So on Saturday, I drove back with my dad to Chapel Hill. I'm hoping that I'll be starting a master's program in library science in the fall, but if I don't get in this year, there's always the next. New York lent me some perspective on what I want to get out of life and I made some fantastic friends, so I will always be grateful for this past year.
One thing that was rough about New York was that I rarely had anyone to cook for (I don't blame anyone for not wanting to make the trek out to Flatbush) and, when I did, I was too exhausted to do so. Returning home will hopefully also mean a return to cooking, with my family as my culinary guinea pigs and a more relaxed schedule. So look for more blog posts in the near future.
At it's heart, I hope this blog will be about the experience of sharing food with the people you love, not just cooking, and I certainly did share some great gastronomic experiences in New York. So for those who are interested, here's a short list of highlights:
- Incredibly succulent soup dumplings at Nice Green Bo
- The richest, most decadent hot chocolate I have encountered from City Bakery (Thanks, Eric!)
- A mission to eat at all the coal oven pizzerias in Manhattan, though I think we missed one or two (K and I did hit up Grimaldi's, Angelo's, Totonno's, Patsy's, and Lombardi's. Grimaldi's was the consensus win)
- Weekly donuts at The Donut Pub after yoga
- Farewell dark chocolate empanadas with my boss at Havana Central, possibly one of the best desserts ever
- A first (and second, and third) encounter with real Japanese-style ramen at Totto Ramen
- Apple cider donuts from the Union Square Green Market, shared with my Right Brain
- The most expensive piece of cheesecake and cup of coffee EVER from Lindy's
- Lunchtime conversations over pad thai at Qi and Bodhi Tree
- A compost cookie from Momofuku Milk Bar, which more than lived up to the hype
No regrets here. But onto new adventures, gastronomic and otherwise.
Oh MAN, dark chocolate empanadas? uh YES. You should invent a recipe for that one!
ReplyDeleteHow did I not know you had a blog? And a food blog at that! I would have been all over this sooner. Next time you visit you should also check out Ippudo Ramen, which is right by BSM. One of my favs in the city.
ReplyDeleteThe culture shift is definitely striking, especially where food is concerned. There are so many places to go, which is nice, but at the same time (at least when I moved here) the smaller living space and the fact that nobody had a car really put a damper on the almost weekly pot lucks I'd been having with friends before I moved here. It's tough getting a lot of people from different parts of the city together sometimes. I've only ever had people over for food once, and that was recently.
NY isn't for everyone (sometimes feel like it's for me only 65% of the time), but come back to visit soon. Even for people that couldn't live here, this city is always a great place for a vacation =)
We are so happy you enjoyed your dessert at Havana Central! Thank you so much for visiting us! Those little chocolate empanadas are definitely one of my favorite desserts;) We hope you will visit us again soon!
ReplyDeleteWarmest Regards,
Havana Central Restaurants
www.havanacentral.com
Louise: It's definitely on my list! I think my mom would particularly enjoy them :)
ReplyDeleteEric: Thanks for the nice note! I will check out Ippudo Ramen next time I'm in town, which will hopefully be in the not-too-distant future. NYC is definitely a great place for a vacation, and, especially now that I have friends there, I will indeed visit it for that purpose :)
JM: What a surprise to find your comment! I'll definitely be back for those sinful little empanadas.