July 24, 2015

NYC Guide - What to EAT & WEAR



Today I am sharing where I ate on my NYC trip.

 JOSEPH LEONARD
Isn't this restaurant quaint?  The whole restaurant is 620 square feet - total.  The few times I have eaten there - I have sat at the bar - both at the lower level and the upper level. Sitting at the upper bar is a lot of fun because you can see outside to the street and over the entire restaurant.  It is located in the West Village on Christopher Street, and I highly recommend it if you are visiting the city - and want to experience the NYC vibe - and excellent food.

My meal:
I had the peach and dandelion salad, which was very good - but super spicy.  Get ready!  I also had the BBQ ribs, which was a special that night and not on the regular menu. It was excellent, and was served with peaches (my favorite) and a farro salad.

My husband's meal:
Smoked Chicken - served with sweet corn. He loved it!

For dessert:
Salted caramel pudding.  If you like chocolate and caramel - you will love it!

Fun fact: The restaurant name - Joseph Leonard - was derived from the first names of the owner's grandfathers.



JEFFREY'S GROCERY
The place is just as cozy as Joseph Leonard - and owned by the same people.  The food is excellent!  I sat next to the railing in the middle, which is actually a stairway to the storage in the basement.  Most small restaurants in NYC have either their kitchen or storage in the basement because of limited space upstairs.

My meal:
I had the watermelon and cucumber salad - who would think something as simple as watermelon, pickled cucumbers, radishes and arugula - could be so good. It was hands-down my favorite! I liked it so much I went out and bought a mint plant when I got home, so I can re-create it at home.  I just wish I had gone there for lunch one day - peach panzanella salad and a cheeseburger with old bay fries with malt vinegar aioli.  And, why did I go to Chipotle instead?!?

My husband's meal:
He ordered a fish dish - and loved it!  And, a few oysters - and liked them, too! (I skipped the oysters - I had a bad experience with them years ago, which has scared me away them - probably forever!)

Dessert:
The ice cream shop around the corner - see below.

ROSEMARY'S
I love this place. There is a rooftop garden; and, it just feels like NYC when all the people are packed-in (but not in an uncomfortable or intruding way at all).  Also, sitting so close, I love eavesdropping dropping on others' conversations (probably shouldn't admit this), but I enjoy listening to their engaging conversations - like how the couple next to us will never take their children to the zoo, rather they will go on a safari.

My meal:
I got the  cavatelli with English peas and mint.  Yummy!  You would think it would be heavy with pasta and ricotta - but it is light and refreshing.  I ate the whole thing - which rarely happens with my meals, except for when it comes to dessert.




ICE & VICE
My feet were killing me by the time we got to this place - but it was definitely worth it.  I love ice cream - and in my opinion, the artisan, "one of a kind" ice cream flavors are replacing the cupcake craze of a few years ago.

My flavors:
Happy Panda - described as East meets West - made of coconut milk and cinnamon. The initial taste is somewhat watery but the flavors quickly develop afterwards.
Milk Money - The toasted milk intrigued me, along with the chocolate ganache.

My husband's:
9AM - Coffee with a donut truffle - what isn't to like about that mix.
Shade - Dark chocolate with white chocolate ganache - equally as good.

Needless to say, my husband didn't want to overeat - so I finished his ice cream - so I got to try all four.  And, I can't pick which was my favorite, they were all very good.


VAN LEEUWEN ARTISAN ICE CREAM
This place was around the corner from where we were staying!  I think we stopped by a couple of times - and it got me through some long afternoons of walking.  

My flavors:
Mint Chip: Made without the food coloring - so mint ice cream that looks like vanilla.
Ginger:  Ginger ice cream with chunks of crystalized ginger. 
Both were really good - and I ended up getting the same thing both times. 


WHAT TO WEAR - NYC STYLE
The one thing about NYC style is that I felt really "MIDWEST" when I was there.  I follow fashion and try to dress on-trend, but New Yorkers have their own unique twist on how they dress.  They follow the same trends - for the most part - but they put they own uniqueness to what they wear that you do not find in blogs or magazines.

One thing I noticed was that men wore there pants - SHORT - like floods.  I noticed this right-away, and then once I did, the guys that had baggier, longer pants looked so out of style.  Showing off your socks - is the way to go.  So, if you hemming a pair of pants for your husband, brother, boyfriend - encourage them to go a little trimmer and shorter - and show-off some happy socks!  Now, this is a trend that I think will carry-over into the bigger cities, which I am sure already has.


A few trends that I saw in NYC that are on trend everywhere are fringe, gladiator sandals, and summer dresses.  Here are a few options.  Also, don't forget about the #NSale, which ends August 4.

FRINGE



GLADIATOR SANDALS


SUMMER DRESSES



LINK UP



25 comments:

  1. Oh, Lisa, what a beautiful post this is. Your photographs are lovely, the descriptions of your meals are mouth-watering and palatable. I love the idea of the summery peach salads. The pasta and pea dish has my tummy growling! So many unique flavors of ice cream. I'm now so hungry!!!
    I have noticed the high-water crop on men's pants showcasing their "happy socks". Love the idea of the fun, playful socks but not sure about the short-legged pants. Would rather just get a peek of his socks when my fellow sits down. Is your hubby wearing the trend?
    Beautiful, tasteful, TASTY post. XO

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    1. Thanks, Leslie! My husband is going to hem a few pants shorter than usual - but probably not as short as seen in NYC.

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  2. Those places look like a lot of fun! Glad you liked Ice and Vice!
    Donna

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  3. Soooo fun! We loved NYC when we went. I wish you had shared these before we went so I could have had all your tips too. I mean to do a post like this when we got home, but I got distracted... The men do wear their pants shorter (and tighter) and I am used to.

    Amy Ann
    Straight A Style

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    1. Thanks, Amy Ann. Yes, the men's pants are a little shorter than we are used to, too!

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  4. I love NYC! These restaurants look amazing, and I love all the fashion picks...very pretty!

    http://ourruins.com

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  5. I want to spend a month in NYC just to go to all the yummy restaurants!

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    Replies
    1. There are so many great place to eat in NYC - I wish we just a fraction of ones like it where I live.

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  6. Great picks! I can't wait to go to NYC and I'm loving the fringe style!
    x
    Missy
    popofstyle.com

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  7. This makes me want to go back to NYC!!! Great post.

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  8. My husband and I went to NYC last summer and loved it! We booked the trip kind of last minute, so I didn't get to plan or research many restaurants. I am going to pin this for our next NYC trip! That ice cream place looks AH-mazing!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

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  9. Loving this pictures! It looks like a cool restaurant and the area is just great. I'm always looking for new places to eat in the city. There are so many that it's hard to take decisions. Thanks for sharing!
    -Tatiana
    We Shop in Heels

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  10. I haven't been to NYC in over a decade and this really makes me miss it. The restaurants look fantastic. I especially love your trend observations!! Those are so fun to read and it's so interesting to me how trends vary so much by region!
    Gina || On the Daily Express

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  11. Peach + dandelion salad?! LOVE. Sounds awesome!
    Great post, lady!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  12. All of these restaurants look so cute!

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  13. Great city guide! I love Rosemary's everything there is delicious!

    http://www.racheldinh.com

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  14. Cool stuff out there. Nice work.

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