recapping our trip to new york city
We went to NYC a few weeks ago but life has been so crazy since then that I haven’t even had a second to share. Our trip consisted of a whole lot of walking, a whole lot of food and some once in a lifetime events. We had a blast!
Where we ate
I kept saying our days consisted of walking from food destination to food destination because, well, they did! And it was amazing! NYC is known for the best food and this trip was definitely full of amazing meals.
Budakken – This place is insanelyyyy good ANDDD it’s where Carrie and Big had their rehearsal dinner in the Sex and the City movie so I was bound to love it! Their menu is mostly dim sum and sharable meals. We had a group of 5 and got a ton of stuff to split – edamame dumplings, carrot dumplings, broken chili chicken, vegetable fried rice, black pepper beef and charred filet (yes, we went all out!). For dessert, we tried the crying chocolate and mochi donuts. There was nothing on the table that we didn’t love. Stand-outs for me were the carrot dumplings and the broken chili chicken…so good! Can’t wait to go back here.
La Esquina – Another fun and different place! Finding it was a little confusing – from the outside, this looks like a fast casual taco joint which it actually is in addition to the Brasserie downstairs. Underground, you’ll find a somewhat upscale (but loud and fun!) Mexican restaurant with the best tortilla soup and queso fundido I’ve ever had. I also got the enchiladas with 24-hour mole sauce. I’m still thinking about them! This place only takes reservations and they book up fast so make sure to plan ahead!
Sprinkles – I can’t help it! I think I had 3 cupcakes during our trip…it will always be my favorite cupcake place!
Joe’s Pizza – A new to us pizza spot but definitely an NYC classic. We went twice in one day!
Root & Bone – Such a great Southern-style brunch place. I had the egg and cheese biscuit sandwich which was delicious. Don’t leave without getting the sticky buns. Enough said! I made a reservation about a week or 2 in advance and had no trouble getting in. The wait looked like it would be long without one so I’d suggest making one.
Atrium Dumbo – Another cute little brunch spot in the Brooklyn/Dumbo area! We loved the biscuits (are you sensing a theme here…?) and buttermilk fried chicken. The vibe is so relaxed and chill – loved it!
Junior’s Cheesecake – We stopped here on the way back to our hotel one night. Ben got a piece of NY cheesecake and I got a black and white cookie. Couldn’t leave the city without one!
Where we went
Ben and I have both been to NYC so we skipped a lot of the typical touristy stuff. We did go to a few places that neither of us have ever been, though!
Brooklyn – As many times as I’ve been to NYC, I’ve never been to Brooklyn. It was super rainy the day that we went so we didn’t get to do or see much. But, we did get a glimpse of the bridge and walked around a little!
Chelsea Market – More eating! We spent wayyy too much time here…like half a day! There was sooo much to try. If you haven’t been, it’s a huge market with tons of food vendors and some shops. Our favorites were Sarabeth’s, Very Fresh Noodles and Rana. Afterwards, I suggest grabbing coffee and walking the High Line if the weather allows.
Oh…and the point of the whole trip. We got to go to the Grammys! I have a friend who works for The Recording Academy and she gifted me tickets for my birthday. Can you say best. friend. ever?! We got to attend a few Grammy events throughout the weekend and it was all so surreal! Rubbing elbows with celebs and seeing how everything comes together for the show was just so awesome. We even got to go to the official after party! It was all a once in a lifetime experience!
What I wore
To be honest, leggings and tennis shoes mostly. I did buy this dress (currently $12) to wear one night (pictured below with this coat) and I obviously dressed up big time for the Grammys! My feathery jumpsuit is from Misguided (currently $28). It’s definitely not maternity and I’m so lucky that it actually fit. A week later and it definitely wouldn’t have! My shoes are the Sam Edelman Yaro sandals in ‘Jute.’ I love them but I’d definitely suggest breaking them in before you wear them to any big event – they hurt the first time I wore them.
What I read
This was our first trip (besides going out of town for weddings and things!) without Greylen in a long time so it felt like we had so much down time! I read two books – Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (ironically similar titles!). I looooooved Dark Matter and read it in one day. It’s a little sci-fi and a lot psychological thriller. I didn’t love Dark Places as much which was surprising because I really enjoyed Gone Girl by the same author.
February 18, 2018 @ 8:35 pm
I’m going to NYC the first week in March & am really looking forward to it. My office is there, & when I lived on the East Coast, they brought me to the office regularly, but now I haven’t been for a few years, & I miss it. Hoping to catch a show & do some good exploring!