You didn’t think I’d go to New York and not drop by Magnolia Bakery, did you? ;)

I actually did go there after the Hurricane, and was so dismayed that the shop was closed (damn you Hurricane Sandy for giving me cupcake-deprivation!!!!). But we went back a couple of days later and they were back open – wheeee!

Magnolia Bakery was in Sex and the City, and many believe they were the the creators of cupcakes. Whatever the case, they are an iconic NYC landmark for foodies and so I was definitely going to make a trip there.

 

I liked the Vanilla cupcake with chocolate buttercream, though it didn’t seem that much better than other cupcakes I’ve had? The cream was lovely though, but the whole thing was nice but pretty forgettable.

I was more impressed with the Red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing. The slight tartness of the cream cheese went beautifully with the moist cupcake. It definitely hit the spot :)

 

I also had a Blondie, because I was intrigued never having eaten one in my life. It’s basically a chewy cookie, cut into a bar/square shape, isn’t it?? Also kind of like a chocolate brownie, but with cake batter instead of chocolate… something like that any way.

I’m glad I bought it, because now I know what a Blondie tastes like. It’s just very sweet ;) Not bad though!

 

But…. but……. Magnolia Bakery’s Banana pudding OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One tub of absolutely luscious goodness.  It consists of creamy chilled pudding, with fresh bananas and cakey bits whipped in.

Oh joy.

Oh bliss.

I don’t know how else to describe it, but if you’re in NYC, go get a Banana Pudding for yourself, pronto!

 

 

I was also really wanting to check out Georgetown Cupcakes in SoHo, another cupcake joint that quite a few people recommended as well. Sadly, SoHo was flooded after Hurricane Sandy and we had no way to get there.. plus, I don’t even think they were open :(

But Mum did walk past Baked by Melissa and got a bunch of cupcakes. They are so teeny tiny cute! I thought the red velvet cupcake was pretty good but I’ve also had cupcakes just as good in Singapore.

 

Now, I’m SO GRATEFUL for the Levain Bakery recommendations I received from blog readers… because they rank right up there as one of my favourite cookies ever. Again, the bakery was closed shortly after Hurricane Sandy, but fortunately was back in business when we went back 2 days later – WHEW.

Blink and you’ll miss it, this bakery is a tiny shopfront with narrow steps that lead down into this squishy shop front. There’s a small counter there, and behind that is the bakery. And erm…. not much else! No products on display to look at, and I actually wasn’t sure what I was supposed to order, LOL.

 

“Errr.. you sell cookies?” I asked, a bit sheepishly.

I was told they do, in just 4 flavours – Chocolate Chip Walnut, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip.

The cookies don’t actually look like cookies!

They look more like big rocks, and heavy to boot. What I ADORE about them is their crusty exterior, and gooey interior. Oh myyyyyyy they are so good!!!!!!

My favourite was the Chocolate Chip Walnut – this surprised me as I normally don’t like nuts in my cookies. But it was terrific.

They were so good. An absolute must-visit in NYC!!! And I just want them to open a branch in Singapore. Pleaseeee??

 

My parent’s hotel was opposite Grom Gelato and my girl friend thought it was really comical how I’d keep walking past it once or twice a day (at least) and kept wanting to go in but was either too full to have one, or the weather was just too cold. Yet I kept wanting to check it out since quite a few people wrote to me raving on about Grom.

Well, when there’s a will, there’s a way! I finally bit the bullet and in we went.

I had the Dark chocolate gelato and it was really rich and creamy. A fantastic chocolate ice cream. I’d get that flavour again any day :)

 

 

So that’s all the NYC food posts I’m making. We did eat at other places, but I either forgot to take pics, or was too busy to! The stuff I’ve posted are pretty much all my faves anyway, so hope they helped at least someone :)

Next up?

MY SHOPPING IN NYC. 

That’s gonna be a doozy. Heh heh heh ;)

 

It’s true what they say about bagels being better in NYC. Apparently it’s due to the water, but they really are very good! Different to the bagels I’ve had in Singapore, which tend to be a bit bland and rather stiff. NYC’s bagels are dense but chewy.. with a lovely flavour.

I heard about Barney Greengrass via you guys too, and since it was close to where we were staying on the Upper West Side, we decided to pop in there for a takeaway lunch. Seems they’re actually pretty famous, with quite a few movies featuring the cafe!

 

It actually looks pretty interesting, and totally unlike anything you’d find in Singapore. Established in 1908, the cafe offers smoked sturgeon, and Nova Scotia salmon, both of which are top sellers. The guys behind the counter work really quickly, so it’s a great place to grab a quick takeaway.

 

 

I had the Smoked Sturgeon with tomato, on an onion bagel. It was about $20 or so, which I thought was incredibly expensive for a bagel?! That said, there were thick slices of fish, and they were really generous with the portion. Still though, I’d probably only pay half the price…

I thoroughly enjoyed the saltiness of the fish against the fluffy-chewiness of the bagel. The fish was meaty, with a great flavour and tender texture, and the sweetness and juiciness of the tomato capped it all off. Mmmm!

The other bagel was the Nova Scotia salmon bagel and hooboy that was INCREDIBLE. Better than the sturgeon one, and at $15 it’s slightly cheaper. Mum described it as “Oh my, the salmon is so creamy!!” and she was right, the smoked salmon was somehow so creamy and smooth and oily… oh it was wonderful. Wish we went back again for brunch on another day :P

 

 

 

My parents had heard about Zabar’s and, again, it was close to us, so we went to check it out. They specialise in bagels and yep, are also pretty famous and seen in movies. It looked like a typical breakfast/brunch/lunch place and also had a very fast-moving queue. So we grabbed and ran!

 

 

I really enjoyed their bagels. Went there twice, in fact. Both times, I had the Onion bagel with scallion cream cheese and it was super. They give you a little tub packed to the brim with the cream cheese, which I slather completely on the bagel (cut in half). Mmm… so tasty, and cheap to boot.

Oh, and I also tried their Pizza. It doesn’t look that exciting, but it’s fantastic. A thick fluffy and light crust (I love thick-crust pizza) with the perfect amount of sauce and cheese. It was just really really good!

 

 

Serendipity 3 was HIGH on my list for NYC eateries, especially after numerous people told me to go check it out. Guess I should’ve done a bit of research on it beforehand, because…. it was the most baby UN-friendly restaurant I have ever eaten at. Bar none.

I would’ve walked straight back out, but we were a pretty big group and were already there, and it was just all too difficult to go back out and find another place to eat at, so I just figured we could just suck it up and dine there.

It was REALLY hard. There’s a sign right up front saying “absolutely no strollers allowed inside” and the restaurant is small, cramped and loud. It’s so cramped that, even without babies, you’d have trouble seating yourselves. On top of that, there are NO baby chairs, only booster seats that are not attached to the chair in any way, and that the waiter deemed “not safe”. Errrr!

 

 

 

But we survived it. With babies awkwardly sitting on our laps as we ate, and with Hunter first being happy-as-a-clam and then going bonkers after he got sick of it all.

 

 

 

The service staff looked pretty frazzled (from the crowds of people there I suppose) but were still polite. I found the food a bit hit-and-miss though, so you basically gotta hope you picked the right dish :P

The Nachos with chili con carne surprised me because the nachos were black! I think they’re called “blue corn nachos” on the menu or something? They were lovely and crisp, and were actually a pretty big portion considering it was under the Appetizers menu.

 

I flat out adored their Seafood Fettucine in a basil cream sauce. It was perfection! Strands of pasta drenched in a super creamy and rich sauce that tasted simply heavenly. I’d get this dish again for sure if I were to go back!

 

The Cheddarburger looked rather small against the fries ;) I didn’t try any of this so I can’t comment much, but my girl friend scoffed it all!

 

I thought the Chili with Cheese Crepe was very un-glam looking ;) The dish was pretty much smack on ‘average’. It was decent and pretty tasty, but nothing special. Definitely wouldn’t order this again.

 

My vegetarian girl friend opted for the Asparagus and Jarlsberg Omelette which came with a pretty impressive serving of omelette. I didn’t have any of this either but it looked pretty good – or at least like something that you’d cook up at home!

 

Hunter was a bit manic-cheery through half of the meal.. then got over-tired and started struggling and screaming. Sigh. The only person that he’d let carry was Dad, whom he promptly fell asleep on, so poor Dad had to be spoon-fed by Mum for his meal!

 

Of course, EVERYONE that recommended Serendipity told me “GET THE FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE!!”. And so I did. I’m glad everyone else wasn’t greedy and insisted on dessert like I did, because the thing was massive!! It came in a large bowl, and being frozen chocolate, you can really only have a small portion. No way a single person can have this for dessert, alone?!

I thought it was pretty good.. rich and chocolately. But I think I prefer a regular hot chocolate as I reckon the iced version dilutes it a bit. It really isn’t thaaaat different to other iced chocolates I’ve had around either. But I’m glad I tried it, because it was such an iconic NYC dessert!

 

 

 

 

 

Now if you’re after a place that’s super-girly AND baby-friendly, you can’t go wrong with Sugar & Plumm. If you have a daughter, you simply must check this place out! She will love it :) Their tagline is “a spoonful of whimsy on the Upper West Side” and it is spot on.

The place is pretty spacious, and divided into a cafe on one side and a little shop and bakery on the other. The staff are dressed in these pretty purple dresses, and are really sweet and friendly. The place is unbelievably baby-friendly, with loads of high chairs, areas to park your stroller,  and even super-cute plastic cups with lids that they serve (complimentary) water in for the kids!! LOVE it.

 

 

Their Ham and gruyere buckwheat crepe was very well done and beautifully presented. Absolutely no complaints!

 

 

Their desserts are the stars of their menu, and the GRASSHOPPER (mint chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate sauce, peppermint patty) was a winner. It came in a tall frosted glass and was pretty luscious. Very filling, so two can probably share a milkshake!

 

I opted for the SMORE’S SUNDAE (chocolate ice cream, marshmallow, graham cracker, chocolate sauce) and really gave myself an ice cream overdose! It was 3 or 4 scoops of ice cream in there, and basically one gigantic sugar overload ;)

 

I wanted to blog our visit to Fratelli La Bufala because it was just so EPIC. Looking back on it now, I laugh. But all I wanted to do was cry when we were there.

Don’t get me wrong. The service was perfectly civil, and the food was good. It was super-packed though, as it was one of the (very few) restaurants that were open post-Hurricane Sandy, so everyone seemed to have rushed there. It was super noisy, cramped and bustling.. which is actually just fine for adults, but I guess it’s a no-go when there are young children involved.

 

Now, have a look at this face below………..

 

This little boy GAVE US HELL. Not just at this particular restaurant, but also the next night at another Italian restaurant (which is actually where I took this photo). Let’s just say that my parents couldn’t dine anywhere if they were with Hunter. He just wouldn’t let them!

I’m guessing it was the change of country that did it for him – the different schedules, environment etc. So when ever we took him out for a meal, he would go psycho. He’d swing between going “Heeeellllooooo!!!” at everyone and being super-fun, to screaming his head off and throwing everything on the ground. In a split second. It was insanity. And so stressful because other diners would stare at us (who wants a toddler acting up when you’re trying to eat?!) and there was nothing we could do to control him – distractions only worked for seconds, scolding him would set him off even louder, trying to pander to him would also make him turn it up a notch.

Oddly, the moment we got back to Singapore, he’s been just fine when dining out (which we do frequently, so not like he’s not used to it).. except when he’s super-tired. So I guess he just doesn’t deal well in a different country when it comes to meal times!

Anyway, so apart from his antics… the food there was really good. At least I think it was. None of us really got to taste or enjoy any of it because we were so stressed and also swallowing everything at top speed so we could get outta there ASAP!

I loved the presentation of their Salad. I can’t remember the exact name, but it came out like artwork. The different ingredients each had a little section on the plate, and the dish was lovely.

 

We had a Ham, mushroom, artichoke pizza. I loved the doughy freshly-baked crust! It was pretty big, with lots of ingredients on it. I particularly liked the slightly smokey flavour and smell of the crust.

 

Then we had their Cannelloni. It’s a house special, and came out looking rather surprising! It’s one l-o-n-g cannelloni that has various sections, each with different ingredients. This was my favourite dish – the pasta was very well done, and the flavours were just beautiful. Plus, great presentation!

 

At least the littlest one was well behaved. The fab thing about Carter is that he’s very straightforward. He’s happy most of the time and dishes out huge grins, and he’s easily pleased – all you need to do is make eye contact and smile at him. When he’s hungry or tired, he’ll yell (and oh boy is he LOUD!) but at least it’s usually easy to solve. Thank goodness for young babies – they are always so much easier to handle than toddlers!

 

I was in junk food heaven in NYC. Their junk food is simply the best, if that even makes sense. So mega thanks to those of you that recommended the places below… your recs were spot on and I just loved the places!

So first up is Shake Shack. So utterly fabulous that I went there twice and truly regretted not making the time to go there a third and forth time. So delicious that even my Dad, the anti-junk food king, ate one of their burgers after it’d gone cold (I got one takeaway for him) and wanted to go back to eat another one, fresh this time.

There’s always a line at Shake Shack, but don’t be turned off, it’s super quick. It’s like a production line of wham bam thank you m’aam and before you know it, you’re placing your order.

 

 

No, I’m just kidding. I didn’t order THAT much.. though I wish I’d did after tasting my burger!

I went for their signature ShakeBurger and it was…. fantastic. Ranks right up there with In n Out burger (my fave burger), if not even better!

Don’t even know how to describe it, but let’s just say that this is what a burger should be, and hooboy it is excellent.

The Cheese fries are actually pretty unexciting.. synthetic cheese doesn’t quite do it for me. However, I loved the fries au natural, since crinkle cut fries are my fave. I just dip them in mayonnaise and I’m happy!

Their signature Shack-cago Dog didn’t quite do it for me either. The sausage was really really salty, and unexciting. I also found the inclusion of cucumber in the hot dog very strange, and I’m not a fan of raw onions.

I had their Strawberry milkshake and it was lusciously thick and creamy.  Overall, I’d say Shack Shack do THE BEST BURGERS that will leave you reeling and wanting to go back. Often. However, their other items on the menu were only average for me. I’m desperately craving one of their burgers right now!!

 

 

Gray’s Papaya is right near where I was staying, and the snaking queue got me excited. This queue was even faster than Shack Shack’s. In fact, it wasn’t even really a queue as it moved so quickly I just kept moving forward until there I was, with a hot dog in hand, without even realising it ;)

 

 

I paid US$4.75 for 2 hot dogs and a drink. The hot dog was YUMMY. So simple – just a sausage slapped on a hot dog and with some onions and tomato sauce. But somehow, it’s done really well. It really hit the spot! Be warned, they’re pretty small though, so you’ll need 2 hot dogs to feel remotely full.

I got the pina colada drink which was really refreshing, albeit super sweet.

 

And, lastly, The Halal Guys food cart on 53rd and 6th St. I got SO many recommendations on this place it’s crazy. When I told my gf, she looked at me with crazy-eyes. “Ummm… it’s street food”, she said, “You only go there if you have no money, or if you’re drunk”.

Actually, that sort of description actually appeals to me.

So off we went, me dragging her and our babies! The Halal Guys literally is a food cart (I thought it was just a name, that it’d be a cafe), plonked on the corner and looking…. ermmm…… dodgy as all hell ;)

There was a mountain of meat bits chucked on a metal grill, cooked up and popped onto a foil plate filled to the brim with rice and a side salad. And hooboy, it smelled gooooood.

 

The Falafel plate had 5 chunky falafels on rice, with pita and a small salad. I LOVED the felafels! They were done really well, and were delicious dipped into the yogurt sauce (which we also drenched the rice with).

 

The Chicken plate was similar, but with bits of chicken instead. It didn’t look very appetizing, but it really was! The chicken was tender and tasty, and served on the same delicious rice. LOVED IT.

 

These are my Must Visit Places for NYC. I know they’re cheap dodgy junk food, but they’re really good and worth a visit. Promise my next few NYC-food entries will be a little more fancy for those of you that don’t like this sort of food!

If you’re looking for fine-dining places around NYC though, you aren’t going to find any here. It’s next to impossible to dine with a baby, a psycho toddler with mood swings (yeah I’m looking at you, Hunter), and also extra babies since I was out with girl friends most of the time. So fancy stuff was off our list.

SoHo places are also totally omitted, since.. erm…. they were all flooded. I never got a chance to step into SoHo to shop (missed out on the Balenciaga flag ship store there, *cries*), or to eat. We were simply cut off as the bridges were closed and transportation was shut down :(

So, all we got to eat was around the Upper West Side and Upper East Side areas. I guess that’s not too bad, since there are a ton of restaurants there anyway!