Just Pictures (New York City Edition): More Markets

We visited three other markets on this trip: Chelsea Market, Union Square Green Market, and Union Square Holiday Shops.

Chelsea Market // Chelsea

The Chelsea Market reminds me of the San Francisco Ferry Building, but bigger.  It's an indoor market with lots and lots of different shops and restaurants, from bakeries to seafood markets, gourmet shops and various cuisines.  Besides eating to your heart's content, there are also stores where you can shop to your heart's content.  It is like a girl's paradise!  My friend and I spent hours inside a sample sale store (designer clothing at a much lower price) and drooled as I went window shopping for food.  Little food shops were everywhere.  Love.

Shops and stores all along the way and freshly baked breads from Amy's Bread.

Eleni: a unique bakery with giant cupcakes and fancy (and quite expensive!) cookies.

Fresh seafood galore!

Right next to the Chelsea Market was an area called The High Line.  It used to be an old railroad situated above ground and in the last few years, turned into a public park.  The High Line stretches about 18 blocks with lots of shrubbery and trees, along with office and residential buildings along the way.  We saw a couple of residences that were placed right next to the High Line, with large windows that people can look in (and the homeowners can look out).  I'm not sure why anyone would want to live there?  We were lucky and caught a weekend of nice high 60's degree weather in New York, and we had a leisurely little walk on the High Line.

Union Square Green Market and Holiday Shops // Union Square

I have been to the Union Square Green Market before, but it was nice to come back again to roam around and sample various items.  Because of the holidays, the Union Square Holiday Shops were also open, right next doors.  First off, the Green Market:

So much produce, unique plants, and fragrant flowers!  They were also selling beautiful fresh holiday wreaths.  I would of bought one if I lived there!

A couple of goodies we picked up - apple cider doughnuts and pretzels. 

Then on to the shops.  The Holiday Shops was an overwhelming gathering of local stores in New York, selling anything and everything. We saw cool artists' paintings and pictures, creative T-shirts, and super cute animal beenies. Of course, there were edible items mixed in, from Belgian waffles, to macarons, and spices, olive oils, and salts.  My favorite purchase was the black truffle salt from The Filling Station (the main store is actually inside of Chelsea Market).  Ever since I've had the truffle salt in my posession, I think of every occassion to get a little bit of the delicious truffle salt on my food!

(From left to right, clockwise)

Salted Caramel, Nutella, and Pistachio macarons from Macaron Parlour.  Belgian waffles from Wafels & Dinges (I really wanted to try this but was so stuffed from lunch!).  Tahitian vanilla ice cream from Coolhaus (pictures of the truck to the left).  Black truffle salt from The Fililng Station.

Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Markets Are Like The New Malls

Specialized markets are my new favorite places to go.  It used to be a chore to go to a market to pick up food, but with food becoming a new "fashion trend", markets with gourmet foods, local and organic produce, and items that are just one of a kind have become quite popular and hip!  We visited several markets during our New York trip.  It was fantastic! 

Eataly // Flatiron

Eataly (sounds like Italy) is a grand Italian market where you can shop for remarkable gourmet items and fill your empty stomach with the same delicious foods, all in one trip!  Their motto: We Sell What We Cook And We Cook What We Sell.  The market it divided into different sections, from sweets such as gelato and pastries, to breads, to pasta, to cooked and roasted meats, to vegetables, to seafood, to cheese and deli meats, and also fresh fruits and vegetables.  Whatever your Italian-craving heart desired, Eataly had it.  I was quite overwhelmed and circled the market 10 times before I can decide what I wanted to buy and eat.  I thank the hubby for being a patient person.  Heh.

(From left to right, clockwise) Fresh breads, gelato counter and sign, outside of Eataly (you can enter from 4-5 different entrances), focaccia, more breads, the Vegetarian section, and packaged breadsticks in the pasta section.

Of course, we had to sample some food here.  After 3 full days of eating breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, dessert, and more snacks, we opted to go for something light on our last day in NY.  The I Salumi, I Formaggi section caught my eye.  We picked the Grande Piatto Misto Di Salume & Formaggi from the menu, which was an assortment of their best meats and cheeses.  The lemon soda was for me (a great choice)!

Forgetful me, I didn't ask the waiter what these meats and cheeses were so I can't describe it to you here.  All of the meats were delicious, and I really liked the blue cheese (very left) and the medium-soft cheese right next to it. The other cheeses were either too hard or didn't have a distinct taste.  Now, the most amazing thing on this plate were not the meats or cheeses, but it was the almond honey (shown on white plate).  Oh my lord.  It was the most delicious sweet honey I've ever put in my mouth!  I gasped and smiled immediately.  I did ask the waiter about the almond honey, hoping they would sell it, and they did!  But then he laid on the bad news that because it was freshly made everyday, they were placed in the refrigerator.  It needed to be refrigerated 2 hours after purchase, which was impossible for us as the flight alone from NY to SF was 6+ hours.  Damn.  I left without that amazing honey.  The other two items on the plate were candied orange peels and figs.  The platter also came with 4 slices of fresh bread.

The I Salumi, I Formaggi section.  I wish I had the time and money to sample all of these!

Dessert... a must in my book.  After looking at all the different choices at the counter, this triple chocolate mousse cake caught my eye.  It was delicate and the perfect portion for our light lunch.  Also, it wasn't overly sweet, which is a big thumbs up for me!

This place was glorious!  I think this is what I would want my heaven to be like.

Brooklyn Flea // Brooklyn

On this trip, we decided to venture outside of Manhattan to see other cities in New York.  It was our first time to Brooklyn.  We hit up a famous pizzeria for lunch (details to come in a later post) and stopped by this flea market afterwards.  Although this market sold mostly inedible things (I know, oh darn!), they had a small area for local foods.

During the winter time, the flea market is held inside this empty, old-school bank.  The architecture was amazing, as you can see!

Lots of different unique things on sale.  I took a picture of these mirrors because, as explained by my friend, the frames were from old window frames of abandoned buildings.  Prior to demolishing old buildings, the frames would be salvaged and made into mirrors.  So cool!  I also bought an Apple Ginger Lemonade (top right) from The Stand to quench my thirst.  Hmm hmm!

More markets to come!

Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Dinnertime

We went to two amazing restaurants for dinner during our stay in New York.  On Sunday night, we put on our nice clothes and headed to Tom Colicchio's new restaurant in Midtown called Riverpark.  The next night, we met up with my old college roommate for a Japanese-Italian fusion meal at Basta Pasta.

Riverpark // Midtown East

Riverpark is situated within Alexandria Center, a life sciences building in Midtown and right next to the East River.  It was an interesting walk to the restaurant as we roamed through many new and modern-looking buildings on our way.  Right outside of the restaurant sits a grand vegetable garden for Riverpark.  I love the fact that fresh vegetables and herbs are just a few steps away from the restaurant, at their ease for use.  Since it's wintertime, most of the garden was covered up in plastic tarp, keeping the vegetables in greenhouses and safe from the cold wintery weather of New York.  Our waiter explained that it's their first winter encounter this year so they are hoping the protection will work.  Just a small row of the garden was open with few items growing.  I'm not sure what was growing since we were too far away to identify any of them.

(From left to right, clockwise)

Bee's Knees - vanilla honey, lime, soda

The Concoction from Brooklyn Brewery

The Roots - beet-infused vodka, ginger, citrus, basil 

Mushroom Consomme - mushroom salad, frisee, pecorino crouton, caramelized shallots.  The pecorino crouton was a great surprise under the mountain of mushrooms and frisee.  The broth was poured into the plate and was very tasty.  We even used our tableside bread to soak up all of the delicious broth.

Roasted Leg of Lamb - swiss chard, pinenuts, capers, raisins, eggplant, oregano.  Incredibly well-cooked lamb (not a hint of gaminess at all!) and various flavorful vegetables.  This was my entree and it was a great choice.

Basil Ricotta Ravioli - Pumpkin pesto, delicata squash, spiced pumpkin seeds.  Buttery ravioli in a pumpkin-spiced sauce.  My friend ordered this and cleaned the plate, stating that she wished there were more!

Grilled Flatiron Steak - Braised brisket, broccoli, form smashed potatoes, balsamic glazed cippolinis.  Doesn't this entree look like a grand forest?  So pretty!  The entree contains a few slices of flatiron steak and a big chunk of braised brisket, with a caramelized sweet and salty shell on top.  The hubby ordered this and he loved all of it.  Another clean plate!

10 oz. Berkshire Pork Chop - brussels sprout-apple hash, parsnip puree.  I swear, I've never tasted a more tender pork chop than this one!  Interestingly, the waiter asked my friend how he would like the meat cooked and he stated medium.  I've never heard of that asked for a pork chop.  The pork was grilled to perfection.  The meat was pretty much cooked through but not long enough to make it tough.  I guess cooking it medium is a good choice for pork chops.

Trio of hazelnut ice cream, Concord grape sorbet, and pear sorbet with biscuits.  Three words: yum, yum, and yum! 

The restaurant was sleek and chic, setting a great mood for a double date on a Sunday night.  All of the food was fantastic and the service was wonderful.  Mr. Colicchio did not disappoint!

Basta Pasta // Flatiron

(From left to right, clockwise)

Lots of different breads to eat.  The sliced bread with gorgonzola cheese spread was brought out first and was a great start to the meal.  The cheesy breadsticks were the best out of the entire selection.  Cartoccio di Funghi Misti - oyster king, enoki, and cremini mushrooms baked inside sealed cooking paper with thyme, garlic, and olive oil.  Insalata Mista - young Boston lettuce and mesclun salad with tarragon balsamic dressing. 

Pappardelle alla Siciliana - homemade pappardelle with eggplant, basil, and fresh tomatoes in tapenade.  I actually didn't get to taste this dish, but I'd imagine that it was pretty darn good!

Risotto con Gamberi e Funghi - risotto with shrimp and 3 kinds of mushrooms.  I also didn't get to taste this dish but risotto and mushrooms?  Great combination!

Fettuccine with shrimp, bacon, and fresh tomatoes in creamy sauce (special of the day).  Al dente fettuccine with fresh shrimp and really tasty creamy sauce.  Delicious!

Spaghetti con Prosciutto e Parmigiano - spaghetti with parmigiano reggiano and pharma prosciutto, served in a half wheel of parmesan cheese at the table.  The only reason I wanted to come to the restaurant was because of this cheese wheel.  How it works: cooked spaghetti is placed in the cheese wheel and parmesan cheese are scraped from the sides.  Parmesan and spaghetti are mixed together for a few minutes and taken out of the wheel.  Slices of prosciutto and chopped basil are placed on top.  SO GOOD.

The one cool thing about this restaurant is that the kitchen is open and right in the middle of the restaurant.  You can smell and see everything that is cooking.  The refrigerator is also right out in the open and part of the decor.  We all loved the food!

Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Sweets, My Favorite Meal Of The Day

This past Tuesday, the husband and I came back from a whirlwind trip to New York City.  Typically when we visit our friends in New York, each day is planned to the fullest with things to do from morning until late at night.  And why not?  There is just so much to explore in this great big city and maximizing our time is the best way.  We can save sleep for later.  However, this time around, we wanted a more relaxed visit of just stopping by a few places and, of course, eating at some must-hit spots.  Although the itinerary was "lighter" this time, we were still defeated every single day from roaming around New York City!  Our legs and feet were sore, bodies exhausted and fatigued, and too full at all times that I don't remember ever feeling hungry in the 4 days we were in New York.  Well, actually, the last point might be a good thing! 

Since we ate so much on our trip, I am putting the places we visited into categories and blogging them in separate posts.  Let's start out with my favorite thing to eat: sweets!!

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop // East Village

I saw this place on the Food Network channel many months ago and made a mental note to myself that I will need to visit next time in New York.  I actually completely forgot about it until my friend mentioned the Salty Pimp and eating one for her on this trip.  Not to fail my fellow foodie friend, that's exactly what I did!

Salty Pimp - vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, chocolate dip.  The ice cream was rich and creamy, and every time you bite into it, you are hit with the sweet chocolate shell and dulce de leche first, and then a salty aftertaste.  It was quite delicious, don't get me wrong, but probably because of my inability to eat anymore on this day (I had a snack before dinner, then shared two appetizers and ate an entire pasta dish by myself) that it became too rich for me.  Regardless, I still ate it all.  Heh.

Mermaid - vanilla ice cream, key lime curd, crushed graham crackers, whipped cream.  The sourness of the key lime curd was a great balance with the creamy vanilla ice cream, and the graham crackers provided a refreshing crunch to the combination.  This was good!

Doughnut Plant // Lower East Side or Chelsea

Unique doughnuts.  I was excited to try this place and did not regret any calories from these creative and delicious doughnuts.  They make two types of doughnuts - yeast and cake.  The yeast doughnut is what you would typically imagine a doughnut to be - puffy, fried doughy goodness.  The cake doughnut is more dense and cake-like (hah).  The cake doughnuts here were moist and soft.

(From left to right, clockwise)
Peanut Butter and Jelly (filled with jelly)
Valrhona Chocolate
Gingerbread (cake)
Peanut Butter and Banana (filled with peanut butter custard)
Creme Brulee (filled with custard)

We made a second trip to the Chelsea location on our last day and bought a few more: Cranberry,
Coconut Glazed with Blueberry Jam, Vanilla Bean Glazed, Tres Leche, and Matcha Green Tea (no pictures though). 

After listing all of these, I am realizing we ate too many doughnuts on this trip...

Lady M Cake Boutique // Upper East Side

Lady M Mille Crepe Cake - 20 layers of crepe with light custard cream in between.  This cake was DIVINE.  I am still dreaming about it...

Strawberry Mille Feuille - Thin puff pastry surrounding light sponge cake with custard cream and fresh strawberries in between.  Light and refreshing.

I now know why they are a cake boutique... all of their cakes are prepared with the best ingredients and carefully assembled and decorated.  Simply exquisite.

Spot Dessert Bar // East Village

A couple of weeks before our trip, this dessert bar was featured on a local channel show that was on late at night.  It was perfect timing!

Just a side note, please excuse the quality of the pictures from Spot... on the first day in New York, I forgot to bring my camera out with me and had to resort using my cell phone for picture-taking.

Thai Tea Creme Brulee - cream brulee and a side of a lighter version of thai tea, with simply syrup and cream.  I thought this dessert was not sweet enough and was my least favorite.

Yuzu Eskimo Pie - yuzu (a citrus fruit that is kind of like a mix between a mandarin orange and a pomelo) ice cream with a oreo-like cookie crust, strawberries, raspberry foam, chocolate pearls, oreo soil, chocolate ganache.  I did not expect yuzu to be that sour, but the yuzu ice cream gave me a little bit of a squirm upon the first bite.  A fruity dessert!

Chocolate Green Tea Lava Cake with Green Tea Ice Cream - soft and moist chocolate cake with a green tea white chocolate filling.  I don't remember much of the green tea filling because the rich chocolate cake overpowered it, but the green tea ice cream hit it "spot" on and the warm and icy combination was delicious.  This was my favorite out of the three.