosti with salsa and the eggs benn-e of scrambled eggs served on potato rosti with smoked salmon. Very popular and busy for good reason. Highly recommended.
Veloce Pizzeria - this Sicilian pizzeria is also a funky, dimly-lit wine bar. The wine list is long and detailed with many drops to match the 6 pizzas on offer plus 2 pizza specials. The style is that they come out in square pans with a medium thick crust that is crispy and slightly-charred. The margherita was moist whilst the zucchini pizza had garlicky goodness but did not have a tomato base and hence was a little dry. Recommended if you like medium or thick crust pizzas.
NYC - I came, I ate, I left!
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