recommendation: nyc must eats

for my hubby's spring break in march, we headed off to the big apple for a little rest and a lot of eating. from the moment we arrived to the airport (in chicago! ha!) we started our adventure indulging in great food. here are the highlights!

Tortas Frontera at Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport (Terminal 1, by gate B11): if you are going to be stuck from delays at the airport, may as well enjoy the time there. we got the Chipotle Chicken, and Pepito Tortas and they were awesome, quality was the same as you would find at Xoco or any of Rick Bayless's other eateries. They serve margs too and don't skimp on the tequila. Small restaurant but worth the wait in the long line.

Boathouse in Central Park: eh on service and actual meal but loved it for the idea - 2pm late lunch in the park, glass of wine and sunny skies overlooking a (kinda swampy) pond. Great wine made it worth it - Grgich Hills Fume Blanc, 2003.

Jimmy at the James Hotel in Soho: our new sister hotel in NYC is stunning and is lucky to have Jimmy, a rooftop bar. Drinks are expensive but views are expansive. Lounge style, cool vibe, worth checking out for pre-cocktail hour cocktails or late night cozy couch cocktails

Stanton Social: saw it on Best Thing I Ever Ate, went for the French Onion Soup Dumplings (soup in pastry dumplings but on a stick covered with cheese in oven). Other items we ordered were good but this was the standout. Cheese is stinky but too yummy to care.

penalope for breakfast: i was hungover and unable to enjoy a real meal but we tried a carrot muffin and i was taken off guard when they asked if I wanted it toasted. I've never heard of toasting a muffin but it was a delicious new find! they split the muffin and after its toasted, it creates a more sturdy surface to spread your butter on to!

Eataly: unarguably one of the best parts of our trip. Still slightly hungover and exhausted from trekking around all day, we had a very late lunch at 4pm here. Cranky and famished we settled on each getting a panini to split, 1 sopressata and provolone, 1 fresh mozz/pesto/tomato. I don’t know how to explain what happened next. These sandwiches seemingly so simple were perhaps the best we’ve ever had. I don’t know if it is the quality, or excellent bread choice or love that goes into each of the few ingredients...but they were amazing and I still think about that sopressata. We also saw a reality celebrity there (Olivia P. from The City) and its this huge high-end food court and grocery store by Mario Bitalli, so you just feel cool being there. Separated into sections of fresh italian everything – gelato, cheese & meat, pasta, etc. I wish I lived nextdoor to this place, although I would be in true trouble. MUST VISIT.

Murry (Curry) Hill: neighborhood we were staying in had tons of indian restaurants, we decided to try DhaBa. great food and energy, and fun presentation - mango lassi in a mason jar! if only it was spiked...

Minetta Tavern: met my cousin and her bf here for lunch in Greenwich Village and what a treat - bloody mary's and famous burgers, classic and cool.

Standard Grill: went here for mid-afternoon drinks (why not?) and found ourselves in an adult playground - the Standard Grill Biergarten - family style picnic tables

filled to the brim with young, beautiful, happy people, all enjoying being out on a sunny afternoon drinking. you have to buy $8 tickets before you go in, and use the tickets to buy beer (or huge bavarian pretzels!) another MUST VISIT. Plus you can feel like you went sightseeing b/c the Highline Park (park built on a section of the former elevated freight railroad)

Carnegie Deli: nyc landmark, totally touristy, but as long as you acknowledge that, embrace it and enjoy a giant reuben the size of your head. Open faced and large enough to split!

Happy Eating!