The Big, Delicious Apple: Food Edition

People's Pops at the Brooklyn Flea. We shared Roasted Plum. Absolutely divine.



Levain Bakery. The cookies are the size of softballs.



Jon contemplating life at the Shake Shack. The fries were the highlight.



My pb pie at Bubby's.




Grimaldi's pizza.


In fine form, my husband booked frequent flier tickets for us to NYC 3 days before we were to leave. Not only was I surprised, I was elated! Jon and I haven't been to NYC together since 3 months before we were married. I've been itching for the city since last June when Lindy and I had our epic and fabulous trip. I think the city gets in your blood (or it doesn't)----and I had the fever.

Anyway, after perusing several blogs and websites for NYC suggestions, we had a list of restaurants a mile long, and realized that food is a big part of NYC's splendor. Several activities made the cut, as well as the Garment District (for me) and a bit of shopping and relaxing, too. My dear s-i-l Becca asked me yesterday if it was a relaxing trip. My answer? Heck no. We walked, and walked, and walked, and went, and went, and went....the only thing relaxing about it was that we didn't have to hustle 3 little girls around every where we went. So after explaining this, I realized it was most relaxing in one way. We missed our girls (and our flight home), but had a fabulous time nonetheless.

So if you're planning a trip to the Big Apple, here are some pics and picks and pans. Just our experience.

FOOD:
*Cafe Habana in Soho. Delicious grilled corn, slathered with butter, and sprinkled with a spicy chili powder and cilantro. So dang delish. The rest of the meal was good, but the corn was the highlight. Wait a second. I just remembered that I had the most delicious guava limeaid there. It was off the hook. And the ambiance was amazing. Price? Very reasonable.
*Norma's at Le Parker Meridian near Central Park for breakfast. Went with Lindy Lou last year, and had to bring Jonnie back. I had the Wa-Za, which is a waffle with papaya and mango inside, then with bananas and blueberrys on top, and then slathered with raspberry (bechamel?) sauce and then bruleed, so it has the crispy coating on top. YUM! Price? $24 for a huge waffle. Worth the splurge? Yes.
*Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. Literally at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, this place is an institution. Deliciously thin-crusted pizza (just how I love it), for a steal of a deal (esp if you don't choose a lot of toppings). Fresh mozz, fresh basil, yummy sauce. Done. Expect to wait in line. Small pizza (that fed both of us for dinner) was $12 without toppings, plus $6 for the toppings we chose. YUM!
*Good was more than good, it was great~! I had lemon ricotta pancakes in the goodBREAKFAST category. Jon had the Basil and Goat Cheese Scramble on Toast. We went there for brunch, right after church. Location? Fab. Close to High Line Park.
*Bubby's for pie. I had the most amazing peanut butter chocolate pie. Jon had the Michigan Sour Cherry pie. Thumbs up! In Tribeca.
*Levain Bakery for the cookie of a lifetime. I tried chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips. Jon tried choc with choc. I bought a chocolate chip and walnut for my mom. When we found out we missed our flight, I ate a third of it out of sorrow and stress. And it was worth it! My mom even enjoyed it the next day.
*Shake Shack near Times Square. For the record, I am not a burger or shake person. But I heard this was a must-do. Jon and I both had the portobello burger, shared fries, and each had our own shake. Results? Totally underwhelmed! The burger was too greasy and cheesy (deep fried portobello), the shake was okay, but then again, I'm not an icecream person. Didn't even come close to finishing it. Give me a baked good any day! The fries were very delish. I think if I went again, I'd try the real burger. Those actually were probably better (and healthier!) I'm sure burger/fry/shake people would love this place. I adored the concept and the design, but when it came down to it, I didn't love the food. Maybe I was just in lipid overload by this point, though.
*People's Pops. Saw this stand at the Brooklyn Flea. Remembered I had read about People's Pops somewhere. Decided to try Roasted Plum. OH MY Divine! I have a whole plum tree bursting with plums. Get that oven cranking~!

When you eat like this for 4 days, you get a little weary. I'm now trying to "cleanse" so-to-speak, and came right home and signed up for Weight Watchers. We only ate 2 times per day, and added a snack or treat here or there. I am glad to have my own kitchen back and be in control, but I would give a pretty penny for a guava limeaid, an ear of Habana corn, a Levain cookie, and a slice of Grimaldi's pizza. There's always next year...