I mentioned in my post the other day that my cousin got married in Manhattan back in June, which gave me an excuse to hang out in New York for a few days. But honestly, when does anyone ever need an excuse to hang out in New York? London, New York, Hong Kong…best cities in the world in my opinion and cities I never need an excuse to visit. Here’s where I ate and drank when I was in New York.

The National Bar & Dining Rooms: When my brother dropped me off at The Benjamin, I still hadn’t had lunch yet so after checking in, I headed straight to the hotel restaurant. It was totally packed with movers and shakers and I was ignored there for a while. I ordered a chicken caesar salad which arrived as a sliced chicken breast and some lettuce and a tiny dollop of dressing. Errr…the bare minimum. I ate it and paid like a gazillion dollars for it and swore to never return. The Verdict: Pass.

Le Relais De Venise L’Entrecote: I knew we’d be able to have a quick lunch at Le Relais De Venise L’Entrecote in Midtown, which would let me get back to the hotel with enough time to get ready for the wedding. If you’re not familiar with the restaurant’s concept, it’s pretty much all you can eat steak and frites and green salad. The restaurant was practically empty when we arrived and still half empty when we left. We managed to demolish a lot of steak and a lot of frites and a surprisingly copious amount of green salad. Service was polite, efficient and surprisingly French throughout. This was a definite crowd pleaser.  The Verdict: I like it.

Jue Lan Club: In the mood for Asian food the morning after the wedding — and in an attempt to relive our youth — we dropped into Jue Lan Club, located within the old Limelight. (I really can’t believe The Limelight is now a gym, a set of boutique shops, and a Chinese restaurant.) Service was oddly elderly Italian and it was all you can drink Bellinis. (Or maybe it was just two Bellinis. That’s what I had. Two Bellinis.) The food was nothing to write home about, and the atmosphere was oddly quiet and oddly odd. We should have gone to Chinatown.  The Verdict: Pass.

Cosme: You know how after you spend a lot of time with friends and family, you really need an escape? Well Cosme was mine. I booked a table for one here seriously within a month I think of seeing the new season of Netflix Chef’s Table, featuring chef Enrique Olvera and his restaurant in Mexico City, Pujol. I liked Cosme, but the service was just so darn fast, I was done with my meal in about 45 minutes. (My server was tremendously sweet, to be fair.) It’s a very large space — cavernous — and the tables are spread out, which is nice. The Verdict: Good but not as good as Pujol. Plus, too fast for me.

Astoria

I spent a few nights with my brother in Astoria and understood immediately why he liked it so much there. Lots of cool restaurants and bars and a great neighborhood vibe. The area is rapidly gentrifying though…highrises taking the place of old bungalows. I had to work a lot while  I was at my brother’s, so I relied on him to bring me food: New York pizza, bagel sandwiches, and the occasional empanada, but here are a few places I tried while I was in the hood.

The Sparrow Tavern: I REALLY liked The Sparrow. It was pretty expensive for what it was…I think lunch for two was $50…but the old school meets new school vibe was great, our server was great, and my pulled pork sandwich was surprisingly tasty. Also…the pickles were excellent. This experience was probably helped by the fact that my brother apparently eats here a lot. The Verdict: Go if you are in the ‘hood.

Mosaic: Much like I had my getaway moment at Cosme, I also had my getaway moment at Mosaic, a wine bar down the street from my brother’s. Yes, I went to a bar by myself while I was in Astoria. But my brother had a late work call so it was just me and the dog hanging out. Rather than just sit around and watch TV,  I checked Foursquare for places to go in the ‘hood and they directed me here. I liked Mosaic, although I liked the drunk people sitting next to me less. Also, they need to check their margins on the roast nuts they’re selling. I can’t believe how large my portion was for the price. The Verdict: It’s okay. Better with friends probably.

I’m probably missing more than a few bagel places on this list, and then there’s also the bar at The Waldorf Astoria, which my cousin Jen and I hit up late one night  — best line of the trip: “What do you mean you’re closing in ten minutes? I thought this was the city that never sleeps!!??”

Indeed.

The post Eating & Drinking in Manhattan, with a Side of Astoria first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

My cousin — who will forever be eight in my mind — got married in New York in June. It was a great excuse to spend some time in Manhattan — this would be a real New York wedding, attended by all New Yorkers, smack dab in the middle of the city.

Because I wasn’t quite sure what would all be involved in the wedding,  I wanted to stay close to the venue, a catering hall and steakhouse across the street from the Waldorf Astoria. I also knew that because I would be in New York for over a week, I didn’t want to break the bank. New York has a way of adding up — especially after all the eating and drinking — so I was already planning on staying with my brother in Astoria for a few nights. After a bunch of comparison shopping,  I settled on The Benjamin on 50th and Lexington, just a two block walk from where the wedding would take place.

Thanks to all those years in financial services, when I give myself a budget, I stick with it! I used some Expedia points that I’ve had hanging around for a while and got my two night-stay down from $584.60 to $506.94 or $253.47 a night. If you don’t know about Expedia points, you can essentially earn up to 2 Expedia Rewards Point per $1 spent on flights, hotels, activities, and packages that include a hotel. Then you can redeem those points for flights and hotels on Expedia. The great thing is that you can still totally “double dip” and still earn frequent flyer miles and hotel points on your stays too. (Note that I use my points through my US Expedia account. I believe the UK program is different and involves Nectar points but don’t quote me.)

My brother dropped me off at the hotel and the staff couldn’t have been lovelier. Check-in was efficient and friendly. The hotel lobby is super small and not a place to linger so I quickly headed up to my room.

The room had a microwave, which I thought was a great touch, and one of the most fully-stocked minibars I’ve ever seen. Later in the day, I popped out to Duane Reade — who doesn’t love an American pharmacy —  for microwave popcorn (pun fully intended) so I could have a little snack after the wedding festivities. For some reason, I spend a lot of time in Duane Reades when I am in New York. Standard shopping list: Secret deodorant; Gillette razor blades (they are much cheaper in the US); People and US  magazines, maybe InStyle too; Twizzlers; big fat tubes of Colgate toothpaste; Ziploc bags in all sizes (!!!); Pond’s Cold Cream (Super cheap and I love it); Noxema (again, super cheap but I love it); Tylenol PM (jet lag cure); tortillas (I’m serious); and maybe, just maybe if I feel like risking glass jars in my suitcase, a few jars of Pace Picante Sauce — yum.

The Verdict: The hotel restaurant at The Benjamin as nothing to write home about — my ceasar salad was distinctly unmemorable — and the hotel’s elevators were tiled like showers, which was a little odd. But the bell staff were some of the friendliest I’ve ever met and the wifi was free and plentiful. All in all, The Benjamin is a sweet little hotel in a convenient location. I recommend it.

Book a New York City Tour

The post Sleeping in New York: The Benjamin first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

After some time out in the suburbs with my cousin and her husband, I headed back into the city for the final few nights of my stay. Do you know what I noticed about the New York City subway system? There are barely any escalators and the stairs are very steep. Now of course, London’s underground is much further underground, so escalators are necessary. But the steepness of the stairs? As I schlepped my fairly large suitcase around New York City, I nearly broke both legs a number of times. We are talking stairs that are seriously on a 45 degree angle. London does a better job at planning for volume.

The Viceroy is on W 57th street, just two blocks south of Central Park. There’s a Duane Reade right on the corner in case you need to stock up on essentials. (I always do.) And most importantly, The Viceroy has an awesome rooftop bar with a great view northwards across Central Park.

I liked my room here A LOT. The cabinetry alone was gorgeous. The tilework in the bathroom was also gorgeous. In short, this is a gorgeous, gorgeous hotel, and it smells gorgeous too. (Although there are many people online who complain about the signature scent, I kinda liked it.) Here’s what else I liked and disliked:

What I liked…

1. I liked the doormen and the chilly blast of AC that greeted you when you stepped within 10 feet of the hotel entrance.
2. I liked the gym a lot. It is a great, fully equipped hotel gym.
3. I loved the rooftop bar.
4. I loved the room decor.
5. I really loved the location and the proximity to the subway.

What I didn’t like…

1. I did not get the warm fuzzies from the hotel staff at all, unlike The Thompson where they seemed like hip, interesting people that I’d like to hang out with.
2. I didn’t like the hotel restaurant. I had a late lunch there one afternoon and my pasta dish was distinctly unmemorable.
3. I didn’t like the nightclub atmosphere with the separate entrance for the rooftop bar.

All in all though, this was a high quality hotel and I would be delighted to stay here again. I would just make sure I ate elsewhere!

I booked my stay at The Viceroy New York on Booking.com, which is rapidly becoming my new favorite place to book hotels. (The information seems better organized than what you find on Expedia.) This was an all-in price of $285 USD, which again is a great value for Manhattan. Note that this was one of those non-refundable rates. 

The post Sleeping in New York Part II: The Viceroy first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

I had a couple of things to do inside and outside of New York City back in July during my stay, so I spread my visit across two different hotels, one downtown and one uptown. You might know that I’m also quite in love with hotels and struggle with more than four or five nights in the same one — I get bored — so variety is key!

My first hotel was The Thompson Guiildhall, down on Wall Street, which turned out to be very convenient to the Women’s World Cup Parade. (Yey Team USA!) It was also convenient to the World Trade Center Memorial, where I spent a couple of hours one morning. (And then returned to the hotel and had a glass of wine.)

Although The Thompson was a tiny bit worn around the edges and the bathroom wasn’t my favorite — it was super small — I loved the decor of my room and the huge ass TV. I don’t normally watch a lot of TV when I travel (or at all, really), but I am totally in love with the Property Brothers and was eager to do a little gorging.  (The amount of HGTV I watch when I’m in the States suggests that maybe I should get into property.)

What I liked and didn’t like:

1. The glass of prosecco they poured me upon arrival.
2. The location and the little coffee shop on the corner.
3. The proximity to multiple bagel shops.
4. The convivial bar.

What I didn’t like:

1. The bathroom was a tad basic for my tastes. I like a bit more space. I know this is NYC but…
2. They do this thing where they have mini gyms on each floor. One treadmill and one elliptical and some free weights. I like how they are trying to maximize their space, but it’s a little weird to be in such a small room with one other person. I felt like I was invading on their workout.
3. In general, everything was a little run down and worn and torn. Not by a huge amount, but dings on the walls, scratches on the furniture, etc.
4. Wine at the bar was not cheap. (This may be a greater New York City problem, of course.)
5. It was practically impossible to get a taxi to Penn Station when I left the hotel on a Sunday afternoon, and I made my train by the skin of my teeth. The doorman and I were both at our wits’ end. He promised it’s never normally like that but…

Would I stay here again? Maybe…while the hotel was convenient for my needs at the time, I probably would stay more in Greenwich Village/Soho next time or more midtown. It’s definitely a quality property though so if you have a lot of business to conduct in the Wall Street area, I’d give it a go.

I booked the Thompson Hotel on Hotwire at the bargain price of $183 USD before taxes. With fees, it was $232 USD, which I think is extremely reasonable for a hotel of this quality in Manhattan. Read my post on how I save money on hotels using Hotwire. 

The post Sleeping in New York Part I: The Thompson Guildhall first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

I am the most disappointing New York tourist. “Where are you from?” they ask me at the beginning of every tour and every interaction where I haven’t had to say the word DAWN. (The only word that still give me away.) “Long Island,” I say. And then they look away because they know I won’t spend any money!!! They’d rather that I was from Omaha. They want me to buy a t-shirt. Or a key ring. Or something.

But I don’t care. Because I LOVE NEW YORK. And I am in it! And I am LEGIT. It’s a always a little weird when I go back. Because I know where I’m going. Even though I really don’t know where I am going because I haven’t spent much time in New York since like 1992, I still know that Penn Station and Macy’s are at 34th Street. I still know that Grand Central is on 42nd. I still know that Central Park starts at 59th.  These are small things to know, but they are important landmarks on your mostly north/south traverse of Manhattan Island.

One week was not enough time! I need to go back Here’s where I ate and drank and cried while I was in town:

Where I ate and drank…

Long Island Bagels, Wall Street: OK, these weren’t my favorite bagels — Lou’s were better — but their jet-lag friendly opening hours and relative proximity to my hotel, The Thompson, made Long Island Bagels a no brainer. (And, well, I’m from Long Island so there’s that.) Free wifi too! I went here twice for salt bagels with veggie cream cheese. The Verdict: Good. But not the best.

Lou’s Bagels, Wall Street: One morning, when I had a little more time on my hands, I went to Lou’s Bagels. The queue was out the door and down the street. Great sign! I had — surprise — a salt bagel with veggie cream cheese. (I sweated the salt out while I was in town, I promise.) The Verdict: Very, very good.

Grand Central Oyster Bar, Grand Central: My first time. Totally not what I expected. It’s like one big dive bar. The staff fights with each other in front of you, for real. It’s WEIRD. I should have remembered what it was like to hang around Grand Central when I was a kid. Slightly scary. (It’s really much improved now.) BUT! I still stuffed my face with oysters and wine, although I wanted it all to be a little more — how shall we say — neat and tidy and calm? The Verdict: You should probably go here and maybe you’ll like it here and maybe I’ll like it more the next time I go.

La Villetta, Midtown East: My friend Monica knows the owner so we caught up over low-carb entrees while Monica told us about her upcoming triathlons and her 3rd child, born just a few months earlier. I mean, I know I’m pretty lazy, but I felt really lazy after this meal because I do not plan on running any triathlons anytime soon and I haven’t even had one child yet, forget about three. So I ran for 20 minutes on the treadmill the next morning and went clothing shopping for my cousin’s kids later in the day. That’s about as close as I will get.

Five Senses, K-Town: Kristin was in town from LA so Shin and I met up for lunch with her in K-town. Korean pancakes…they get me every time. And this was an excellent version thereof. Stuffed — and I mean stuffed — with seafood. I was going to order a main dish but decided instead just to eat all the pancake. The Verdict: Loved it.

Bar at Bergforfs, Midtown West: On a hot day, I needed some cool shopping. I popped into Bergdorfs, conveniently located around the corner from my 2nd hotel, The Viceroy, and massaged the expensive candles that Leonid from Bob Bob Ricard loves. (I like them too but the budget right now sadly does not allow.) Given my “Summer of Krista” financial situation, I did not buy anything except one glass of Albarino in the very pleasant bar upstairs. (With free wifi.) The Verdict: Expensive, but good if you need a breather.

Gramercy Tavern, Flatiron District: After stocking up at, uh, all the same stores they have in London, I dropped into The Gramercy Tavern for a late lunch. The staff were awesome. My food was good and the vibe was good but…I don’t know. I had higher expectations of the food and the atmosphere. I expected there to be more flowers? The Verdict: It’s nice.

Excellent Dumpling House, Chinatown: Heh heh heh. After my foot massage (keep reading), I wanted a snack so I got some pretty excellent dumplings from the aptly named Excellent Dumpling House. I ate them back at my hotel while watching reruns of The Property Brothers. Bliss. The Verdict: Cheap. Not so cheerful. But I liked my dumplings.

John’s of Bleeker Street: My college friend Doug and his wife met me for the real deal New York pizza at John’s of Bleeker Street. This place is a little scuzzy — I really can’t recommend the loos at all — but the pizza did the trick. Terrible beer and wine selection. Cash only. Totally suspect ATM in the back. The Verdict: Great pizza. Just wish it was nicer.

Where I cried…

9/11 Memorial: I organized a tour of the facility through the official 9/11 memorial museum and I cried. They do a great job with negative space. Negative space I think says it all. The Verdict: You should go here and you should take the tour but be ready to be overwhelmed by all the things left behind. And the negative space.

Renew Bowery Foot Massage: Because I can’t write about 9/11 and leave things on a sad note, I also cried when I went to Chinatown for a foot massage after a long day of walking. William — apparently the teacher — realigned my spine but only touched my feet. It HURT so bad — I cried — but it hurt oh so good I felt like a new person the next day. I was bummed when a regular came in and William left me with his student to do my other foot. The student did a good job, but William was much more awesome. The Verdict: Go, but be ready to cry if you ask for and get William. (Who you really should ask for.)

I love New York! I feel like I am among my people there…when I don’t feel like my people are in London, that is. I need to get back more often! Much more often!

Book a New York City Tour

The post My Week in New York City first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

I was born in Queens. Raised on Long Island. Call me Bridge & Tunnel but I am more New Yorker than a lot of people. And I miss my people. I miss our directness, our way of talking. In London, I learned to talk AROUND the subject; in New York, I address it straight on.

Three nights in New York City. Three nights that were enough, but not enough. I need to do this more often.

Friday: Dinner with Shinny and Monica at Shin’s place on the Upper West Side, where Shinny tested her recipes on us. (Shinny is an MBA and Michelin chef, now doing her own thing with food.)

Check out Shin’s blog for her recipe for Soy Pickled Peppers

Saturday: Food tour of the West Village with Sidewalks of New York with a tour guide who had had gastric bypass surgery. (Fscinating career choice.) Then a visit to the Apple store and a great chin wag with Jessica (Londoners might remember her as Ripe London) over wine and cheese at Bar Boulud.  Afterwards, I arrived back at my hotel and stopped in the lobby to pick up some (more) wine and cheese (complimentary, this time). Then, a late night fight in the hotel room above me where I heard a woman yell “Get your hands off me! Get your hands off me!” over and over and over and over and over and over again. I called the front desk. I tried not to listen.

Sunday: Lunch with so many friends with so many babies at a unmemorable Chinese restaurant with a B on the door on the Upper West Side. (I love the NYC version of Scores on the Doors.) $24 per adult and the children were well-behaved. A long walk over to the Lower East Side Tenement Association and a FANTASTIC tour (book ahead), followed by a stop at the Crosby Street Hotel (Firmdale, don’t you know) and meeting up with an old friend for Red Stripes at Miss Lily’s. Then, the most amazing of bands and the most amazing of trombone players at Madame Geneva’s on Bleeker Street.

Monday: Sore head. Sore heart. Bagel full of suitcases from Ess-a-bagel on 1st and 21st. Lunch with Shinny at David Burke Kitchen, in the basement of my hotel, where the duck meatballs were spicy but the service was missing, hiding, gone for most of our meal. Shinny brought me some Excedrin, like a good friend, and I got in a taxi and I went to the airport and I bought some magazines and I flew home. Sore head, sore heart.

The post New York, I Love You. The Things That Happened. first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

The Eventi Hotel, Midtown

During this latest trip to New York, I was extremely lucky. For my Friday night stay, I scored a free night at The Eventi Hotel on 6th and 30th because it’s a Kimpton hotel and I had saved up enough Kimpton love for a free stay. On Saturday, I was also very lucky in that the wonderful folks behind Hyatt offered to put me up for the night in one of their wonderfully sniffle-free Respire rooms at the Grand Hyatt New York. (More about that later.) Combine that with the amazingly cheap flight I booked on United Airlines and this was a very cheap weekend. (Except for the food. Obviously, as I mentioned the other day, I spent more than $300 on food between Friday and Saturday. Priorities, people…)

I love love love Kimpton hotels. Firstly, because of the free wifi. Secondly–and I don’t know if this is a new thing–but during my last two stays, they’ve given me a $15 voucher for the minibar. Thirdly, the free wine reception every night between 5 and 6 pm. Call me crazy, but I like talking to strangers, and the free wine reception provides a great opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers.

The rooms at The Eventi in New York are a bit on the smaller side, but the bathrooms are wonderfully huge. (I contrast this with The Burnham in Chicago, where I normally stayed when I was a visitor. Close the door to the bathroom and your knees are in your chest.) My only quibbles with Eventi are like this: I ordered room service when I arrived on Friday and it took over 50 minutes to arrive. I had to call three times to confirm delivery. Then on Friday before I left to go out, I called the front desk to let them know I couldn’t close my blinds. They told me they’d send someone up. I arrived home around midnight and the blinds were still broken, necessitating another call to the front desk. The problem was promptly addressed at that time, but come on…six hours?

Respire room at the Grand Hyatt New York

On Saturday, I relocated to The Grand Hyatt New York.  In comparison to the Eventi, this room was HUGE. It went on forever. It was also pristinely dust-free and on a less-noticeable scale, the air was very very pure. Hyatt claims that on average, the air in Respire rooms will be ten times purer than normal air.

I don’t want to say that I was pessimistic, but after I confirmed my booking, I was wondering…would I really notice that a Respire room at Hyatt was that much better than a regular room? Would I notice that the room was so “pure”? Hmmm….

Well, If I can skip straight to the point…I did notice. Big time. I seriously woke up without my normal morning congestion. No reaching for the box of tissues next to my bed. Honestly, it felt SO STRANGE. Clear passageways. Truly.

Years and years ago, my mother forced me to the allergist where I was declared allergic to everything and apparently on the brink of death. (And I can tell you…after being shot up with everything you could possibly be allergic to ALL AT THE SAME TIME and told to wait 20 minutes for the reaction, I I was definitely on the brink of death. Pale, listless, nonsensical. My mother the nurse was not happy.) Obviously though all these years later, I’m still alive and can only claim true allergies to dogs, cats, raw carrots, chocolate, caffeine and pistachio nuts (the last two only when consumed in large quantities).

Air purifier by Healthway, listed as a Class II Medical device by the F.D.A.

The Respire by Hyatt hypo-allergenic rooms, powered by PURE Solutions NA, are designed to eliminate up to 98 percent of airborne viruses and bacteria, as well as pollen and other irritants commonly found in indoor environments.

The Respire by Hyatt  Hypo-Allergenic Rooms purification process includes:

• Application of PURE Shield and PURE Clean to minimize presence of allergens on carpet, upholstery and other surfaces in the room.
• One-time shock treatment to minimize irritants.
• Complete disinfection of Air Handling Unit and Installation of removable tea tree oil cartridge to maintain these conditions.
• Installation of hypo-allergenic mattress & pillow encasings.
• Installation of a powerful air purifier by Healthway, listed as a Class II Medical device by the F.D.A. (pictured above.)
• Recertification every six months.
• One-time shock treatment to minimize irritants.
• Complete disinfection of Air Handling Unit and Installation of removable tea tree oil cartridge to maintain these conditions.
• Installation of hypo-allergenic mattress & pillow encasings.
• Installation of a powerful air purifier by Healthway, listed as a Class II Medical device by the F.D.A.Recertification every six months.

That’s a whole lot of treatments and pureness. All I’m saying is that after a night in a Respire room, I woke up with a clear head (despite the alcohol) and clear sinuses for the first time in a long time. I believe the last time I awoke so was in November of 1992 in a youth hostel somewhere outside Heidelberg, Germany. It was super super cold. There was no heat. I was the first person to sleep on a particular mattress. On the floor. But I had no blankets. (It’s a long story.) You would think this would have made me sniffly, but I think there was just something about the combination of that mattress and no blanket the cold valley air that made everything all right.

The Verdict: I would stay at either of these hotels again. But for different reasons. I like the Eventi for all the reasons I mentioned above, and in hindsight, for its relative (in comparison to the Hyatt) smallness. The Grand Hyatt, on the other hand, is a HUGE hotel. HUGE. I mean…really, really big. But to that I’d say that sometimes, anonymity is not a bad thing. And really, this visit was all about the Respire room and on that front, the Grand Hyatt delivered.

Passport Delicious was a guest of the Grant Hyatt, and as such, is very very thankful.

The post Where to Sleep in New York first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Times Square, in case you didn't know

Last week, I told you about where I drank in New York City during my little sojourn with Ben and Antonia. Now let me tell you where we ate.

Peep, 177 Prince Street: My friend Kim arranged a big group dinner at this popular local Thai restaurant in the Village. Our group raved about the lychee mojitos and the mojitos in general. Our server pushed the panko coconut shrimp so I went for it. And you know what? They were just fried shrimp. No sense of coconut whatsoever. For my main, I couldn’t resist ordering the “Face Towel Noodle,” which turned out to be nothing more complicated than pad se eu. This was fine, but nothing to write home about. (I’ve eaten a lot of pad se eu in my day.) Others at our table were seduced by the braised half duck in pinot noir, mostly because it came with a “one eye son in law.” This turned out to be half a hard-boiled egg. The Verdict: Go for the bathrooms–you can see them but they can’t see you–but not the food.

The Breslin, 16 West 29th Street, in the Ace Hotel. This dark and cozy pub-like restaurant is a welcome addition to the wasteland that is Midtown. I had the baked egg with chorizo and tomato and although not as nice as Caravan’s version–the Breslin uses sliced chorizo whereas Caravan used actual chorizo–I was still very happy with my choice. Lovely service for the most part, except for the random bus boy who stood at my table at the end, waiting for me to leave. (They were not full.) The Breslin has one Michelin star. The Verdict: Highly recommended. I only had breakfast there, but I hear good things about dinner too.

Minetta Tavern, 113 MacDougal Street. Surely the bone marrow at Minetta is one of the best things I’ve eaten all year. Lusciously buttery. I am guessing they broil the bones in order to get that lovely crispy char on top. The Potatoes Anna were also excellently crunchy. Lovely service that steered us towards an excellent good-value of a Crozes Hermitage. Senior staff member a dead ringer for Roger Sterling in Mad Men. Old school Italian restaurant feel with lots of caricatures on the walls. The Verdict: Very highly recommended.

Ess-a-Bagel, 831 3rd Ave: I showed up here in the early hours of a Sunday and somehow managed to beat the queue, because before I knew it, there were 40 people in line behind me. I only wish I had had a bigger suitcase, as I could only import 13 bagels back to Chicago. Six of them are the highly coveted salt bagel, which you really can’t find outside the Tristate area. Sadly, Ess-a-Bagel was out of Everything bagels, which are my second favorite treat. The Verdict: Get here early and it works best if you just want bagels as there is a separate, shorter line for people only ordering bagels (i.e., no sandwiches, cream cheese, etc.) Many Japanese tourists.

I think I spent more than $300 on food in two days in NYC. That’s okay though because I caught a cheap flight on United Airlines, and I was able to say in the city for free. More about that later this week, when I tell you where to sleep in New York…

The post Where to Eat in New York first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

The Bar on The Top Floor of The Standard

I spent last weekend back in New York, which is always an odd thing for a born-and-raised New Yorker who hasn’t spent much time in the city since the age of 20.

I was in town to visit my London friends, Ben and Antonia. They had found themselves a flat in the Bowery for 10 days or so and were slowly eating and drinking their way across Manhattan and Brooklyn. How could I say no to helping them out for a few days?

I had found a cheap flight on United Airlines that wasn’t going to leave until late Friday afternoon, getting me into the city just in time for dinner. So there I was…dressed for work…on my way into the office, suitcase trailing along behind me at around 7:20 something in the morning. I plucked my iPhone out of my purse to maybe listen to some Miike Snow. But there was a voicemail. From 6:37 am. Who calls me at 6:37 am?

I’ll tell you who…United Airlines. My flight had been cancelled and they’d rebooked me on a later flight.  No! No no no no no. Dinner must be had. So I hurried home, called United, and got myself on the 12 noon flight. Weekend saved.

Here’s where we drank:

Pegu Club, 77 West Houston Street. Funnily, both Simon from Dos Hermanos and my friend Joel recommended this place. While their Flash Web site is truly annoying (I’d like my mouse cursor back, please), their cocktails are lush. (Not, particularly, when you throw one down your front as I did though.) I had 1.5 Jamaican Fireflies, Pegu’s version of a Dark & Stormy. (Dark rum, homemade ginger beer, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup.) Apparently, Dark & Stormy is going to be my cocktail of 2011. Pegu make their own ginger beer and the cocktail is topped with these delicious gingery jelly candies. Long room, small tables, good golden-y lighting.  Verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. For the cocktails.

The Boom Boom Room at The Standard Hotel: We took a quick spin along The High Line, on Manhattan’s West Side. When we popped off the stairs at Gansevoort Street, we made a beeline for The Standard. After an eerie ride up in the lift and being shown to our table by our hostess (they seriously must have a staff weight limit, and apparently, you are not allowed to have breasts if you work there either), we settled in for a cocktail apiece before dinner. I cannot find the drinks menu online anywhere, but I can tell you  my cocktail had champagne in it. The bill? $70. Plus tip. The views were vintage NYC (i.e., rooftops), and I only wish we had called ahead and booked a table for the water view. Verdict: Pricey, but worth it. Get there early though because it got a bit crowded and scene-y there towards the end. And by end, I mean 5 pm.

The Whiskey Ward, 121 Essex Street at Rivington Street: When in America, drink bourbon. A quick call out to Twitter for bourbon advice and again, Simon from Dos Hermanos saves the day. Life is funny sometimes because I asked the very knowledgeable bartender what she recommended for someone like me and she pulled down Bulleit. I really don’t drink whiskey or bourbon at all, but the weekend before, my friend Julie (from Kentucky) had a party and what did the guests clear out by the end of the night? The Bulleit. Verdict: Fun. Not a destination, but good if you like whiskey/bourbon. Get the Bulleit. Play pool with strangers.

Shade: 241 Sullivan Street. My friend Kim kept warning us…I’m taking  you somewhere chill. Somewhere low-key.  This didn’t bother me. Shade reminded me of Chicago’s Hop Leaf or the old Augenblick in the early days. Small. Good music. Good beer. Nice staff. We enjoyed some Brooklyn Lager and I nearly fell asleep on a stool. The Verdict: I liked it here. Simple is good.

Schiller’s Liquor Bar, 131 Rivington Street: I’m not quite sure how we ended up here. I think it was the bourbon. Maybe Ben had mapped it out in advance. But it was super crowded and full of Europeans. (Note: I like Europeans.) But when the Scandinavian woman-of-a-certain-age invited the three young Frenchmen to join her at the bar, it was time to leave. Verdict: Probably fun when quiet. Not so fun when chock-a-block.

It was really a fantastically lovely weekend. More to come next week where I run through where we ate…

The post Where to Drink in New York first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

It must be my use of “quite.”

I felt like I accomplished a lot, food-wise, so let me give you the lowdown.

Salt: 58 Macdougal Street. This was a big group dinner with all my friends from business school. The restaurant is small, hot, loud, and dark. It was a pretty hot weekend in New York, but come on…a little AC wouldn’t kill you. I have nearly completely forgotten my food here because it was so forgettable, but I do barely remember it. I started with the asparagus and pea risotto and it was okay, but my main of cod was served with a spoon and I don’t think cod should ever be served with a spoon. It was salty salty salty (but this might just be because I’ve lived in the UK for a while) and I left nearly all of it behind. You know this never happens. Verdict: Skip it. Fun location though. And very good, friendly service.

The Union Square Cafe: 21 East 16th Street. Wandered in here and was immediately accosted by staff who could tell I didn’t have a booking. (Dressed very casually, loaded down with Anthropologie bags.) That being said, I knew the drill and they put me at the bar where I had a very enjoyable seared tuna on a bed of quinoa. I also had a lovely time talking to the older woman on my right, who was one of the most well-traveled people I’ve ever met. She’s a regular at Union Square and when she’s not there, she’s at Otto, Mario Batali’s place. Verdict: I definitely would recommend the bar for lunch. Great food, great service.

Union Square Market: Union Square. Maybe not as good as Borough but still an excellent little market to wander around. There were a lot of people selling mint iced tea for $1, which was the perfect way to beat the heat. Verdict: Go.

Ess-a-bagel: 359 1st Avenue. Basic little bagel joint (like they should be). Everything made on premises. I got there too late for the salt bagels, unfortunately. But the Everything bagels were very good. I felt like maybe the bagels were a bit too big and in my mind’s eye, I prefer H&H. But still good. Verdict: Good.

Ippudo: 65 Fourth Avenue. I just don’t think I’m a ramen person. I loved loved loved the pork buns (pictured), but did not go crazy over my ramen. Also, the place was a bit worn around the edges and not in a charming way. A fun stop though. Verdict: Good if you like ramen.

Eventi: I don’t think I’ve ever written up a hotel before but I’m really going to start doing this. I stayed at the brand-spanking new Eventi on 6th avenue, between 29th and 30th. It’s a Kimpton hotel, and Kimpton is seriously my favorite American hotel brand. Free wifi and FREE DRINKS between 5 and 6. (Usually just wine.) My bedroom was small, but the bathroom was HUGE. (Although I’m sure Brits will complain about the lack of a proper bath and tea-making facilities in the room.) Great little gym on premises. And a free gift if you knew the secret password from Twitter. The hotel’s location is a bit dire, but it’s very close to Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, and Macy’s on 34th Street so you’re really not hurting for amenities. I LOVED this property. The Verdict: Highly recommended.

The post New York Restaurant Round-up first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

An “Everything” bagel with veggie light cream cheese. And the New York Times. Saturday mornings don’t get much better.

We’ve done the burger craze. The steak craze. The burrito craze. How about a proper bagel craze?

Although I didn’t hit up H&H or Ess-a-bagel this morning, I will before I leave. There’s just enough space in my suitcase for a baker’s dozen.

The post I Heart New York first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Grand Central Station, New York City

I was in New York over Easter, the first time I’ve been back since 2007. It’s odd…when people ask me where I’m from, I always say New York, but I feel like such a liar saying that. (Less a liar, of course, than those people who say they’re from New York but who, upon further questioning, turn out to be from Ohio or Maryland or Oklahoma.) I was born in Queens and grew up on Long Island, but once I went on to university, I really didn’t get back to New York much.

This makes me a tourist in my own backyard. Like I had to laugh when the concierge at The Sofitel asked me where I was from with my British Airways American Express Card, because I really don’t think he was expecting me to say “Massapequa.” (I’m not really from Massapequa, but rather one town over. Thanks to a certain Long Island Lolita, every good New Yorker knows where Massapequa is, hence why I use it as a reference.)

I didn’t get to do half the eating I wanted to in Manhattan–mainly I spent a lot of time driving to and from Connecticut and New Jersey to visit friends and family. But here’s a quick round-up of where I went and what I thought.

Sushi Yasuda: 204 East 43rd Street, between 2nd and 3rd. Clean, minimalist modern space with some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. Seriously. They sell t-shirts, which made me nervous, but by the end of my meal, I was actually considering buying one. (I didn’t.) When I mentioned that I was still hungry but couldn’t eat a whole nother roll, out sushi chef prepared me a half roll. Highly recommended.

Sakagura: 211 E 43rd St #B1, between 2nd and 3rd. After sushi, my friend Shin convinced me to go for dessert across the road at Sakagura. I loved how this place was in the basement of an office building down a non-descript stairwell. I loved the decor and the huge display of sake bottles, teapots, and glasses. Our desserts were only okay, but I was happy to linger here.

BXL Cafe: 125 W. 43rd St, between 6th and Broadway. This was a Twitter recommendation. I was totally jetlagged and needed a place with good beer for drinks with my brother. The food was average, although we liked our Ommegang Wittes, a Beligan white beer (think Hoegaarden) brewed in Cooperstown, New York. The place seemed dirty and worn, and not in a charming sense. I was pretty bummed about this choice.

So no bagels, no knishes, no pizza, very little beer. I think I’m going to need a return trip…

The post New York Round-up first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.