Weekend visit "itinerary"

Americas - USA East NYC and environs
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Arriving (next) Thurs at around 6PM. Leaving Sun (27th) around noon. Main point of the trip is to see the Singer exhibit at the Met, to see a theatre show, have a visit w/ cousin on Sun to see her new(ish) baby, and hopefully not to exhaust ourselves (neither of us love heat + humidity).

Staying in Central Park South (I think; Thompson Central Park). Cousin lives in Tribeca.

  • Thurs dinner: was thinking Paris Bar since it closes late and is super close to the hotel.

  • Fri breakfast: partner loves a greasy spoon. Would EJ’s be a good? Want a place close to the Met (since we plan to spend most of the day there).

  • Fri lunch: (something light-ish near the Met would be good)

  • Fri dinner: Chalong b/f a show

  • Sat breakfast: Chelsea Market and then a walk through the High Line

  • Sat lunch: (edit: maybe Don Angie)

  • Sat dinner: Dhamaka?

  • Sun: no real plans, aside from meeting w/ cousin. Would like to fit in a trip to Lady Wong and Utopia Bagel.

Let me know your thoughts.

(I’m editing the thread as I go w/ new ideas since I don’t think I’ll remember suggetions otherwise).

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Have you tried Popup Bagels? I try new bagel spots every time I visit NYC. When I was there a few weeks ago I tried both Popup and Utopia in one sitting. I thought the flavor and chew on Popup was clearly superior, though no doubt both are good bagels.

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Last time I was in NYC was, um, 20 yrs ago (when I was there for ~4 wks as a grad student). So I don’t recall, but prob not. :slight_smile:

Popup Bagels seems to [be in] a location [not] far from the hotel, so I might give that a whirl instead of Utopia.

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One Saturday I went to Apollo Bagels and 2 blocks down is Don Angie. Very difficult reservation but they open for lunch on Saturday at 11:30. There was a decent sized line waiting for the doors to open but I’m pretty sure most people in line got seats at the first turn. I put a mental note to go wait at 11am the next time I’m in NYC in a Saturday.

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Seema has no availability for wks, and Dhamaka doesn’t have dinner availability during our visit, except on the night (9:30PM) we land; I’m trying to convince partner that our stomachs can handle highly-spiced food that late since our bodies will still be PST. :wink: I put us down for “notify” on Sat.

We are visiting the Morgan Library and Museum on Saturday, and it looks like we might kinda/sorta be near an area known as “Curry Hill.” Any Indian places that might be interesting to try there? Or any other type of cuisine? Nonna Dora and Little Alley are close by? We are totally open, as long as the place won’t turn me away for being a sweaty mess (I’ve been looking at the weather forecast, and it looks horrifying).

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On the stretch of Lex between 27 & 29 are a number of “cabbie” Pakistani / Bangladeshi places that are delicious – take your pick (Lahori Kabab, Haandi, Phalia).

There’s a new branch of Hyderabadi Zaiqa around there too, but the food is better at the divey places.

If you want a proper restaurant, Bhatti, Dhaba, or Sahib for mostly north Indian. Or Anjappar for Chettinad / a style of south indian (spicy). Likely completely different from anything you have encountered is Vatan – a Gujarati vegetarian prix fixe AYCE traditional thali style meal.

Nonna Dora is homestyle Italian, but not something unique.

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EJ’s is… fine? It’s a neighborhood spot, definitely not a destination, and I would not go out of my way for it, esp if coming from CP South and heading up to the Met. Maybe breakfast at Sarabeth’s or E.A.T?

For lunch Cafe Sabarsky might be your best bet in that neighborhood.

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The Met is in a food desert of sorts. There are maybe 2 overpriced diner type places on Madison, but for anything more you have to walk to Lex if not 3rd / 2nd. Suggest you eat breakfast near where you’re staying or pick up a bagel, and not rely on both breakfast and lunch in the vicinity of the Met.

Don Angie is overhyped imo. I find much of the food almost inedibly salty, and overpriced. There’s lots of other good / better red sauce (or other) Italian to be had in nyc.

For an Indian dinner on Sat that has nothing to do with the Unapologetic Foods PR machine, go to Baazi on the UWS (not far from your hotel) or Chatti on W 37.

Your hotel is also close to Blue Willow, which does good Sichuan in an upscale setting, with good cocktails if that matters.

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Have you had a bacon egg cheese on a roll with a “regular” coffee (cream and sugar) from a deli or bodega? That is an essential NYC breakfast. There’s a few diners around the Met all overpriced and disappointing.

If you don’t mind a quick ride on the train I would recommend Zabar’s. There is nothing like it in California and/or Southern California. You would have to walk across the park.

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Nope!

Is there a counter area or small eating areas inside? Would be happy to try this place.

Edit: looks like there’s indoor and outdoor standing tables? I’ll cross my fingers an indoor one is available when we get our food. :slight_smile:

Apple Maps indicates there’s a single bus that goes pretty much goes directly from Zabar’s to the Met. Supposed to 97 deg on Fri, so I ain’t walking more than I need to… :slight_smile:

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You can get a bacon (or sausage) & egg sandwich (on a roll) + coffee from any coffee cart near your hotel, no special destination required (skip bagels / pastries from those carts). Pick a Bagel on 8th is also not far from your hotel (for delivery if it’s too hot to walk).

The M79 goes right across town between Zabar’s & the Met, but Zabar’s cafe is not a dining destination – the store itself is a fun wander if you like that sort of thing (I do). There are, however, a lot more dining options on the west side for lunch (though you could also take the M79 or M86 east for lots of dining options on 2nd & 3rd).

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When you order your bacon egg and cheese make sure to say saltpeppahketchup as fast as possible right after

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If you’re in the right place, the counter guy will say it, and you just have to nod.

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Pics coming later but wanted to add some brief thoughts about the eating thus far.

Paris Bistro: did not realize it was a restaurant at Le Meridien. A bit worried when we arrived b/c the interior was a bit art-deco + Disney. Good, thankfully, was good. Apparently, there is a restaurant wk in NYC going on right now? We skipped that and ordered a la carte.

Saw pics of the puff pastry dome on top of the soup and kind had to have it. Onion soup broth was incredibly rich. Bread excellent; such a thin and crispy crust. I’d love my home-baked bread to be like that. Wonder if it was a slightly enriched dough. Partner’s crispy skin salmon was not that crispy. Outer portion just a touch more done that I’d prefer, interior was what I like (somewhat rare-ish). Sauce was very good. Mushroom pasta very tasty, and I loved the veggies accompanying it. The veg and whatever acid is in the sauce masked some of the mushroom flavor, alas.

Chocolate mousse is wonderful gimmicky where they bring a bucket of mousse, a bucket of whipped cream, and they use a huge serving spoon to slam both on a plate. Whipped cream portion was equal to the mousse’s, which was sizeable. And delicious.

Not life changing, but certainly a perfectly pleasant meal after the flight.

Breakfast an Inès. Really lovely food and very casual atmosphere (which is just want we wanted). Quinoa bowl fine (think a smaller portion of what you would get at Huckleberry in Santa Monica, and you’ll get the idea), dressing was exceptional. Partner’s smoked salmon toast SOOOO tasty. Not sure where they get the salmon from, but so luscious and (nicely) salty.

Lunch in (near) the Asian collection at the Met (to beat the heat). It was… fine. Yuzu lemonade actually was very good and so, SOOOOO tart. Chicken salad sando… passable I was like, “This bread is really soft. Wouldn’t that be hysterical if they were serving this on milk bread in the Asian wing?” Checked the ingredient list and… yup, it was milk bread.

Dinner at Chalong. OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD. Server (who I’m under the impression is either a manager- or owner-type) did not seem very happy when I asked for a sample of the crab curry. Thankfully, our ordering apparently won her over (crab curry, squid ink rice, fried fish). All outstanding, and I couldn’t choose my fav. Crab curry is still not as incredibly earthy as the one from Luv2Eat (at least, the one I had a few yrs ago), but still so complex w/ just the right amt of funk (agree w/ @ShadrackToussaint that the food here skews on the sweeter side). Squid ink rice so rich and a bit… smokey? Maybe it was the wok hei? Side of ?spicy fish sauce needed to brighten the dish up a bit. Fried fish done to perfection (crispy skin in abundance here). Well worth a detour. I’d be here all the time, if I lived in NYC.

Breakfast at Friend of a Farmer. Lemon ricotta pancakes wonderfully light and fluffy but must be eaten b/f they cool (they get a bit heavier after that). Salmon benedict and salmon toast here very good (I think very similar to what you’d get at well-regarded places in LA, so neither dish seemed that interesting to me). Had the most lovely conversation w/ a jazz performer/tour guide next to us. :slight_smile:

While walking to Friend of a Farmer, I saw a medium-sized group of young-ish (30’s?) people speaking french. They were outside of Epices Bakery. I have no idea if they had even been to that bakery, but I immediately wondered about it (and the smell walking by was SO GOOD). Anyone bben? Seems to be well-regarded from what I can find.

Late afternoon snack at the Morgan Library. Peach, burrata, and hot honey and the chilled gazpacho special were surprisingly reasonably priced (esp for a museum). I liked both but really didn’t need hot honey at all on the salad (but partner liked it). Chilled gazpacho was much appreciated (even though today’s weather is much better than was yesterday’s) and thankfully did NOT simply taste like salsa.

Now trying to figure out what to do for dinner. Partner thinks he has had his fill of spicy for this weekend.

Gonna someone try to find a way to bang bang Popup Bagel tomorrow b/f visiting cousin and flying back out in the afternoon. Hopefully, I can return in less than 20 yrs and make it out to Zabar’s!

Unrelated to food: I have not seen another version of Cabaret, but I don’t think this re-imagined version does the songs or the story any favors (although the venue and performances were terrific).

Thompson Hotel says “Central Park,” but I think the area is Midtown? Super convenient location. The shower design here is such a mess (in terms of water spilling everywhere in a way that I think is vaguely unsafe) that I am actually thinking of giving feedback. Booking through World of Hyatt used (far) fewer points (I think; I was in a rush when comparing options) than through the Chase portal.

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Oh, forgot to add that the Singer Sargent exhibition is amaze-balls. I also love how museums have audio tours you can just access from your own mobile device. Museum wifi + mobile device + wireless earphones = a really good time.

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Yeah it’s Midtown, but 59th St is called Central Park South by New Yorkers so it’s not totally unreasonable?

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Back in LA! Both sad to not spend a few more days there and yet also happy to be home (esp after seeing the weather forecast for NYC…).

A few more notes and then I’ll do a pic dump at some point, once I’ve caught up on work.

Eléa (Greek, UWS) for dinner last night. HUGE crowd outside and packed to the gills. We snagged space at the bar after not too long of a wait. Bartender was very, VERY serious, except when he wasn’t. And he gave us a free sample of a salted caramel espresso martini (very good, BTW, and I don’t even like liquor). :slight_smile: Partner had the Aegean martini and very much liked it. Dip trio (fava, eggplant, roe), spanikopita, octopus, and salmon. All delicious. The roe dip was initially almost TOO fishy, but the lower part seemed to have some (needed) aciditiy to break up the incredibly fishiness. Fava nicely seasoned, partner really liked the eggplant. Spanikopita pastry tasted better than it looked (esp the nicely cripsy pastry). Octopus fine; partner thought he preferred the Taverna [in Mar Vista’s] rendition. I enjoyed the octopus more once I found the sauce hiding at the bottom.

Salmon was perfectly cooked. Inexplicably served skin side down, and skin was not crispy. The lentils on top of pureed carrot was CRACK. There was tiniest hint of some warming spice in the carrot, I think. I inhaled the lentils + puree, and I honestly think it was one of the best-tasting thigns I’ve eaten in awhile.

For people familiar w/ this place, is this very much a NY scene? Partner and I liked that people our age can be found eating late-ish at night! The ambiance is great, and the people watching was wonderful (and I don’t mean that in a snarky way).

The French Roast (almost right next door) looked appealing.

Roxy Hotel (TriBeCa) brunch today. The buffet didn’t start until later, so we ordered off the menu. I met my cousin + her family here, so the focus was not on the food. I think the setting here is the draw (and it was quite good, in that regard).

Decided to go to Epices Bakery, which made us a little leaving for the airport then we had intended. It’s… fine. Quality kind of reminds of Amandine (although my memory is that the croissant at Amandine is better). Skip the croissant. Strawberry tart, cherry tart, tiny quiche tart all perfectly pleasant. Prices here are also perfectly pleasant, which makes the pastries feel “honest,” if that makes any sense. It doesn’t pretend to be a fancy place. Unlabeled, pre-packaged bag of 4 things that look like wedding cookies were quite good; nutty, nice combo of some crispness w/ a short-ish interior. Can’t say it’s worth a detour, unless you really like wedding cookies. Person helping us was SUPER sweet.

Saw a book about the Tunisian language, so wonder if the owner is Tunisian?

Wandered by the place where my sister used to live (which was apparently a block away from the hotel!).

Kin Ramen (2–3 doors down from the hotel) was PACKED. Anyone know anything about the place? Although a part of me also thinks that having ramen in NYC is kind of a wasted opportunity.

Not sure if it’ll take me another 20 yrs to get back to NYC, but I hope not. I had forgotten until I got there that there are restaurants, like, EVERYWHERE. I think next I go, I want to go to a deli for smoked salmon (and maybe a potato salad; the best potato salad I ever had was one that my dad brought home from a random deli in Queens), a bagel, to try a cart (Halal Guys, maybe?), a slice of pizza (or has LA pizza gotten good enough that there’s no point?), and maybe some Chinese food. And maybe some Indian food, if partner’s stomach will tolerate it. :slight_smile:

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Oh, on a logistical, non-food related note… My “research” indicated that Apple Maps might be better for NYC than is Google Maps (and that Citymapper might be better than either). I have an iPhone; partner has an Android. My impression is that Apple Maps did tend to give more “efficient” directions.

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Thank you for the trip report! Glad you had a good time and you need to go back more often!

Definitely need to go back for the pizza. It keeps getting better and better every year. I wanna try for a fall visit. I really miss NYC.

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Where is the Epices Bakery you mean? I don’t know one near Friend of a Farmer, but the one on W 70 has been a French bakery with different names (as ownership changed hands) for a very long time.