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