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Treats of New York
I love going to New York City. I love to walk around, see the sites, go to an exhibit or two, but I really love the food. New York is one of those places where you can get anything. You can have a long, sit-down meal like we had at Dirt Candy or you can try different things in different parts of the city. There are so many places in New York and it may be overwhelming to decide where to go. Over the years, I’ve developed my list of favorite treats of New York and am happy to share some with you.
Breakfast of Champions
What would be your go-to breakfast in New York City? Many times for me, it’s a good New York City bagel. One of my favorite places is Tompkins Square Bagels with two locations in the East Village. The gluten-free bagels are really good, but the real draw for me is the flavored cream cheeses. My favorites are the sweet flavors like espresso and strawberry, which taste like a slice of cheesecake in your bagel. I’ve waited in long lines to get the espresso to take home, only to be told it’s sold out—it’s that good and goes fast.
Holy Carb
A great spot for breakfast and coffee is Bluestone Lane, with locations across the United States. Wherever you are in the City, you’ll probably be able to find a Bluestone Lane nearby. Each location is designed differently, but my favorite is the one on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Situated next to the Church of the Heavenly Rest on 5th Avenue, the cafe has similar vaulted ceilings to the church. I loved it.
The coffee and the food were just as good as the interior. I had the “avocado smash” with sheep’s milk feta, heirloom tomatoes and herbs on gluten-free bread. It was almost too pretty to eat. I also love good latte art like the almond milk latte I had. For my breakfast dessert, I could not pass up the mini gluten-free banana bread that was still warm from the oven. In addition to the good food and good atmosphere, the staff is also super friendly. Bluestone Lane serves breakfast and lunch all day.
If we’re on the Upper East Side, we stop at Noglu on Madison Avenue. I’ll stock up on some gluten-free brownies, muffins, baguettes and croissants, which are some of the best I’ve ever had. Sweet or savory, everything is really good at Noglu and it all freezes and defrosts well for when you want to enjoy treats of New York at home.
Having a Ball
I recently spent the day in New York City with a five-year old, so that drove our choice for lunch. We went with an oldie, but goodie, the Meatball Shop on 9th Avenue in Chelsea (there are other locations throughout New York, as well as DC and Connecticut). This is pure comfort food, which is great for all ages.
The Mozz Balls with classic tomato sauce were the first order of business for our appetizer. They were deep-fried, gooey, salty and the perfect size to pop in your mouth for a single bite. For entrees, there is a choice of six different balls (e.g. pork, chicken, veggie, salmon), six different sauces (e.g. spicy meat, pesto, lemon butter) and sides. We ordered the spaghetti (gluten-free is available) and classic balls, the veggie balls with pesto over polenta, and the chicken balls with classic tomato over risotto. It was all delicious, hearty and gave us the energy we needed for a day of walking in the city.
Rice to Meet You
Do you love rice pudding? If so, I strongly recommend you head to Rice to Riches in Soho where you will find flavors like “coconut coma”, “category 5 caramel”, and “hazelnut chocolate bear hug”. It’s a fun place with rice pudding unlike anything you’ve ever had. There will typically be about 20 flavors available at one time (and they will give you samples before you commit). Don’t forget to choose from a dozen of toppings—called “Jesus Droppings”. I had this “coast to coast cheesecake” rice pudding with roasted strawberry topping and it was outstanding!
Time Fries
A favorite place of mine is Pomme Frites, just south of Washington Square Park. Grab a cone of Belgian fresh cut potatoes and choose from one of over 30 different sauces or poutine with cheddar cheese curds and gravy. Sauces include everything from Thai chili ketchup, sweet mango chutney and organic black truffle. The fries are so good, though, that I don’t think they need much. During my college semester in Ireland, we didn’t want to pay for ketchup, so I learned to love fries with salt and vinegar. That’s how I usually get my pommes frites and they are perfect.
Mother of Pearl
Enjoy your fries as you walk through Washington Square Park. To wash them down, make your way over to the Boba Guys on Waverly Street. Boba are chewy tapioca balls known as “pearls” that sit at the bottom of the cold drinks. You can order boba drinks at Thai restaurants anywhere, but this is all Boba Guys do and they are real treats of New York. My two favorites on the menu are the Sea Salt Chocochata and the Strawberry Matcha Latte, which are not only pretty, but refreshing and delicious. There are multiple Boba Guys’ locations in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Life Savers
The line at Boba Guys was out the door and, at this point, a certain five-year old started to have a meltdown. Crisis was averted by whisking her off to get her treats of New York at Dylan’s Candy Bar in Union Square while I waited in line for boba. It’s amazing how much colored sugar will calm down a child (and many adults, too).
I Scream
There are some fantastic ice cream spots in New York City. An appetite was worked up while we were walking on the High Line, so fortunately, we came across a Melt Bakery food cart. An ice cream sandwich could not be missed, with flavors like red velvet cookie and cream cheese ice cream, snickerdoodles and cinnamon ice cream or this classic with chocolate chip walnut cookies and vanilla ice cream.
I love the New York City chain, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, with locations throughout the City serving ice cream made from scratch in Brooklyn. The vegan options are amazing like this gluten-free cookie crumble strawberry jam with berry compote and mint chip with chocolate sauce. I always look forward to going to Van Leeuwen when I’m in New York. I also just learned that you can order it on-line through Goldbelly…
Last, but not least, is the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, with three locations in New York City, as well as Philadelphia. You can choose from different specialty cones, sundaes and milkshakes. My favorite is the ‘Salty Pimp’ made with vanilla soft-serve, dulce de leche, sprinkled with sea salt and dipped in dark chocolate. It’s a fun place to go for treats of New York because how can you not have fun in a place decorated with rainbows, unicorns and the Golden Girls?
Check out the Big Gay Ice Cream Cookbook, which is a really fun read. Parts of the book are laid out like a yearbook, complete with laser beam backgrounds (so happy we didn’t have these at Northeast High School!).
Final Thoughts
There are so many unique, interesting and delicious places to eat in New York City. We used to go up for an overnight trip, but the best thing we did was add an extra night. Not only did we get to see an extra art exhibit, but we got to eat at some new spots and go back to some old favorites. I would love to hear what some of your favorite treats of New York are so I can try them next time. Enjoy!
Thanks