Harlem to the Bronx

Our hotel in New York was super cute, and it was in a great location.  Across the street is the pub that was the inspiration for the pub in How I Met Your Mother.  We hung out there one evening.

We also loved that our hotel had a guest lounge.  Every morning we grabbed our coffee from there before heading out.

On Wednesday we headed into Harlem (upper Manhattan) to go to Sylvia's, which we saw on Man vs. Food.  This place is famous for it's soul food, and has served the likes of Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, among many other notable people.

We passed the Apollo Theatre on the way.

We were so excited to try Sylvia's, as we are hooked on soul food.

The server brought out cornbread to start.

We ordered the shrimp and grits, and the rib/fried chicken combo with mac and cheese, and collard greens.  We shared everything. 

It was fantastic, and we were especially surprised by how good the collard greens were.

After lunch we went to the American Museum of Natural History.

In the evening we went to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to see a Yankees vs. Jays game.

We shared a hotdog and a cheesesteak sandwich, which was crazy delicious.

Much later that evening we went to BarBacon, a cool restaurant in Hell's Kitchen (right by our hotel), which uses bacon in every menu item. 

We shared a bacon/flight pairing, that was incredible.  The four different types of bacon were all very distinctly different, and we really enjoyed each one.  We had a few other bacon-themed snacks as well.

Another great day in New York!

Have you ever been to a pro baseball game?  A different sport?

There's Nothing You Can't Do

There is so much to do in NYC.  This is my fourth visit, and I'm feeling like I haven't even scratched the surface, even though I have done a lot.

By our second full day in Manhattan, we had already seen a Broadway show, an off-Broadway show, gone to a comedy club, attended the parade, dined in many awesome restaurants, saw live music, and did loads of sightseeing.

Grand Central Terminal

Remnants of the old CBGBs, the birthplace of punk music in the United States.  It's now a clothing store.

We also had a picnic in Central Park ...

We visited an iconic delicatessen, Katz's.  This place is absolutely massive, and ridiculously busy.  It's been around since 1888, and was the location of the famous dining scene in When Harry Met Sally.

The server brought us some pickles to start.

We then ordered the pastrami/corned beef combo with matzo ball soup, and the brisket sandwich with coleslaw.

The coleslaw was fantastic, the soup was very "blah", and the sandwiches are highly overrated.  I have no idea why people wait in long lines for them ... the meat was flavourless and dry.

Happy Friday!  

What are you up to this weekend?

Now I'm Down in Tribeca, Right Next to De Niro

Tribeca is a quiet area, and home to many, many celebrities; since it's not too touristy, it's a great place for them to hide.  It's one of the most expensive zip codes around for real-estate.  We were wandering around on Monday afternoon, and ended up in Puffy's Tavern.

We asked a patron on the bar stool next to us for a recommendation on where we could find an outdoor patio in the area.  We got chatting, and ended up spending the rest of the evening hanging out and visiting with Phillip, a born and raised New Yorker, who also happens to work with Robert De Niro's son.

He wanted to show us a cool new speakeasy in Tribeca, but as we were leaving he rounded up some strangers who were walking by and insisted that they be in our photo.

Phillip then took us to Bar Cyrk.  When we walked into Cyrk, we were immediately struck by the incredible aroma of truffles. 

The bar is absolutely gorgeous, with stunning chandeliers, subway tile, old pictures of New York, and a circus theme.  It's insane, in the most beautiful way!  Phillip introduced us to the owner, who along with the lovely bartenders, took care of us all evening. 

We snuck outside to snap a few photos while waiting for our food to arrive.

We ate duck bacon popcorn ...

And the circus wagon pizza, which is basically four pizzas in one.  The pizza was amazing, especially the circus ball pizza (a white pizza with mushrooms, truffle oil, Parmesan). 

Phillip not only gave us an insider's look at NY, and a list of places we have to visit, he also paid for our dinner and drinks!  We are so grateful for all the information he shared with us, as well us his generosity.

We always seem to meet people on vacation!

What city do you live in, and what are three restaurants/bars you'd recommend to us if we were visiting your city?

I Want to be a Part of It ... New York, New York

The NY Easter Parade is unlike any other parade; it is simply people parading down 5th Avenue in their Sunday best, or in crazy hats/ costumes, or fun Easter get-up, taking pictures of each other. 

 

Even the pets dress up ...

 

I  spotted my two friends (they don't actually know me) who I've seen at all four New York Easter parades that I've attended; they're my two favourites each year.

I even spotted a cute little bunny!

Mr. Bunnyman garnered his own attention as he started singing back-up vocals (loudly) for one of the guys shouting on the street.  It's always an interesting day when you're married to the least shy person on the planet, haha!

We grabbed lunch at Trattoria Dell'Arte.  There were assorted chocolates on the table when we sat down, and then the server bought us house-made breads and mascarpone cream.

We shared some samplings from the massive antipasto bar, and an arugula, pepperoni pizza.

Our view out the window was of Carnegie Hall.

We checked out Rockefeller Center, before heading to see Book of Mormon on Broadway.

We aren't really sure what the big fuss is about Book of Mormon - neither of us would go to it again.

Dinner was at Momofuku Noodle Bar.  It's crowded and hard to get in to, but good.

After dinner, we saw some live music at Cafe Wha?

What did you do for Easter Sunday?  Did you see family?