Must Eat NYC

We've covered sights to see and places to shop, now places to eat!  This is a selection of restaurants, food shops and random places that are either a great bargain, must sees, unique or my personal favorites.  Although people say it's easy to find a great place to eat in New York, I've always found it quite challenging.  New York is big, so you generally have to travel far to get where you want to go.  My greatest hits are partly based on locations where I spend a lot of time around.

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Almondine- Probably my favorite cafe in New York, though I must admit I love it mostly for sentimental reasons.  That being said, it does have excellent croissants, a winning baguette and gorgeous desserts.  Definitely worth checking out, even if it means going out of your way.

Blue Ribbon Sushi- Amazing.  There is a reason why this is one of the best sushi restaurants in New York, and I say this as a vegetarian only having tried the vegetarian rolls.  Inventive, fresh, rolled nicely, a complete and total winner. (This place is quite pricey, but they charge less at their Brooklyn location!)

photo and review here

Le Pain Quotidien- Yes, it's a chain.  That doesn't mean it's not fantastic.  I love their salads, their Quinoa and Arugula (or rocket!) one is probably my favorite.  They also have a nice selection of hot dishes and sandwiches, plus a soup of the day that is always interesting.  Their pastries are also really nice, though the star of the show are definitely their salads.  Plus, with a billion locations, you are always near one, which is definitely nice in this city!

Crumbs Cupcakes- Okay, Magnolia's may be more famous, but I'm a crumbs girl.  I find these less sweet, with more frosting and a cake that is moister.  They have fun flavors and usually have a special seasonal one too.  Again, they have several locations.  I'd recommend the cookies and cream cupcake for chocolate lovers and the vanilla sprinkle cupcake for vanilla lovers.

Eataly- Not just a tourist trap. Their selection of Italian food is unparalleled.  It's like a playground for lovers of Italian cuisine.  They have an enormous pasta selection, brilliant assortment of Italian biscuits and a huge wall of olive oils.  There are also places to eat in.  The best deal, however, is the bread area were they sell pieces of focaccia quite cheaply.

Dean and Deluca- Amazing fancy supermarket with a spectacular chocolate selection.  They have a good selection of prepared foods to grab for a (expensive) lunch.  My favorite part, however, is the chocolate and biscuit selection as they have a variety that is hard to find other places.  It's the only place I've found to buy Michel et Augustin biscuits in New York.  I also love to get Valrhona chocolate and Moo chocolate here.

photo here

'sNice-A positively yum-licious vegetarian sandwich shop with several locations throughout the city.  They have a wide variety of sandwiches that totally go against the typical vegetarian sandwiches you may find at other places throughout the city.  Seriously, they have a vegetarian bbq sandwich, a sushi sandwich, along with the more traditional caprese sandwich.  You also get a small side salad with your order, which is a huge bonus if you ask me.

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This just scratches the surface of awesome places to eat in New York.  Wherever you land, there will be somewhere to eat, but that doesn't mean it's good.  In tourist areas, many eateries charge overpriced bad quality food, so use your brain!  Venturing a little further out from the traditional stomping grounds will introduce you to a wide variety of wonderful New York eats.

Un Bacione,

Emilia