other must trys of new york!

the following post is by no means an exhaustive list nor do i profess to be the expert on where and what to eat in new york...but i'd just thought having just spent five satisfying days in new york, it would be nice to close the new york trio post here at mojitos and share with all where this girl has ventured to....

1. clinton street bakery

voted to have the best pancakes in new york by the new york magazine in 2005 and best brekki/brunch by time out magazine in 2007, i made a mental note to reserve one day to head down to the lower east side for a big pancake breakfast. decked out with a bright red frontage, the bakery was already bustling with activity, with the aromas of coffee and baking breads. i stuck with the plan and had the wild maine blueberry pancakes, with yummy maple butter...although i must admit the next table's buttermilk biscuit sandwich really looked quite kick-ass as well. in any case, the pancakes were thick, fluffy and fully infused with blueberrys so no regrets there! pity i was alone and don't have that big of an apetite, if not i would definitely have more to rave about, so do check out clinton's webbie. you'll see why its really no wonder why clinton's was and still is rated 'the lower east side eatery with a big heart and big flavours'!

clinton street baking company
4 clinton street
(btw. east houston & stanton)
new york
(646) 602 6263
www.clintonstreetbaking.com

2. the magnolia bakery

okay...for all those sex and the city fans out there, this is a must try at least once if you are in the city...although i do need to qualify that the outlet that i went to wasn't the exact same one that carrie and miranda went to to devour their favourite cupcakes. to be honest, i wasn't intending to have any cupcakes this time around, but i guess the bakery kinda appeared at the right time (and place! i was heading to MOMA) so since i skipped lunch (after the pancake brekkie at clintons), i was drawn in by the pretty cupcakes with yummy icing lining the shop window. all i can say is that the cupcakes tasted better in the summer...not sure if it is the season or the location (this was a different outlet from the original one at bleecker) but the cupcakes were slightly dry and icing stiff. i remembered them more vanilla-y and definitely more messy, you know like when you try to get a bite into the cake you really can't get away with some icing on your nose! in any case, i'd say one would have to at least tried magnolia bakery's cupcakes at least once...just so that you can say you've had them and agree (or disagree) that they deserve to be the sex and the city girls' favourite cupcakes.

the magnolia bakery
- 40 bleecker street (original), west village
- 200 colombus avenue, upper west side
- junction of 49th and avenue of the americas

3. the soup man (aka the soup nazi)

made famous to most through episode 116 of the sitcom seinfeld, this is a must go especially in the dipping temperatures and short days of winter. with the original store still located on 55th and 8th ave in manhattan, the soup man has expanded his operations and is currently making many soup-hungry individuals (this girl included!) happy across new york and the rest of the united states. stepping into the shop at rockefeller, this girl just could not make up her mind! there was shrimmp bisque, lobster bisque, yankee bean soup, chicken broccoli soup and potato and corn....essentially a soup for anyone be it one craving for something rich and creamy, or clear or vegetarian. i settled for the lobster bisque after strong recommendations from the manager that evening and i was not disappointed. creamy and flavourful, and choc full of pieces of lobster and veggies, the soup man's version of the lobster bisque was quite out of this world. the only down side was the price of the bisque (close to $9)...but it was definitely worth it just to have a taste of the earthy yet refined symphony of varying sweetness obtained from fresh lobster, vegetables and of course cream! not to mention the priceless warm fuzzing feeling after downing the soup!


the soup man
37 w 48th street
rockefeller centre
www.theoriginalsoupman.com

4. balthazar

another definite must go destination for brekkie or brunch. i had probably had the best eggs benedict at balthazar's and regret not having more meal opportunities this time around to experience the sight, sounds, aromas and exquisite french tastes of this cafe.

balthazar
80 spring street
soho
new york
(212) 965 1414
www.balthazarny.com

5. bottega del vino

zagat rated and touted to have the best espressos and one of the largest wine cellars in new york, i could not pass up the opportunity for a cuppa at the bottega after dropping by the apple store. smooth and creamy with rich aromas, the latte really hit the caffeine spot for me that morning. pity i was saving space in my tum for lunch at serendipity (see previous post!) or else i would most definitely have had the italian morning crossiants (fresh out of the oven no less) with my cuppa.

bottega del vino
7 east 59th street
(212) 223 2724
www.bottegadelvinonyc.com

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truly serendipitous

serendipity. yes…the same place that was featured in the show of the same name. i missed this stop the last time I was in new york and after having heard so much about the desserts, i made it a mental note not to miss it this time around.

located along east 60th between 2nd and 3rd avenue, i was mentally picturing a bigger shop front with somewhat of a line in front! but i guess it is afterall winter and in order to help keep the cold out, most places build an extension to their entrance to create a double door effect. the black shop front really hides the wonder of serendipity’s insides…much like falling down the rabbit hole, this girl really felt like alice tumbling into serendipity’s wonderland.

think candy and toy store feel, stained glass lamps, and christmas decorations everywhere….one cannot help but feel transported to another place! while still taking the amazing place in…i was presented with the menu which again made me go into whirlwind. with starters and mains, soups and salads…this girl was really lost as to what to have so that there was still room for dessert! quietly checking out what everyone else was having (didn’t really help as everything looked yum!) and after consulting the waiter, i settled for the catcher in the rye and serendipity’s trademark frrrozen hot chocolate. the sandwich was a BLT with chicken topped with melted muenster in rye toast with russian dressing…not bad, although I did find the chicken breast slightly dry. the highlight though was most definitely the frrrozen hot chocolate. there was actually a peanut butter frrrozen hot chocolate too but i decided to stay with the classic and it was extremely extremely good. think creamy rich chocolate blended with ice, almost like a chocolate malt but not quite as thick. the first sip of this will literally make you want to continue sipping. velvety smooth with just the right amount of sweetness and not extremely cold such that you will get a brain freeze! very very yum and yes….i did finish it (less the whipped cream of course!).

i’ll definite be back for the peanut butter version the next time i’m back!

serendipity
225 east 60th street
between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
new york
www.serendipity3.com

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famous for over 100 years

this is the first proper lunch this girl has had since arriving in new york…and probably the highlight of all highlights of being in new york. for all steak lovers out there, if you are ever in the big apple, you must make a trip down to brooklyn just for the steaks. established since 1887, peter luger, rated new york’s no.1 steak house for 24 years in a row, is truly a legend and definitely in a class of its own.

this lunch was my way of expressing my thanks to my hosts here in ny and with a party of four (two peter luger regulars and two novices), orders of all the peter luger classics were made almost immediately upon taking our coats off and without even looking at the menu! the meal was started off with three servings of bacon….to be really honest, i am not really a bacon kinda girl but this bacon is really unlike any other i have had. it was more like a cross between the chinese roast meat and a moist flavorful smoked sausage…so crisp on the outside yet with a melt in your mouth texture. extremely greasy, i have to admit, but extremely good!

lunch was then formally served with a serving of steak for 4, creamed spinach and onion rings. one really could be full just looking at the amount of meat but believe it or not, we did quite a good job polishing it all off! done medium rare, every piece was grilled to perfection, with each one as tender and juicy as the next one. no one even reached for the peter luger steak sauce as we were all busy drenching our steak in its very own aus jus! the spinach was also to die for. i mean, the only other place i’ve had creamed spinach was at morton’s but this was very very good. creamy yet not overly rich, i am sure no one will have any issues with veggies if they were all creamed like this! and the rings added to the texture of the entire meal by adding that sweet crunch.

we probably consumed a day’s worth of calories in one sitting at peter lugers but it was all worth it. I didn’t have space for dessert (apparently the holy cow hot fudge sunday is another must try) but we completed the meal with coffee and schlag (whipped cream). again, i am not a whipped cream kinda girl, but this was different. it was sweet with a hint of vanilla…two dollops of this and freshly brewed coffee really hit that latte spot! full and satisfied, the meal definitely got us ready for the hovering zero temperatures outside!

ps: peter lugers is a cash only place so go prepared!

peter lugers, inc
178 broadway
brooklyn, new york
(718) 387 7400

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