Happy New Year!

Happy New Year my blog readers!

No pictures of fireworks or champagne.

But cupcakes.

The apartment of 2181 will officially be going on a diet today. We will be eating healthy so that we look good for Esther and Daniel's wedding in May.

So no more cupcakes or junk food :/

I know I will definitely stray from this :)

Grimaldi's Pizzaeria

Grimaldi's Pizzeria is in Brooklyn.

Yes we went from Manhattan to Brooklyn just for pizza.

And it was worth it (even though it's not really that far away :))

Bouchon Bakery

Bouchon Bakery is in the Time Warner Center near Columbus Circle and Central Park.

Yum, gingerbread man.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is of course, located in Chinatown.

If you're ever in Chinatown you have to get it. Even though it was freezing cold, we still got ice cream. (the ice cream doesn't make you cold and doesn't feel very cold because you are already freezing)

Almond Cookie Ice Cream.

Cha An

Cha An is a Tea House in East Village.

I didn't get the tea, but dessert.

Sweet potato apple cake with caramel nuts ice cream.

It was delicious.

Green tea roll cake with sake ice cream.

Soba-ya

Soba-ya is located in East Village.

We got to Soba-ya about 5 minutes before it opened. So we because it wasn't a long wait, we just waited outside.

Waiting outside with us was Kate Hudson and her son. At first we didn't recognize her but then I noticed who was standing next to us. (I didn't take a picture with her with my camera)

Tuna.

Hot soba noodles with mushrooms.

Rice to Riches

Rice to Riches has an assortment of rice pudding flavors.

The store was decorated with random signs posted everywhere. And you just end up reading all of them.

The store was decorated a little bit modern/futuristic.

This was a gingerbread flavored rice pudding with brown sugar and raisin toppings. It was a 'solo' size that is supposed to serve one, but 3 of us ended up eating it and not finishing it.

Ess-a-Bagel

Ess-a-Bagel is a bagel place in Midtown East.

The way you order a bagel is a little bit different, but maybe it's because I'm not used to it. After I ordered my bagel, the guy behind the counter said 'next'. So I moved so the people behind me could order. Then the guy told me not to move. And he said next again, and there were still people behind me. So I moved, and he got mad at me again for moving.

Well now I know, and now you know do not move when the guy says next.

I got a plain bagel with sun dried tomato cream cheese. It was good.

You can also get your bagel scooped.

The Spotted Pig

The Spotted Pig is a British Pub in West Village. The sign outside is a spotted pig above the door (sorry, no picture of the pig)

I got the Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries.

My burger was pretty tasty.

Sheep's riccota gnudi with brown butter and sage.

This was pretty good too, very cheesy.

I don't remember what this is. :/

Once I remember, I'll edit the post and rename it.

The Magnolia Bakery

I've been to New York 3 times, and I've visited The Magnolia Bakery 3 times. Magnolia Bakery was shown in an episode of Sex & the City.

You can smell the bakery from around the corner and it smells soo good.

This place is definitely a spot where tourists go.

Now, I don't go to Magnolia Bakery for its cupcakes like everyone else. I go for the banana pudding. It's delicious. (Sorry, there's no picture of a cupcake or my banana pudding)

Morandi

Morandi serves Italian food in West Village.

House Wine.

Focaccia con pesce addumicato.

Focaccia cipolle e fichi.

And I forget what this one is. I think it's crepes.

I love lighting.

Veselka

After arriving in New York, and dropping off the luggage at the hotel, we decided to eat at Veselka. Veselka is located in East Village and serves Ukranian food.

I had fried pierogi with sweet potatoes and meet filling.

Esther had the waffles with raspberry sauce.

Daniel had one of the breakfast plates.

New York

I made a trip to New York from Sunday December 6,2009 - Tuesday December 8, 2009.

It was a very short trip, but I am going to update like a mad man on it.

Originally my plan was to post on each borough, but I didn't go to a lot of the buroughs.

I did go to a lot of food places and bars, so like I have been doing in recent posts, I am going to give each place it's own post.

The first thing after landing at JFK was going to the hotel at 6 in the morning to check in our bags. It wasn't time to check in so the bags were just dropped off and into the city we went.

I went to New York with Esther, Daniel, and Maren. We stayed at the Plaza Athenee which is located on the Upper East Side between Madison and Park Ave. It was 1 1/2 blocks away from Central Park.

Once we got into the hotel room, we were greeted with my favorite chocolates, Leonidas chocolate. Yummy.

(sorry, there's no picture. I gobbled them up)

Stay tuned for more New York Posts!

Bouchon Beverly Hills

Bouchon in Beverly Hills

I thought that the setting was nice. It was a beautiful day so I ate on the patio overlooking the courtyard.

The Menu is wrapped around the napkin

Pate de Campagne

Truite aux Amandes

Steak Frites