Tisha Eats New York: Just Desserts

What better way to end my New York series of posts than with glorious dessert?

Cupcake Cafe
*18 West 18th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves.), NYC
*545 9th Ave. (between 40th and 41st Sts.), NYC
www.cupcakecafe-nyc.com

I was hankering for a cupcake, and figured New York had to have some pretty good cupcake places. (An In Style article said a pre-Tom Cruise Katie Holmes christened one in her neighborhood her favorite. Couldn't figure out where it was though.) There was Magnolia Bakery, of course, of Sex and the City fame. (It, in fact, had a long line snaking outside the store when I swung by with friends days later.) But I guess I wanted something a little more low key.

King used his kick-ass Google phone to find a nearby cupcake place, and we found ourselves in cozy little Cupcake Cafe. In the display cases were showcased cupcakes bedecked with flowers. We chose a trio of flavors: vanilla icing on vanilla, chocolate icing on chocolate, and maple icing on walnut. Each small cupcake was $2.50. King was particularly taken with the maple on walnut one. I--well, I'm a chocolate girl.

The Bread Factory Cafe

470 7th Ave. (35th St.), NYC
www.breadfactorycafe.com

My relatives and I popped in one night as we were walking to the train. It was pretty chilly and we needed a place to warm up. The bright lights and the yummy-looking goodies set out were enticing, so we walked in. We ordered a chocolate cake and a huge cookie, and hot chocolate to heat up our near-frozen tropical blood.

Serendipity 3
225 East 60th St. (between 2nd and 3rd Aves.), NYC
www.serendipity3.com

Anyone familiar with the John Cusack starrer would certainly be familiar with this cafe. (Hmm...I didn't even know it had a "3" at the end of it.) Motts and I were lucky enough to get a table without waiting as we walked in on a weekday afternoon. My friends and I swung by early one evening and found a line with a three- or four-hour wait! Insane!

The place is probably what Madame Auring's house would look like, made kitschier by the added Christmas decor. Since this post is devoted to dessert, I'll skip talking about the Hot Springs Wings I ordered, and go straight to the, er, sweet of the matter.

Motts ordered--get this--Celestial Carrot Cake ($8), pictured above. And to this, I said, "We're in Serendipity, and you ordered...carrot cake?" In all fairness, it was pretty awesome carrot cake.

I got the must-order, which is Frrrrozen Hot Chocolate. In terms of size, there is plenty to go around. But in terms of flavor...I guess I expected more. I didn't really get much of the "frozen" or the" hot." It was actually a lot like Milo, except that it was $8.50.

Talk about supersize!

Roxy Delicatessen
1565 Broadway (between 46th and 47th Sts.), NYC

It's supposedly a legendary cheesecake place on Broadway. When Amar and I went, there weren't a lot of people, possibly because everyone was still in the theaters. I imagine tourists flock to the place after catching a show.

There's a whole bunch of cheesecakes on offer. If I remember right, the waiter commended me on my choice:

Raspberry Hazelnut Chocolate Chunk! It was probably one of the most evil things on the menu. Just looking at it is enough to make you gain a couple of pounds. It was incredibly sweet, and at $9.95, something I probably won't try again. But hey, thanks Amar!

I tried looking for a gelato place that a friend referred, but I think gelato and ice cream places are on hiatus when winter rolls around! It's alright, though, as my next planned trip back would take place in the warmer months. It's a major hassle packing cold-weather clothes!

And so ends my New York food sojourn. My stay was way too short, my budget way too small for this city filled with great eats. But it's one of the reasons--aside from friends and family--that made me declare that, indeed, I shall return.

Tisha Eats New York: Fancy Shmancy

I didn't really eat at super fancy restos, but a couple of friends treated me to some pretty great places that would have been beyond my budget. It's been a while so the memory's a bit hazy...

Turkish Kitchen
386 3rd Ave., New York City
www.turkishkitchen.com

I met up with my "brother" Amar on a street corner near his office. One cool thing that happened while I was waiting was that someone asked me for directions, and I knew exactly where to point! It was cool because 1) I was beginning to get the whole Manhattan grid thing, and 2) I looked like a New Yorker. Haha.

If I remember right, these were the zucchini pancakes

Some things we ate, although I can't really remember what these are anymore, except for the appetizer above...

I was told later on that Amar was disappointed in my appetite, and frankly, so was I! I just didn't have my game stomach on the whole trip since I didn't have any physical activity (aside from walking block upon block).

Bryant Park Grill
Bryant Park
Between 40th and 42nd Sts., New York City
www.bryantpark.org/amenities/dining.php

The interiors. It was too cold for outdoor dining, but we did get a nice, cozy booth

One of the highlights of my trip: meeting up with one of my fabulous friends, Mutya. Aside from going to dance class with me, she also sweetly made reservations at Bryant Park Grill, where we encountered Tim Gunn...or at least, someone who looked like him: our waiter Raymond!

You should see him with glasses. And hear him talk! So Tim!

Here, we had seafood as Motts isn't a carnivore (and I figured I needed to get something other than beef for a change). :

What looks like calamari salad (again, my memory fails me!)

Pan-roasted salmon fillet with spaghetti squash, roasted potatoes, and burgundy butter sauce ($25.75)

Grilled mahi-mahi served with spinach, potato croquettes, and puttanesca ($27)

For dessert: Bananas for bananas--banana slices with brioche, salty peanut ice cream--which, interestingly, tasted a lot like Chocnut! Yum!--and fudge (naturally!)

Sure, the food was great, but the best thing about these meals? The company.

Tisha Eats New York: The Tale of the $32 Burger

If a picture could paint a thousand words, then this could fill a thousand stomachs...

But before we get into the, eherm, meat of the matter (sorry, couldn't resist), a little backgrounder.

King had this idea of trying to get standby tickets to Conan, but our first and second attempts were a bust. (The second was, to be more accurate, a near-attempt, as I had decided earlier on that Ethan Hawke wasn't worth getting up at 6:00 am for.) My tour guide was feeling bad that none of our plans seemed to be pushing through, so he decided to treat me to lunch at db Bistro Moderne. I will forever be grateful that none of our earlier plans worked out; otherwise, I would've missed out on one of my best NYC experiences!

The place is one of chef Daniel Boulud's seven award-winning restos, and luckily, it was where one of King's sisters worked. King generously shelled out over $60 (plus tip!) for two entrees--but with these, we got three complimentary appetizers and four free desserts! The dish that I was raring to try was the famed Original db Burger--a whopping $32 burger that King told me about the day before. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, take a look at the appetizers we were served, on the house!

Cucumber cups with goat cheese. These tiny things were very refreshing.

I'm not sure exactly what this was, but I think it had escargot in it. I loved how it was perfectly salty. Me likey sodium!

When King's sister-- a chef at the resto--asked what we were given, she gave him a horrified look when he replied, "'Yung parang embotido!" King, konting culture naman. Haha. (In fairness, we were both clueless! 'Til now, I have no idea what it was!)

And then, it was time for the main attraction:

The Original db Burger, a sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs, foie gras, and black truffle, served on a parmesan bun and with fries on the side. Good grief. The waiter set it down in front of me, and I was staring at it, speechless, for about half a minute. The maitre d' walked by and voiced out exactly what I was thinking: "How do you eat it?" he began. "With your hands!" he finished, holding out his hands in a crushing motion for emphasis. I looked at him, then looked back at that monster of a burger, unconvinced.

I ended up using a knife and fork. but even then it was a bit of a challenge devouring that hunk of meat. I love showing people this photo because it always elicits a reaction (often along the lines of, "OMG!"). Looking at it now, I wonder if they used an entire calf to make it.

I don't think I'll ever have that burger again--not because it wasn't good, because it really was. I am happy enough that I at least got to experience it once. But coming from a developing country, I would feel far too guilty to blow that much a second time (whether it's my money or someone else's!) for a burger. (And if we're talking decadence, there's that $150 burger with 20g of shaved black truffles!)

Oh, we also had this...

Crispy Duck Confit ($33), which had wild mushrooms, broccoli rale, sweet and sour duck jus. In true hating-kapatid fashion, King and I each ate half of the two entrees. The memorable meal ended on a sweet note. Or, rather, four sweet notes (alas, I didn't get to take a picture of the basket of little lemon-y pastries):

I think one is pumpkin pie, in keeping with the holiday spirit as it was Thanksgiving that week. The one on the left had my name all over it. That thing had a chocolate, peanut butter, and marshmallow layer, a bit of toffee sauce, and berry sorbet. The Eurhythmics must've had this in mind or in mouth when they sang, "Sweet dreams are made of this..."

I barely even touched this pretty selection because I was so damn full. Macaroons, chocolates, nougat...how I wish I could go back to finish what I left behind!

When I thought about what I would eat in NY, I imagined hot dogs, burgers--you know, American food. I never imagined I would have American food with a French twist, or that I would even have the chance to eat not just a famous $32 burger, but a lot of absolutely delicious extras along with it. And for that, I am incredibly thankful to King, his sister, Chef Mimi, and all the gracious people at db Bistro Moderne. This is, by far, one of my most memorable food trips ever!

db Bistro Moderne
55 West 44th St., NYC 10036
http://www.danielnyc.com/dbbistro.html

Tisha Eats New York: Junk in My Trunk

A friend who used to live in the US once told me that there, he could only manage one quarter-pounder, while he would need two at the local Golden Arches to feel as full. So if there was any place in the world to get my burger fill, America was it! Land of the free, home of the brave, and begetter of the whole Supersize-Me movement.

I had a total of four awesome burgers during my trip: one from Major's, one which I have dubbed The Most Expensive Burger I'll Probably Ever Have (in an upcoming post), and two from good, ol'-fashioned fast food joints.

Shake Shack
SE corner of Madison Square Park, near Madison Ave. and E. 23rd St., NYC
(212) 889-6600
www.shakeshacknyc.com

It was a tad cold that day

Trusty tour guide/now native New Yorker/rakstar King introduced me to Shake Shack, a burger and shake kiosk located within Madison Square Park. The line was enough to tell me that the burger was definitely in demand. The shake, though incredibly tempting, would have to wait 'til my next visit as it was freezing that day. (My tropical blood still hadn't gotten used to the biting cold. See thick-ass coat in the photo above!)

I got me the ShackBurger, which was made of freshly ground beef, and which came with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and Shack sauce--and they certainly didn't scrimp on any of the ingredients! If there were any burger, among all the burgers I've had over the years (and I've had a lot), that could be a contender for The Unhealthiest Burger Ever, this would've been it. And when it comes to burgers, the unhealthier, the better! That thing was perhaps the oiliest burger I've had in my life.

Unfortunately, the outdoor heating system was still under construction, so King and I sat on the park benches, me shivering as I bit into that sucker. As we sat there, we spied the fattest squirrel I have ever seen, munching on a french fry! Ahh, squirrel cannot live on nuts alone. That little critter must feast daily on Shake Shack junk.

Note: They have a thing called the Pooch-Ini--as far as I can tell, it's a shake for dogs!

Five Guys
319 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
(212) 683-3273
www.fiveguys.com

Gooey! Mmmm. Slightly squished from the walk home...

The great thing about my bro's place is that he lives right near Washington Street, which is home to lots of interesting little stores and restos. Among the establishments on this street is Five Guys, which, my brother told me, has been voted the best burger in, like, the country. It'll set you back about six bucks BUT you could load it with any (or all!) of the toppings for free!

It was a pretty damn good burger, made more enjoyable by a hefty serving of their yummy cajun fries.

Gray's Papaya
539 Eighth Ave. at 37th St., NYC (plus two other locations)

My friends outside the hotdog joint

A junk food post won't be complete without a little something on an item that is so New York: the mighty hot dog. On our "movie tour" of NYC, my friends and I decided to swing by Gray's Papaya, made popular by that Matthew Perry starrer, Fools Rush In (among lots of other movies). While we passed on the papaya shakes, we wolfed down the uber-cheap hotdogs (served by a kabayan!): a little over $3 or $4 and you get the recession special--two hotdogs and a drink!

I miss this hotdog

These aren't fat hotdogs; they're actually pretty skinny, but are longer than average. But these things are awesome! In my opinion, they taste exactly the way a hotdog should taste.

In general, it's hard to get out of the mindset of converting from dollars to pesos, so in a Pinoy's head, the prices might seem a bit steep, especially for fast-food stuff. But once you get out of that way of thinking, and once you bite into those burgers, those 'dogs, you'll realize that given the quality of the stuff, you are so getting your money's worth.

Tisha Eats New York: Casual Dining

I ate quite a bit in New York (and Hoboken), and my trusty Levi's jeans can attest to that--I can barely get 'em past my bum! Damn. But anyway, I decided to divide my entries into categories, so today we're starting off with casual dining. These are the super laidback places we went to, the kind of places where you don't really need to get all dressed up, and with reasonably priced eats.

Turning Point
1420 Frank Sinatra Dr. Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 222-3797
www.theturningpoint.biz

Traditional Eggs: Two farm-fresh eggs cooked any way you want and served with country potatoes and a toasted English muffin ($4.95); you can add sausage, ham, or bacon for an additional $2.50

I realized recently that I have a thing for brunch. You don't have to get up too early for it, plus it gives you an excuse to overeat--you're eating two meals, after all! (It is a nightmare meal for any sensible diet, though. The whole five-small-meals-a-day thing goes right out the window.)

Given my Brunch Love, I was really happy that my brother took us (meaning me, my cousin Ate Udes/Lorie, and Boston U nephew Gedo) to Turning Point, a really lovely breakfast/brunch/lunch place right along the Hudson. Hoboken itself is such a nice neighborhood, and Turning Point seems to be located at a prime spot, with a fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline. If I lived in Hoboken, I would be at Turning Point every weekend, I swear.

I ordered the Berry Delicious and Cream ($8.50)--an absolutely heavenly blueberry-infused waffle topped with homemade whipped cream and sliced strawberries. It was served with strawberry sauce and blueberry sauce...but I asked for a side of chocolate sauce. Sweet!

This baby elicited a lot of oohs and ahhs in Multiply and Facebook!

My nephew ordered the Big Daddy Omelette. This thing was no joke--a six-egg omelette loaded with Virginia ham, smoked bacon, chorizo, and fresh mozzarella. I learned that a half dozen eggs is Gedo's normal daily intake. "It's good cholesterol!" he insisted.

This (over)loaded omelette will set you back a little over seven bucks, I think (sans tax)

Ayhan's Shish Kebab
1504 Old Country Rd., Westbury, NY (516) 222-8000

I'm not sure exactly which branch we went to, but I tacked on the Westbury address! The one where we ate was a mall-based resto, and it was packed. There was a really long line snaking around the resto--all people waiting to partake of the $10 Mediterranean buffet! Yup, that's right, a $10 buffet--and that includes a drink. Plus our server, Jamal, was incredibly attentive. He was constantly checking up on us, which totally amazed us given that there were so many other people he had to take care of. I'm guessing Kuya Vic gave him a hefty tip.

Major's Steak House
Branches in Woodbury and East Meadow, NY

"What is it with Filipinos and steak?" asked Kuya Vic.

"Umm...I think it's just our family and steak," I theorized.

Meeeeat

Yep, my mother's side is just full of carnivores. We ended up eating at Major's twice, on two separate occasions (I'm just not sure if the branches listed are the ones we went to!). Too bad my appetite crashed while I was abroad (no disc = small appetite), so I couldn't fully enjoy all the meat set before me.

On the first visit, I had a 12-oz steak served with potatoes while my cousins had the 24-oz version. My brother had a 12-oz steak as well...and a side order of burger. Hahaha. We also ordered some pretty tasty wings. On our second visit, Kuya Vic got the seared tuna (yummy!), and for the second time, we ordered the apple crisp a la mode. "Good choice!" said our waiter.

Tip: If you're not a fan of too-salty stuff, steer clear of the creamed spinach.

Hagi
Off Times Square, near Hawaiian Tropic, NYC

The skewers were about $1.50 to $3 a stick. Note: The chicken skin one is better on paper--it's not like fried chicken skin, and I don't even know why we were expecting it to be! But all the others were good.

My brother might kill me for including his "secret sushi place" in this list. You know how you like keeping some of your favorite things to yourself coz, well, it's cooler that way? Like how you're possessive about a still-unknown band before they go all commercial. I guess that's how he feels about Hagi. (Hey, at least I didn't include the complete address!)

Prices are really reasonable, by New York standards. And my brother believes, like other foodies do, that the mark of a good Japanese resto is when you see Japanese people eating there. Measured by this standard, Hagi passes with flying colors.

The menu item that my bro was most excited to have us try was the five-dollar beer cocktail. It's beer mixed with different flavors of juice. Pretty good, and rather strong! I couldn't finish mine. Allergies + jet lag = a really bad idea!

Diced steak, $7.50

Worth noting is the miso soup, which was just $1.50--comparable to Manila prices! We also ordered a really freaky yaki udon ($9). It had these stringy little things on it that were squirming when the dish was served--it's like the whole shebang, delicious as it was, had worms on it! Gak! My family and I just kept laughing in between eyews. Haha.

We had such a filling meal for such an affordable price. (Although my relatives took care of paying, bless them!) "Panalo, di ba?" my brother kept saying.

The Diner
44 9th Ave. at W 14th, NYC
(212) 627-2230
www.thedinernyc.com

Spinach and artichoke dip by candlelight

My brother wanted us to pay Samantha Jones's neighborhood a visit, so on our way to Long Island one night, we stopped by the meatpacking district for dinner. The area's uber-trendy, so to say that it's hard to get a table is an understatement. Every resto we called on our way there had a two- to three-hour wait--and it was a weeknight! There was the Spice Market (really nice, one of my bro's faves), Pastis, and Vento--all with hordes of people waiting, waiting, waiting.

We ended up going to the only place that wasn't packed. In fact, it was a pretty slow night for them: The Diner. After all, if you were going to the meatpacking district, all dressed up, why would you go to a diner, right? (Insert eye-roll here.) While I had a hard time walking because of my twisted ankle, I heard one woman complain as she struggled across the cobblestoned streets in her sky-high heels: "Ugh! They should pave these roads!"

A little odd that we had a candlelit dinner at a diner...I guess they're kind of trying to blend in with the rest of the district? Would've been cooler, I think, if they were all lit up like a regular diner, just to make it so blatantly different from other spots--a haven from other more pretentious establishments!

I wasn't that hungry so all I had was spinach and artichoke dip. Really good. And that, plus my brother's burger cost about half or a third of what our dinner would have cost in all those other see-and-be-seen places.

It was interesting being in the meatpacking district, and it probably would've been cool...if only it weren't "too cool," if you get me. SATC has either kept it alive or ruined it.

Grotta Azzurra
177 Mulberry St., NYC
(212) 925-8775
www.grottaazzurrany.com

"More cheese, please!" OK, so we love steak, and we love cheese!

My brother took us to this busy resto in Little Italy mainly because they offer a $9.50 prex fixe lunch--you get to pick one pasta and one entree. While I opted to have risotto, they of course picked the pasta and--what else?--steak! "Where else can you get steak for $9.50?" said Big Brother.

They didn't get the steak right the first time, and my cousin wasn't pleased...so they replaced it with an all-new steak. Can we get that kind of service here, please?

The other attraction in this joint is the Wine Cellar which, unfortunately, was booked for a private function that day. We instead got a table in the main dining area, brightened by the sunshine streaming through the windows.

Marra's (Downtown Glen Cove)
1 School St., Glen Cove, NY www.marrasonline.com

Not your typical pasta: My lobster ravioli with saffron cream sauce

On what Kuya Vic dubbed my "last supper," we went to Marra's, a casual Italian resto in downtown Glen Cove. While the food was pretty good, the highlight was just cam-whoring with my family! Sigh, I miss them so.

Kuya Vic's choice: Pasta with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, and oil

In fact, I miss New York. But eating out in a foreign land reminded me that restaurant hopping could be such an adventure--one that I can have right here at home!