Dining In NY - April 2024

On my most recent trip to New York, food wasn't the first thing on my mind. Strange, I know. But it was Sniffapalooza Spring Fling weekend, so eating took a back seat to perfume sniffing. That's not to say I didn't have some delicious noms, too.

nutella earl grey swirl and coffee with oatmilk at Dominique Ansel Workshop

Of course I had to stroll over to Dominique Ansel Workshop to pick up a quick breakfast of pastry and coffee before I met with my BFF Andree. I ate half of this gorgeous laminated swirly pastry filled with Nutella/Earl Grey cream, saving the rest for an evening snack. I offered it to Andree, but she's apparently not that crazy about Nutella. Honestly, I've never heard such a thing. 

eggplant parm with arugula salad at Cecconi's at The Ned Hotel in NoMad

When Andree finally got her butt into town, she was hungry, so we went to Cecconi's--only a block from our NoMad hotel--for eggplant parm. I had eaten a horrible version not too many days earlier and found this one to be a welcome contrast. We also had a giant salad (in addition to the one that came with the eggplant) and doggie bagged about half our lunch. Our room at the Ace had a full-sized SMEG refrigerator so we took advantage of a cool spot to keep our leftovers. 

lemon meringue and nutella tarts at Masseria Cafe & Bakery

After a trip to Bergdorfs to do a little sniffing and to drop off a custom scarf for my friend Donna, we hiked to the theater district. We had tickets for the 7pm showing of Lempicka and an hour or so before it was time to queue up in front of the theater, so we grabbed an outside table at Masseria Cafe & Bakery across the street for coffee and pastries and people watching. There seemed to be a Vogue magazine photoshoot going on in the street, with models in pastel tulle frocks that gave sad 80s prom dress vibes but probably cost 10K each and a photographer in a Vogue sweatshirt. I'm tempted to pick up some late summer issues of the mag to see if these images show up.

After the show, we walked the nineteen blocks back to the Ace through the mayhem of Times Square and ate the leftovers from lunch for dinner.

The next morning, we had coffee and pastries at the Stumptown Coffee in the hotel before heading downtown for hours of perfume heaven. 

the hot antipasti course at La Mela

We broke for lunch at 1:30 for a five course family-style feast at La Mela. Their Cinque Corsi is $60 pp and gets you a salad, hot antipasti, (roasted red peppers and olives, asparagus parmigiana, spedini alla romano, stuffed mushrooms), a pasta course (rigatoni marinara, tortellini alfredo, gnocchi sorentina), a combined meat and fish course (veal francaise, chicken Scarpariello, shrimp marinara), and a wide selection of desserts (Italian cheesecake, tiramisu, cannoli, tartufo, zabaglione with fresh fruit)

the pasta course

dessert

It all looks a confusing mess, but everything was quite good. The pasta course in particular was impressively al dente--hard to achieve when made in mass quantities. I sampled all of the desserts except the cheesecake and cannoli and found them to be uniformly tasty, if messy.

Later that evening, back at the hotel, Andree determined she was hungry again but didn't want to walk anywhere (I had exhausted her the day before) so we went down to the The Ace Hotel Lobby Bar and sat for a while with this pathetic cheese plate.

this sad cheese and charcuterie plate cost $25 at the lobby bar at the Ace

I wasn't in the mood for savory food, so ordered the baked lubeck marzipan, which was two long, rather hard, and fairly uninteresting almond cookies that cost a steep $12.

brunch at The Harold: shakshuka and the smoked salmon platter with potatoes on the side

The next morning, we had our usual brunch at The Harold. Andree always gets the smoked salmon, while I try new things. The shakshuka was too brothy for me, but otherwise tasted fine. I think my favorite thing on their morning menu is the rosemary potatoes that accompany most egg dishes. Andree likes them too, so we ordered them on the side. While I like the Harold quite a bit, I do wish they'd use oatmilk instead of/in addition to the sweetened almond milk they offer for coffee.

best deal all weekend: yakitori bento at Kushi Kushi Yaki $17

My last meal of the weekend, after Andree left early and I spent some time in Saks' fragrance department, was at Kushi Kushi Yaki. I've eaten there many times and have never been disappointed by their yakitori. The little pork sausages are especially tasty, and I appreciate the wide variety of pickled items that come with the bento box.

This weekend didn't involve nearly as much food as my usual excursions to NYC, and honestly, my stomach was happier for it. The next trip, however, will be for Fancy Food, so it's likely to be a gut buster. Stay tuned!

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

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Breakfast and Lunch at LB Bakery

I've popped into LB Bakery from time to time to grab a cup of La Colombe coffee and a flaky croissant to go, but I've never stayed for breakfast. One reason is because I'm always in a hurry in the morning, but also because they didn't serve a hot sit-down breakfast until recently. I suppose that's the most pertinent reason, huh? In any case, this little cafe on the ground level of the Lord Baltimore Hotel now serves both breakfast and lunch in addition to their usual assortment of pastries, macarons, and refrigerated sandwiches. A few weeks ago, Mr Minx and I joined several of our foodie friends at an introductory brunch to sample the new menu.

We started off with the crisp Belgian waffles garnished with fresh fruit and maple syrup, then went on to a super-fluffy, goat-cheese-stuffed, omelette with a side of potatoes. I don't normally do omelettes because I have an issue with browned eggs, but this beauty was so perfectly cooked, I was happy to make an exception.

If you're an everything bagel with smoked salmon kinda person, then this generous platter with all the fixings you could ever want will make you happy. Again, smoked salmon isn't my thing (I am a lousy brunch person, aren't I?), but I truly enjoyed a portion of bagel schmeared with cream cheese and topped with a smoky slice of fish...plus capers, eggs, onions, and a soupcon of dill.

After tasting breakfast, we also sampled some lunch items, like the lump crab cake sandwich with fries and the fish and chips. The fish was so crispy on the outside yet moist on the inside, which is how it should be. Both the crab cake and the fish are perfect choices for a Lenten lunch.

Of course we also had to sample Executive Pastry Chef Mary Elizabeth Plovanich's sweet yummies, including ginormous macarons, chocolate tarts, and key lime bars (my fave). Her desserts never disappoint.

Now when I stop into LB Bakery in the morning before work, I might just have to linger a while and enjoy that omelette again.

LB Bakery
20 W Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201



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Brunch at By the Docks

Neal and I are pretty fond of By the Docks, a restaurant in Eastern Baltimore County. We love their mammoth crab cakes, and everything else we've had there has been pretty good too. We couldn't pass up an invitation to their weekend brunch, so one chilly Sunday morning, we drove to Middle River from Towson. The ride took only about 20 minutes, which is about as long as it takes for us to get downtown.

The buffet includes all of the usual suspects: bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs. There's no omelet station, but they can be made to order in the kitchen and brought to your table while you stand in line for other goodies. Mr Minx's omelet, above, included spinach, mushrooms, tomato, and sausage; he seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. You can also order other egg preparations, and things like grits and oatmeal from the kitchen. A nice touch, as those items often get gloppy on a steam table.

Omelets aren't my thing, so I went straight to the buffet for scrambles, bacon, and a slice of scrapple.

I also visited the more lunch-y section of the buffet, which included a pretty darn tasty teriyaki chicken and fried rice, filled pasta melange (large cheese-filled ravioli and tortellini) with shrimp, and the day's fish selection, which on that occasion was tilapia.

As By the Docks is primarily a seafood restaurant, the buffet doesn't skimp in that department. There are large bowls of peel-and-eat shrimp, mussels, and the biggest oysters I have seen in quite a while.

The buffet isn't all protein. There are biscuits (with or without gravy), toast, muffins, and pancakes for carb-lovers, also bowls of fresh fruit and grilled vegetables. There's also a selection of desserts, most of which are on the petite side so diners who only need a bite of sweetness after a meal don't waste an entire serving. Full-sized slabs of bread pudding and small bowls of rice pudding are available, too.

We tried a little of everything and came away very satisfied. No doubt everyone does, as this feast is a super-inexpensive $17.99 per person. It was certainly well worth the drive to Middle River.

By the Docks
3321 Eastern Blvd
Middle River, MD 21220
(410) 686-1188
bythedocks.com



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Tomato Pie

I made the most beautiful tomato pie with bounty from our garden. So many tomatoes ripened at once, I had to do something that would use up more than one or two at a time. Pie seemed to be the answer.

I was prepared. I had refrigerated pie crusts, frozen puff pastry, and filo dough on hand. Using the refrigerated option seemed the easiest way to go, but that sort of crust would require blind baking, so the pie wouldn't turn out soggy. Invariably, when I blind bake a crust, it shrinks in the pan and is barely tall enough to hold the filling. I got clever this time and used a tart shell, which is already shorter than a standard pie pan. Rather than crimp the pastry or trim it while it was raw, I just let the excess dough overhang the top of the pan, which cut back on the shrinkage. I also don't have pie weights to prevent the crust bottom from puffing up. I had used rice for a while, but after several uses it started to smell bad so I threw it out. This time, I used a springform pan bottom wrapped in foil that fit perfectly within my pastry shell. It worked like a charm.

For the topping, I sliced my tomatoes and salted them and left them to drain on several thicknesses of paper towel. I also blotted them periodically to get off as much moisture as possible. While those were draining, I made a filling using various things I had on hand. Now, you won't be able to duplicate my filling exactly, but you can probably approximate it easily enough. I knew I wanted to use cheese, so I combined cream cheese and feta. I wanted a savory element, so I added a few spoonfuls of bacon jam (you can use finely crumbled cooked bacon and a bit of sauteed onion), and then for balance, some vinegar. But not actual vinegar. I have a bottle of Crafted Cocktails blackberry shrub in the fridge. It has a flavor somewhat like a very sweet balsamic vinegar, so I added a couple teaspoons to the filling for a touch of acidity. You can add balsamic, but start with a teaspoon and taste before adding more, as it's more tangy than the shrub.

Once the pie crust had cooked and cooled, I smeared it with the filling and topped it with the tomatoes. Into the oven it went for 35 minutes until the tomatoes had shriveled somewhat and the filling was bubbling. I let it cool completely before removing it from the tart pan and garnishing it with fresh basil.

It was delicious. And beautiful.

Tomato Pie

2 lbs tomatoes (I used a combination of Black Krim, Tie Dye, and Roma)
Salt
1 refrigerated pie crust
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese (or flavorful cheese of your choice)
2 heaping tablespoons bacon jam (or 1 tablespoon of crumbled bacon + 1 tablespoon caramelized onion)
2 teaspoons Crafted Cocktails Blackberry shrub (or 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar)
Freshly ground pepper
Fresh basil for garnish

Slice tomatoes about 1/4" thick and place in one layer on a double thickness of paper towels. Salt liberally. Allow to drain for at least half an hour, blotting occasionally with more towels.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Fit the pie crust into a 10" tart shell with 1" sides and a removable bottom. Do not trim the crust, just allow it to hang loosely over the top of the pan. Prick crust all over with a fork. Line the crust with aluminum foil and weigh down with raw rice or beans, or pie weights if you have them. If you don't have any of the above, take a 9" springform pan bottom, cover with foil, and place within the crust. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the crust starts to turn golden. Remove the pie weights or pan bottom and foil and bake an additional 5-8 minutes. Remove pie shell from oven and cool on a rack. Once cool, use a knife to trim the excess crust flush with the top of the pan.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, feta, bacon jam, and shrub. Stir well to combine and add freshly ground pepper to taste. Smear onto cooled crust and top with drained tomatoes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes,  until filling is bubbly and the tomatoes have shrunken a bit. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan. Garnish with fresh basil, cut into wedges and serve.



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La Cuchara

It took us a while to get to La Cuchara. I can't explain exactly why, it just did. And now that we've gone, we want to go back again and again (and we have, several times).

La Cuchara features cuisine inspired by the Basque people living in northern France and southern Spain. Not French food, and not Spanish food (although maybe a bit closer to the latter), Basque food is its own thing. And why don't we have more of it in our area? Beats me. In any case, it's just the kind of stuff I like to eat - lots of small plates, lots of wine, terrific bread.

The menu changes constantly, so what you see here is pretty much guaranteed not to be available when you go. Sorry about that. The photos are mostly to show that the food is as gorgeous as it is delicious, like the Charred Octopus, Sweet Corn, Refrito de Chorizo shown above. The octopus had a nice charred flavor, tender, with a pleasant chew, and corn kernels added a nice pop of texture. There were also some of the succulents known as sea beans (or salicornia, or sea asparagus) on the plate to add a saline crunch. And see how gorgeous?

The poached oysters on a raft of pumpernickel toast (I adore their pumpernickel bread) in a sea of bright red tomato sofrito were perfect. The shellfish just barely cooked and still quite tender. We've also had two very different spins on the now ubiquitous kale salad, one massaged with a pistachio vinaigrette and served with sweet corn and cucumber, the other with bacon and bleu cheese.

We like to sit at the bar, even when it's not Happy Hour. Happy Hour is ridiculous. Pintxos, or small one or two bite dishes, which normally cost a huge $2 are half price, as are all the "primeros," or appetizer-sized plates. The spread of pintxos above cost a whopping $7 at Happy Hour and included sardines, smoked oysters with celery root puree, a jamon croquette, half an amazing veal tongue sandwich, a gilda (anchovy/olive/pepper skewer), charred cabbage Salvitxada, and marinated eggplant.

A gilda.

Here's a closeup of that lamb tongue bocadillo. It was like the most tender pastrami ever. Insane at $2 ($1 at HH!)

Another bocadillo, this one made with meltingly tender pork.

Here are some fried oysters with artichoke veloute. Mr Minx thought they were the most perfect fried oysters he's ever eaten.

We also tried some patatas bravas, a pretty typical tapas dish.

We also sampled some brunch items, like the crispy chicken torta with preserved lemon mayo. You'll never want a tiny fast food biscuit with a chicken nugget in it ever again once you taste these.

The only thing we haven't experienced at La Cuchara is an entree. I'm sure they're delicious, but they are not as budget-friendly as everything else on the menu. In any case, the older I get, the less-interested I am in entree-sized portions of anything. Suffice it to say that we've loved everything we've eaten at La Cuchara and regret not getting there sooner.

La Cuchara
3600 Clipper Mill Rd
Baltimore, MD 21211
(443) 708-3838



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Local Easter Celebrations

If you're not up to cooking on Easter, there are plenty of Baltimore-area restaurants that are willing to do it for you.

Cinnamon Tree Restaurant at the Hunt Valley Inn is offering an Easter Champagne Brunch including Fresh Maryland Crab Claws on Ice with Lemon, and Pan Seared Filet of Sole with Mornay Sauce. An Herb Roasted Prime Rib and Roast Pork Loin station with side dishes "provides the comfort of a home cooked meal for the family." For dessert, try their specialty Cinnamon Tree Cinnamon Rolls or Easter Cookies.  (Adults: $35.95 / Children under 8: $16.95)

Citron at Quarry Lake is offering both brunch and supper on Easter Sunday. Brunch runs from 12-3pm, supper from noon to close.

Cosima is offering a one-off a la carte Easter brunch, from 10am - 2pm.

The Turn House in Columbia is having a brunch buffet from 10 - 3, including lamb and ham carving stations, oyster bar, plus all of your breakfast/brunch faves. ($45 adults, $20 children 12 and younger.)

Wit & Wisdom at the Four Seasons Baltimore is offering breakfast, brunch, and dinner on Easter Sunday. Breakfast will run from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Brunch starts at 9 and runs until 3pm. There will be live music, a carving station, make-your-own omelets, a sweet & savory crepe station, roast-your-own s'mores, raw bar and a decorate your own Easter Egg cookies station for the kids.
($69 per person, $29 per child under 12. Bottomless Mimosas are also available for $14.)

An à la carte dinner menu will be available from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. as well as a full tavern menu from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.



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8Ball Meatball

Spaghetti and meatballs is the dish that had the biggest impact on my life. It was what we had for dinner every Saturday night when I was a kid, and it kicked off my special night of activities. After dinner, my dad would go out and buy the early editions of the Sunday newspapers (we had two major papers back then) so I could plow through the pages and pages of full color comic strips. Then I would stay up and watch Ghost Host or Creature Feature or maybe even an old serial like Flash Gordon or The Crimson Ghost. But it was the spaghetti and meatballs I looked forward to the most: hearty and spicy and soul satisfying. I loved it so much, I asked my mom to teach me how to make it. By the time I was 12, I was the one who made dinner every Saturday.

Over the years, I played around with different styles of and recipes for meatballs. I'd like to think I'm a bit of a meatball connoisseur, so when a new place in Fells Point called 8Ball Meatball opened, I knew I had to try it out. As is usually the case with us, other commitments got in the way, but we were recently asked to attend a media dinner to check out what was going on at the meatball emporium.

We started with cocktails and 8Ball Meatball has some pretty sweet adult beverages to choose from. The Otoño, ordered by a friend who generously let us taste her drink, is a citrussy blend of Suerte tequila, grapefruit juice, lime, and spiced simple syrup; the Minx swears it was her favorite thing of the entire evening and wishes she had stolen more sips than the several she already had.

The drink the Minx ordered for herself was the Pear and Cider Punch while I went for the Cranberry-Ginger Highball, both from the Fall cocktail menu. While both rum-based drinks were unmistakably seasonal in flavor, each was light and refreshing on that particular warm Indian Summer evening.

8Ball Meatball's menu offers a handful of ball-inspired appetizers (plus a few others) to start one's meal. The fried pickles appetizer was especially tasty, lightly battered pickle slices fried to a light golden brown with a Ranch dipping sauce.

Goat cheese balls were served with a "Summer" salad of greens, blueberries, watermelon, and strawberries, all drizzled with a sweet glaze--a light contrast to the crunchy coating of the somewhat hefty balls filled with creamy goat cheese.

We also sampled the quite spicy Buffalo chicken balls with their traditional bleu cheese and celery garnish.

Entree decision-making is both simple and complex at 8Ball Meatball. Simple in that every choice involves meatballs. Complex in that several decisions must be made: select a meatball; select one of six sauces to go with it; and finally, decide how you wish to have it served. Your balls can come in a bowl of four; you can get three balls in a sub roll with cheese; or you can have an individual ball on a slider bun. There's also a variety of starches and salads that can be placed alongside or under your balls. You could also choose to put an egg on anything (why not?)

I chose the bowl of meatballs served over pasta. Normally, you can choose up to two different meatballs, but in the interest of journalism, I talked them into serving me four different balls so I could write about each one. The veggie ball is a dense composition of beans, soy, nuts, and tempeh making for a hearty, firm, bite. The classic is a traditional, tender meatball made of beef, pork, and veal. Although the tender pork ball is labeled as spicy, I found it to be pleasantly mild and probably my favorite of the four. That night's special meatball was Italian sausage with onions and peppers and it tasted exactly like you would imagine. I could've enjoyed an entire bowl of those!

My one strategic error was choosing the spicy pork sauce. Although it tasted fine, I'm afraid it made it difficult to discern the flavors of each ball. I would probably opt for the classic or pesto sauce next time.

The Minx ordered two pork and two chicken balls with a Parmesan cream sauce over the risotto del giorno, which happened to be butternut squash. The pork balls were her favorite as well.

Despite the preponderance of spherical proteins at 8Ball Meatball, they'd like everyone to know that they are more than just meatballs. Those tasty drinks, for one thing, which are enough to have us coming back for more. Additionally, they are open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. But if you find yourself roaming around Fells Point any day of the week and are looking for a place to have a drink and a nosh, the food is fun and the prices are beyond reasonable.

8Ball Meatball
814 S. Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21231
info@8ballmeatball.com
443-759-5315



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Bloody Mary Gazpacho

I love making gazpacho in the summertime. It's a great way to get in one's daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables, plus it's easy to make and tastes great.

Regular readers of Minxeats will know that we're not traditionalists in any way, so we feel free to tinker with the basic concept of gazpacho and make it our own. You should, too. Don't like cucumber? Leave it out. Prefer raw bell peppers to our roasted ones? Use raw then (but not green, unless you're weird). Garnish with cooked shrimp or bacon or both instead of or in addition to the vegetarian garnishes we suggest. And by all means, add vodka and a fat straw and make this for brunch.

Bloody Mary Gazpacho

4 tomatoes, divided use
3 stalks celery, divided use
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
1 jarred roasted red pepper, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste
3-6 shakes Tabasco
Prepared horseradish (optional)
Salt
Pinch sugar
Pinch smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce of vodka
Green and black olives, sliced
Lime segments
Scallions and/or chives

Cut three of the tomatoes into rough chunks. Seed the fourth tomato, cut the flesh into dice., and set aside.

Destring all of the celery stalks. Cut 2 1/2 stalks into chunks. Cut the remaining half stalk into dice and set aside.

Place the 3 tomatoes, 2 1/2 celery stalks, plus the cucumber and red pepper in the jar of a blender. Add Worcestershire, lime, Tabasco, horseradish (if using), and a big pinch of salt on top and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more of everything if you think it needs it, plus sugar, smoked paprika, pepper, and vodka. Blend briefly or give it a stir.

Once seasoned to your liking (it should be pungent, as it will be served cold and cold dulls flavors), pour the soup into a quart container and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.

Pour into bowls and garnish with sliced olives, wedges of lime, scallions or chives, plus the reserved diced tomato and celery.

Serves 2-4



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NY Fashion Week Dining

I went to New York earlier this month for Fashion Week, and of course I made sure to eat well.

My hotel was in Koreatown, on 32nd Street between 5th and Broadway, and on both sides and across the street were tons of great dining options. I would have been quite content to eat Korean food for every meal, however, as I was getting my makeup done a couple of times during my stay, I didn't want to offend the poor makeup artists with garlic breath. So I indulged in the spicy garlicky fare just once, and that will be outlined in a separate post.

On the day I arrived, I wasn't able to eat anything until late in the afternoon. I was backstage at the John Paul Ataker show, watching Charlie Price's team do hair. There was food and drink, but as a guest and a blogger, I wouldn't think of indulging in something that clearly was not intended for my consumption. (I am sure there are others who would have no compunction about digging in.) After I left the Pier 59 Studios, I checked into my hotel and decided, since it was still light out, to hop a train up to Bergdorf's to do some perfume sniffing (my second thing to do in NY, after eating). The Plaza Hotel and its food court were standing in between the subway stop and BG, so I ducked inside to have a bite to eat.

I had read things about No. 7 Sub labeling it the "mad scientist of sandwiches," mostly because the fillings are somewhat unorthodox. I decided to try the zucchini parm, which Complex.com named as one of NY's best sandwiches in 2013.

A combo of panko-coated zucchini, fontina cheese, sweet onion puree, bbq chips, and pickled jalapenos, it was indeed unorthodox. "If you don't like this sandwich, you're not human," says the Complex article. Well, I may be a little inhuman then. It's not that I didn't like it, but that the components weren't particularly balanced. There was far too much panko and potato chip (and bread) and not enough zucchini or cheese. The moisture ratio was a bit off. The jalapenos were fine though; I definitely could taste those.

For dinner, I ducked into a "Japanese Pub" on 32nd Street called Hana Michi. I put pub in quotes because it didn't really have what I think of as typical izakaya food. Instead, they had a selection of fancy western-style sushi rolls, katsu dishes, hot pots, teriyaki, and both rice and soup dishes. The place was packed and quite lively and the food there is probably pretty decent, judging by the happy patrons. I obviously ordered badly. It was freaking cold outside, and windy, so I thought a nice bowl of ramen would hit the spot. As you can see from the pic, it wasn't very attractive ramen. There was too much broth, and it was rather insipid in flavor. It looked like tonkotsu, but it tasted like not much at all. And the noodles were overcooked. But the Asahi Super Dry that I drank with it hit the spot and both kept me warm on my short trip down the block to my hotel.

My dessert was much better. There's a Paris Baguette right next door to the hotel, so I stopped into the Korean bakery chain and picked up a canele and a bomboloni with coffee cream. The canele was not typically crisp on the outside; it was quite custardy-textured and pretty tasty. The bomboloni (an Italian donut) was fresh and cream-filled and not too sweet. While not the best or most authentic French bakery in NY, I have always found Paris Baguette to be pretty satisfying.

The next day, I skipped breakfast, opting instead for a simple flat white at Starbucks before heading to get my makeup done at Caravan Studios at the Gregory Hotel, a couple blocks from my hotel. I ducked back to the room to drop off a bottle of crappy fizzy drink that was the lounge's only freebie, and then set out for lunch. I had scouted out several options around the corner on 5th Ave. Uncle Sam's Burgers, the first US outpost of a burger chain from Beijing, won this round. I didn't feel like eating a beef burger, but the "dim sum" burger of ground shrimp and pork caught my eye. Topped with shiitake mushrooms, lettuce, and house sauce, it was indeed reminiscent of a dumpling filling. Pretty tasty, although it definitely needed more salt. The Thai iced tea on the side was perfect.

The next day, my big meal was brunch. I'm not a brunch gal, and I certainly don't routinely eat brunch alone. But, as it was Saturday and I had to get out of my hotel and down to the West Village/SoHo area early, I made a reservation at El Toro Blanco. Out of all the various places that serve weekend brunch in that area, ETB's menu seemed most interesting (and affordable). I opted for the chilaquiles, described as "baked saucy nachos, guajillo salsa, fried eggs, melted Mexican cheese, crema, avocado, pico de gallo." It was good. The eggs were perfect-- no crunchy brown bits and plenty of gooey yolk--and there was just enough cheese and salsa-coated chips to please. I had a margarita called a Chile Rubbed Mango (tequila, mango, cilantro, habanero, lime, agave) on the side. (Yes, it was 10:30 am. Don't judge.) The habanero was in the salty rim, and it added a nice punch, but wasn't noticeable at all when I used the straw. Not bad, but could have been spicier and fruitier.

So that's most of what I ate in NY for Fashion Week, minus a small Pinkberry grapefruit yogurt with pink grapefruit, coconut, and those tasty little mango pearls, and the fab dinner I had at Gaonnuri. The latter will be in an upcoming post, so stay tuned.

NO. 7 SUB AT THE PLAZA FOOD HALL
One W 59th Street
between 5/6 Avenues
New York, NY 10019
646.755.3228

PARIS BAGUETTE
6 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001
212.244.0404

HANA MICHI
28 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001
212.736.5393

UNCLE SAM'S BURGERS
307 5th Ave
New York, NY 10016
212.213.3938

EL TORO BLANCO
257 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10014
212.645.0193



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