A Fresh Baked Welcome Back

Best Bagel and Coffee

When my mom and I got back from Ireland, we were too exhausted to go out to eat. Naturally, we ordered Seamless - it is such a luxury to get delicious food delivered to you!

The next morning, we left my apartment (a small victory in itself on these humid days!) to finally go to Best Bagel & Coffee (no website, http://www.yelp.com/biz/best-bagel-and-coffee-new-york). I haven't had a Sausage, Egg & Cheese in a LONG TIME, so that is exactly what I ordered. I got it on an everything bagel - so many seeds and on BOTH SIDES!

Sausage, Egg & Cheese on an Everything Bagel!

I got a large iced coffee (delicious!) and my mom got a Sesame Bagel, toasted with butter. She also loved it!

If you're in Midtown West, the bagels here are delicious - really some of the best I've had in Manhattan.

Cheers,

Liz

 

A really Good Restaurant

A Bon Voyage Brunch

Prior to taking our night flight to Dublin about two weeks ago, my mom and I went to brunch with my brother. I always love trying a new spot and I read many positive reviews about Good Restaurant (http://www.goodrestaurantnyc.com/) in the West Village.

The location takes reservations and also reserves a lot of seating for walk-ins. I loved the interior décor.

Interior shot of restaurant

The restaurant offers an awesome deal: The Get-It-All Special for $27. This features a choice of egg dish, pancake or French Toast AND any house-made bread or side dish AND choice of any House cocktail, Champagne or Sparkling Rose. Naturally, I chose this offer. My mom wasn't as hungry and she just got an entrée but enjoyed some of my donuts.  We also each got a cup of coffee - it was hot and continuously refilled - great!

Let's focus on the important stuff first: cocktails! I chose The goodMorning! Martini made with vodka, Kahlua and a shot of chilled espresso.

The goodMorning! Martini

Instead of choosing a side dish, I went with a house-made bread, the Warm Sugar & Spice Donuts! YUMMY! I loved that they include the donut holes too.

Warm Sugar & Spice Donuts

For my entrée, I got the Hampshire Pork Belly Hash with Eggs sunny side up. The hash also has Yukon potatoes, red onion and chives. I read rave reviews on Yelp! (thanks Yelpers!) and knew I had to get it. I was not led astray - delicious!

Pork Belly Hash = YES!

My mom also ordered it and loved it! My brother got the Mushroom, Spinach & Aged Cheddar Omelet with a side of bacon. I believe he may have added bacon to the Omelet as well. When I can't remember, I just assume he added it - he is a smart man.

Le Omelet

This is a lovely restaurant with great brunch options - solid choices from both the sweet and savory side. Give it a shot!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Clinton St. Baking Company

Pancakes on Pancakes

There is a certain type of joy when you find out your table is ready at a restaurant. Back in the day, restaurants would write down your name (on paper!) and give you a buzzer. Now, it goes in an iPad and you get a text message.

After 45 minutes, I got a text message that our table was ready at Clinton St. Baking Company (http://clintonstreetbaking.com/).

About the enter Pancake Palace

Even though we already had a cup of coffee at Cocoa Bar, we ordered another one here. Check out Scott enjoying his cup of coffee! I just got a new camera (Canon T3i) and I'm still learning how to use it. I wanted to up the quality of images on my site.

Oh hi there

Scott ordered the Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich made with scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, house made tomato jam, with hash browns. He added bacon because well, bacon. He also got a side order of cheese grits.

Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich

I ordered the FAMOUS Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter with Wild Maine Blueberries. It only comes with one small container of syrup (it has the butter melted in it). I like a nice ratio of pancake to syrup, so I asked for more syrup. I was a bit disappointed when it was an additional $2 - at least give me enough so I don't need to pay more!

Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter

This is a great breakfast spot. I recommend coming during off hours because it is so crowded!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Waiting for Pancakes...

Only in NYC do you wait 45 mins at 10am on a weekday for breakfast

Scott and I planned to go to Clinton St. Baking Company for breakfast on a weekday. We assumed this would avoid the typical 2+ hour long wait. I guess we shouldn't have been surprised when we found out that we would have to wait 45 minutes for a table. On a Wednesday at 10am. Instead of pacing outside, we went to a coffee bar that was recommended right down the street: Cocoa Bar (http://www.cocoabarnyc.com/).

I ordered a cup of coffee. Plain coffee. Nothing special but it hit the spot. If I have to wait for Clinton St. again, I will try the chocolate coffee.

A bunch of exciting beverage options for my next visit!

Huge macaroons!!

This is a cute spot that turns into a wine bar later in the day. Will need to stop by!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Eating at The Pavilion

A Ladies' Lunch to Celebrate my Graduation

My mom and I met up with my Aunt Shirley for lunch. The weather was cooperating so I was pleased with my restaurant choice: The Pavilion (http://www.thepavilionnyc.com/). I went here nearly 8 years ago when it was Luna Park (you may remember it from Sex and the City (Episode: The Monogamists) when Carrie went there and met Jared (the hot shot writer)and Big couldn't find the entrance).

It opened up three weeks ago and occupies a controversial part of Union Square. The photo below shows the stone structure that is part of the park. Opponents of the restaurant claim that it is "unfairly commercializing" public space. This battle has been fought for two years and the restaurant owner (Simon Oren, also the owner of Five Napkin Burger)  invested several million dollars to restore the structure. Oren has a 15-year contract with the city and will pay $300K per year to lease the space. Read more here: http://www.zagat.com/b/new-york-city/the-pavilion-in-union-square-park-is-finally-open

The Pavilion!

Doesn't the menu and glassware look like it just feel out of Anthropologie?

A celebration is not complete without Champagne!!! My mom and aunt ordered a glass and I opted for a unique cocktail. The waiter instead brought out three flutes - I was more than ok with that! Cheers! :)

Champagne

The Park-Side cocktail features light & dark rums, fresh mint & lime, guava "foam" and local pollen. It is a very unique drink - the guava foam has some seeds in it from the fruit. Also, you're not supposed to mix it up. So, don't drink it with a straw. In order to get all the flavors, sip it!

Park-Side Cocktail

I read a lot online about how great the complimentary bread basket was, especially the spread that comes with it. I'm not sure what the spread was, I should have asked, but it tasted delicious! I had to ask the waiter several times (maybe 5?) for the bread. The service is still lacking a bit. Hopefully it is just because the venue recently opened and isn't going to continue - this place is simply too great for poor service.

Bread - don't you love the ceramic fruit carton - again, Anthropologie for the win!

I ordered the Blue Maine Mussels & Fries. As you can see below, the fries are beautifully presented. They were SO tasty!

Delicious Fries

The mussels were delicious, prepared with white wine, garlic & shallot puree and butter.

Blue Maine Mussels

Our server recommended the Greek Salad, made with tomato, cucumber, peppers, onion, olives, croutons, local feta cheese & lemon vinaigrette. My aunt ordered it and I tried a nibble. It tasted really fresh and light.

Greek Salad for the win

I took some photos of the enclosed area of The Pavilion. The weather was nice so we chose to eat outside, also the inside area is a bit louder. The structure amplifies sounds so it can get a bit loud. This makes conversation with your mom and aunt difficult! I love the ceiling lights - white globes are simple and beautiful.

Inside of The Pavilion

The bar

I ordered a cappuccino. I was really disappointed when it arrived cold! If you're paying $5 for a cup of coffee, it better be piping hot. I asked the server to bring a new cup and it was hot! I think the issue comes back to the slow service - the coffee was likely made and just sat there. Get your act together on the service Pavilion! This is a great venue, so don't mess it up so early!

The replacement Cappuccino

Can you even handle all this beauty?

I look forward to coming back here for brunch or dinner and hopefully much improved service!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Ladies who Lunch

Bottino for Delicious Italian

One of my block 3 mates, Lilian, thought of organizing a lunch for some of us during Senior Week. She had the great idea and I contributed by thinking of a place to eat on the West Side (we were going to the Frying Pan after). I ended up on Bottino (http://www.bottinonyc.com/). Check out the open-but-enclosed seating area. We had a lovely corner table.

You can enjoy the outdoors without being outdoors!

I was intrigued by a cocktail on the menu, so I absolutely had to order it! The Grey Gardens Martini is made with Organic Black Tea and Grey Goose, St. Germain, Preserved Lemon Syrup and Honey.

Grey Gardens Martini

This was a fantastic cocktail! If you come, you MUST get it!

There were so many options on the menu, I struggled with what to order. Luckily, Jillian and I were interested in the same two entrees, so we split them. Problem solved!

Lasagna al Forno with Homemade Pasta, Bolognese and Bechamel 

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Boar Sausage

Each dish was very different and I'm glad we split them. Initially, I was a bit scared of the boar sausage but it was delicious! The lasagna was also so great - much heavier than the pasta but very tasty. Lilian also got the Orecchiette. Kate got the Sautéed Shrimp with Lentils and Garlic, White Wine and Herbs.

Shrimp!

After we finished our meal, we ordered a coffee and got dessert. Jillian and I got the Warm Tuscan Bread Pudding, Kate got the Pecan Tart and Lilian got something with Biscotti...I believe Affogato.

Cappuccino

Bread Pudding

Pecan Tart

Affogato

Usually I LOVE bread pudding, but this one was a bit too custardy. The custard was very eggy and almost looked scrambled, so it was a bit of a bummer. I'd recommend getting a different dessert if you go!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Opps! I Ate My Valentine (Doughnut)

It was Delicious!

After our yummy lunch at the Rocking Horse Café, Melissa and I headed to Doughnut Plant (http://doughnutplant.com/) for dessert. Since it was a Hallmark holiday, we needed to celebrate it. This menu welcomed us with open arms, of course we were going inside!

DOUGHNUTS!

The inside of the location is warm and inviting - this may be because it is full of doughnuts! The doughnut pillows on the wall add a certain touch.

CHECK OUT THESE DOUGHNUTS!

If you think the wall art is beautiful, check out the real thing!

Do I have to pick just one?

Given that it was Valentine's Day and the description sounded delicious, I ordered the Everything's Coming Up Roses, heart shaped rose doughnut.

Rose Doughnut - photo does not want to cooperate!

This yeast doughnut was delicious! The rose petals were beautiful to look at and delicious to eat! This is not your average grocery store doughnut - this place is on another level.

Cappuccino

To complement the doughnut, I ordered a cappuccino. The place has wonderful hot chocolate but I thought it may be too much sweetness together.

I cannot wait to go back here to try some more doughnuts! If you're in Chelsea or the Lower East Side, please check it out!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Coffee & WiFi - OH MY!

Demarco Coffee Stole my Heart

Last weekend, I needed to meet up with a classmate to finish an assignment. He lives on the Upper East Side and I'm in Herald Square. We both didn't want to trek down to campus, so I looked for some coffee spots that were located between our apartments.

I checked on Yelp! (because I do this automatically) and Demarco Coffee (http://www.demarcocoffeenyc.com/) caught my eye. Not only were the reviews for the coffee overwhelming positive but it also offered free WiFi! I tend to do my homework at my apartment or school, so I'm not sure if free WiFi is not much of a perk anymore. At this point, is it like a hotel room offering bath towels? Is it such an essential amenity that it is no longer a perk?

After looking at the menu, I decided to order a cappuccino.

Cappuccino, how I heart you!

The coffee was great and hit the spot. I needed some caffeine to get my Sunday jumpstarted. If you're in Midtown East, check it out! 

Cheers,

Liz