New York for foodies
Replies: 13 - Last Post: Oct 19, 2012 6:39 PM Last Post By: jayeonthrontree
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New York for foodies
Heading to New York from the UK in mid-December ... brrrr.This will be our third visit but this time it is a brief two night trip from Boston where we will be based for the rest of our trip.
We have done all the big touristy things before like the Empire State Building, Central Park, Statten Island Ferry, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Ground Zero, etc and will probably devote an afternoon to MOMA this time. We have two half days and one full one and I'd be grateful for a few suggestions of different places to go/things to do.
I am not so foolish as to leave such a blank canvas nor resort to the clichéd 'show me the real New York' type requests. Let me help you narrow it down. My hubby and I are great foodies. I might like to visit the Magnolia Bakery and I read somewhere that the Manhattan Fruit Exchange could be somewhere to go, but basically I am open to suggestions.
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Not entirely sure what 'foodies' really are, but if it means that you appreciate good cooking and unique experiences, I would suggest this;1) Don't visit the Magnolia Bakery. I mean, they do make tasty things, but it's become just a tourist thing, and there are so many other nice bakeries
2) I would suggest that you check out the New York Times restaurant reviews - far more reliable than sources such as Yelp and such. The New Yorker reviews are also great, but there are relatively few of them
3) The "Modern" restaurant, next to MOMA, is pretty darn good
4) Chelsea Market isn't the foodie destination it once was, but still pretty good and is right on the High Line
5) Never heard of the Manhattan Fruit Exchange - hmmm!
6) St. Marks Place, between 3rd and 2nd, is worth visiting to check out the young Japanese scene. Lots of little bars serving small plates.
7) Ippudo, or any of the other great ramen/noodle places. There are dozens in the East Village
8) Momofuko empire still reigns
Have fun!
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This is a subject about which people write books.I suggest you take a trip to Chowhound.
Also, if you haven't been to the Cloisters, you should make some time.
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Magnolia smells better than it tastes. Though Bleeker also has Murray's cheese and a few Italian bakeries. I am not an Italian bakery expert but the cookie and cake selections are amazing to look at and it's nice to sit inside on a chilly day.I liked Chelsea Market. Yes, a bit touristy but the chocolate place was amazing!!! Assume Eataly is still crazy popular. There should be lots of Christmas markets around and they will have food stalls. Oh and the Union Square Market is great. The prepared food vendors are not the same every day, so it's worth multiple visits.
Agree about Yelp and the NYT.
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Yelp is good for determining what other places are just as touristy as Magnolia bakery based on number of reviews, such as Ippudo or Momofuku. Places with 1000 reviews or more (on Yelp) might not be worth waiting in line for when you have such a brief amount of time. As Jaye says, there are always dozens of other good places.Simply stating that you're "foodies" is as much of a blank canvas as asking to show you the "real NYC". It helps a bit if you can narrow it down by type of cuisine/cost/what neighborhoods or boroughs. Presumably you'll eat more than fruit and dessert? Do you want the ultimate "foodie" experience in Manhattan at $400-$500 per person or to go on a multi-ethnic food crawl in Queens spending 1/20 as much? (or do you want to do both?)
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Hmmmm... That is a fair point from ACommonLoon. I will try to be more specific.It's not so much that we want to restaurant hop - so the street vendor or quick cafe/diner stuff is great for us. However, I do love to cook! I love to bake and decorate cakes at home so a good bakery or two would be heaven for me - I was in two minds about Magnolia as I don't actually find their recipes that special. I like nothing more than visiting a good produce market (hence why I thought maybe the Chelsea Market) or a great specialty store or even a good cookware retailer. So any recommendations would be appreciated.
Cuisine specific? Now there's a question. Perhaps I will find a suitable guide book and read up on what is where.
Just really wondered if anyone had any where a bit different or perculiarly local to suggest.
Also, New York just before Christmas... anything I really ought not to miss. Now there's a whole other question.
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Also, New York just before Christmas... anything I really ought not to miss
Roasted chestnuts from a street cart, but then, you hardly can, aromatically speaking.
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Also visit EatalyIf you really like bakeries, go to Orwasher's, 78th Street between 1st and 2nd. Get their Cinnamon Raisin Pumpernickel Bread and Salt Sticks.
You want cupcakes? Go to Crumbs. Multiple locations.
Something interesting for dessert, Pudding on St Marks off of Avenue A. Across the street is a great Moroccan place whose name escapes me.
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Also, If you haven't been to Ruben Museum, go. Eat in their Cafe.If you haven't been to the Noguchi Museum in LIC, go. Eat at Tournesol.
If you haven't taken the #6 train to the end of the line at Brooklyn Bridge and then stayed on for the turn around uptown, to see the remnants of the old City Hall Station through the windows, do that too.
Go to Bronx Zoo. Go to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Go to the Brooklyn Flea at One Hanson Place.
Get tickets for something at BAM or off Broadway. Go to a matinee.
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I did a food tasting tour while visiting NYC a few years ago and loved it. Our tour mostly focused on the Chelsea Marketplace which was touristy but I didn't care, it was a lot of fun.
