Sun Shining on My Face

If you have been following the episodic entries about my life, you know that I recently came back from New York City. I had a splendid time, and regret not having more time to explore. But as much as I enjoyed my time there, I come to the realization that I could never live in NYC. The noise, the crowd, the rush – everyone is a slave to the clock, to schedules, to running trains. And somehow, the tall buildings and throngs of people feel oppressive – the mammoth skyscrapers looming overhead, the pedestrians moving every this way and that, bumping shoulders, jostling bags. Additionally, walking down a busy street, you are often assaulted many other olfactory unpleasantries – smoky exhaust from the street level subway grates; pungent odors from sidewalk garbage on garbage day; burning pretzels from the corner food cart. I <3 NY, but really can’t stand it long-term. So, to detoxify myself, I spent a good few days in remote (relatively speaking) Carmel, to let the sunshine defrost my face and the subtle sea breeze liberate me.

And I was set free.

A secluded village hidden by the lush Del Monte Forest and bathed by the waters of the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel (for short) is charming and picturesque – perfect for a weekend retreat of relaxation and self-restoration.

Katy’s Place
Mission Street between 5th and 6th
PO Box 7467
Carmel, CA 93921
Tel. (831) 624-0199

On one of my morning walks, someoneiknow and I stumbled upon Katy’s Place, a hustling-bustling breakfast place – a contrast to the otherwise quiet and deserted street. Our interests piqued, we went in, were immediately seated, and proceeded to survey the menu and order.

Though busy, service was prompt and I was quickly given a hot cup of coffee, a small pot of cold cream and a jar of sugar. I usually do not like coffee, as I much prefer more potent (and tasty) espresso drinks. But, the coffee was well brewed at Katy’s and I was pleased by the cold cream (and not the gross powdery stuff you sometimes see). The menu was vast – and everything sounded delicious. I’m not usually this ambivalent, but it did take a while for me to order. And I settled for the Belgian Traditional Waffle, which also came with 2 eggs (scrambled) and 2 sausages. I also added a side of strawberries.

Someoneiknow ordered the Santa Fe Eggs Benedict, which came topped with grilled onions, tomatoes, avocado and a spicy Hollandaise sauce. As the name implies, it was a Southwestern twist on a New England classic. In addition, there was a side of country potatoes and he ordered 2 eggs over easy on the side. The waitress lifted an eyebrow at this point – we had just ordered a ton of food.

And all of it was delicious. Somehow, I had gained a huge appetite coming back from NYC, and it would seem as though I had developed a second stomach for extra storage. Because, believe it or not, I finished my entire plate. Impressive, no? The waffle was crisp and fluffy, with a hint of cinnamon that just melded so well with the warm maple syrup. Delicious! The strawberries were tart and fruity and just a pop of color on the plate. The sausages were tasty, especially once drowned in the syrup. Gosh, I love breakfast.

Someoneiknow’s Santa Fe Eggs Benedicte was pretty good too – granted I had eggs benedicte the day before, so wasn’t particularly fond of eating it again – but the flavors were great. More importantly, the whole dish was aromatic! The sweated onions, the tangy bite of the sauce, the herb infused roasted potatoes. AND what great visual appeal!

It was wonderful and delicious and I would go back for more – except that the bill was steep. Really steep. Our breakfast for two came out to be about $45 – ouch on my college student pocket. Love the food, not so much the price. But perhaps it was because we ordered so much food?!? Even so, the price won’t deter me. I will be coming back again (maybe post graduation when I’m making $+150K a year… in my dreams).

We’re going to the beach today
We’re gonna laugh and sing our cares away
The sun is shining on our face
We can take it in and let it out and say…
(Kina Grannis & David Choi, that guy who never smiles in his YouTube videos)

AnhD

Last Words

This final entry about New York comes from 32,000 feet above Ohio. I have completed my sojourn to New York City, and I am sad to leave it behind. Each forward moving nautical mile brings me that much further away from my strolls in Central Park, the many walks through Chinatowns, the searches for new bakeries and good eats. And as I am flying over Ohio, I can’t help but reminisce. Nostalgia kicks in pretty strong at 32,000 feet in the air.

Havana Central
Havana Central Homepage
In the mood for paella and despite being highly recommended by Roity, I have my reservations about this eatery just off Broadway and 16th Street. We phoned in our order, and 25 minutes later walked down to pick-up our food. And though not starving, I was still irritated that I had to wait an additional 25 minutes before our food was ready. So we sat at one of the empty tables and observed the other guests as they devoured huge plates of steaming paella, and nibbled on maduros (fried sweet plantains) that we had yet to receive. The place had a modern Cuban air about it, I suppose. The indoor palm trees, the dim lighting, the wicker/wood-esque furniture was reminiscent of Hemingway on his island paradise. The lovely ambiance did nothing to assuage my irritation.

When we did get our food, we promptly walked home and tore open the contents and began consumption immediately. My paella had grilled (more like burned) vegetables and chorizo mixed in a fluffy and beautifully yellow bed of rice. Taste-wise, decent. The rice was well cooked and just how I wanted my paella to be – fragrant, flavorful, aesthetically pleasing, and just the right amount of saffron. The vegetables were somewhat cancerous, but being hungry, I ate the burned bell peppers and onions anyway. Is this what I waited 50 minutes for?!?! And the slices of chorizo did not contribute much to the dish, when really – it should have been the star. Paella isn’t paella without the chorizo. It seemed that it was merely an add-in and not an essential component to the dish. Ah well, it sated my craving, but I was not completely satisfied.

In addition, Roity and I shared the empanada sampler and maduros – neither of which were spectacular. I much prefer Sol Food for my plantains and paella. Much better quality and infinitely better taste.

Cosi
One of the numerous chains you see on the East Coast (that is also slowly infiltrating the West Coast) is Cosi – a great sandwich/soup/deli place. I swore that I would eat a bagel in NYC, and I had mine at Cosi for breakfast. My square sesame bagel was the ripped in half and smashed on top of eggs, bacon, cheese and a slice of ham, then toasted until the cheese melted. Not bad. My only concern was that it was all of 600+ calories, and that was just for breakfast!!! As much as New York deserves commendation for its law requiring all food chains to publicly display the calorie count for their foods, it is such a turn off! For a whole 10 minutes, I felt horrible that I had already consumed almost half of my caloric intake for the day (I try to stay at around 1400).

For those of who interested in seeing a Broadway musical while you are in town, I highly suggest NOT buying your ticket online. Instead, hop on over to the Times Square ticket stand located under the red stairs between 7th Avenue and Broadway on 45-46th Street. Tickets are 40-70% off face value if you purchase last minute – what a deal! I ended up seeing Phantom of the Opera, and it was fabulous! Mezzanine tickets for a mere $60, sweet deal or what?

Junior’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake
And since you’re in New York, you must try New York Cheesecake. And where better than the highly acclaimed Junior’s? Located just next to the Majestic Theater on 44th Street, Junior’s has pretty amazing cheesecake. Now, I would not call myself a cheesecake connoisseur and granted I did not try cheesecake anywhere else, I still think Junior’s might have to be one of the top cheesecakeries. It was highly rated by the New York Magazine (guilty – I read it religiously). Creamy and not too sweet, with a nice dense and cakey crust, the top is gently browned, the contrasting fruit swirl was a great complement to the cream cheese filling. They have a restaurant, but if you only want cheesecake, they have a take-out bar for desserts and sandwiches. The portions are quite generous, and sadly, I actually did finish a whole slice of cheesecake in one sitting. I was sick to my stomach later, but you only live once, and why not die happy?

To walk off the huge cake, my friend Corina and I wandered the Avenue of Americas and 5th Avenue, peering into the dark shops of Versace and Cartier, admiring the window displays at Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman. We walked so far uptown that we ended up right in front of The Plaza Hotel on the southeastern edge of Central Park. We were immediately drawn by 2 things – the levitating Apple sign and the adjacent FAO Schwartz. The latter being closed, we spent a good amount of time at the Apple Store to warm our extremities before heading off into the cold again. It was our last night afterall, and it was best to live large – so on our way back to the Millenia Broadway Hotel, we made our way to the Rockefeller Center. Inside the building, a beautiful Swarovski crystal chandelier type of thing greeted visitors. Pretty cool.

Thus concludes my last night in NYC. My last morning in NYC was spent doing health surveys at Columbia University. It is a beautiful campus – mammoth libraries that surround a central quad area.

A scant few hours before my flight out of NYC, I quickly decided it was time I met Lady Liberty and Emma Lazarus – after all, they explain why I am in America today, and not in some village in rural Viet Nam. Shake Shack To top off my last hours, I ran to the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park to pick up a few burgers for my lovely hostess, Roity. And I was not disappointed. My brief walk from Union Square to Madison Square was a ‘walk-in-the-park,’ and I munched on the crispy golden amber fries on the way home. The Shack Burger is a basic cheeseburger with the typical fixings – except that the beef patty was deliciously moist, and the Shack sauce was amazing! Pure delight! You must stop by if you happen to be in the area.

So farewell New York. I really regret not having met up with several people (sorry PS), and I really regret not having more time to explore the other boroughs. But ta-ta for now, it was a splendid trip, and I’m sad to leave.

Homeward bound,
AnhD.

About Town

When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go down town
When you got worries, all the noise and the hurry seems to help, I know down town…

Welcome back readers to my 4th day in the City. After a few days of doing health surveys, I had a free day to hang around and soak in the sights. I revisited the Upper East Side in hopes of snapping more pictures of the Met, but sadly, it was closed today! So I ended walking from the Met to Columbus Circle in search of a Starbucks – and can you believe it? I could not find one on Lexington, Madison or Park in the Upper East Side. Do they not drink Starbucks there?! And when I got to Columbus Circle, there were like 2 just in the circle. Ridiculous! And both were packed. After being jostled around a bit, I finally settled into a small corner table and immediately looked up things to do. And my search led me to MOMA, just a few blocks down from Columbus Circle. But after walking the length of Central Park and braving the piercing cold (sub 40*F), I gathered my courage and went out again. And I’m glad I did. MOMA was amazing! And I spent more time than I had anticipated there. Ooops.

But while walking around town, I had to partake in the street food culture – all the smells were delicious! The gyros and kebab and pretzel stands – smelled great! So I surrendered and bought a Knish. And I swear, what I got was NOT a knish. I’ve had a knish. What I ate this morning was NOT a knish. Gross. So, lesson: while it is fun to eat from the street carts, (1) don’t ever get the knish (2) if it smells like smoke, it will taste like smoke and leave an acrid smokey taste in your mouth…

Left: From the street, not a knish; Right: A true knish.

Magnolia Bakery
Anyhoo, after MOMA, I trekked just a bit south toward the infamous Magnolia Bakery. The lines were not that bad today, and they still had most of the cupcake flavors.

I got (my fav) Red Velvet and the Pumpkin with Maple Cream Cheese frosting. I went across the street to the fountain and sat down to enjoy the cupcakes. And I was SOOO disappointed. The Red Velvet cake itself was pretty good – but they used a vanilla buttercream, and I swear they use shortening because it left a weird aftertaste. I am NOT a fan. The Red Velvet MUST have the Cream Cheese frosting – anything else just cannot do. Especially when the replacement frosting is disgusting. ALSO, I have high standards when it comes to decor. I do not like how the frosting is merely smeared onto the cake. It is sloppy. All the more reason for me to dislike Magnolia.

Red Velvet Cupcake with Avenue of the Americas in the background.

The Pumpkin Cupcake, thank goodness, was better – though not by much. I liked the cake. There were bits of walnut in the cake – good texture, nice crunch. But the cream cheese frosting gave me a cavity. I like a nuance of tartness in my cream cheese frosting, but I suppose that is a personal preference… but seriously – it is all hype. I do not think Magnolia deserves the fame (we can thank Sex and the City for that). If you want a good cupcake, go to Billy’s instead (though I agree it is a bit out of the way if you aren’t in Chelsea). Infinitely better – and they know how to do a right Red Velvet.

Pumpkin cupcake and maple cream cheese frosting topped with chopped walnuts.

Yes, I did scarf down 2 cupcakes by myself. But it was all in the name of R&D, ya know?!?! Albeit, not in the best interest of my waistline (or lack thereof). But then, I did walk like 3+ miles Anyway, I headed further south toward and landed in Madison Square Garden. I shopped around a bit, then headed a north-east to Herald Square and shopped a bit more. Too bad I came home to Union Square empty handed. But I wasn’t discouraged and slipped into Filene’s Basement.

The finished job.

Joe’s Pizza
So for dinner, Roity and I went to Joe’s Pizza in The Village for thin crusty goodness – btw, this is the pizzeria featured in Spider-Man (though not the original location). It was pretty good for a thin crust – I usually prefer thicker pan crusts, but this was quite delicious – and fairly light – also a plus seeing as how my day was extra fatty. We both got the fresh mozzarella, and it ratio of cheese to sauce was perfect!

Beautiful thin crust with fresh mozzarella.

They are proud folk.

ChikaLicious
For dessert, we journeyed to East Village for the most amazing dessert experience of my life. For a $12 at ChikaLicious, you are served an amuse, dessert of choice, followed by petit fours. Tonight’s amuse was a caramel custard soup with Granny Smith Apple sorbet.

My dessert entree was a Warm Chocolate Tart served with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream and Red Wine Sauce. Roity had the Poached Pear with Bourbon-Molasses Ice cream Ginger Lace Crisp. So, a few thoughts – I usually don’t like pink peppercorn ice cream (even from Ici), but oh boy! This was AMAZING! Sweet and not too peppery. Delicate. Subtle but still present. And the Warm Chocolate Tart was equally tasty – the tart shell was sweet and buttery, and the chocolate just oozed out of the shell the minute I broke into it. Decadent, but because the portions are small, it wasn’t overwhelming.

The final plate of petit fours featured homemade Coconut Marshmallows, Chai Tea Truffles, and a mascarpone cream piped over a thin wafer and topped with candied citrus. Beautifully done. As you sit at the bar, you can see the pastry chefs meticulously preparing the dishes. Such precision and beauty. It’s a lovely place, you must try. We must bring this novelty to the Bay Area (someone out there?!!?!)

I realize this was a long entry. I did quite a bit today. More coming soon! Tomorrow is a bit limited in terms of sight-seeing, but I will definitely have more food up soon.

Love from the city that never sleeps (and clearly neither do I either),
AnhD.

PS. Don’t for one minute think that just bc I’m here having the time of my life that I do not dearly miss my loved ones still in California. I’ll be home soon. Cheer up loves