I have been back from NYC for a few days now and have only just been able to get my head together enough to write about it.
I had written myself a list of places to eat when we got to the Big Apple but, with much sadness, I can report that neither of us had much of an appetite. I can say that I did some stand out meals:
First night - spinach and goats cheese salad at Ellen's Stardust Diner on Broadway. One of the most simple meals ever: a bowl of spinach leaves tossed in olive oil, a small amount of creamy goats cheese, a sprinkling of caramelised walnut halves and 4 thin slices of pear. Fantastic flavours, wonderfully light and nutritious. All served with entertainment too, this diner is staffed by Broadway wannabe's who sing throughout the evening as though it's an ongoing audition (well you never know who's in the audience!)
The one thing that I love about America is that you can get pizza by the slice. Being pretty much restricted to margheritas at least I am not spoilt for choice! The thinnest of thin slices are to be had in NYC, no wonder their pizza parlours are so popular.
Rogue Bar and Restaurant deserves a special mention. They are very veggie friendly and provide great service. The food was absolutely delicious (I had nachos for starter followed by their veggie burger) and their menu is sure to have something for the majority of people. Despite being a sports bar this is no dive, it's clean and airy and a delightful space to eat - but men are likely to get distracted by the many TVs showing a wide variety of sports!
Da Nico in the heart of Little Italy provides a fairly limited menu for vegetarians but I had the most delicious grilled vegetable panini ever. They have a delightful outdoor patio area which is so airy you'd hardly imagine you're in the middle of a bustling metropolis. Each meal is followed by lumps of fried doughnut dough which is sprinkled with icing sugar - very moreish!
We had to leave NYC in a bit of a rush as our flight was cancelled, such a disappointment! I'd been hoping to try out a couple more hotspots on our last day but this wasn't an option. Our final meal was a bit of a rush-and-go affair, we went to the first place we saw and were thankful that there was a vegetarian option! It was an absolute pleasure however to have our final meal at Rickshaw Dumpling Bar on Lexington Avenue. I had the vegetarian bento box - 4 edamame dumplings with white rice and a tub of Asian greens. Everything was delicious, the food was incredibly reasonably priced and the staff were friendly. I hated having to decline a loyalty card! Thank you Rickshaw!
And that's pretty much it for my NYC food adventure. Not as adventurous as I may have liked but with all of the sightseeing it was always going to be difficult to fit all of the food in (you don't know where you're going to see until you get there!) I heart you New York - I'll be back!
