New York City- as I see it

I love New York.  I've noticed that everyone from the midwest says that they love New York too, but most of them have never been there.  They have only experienced it through movies or sitcoms (that aren't even based in NYC).  Or, they've only seen the tourist traps of New York.  I am lucky enough to have family who has lived in New York for 10 years, so I've been to almost every burrough and off the beaten boring tourist path. 

I really love NYC for the food.  Where else can you find authentic Chinese, Greek, sushi, an all french fry place, and McDonald's all within a few blocks?  I really started becoming a foodie when I started visiting New York on a regular basis about 6 years ago and I've eaten at some amazing places.  Sure, I've been to Bobby Flay's "Bar Americain", Mario Batali's "Babbo", Nobu, Le Bernardin, Magnolia's, and Tavern on the Green, but those aren't my favorite places.  Like I said, I have family in NYC and they also love food, so through them, I have experienced some authentic and truly yummy places. 

First, my favorite Greek place in Queens is definitely "Taverna Kyclades".  This is an unassuming place, very small with tables touching each other and packed in.  The menu is in both Greek and English and very simple.  We always order way too much for the table, but it's hard to narrow down you choices.  Everyone wants the extremely large Greek salad with huge chunks of feta, the fried cheese, and spanakopita.  I've eaten the Greek shrimp and the whole snapper for dinner, which was amazing.  Both dishes were so simple- seasoned perfectly with a light coating of olive oil.  My side has always been the roasted beets- again just seasoned and coated with olive oil.  My meals have been nothing short of amazing there with the simplest food you can eat.  Dessert is also free which makes it even better.  Gladly, it wasn't baklava- it was more like a pudding drizzled with honey- incredible. 

My next favorite place probably ranks as my most memorable and favorite meal I have ever eaten.  It was a warm Friday night in July and I was with my brother's girlfriend.  She said that she was going to take me to a place called "Ino" that served mainly paninis.  While this doesn't sound exciting, the atmosphere more than made up for it.  We walked into a very small and very crowded restaurant/bar with no AC.  We were lucky to find a very private table by an open window and in the middle of all of the action.  I ordered a presecco and looked at the menu.  She wasn't lying- their main focus was paninis, but made with unusual ingredients like fruit and a huge variety of cheeses.  Thankfully, they have an option where you can order a sampler platter with 4 different types.  That's what I did (and I really wish I could remember what I ordered!) and it was so simple, but so incredibly good.  I'm not sure if it was the presecco, the great food, the great company, or the fact that I was in New York by myself, but that was one of the best meals of my life. 

Next has got to be pizza.  I've had pizza in a variety of places in NYC, but Grimaldi's in Brooklyn was the best.  Super thin crust, simple tomato sauce, fresh ingredients- what more could you want?  Mostly though, I loved the attitude.  No slices, no fancy cocktails- just get in, order, eat, and get out.  It was wonderful.

Just this past March, I went to NYC with my mom and I wanted sushi for lunch (good sushi doesn't exist in the midwest, so anytime I'm in NYC I want to eat it).  My brother went with us and we heard about an "underground" sushi place that was hard to find, but worth it.  We walked in the basement through a couple of halls to find this place and when we walked in, you would have thought we were transported to Tokyo.  The atmosphere was amazing and the sushi was divine.  I ordered the sashimi lunch with tuna and salmon and it was so fresh, so simple, and so tasty.  The green tea and black sesame ice cream was the perfect ending as well.  I just can't enjoy sushi in the midwest after eating the real deal.

Lastly, are 2 places that I heard about through Food Network:  LeVain Bakery and Doughnut Plant.  First, LeVain- they serve nothing but cookies (maybe a few other things, but I was there for the cookies).  Their cookies are at least 6 oz. and so incredibly good, words cannot describe them.  I ordered the chocolate chip walnut and the double chocolate chip.  Due to my Crohn's disease, I really shouldn't eat cookies or anything else high fat, but I took the bullet on this one and practically finished both cookies in one sitting.  They were crispy on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside- simply amazing.  I still dream of the cookies.
Next, the Doughnut Plant.  My mom is crazy about doughnuts, but I personally don't care for them.  However, I could eat a Doughnut Plant coconut doughnut with coconut cream and toasted coconut and a peanut butter doughnut filled with jelly everyday I think.  The flavors were fresh, the jelly went throughout the entire square shaped doughnut (instead of a blob in the middle), and they were still warm from the fryer.  They were unlike any doughnut I've ever had and will never find another one like them around here.  We also met the owner and creator, Mark Isreal, got our picture taken with him (I'm still just a tourist!), and asked if he could please open a store in St. Louis.  Sadly, he's branching to Chicago and I'll probably make that drive just for a doughnut- or 4. 

Those are just a few of my favorite places in New York.  It's one of my favorite cities and I wish that I could live like Carrie Bradshaw and have a fabulous life there so I could eat at these places more than once a year, but I'll just continue to drool until then.