Eating & Drinking my way through NYC in 48 hours!
This blog post is late because I’ve been starting a whole new life back in South Africa as a social media and content strategist at a new company in a new city, but you know what they say, better late than never!
So New York… I think the best place to begin is with hotels.
On the way through NYC we stayed at this very trendy hotel called The Paper Factory in Queens. The strange combination of a sinking red telephone booth in the lobby, small old colourful cars, and yellow tin chairs just to name a few oddities were actually exceptionally charming. A restaurant called Mundo is inside the hotel, we had a few snacks there and it was delicious, and very convenient.
At the end of the trip, on my way through NYC, I stayed in the lower east side, or LES as everyone who knows a thing or two about NYC calls it. I stayed in a hotel called Sohotel. I was apprehensive on arrival because it doesn’t have the greatest reviews online, however I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by this cute little quirky spot. Yes, it’s small and quirky, but it is clean and the staff are helpful. The rooms too have a certain arty charm about them.
The LES is riddled with interesting spots to eat and drink, making it the perfect choice for my two solo NYC days. So, where did I eat?
In Queens, Tacuba for an absolutely delicious steak taco, a really cool vibe, and very friendly staff!
Berkli Parc was my favorite little hangout spot in the LES. I stopped there for a quick lunch when I arrived, not knowing a simple chicken quinoa salad could be so humongous and delicious all at the same time. Their $5 Pinot Grigio during happy is a delight, and their staff were overly accommodating. So much so that I returned again the next day for a drink before meeting a friend.
When I went to Ballymaloe Cookery School in 2013 I met a lot of people who went on to achieve great things food related, all around the world. One of the best success stories I know of is King Restaurant on King Street, owned by a friend who worked at River Café in London for a few years. With a waiting list weeks long and some of NYC’s most fashionable donning this quaint Italian styled restaurant and bar, this is not somewhere one merely ‘pops into’.
I started off the meal with an artfully made cochonnet cocktail; a mix of gin, cognac, cocchi americano, and crème de peche. From there I was treated to a delightful crisp bread called carta di musica, a thin yeast free bread topped with rosemary and olive oil, named after a thin music sheet. The menu at King changes daily depending on local ingredients available, making what is clearly a success story all the more unique. I ate chargrilled onglet over rosemary branches with cavelo nero, pine nuts and delicious 2016 Capezanne olive oil for main. The whole meal from start to finish was a sensory overload, and just all round fantastic. If you are looking for a high end restaurant to eat at in NYC, King is the place to be.
From one extreme to another, the next day I headed to a hidden little gem called Kiki’s. This strangely named Greek restaurant in the LES was the closest thing to authentic Greek food I’ve had in a very long time. I met someone there for lunch, we proceeded to share a deliciously garlicky tzatziki and pita, Greek wine served in the right type of glass, and finally finished off with chicken and lemon potatoes that really could have just come out of mama’s kitchen. I’m not sure if the owner is Greek or not, either way they are doing something right.
Finally, on my last night, despite having to wake up at 5am to head to JFK I met some friends out and went to a bar called Piano. Only a few blocks from where I was staying, this overly full bar was bustling for a Wednesday night and the music was great.
Although I did spend most of my time in NYC eating and drinking, I did actually manage to do one very touristy thing, which was a walk down the highline. The highline is a linear park built on an old railroad track that winds it’s way through the buildings of Manhattan. Despite it being winter, it was beautiful, and definitely home to some of the best views in the city. If you go to NYC, don’t miss out on this… seriously, I fell in love with the city just walking along it.