NYC: Dining with (Michelin and Super) Stars and LES Food Guide
This past Labor Day weekend was amazing -- lots of fun, friends and FOOD.
I'd have to say the highlight of the weekend was our meal at the 3 Michelin star restaurant, Le Bernardin. Not only was the food amazing, we ended up celebrating Beyonce's 29th birthday with BEYONCE AND JAY-Z two tables away! It was a little crazy to imagine that they were eating the same meal that we were. Anyway, the food was awesome too and it's a must try at least once kind of place.
In addition, my coworker Gregor also put together a little Lower East Side neighborhood guide for us. The Lower East Side (LES) is the area below the East Village (think between Houston and Canal and East of NoLiTa). It was traditionally a Jewish/Eastern European neighborhood and home to poorer immigrant families, but has recently been gentrified and looks more like hipster kids and dive bar / club goers at night. What that means for food is a great mix of delicious authentic ethnic foods and new trendy hipster restaurants!
We came here last weekend for a short food tour, but unfortunately came after the Essex market was closed. We personally went to BaoHaus (soft Chinese buns with deliciousness inside), Sugar Sweet Sunshine (one of the best cupcakes in NYC and > Magnolia's) and XiaoYe (Bao Haus owners' new restaurant -- I like the original better).
Here is the rest of Gregor's list in case you are interested in exploring the area!
Gregor's LES Neighborhood Guide
The below is all what Gregor wrote, so my comments will be in italics!
Russ & Daughters (Houston near Orchard St)
I brought cream cheese from there (Gregor brought it to work for one of our Bagel and Lox Tuesdays!). The Super Heebstar sandwich (Whitefish & Baked Salmon Salad with Horseradish Dill Cream Cheese and Wasabi Flying Fish Roe on a Bagel) is apparently amazing, I've had the salmon a number of times and the Gaspe Nova is pretty hard to beat.
Pickle Guys (Right next to Painkiller (Tiki Bar that used to be East Side Company Bar - Essex near Grand St)
My favorite place (Gus's) moved to Brooklyn, but this place is pretty solid. (Snooki would like this place wouldn't she?)
Kossar's Bialys (Grand St. near Essex)
Unique to the LES and fun to see something that hasn't changed in decades.
Close to...Doughnut Plant too if he is into that sort of thing and right by Pickle Guys. (Gregor brought us Doughnut Plant this summer and also for my birthdays!)
Il Laboratorio del Gelato
Arguably the best ice cream / gelato in NYC (Grom is the only place that competes in my mind -- Linda loves Grom) and a really cool street.
(Orchard btw Delancey and Broome - across the street from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and my first apartment when I moved to NYC in 2004)
Economy Candy (On Rivington near Allen)
Why be a kid in a candy store when you can be an adult feeling like a kid again in the coolest candy store ever?
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Only a block away from Economy Candy...why not have a cupcake too...?
Essex Market (Essex at Rivington)
Amazing gourmet stores (Saxelby Cheese, Formaggio Essex, Jeffrey's Meats, Roni-Sue's Chocolates and Porto Rico Coffee) and very inexpensive other options which are pretty cool. Worth wandering around. If you are eating on the site, I'd suggest getting there early and hitting up Shopsin's for food. The menu is completely insane.
Yonah Schimmel Knish
Pretty quintessential NYC. Worth walking past and checking out. Split 1 across 4 people.
Katz's Deli
It would be sinful to be that close and not at least taste some pastrami... (sigh I've sinned many times! still haven't tried this place boo)
For coffee, I think best options are Roasting Plant with it's fully automated system where you choose your beans and then it makes your drink and Bluebird Coffee which has one of the best baristas in NYC (I've been to Bluebird when I dog sat for Gregor and LOVED it!)
If they leave thinking the LES is anything short of the coolest food neighborhood in the world, I will be supremely disappointed. (I hope you all fall in love with LES too! It's so awesome!)
Thanks again Gregor for this great list!
I'd have to say the highlight of the weekend was our meal at the 3 Michelin star restaurant, Le Bernardin. Not only was the food amazing, we ended up celebrating Beyonce's 29th birthday with BEYONCE AND JAY-Z two tables away! It was a little crazy to imagine that they were eating the same meal that we were. Anyway, the food was awesome too and it's a must try at least once kind of place.
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| Me and my bodyguards.. jk =P. Please meet Alex (Dim Sum Truck founder), Derrick (#1 CS Player in the US in 2009 -- haha just saw this article today), me, Jing (my awesome bf -- you know him already =) and Randy -- As you can see, Le Bern is a fancy jackets required place! |
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| Jing and I <3! |
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| Hehe my dress matched the plates |
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| Our best shot at a paparazzi pic -- can you tell it's her? She was beautiful! |
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| The MOST delicious dish ever! Langoustine with shaved foie gras, wild mushroom and salad |
We came here last weekend for a short food tour, but unfortunately came after the Essex market was closed. We personally went to BaoHaus (soft Chinese buns with deliciousness inside), Sugar Sweet Sunshine (one of the best cupcakes in NYC and > Magnolia's) and XiaoYe (Bao Haus owners' new restaurant -- I like the original better).
Here is the rest of Gregor's list in case you are interested in exploring the area!
Gregor's LES Neighborhood Guide
The below is all what Gregor wrote, so my comments will be in italics!
Russ & Daughters (Houston near Orchard St)
I brought cream cheese from there (Gregor brought it to work for one of our Bagel and Lox Tuesdays!). The Super Heebstar sandwich (Whitefish & Baked Salmon Salad with Horseradish Dill Cream Cheese and Wasabi Flying Fish Roe on a Bagel) is apparently amazing, I've had the salmon a number of times and the Gaspe Nova is pretty hard to beat.
Pickle Guys (Right next to Painkiller (Tiki Bar that used to be East Side Company Bar - Essex near Grand St)
My favorite place (Gus's) moved to Brooklyn, but this place is pretty solid. (Snooki would like this place wouldn't she?)
Kossar's Bialys (Grand St. near Essex)
Unique to the LES and fun to see something that hasn't changed in decades.
Close to...Doughnut Plant too if he is into that sort of thing and right by Pickle Guys. (Gregor brought us Doughnut Plant this summer and also for my birthdays!)
Il Laboratorio del Gelato
Arguably the best ice cream / gelato in NYC (Grom is the only place that competes in my mind -- Linda loves Grom) and a really cool street.
(Orchard btw Delancey and Broome - across the street from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and my first apartment when I moved to NYC in 2004)
Economy Candy (On Rivington near Allen)
Why be a kid in a candy store when you can be an adult feeling like a kid again in the coolest candy store ever?
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Only a block away from Economy Candy...why not have a cupcake too...?
Essex Market (Essex at Rivington)
Amazing gourmet stores (Saxelby Cheese, Formaggio Essex, Jeffrey's Meats, Roni-Sue's Chocolates and Porto Rico Coffee) and very inexpensive other options which are pretty cool. Worth wandering around. If you are eating on the site, I'd suggest getting there early and hitting up Shopsin's for food. The menu is completely insane.
Yonah Schimmel Knish
Pretty quintessential NYC. Worth walking past and checking out. Split 1 across 4 people.
Katz's Deli
It would be sinful to be that close and not at least taste some pastrami... (sigh I've sinned many times! still haven't tried this place boo)
For coffee, I think best options are Roasting Plant with it's fully automated system where you choose your beans and then it makes your drink and Bluebird Coffee which has one of the best baristas in NYC (I've been to Bluebird when I dog sat for Gregor and LOVED it!)
If they leave thinking the LES is anything short of the coolest food neighborhood in the world, I will be supremely disappointed. (I hope you all fall in love with LES too! It's so awesome!)
Thanks again Gregor for this great list!