NYC Restaurant Reviews

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Matthew did a little jig this morning in honor of all of the Irish ladies out there.

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NYC is known for its food. Naturally, we have spent a lot of our time researching restaurants and eating. Here are some noteworthy restaurants that we have visited so far.

Spice Market

We ate dinner at the Spice Market our first day in Manhattan. It was cold and rainy and we did not want to venture far. So, this restaurant kiddy-corner from the hotel was a perfect fit. The food was good, Allan enjoyed spicy shrimp and noodles and I had chicken curry. Both were delicious. However, the restaurant was not baby-friendly and they did not have a highchair for Matthew.

Pastis

We have enjoyed breakfast (twice) and dinner here. It is an amazing restaurant with lots of clean options (egg white omelets, whole grain toast, fruit, organic salmon). The service is impeccable and I highly recommend this restaurant!

Swich

A simple sandwich and salad shop with sustainable options. I wasn't blown away by my salad - simple and easy to pick and go.

Better Burger

Quick delivery! The burgers were average and reminiscent of fast food. I had a chicken burger on a whole wheat bun and Allan had the beef burger with baked french fries. The burgers were dry and the fries were moist and not crispy. It satisfied our hunger and that's about it.

The Green Table

Very good gourmet, organic food located in the Chelsea Market. Not waistline friendly, but a delicious indulgence. I ordered the roasted organic chicken breast with braised greens and buttered spatzle and Allan had the GT Burger. Both entrees were very good.

Hale and Hearty Soups

I enjoyed a small mixed greens salad and half of a hummus wrap. The wrap was to die for and the mixed greens were just that - nothing special. This was a delightful lunch.

Amy's Bread

Matthew and I enjoyed lunch at this cute bakery twice. The first day I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with pest mayo - it was incredible! Matthew especially liked his nibbles of whole wheat pesto bread. Our second visit I enjoyed a delectable beet and chickpea salad with a delicious whole wheat roll. Matthew especially liked the whole wheat irish soda bread.

One Lucky Duck

Delicious! I cannot boast enough about how much I love this cute takeaway cafe. Green juice, shakes (carob latte), malomars, chocolate macaroons, cinnamon crispies... YUM! Needless to say we have been to the Chelsea Market location SEVERAL times and will be visiting again today to pick up a smoothie.

Pure Food and Wine

This is the one restaurant in Manhattan that I was most excited to visit. However, I was extremely disappointed by the food. I ordered the Prix Fixe lunch: Mediterranean salad, Lasagna and Tiramisu. The salad was very average and I got very sick after eating the lasagna. I spent the entire night in bed last night weak and sick to my stomach. On a positive note, the tiramisu was soft and chocolaty - better than any other tiramisu I have every had.

Slice

An organic and health conscious pizzeria serving up intriguing and delightful slices, personal and full-size pizza. I ordered the The Miki on honey whole wheat crust and Allan had The Guru with marinara sauce. The Miki was definitely better than the The Guru.

Good Restaurant

Delightful! This was one of the best meals that we have had! I enjoyed the Roast Chicken with bacon, kale and sweet potatoes and Allan had Fish Tacos that came with the most delicious squash creamed corn that I must reproduce at home.

What is the best meal that you have had a restaurant lately? What made it so memorable?

Bon Appétit!

Almost every morning we eat breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien. The service is terrible, but the food and espresso are organic and simple - just the way we like it.

Allan and I tend to fall into ruts. It's in our nature. We are creatures of habit. When something works we just go with it.

Le Pain Quotidien (which I have a difficult time pronouncing, so I just call it "Le Pan") is  conveniently located 1 block from our hotel and is on Allan's way to work. The decor is simple and modeled after a parisian sidewalk cafe. I like the quaint, simplistic nature that allows the food to shine.

Every morning I study the menu as if I have no clue what I am going to order.

Then I order a single Americano with a side of organic skim milk, one complex carbohydrate (oats), one protein and one fruit.

Oats

Organic steel cut oatmeal
topped with stone fruit and house made granola

Organic steel cut oatmeal with berries

Protein

Soft boiled organic egg with whole wheat miche
Matthew always eats the Miche

Plain low-fat organic yogurt with berries

Are you a creature of habit or do you prefer to run wild?

Farmer's Markets

This morning I woke up to the dreary, damp, gray weather that can be common as Fall transitions to Winter in Minnesota and I was reminded of a beautiful Saturday morning that we spent at the Mill City Farmer's Market this Summer.






Unfortunately, this coming weekend marks the end to most of the regular Farmer's Markets in Minnesota. We love attending the Farmer's Market on Saturday and Sunday mornings and I am always saddened by the end of the season.

Here is a glimpse into the wonderful day that we spent as a family at our favorite Farmer's Market.

Homemade Applesauce

On Sunday after church, my parents and sister came over to watch the Vikings game, make applesauce, bake apple crisp and eat chili and cornbread. 

We peeled, cored and sliced 3 pecks of local MacIntosh, Cortland and Jonathan apples to make two big batches of applesauce and 2 pans of apple crisp.

One batch of applesauce was just apples for the apple of my eye to enjoy some day soon.

The other was spiked with apple juice concentrate and cinnamon sticks.

Do you mash up your applesauce once it has cooked or do you enjoy it chunky? We love chunky cinnamony applesauce around here.

Kingfield Farmer's Market

Compared to other areas of the country, Minnesota has a relatively short growing season with most crops being available between the months of July and September. During the summer months, we enjoy shopping at local farmer's markets as a family. Fortunately there is an abundance of nearby markets to visit.

This past weekend we felt like visiting a small farmer's market that offers a bunch of organic produce, live music and yummy sustainable eats from a food truck. The Kingfield Farmer's Market is my favorite farmer's market. This week we picked up tomatoes, sweet corn, spaghetti squash, plums and pears.

We also shared watermelon tomato gazpacho and a greek salad from Chef Shack.

Minnesota State Fair

This past Sunday was my 27th birthday. Matthew, Allan and I spent it at the Great Minnesota Get Together. The Minnesota State Fair is all about the food, animals and people watching.



Here are some pics of the food that we enjoyed, the animals that we met and the crowds of people that joined us...

Lots of people

Pulled Turkey Sandwich

Roast Corn on the Cob

Enjoying my first beer since last year

Mister Matt in the Ergo

Pulled Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Organic BBQ

First time seeing a horse

In the Horticulture Building

Checking out veggies and giant pumpkins

Enjoying local honey ice cream: sunflower and chocolate flavors

It was a long day for all of us, but we had a lot of fun!

Celebrate Eat Local Month

August just so happens to be Eat Local Month. So, in honor of this wonderful occasion Allan and I enjoyed the following delightful salads for supper. Not all of the ingredients were local to MN, but some of the veggies were grown by our friends and in our own backyard.

A yummy summer salad

This salad was a mixture of baby lettuce, japanese cucumber, orange bell pepper, red onion, baby carrots, tomatoes, avocado, grilled chicken breast and long grain brown rice all drizzled with Annie's Lite Raspberry dressing (Maria) and Drew's All Natural Rosemary Balsamic dressing (Allan).

If you enjoyed my What It Means to Eat Clean post from earlier this week, you should check out my guest blog post on Wellness Daily: 5 Simple Ways to Clean Up Your Diet.

Are you participating in the Eat Local Challenge? If so, what fun things have you been eating lately?

Have a fabulous weekend!