todd english's food hall

this weekend my mom visited and we had a ball. she suggested we check out the newly opened food hall in the plaza hotel. it's essentially what americans know as a "food court" however, it felt nothing like one. it's based on the classic food halls at famous department stores like harrod's. like everything else in the plaza hotel, it's incredibly glamorous and luxurious.  there are many different food stations such as a raw bar, pizza, a bakery, a flower stand, cheese selections, housewares etc. i took lots of pictures because the actual space is so beautiful. gorgeous tiling, intricate woodwork and of course every delicious treat you can think of. definitely a foodie's dream. i highly recommend that you check it out. next time i go to the plaza though, i'm going to find eloise. 

the breslin

it's time for a restaurant review...woooh haven't done one of these in a long time. this weekend friends of ours brought us to a place i had only heard about through nymag and the like. it's called the breslin, located on 29th between 5th and 6th. it's actually inside  the ace hotel, which i think once was the hotel breslin. it's a super trendy but not pretentious gastropub. i didn't get to try much of the food because i had already eaten, however, what i did sample was terrific. the menu is filled with comfort foods gone glam like smoked pork belly, beef and stilton pie and onion and bone marrow soup. so, actually, none of these things are probably things i would ever eat but for the adventurous type, i am sure they are fabulous. i did get a chance to sample their homemade salt and vingear chips (delish) and several different cookies (the fresh fig newton was unbelievable) i also had a cleverly named cocktail called "a rush of blood to the head." all in all, i think the breakfast and lunch menus look slightly more appetizing (think oven baked 3 cheese eggs, fried peanut and banana sandwich or caramel popcorn) but the decor and overall relaxed atmosphere definitely make it a place where i will go again!

meatball shop

well yesterday was just the most wonderful day. i went wedding dress shoppping (for her, not me!) with K&A. it was oodles and boatloads of fun. we finally found THE dress at kleinfeld, which was just an amazing experience all around. but the best part of the day for me was definitely the dinner afterwards! k's fiancee read a review of meatball shop in new york magazine and was dying to try it. i believe it only opened to the public on wednesday? well. let me tell you. it was AWESOME. they only sell meatballs and ice cream sandwiches pretty much, but that was okay by me. the atmosphere was beyond cozy with dark burgundy walls and vintage wedding photos (appropriate!), dim lighting and milk bottle flower vases at the bar. it was very crowded, but didn't take us too long to find a spot for five people at one of their family style tables. the owner was our waiter, and he was fabulously downtown with a plaid shirt and tatoo covered arms. did i mention he was also a babe? i had beef balls (the meat was local!) with mushroom gravy and a caramel/chocolate chip cookie sandwich for dessert. here are some pics, which i stole from nymag (sorry!). i would definitely recommend this place to anyone. the food is awesome, the atmosphere cool but not too cool and everything was reasonably priced. pretty much my qualifications exactly. xx

a voce: columbus

now, i am no fancy pants when it comes to restaurants. but the other night, i had a fancy pants meal and it was fancy pants fabulous. i was lucky enough to be invited to dinner by t's brothers wifes parents..or to make it more complicated, also t's sisters husbands parents..yes both siblings are married to other siblings. so complicated! regardless, they are definitely t's family. we met them at a voce in columbus circle. the decor was modern, sleek and made me feel like quite an oaf. but that's okay, it was well worth it. the view of columbus circle is gorgeous and the food is even better. it's classic italian with wonderfully fresh ingredients. i had the cavatelli which had bacon, sheep's milk ricotta and brussel sprouts (my new obsession). for an app t and i shared the stracciatella which had creamy pugliese mozzerella, pears and arugula. the mozz literally melted in my mouth. for dessert we all shared the bombolini which are these fantastic little donuts with chocolate dipping sauce. all in all, a wonderful restaurant. i can't see myself splurging and going back any time soon, but having the opportunity to go with this family was such a treat.

alice's tea cup

aaaaand this girl has yet another food recommendation. i've always heard that alice's tea cup was a fun place to go, but i didn't have the opportunity to go myself until this morning. i decided it would be a fun place to take my mom, and it being wednesday, i didn't have to worry about the treacherous wait i've heard it  has on the weekends. i went to "chapter 3" of alice's tea cup, located on 81st between 2nd and 3rd. the moment i walked in i felt like i was in a fairy tale/tree house/wonderland (approrpriately). there were tutus on the wall and alice and wonderful murals and beautiful china oh my!
        my mom and i got to sit on a raised area towards the front where we could look down on the rest of the restaurant and also out the window. there were about 100 different teas to choose from and we ordered the peach tea with flowers. it was fabulous! so flavorful! it came in a lovely purple tea pot with a porcelain kitten on top, which was clearly so up my alley. i ordered an omelette and my mom got the crepes. both were wonderful. mine came with a side of grilled pears and asparagus which was quite an unlikely duo but delicious nonetheless. this place would be so fun to take out of town friends for tea and scones on a rainy afternoon. i have to say, alice's tea cup is as good as everyone said!

vegan cupcakes

ok. yesterday, i had a revelation. my roommate and i were lucky enough to both get out of work early. so without question, we headed down to the village for shopping and a cupcake mission. she has read about babycakes on a blog and we were excited to try it. i was particularly interested in this place because both my brother and his fiance are vegan, so i considered this research for a potential wedding gift . after a little searching we found the bakery, which is located on broome between orchard and ludlow. we picked out 6 cupcakes. red velvet, carrot and mint chocolate chip were among the selections. they were delicious. and hands down the best thing about this place is that these sweet treats are not only vegan, but not as bad for you as a regular cupcakes too! they are sweetened by agave juice and you can choose other options like soy-free, gluten-free or with spelt (a grain). all in all, it was a really fun place albeit incredibly overpriced. but i guess if that's the only downfall to the perfect, healthy cupcake..i'll take it. xox

westville

so last night, i had the most wonderful dinner date. and in my opinion a great dinner date is made up of good food, good people and good conversation (cheesy, i know). i certainly can find that easily with l & m. they are two of my favorite nyc girls and i love meeting up with them. they have great taste and always introduce me to cute, delicious and affordable places to eat in new york. l recommended we head to a restaurant called westville. there is a west village location and also one in alphabet city. i opted for the east side spot, simply be cause it's slightly closer to my apartment. when i arrived, it was already bustling. the front and side walls were mysteriously non-existent so it really felt more like we were eating outside. there's a real country feel to it (which i love) with worn signage and clapboard walls. the greatest thing about westville are the variety of sides you can choose from. they are fresh daily and include things like green peas with shallots and bacon and artichoke hearts with parmesan. you usually choose two from a list of about 20 to go with your entree. i'd have to say the best of all the sides were certainly the sweet potato fries (we decided they were probably the best we'd ever had). all in all, it was a wonderful night spent with great friends and i now have another favorite restaurant that has guaranteed good food for a reasonable price.

benny's

images courtesy of nymag.com

so last night i went to maybe my new favorite restaurant in new york. now keep in mind i'm 23 and broke, so inexpensive grub is part of what makes a good restaurant for me. benny's burritos is a little mexican place in the west village, and is the sister restaurant to benny's east (in the east village) and comes from the same owner as blockheads. however, benny's is above and beyond blockheads. the margaritas are 3 dollars! and they are unreal. two will have your legs tingling for sure. or maybe not, but i'm a lightweight so two is perfect! the other reason i like it better than blockheads--are the rice bowls! you can pick your style of rice, protein, salsa, sauce etc. and they are only about 9 bucks and will last you two meals of leftovers. in fact, i plan to have mine for lunch today. but anyway, benny's has this great kitschy decor with lanterns and bright colors. you kind of feel like you're in someone's backyard in mexico..except you're inside..and in new york. but anyway. i definitely recommend it and will happily trek there from the upper east side any day.