Posts
Today is (or was?) the [Brazilian Day]. It's a festival on the 46th street, known as Little Brazil Street, with famous Brazilian bands, festival and, obviously, Brazilian people. Did I go? Hum, no.
I wasn't a big fan... ok, rephrasing that, I was not a fan of Brazilian festivals while in Brazil. I know, I know, what about [Brazilian Carnival] and all those parties? Well, usually I would travel far from all that. I can't say that I didn't want to go and see the [parades from Rio de Janeiro], but in good and appropriate conditions it costs a little fortune. I wasn't a type of person that would enjoy the famous [Carnival in Salvador], a huge party where people dance for days on the streets following a huge surrounding sound truck, jumping and singing. Come on, it's summer, that means sweat all over, disgusting drunk people, no decent bathrooms and also sometimes no respect for some parts of your body (and I don't mean only feet, ok?). Oh, plus another tiny fortune. So there was one last option and it was going to the countryside for smaller carnival parades. There are really nice and famous places in Minas Gerais, such as [Ouro Preto], but I don't know... It's just not my type. Maybe I should have gone once in my life, but know it's too late, I'm too old for that (or too married too).
It's not that I don't like Brazilian music at all, but I have a different taste. I enjoy listening to [Ivete Sangalo], [Skank] and [Paralamas], and probably would enjoy a lot their concerts, I listen to some Brazilian music called [mpb], but I listen to it just as I listen to Enya, you know? I like it, but I don't love it. I went to some concerts in Brazil, they were [Linkin Park], [Oasis], but not a single Brazilian band concert.
So I knew today there would be [Jorge Ben Jor], Banda Eva and [Lulu Santos]. I've listen to them all, I have it in my iTunes library, but it just didn't get me to walk some blocks and fight with 1,5 million people (that is what they were expecting) to barely listen to them. You also have to remember that on my 1.6m (5'4") I can't see much during a street concert, right?
And I have to say the truth: I only remembered about it because my Canadian-Argentinian friend called me to say she was there (sorry, I got your message almost 6pm). After that, when I was reading the news from [UOL], a Brazilian news website and found an [article] about it I decided it was such a big event that I should write too. When it comes to Brazil, people, food and beaches are amazing. Music... I'm not an expert.
Aug 31, 2008
Aug 28, 2008
My (our) personal trainer experience
Felipe and I signed up for a gym. I'm not sure if he's worried about being a super stressed lawyer and wants to reduce this by exercising or if it was the love for his wife and the idea of spending time together. I want to believe in the second option. So the gym is not one of those fancy ones you imagine in nyc, but it's nice and across the street from home. They have good equipment and also a 25 yard pool so Felipe can exercise doing what he likes best. Signing up for one year gave us one personal session each and we went there this morning.
It is super nice to have someone watching you, counting - I'm so bad at counting while exercising, I am not able to remember where I was - and thinking what you should do next, grabbing the right equipment, right weight etc. It is worth every single penny, but it's just a huge amount of pennies we can't afford at the moment, but I never thought it would be so practical and motivating. If you hate exercising + you have some spare money, it's really something you should consider.
After that we went to a salad place called [Chop't]. Some days ago one of my friends asked me if we have found good restaurants. It's hard to say which one is not good. When we go for a walk around our neighborhood there is always an interesting corner, a different and exotic place that I want to try. Unfortunately I don't have enough meals per day to do so, but I think that it is one of the best things about New York. Felipe asked me today about where we would have lunch and my reply was "don't know, let's walk" and that's when we found this salad place.
First time you go there you will get lost with all the options they offer. It's basically "do whatever you want to do with your salad, add what you like, we'll mix it, chop it and add your favorite dressing". There is also a really good lemonade and tea (they can be combined or by itself) and you can take it to go, eat there or even ask for a delivery if you can't leave your office for a lunch break. Really? Yes, this might sound really crazy for some people, but it's a reality people from big cities know pretty well.
It is super nice to have someone watching you, counting - I'm so bad at counting while exercising, I am not able to remember where I was - and thinking what you should do next, grabbing the right equipment, right weight etc. It is worth every single penny, but it's just a huge amount of pennies we can't afford at the moment, but I never thought it would be so practical and motivating. If you hate exercising + you have some spare money, it's really something you should consider.
After that we went to a salad place called [Chop't]. Some days ago one of my friends asked me if we have found good restaurants. It's hard to say which one is not good. When we go for a walk around our neighborhood there is always an interesting corner, a different and exotic place that I want to try. Unfortunately I don't have enough meals per day to do so, but I think that it is one of the best things about New York. Felipe asked me today about where we would have lunch and my reply was "don't know, let's walk" and that's when we found this salad place.
First time you go there you will get lost with all the options they offer. It's basically "do whatever you want to do with your salad, add what you like, we'll mix it, chop it and add your favorite dressing". There is also a really good lemonade and tea (they can be combined or by itself) and you can take it to go, eat there or even ask for a delivery if you can't leave your office for a lunch break. Really? Yes, this might sound really crazy for some people, but it's a reality people from big cities know pretty well.
Aug 25, 2008
Chá(i)
* English follows *
Eu sempre gostei de chá. Desde que me conheço por gente via a minha família toda tomando ban-cha em casa. Eu também gosto muito de ir às casas de chá, as Mestiças, as Noviças, claro que não só pelo chá em si, mas pelo ambiente e pela combinação do chá com todas as comidinhas maravilhosas que eu sinto tanta saudade.
No Japão eu tomava chá todo dia, toda hora. Lá você sentou numa mesa para uma refeição vem um chá. Seja verão, seja inverno, vem sempre o cházinho e ai de você se esvaziá-lo, eles colocam mais. E com um marido que não é tão fã eu sempre acabava tomando pelos dois. Tinham também os chás das vending machines, geladinhos que eu carregava para cima e para baixo nos nossos passeios, a tão famosa cerimônia do chá e até a super barraquinha de chá da feira de Tokyo.
E alguns meses atrás um dos meus vizinhos perguntou se eu queria chai (lê-se tchai). Eu não sabia direito o que era, nem como fazer, então confiei neles para preparar o mix da [Tazo] (a marca dos chás do Starbucks) para mim. Eu achei super diferente e encantador, ele tem várias especiarias, um mix de chá preto com pimenta preta (!!), gengibre, cardamono, cravo, canela e mel. Geralmente não se toma puro, adiciona-se igualmente uma parte de chai para uma de leite e esquenta no microondas. Eis ai meu problema de hoje, com o mix me esperando na geladeira, mas com as nossas canecas todas no caminhão de mudança. Eu recorri à caneca de abóboras da Farmácia por $1. Hum...
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I'm a tea person since I was born. My family drinks lots of tea, it can be comforting, relaxing, refreshing, warm and sometimes full of energy. There are in Brazil what we call "Tea Houses" and they not only have great and many options of teas, but food and atmosphere are so good.
So you can probably imagine myself in Japan, where tea is served by the time you sit to have a meal, and I got married to a non-tea person, so I would always drink for 2. There were also many types of tea at the vending machines, and I would always carry my tiny bottle while traveling around.
And some months ago our neighbors offered me chai. I didn't know what it was nor how to prepare it, so they made it for me from a Tazo mix. It's such a nice flavor and smell and taste that it's hard to describe. It's black tea combined with spices, such as black pepper, ginger, cardamon, clovers, cinnamon and honey. Really good that today I bought myself a mix to have a warm chai at home. Oh, and that's when I remembered that all our mugs are coming in a truck from California, so I went to the Rite Aid close to our builing and got a $1 halloween mug. Hm...
Eu sempre gostei de chá. Desde que me conheço por gente via a minha família toda tomando ban-cha em casa. Eu também gosto muito de ir às casas de chá, as Mestiças, as Noviças, claro que não só pelo chá em si, mas pelo ambiente e pela combinação do chá com todas as comidinhas maravilhosas que eu sinto tanta saudade.
No Japão eu tomava chá todo dia, toda hora. Lá você sentou numa mesa para uma refeição vem um chá. Seja verão, seja inverno, vem sempre o cházinho e ai de você se esvaziá-lo, eles colocam mais. E com um marido que não é tão fã eu sempre acabava tomando pelos dois. Tinham também os chás das vending machines, geladinhos que eu carregava para cima e para baixo nos nossos passeios, a tão famosa cerimônia do chá e até a super barraquinha de chá da feira de Tokyo.
E alguns meses atrás um dos meus vizinhos perguntou se eu queria chai (lê-se tchai). Eu não sabia direito o que era, nem como fazer, então confiei neles para preparar o mix da [Tazo] (a marca dos chás do Starbucks) para mim. Eu achei super diferente e encantador, ele tem várias especiarias, um mix de chá preto com pimenta preta (!!), gengibre, cardamono, cravo, canela e mel. Geralmente não se toma puro, adiciona-se igualmente uma parte de chai para uma de leite e esquenta no microondas. Eis ai meu problema de hoje, com o mix me esperando na geladeira, mas com as nossas canecas todas no caminhão de mudança. Eu recorri à caneca de abóboras da Farmácia por $1. Hum...
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I'm a tea person since I was born. My family drinks lots of tea, it can be comforting, relaxing, refreshing, warm and sometimes full of energy. There are in Brazil what we call "Tea Houses" and they not only have great and many options of teas, but food and atmosphere are so good.
So you can probably imagine myself in Japan, where tea is served by the time you sit to have a meal, and I got married to a non-tea person, so I would always drink for 2. There were also many types of tea at the vending machines, and I would always carry my tiny bottle while traveling around.
And some months ago our neighbors offered me chai. I didn't know what it was nor how to prepare it, so they made it for me from a Tazo mix. It's such a nice flavor and smell and taste that it's hard to describe. It's black tea combined with spices, such as black pepper, ginger, cardamon, clovers, cinnamon and honey. Really good that today I bought myself a mix to have a warm chai at home. Oh, and that's when I remembered that all our mugs are coming in a truck from California, so I went to the Rite Aid close to our builing and got a $1 halloween mug. Hm...
Aug 23, 2008
Walking night
So I know I've said it before, but I always think a city and touristic experiences change depending on people. Not only random people, as obviously NYC during summer time and in February is pretty different, but those traveling around with you. It happened many times to me, as when I was walking around [Metropolitan Museum] with an expert in arts, when I walked in San Francisco around the same places for the fourth time, but with Italian girls and the city changed completely. You are never able to see the same stuff and talk about the same stuff. It might be a tiny store you didn't notice before, a girl and her ice cream that weren't there, anything.
So today I went to Times Square to meet Myrna. She is a friend of mine from Canada, she has been to Brazil once and I even took her to a Brazilian wedding of a close friend of ours. And she was here with some friends visiting the city 10 days after we moved in.
We went to the M&M World (oh, peanut butter, almonds, minis and dark chocolate), Hershey's Store, walked to Rockefeller Center, these really basic touristic spots in the city. But the energy, what we talked about and specially how long it has been since last time I saw her made it really unique. Oh, and the magazine I'm holding has an article she wrote. =)
So today I went to Times Square to meet Myrna. She is a friend of mine from Canada, she has been to Brazil once and I even took her to a Brazilian wedding of a close friend of ours. And she was here with some friends visiting the city 10 days after we moved in.
We went to the M&M World (oh, peanut butter, almonds, minis and dark chocolate), Hershey's Store, walked to Rockefeller Center, these really basic touristic spots in the city. But the energy, what we talked about and specially how long it has been since last time I saw her made it really unique. Oh, and the magazine I'm holding has an article she wrote. =)
Aug 21, 2008
MoMA & Farmer's Market
Today we decided we should explore the city, considering there is not much to do in our apartment - still nothing from our moving company, nor Ikea and the broken coffee table - and also that Felipe is still a non-working free person. We went to [MoMA], the Museum of Modern Art, there is a subway line that takes us right there, just 2 stations from home, to have lunch in a new and non explored place, as we had already tried twice the [Food Emporium] across the street. We also wanted to go there to become members.
Really? (If you ever read the book called [Shopaholic], I know you might think I wasted my money and did all the calculations about how many times I should go there so it's better to pay for an annual fee. I actually DID all this math, but I didn't waste my money. Hopefully not.)
Yes, yes. I really like that museum, we can come and go with our membership card and also buy discounted tickets for our visitors, there is always a tiny corner not previously explored, there will be Van Gogh and Miró exhibitions, two of our favorite artists, all the paintings and sculptures to admire in this crazy city... and obviously, as it was MY idea to become a member, they also have good food. I think it's amazing how food is always interesting in museums' cafés. It doesn't matter where you go: Legion of Honor, D'Orsay, Masp, Metropolitan, De Young, SFMoMA, they all have good food, sometimes a little bit more expensive then buying a sandwich somewhere else, but today we spent only 3 dollars more than on other days.
Ok, I didn't go there JUST for the food! But it's a museum, and as the concept of it you have to see by yourself. Museums are experiences so hard to share and explain if you are not with the person you are talking to. So let's skip this part.
On our way back, walking as good New Yorkers, we saw something that really got me. There were some fruits. Veggies and paperboard signs. People. Farmers... Market! I really couldn't believe, there is one in the middle of Rockefeller Center during summer 3 days a week. Well, it cannot be compared to California ones, but as a good Brazilian expression would define it quebra o galho. Translating literally would be "it breaks the wood stick", when we want to say that something will never be as good as, but it still helps.
What did I buy? Nothing. Maybe I still miss the smell of fresh fruit, cheap singers, french crepes, beautiful flowers and crazy handcrafters at California Avenue. But I might go there until the end of the month.
Really? (If you ever read the book called [Shopaholic], I know you might think I wasted my money and did all the calculations about how many times I should go there so it's better to pay for an annual fee. I actually DID all this math, but I didn't waste my money. Hopefully not.)
Yes, yes. I really like that museum, we can come and go with our membership card and also buy discounted tickets for our visitors, there is always a tiny corner not previously explored, there will be Van Gogh and Miró exhibitions, two of our favorite artists, all the paintings and sculptures to admire in this crazy city... and obviously, as it was MY idea to become a member, they also have good food. I think it's amazing how food is always interesting in museums' cafés. It doesn't matter where you go: Legion of Honor, D'Orsay, Masp, Metropolitan, De Young, SFMoMA, they all have good food, sometimes a little bit more expensive then buying a sandwich somewhere else, but today we spent only 3 dollars more than on other days.
Ok, I didn't go there JUST for the food! But it's a museum, and as the concept of it you have to see by yourself. Museums are experiences so hard to share and explain if you are not with the person you are talking to. So let's skip this part.
On our way back, walking as good New Yorkers, we saw something that really got me. There were some fruits. Veggies and paperboard signs. People. Farmers... Market! I really couldn't believe, there is one in the middle of Rockefeller Center during summer 3 days a week. Well, it cannot be compared to California ones, but as a good Brazilian expression would define it quebra o galho. Translating literally would be "it breaks the wood stick", when we want to say that something will never be as good as, but it still helps.
What did I buy? Nothing. Maybe I still miss the smell of fresh fruit, cheap singers, french crepes, beautiful flowers and crazy handcrafters at California Avenue. But I might go there until the end of the month.
@
NYC Life
Aug 19, 2008
The Sun
When we first saw our apartment, we knew it was really bright. Our windows are huge, imagine a 11'x13' bedroom and 83"x83" window (3.3x4.0 meters bedroom and 2.1x2.1 meters window) and it's south, which as the opposite to the south hemisphere, is the one that gets most of sun light during the year.
So there are 2 sides of it: one we have an amazing view of the sunset.
And second... I didn't sleep well for the past 2 days. During the night the city lights dive into our bedroom, and after sunrise it gets too much light that it's not possible to sleep after 6am - not for me, even using a mask. So we still have the super sunset view from our living room, but from today until the end of the month our bedroom windows are covered with aluminum foil, until new curtains with an extra layer of black out curtain are installed.
So there are 2 sides of it: one we have an amazing view of the sunset.
And second... I didn't sleep well for the past 2 days. During the night the city lights dive into our bedroom, and after sunrise it gets too much light that it's not possible to sleep after 6am - not for me, even using a mask. So we still have the super sunset view from our living room, but from today until the end of the month our bedroom windows are covered with aluminum foil, until new curtains with an extra layer of black out curtain are installed.
@
Home
Aug 18, 2008
From Starbucks...
...Yes, that's where I'm writing from. Internet connection (+ tv and phone) will only be installed on Saturday, so we bought one of those 1 month wi-fi access at Starbucks. It's literally across the street from our place, I got my espresso with a splash of milk and I'm here writing, as a New Yorker should do.
So days are pretty hectic and we still have only one bed, one shelf and a rug in the living room. Oh, and I forgot to mention the huge lamp Felipe got from Ikea, that was supposed to be a night stand lamp, but it's the size of a huge foot stool. Well, talking about Ikea, I have to say that you only buy that stuff if you are one third engineer. I spent about 3 hours setting that huge shelf + 2 doors + 2 glass doors. Not to mention that our belooooved delivery guy broke our coffee table glass into a million pieces AND our picture frame (one item wouldn't be enough), so we'll only get them next week.
Tomorrow we might get our dining table and 2 chairs (we bought 4, but they only had 2 for this week) so I should be able to study at home, but I can't really complain about studying here at Starbucks either, if there wasn't the beep beep from the espresso machine someone messed up with.
I'll post some pictures in the future from our apartment, when there is more than what we have now. Although it might sound that I'm going crazy with all this moving mess, I'm really not. Living in NYC was always one of my dreams and I have to say that we're having fun, taking the subway everywhere - and getting lost on a Sunday afternoon when there are constructions and lines were changed - shopping in Whole Foods and walking back with 4 huge bags and being able to get my favorite (Illy or not) espresso wherever we are.
So days are pretty hectic and we still have only one bed, one shelf and a rug in the living room. Oh, and I forgot to mention the huge lamp Felipe got from Ikea, that was supposed to be a night stand lamp, but it's the size of a huge foot stool. Well, talking about Ikea, I have to say that you only buy that stuff if you are one third engineer. I spent about 3 hours setting that huge shelf + 2 doors + 2 glass doors. Not to mention that our belooooved delivery guy broke our coffee table glass into a million pieces AND our picture frame (one item wouldn't be enough), so we'll only get them next week.
Tomorrow we might get our dining table and 2 chairs (we bought 4, but they only had 2 for this week) so I should be able to study at home, but I can't really complain about studying here at Starbucks either, if there wasn't the beep beep from the espresso machine someone messed up with.
I'll post some pictures in the future from our apartment, when there is more than what we have now. Although it might sound that I'm going crazy with all this moving mess, I'm really not. Living in NYC was always one of my dreams and I have to say that we're having fun, taking the subway everywhere - and getting lost on a Sunday afternoon when there are constructions and lines were changed - shopping in Whole Foods and walking back with 4 huge bags and being able to get my favorite (Illy or not) espresso wherever we are.
@
NYC Life
Aug 15, 2008
Our new place
Yesterday we walked and walked and walked around Manhattan. Oh, I really thought my nice shoes were going to be donated somewhere, as we walked so much that I would never be able to live in this city wearing them. So after a tiny non-fat Starbucks sandwich we saw a nice building and decided to have a look. It wasn't in our list of "nice available places to look for", but we decided we should look. I have NO idea why.
It was super nice, we applied for the apartment that same moment and waited until this morning. I have to say that we both could not sleep and decided to check some interior design websites until 5am. Even our family was anxious to hear from us that they were checking the blog and emails constantly. And this morning... we got an answer.
Yes yes yes! We have an apartment! And it is so nice because:
- elevator distance from subway station
- same subway line that goes to JFK Airport
- 10 blocks (= 1 subway station apart) from Central Park
- 15 minutes walk from Felipe's law firm = 2 subway stations
- 15 to 20 minutes to wherever I need to go
- 1 subway station from Columbus Circle ([Whole Foods]!) and Lincoln Center (Movies!)
- walking distance from Broadway shows
- blocks from Times Square
- many items to be discovered.
And if you know this crazy Camaras couple you might know what we did after signing the contract. We went to a mattress store, and it'll be delivered tomorrow morning. We went to [Jennifer Convertibles] to buy the perfect sofa, and finally we went to a super nice store named [Lee's Art Shop] recommended by the sofa store guy. It is an amazing store that sells modern furniture from all around the world. Obviously there are really expensive items, but we were able to find really good stuff for amazing quality.
Lu, I have to tell you and hope you don't get mad at us: I tried my best to look for 2 orange stools that would match our Le Creuset to be pots. But they didn't have orange. And... we got red ones! To be delivered in 4 weeks (stools, no pots until Xmas gifts). Until then, we still have the Ikea Sofa bed mattress on the floor to seat on and wait for our moving company to ship our 44 boxes.
It was super nice, we applied for the apartment that same moment and waited until this morning. I have to say that we both could not sleep and decided to check some interior design websites until 5am. Even our family was anxious to hear from us that they were checking the blog and emails constantly. And this morning... we got an answer.
Yes yes yes! We have an apartment! And it is so nice because:
- elevator distance from subway station
- same subway line that goes to JFK Airport
- 10 blocks (= 1 subway station apart) from Central Park
- 15 minutes walk from Felipe's law firm = 2 subway stations
- 15 to 20 minutes to wherever I need to go
- 1 subway station from Columbus Circle ([Whole Foods]!) and Lincoln Center (Movies!)
- walking distance from Broadway shows
- blocks from Times Square
- many items to be discovered.
And if you know this crazy Camaras couple you might know what we did after signing the contract. We went to a mattress store, and it'll be delivered tomorrow morning. We went to [Jennifer Convertibles] to buy the perfect sofa, and finally we went to a super nice store named [Lee's Art Shop] recommended by the sofa store guy. It is an amazing store that sells modern furniture from all around the world. Obviously there are really expensive items, but we were able to find really good stuff for amazing quality.
Lu, I have to tell you and hope you don't get mad at us: I tried my best to look for 2 orange stools that would match our Le Creuset to be pots. But they didn't have orange. And... we got red ones! To be delivered in 4 weeks (stools, no pots until Xmas gifts). Until then, we still have the Ikea Sofa bed mattress on the floor to seat on and wait for our moving company to ship our 44 boxes.
@
Home
Welcome back!
Hi and welcome to my new blog. As you can see, I've kept the url and to see previous post from California Dreaming just [click here].
This blog is still under construction and I'll post some news as soon as possible! See you soon!
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Olá! Como deu para perceber, eu mantive o endereço do blog e para ver posts do California Dreaming basta [clicar aqui].
Este novo blog ainda está sendo feito entre buscas por um novo lar. Assim que tiver mais notícias escrevo!
This blog is still under construction and I'll post some news as soon as possible! See you soon!
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Olá! Como deu para perceber, eu mantive o endereço do blog e para ver posts do California Dreaming basta [clicar aqui].
Este novo blog ainda está sendo feito entre buscas por um novo lar. Assim que tiver mais notícias escrevo!
Aug 5, 2008
NYC Articles
English
Brazilian Cuisine, back on the table
ACO - Antoinette Favorite
Feng Shui
Also known as Clinton
The 11 best foods you aren't eating
ACO - Period Instruments
Miss Favela - Brooklyn
Fashion on the Street
NYC Fashion
Burgers are coming
Eventually adjusting to NYC
Front row, if you dare
Heaven's Angels
Brazil or New York?
Water Taste Contest
Art through Hello Kitty
Portuguese
Brooklyn para iniciantes
Volta ao passado na Broadway
De abatedouros a point fashion
Williamsburg
Autêntico lado vintage
Antiguinho fake
Discos, pôster e livros
Brechós
Cardápio atual e clima retrô
Noite moderninha
Brazilian Cuisine, back on the table
ACO - Antoinette Favorite
Feng Shui
Also known as Clinton
The 11 best foods you aren't eating
ACO - Period Instruments
Miss Favela - Brooklyn
Fashion on the Street
NYC Fashion
Burgers are coming
Eventually adjusting to NYC
Front row, if you dare
Heaven's Angels
Brazil or New York?
Water Taste Contest
Art through Hello Kitty
Portuguese
Brooklyn para iniciantes
Volta ao passado na Broadway
De abatedouros a point fashion
Williamsburg
Autêntico lado vintage
Antiguinho fake
Discos, pôster e livros
Brechós
Cardápio atual e clima retrô
Noite moderninha
My NYC Food Map
All those blue balloons are restaurants we have been to. You can click and see its name and a brief comment. The list follows below.
202 Café – Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave
Great brunch in Chelsea Market from Notting Hill, UK
5th Ave Chocolatiere
693 3rd Ave
Amazing chocolates
79 Street Boat Basin Cafe
79 West St & Hudson River
Awesome view of the Hudson River. Beautiful sunset. Junk food.
Adrienne's Pizza Bar
54 Stone St
Stone St, squared add-what-you-like pizza
Aldea
31 W 17th St
Amazing "arroz de pato", Portuguese restaurant
AOC Restaurant
314 Bleecker St
Great affordable French
Aperitivo
780 3rd Avenue
Great sandwiches around Midtown East
Ariyoshi
810 Broadway
Very traditional noodles, udon and sobas. Go for Ebi-ten / Nabeyaki udon
Aroma Espresso Bar
145 Greene St.
Iced-Cappuccino! Cute modern store
Art Polis Espresso
great coffee around Columbia University
Art Bar
52 Eighth Avenue
Good for drinks
Arte Cafe
106 W 73rd St
Interesting mix of Italian cuisine in a brownstone house
Aquavit
65 E 55th St
Scandinavian Food ex- Marcus Samuelsson
A Voce Columbus
10 Columbus Circle # 3
Great Italian, Columbus Circle view.
Azul
152 Stanton Street
Great Argentinian restaurant, good empanadas
The Backroom
102 Norfolk St
drinks served in teacups, a throwback to clandestine drinking during Prohibition.
Hard to find it.
Balthazar
80 Spring St
Soho - love love love, reservations are extremely necessary
Balducci's
81 8th Ave
Good cheese/sandwiches, finger food to bring home
Baluchi
224 E 53rd St
Indian Food
Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway New York
Gread French food around Lincoln Center
Barbaresco
843 Lexington Ave
Good Italian around Upper East
BondSt
6 Bond St
Delicious Japanese food, go for the lychee panna cotta
Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Cir
Great Hot Chocolate, Croissants and Tarts
Bouley
163 Duane St
Nominated one of the best French in NYC
Brass Monkey Bar
55 Little West 12th St
Great view+drinks at Meatpacking
Brasserie
100 East 53rd Street
Good American style food
Brasserie 8½
9 West 57th Street
Had a great Thanksgiving Dinner
Breeze
661 9th Ave
Thai-French fusion
The Brewhouse
13 Marshall St, Norwalk, CT
Amazing clam chowder and lobster roll
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
2 Cadman Place West, Brooklyn
Go for strawberry!
Buddakan
75 9th Ave
Great Asian Fusion and beautiful ambiance
Burger Joint
118 W 57th St
Best hamburger in NYC, inside Le Park Meridien
Butter
415 Lafayette St
Great food and lounge
Cafe Borgia
161 Prince St # 10012
Quiche + wine around Soho
Cafe Lalo
201 W 83rd St
Famous for You've Got Mail Movie.
Cafe Select
212 Lafayette Street
Good for a coffee or snack around SoHo
Cafeteria
119 7th Ave
Brunch, lunch or dinner 24/7
Carbonara
202 W 14th St
Good and cheap eat around W Village
Carmines
200 W 44th St
Cheap Italian, huge meals
Casellula
401 W 52nd St
A favorite for wine bar and huge selection of cheese
Central Park [no name]
Great place, find it around the baseball fields. Dog friendly, good hotdogs and beer.
Chickpea
688 Avenue of the Americas
Falafel, pita, salads, all baked. Meal for $10
China Grill
60 W 53rd St
Awesome Chinese, huge meals
Chocopologie
12 S Main St, Norwalk, CT
Anything about chocolates!
Choptank
308-310 Bleecker St
Soft shell blue crabs
Commerce
50 Commerce St
Go for the bread and sandwiches!
Crumbs
501 Madison Ave
Cupcakes and Cookies
Daniel
60 E 65th St
Celebrate! Awesome French, but expensive
DBGB
299 Bowery
Boulud's charcuterie
Delicatessen
54 Prince St
Late bite around Soho
Despana
408 Broome Street
Spanish Market
Dolce Vita
181 Grand Street
Little Italy's pick of an Italian friend.
Doughnut Plant
379 Grand Street
Amazing doughnuts!
Dumbo General Store
111 Front St, Brooklyn
Good paninis, salads and coffee. Cash only!
Empanada Mama
763 9th Ave # 1
Go for Brazil and some yuka frita!
Eatery
798 9th Ave
American-Asian mix
Epistrofi
200 Mott Street
Cute place to get a bit around NoLiTa
EN brasserie
435 Hudson St
Awesome Japanese, best tofu ever.
Essex
120 Essex Street
Great brunch around Lower East Side
Extra Virgin
259 W 4th St # 1
Great brunch around the West Village
Fai Da Bakery
83 Mott St
Chinese Bakery, best pork buns around Chinatown
Ferrara Pasticceria
195 Grand St
Cannolis and more Italian Goodies
Fig & Olive
10 E 52nd St
420 W 13th St
Mediterranean Food - I love the lamb skewer
Fishtail by David Burke
135 E 62nd St
Fish fish fish and cheesecake lollipop dessert!
Five Guys
296 Bleecker St
burgers!
Five Points
31 Great Jones St
Great brunch, many many options!
Freeman's
End of Freeman Alley
Another good brunch around the LES
Gascogne
158 8th Ave
Beautiful back garden, even if it's raining! Brunch for $20!
Grandaisy Bakery
73 Sullivan St
Italian bread and pannetone
Green Table – Chelsea Market
428 W 16th St
Lovely local eco-friendly food, mac’n’cheese is the best!
Grom
1796 Broadway
Great gelatos
House of Brews
302 W 51st St
Hundreds of beers and good finger food
Hummus Place
99 Macdougal St
305 Amsterdam Ave
Hungarian Pastry Shop
1030 Amsterdam Ave
soups and lunch around Columbia Univ.
Il Bastardo
191 Seventh Avenue New York
Italian food around Chelsea
Industria Argentina
329 Greenwich St
Great Argentinian Milanesa
Inoteca
133 Orchard St
Good sandwiches around Lower East Side
Ippudo
65 4th Ave
Worth waiting for its noodles
Isabella's
359 Columbus Ave
Great brunch, limited options. Sit outside!
Jacques Torres
350 Hudson St
go for their hot chocolate
Japonica
10 University Plaza
Traditional Japanese, simple and delicious.
John's Pizzeria
260 W 44th St
Great pizza, similar to Brazilian
Kanoyama
175 2nd Ave
Good Japanese, service is slow
Kee's Chocolate
80 Thompson St
Zagat rated 29, go for the honey saffron
Kyotofu
705 9th Ave
Japanese desserts in Hell's Kitchen
La Gioconda
226 E 53rd St
Italian
La Goulue
746 Madison Ave # 1
French, I wasn’t lucky.
La Tartine
253 W 11th St
Great reasonable brunch, BYO and no corkage.
Le Cirque
151 E 58th St
Lovely Pricey French, go for restaurant week
L'Ecole, French Culinary Institute
462 Broadway
Great French!
Le Bernardin Restaurant
155 W 51st St
Best place to celebrate. Amazing food, totally worth it.
Le Jardin Bistro
25 Cleveland Place
Cheap French, beautiful garden outdoors
Le Pain Quotidien
60 W 65th St
Amazing tartines!
Le Souk
47 Avenue B
Good food + club
Lefteris Gyros
1 North Broadway, Westchester
Great cheap Greek!
Little Giant
85 Orchard Street
From farm to table "as grandma would make it"
Lombardis
32 Spring Street
No slice! one of the best pizzas in NYC
Má Pêche
15 West 56th Street
First David Cheng our of East Village.
Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St
(2 other locations: Upper West Side and 6th Ave&49th St)
Cupcakes, cakes and cookies
Mamoun's Falafel
119 MacDougal St
Best falafel, $2.50 for a sandwich
Manzo Eataly
200 5th Ave
Mario Batali's Italian Market & Restaurant
MAS
39 Downing St
Farmhouse style, great fish
Max Brenner Chocolate
141 2nd Ave
Discover their chocolate and much more.
Meatball Shop
84 Stanton St
Meatballs!
Megu
62 Thomas St
Great Japanese Food, beautiful lounge and ice-buddha
Metrazur
Good for drinks (tuesday = ladies night; friday = martini's night), beautiful view of the Grand Central
75 Grand Central Terminal
Mile End
97A Hoyt Street, Brooklyn
Worth going for Canadian bagels
Milk & Cookies Bakery
19 Commerce St
the name says it all!
Miss Favela
57 S 5th St, Brooklyn
feijoada and samba
MoMA Café 2
11 W 53rd St
bruschettas and arugula salad + chocolate pudding
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave
The best noodles in NYC
Momofuku Ko
163 1st Ave
Hard to get in, 12 seats/night, unforgettable
Morimoto
88 10th Ave
Beautiful bar and restaurant. Amazing exotic food. Iron Chef.
Moustache
90 Bedford St
Mediterranean food. Hummus and pita.
Natsumi
226 W 50th St
Super fresh, good and reasonable sushi. In front of Wicked
Nobu
105 Hudson St
Creative and Innovative Japanese
Ollie's
411 W 42nd St
Good Chinese food. Super fast and cheap
Once Upon A Tart
135 Sullivan St # 1
go for a tart in Soho
Ono
18 9th Ave
Japanese food
Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria
1 5th Ave
Pizzas by Mario Batali, great for groups!
Pastis
9 9th Ave
Awesome brunch and lunch
Perry St
176 Perry St
Jean-George Group, good food and prices
Petrie Café
Metropolitan Museum
afternoon tea + view to Central Park
Piada
601 Lexington Ave
Flatbread Italian Sandwiches
Pinkberry
596 9th Ave and other locations
frozen yogurt, green tea and pomegranate!
Piola
48 E 12th St
Brazilian style rodízio de pizza, service is slow.
PJ Clarke's
915 3rd Ave
Lincoln Center: great before/after movies
On the Hudson: beautiful view (4 WFC)
Go for the Cadilac Hamburger + fries
Pomodoro
229 Columbus Ave
Good Italian!
Prune
54 E 1st St
Lots of organ meat!
Raoul's
180 Prince St
French, famous for its Steak au poivre
Revel
10 Little West 12th St
great fish on top of a super hot rock. expect some oil on your clothes!
Rice N Beans
744 9th Ave
Brazilian Food, good pudim
Rice to Riches
37 Spring St
Many flavors of rice puding (arroz doce)
Riingo Bar
205 E 45th St
Great drinks, Japanese mix food
Roberto Passon
741 9th Ave
Good food around Hell's Kitchen
Rosanjin
141 Duane Street
Traditional Kaiseki cuisine
Rouge Tomate
10 E 60th St
Interestin location around Central Park
SD26
19 E 26th St
Great Italian around Madison Square Park
Sel & Poivre
853 Lexington Ave
French for locals. Great service.
Sensuous Bean
66 W 70th St
Huge variety of coffee
Shimizu
318 w 51st st
Really good sushi
Sobaya
229 E 9th St
Traditional soba, udon and Japanese Food
Sono Le Petit Cafe
156 Spring St
Good cappucino
Spicy Market
403 W 13th Street
VERY spicy
Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St
Local, from farm to table food
Spring Street Natural Restaurant
62 Spring St
fresh OJ and organic food
Stuffed Artisan Cannoli
176 Stanton Street
Amazing Sicilian cannolis in the LES
Sushi Samba Park
245 Park Avenue South
Japanese-Brazilian mix: sushi and caipirinha.
Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St
Really good and tradicional sushi
Taboon
773 10th Ave
Mediterranean around Hell's Kitchen
TAO
42 E 58th St
Asian fusion, nice ambient and food. Loud music
Torrisi
250 Mulberry St
Amazing Little Italian restaurant
Union Square Cafe
21 E. 16th Street
Great location, food, service and ambiance! no wonder is Zagat's #1!
Vento Trattoria
Italian
675 Hudson St
Warren 77
77 Warren St
Go there for hockey games
The Wright
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Ave
Nice restaurant inside the museum
Xe Lua
86 Mulberry St
Traditional Vietnamese around Chinatown
Zanzibar
645 9th Ave
Drinks around Hell's Kitchen
202 Café – Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave
Great brunch in Chelsea Market from Notting Hill, UK
5th Ave Chocolatiere
693 3rd Ave
Amazing chocolates
79 Street Boat Basin Cafe
79 West St & Hudson River
Awesome view of the Hudson River. Beautiful sunset. Junk food.
Adrienne's Pizza Bar
54 Stone St
Stone St, squared add-what-you-like pizza
Aldea
31 W 17th St
Amazing "arroz de pato", Portuguese restaurant
AOC Restaurant
314 Bleecker St
Great affordable French
Aperitivo
780 3rd Avenue
Great sandwiches around Midtown East
Ariyoshi
810 Broadway
Very traditional noodles, udon and sobas. Go for Ebi-ten / Nabeyaki udon
Aroma Espresso Bar
145 Greene St.
Iced-Cappuccino! Cute modern store
Art Polis Espresso
great coffee around Columbia University
Art Bar
52 Eighth Avenue
Good for drinks
Arte Cafe
106 W 73rd St
Interesting mix of Italian cuisine in a brownstone house
Aquavit
65 E 55th St
Scandinavian Food ex- Marcus Samuelsson
A Voce Columbus
10 Columbus Circle # 3
Great Italian, Columbus Circle view.
Azul
152 Stanton Street
Great Argentinian restaurant, good empanadas
The Backroom
102 Norfolk St
drinks served in teacups, a throwback to clandestine drinking during Prohibition.
Hard to find it.
Balthazar
80 Spring St
Soho - love love love, reservations are extremely necessary
Balducci's
81 8th Ave
Good cheese/sandwiches, finger food to bring home
Baluchi
224 E 53rd St
Indian Food
Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway New York
Gread French food around Lincoln Center
Barbaresco
843 Lexington Ave
Good Italian around Upper East
BondSt
6 Bond St
Delicious Japanese food, go for the lychee panna cotta
Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Cir
Great Hot Chocolate, Croissants and Tarts
Bouley
163 Duane St
Nominated one of the best French in NYC
Brass Monkey Bar
55 Little West 12th St
Great view+drinks at Meatpacking
Brasserie
100 East 53rd Street
Good American style food
Brasserie 8½
9 West 57th Street
Had a great Thanksgiving Dinner
Breeze
661 9th Ave
Thai-French fusion
The Brewhouse
13 Marshall St, Norwalk, CT
Amazing clam chowder and lobster roll
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
2 Cadman Place West, Brooklyn
Go for strawberry!
Buddakan
75 9th Ave
Great Asian Fusion and beautiful ambiance
Burger Joint
118 W 57th St
Best hamburger in NYC, inside Le Park Meridien
Butter
415 Lafayette St
Great food and lounge
Cafe Borgia
161 Prince St # 10012
Quiche + wine around Soho
Cafe Lalo
201 W 83rd St
Famous for You've Got Mail Movie.
Cafe Select
212 Lafayette Street
Good for a coffee or snack around SoHo
Cafeteria
119 7th Ave
Brunch, lunch or dinner 24/7
Carbonara
202 W 14th St
Good and cheap eat around W Village
Carmines
200 W 44th St
Cheap Italian, huge meals
Casellula
401 W 52nd St
A favorite for wine bar and huge selection of cheese
Central Park [no name]
Great place, find it around the baseball fields. Dog friendly, good hotdogs and beer.
Chickpea
688 Avenue of the Americas
Falafel, pita, salads, all baked. Meal for $10
China Grill
60 W 53rd St
Awesome Chinese, huge meals
Chocopologie
12 S Main St, Norwalk, CT
Anything about chocolates!
Choptank
308-310 Bleecker St
Soft shell blue crabs
Commerce
50 Commerce St
Go for the bread and sandwiches!
Crumbs
501 Madison Ave
Cupcakes and Cookies
Daniel
60 E 65th St
Celebrate! Awesome French, but expensive
DBGB
299 Bowery
Boulud's charcuterie
Delicatessen
54 Prince St
Late bite around Soho
Despana
408 Broome Street
Spanish Market
Dolce Vita
181 Grand Street
Little Italy's pick of an Italian friend.
Doughnut Plant
379 Grand Street
Amazing doughnuts!
Dumbo General Store
111 Front St, Brooklyn
Good paninis, salads and coffee. Cash only!
Empanada Mama
763 9th Ave # 1
Go for Brazil and some yuka frita!
Eatery
798 9th Ave
American-Asian mix
Epistrofi
200 Mott Street
Cute place to get a bit around NoLiTa
EN brasserie
435 Hudson St
Awesome Japanese, best tofu ever.
Essex
120 Essex Street
Great brunch around Lower East Side
Extra Virgin
259 W 4th St # 1
Great brunch around the West Village
Fai Da Bakery
83 Mott St
Chinese Bakery, best pork buns around Chinatown
Ferrara Pasticceria
195 Grand St
Cannolis and more Italian Goodies
Fig & Olive
10 E 52nd St
420 W 13th St
Mediterranean Food - I love the lamb skewer
Fishtail by David Burke
135 E 62nd St
Fish fish fish and cheesecake lollipop dessert!
Five Guys
296 Bleecker St
burgers!
Five Points
31 Great Jones St
Great brunch, many many options!
Freeman's
End of Freeman Alley
Another good brunch around the LES
Gascogne
158 8th Ave
Beautiful back garden, even if it's raining! Brunch for $20!
Grandaisy Bakery
73 Sullivan St
Italian bread and pannetone
Green Table – Chelsea Market
428 W 16th St
Lovely local eco-friendly food, mac’n’cheese is the best!
Grom
1796 Broadway
Great gelatos
House of Brews
302 W 51st St
Hundreds of beers and good finger food
Hummus Place
99 Macdougal St
305 Amsterdam Ave
Hungarian Pastry Shop
1030 Amsterdam Ave
soups and lunch around Columbia Univ.
Il Bastardo
191 Seventh Avenue New York
Italian food around Chelsea
Industria Argentina
329 Greenwich St
Great Argentinian Milanesa
Inoteca
133 Orchard St
Good sandwiches around Lower East Side
Ippudo
65 4th Ave
Worth waiting for its noodles
Isabella's
359 Columbus Ave
Great brunch, limited options. Sit outside!
Jacques Torres
350 Hudson St
go for their hot chocolate
Japonica
10 University Plaza
Traditional Japanese, simple and delicious.
John's Pizzeria
260 W 44th St
Great pizza, similar to Brazilian
Kanoyama
175 2nd Ave
Good Japanese, service is slow
Kee's Chocolate
80 Thompson St
Zagat rated 29, go for the honey saffron
Kyotofu
705 9th Ave
Japanese desserts in Hell's Kitchen
La Gioconda
226 E 53rd St
Italian
La Goulue
746 Madison Ave # 1
French, I wasn’t lucky.
La Tartine
253 W 11th St
Great reasonable brunch, BYO and no corkage.
Le Cirque
151 E 58th St
Lovely Pricey French, go for restaurant week
L'Ecole, French Culinary Institute
462 Broadway
Great French!
Le Bernardin Restaurant
155 W 51st St
Best place to celebrate. Amazing food, totally worth it.
Le Jardin Bistro
25 Cleveland Place
Cheap French, beautiful garden outdoors
Le Pain Quotidien
60 W 65th St
Amazing tartines!
Le Souk
47 Avenue B
Good food + club
Lefteris Gyros
1 North Broadway, Westchester
Great cheap Greek!
Little Giant
85 Orchard Street
From farm to table "as grandma would make it"
Lombardis
32 Spring Street
No slice! one of the best pizzas in NYC
Má Pêche
15 West 56th Street
First David Cheng our of East Village.
Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St
(2 other locations: Upper West Side and 6th Ave&49th St)
Cupcakes, cakes and cookies
Mamoun's Falafel
119 MacDougal St
Best falafel, $2.50 for a sandwich
Manzo Eataly
200 5th Ave
Mario Batali's Italian Market & Restaurant
MAS
39 Downing St
Farmhouse style, great fish
Max Brenner Chocolate
141 2nd Ave
Discover their chocolate and much more.
Meatball Shop
84 Stanton St
Meatballs!
Megu
62 Thomas St
Great Japanese Food, beautiful lounge and ice-buddha
Metrazur
Good for drinks (tuesday = ladies night; friday = martini's night), beautiful view of the Grand Central
75 Grand Central Terminal
Mile End
97A Hoyt Street, Brooklyn
Worth going for Canadian bagels
Milk & Cookies Bakery
19 Commerce St
the name says it all!
Miss Favela
57 S 5th St, Brooklyn
feijoada and samba
MoMA Café 2
11 W 53rd St
bruschettas and arugula salad + chocolate pudding
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave
The best noodles in NYC
Momofuku Ko
163 1st Ave
Hard to get in, 12 seats/night, unforgettable
Morimoto
88 10th Ave
Beautiful bar and restaurant. Amazing exotic food. Iron Chef.
Moustache
90 Bedford St
Mediterranean food. Hummus and pita.
Natsumi
226 W 50th St
Super fresh, good and reasonable sushi. In front of Wicked
Nobu
105 Hudson St
Creative and Innovative Japanese
Ollie's
411 W 42nd St
Good Chinese food. Super fast and cheap
Once Upon A Tart
135 Sullivan St # 1
go for a tart in Soho
Ono
18 9th Ave
Japanese food
Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria
1 5th Ave
Pizzas by Mario Batali, great for groups!
Pastis
9 9th Ave
Awesome brunch and lunch
Perry St
176 Perry St
Jean-George Group, good food and prices
Petrie Café
Metropolitan Museum
afternoon tea + view to Central Park
Piada
601 Lexington Ave
Flatbread Italian Sandwiches
Pinkberry
596 9th Ave and other locations
frozen yogurt, green tea and pomegranate!
Piola
48 E 12th St
Brazilian style rodízio de pizza, service is slow.
PJ Clarke's
915 3rd Ave
Lincoln Center: great before/after movies
On the Hudson: beautiful view (4 WFC)
Go for the Cadilac Hamburger + fries
Pomodoro
229 Columbus Ave
Good Italian!
Prune
54 E 1st St
Lots of organ meat!
Raoul's
180 Prince St
French, famous for its Steak au poivre
Revel
10 Little West 12th St
great fish on top of a super hot rock. expect some oil on your clothes!
Rice N Beans
744 9th Ave
Brazilian Food, good pudim
Rice to Riches
37 Spring St
Many flavors of rice puding (arroz doce)
Riingo Bar
205 E 45th St
Great drinks, Japanese mix food
Roberto Passon
741 9th Ave
Good food around Hell's Kitchen
Rosanjin
141 Duane Street
Traditional Kaiseki cuisine
Rouge Tomate
10 E 60th St
Interestin location around Central Park
SD26
19 E 26th St
Great Italian around Madison Square Park
Sel & Poivre
853 Lexington Ave
French for locals. Great service.
Sensuous Bean
66 W 70th St
Huge variety of coffee
Shimizu
318 w 51st st
Really good sushi
Sobaya
229 E 9th St
Traditional soba, udon and Japanese Food
Sono Le Petit Cafe
156 Spring St
Good cappucino
Spicy Market
403 W 13th Street
VERY spicy
Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St
Local, from farm to table food
Spring Street Natural Restaurant
62 Spring St
fresh OJ and organic food
Stuffed Artisan Cannoli
176 Stanton Street
Amazing Sicilian cannolis in the LES
Sushi Samba Park
245 Park Avenue South
Japanese-Brazilian mix: sushi and caipirinha.
Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St
Really good and tradicional sushi
Taboon
773 10th Ave
Mediterranean around Hell's Kitchen
TAO
42 E 58th St
Asian fusion, nice ambient and food. Loud music
Torrisi
250 Mulberry St
Amazing Little Italian restaurant
Union Square Cafe
21 E. 16th Street
Great location, food, service and ambiance! no wonder is Zagat's #1!
Vento Trattoria
Italian
675 Hudson St
Warren 77
77 Warren St
Go there for hockey games
The Wright
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Ave
Nice restaurant inside the museum
Xe Lua
86 Mulberry St
Traditional Vietnamese around Chinatown
Zanzibar
645 9th Ave
Drinks around Hell's Kitchen
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