New York Trip

I have just returned from New York City. As a newbie to New York, I did a lot of research of where to go, what to do, where to eat, etc. I think I did well at hitting all of the top spots.
After a long flight, my mom, sisters, and I were starving. Our first taste of New York was at Carnegie Deli. I don't think any of us were prepared for just how big the triple decker sandwiches were going to be.

No worries though we did end up sharing this huge sandwich.

After a good night's sleep we were refreshed and ready for what all the city had to offer. We ventured to Central Park, where we shopped at booths for jewelry, scarves, art, etc. For lunch we were recommended to eat at Whole Foods. This was great, not only did we have an eclectic menu but it was fairly affordable for New York. For dinner, we made reservations to Serendipity 3 to try their "famous" frozen hot chocolate.

I was in anticipation for lunch on Tuesday because I was going to Eataly. I had heard amazing things about it and Joe Bastianich (Masterchef judge) was giving us a tour and joining us for lunch. Eataly features a market of amazing fresh produce, the largest array of dry pastas in the U.S., several dining options, gelato counter, etc. For lunch, we had pizza and pasta. My mom raved over her pumpkin lasagna. While enjoying our meal, my mom and sisters got star struck over someone to the left of me. I had no idea what the big fuss was over until I looked to my left to find the Martha Stewart! Wow, was I really that close to Martha. Joe introduced me to Martha as the winner of Masterchef and the Pastry Princess.

Our evening included shopping in Chinatown. We stopped for a snack at Sung Sai Gai restaurant for a steamed pork bun which was pretty good. I would recommend the steamed bun over the baked. Then we traveled across the street to Dragon Land Bakery for their coconut cream buns. After a fun filled, interesting day of shopping  in Chinatown, we dined at Babbo. When I go to a restaurant for the first time, I always ask menu recommendations from the waiter. I took his recommendation for their lamb chops. I was being adventurous because I had never eaten lamb. This was the best lamb I had never had ha ha.  When it came to desserts we tried a little of everything. A complimentary dessert from the pastry chef was a saffron panna cotta with quince sorbetto. Wow this dessert was amazing!

On my list of places to go was Radio City.  We wanted to see the Rockettes. This was such a fun show. I was very appreciative that not only did they celebrate Santa Claus but also baby Jesus's birth with the Nativity Scene. Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

A six day trip is hard to write about in detail in one post. I will write my breakdown of the rest of my trip.
Wednesday- lunch @ Gordon Ramsay's Maze    dinner @ Stage deli- better corned beef than Carnegie deli
Thursday- lunch @ Joe Bastianich's Becco- the best Italian cuisine   dinner in Little Italy & dessert- Rice to Riches *try chocolate chip rice pudding & cheesecake rice pudding....yummy!
Friday- lunch @ Chelsea Market's Lobster Place- shrimp roll, clam chowder, & lobster

*Tips- Make reservations for lunch at $$$ restaurants to enjoy a great meal for a lunch price
         - Take the subway to quickly move around the city
         - Wear comfortable shoes....in NYC you will be doing a lot of walking