Eating our way through NYC
Steven and I didn’t really approach our trip to New York City as a “sightseeing” trip. We had both already been there once (not together), and were really just going to see our friends, Gina and Steve! So instead of planning out things to do or see during our trip, we planned out things we wanted to eat. And actually, when I say “planned,” it makes it sound like we did a lot of work and research. In reality, we just came up with a wishlist of foods to try and Gina and Steve coordinated it all for us! On our list:
- NYC style pizza
- Babycakes vegan bakery
- Fries in a cup
- NYC style bagels
- Street cart falafel*
- Local restaurants
And as you’ll see below, a few things got added to list!
Friday
We had dinner at Mojave, a “Southwestern Mexican” restaurant really close to Gina and Steve’s home in Queens. I loved Gina and Steve’s neighborhood. They live on a quiet little street, but can walk a few blocks to a mainstreet area where there are shops and restaurants (and where they can get on the subway).
This is the only place I didn’t snap a picture of my actual food! I had awesome fajitas. I loved that the menu already had vegetarian and even vegan options called out! That is one thing I found about NYC – it was very easy to eat vegan while there.
And I should mention, it was in the high 50s/low 60s on Friday. Awesome!
Saturday
On Saturday, we drove in to Manhattan, which worked out perfectly, because it was really windy and a bit cold outside.
For lunch we went to the Peanut Butter & Co Sandwich Shop. It wasn’t on our list, but Gina mentioned it the day before and I wanted to check it out. It was our first experience (of many) of ordering and dining in a super tiny little shop, with lots of other people. A lot of the places we went to turned out to be this way – just little slivers of space with people packed in. I guess we hit up a lot of popular places!
The Peanut Butter & Co Sandwich Shop had a huge menu and we all ordered something different, as well as a sampler platter with all 8 kinds of their peanut butter! I got “The Elvis” – PB & bananas (but not grilled) and Steven got “The Club” – a double-decker sandwich which I included in the photo above.
After lunch we checked out Economy Candy, a huge candy store,
and Babycakes. Steven and I bought five things to try – a red velvet cupcake, a carrot cupcake, a cookie, a cookie sandwich and a doughnut. We didn’t dig in to our Babycakes sweets until we got back to Gina and Steve’s place after dinner Saturday night. We all thought that the sweets were really good, but too expensive. It was about $18 or so for the five things we bought! I know the ingredients are all natural, but wow. It was still a fun place to try though! And it’s always nice to walk in to a bakery and know that I choose anything from the menu.
For dinner, we ate at Buona Notte, a restaurant that Gina and Steve recommended, in Little Italy. Walking through Little Italy was fun. Nearly every Italian restaurant had someone outside luring people in to eat. Steve and I kind of ignored them, but Gina and Steven had some fun talking to them!
I ordered Penne all’ Arrabbiata – (whole wheat) penne sauteed with arugula and hot peppers in tomato suace. Nom nom nom. I ate it all!
Sunday
We started Sunday off with New York City style bagels from the Brookyln Bagel and Coffee Company near Gina and Steve’s home. Steven and I actually decided that the bagels were the best thing we tried throughout the entire trip. I can’t even begin to describe how delicious they were – just so chewy and dense and filling. Just what I like! Oh, and did I mention they were huge?
I thought it was fun to go in to a shop and see a zillion different kind of bagels spreads. I tried the tofu spread on my Everything bagel. Steven got a whole wheat bagel with butter and jelly.
After our bagels we took the subway in to Manhattan and hung out around Times Square,
then made our way to Famous Original Ray’s Pizza (811 Lexington Ave.), so Steven could have a slice! The criteria for the pizza was that it was huge and Steven had to fold it in his hand to eat it. Check, and check!
There are actually a ton of Ray’s pizza places in NYC. We’ve even seen a documentary on the Food Network about them. Of course, while in NYC, we couldn’t remember which one was the actual original.
After lunch, Steven, Steve and Gina split a Black & White cookie that Steven picked up at Zaro’s Bakery near Union Station. Another item that was not on our list, but luckily, we thought to pick one up since Steven loves them!
We went to the Guggenheim Museum (just to see the building, not the art) afterward, then strolled through Central Park. The weather turned out to be great – sunny and less windy than Saturday. I loved seeing all of the runners in Central Park! I will have to come back and run there someday… maybe I can get in to the 2012 NYC Marathon lottery! Ha.
After our stroll, Steven and Steve went to a cigar shop to smoke cigars, and Gina and I went to the mall on Columbus Circle. We thought we were making chili for dinner**, so we bought all of the ingredients at Whole Foods, went to Borders (where we saw Robin Williams) and then had tea at Argo Tea Cafe. Steven and Steve weren’t done with their cigars until close to 8:00. We got back to their place at 9:00 and decided it was too late to make chili, so we ordered local diner food, which was fun!
I got a stir fry type thing and Steven got the Mediterranean sandwich.
Monday
We made vegan pancakes for breakfast, then headed in to Manhattan for one of the last things on our wishlist – fries in a cup. Steven swears my sister had fries in a cup in NYC when she was there in August, and that is where he got the idea. My sister does not remember said fries, but luckily, Gina came up with something for us to try – Pommes Frites, a restaurant that only sells, you got it, fries in a cup (well, cone really, but let’s not get technical).
Originally, we planned on having our fries as an appetizer, but we all ordered one, with different sauces to try, and that ended up being lunch! It was a really fun experience. There are 26 different fry sauces to choose from, then you sit down (if you can find a seat) at these tables with holes in them, where you place your fries. Fun!
After lunch, we decided we wanted something sweet, and we stumbled across Viva Herbal Pizzeria (179 2nd Ave.) – a vegetarian and vegan pizza (and other items) shop! I had wished I wasn’t so full and could get a piece of pizza to try, but we just got a cookie and sort of cookie sandwich to share with Gina and Steve. I will have to check out that place more the next time I’m in NYC!
We all decided the vegan sweets from Viva Herbal were just as good as the ones at Babycakes – and a lot cheaper too!
We had to leave Manhattan after eating our sweets and head straight to the airport. Wah!
So, did this post make you hungry? Have you ever taken a “culinary” vacation like this? (Well, if I can call it “culinary.”)
This trip ended up being awesome. It felt low-key, even though we did a lot. We were never rushed or felt like we “had” to do something. We were kind of just going with the flow, having a great time chatting and telling jokes. Usually my vacations are not like that – they are usually “go go go!” but this was so nice. We stopped a lot, just to sit and chat, which I really enjoyed. I need to do that more often!
*We never got around to our falafel – we’ll have to save it for next time!
**Which literally fell through, we got home too late, and I dropped the bag and one of the glass jars inside broke (hence the “literally fell through”).
Exactly what I needed
Our short trip to NYC to visit our friends Gina and Steve was exactly what I needed.
In Central Park
Gina and Steve showed us an amazing time, hosting us in their home, and taking us all over Manhattan (and some of Queens!) to fulfill our culinary wish list (which I will post about tomorrow!). We had many wonderful conversations and told many jokes. It felt so good to spend time relaxing with friends, not thinking about work or any other silly stressful things. I didn’t want to leave NYC and feel quit bummed that I don’t know when we will see them next! Steven and I get along really well with them, which is funny, considering we have only formed a relationship in emails and this is only the second time we’ve ever been together in person!
In the Guggenheim Museum
One more day off of work, then back to reality. Hopefully this awesome mood will last some time!
Gina and Steve’s cat, Manny!
What was the last awesome vacation you had?
Celebrity
Guess who Gina and I said hello to (and he said “hey” back) at the Borders by Columbus Circle?
I saw his stand-up routine with Steven and my parents in September of 2008. Totally hilarious.
Have you ever run in to a celebrity?
I ran in to Tony Hawk in Chicago a few years ago, and saw one of the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy stars in NYC in 2005.
Training Week 70
My next race is the Frosty Footrace (5K) on February 27th.
Day 484 | February 14, 2011: cross
Recumbent Bike Time: 45:00 | Distance: 7.36 | Set on “Manual,” Resistance Level 5.0
Day 485 | February 15, 2011: 5 m run (400-800-1200-800-400)
I think I need to quit relying on exercise to help me de-stress. I’ve had a lot of angry workouts lately. At least I run faster when I am angry.
I did a ladder workout, or reverse ladder, or up-and-down the ladder, or whatever they are called (does anyone remember?) of 400-800-1200-800-400.
| 1st 400 @ 7.5mph/8:00mm | 2nd 800 @ 7.2mph/8:20mm |
| 1st 800 @ 7.2mph/8:20mm | 2nd 400 @ 7.5mph/8:00mm |
| 1200 @ 7.0mph/8:34mm |
I did a 1-mile warm-up (@6.3mph/9:31mm), then five intervals with 2:00 minutes of recovery(@6.3mph/9:31mm) between, then a 1-mile cool-down (@6.3mph/9:31mm). The workout was tough, but more in a mental way of continuing to push it, than dealing with any aches.
Distance: 5.0 | Time: 45:02 | Incline: 1.0
Day 486 | February 16, 2011: strength + cross
I did Level 1 of The 30 Day Shred before I left for work in the morning. I used two 5-lb dumbbells for all the moves and holy cow – I was worn out!
During lunch I rode the bike in the gym.
Bike Time: 45:00 | Distance: 8.21 | Set on “Manual,” Resistance Level 5.0
Day 487 | February 17, 2011: 6.2 m run (+stretch) + strength
I met a few members of the running club at 5:30 am for a quick run before everyone went to work. I usually cannot make it to these early runs because I am already riding the train in to Chicago, but Thursday was my work-from-home day, so it all worked out! I ran 6.2 quick (for me) miles through a local neighborhood with about 5 other people (we were down to 3 at the end), then drove home and did 10 minutes of Yoga before taking a shower and starting the workday.
And I must mention – I wore a shirt and capris for this run. In February! Awesome!
Distance: 6.2 | Start Temp: 49° | End Temp: 44° | Time: 55:46 | Avg Pace: 8:59 | 1: 9:05 | 2: 8:56 | 3: 8:52 | 4: 9:08 | 5: 8:43 | 6: 9:12 | 7: 1:46
During my lunch break, I did Level 1 of The 30 Day Shred with Steven. I was kind of half-assing it, and Steven was saying all these funny jokes… so I am not sure how effective the workout was!
In the evening I attended the “No More Injuries” Clinic held by a Physical Therapist that is a member of our running club! I will have to share the notes when I get a chance, because they were quite interesting (different from many things I have heard about running – for example, that it does not matter what surface you run on, because your body usually compensates for it).
Day 488 | February 18, 2011: 10 m run (+stretch)
I had to get my long run in early in the morning Friday, before catching a flight. Another running club member joined me for the first 5 miles and it was so nice to have his company! And boy, we were running fast – I didn’t even realize it (it was dark out and I wasn’t paying attention to my splits), but all of our miles were under 9:00mm. After he left I slowed down a bit! I felt really good during the run – I hope I wasn’t running too fast (for me).
I did 10 minutes of yoga after my run was over.
Run stats: I wore my orchid Asics Cumulus 12s (the new ones!). I wasn’t sure what to wear, but ended up with capris, two long-sleeved tops and gloves, and that was perfect. I stopped in the middle of the run when my friend left. I had a Vanilla Bean GU at mile 5 and drink a bit of water.
Distance: 10.0 | Start Temp: 36° | End Temp: 35° | Time: 1:29:39 | Avg Pace: 8:57 | 1: 8:57 | 2: 8:46 | 3: 8:36 | 4: 8:47 | 5: 8:47 | 6: 9:11 | 7: 9:20 | 8: 9:09 | 9: 8:58 | 10: 9:01
Day 489 | February 19, 2011: rest
Day 490 | February 20, 2011: 6.1 m run
The awesome run of the week award goes to Sunday’s run – in NYC! We’re staying with our friends in Queens, so I snuck out early in the morning for a run. I started in their residential neighborhood, then ran along the East River (I think?) and in to a park. It was a beautiful early morning run, and I could see Manhattan in the background for a lot of it!
And the interesting part about this run is that I had negative splits, but wasn’t even trying! I wonder if doing speedwork is helping my overall speed.
Distance: 6.1 | Start Temp: 22° | End Temp: 22° | Time: 55:55 | Avg Pace: 9:10 | 1: 9:45 | 2: 9:25 | 3: 9:20 | 4: 9:12 | 5: 8:51 | 6: 8:26 | 7: 0:53
Week Summary: 27.3 miles
I did the best I could this week for fitting everything in while traveling. Hopefully I can do more yoga next week!
I’ve been wearing my compression socks after long runs, speedwork and interval runs. I never really felt sore after these types of runs before, so it’s hard to tell if the socks are doing anything, but I am feeling pretty good. I am going to keep wearing them!
I am going to try to participate in Jill‘s (Finishing is Winning) Monday Brain Exchange. She asks one fun question (or series of questions) a week, on Monday (I will probably answer on Sundays). This week’s question is:
Do you make vacations out of your races when they are far from home?
I’ve actually never done a destination race. The closest thing to it will be running the half marathon in Champaign-Urbana this April. And it won’t be a vacation in the fact that I will take extra days off from work… but I will have a blast!
I actually do the reverse of this question – look for races when I am already planning on traveling. Whenever I go to Iowa, I see if there are any 5Ks happening and usually sign up for them.
Friday Question #149
Have you ever tried hypnotherapy (being hypnotized)? What were you hoping to achieve through hypnotherapy? Did it work?
or
If given the opportunity, would you try hypnosis? What would you hope to achieve (rather, what would you work on)?
I read an interesting article in Fitness Magazine recently (read it here) about how many studies show that hypnosis works, and how you can take some of the hypnosis tools – thinking positively, managing expectations for pain, imagining a successful outcome of something stressful – and apply them to your daily life to improve performance, fight pain, get past your fears, and so on. And of course, the article mentions celebrities who have used it to lose weight, reduce anxiety, and quit smoking.
So would I try it? Sure! I am game for many things. I would probably try to use it to reduce anxiety/stress, because that seems to be where most of my issues are stemming from lately!
Exciting Day!
What an exciting day I’ve had!
- I got to run in short sleeves* this morning with the club – at 5:30 am!
- One of the runners gave me a blinking armband to keep! It will be perfect for dark runs.
- I found out I will get to review an awesome product on my blog, and giveaway said awesome product (in the next month or so).
- I found out I won a package at a local yoga studio! Not sure what it includes yet, but I am excited!
- A lot of the snow is gone!
- My Grayslake Running Club shirt orders came in and I get to pick them up tonight at the club clinic. Yay!
Hmm, maybe the things that excited me are kind of lame? Anything exciting going on for you? It can be minor!
*Don’t worry, that’s not all that I wore!
Protein powder
I decided I would like to try some protein powder, so I ordered sample packs of the Vega Sport brand in vanilla and berry. Each serving contains 20g of protein (nutritional info here).
I haven’t tried them yet, but wanted to ask you guys a few questions!
Have you ever tried/do you use protein powder? Do you notice any benefit from using it? When do you use it and how (in a shake, just with water, etc.)?
I am anxious to see how this stuff tastes, and if I notice any effect from using it.
A taste of spring / Yoga Mat Bag Giveaway Winner
Whoa, look at the forecast:
It looks like we are getting a premature taste of spring. Yippee ki-yay! I don’t care if it rains. I don’t care if it’s only like this for a week. I’ll take it.
Are you getting a taste of spring where you live?
Does the warmer weather inspire you to wear more “spring-like” clothing?
I bought this top at Kohl’s awhile ago, but didn’t want to wear it until it was more “spring-y” outside.
Yay flowers!
Okay, and I have to confess – I wore this top to the Auto Show on Sunday and to work on Monday. Muah ha ha. Ha…?
The winner of the Yoga Mat Bag is Heidi! Heidi, please email me your mailing address and I will send it your way.
(Side note: Heidi is another Chicagoland blogger that I just found – check out her blog!)
Thanks to everyone who entered! I was thinking no one would want a yoga mat bag. I was dead wrong!
Chocolate on Valentine’s Day?
Don’t mind if I do.
My awesome coworker made vegan peanut butter cups to bring to the office for Valentine’s Day. How sweet is she?!
I kind of mentioned before that I am trying to shed some weight, and one of the ways I do that is by cutting back on my “sweets” consumption. Because, yeah. I can really eat a lot of sweets. Like, an obscene amount – what most people consume in a month, I could probably consume in a day. What can I say? I have a major sweet tooth!
But I’ve been trying to control it, by having tea instead of sweets. And it’s working. But today?* I think I may have a peanut butter cup. Or two. Or three.
Do you have a sweet tooth? Do you try to not eat too many sweets?
Do you think you’ll have any sweets today?
One simple goal for the week
Goal: do not bring work stress home with me.
I used to think I was really good at “leaving work at work” – coming home and not having work on my mind AT ALL. But that has not been the case lately. Last week was awful. I felt frustrated every night. Which sucks. Because I really look forward to spending my evening with these guys:
And when I am feeling frustrated and stressed, I am not very fun to be around.
A lot of my stress is feeling like I have too much to do, even though I know that I don’t. So I constantly tell myself “You have enough time to get everything done.” And, “Not everything is urgent. It’s not a life or death situation.” How sad is it that I have to tell myself these things?
I hate how anxious I am. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.
Are you able to leave work/school stress behind at the end of the day? What are your tricks?
Hi! I’m Kim, a 40-something-year-old living in northeastern Illinois with my husband Steven, and our cats, Khaleesi, Apollo, Starbuck, and Eddard aka Ned. My current main hobbies are running, painting rocks, flying, reading, and eating. I follow a vegan lifestyle and work in an account management role. I write about a variety of topics and consider this a “life” blog – a place I can share anything that’s on my mind. Please visit the “About” page to get a better idea of who I am! 🙂
