Cafe Lalo

Upper West Side, Manhattan 

Most people who know about this cafe saw it in "You've Got Mail."  The famous scene where Meg Ryan's character is sitting and waiting at a table with a single red rose. Cafe Lalo is charming and has wonderful ambiance.

My sister-in-law and her friend came into town and it was on their wish list of places to go and I had never been.  So we headed there.  It was a perfect spring day in NYC and we sat by the open windows. Ordered chais, expressos and split dessert.  It's actually a pretty large cafe (by NYC standards) so we were able to sit and linger and relax.  Enjoy!

Chinatown

Dumplings and ice cream

There are actually more authentic Chinatowns in Flushing, Queens and Brooklyn.  The Manhattan Chinatown is known as Canal Street to tourists.  Canal street is the tourist Chinatown but if you want the actual neighborhood where the chinese markets are and yummy food you have to get away from McDonald's and Burger King on Canal Street and head towards the Lower East Side.

Fried Dumpling is an amazing hole in the wall which has yummy dumplings and they're only 5 for $1! There are no seats but walk down the street to Columbus Park and enjoy the neighborhood.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is a fun place to go and get ice cream in uncommon flavors like green tea, NYC cupcake, and chocolate bacon. 

Also, dear friends of mine make their first stop at Nice Green Bo, near the Ice Cream Factory, when they first arrive in NYC.  I haven't been yet so I can't write about it, but it comes recommended from multiple people I trust.  

Great Street Snack

Nuts 4 Nuts is my favorite street snack. Their yummy warm almonds, cashews and peanuts are the perfect high protein + candied snack.  They come in little bags so I love to buy an extra bag and keep in my purse.  I've also bought them to bring to my father-in-law (who loves cashews and peanuts) for a gift.

Hint for tourists: if you're buying them in Times Square they're twice as much. If you buy them in Chinatown or basically anywhere other than Times Square they're only $1 a bag. 

Happy snacking!

7th Avenue Doughnuts

Park Slope, Brooklyn

This diner probably has great food but I have only eaten their doughnuts.

Specifically their bowtie doughnuts.  Whoa!  They are amazing.  They're made in house daily. 

So don't go to Dunkin' Doughnuts.  Support the 7th ave doughnuts and diner, a family run diner in the Park Slope neighborhood since 1977.  

My favorite Thai

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Song has amazing Thai food.  It was recommended by friends of ours whose apartment we were subletting- it was only a block away from their apartment!

The ambiance is awesome and the prices are GREAT! The portions are huge too!

My favorite thing to eat is the Pad See Yue with chicken...if you've never eaten Thai food this is a great dish to start with. Why? A lot of Thai food has peanut based sauces or curry based sauces. The Pad See Yue is a flat, broad noodle with a brown sauce...amazing!  And spring rolls- yummy!

Pad See Yue

People who are lovers of Pad Thai (the most popular Thai dish with peanut sauce) say Song's is the best.  In the times I've eaten there people I've been with have ordered a myriad of things and loved them all! 

It's only a few blocks away from The Chocolate Room so we like to walk their for dessert.  

Chocolate Room

Park Slope/Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Maybe my favorite dessert ever is at the Chocolate Room in Brooklyn.  

The Chocolate Fondue for Two (which I mostly have eaten by myself) is amazing.  Not just because of the chocolate but it comes with homemade peanut butter fudge, homemade orange cheesecake, homemade marshmallows, homemade coconut macaroons, and homemade graham crackers.  Get the theme?  Homemade.

My husband's favorite is the banana split.  The banana is creme bruleed so it's coated in a crispy, sugary layer.  As if that wasn't enough, the three types of homemade ice cream with the made in house chocolate fudge sauce make this a definite winner.

Okay, I've also tried the hot chocolate with a scoop of their housemade ice cream.  Sumatran coffee ice in their hot chocolate- yum!  My brother loves their chocolate cupcake- it's a steal at $2.50!

Fun Bible study group outing

Food Trucks

Coolhaus

Basically think ice cream cookie sandwich company on steroids.  They have a list of homemade cookies and then a list of homemade ice creams.  The options are endless.  I had a hard time deciding but eventually ordered the Double Chocolate with Sea Salt cookie with Salted Caramel ice cream. It was so good I ordered it the second time I went as well.

Next time I'm in NYC and it's cold outside I'm going to look up where they're parked and try their Nutella Hot Chocolate.  How can that not be amazing!?!


Country Boys Food Inc.

The Country Boys Food Inc. are a part of the Red Hook Food Vendors.  If you don't know about the Red Hook Food Vendors, you have to check it out.  I tried at the Brooklyn Flea.  I wanted to get something I had never tried before so I ordered the huarache.  I chose their spicy pork filling and man, I almost couldn't finish it- it was HOT but awesome!  I also got their version of limeade.  Perfect combination!

Spicy Pork Huarache 

My friend Caitlin and I enjoying our 1st huaraches at the Brooklyn Flea.

Milk Truck
Also at the Brooklyn Flea one Saturday I tried the Milk Truck.

The Tahitian and Madagascar Vanilla Bean milkshake is the best vanilla milkshake I've ever had.  It's $5.50 and worth every penny.

Their three cheese grilled cheese was amazing!  Aged gruyere, New York State cheddar, Wisconsin blue, and the tartness of the caramelized granny smith apples are the perfect combination!  I cannot wait to try the Bacon Cheddar sandwich and their mac n' cheese.

Their menu changes every week so check the website to see what yummies they're offering today. They have different locations they park each day.


People's Pops

They transform local fruits and herbs into amazing creations of popsicles.  Some pairing offered are strawberry-rhubarb, peach-habanero,  and watermelon ginger.

Good news is some local stores have begun carrying them or you could still scout out their truck locations.  If you're not going to be in NYC anytime soon and can't wait to try them they have a cookbook!


Red Hook Lobster Pound

I stumbled upon this awesome Lobster BLT at the Prospect Park Food Truck Rally in Prospect Park while on summer project in 2012 (last one of the 2013 season is this month).  Yummy!  I will definitely be eating here again.


Wafels and Dinges

"All the world is a wafel and all of us are merely dinges."  What a great slogan.  Before doing research for this blog, I never knew the story behind the phrase the "Belgium Waffle" and its connection to NYC.

I first tried this truck at the Prospect Park Food Truck Rally.  I had the bacon infused waffle with vermont maple syrup.  I've also had basically what I think of as the waffle version of an pimped out ice cream sundae.  You have to try their spekuloos spread.

Summer Project 2012 enjoying our yummies at Food Truck Rally