21/50 NYC Adventures: Basking in Bryant Park

Basking in Bryant Park.

Bryant Park is just glorious. Located in Midtown, tucked squarely between the busy-ness of Times Square, the Rockefeller Center & Grand Central Station, this park is a standout NYC spot. Bring a blanket to lounge on, or not. There are tables and chairs aplenty, ready to serve your every park-loving whim. Substantially smaller than Central Park, this is an excellent spot to meet a friend for lunch and bask in the citylicious fun of Midtown. With lots of greenery and foliage to bathe your scurried mind in a peaceful calm. Ahhhh, breathe in that oxygen.

There is just something about Bryant Park that is old-school, inviting some kind of connection to the past generations of corporate New Yorkers. Their leather-bound briefcases and smart, tailored suits. Gazing upward at the impressive structures that represent industry, success, power. But here? Put business time aside and just relax. It's the perfect place to meet a pal for lunch. To ice skate in the winter. To read in the summer. Come visit the free Art Cart! Yes, there are free arts and crafts, where you can just draw and paint for hours, lounging by Le Carrousel. What is that? Oh, just the most charming, fanciful merry-go-round in the city. Or if that's not your thing, you can always head over to the Putting Green or Potanque Court for a friendly game. And did I mention the summer long Film Festival? Oh, how I loathe that I cannot be present for this summer's lineup of classic films. This park seriously has it going on, hosting every kind of community activity from yoga to book club to juggling, modern dance and fencing. Yes, fencing.

Yum.

I recently met my sweetheart friend Jenna in Bryant Park for a quick (and delicious!) sandwich at 'Wichcraft, a delicious food cart of sorts. We met each other in Boston when we worked for an ad agency (she hired me!) and we somehow both found ourselves in NYC not too shortly after. I have loved getting time to explore the city with her. On this particularly perfect sunny afternoon, we basked in the breezy warmth and discussed the craziness of living in this city, and the craziness of leaving the city. And she gave me a most beautiful, poignant gift: this book, Good Bye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York. It is a meaningful collection of essays, an homage highlighting all the glorious and gritty that New York offers its proud citizens. Such a sweet gift. I sat in the park for the afternoon, after she scurried back to her office, and read and read and read. And found a thankful peace in the midst of such a strange, exciting transition.

Basking. And thankful.

Thank you, sweet Jenna, for celebrating our departure from New York as a positive thing. For making me feel that this bittersweet decision is really just a progression from one season to the next, leaving a delicious taste in my mouth for this wonderful place I was proud to call home, even if only for a short time. And thanks to Bryant Park, I will always remember that feeling :)

20/50 NYC Adventures: Black Seed Bagel

Black Seed Bagel.

Word on the street is that this is THE PLACE for bagels in NYC. Forget those monstrous, slathered-in-cream-cheese, bloated New York bagels... Black Seed Bagel boasts the latest and greatest recipe in the bageling world. It's the only place in Manhattan serving this style... and it hails from Canada. That's right. You read me correctly. CANADA. Much like the cronuts at Dominique Ansel's, people line up at the crack of dawn to score their beloved breakfast bread. And sometimes? Well, Black Seed runs out. So you better hurry.

The Hype.

Why all the fuss? Apparently Montreal-style breakfast bagels are the jam these days. How do I know this? Weeeeeeeeeeell, I went to this uber-posh dinner party for a dear friend, and let me tell you, the guests at this gig were SO CHIC. A real New York moment, honestly. I don't know how I got invited. One guy was a fashion designer, another guy was an artist (like, a REAL one), another dude and his wife started this super cool blog that was taking Manhattan's restaurant realm by storm. It was like everywhere I turned, there was another awesomely accomplished, interesting-souled person to talk to. And one of those delightful humans shed some light on the "best bagel in the world" that I "absolutely HAD to try" before moving out of NYC. So I mean, what do you do when a stranger so strongly recommends something? Usually nothing. But people, he was talking about BREAKFAST FOOD. So, an obvious exception.

Taste the Gluten. DO IT.

Thank God we listened to him. Black Seed Bagel blew my mind. And our mystery friend was right - it was the best bagel I had ever tasted. Stevie and & seriously considered getting back in line for seconds. Why are they so great? These bagels are significantly smaller than NYC bagels, with a honeyed hint of sweetness and an almost almond-esque finish. It could be the fact that they bake them in a brick-fire oven. Or the way they hand-roll the dough and then poach the bagel in its final moment before serving. Could it be the butter-glazed outside, the tenderly crisped inside? Stevie opted for the Everything Bagel with cold-smoked salmon, avocado, tomato & cream cheese, while I omitted the salmon and had everything else. It was truly, truly SO GRAND. Ah, I'm salivating just at the memory.

Just Sayin'.

You lucky Manhattan-ites - go and get it. NOW.

19/50 NYC Adventures: The Soho Saunter.

The Soho Saunter.

Still reminiscing over some memorable moments in NYC from the past few months. Stevie and I spent a glorious day sauntering around Soho (I would say "stroll", but these days, my stroll has slowed down a good bit, thanks to pregnancy feet). We had such a happy Saturday in the sun that we subsequently returned to Soho everyday for about a week in a row, just because we couldn't stop exploring, eating and shopping! It's a bit of a trek down to this hood from the Upper West Side (New Yorkers, permission to obnoxiously eye-roll here), so in the winter we never took the time to wander around this area. Thankfully, a few weeks ago we did and had THE BEST DAY. If you wanted to wander around for a few morning hours in Soho, here's what I would do (because I did!)

Ground Support Cafe OR Brunch at Hundred Acres.

Start with brunch at Hundred Acres. My sweet friend Jenna introduced me to this place in the fall and I just fell for it. It's quaint and delicious, tucked right in the heart of Soho at MacDougal between Prince St. & W. Houston. When you step inside and wander throughout the rooms of the restaurant (it's cozy like a friend's home), there is a warm charm that puts you at ease. Almost as if Christopher Robbin invited you over for breakfast and his mom is in the kitchen, whipping up some honey-brie pancakes and waiting for the rest of the gang to arrive. It's just got a great vibe :) The menu changes a lot with the season, so everything tastes really fresh and "of the moment". Without a doubt - you must order the "appetizer" cinnamon rolls. SO GOOD.

If you're not feeling a big sit-down, filling brunch meal, you could do a quick stop by Ground Support Cafe. This place has awesome coffee, lattes, you name it, and quiet little places to sit down inside and out. We opted for outside so we could people watch... which we did for a while. So much good fashion walks by you in Soho.

Treats at Laduree.

Post-coffee time always beckons a hit of something sweet. Well, look at that, right across the street from Ground Support is the famed Laduree, the Parisian macaroon parlor. Laduree is known for flying in the macaroons from Paris several times per week, so you can't get much more French than this. You also can't get much more expensive - they are like $3.50 a piece! But we had to try one. I personally love macaroons, but I've never been able to get Stevie hooked - he's more of a ice cream and brownies kind of guy. As you can see:

// Perhaps not totally pleased. But look at him rocking our Euro Trip Kavu bag with pride! //

What can I say? At least he talked me out of buying the $20 box of them... I would have scarfed those puppies down alone. The flavors I personally loved were the Citron, the Marie-Antoinette & the Carmel a la fleur de sel. There are some other equally amazing treats at Laduree. We just drooled, didn't partake.

Ah, the French are so fanciful. At this point, you might be rightfully full and needing a break to just walk around. Wander! Shop! And maybe see a celebrity acting all "please don't notice me", sitting at a sidewalk cafe in gigantic sunglasses. That's right, you weren't hiding, Tyra Banks. Don't act all coy with me. (But people, the eyes? So fierce.) There is so much to see and do in Soho. Yes, it can be a bit touristy, but where in NYC isn't?? When there's great weather, the people are out!

// Totally snapchatted my sisters immediately after seeing Tyra Banks. Because DUH. //

Sweets in Soho. 

Soho, what a wondrous day you showed us. I have more fun spots that we discovered in this neighborhood, but I'll save those to share next! :)

18/50 NYC Adventures: THE CRONUT

THE CRONUT.

I've been waiting a while to share about this dynamite treat. Never was there such a curious, outrageous, truly spectacular sugary specimen as the cronut. The CRONUT. Masterminded by the pastry architects at the Dominique Ansel Bakery in Soho, the cronut is one of the few great hybrids of our time, the delicate marriage of a fluffy, flaky croissant and a decadent, rich donut. Let that sink in for a moment. A CROISSANT DONUT. And the wonder doesn't stop. Not only is the texture soft like butter, coated in rich molasses granules, but the flavors... they are just over-the-top outrageous. This particular one? Passionfruit with Maple glaze. Dear Lord, I just became a believer all over again.

The cronut is so famous in Manhattan that people line up every morning, beginning at 6:30 AM, to attempt a purchase. You see, there is a 2 per person limit. You aren't allowed to purchase any more than that. I mean, you can purchase OTHER pastries. But the cronut? They only make 350 each day and they sell out within an hour. So when you finally score a cronut, you've definitely earned your day's quota of bragging rights. There is no shame in sauntering into work (perhaps even a few minutes late, just for the statement), all smug like, "Yeah... got cronuts this morning." Wait for the jaws to drop. Wait for the pain-stricken howls of envy and regret from your coworkers. You know what you won't experience? Attitude for the asinine choice you made to wait in a forever-long line, in strange (sometimes evil) wintery weather, and pay far too much, all for a pastry. Nope. No one will question your race for the cronut. They just won't.

// The sexiest pastry of our time. //

// Celebrating its 1-year birthday! //

The Truth.

Of course, I can't tell you any of this from experience. I never waited in that god-forsaken line. Because an angel of the Lord delivered my cronut TO MY DOOR (cue epic Celine Dion ballad NOW.)

I've mentioned our delightful foodie friends Anthony and Jessica before (here and here), and I'm sure to shout their names from the rooftops again, but on this particular day? Well, they made me want to live in Manhattan, on the same block as them, FOR-EV-ER. Anthony, out of the dear kindness of his heart (and after previously hearing that Stevie and I had never indulged in this cronut mischief), decided to surprise us with cronuts. He got up early. He went ALL THE WAY DOWNTOWN (ugh, such a chore), in rush hour, no less. He waited in that looooooooong line. He purchased two (overpriced) cronuts. And he brought them home after work, delivering them to us in that stylish, infamous cronut-y packaging that can make you a target to get hoodlum-jumped on the subway. He did all of that. For us. I'm seriously tearing up just writing about it.

Guys. It was SO DEEEEEEEEEEELICIOUSSSSSSS. It was the ambrosia of the gods. The sweet honeyed nectar from a mythical, mystical, magical, emotional alternative universe of taste-sensory glory.

And of course, after indulging in the most decadent treat of my life, we immediately made plans to GO TO THERE.

Here we are, there, eating other delightful Dominique Ansel treats. The DKA, the Frozen S'more (and Stevie snagged a cheesecake-y thing for later!) We were undone.

And then we were done.

// Yes, that precious soul is blow-torching our S'more. Amen. //

// Other fine delicacies. //

Getyusome.

Nothing can compare. Nothing can come close. This was the pastry to take the cake (literally) and we are forever changed. Thank you, dearest Anthony & Jessica, for being the kindest, most giving creatures in Manhattan-land, and for GIVING US THE GIFT OF CRONUT.

Upper West Side Walls

This was Stevie's idea. We wandered around for the afternoon, and he wanted to capture the color, texture and hilarity of the UWS "walls" in our neighborhood. I just love his creative, blonde self. In all seriousness, he is a wizard with the camera. Enjoy his photo journey.

// The original colorblock. //

// Iconic brownstones. Aren't they just lovely? //

// Epitome of moving in Manhattan. //

// It cracks me up how "New York" these people look. //

UWS

We love our little neighborhood. We're gonna miss it.