10 days in NYC

After recently getting into fine dining, and wanting to taste food variety beyond what my town offered, I impulsively booked two weeks in the city in search of good food. Many places I didn’t get to this go round, but for a first time trip to NYC, I was blown away by what I did eat. See my reviews below! (All of the totals are before tip)

1: Maison Pickle 4/5 – Olive Oil Deviled Eggs, Shishito Peppers and a Cosmo. I went during Happy Hour and was STUNNED at the portion sizes! $10 for each app and those alone filled me. A 4 rating because I felt the oil was a little heavy handed on the eggs, and I quickly ran out of sauce with how many peppers there were. Total $32

2: Broad Nosh Bagel 4/5 – Asiago bagel w/cream cheese, egg & bacon. I tried several other bagel shops, all were pretty equal to me. I know NYers have strong opinions on best bagel spots, I consistently went back to BNB while on my trip. Total $14

3: Bergdorf Goodman Afternoon Tea 4/5 – This was more for the experience than food, and while the tea was great, the food definitely left something to be desired. The sandwich bread was dry, the caviar puff was bland. But I will say the scone was the standout! Total $75

4&5: Tatiana’s 5/5 – Peri Peri Salad and Goat Patties (not pictured: dumplings, ‘NSFW’ cocktail, and golden rum cake) I’ve seen many divisive opinions on this place on Reddit. But it blew me away and is hands down one of the best meals I ever had. I waited for a bar spot an hour before they opened, was 9th in line and got in almost immediately. The Peri Peri salad was phenomenal, the flavors were bursting and complimentary. I’d go back for that alone. The goat patties were pleasantly surprising in taste and I loved the aioli sauce that came with them, and the dumplings were perfectly crispy. Total $124

6: Frankie’s at Grand Central Station 5/5 – All American Hot Dog. Listen. Is it pretty? No. Was it delicious? Absolutely. I added the hot sauce from another dog on their menu and it was fantastic. Total $10

7: Harry Potter Shop 3/5 – Butterbeer cupcake (not pictured: Butterbeer). I quite literally stumbled upon the store and as a huge fan, was blown away by the store itself. Of course I had to try a hot Butterbeer as I’ve only ever had it cold in Florida, and that was fantastic. The cupcake matched the flavor, but the cake itself was a little crunchy and the frosting overwhelmingly sweet. Total $25

8&9: Rezdora 4/5 – Stracciatella and Butternut Squash Gnocchi. This was a great meal, but I wasn’t blown away. For the price, I wanted to be wowed. The stracciatella was delicious with the oil, but the gnocchi I got tired of a few bites in. It seemed to fall flat as the butternut covered any other flavor in the dish. I don’t like that they charge for bread separately in an appetizer that basically requires it, but that’s a personal nitpick. Total $80

10: Brooklyn Dumpling Shop inside Macy’s Holiday Square 5/5 – Wagyu beef dumplings. I know, I know, I can find fantastic dumplings all over the city. But I was obsessed with these and the price made it unbeatable for me. I wound up ordering them for another meal in the UES and they were just as stellar. A lot of times with dumplings I feel I get too much dough vs filling, but these were perfectly balanced. The chili oil tied it all together, I could’ve drank that alone. Total $10

11: Gotham Burger 4/5 – Gotham Smash single patty w/ club sauce. It was a good burger. But the price for a normal burger alone, without even a side of fries? I can’t give a perfect score. Also, the music was SO loud at 11am, it felt like I was back home and trapped in a honkytonk bar haha. Total $15

12: Friend of a Farmer 2/5 – Caviar waffle and glass of rosé. I was hoodwinked here, and still mad about it!😂 please look at that thumb sized portion and the fact it was $30. Of course, caviar makes anything more expensive, but that was highway robbery and arguably some of the worst caviar I’d ever had. I went home and had to order food because I left starving. It was more annoying when someone ordered their happy hour grilled cheese and I kid you not, the portion size was as a large as her head. The bread was bigger than Texas Toast. Even the bartender looked between our dishes and said, “yeah, the continuity isn’t really there.” It just felt like a waste of money, but even regardless of price, the caviar waffle wasn’t good. Total $50

13: Los Tacos. No. 1 at Chelsea Market 5/5 – Carne Asada w/all toppings, side of chips and salsa. I’d been dying to try this place and was not let down. I’m from Texas, surrounded by all kinds of Mexican, and this was outstanding. Meat cooked without being overly chewy, and the salsa!! I love spice and this had the perfect heat. The line was long, but the workers moved so fast it was entirely worth it. Total $11

14: Friedman’s Broadway Rose 2/5 – Vegetable dumplings (not pictured: club sandwich with salt & vinegar chips). Similar to the Stardust Diner, the staff sing Broadway during your meal. I knew it was more of an experience than food place, but this meal was offensive. The dumplings pictured were SO DRY. My fork and knife struggled to get through it. I could’ve lost a tooth in that venture. The sandwich was fine, but bland, the avocado on it was brown, the tomato far past fresh, and the chips I swear had zero seasoning. Total – $40

15: Nice Matin 5/5 – Strawberry French toast (not pictured: herbal tea). I found this place on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. They were on the ‘24 Michelin guide, and the decor inside was stunning. Retro 70’s but upscale? The menu I considered pretty affordable for NYC, and the French toast was delicious. Perfectly cooked, and the syrup sauce was generous enough that both layers were covered. I definitely want to go back and try their lunch/dinner offerings. Total $15

16: LORE Brooklyn 4/5 – Fermented Dosa (not pictured: fish and chips, semolina pudding, glass of Riesling). I did the $47 prix fix dinner menu. The fermented dosa was stunning. The potatoes fluffy, the crepe crispy, and those red and green sauces pictured packed a punch of flavor. The fish and chips!! The batter was light and crunchy and the fish amazingly cooked. I couldn’t score it perfectly because the dessert did leave something to be desired, it reminded me of porridge. But for the price and the other two courses, I’d definitely go back. Total $60

17: Alice’s Tea Cup 5/5 – ‘24 FLOTUS tea, pumpkin and caramel scone, ham and cheese scone. I stumbled on this place after exploring UWS, got the tea and scone deal, and had such a great time. The tea was delicious and the scones blew me away. The photo doesn’t truly show how massive those things were. Great flavor, warm and fluffy, and actually filled me up. Total $23

18: The Musket Room 5/5 – Ora King Salmon with Dashi Butter (not pictured: treviso, matcha diplomat, glass of Riesling). I went the day after they just lost a star, but this was one of my favorite meals. I chose to do à la carte and that salmon was truly one of the best I’ve ever had. The butter sauce was magical, and the crunchy seeded topping brought it all together. The treviso was amazing in flavor (coming from someone who doesn’t usually go for cabbages), and having never had matcha before, the dessert was grassy, earthy and fresh paired with the shortbread and salted cream. A great experience. Total $94

19: Rosetta Bakery 3/5 – Apple streusel. I stopped in just needing a snack, and it was okay. Nothing mind blowing, but the portion size was generous so it did its job. Total $10

20: Eleven Madison Park 5/5 – Frozen Coconut with Passionfruit Donut (not pictured: laminated onion bread and roasted broth, leek salad, radish in variations, lobster, duck, sesame chocolate pretzel) I’ve also seen discourse about this place, but while I rank Tatiana’s for best in food, this wins for best in experience. I did the set lunch menu. With many places I find certain courses blow me away and others I’m left indifferent, but each dish here was consistently good, and I value that more than shock value. The staff went above and beyond in making my time there special. I’ve had dreams of that roasted onion broth every day since, and I loved getting to see in real time how hard each person strives for perfection in that 3 star. They are a well oiled machine, but not in a way that’s stuffy or snobby like I’ve experienced at another 3 star in Paris. I got to discuss the future of their menu changes, and I’m excited to go back in the future. Total $224

Food not pictured: Mamoun’s Falafel – 3/5 Falafel with rice bowl. The search for falafel to match what I’ve found in England continues, this was such a letdown. The falafel was hard and cold, and the flavors all seemed to clash together. $15

Luka’s Joy – 4/5 Cheeseburger. For the price, hard to beat. Great burger, just wished it was a little larger in size. $4

Magnolia Bakery – 4/5 Banana Pudding and Monster Bar. I’m a hard critic in banana pudding, but it was pretty great. The monster cookie bar was SO good, I’d go back to try their other menu items. $10