Fresh Eats: New York Food Diary

No trip to New York would be complete without an ample amount of dining! My bf and I asked friends and foodies alike for their recommendations on where to eat in NYC, and made time for as many of their suggestions as we could. What you see here are most of our excursions - omitted from here is the Shake Shack because I devoured my burger before I put together a single thought, and the other of a restaurant with incredibly bad service who shall remain unnamed! Enjoy.

I like to pretend The Meatball Shop was named after my Meatball. I make it a point to eat at the original Lower East Side spot every time I visit NY. This was bf and my first time eating there together, though, and I was really excited to enjoy a meal there with him. I always get the classic meatballs with spaghetti & meat sauce, with family jewels on top. A pitcher of sangria and I'm good to go!

My dear friend Jordie of Clutch 22 met up with us for dinner and drinks one night, and took us to Painkiller (PKNY) in the Lower East Side to cap off the night. This little tiki dive bar is on GQ, Esquire and numerous other lists for top bars in the city, and their extensive drink menu does not disappoint. I could only handle this one drink, and it was the size of my head! Look closely at the address, because you can easily miss this walking by on the street.

Jordie date night started out at Mercadito Grove in the West Village for some micheladas and tacos. She said they were the best micheladas she's had in the city, and Mercadito did not disappoint!

Filipino restaurants are few & far between, so when I heard about Maharlika, I had to give it a try no matter what. I've heard mixed reviews, mostly from Filipinos who refuse to like anything that isn't their mother's chicken adobo, so I wasn't too fazed going into it. We ended up having to wait at the bar for awhile while a table came up, but the staff was gracious about apologizing, giving us great service when we did have dinner, then comped our drinks for the night. Speaking of which, the drink menu is insanely good & filled with nostalgia - all drinks are named after current and legendary Filipino celebrities. I had mimosas with mango puree and Tang in them. SO GOOD. We ate spam fries (!!!!), pancit, lumpia taquitos and chicken wings. Yum!

I also like to stop in the East Village at the famed Momofuku Ssam & Milk Bars every time I'm in NY, and couldn't wait for my bf to try the steamed pork buns and duck pancakes there. Not to mention the compost cookies and birthday cake truffles!

Last notable food stop was for brunch in North Williamsburg, at egg. This place tops every list of Best Williamsburg Brunches, and was definitely worth the wait (though the wait wasn't even that long. Still, come early b/c you could be outside for awhile!) I chose their steel cut oats and he had french toast. I inhaled those steel cut oats and then licked the bowl clean! I can't lie. It was delicious, and a great pre-cursor to Brooklyn Flea on the waterfront.

I think we did alright for a couple of Seattleites eating in NYC! Do you have any favorite haunts or must-stops in the Big Apple? Let me know, I'll add it to my list for next time!