Fast & Affordable Meals, Zero Stress.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
New York City Food: Where and what to eat for kids, teens & adults
COFFEE & TEA:
Ralph’s coffee – Little known fact, Ralph Lauren doesn’t only make gorgeous clothes, he also makes excellent coffee! We stopped by @ralphscoffee located inside his upper East side store to grab an iced mocha and iced vanilla latte – divine! They even have the good ice cubes, in case the designer coffee wasn’t enough of an incentive ?
Starbucks Reserve – This isn’t your daughters Starbucks, it’s one of only 4 @starbucksreserve the world. Here they offer “coffee experiences”, like espresso tastings, barrel-aged coffee and jackets made out of coffee bean bags. I ordered the dark chocolate mocha (almond milk and only 1 scoop of cocoa powder), you could literally see it was made with love.
The Plaza – afternoon tea at @theplazahotel – This is a must! The world famous Palm Court, which opened in 1907, is still a stunner today! It’s an amazing experience that will have you peeking around the corner looking for Eloise.
PIZZA & BAGELS:
Liberty Bagels – NYC has more bagel shops than you can image, so when it comes to finding “the one” it’s pretty subjective. With that said, @libertybagelsny is among the top contenders on most all lists. We stopped by their store near Times Square to try their famous rainbow bagel w/birthday cake cream cheese – OH MY WORD! We also sampled their salt bagel, egg bagel and 4 other cream cheese flavors: maple bacon, chipotle, peanut butter/Nutella and cinnamon/walnut/raisin, while all were delicious, the rainbow ? birthday cake ? cream cheese thing IS A MUST!
H & H Bagel – You can tell a place is good when the line is out the door! Consistently ranked as one of the top bagel shops in NYC, add @hhbagels to your list And be ready to order, patience runs thin here with crowds like these!
.99 cent Pizza by the slice – Had to be done to check the box. It was just okay, honestly, I don’t recommend it…we didn’t finish our slices, but a hungry teenage boy would have for sure! Fun to say we did it.
TREATS:
Big Gay Ice Cream – There are no words for the ice cream @biggayicecream – featured on the @foodnetwork Best Thing I Ever Ate, this spot came highly recommended by @alwaysmeliss who used to live in NYC and it did not disappoint! It’s almost hard to describe how insanely good this ice cream is! We ordered two of their speciality cones: American Globs and the Dorothy. Take your digestive enzymes, I promise this stop is worth it!
Dō – Imagine an ice cream shop where all the flavors have been replaced with cookie dough! Yep, @cookiedonyc is a cookie dough scoop shop! And it’s just as amazing as it sounds!
Order:
Fluffernutter – peanut butter, dark chocolate chips & marshmallow fluff.
Nuts for nuts – peanut butter reese’s cup and reese’s pieces
Serendipity 3 – Although it’s been around since the 1950’s @serendipity3nyc catapulted to fame after Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack shared dessert in the 2001 movie of the same title. It’s also home to the worlds most expensive french fries ($200.), which we did NOT order. Reservations highly suggested!
Order: Frozen hot chocolate and humble pie.
Little Cupcake Bakeshop – @littlecupcakebakeshop is home to the best chocolate cake in the US according to @foodandwine magazine. Luckily, they make it in cupcake form, too!
LUNCH:
Tavern on the Green – One of the most iconic restaurants in NYC, @tavernonthegreen has a fairytale setting in Central Park making it extra special. Order: chopped vegetable salad with salmon, it’s gorgeous and delicious.
BG Restaurant – Lunch at @bergdorfs is truly uptown in every way, this place never disappoints. Order the lobster salad and Croque monsieur, they are both a 10 out of 10! This is a spot for sightings and today didn’t disappoint, the incredibly talented fashion designer @imisaacmizrahi Mizrahi was just 3 tables away. It’s a small, intimate restaurant and I didn’t want to bother him, so no pic of him, I’m sorry!
DINNER:
Buddakan NYC – if this Asian restaurant @buddakannyc looks familiar, you’ve probably seen the Sex In The City movie…this is where Miranda told Mr. Big that marriage ruins everything! In fact, here’s the table where that famous rehearsal dinner was shot. We sat right next to it and ordered way too much food…I mean WAY TOO MUCH! Make sure to ask for the main room, it’s gorgeous, I couldn’t fully capture it. Just know, in person, it’s looks exactly like it does in the movie.
Beauty and Essex – You enter what appears to be a pawn shop, complete with vintage jewelry and old guitars, which leaves you wondering if you’re in the right place. But once you open the back door @beautyandessexnyc you’re whisked away to another world, the transition feels a lot like a scene from a James Bond film. Chef Chris Santos: @santoscooks – whom you likely know as a judge from the popular show Chopped on the @foodnetwork opened this one-of-a-kind dining experience and it’s insanely good, in every way! Add this to your list, it’s not to be missed!
Make sure to order:
•Grilled cheese tomato soup dumplings
•Beef Wellington
•Sweet corn gelato
Never buy chives again with this simple herb hack!
Do you have a green thumb? None needed for this fun herb hack! In fact, you don’t even need dirt! Make the next time chives appear on your grocery list your last! This kitchen trick will have you regrowing chives again and again.
3 easy steps:
1.) After you’re done using the chives for a recipe, don’t toss the nubs! Group the leftover bottoms, with their little hairs (roots) together and wrap with a rubber band.
2.) Place in a glass of water and leave them out on the counter.
3.) That’s it! All you do now is sit back and watch them regrow.
About every 1 – 2 days, I change out the water and rinse off the roots to keep them from getting yimmey.
This simple DIY will have you looking for reasons to use more chives! Best of all, you’ll never run out of fresh chives again!
Who’s going to try this one? I personally love this little project, emphasis on little effort….it’s so neat to watch something grow, especially inside!
How to order a healthier Pumpkin Spice Latte
I often joke, the only way we know it’s Fall in Los Angeles is because Starbucks tell us by launching their infamous pumpkin spice latte. Although both major coffee chains, Starbucks and Dunkin, could offer these flavors year ’round, they don’t. Waiting for its launch each year is like Linus waiting for the great pumpkin to arrive. Simply waiting for the coffee giants to announce the date their drinks will drop is an event itself, I consider it the unofficial 5th season of the year, the PSL season.
While these drinks are fun and festive, think cozy sweater vibes, they are also packed and I mean packed with sugar! It’s something all the fancy ads don’t mention and I can’t blame them, who would actually order one knowing a grande (Starbucks fancy term for medium) PSL with 2% milk has 52 carbs! Yes, 52! It’s an alarming amount for any drink, especially when you consider it’s about the same as drinking a piece of apple pie.
So, how do we still have our cake, I mean PSL, and drink it to without regrets?
Step 1: switch to almond milk, as dairy is looked with sugar. Starbucks and Dunkin offer other non-dairy options, like oat and soy, but those, too are packed with carbs. At both coffeeshops, their almond milk is the best choice.
Step 2: dial down your flavor shots, these drinks are way too sweet they way the are made anyway…if you need it a little more sweet, add a stevia and ask for extra cinnamon or pumpkin spice seasoning on top.
Step 3: size matters here, a lot! Order the small and drink it slowly.
I’ve been crafting my order at both Starbucks and Dunkin for year and here’s exactly what I order:
Starbucks PSL:
Tall, almond milk, 1 pump pumpkin spice, no whip cream, extra almond milk foam.
Note: The hot version is better here.
Dunkin PSL:
Small, almond milk, 1 pump, no whip cream.
Note: I order this one iced.
If 3pm or later, I order decaf.
Note: I don’t get these very often, I’d say may 1 or 2 a month. But, when I do, I want to enjoy it and for me, enjoyment comes from knowing I’m not drinking a sugar bomb. I’d rather eat my big carbs and calories, how about you?
Back pain got you down? Try a little trick called legs up the wall
Does your back hurt? Mine, too! Here’s a quick and easy trick to ease the pain: put your legs up the wall for at least 5 minutes! That’s it!
@doyouyoga lists severals benefits to this simple pose:
Helps with lower back tension
Stretches hamstrings in lower back
Relaxation
Circulation
Reduce swelling/cramping in feet and legs
Yoga instructor @brooke_blocker notes:
“Try not to bring the body to a full 90 degree angle as this can impede circulation at the hips. Instead slide your hips a few inches from the wall and/or elevate your hips by placing a cushion under your sacrum.”
