New York Food Fest

Hey Everybody I thought I would give you a quick look at my recent trip to New York and some of the fooding that I did.  It may not all be so much road food but I thought you might like it regardless.

Saturday

Shopsins
Well I hope people understand I don't have pictures if you have heard about this place and I didn't tempt it even though I got to have some great conversations with Zach and Luke Shopsin.

I had their Tasty I, Maple Glazed Bacon, and Orange Julius. The Tasty I had Smores Pancakes (Out of this world), Mac N' Cheese Pancakes (Very good and interesting twist), and Butterscotch(Typical pancakes with butterscotch chips). The Orange Julius was so much better than any other version I have had and the Maple Glazed Bacon had a great flavor and was still just a little bit sticky from the glaze when I got it.

It was kind of expensive but I am glad that I gave it a try, so if anybody in NY hasn't been there I highly suggest it.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine
I forgot to get a picture of the cupcake that I got which was their chocolate with white chocolate icing. I thought it was very good and very moist. A very good value and it was the cheapest of the cupcakes I got the entire trip.

Zaro's Bakery
I did not intentionally plan on getting something at Grand Central Terminal but I saw the girth of bakeries and I knew that I had to get something. I knew that NY had a thing for Black and White Cookies and I saw some new ones being put into the case so I decided to give one a try.

It had a nice flavor and it was pretty darn big as you can see from the picture. I'm glad I got it and I would say if I had to choose a side it would be the white side that would be my choice.



Junior's
Junior's has several restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn but they also have a little shop in Grand Central Terminal. As much as I like Red Velvet Cake I knew I had to get the one item they identify as they are being most famous for.

I opted for the Devils Food Cheesecake. I really liked the cake portions of the slice and while the cheesecake was good as well it didn't have that little bit of a sour cream bite that I like in my cheesecakes. It was a rather large piece and I didn't finish it because I knew I had so much more eating to do.



Minetta Tavern
I wanted to have 1 pricey meal before I left for home and well I had heard so much about this "Black Label" burger from Minetta Tavern. It is definitely the priciest of the things I had on this trip and is the most expensive burger of my life at a whopping $26.

The burger was cooked perfectly and I can tell you that it was the best burger that I have had in my entire life. It was perfectly juicy but had the right flavor to it that really allow for the beef flavor to shine through. The french fries were also out of this world. I have the tendency to not like crispy fries so much and like steak fries but these were outstanding. I barely even used my ketchup. I also got the Roasted Bone Marrow, sorry forgot to pic it, that was nice and tender and I am glad I tried it.



Sweet Revenge
I was walking around a little bit and ran across this bakery that I had looked at when I was researching my fooding in New York.  I opted for their namesake cupcake and I thought it was nice and had a great flavor to it while still being moist and it was 8pm at night. It was a tad expensive for what I got but I guess you can say it was New York.



Rice to Riches
Going on borderline stomach explosion I really wanted to try some Rice Pudding because I love rice pudding and I found this place.

I opted for the half and half with Cheesecake and French Toast. While I thought that they were good I thought that the flavors were too similar to one another when ostensibly the items that they are representing taste very different. It was kind of expensive for what I got and considering I didn't finish it but it was a good wrap up to my first day.



I left my first day soaked to the bone, cold, and totally full so I knew I was going to sleep well that night. More to come on my next two days...

***Updated with correct and larger pictures.

I knew I was going to have a big day ahead of me with sightseeing and a lot of walking so I decided to go all out on this day.

Sunday

Doughnut Plant
I am a donut/doughnut person that can never seem to get enough, and some of you already know that from my previous thread on Dayton area donuts.

I opted for 4 different ones because I knew that they all sounded very good. I got a creme brulee, coconut creme, vahlrona chocolate, and tres leches donut. The creme brulee donut was fantastic with the nice creamy interior and a carmelized top but it was rather small. The coconut creme donut had a great coconut flavor to it with the glaze and the creme interior while not being overly dominant. The vahlrona chocolate was good but I can't say that it was fantastic. The tres leches donut was good but I can't say I see why everyone loves it so much.

It ended up costing me $10 for those 4 donuts which is definitely pricey but I am glad that I tried them. Somethings should not be upscaled and I think that donuts should be left alone.






Amy's Bread
I walked my way over to the Chelsea Market to check out the food there. Well while the website says it opens at 8 most of the stuff doesn't open until 10, but luckily Amy opened up at 9.

I chose the Sticky Bun and while the top was fantastic and nice and gooey, I thought that the bottom needed something. All the flavor was at the top and while the bottom portion was still moist it lacked any distinct flavor.



Shake Shack
After walking up to Times Square and then back down to Madison Square to get some of the famous Shake Shack.  There was already a line forming at 10 til 11 when I got there so I know this had to be pretty good.

I got a Double Shackburger, fries, and a gingerbread custard. The burger was expensive for a fast food style burger but it was the best version I have had. The fries were really good as well as they were crispy on the outside and soft on the interior. The gingerbread custard was just awesome. I know I have had gingerbread ice cream before but the flavor was nice and distinct and it was the best way to finish the lunch.




2 Little Red Hens
I was fairly tired out from so much walking that I subwayed my way up to what was possibly hailed as the best red velvet cupcake in NY.

I chose a Red Velvet and Brooklyn Blackout cupcake. The Red Velvet was pretty good but I thought that the icing tasted a little too much of cream cheese and could have used a little bit more sweetness. Yet, that Brooklyn Blackout cupcake was so good that I totally forgot about everything around me. It was so worth the trip.




Levain Bakery
After watching Bobby Flay lose his chocolate chip cookie throwdown to these folks I knew that I had to give them a try.

I got a chocolate chip and a chocolate peanut butter chip. I now know why Bobby lost as these things were the best that I have ever had and I think my eyes rolled into the back of my head it was so good. And yet, as good as it was the chocolate peanut butter chip was so much better. Oh yeah and they were still warm from the oven...




Motorino's
I ended up asking some of the guys at the Serious Eats network where to go for some good pizza and I was directed to Motorino's. I had heard so many things about it I knew I was in for a treat.

I opted for the Spicy Sopresetta and it was a magical experience. The crust was perfectly done and had a great flavor to it but the toppings were outstanding as well. the pizza had just a small spicy kick to it but not so overwhelming that it detracted from it.



Artichoke
On my way to Motorino's I passed by Artichoke Pizza and remembered a bunch of people saying how fantastic it wasso I decided to pack some more food into my stomach and get a single slice of their artichoke and spinach pizza. It was a great slice that had a nice creamy sauce to replace the red sauce and had a nice flavorful "thicker" crust. As you can see from the picture I forgot to take a picture until after my first bite.



Momofuku Milk Bar
I had heard so many wonderful things about this place but I just don't get it. I mean it was interesting but way too expensive for a small dish of ice cream that tasted only marginally better than soft serve you get at a buffet in my opinion. I opted for no pics.

At this point I was exhausted after walking all day and my stomach was just about to explode so I decided to pack it in for 1 more day before I went back and crashed before my last day...

This being my final day and being close to palate fatigue I tried to get the most out of it that I could.

Monday

Brownstone Diner
I saw this place on Diners Driveins and Dives and instantly wanted to go to it. I just so happened to remember this place on my looking at New York and it was only a stop from my hotel so it was really no question whether I was going or not.

I went with the Nut N Honey pancakes and a side order of the corn beef hash. The corn beef has was your standard version so much that it wasn't stand out in any territory but really could have used a nicer crust.  The Nut N Honey pancakes were extremely good and loaded up with nuts. Most of the time when you order pancakes with fillings you barely get any but I am willing to bet you got nearly a handful per pancake.




Katz Deli
I had heard from people that in order to get the proper New York experience I had to go to Katz to pick up a pastrami sandwich and it would fill me up because it is so huge. Well considering I eat a lot I was up to the challenge. All I can say is that I was extremely disappointed.

I opted for the pastrami on rye and did what you are supposed to do and tip the guys at the counter to get a larger sandwich and yes while it was a little bit bigger than a normal sandwich, it was no where as good or large to command the $16 price (with tax). 1 word can describe my experience: Overrated.



Bouchon Bakery
Seeing as I was still hungry from lunch at Katz, or lack there of I decided to try and fill up with some sweets. I made my way up to Central Park for some Bouchon Bakery.

I got a TKO and chocolate chip cookie. The TKO is basically an upscale oreo that was very good and very fresh. The chocolate chip cookie was a solid version that had a nice chocolate flavor but could have been a little softer.




City Bakery
I started to make my way back to the WTC to get back to the airport and I passed by City Bakery. I chose the hot chocolate and the chocolate chip cookie.  The hot chocolate was good but was a little too thick. The chocolate chip was inedible. I took 1 bite and spit it out and threw away the cookie, truly terrible.



Fat Witch Bakery
I made my way back to Chelsea Market to try some of the brownies from Fat Witch as I had heard they are very good. It was an ok brownie that was moist but I would rather have a Killer Brownie from Dorothy Lane Market.



I did try a piece of pizza from a random shop and threw it away after spitting out that 1 bite. Yeah so not everything can be fantastic but oh well.  All in all it was a great trip with some awesome food... well for the most part.

Hope you all enjoy the pics.

Oh wow, great write-up. You visited some of my favorite spots!!!

I am so jealous of your breakfast at Shopsin's, I've never been but I know I would just love what you had. What is the mac & cheese pancake? Did Luke or Zack say anything interesting? The Minetta Tavern is outstanding and I'm happy to see you thought so too! The most expensive and the best burger in your entire life, that's great. Glad you liked Zaro's Bakery's black & white cookie.


I love The Doughnut Plant (who doesn't) especially with their seasonal varieties. The creme brulee is fantastic...I'm glad you got it. Two Little Red Hens and Levain Bakery are two of my all-time places to stop in NYC. You've got to try the cheesecake at TLRH next time.

Shake Shack is amazing, isn't it? There's a reason there is a line starting that early. I'm happy to see you got the burger, fries and the custard...it's so worth it. I know it can be expensive but damn if it's not delicious.

I can't believe the cookie at City Bakery was that bad, I've heard such great things about it. ....and not a good sandwich at Katz...this is getting bad! I'm glad you got some good pancakes at Brownstone Diner, I bet I would love those. I'm glad to hear you made it to Motorino's and that it lived up to it's expectations. 

You certainly ate well! How did you fit it all in? Can I ask....how much did it all run you in the end?

Again...fantastic write-up!!!

Sounds like  a fun food adventure.....but  I would never call the pastrami sandwich at  Katz's  as being  overrated.     Katz  is about  quality and not  quantity.

I'm reading Kenny Shopsin's book right now. I'd love to try his cooking--his recipes all sound marvelous. Was he there cooking when you went? They probably would not have liked you taking pictures so I think you made a wise choice not to. And I know you weren't more than a party of four or they wouldn't let you sit down!

@ EatingTheRoad:
    For the most part Zach, Luke, and I talked about a video game called Modern Warfare 2 that we are all playing and they said to drop them an email to play with them sometime. Really nice guys if you can make some sort of connection with them but I can see how some people could be turned off by them, but my experience was great.
    I really did want to try the cheesecake @ TLRH but my stomach was approaching explosive proportions at that point and could probably have only eaten like 2 bites, but I think I will be heading to New York again next summer so I will definitely stop by again.
    It helps that I am a farely active person. I usually workout for about 2-2.5 hrs a day so my metabolism and appetite is usually quite large and I was doing a lot of walking while I was there. I pretty much walked everywhere, as I only took the subway 2 times and on Sunday I walked from 2 Little Red Hens and all the stops after that all the way to the WTC (which is over 100 blocks). Funny that you ask how much it all cost me because I actually kept a record in my Blackberry how much I was spending only because I was curious. I spent about 280 on all the food, which sounds like a lot but considering all the things that I tried I wasn't too discouraged as this was all apart of my plan and budget and after all it was how I wanted to have my vacation and experience of NY.
 
@ Greymo:
    I understand Katz being about quality and not quantity but the only reason that I brought up about the quantity comment is so many people who I had talked to said I would need extra bread for all the pastrami that they put on and how large the sandwich was. The quality was good, I can't deny that, but it wasn't so much so that it commanded the $16 dollar price tag. If the sandwich had been $10 then I would have been ok with it but seeing as it didn't really blow my socks off the $16 seemed rather steep to me.
 
@ Shara:
    Kenny only did a little bit of cooking while I was there. I think he got up 2 times to do things but for the most part Zach was in the kitchen doing most of the cooking with some other girl.
 

Soccer862923, you did quite a lot of planning...and good planning at that. Were you mainly doing a food tour or did you see any other sites? Next time more burgers and pizza! (and the Two Little Red Hens cheesecake of course)

That's too funny that you guys talked about MW2 mainly

Do you have more (bigger) pictures from the trip? Did you have others with you and did they put up with all your eating, note taking, etc? I love that you kept a tally, I do too. $300 ain't all that bad...you got to eat a lot of really good foods. Were you carrying around leftovers or did you just let them go to waste? (the pastrami?)

Greymo


Sounds like  a fun food adventure.....but  I would never call the pastrami sandwich at  Katz's  as being  overrated.     Katz  is about  quality and not  quantity.

I hear that Katz's is an overrated tourist trap

What a great few days in the city! We still haven't made it to Shake Shack, but I have to get that on my list the next time we're there. I'm sorry you were disappointed with Katz's  - we try to make the special trip there just to get the pastrami, and honestly it's always been a top-notch sandwich. It's certainly not to the scale of Carnegie (which is, face it, completely over the top, and not always consistent with quality). The pizza at Motorino's looks great, too - will have to check out that address for future reference. I'm now opening on another tab the link to Levain Bakery - I think I might be ordering some of those cookies for the holidays.
Great review, thanks for sharing!

Soccer862923

    I understand Katz being about quality and not quantity but the only reason that I brought up about the quantity comment is so many people who I had talked to said I would need extra bread for all the pastrami that they put on and how large the sandwich was. The quality was good, I can't deny that, but it wasn't so much so that it commanded the $16 dollar price tag. If the sandwich had been $10 then I would have been ok with it but seeing as it didn't really blow my socks off the $16 seemed rather steep to me.
 

 


Great report!


I agree with what you wrote about the Doughnut Plant. It is good stuff, but I like a simple donut better. I refer to what they make as donut shaped pastries...and while tasty...they just aren't donuts to me.


Katz's has never been one of those gigantic sandwich places, and if that is what you were expecting, I can see your disappointment. I always ask for a lean cut, as when I have gone and forgotten to do so, on occasion I got a rather fatty sandwich that left me wanting less. If that happened on my first trip, I'd never have gone back!


I'd admire your stamina in hitting so many places. Thanks for sharing.

As far as Katz's goes.... quality over quantity!  The tip at the counter is because they will give you a slice to sample while you are waiting.  I tip even if they don't do this because the slicers are skilled professionals.  I'm happy to pay a little extra for their fantastic sliced pastrami rather than the quantity at Carnegie or any of the other places that don't hand cut.

Nice brief summaries of a lot of places--good report soccer!  I want some Levain Bakery cookies now too!

Nice report, Soccer.  I'm bookmarking it for my next NYC visit.

BTW, you have a rice pudding photo in the black & white cookie review.

LOLOL--I'm glad you pointed that out Don.  I thought the 'black' must just be butterscotch or something and chalked it up to 'how New Yorkers must be doing it these days'.  :)

hey soccer!! Great report.i was wondering if you went to the rice to riches on Elizabeth I think. because its right across the street from Lombardi's pizza. And although it gets mixed reviews here I personally have never had any thing less than a great pie there!!

You can still get black and whites at some Starbucks in greater Cincinnati - the miniature type - they come out of a Brooklyn bakery and only Starbucks purveys them I am told. My wife loves them, being from that area of the country.


This is what they look like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cakespy/2248368264/

The blackout donut at the plant is the one to try; their cake donuts are much better than their yeast /glazed styles.
THe flavor of the meat at Katz to me is the best ;it is very possible you got an inferior piece for some reason.
love the sweet revenge cupcakes too.
good to hear all your other input..i visit frequently.
recommend gramercy tavern in the bar for a drink/apps ; wonderful atmosphere.
beth

@ EatingTheRoad
    This was a trip that encompassed both sight seeing and fooding as I think you experience a lot from a new place through your stomach. I did a lot of sight seeing: Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, The Met, All of Broadway, Wall Street, Trinity Chapel, Greenwich Village, WTC/Ground Zero, Grand Central Terminal, and a bunch of other small places. I will try and put up on my photobucket account my sightseeing pics but I wanted to get my food up first. Speaking of pics those should be clickable and take you to the original pics but I will probably go back and replace the thumbnails with bigger pics.
    I was by myself for the trip so I got to do everything at my own pace and see everything that I wanted to see and not worry or have to consult with someone else. Good especially considering I walked everywhere and kept up a brisk pace. I did eat all the food that I got with the exception of the Juniors Cheesecake, City Bakery Cookie, and Momofuku Milk Bar Ice Cream.
 
@ TnTinCT
    Yeah those cookies were out of the world amazing and it helped that they were still warm...mmm I am drueling just thinking about it right now.
 
@ MiamiDon
    Thanks for the heads up I will fix that when I get home and get access to linking to my photobucket account as I don't have access to it at work...Yeah I know I am so productive right now...
 
@ dannybotz
    I had originally intended to do Lombardi's rather than Motorino's but at the advice of others @ Slice (SeriousEats) and Chowhound I decided to go with Motorino's as it was supposedly the better tasting pizza but not necessarily the most authentic NY style.
 
@bethgrd
    I had asked for the blackout donut and I didn't realize they gave me the wrong one until was several blocks away and at that point I really didn't feel like turning around and spending more money on another donut and I knew I had to eat a lot more that day.
 
About Katz
    I recognize that possibly I was suffering from palate fatigue at that point during my trip. I had eaten a lot of different and great tasting foods and I am not used to eating out a lot so my tongue may have just been overloaded. With that said I still feel like the sandwich is overpriced, but not necessarily overrated. It is a very good sandwich in it's own right, but to command such a price tag I believe is lunacy. I would have rather forked over another $10 and gotten another Black Label Burger from Minetta Tavern.

Oh and to show I did something more than just eat the entire time here are some of my favorite sightseeing pics from my trip:


Just seemed like a cool show of the snow in the foreground and the Met Life Building lit up in the background.
*** Thanks for the correction Pigiron.***


My attempt at an artistic shot...


Central Park was really nice and I was surprised at how many runners, walkers, and bikers there were in the park at the time.


I made a quick 45 min detour through the MET if only to warm up but I was glad I stopped in to see a few things.


My view from the top of the Empire State Building, rather nice view don't ya think?


Trinity Chapel as featured in National Treasure.


Lady Liberty...I was expecting it to be bigger. Not that it isn't massive in it's own right but still.


And of course the ubiquitous shot of me and the Lady. Not bad considering I took it with one hand while the boat was in motion if I do say so myself.

Thanks for all great comments everyone and I'm glad you are enjoying the pics.

re great photos! ...oh, and no one said there was nothing wrong with going to NYC just to eat

That pastrami sandwich from Katz's looks a little light on the meat. I looked at several other photos on this site and Katz's site. All of the other sandwiches were larger than yours. I don't blame you for being disappointed! That being said I hope I get to try it for myself soon! Thanks for a great trip report.

Not to be a party pooper, but that's not the Empire State Building.   You're looking at the Met Life Tower on the corner of 23rd and Madison (a beautiful building in it's own right).  The Shake Shack is right in front of you through those trees, and the Flatiron Building would be at your back (another spectacular sight).  If you panned to the left, you would see the ESB.
 
Interesting trivia about the big building directly to the left of the Met Life Tower:  that building was originally built as the base for a 100-story tower- until the depression hit, and they were forced to stop at 32 stories.  It has the structural integrity- and enough elevators to support an additional 68 stories.
 
 

Soccer862923


Oh and to show I did something more than just eat the entire time here are some of my favorite sightseeing pics from my trip:


Just seemed like a cool show of the snow in the foreground and the Empire State Building lit up in the background.

 
 
 

Pigiron


Not to be a party pooper, but that's not the Empire State Building.   You're looking at the Met Life Tower on the corner of 23rd and Madison (a beautiful building in it's own right).  The Shake Shack is right in front of you through those trees, and the Flatiron Building would be at your back (another spectacular sight).  If you panned to the left, you would see the ESB.
 
Interesting trivia about the big building directly to the left of the Met Life Tower:  that building was originally built as the base for a 100-story tower- until the depression hit, and they were forced to stop at 32 stories.  It has the structural integrity- and enough elevators to support an additional 68 stories. 
 

Thanks for the correction. My brain was trying to keep track of some baking that I was doing when I was making the post so when I saw a big building I assumed that it was the Empire State Building...Doh!
 
Interesting trivia about that other building. That is really cool.

Great report Soccer! Thanks for sharing it. Your pictures really made me hungry!

Great report..you reminded me of why I love our frequent visits to NYC...great city, great food...and a new experience around every turn!!!...Oh and every one needs to try a $26 hamburger once...and it looked like it was worth it!!!

leethebard


Great report..you reminded me of why I love our frequent visits to NYC...great city, great food...and a new experience around every turn!!!...Oh and every one needs to try a $26 hamburger once...and it looked like it was worth it!!!

It was a really good experience. I had wanted to go for the past several years and finally just decided to take the plunge and do it. With the exception of the rain/snow going on Saturday when I was there everything was great and it stayed just warm enough that I was never totally freezing...also frequent stops to get coffee and hot chocolate helped. As much as I stopped to get food I know I probably stopped at Starbucks to get something to keep me going and warm in between longer jaunts of walking. I think there are more of them in a 5 block radius than there are in all of Ohio...ok a bit of an exhaggeration but in the end it was quite convenient.

Did you drive in? Where'd you stay and park? How much was the hotel? (if you don't mind me asking) How many nights did you stay? How'd you research everything?     

EatingTheRoad


Did you drive in? Where'd you stay and park? How much was the hotel? (if you don't mind me asking) How many nights did you stay? How'd you research everything?     

I actually flew in to NJ and stayed at the Wyndham hotel that is nearby there and got a great deal. A queen size bed for $105 for 2 nights, which was the best deal I could find anywhere. They have a courtesy shuttle that takes you to the airport every 20 min during most hours and every 30 during late/early times. It drops you off at the airport or the connection to the Airtrain which you can take to get the Amtrak to get to the city.  With doing a little transferring it cost me about $15 per trip in and out of the city so that raised my overall costs but still cheaper than staying in NY.
 
Mainly I did a lot of my researching through the Serious Eats network of websites after reading about it for so long. I also remembered a few places from TV shows that I have seen throughout the years so I just googled them for the most part. I put out a thread on Serious Eats to get any recommendations from locals regarding my "current" picks and asked for any recommendations or replacements. Also did a little bit of research through Chow.com and their boards but found it to be not as useful as SE.  I pretty much just grouped together my food stops around the areas in which I wanted to do sight seeing in order to maximize my efforts and time. I was able to hit everything that I wanted with minimal detours after doing a lot...and I mean A LOT of reorganization. I did a ton of research and I even printed off maps and directions to most places from my current location, just in case I didn't feel like Metroing, which turned out to be good considering I did a lot of walking. I can be a bit OCD with things like this but in the end I think it turned out to be a good call doing all the research that I did and most of it paid off with great experiences. I also left enough time in my schedule should I have to rearrane things, which I did with the poor weather on Saturday.

WOW! Fantastic report!! Fat witch brownies are one of my GO TO mail order gifts for family and friends. Gingerbread custard sounds wonderful, have never had that before. So you liked the Roasted bone marrow.... I've only had that once, don't think I could eat that again.
Bravo!! Wishing I were in NYC  :)