Finally! Mini vaca in New York City

Greg was in New York for work but I tagged along to keep him company and do some sightseeing on my own.

Our trip started off with Amtrak from Boston to New York City. The train out was fine. We were in Business Class on the Acela and found a seat with a table. The train was at capacity so naturally you end up sitting with strangers too.

We got in to New York around 9 p.m. and hopped in a cab to the One U.N. Hotel by Millennium Hotels. Our hotel was in the newly transformed West Tower. The room was large, nicely appointed, had all the amenities you would need, and offered an amazing view of Manhattan. The room offers a large bathroom, lovely toiletries, a minibar, a coffee maker (although ours wasn't clean when the staff found out they did offer to replace it), large closet, safe, king size bed, flat screen tv, desk, and seating area. As a benefit to staying in the West Tower the One U.N. offers a lounge area. The lounge provides breakfast, afternoon snacks, and evening hors d'oeuvre's with wine and beer. We enjoyed fruit and bagels in the morning, waters in the afternoon, and wine and treats at night (Asian dumplings, mini cheese burgers, yellow pepper bubbles etc.). The housekeeping staff did an excellent job and managers checked each room as well. Throughout our stay all of the staff were friendly and very accommodating. 

During the snow storm I ventured out I walked through Grand Central Station, Bryant Park, Times Square, and took a cab ride through Central Park. I spent the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which I highly recommend. The exhibits are beautifully laid out, have a lovely flow, and the museum offers some must see pieces! On a very cold night Greg and I also decided to head to the top of the Empire State Building. We were completely frozen but the view can't be beat!

When it came to food for this trip we kept things very casual and also did a lot of grab and go thanks to the snow storm. 

I highly recommend Eataly for some grab and go items however this is on the pricier side. I got us a couple of Porchetta sandwiches (pork and herb), Octupus salad, Lemon Drinks, and some marinated olives. Yum!

At Cafe Olympia I would stop in for waters, lunch buffet, or for their large variety of dairy free cookies.

Chopita offers delicious Middle Eastern Food. On two occasions we tried the grilled chicken pita, shnitzel pita, and the schwarma pita and an order of falafal. All of the meats were well seasoned and cooked nicely. The Pita bread itself is thick, soft, and comforting. In the sandwich we enjoyed hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, tahini, hots, and especially spicy pickled carrots. The staff is friendly, fast, and the food is outstanding. Chopita is a must visit.

For dinner out one night we decided to try BBQ at Blue Smoke. This restaurant is extremely similar to Sweet Cheeks Q in Boston. To start we ordered a half dozen oysters. The oysters were nice and fresh and the accompaniments were nice. For entrees I ordered the Pulled Pork and Greg ordered the Brisket. Greg enjoyed the Brisket saying it was tender and flavorful. My pulled pork meal was tender however it was very salty and it was completely shredded. The meat felt as though it was pulled and then had been soaking up sauce for a while. There also wasn't a speck of bark on the plate. Overall it's a good New England BBQ style restaurant. 

Sadly I can't enjoy them but I did stop in and buy some of my favorite French Macarons at Laduree. Between the ambience of the store, the beautiful packaging, and the amazing flavors of Macarons I absolutely adore shopping here and don't mind the high prices.


Last but not least my favorite foodie location from this trip is Vegan Diva's. I have had this company saved on my computer for some time now and was hoping to visit before trying to order online. When I walked into Vegan Diva's it had been 2 1/2 years since I last ate a donut (thanks to my dairy allergy). I purchased a flour-less cake and gluten free macaroon for my friend (with a gluten allergy) and one of each donuts (chocolate iced, cinnamon sugar, and toasted coconut) for myself and Greg to try. The donuts at Vegan Diva's are moist, soft, cake like, and not overly sweet. In other words delicious! I dare anyone to try these donuts and say they don't like them (Vegan, Food Allergy, and/or all those that can eat anything they want). I can't wait to order some for myself and to send some to Porscha (who is also dying for donuts). 

I can't wait to visit New York again and discover some new places!