Grand Central Station, New York City
I was in New York over Easter, the first time I’ve been back since 2007. It’s odd…when people ask me where I’m from, I always say New York, but I feel like such a liar saying that. (Less a liar, of course, than those people who say they’re from New York but who, upon further questioning, turn out to be from Ohio or Maryland or Oklahoma.) I was born in Queens and grew up on Long Island, but once I went on to university, I really didn’t get back to New York much.
This makes me a tourist in my own backyard. Like I had to laugh when the concierge at The Sofitel asked me where I was from with my British Airways American Express Card, because I really don’t think he was expecting me to say “Massapequa.” (I’m not really from Massapequa, but rather one town over. Thanks to a certain Long Island Lolita, every good New Yorker knows where Massapequa is, hence why I use it as a reference.)
I didn’t get to do half the eating I wanted to in Manhattan–mainly I spent a lot of time driving to and from Connecticut and New Jersey to visit friends and family. But here’s a quick round-up of where I went and what I thought.
Sushi Yasuda: 204 East 43rd Street, between 2nd and 3rd. Clean, minimalist modern space with some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. Seriously. They sell t-shirts, which made me nervous, but by the end of my meal, I was actually considering buying one. (I didn’t.) When I mentioned that I was still hungry but couldn’t eat a whole nother roll, out sushi chef prepared me a half roll. Highly recommended.
Sakagura: 211 E 43rd St #B1, between 2nd and 3rd. After sushi, my friend Shin convinced me to go for dessert across the road at Sakagura. I loved how this place was in the basement of an office building down a non-descript stairwell. I loved the decor and the huge display of sake bottles, teapots, and glasses. Our desserts were only okay, but I was happy to linger here.
BXL Cafe: 125 W. 43rd St, between 6th and Broadway. This was a Twitter recommendation. I was totally jetlagged and needed a place with good beer for drinks with my brother. The food was average, although we liked our Ommegang Wittes, a Beligan white beer (think Hoegaarden) brewed in Cooperstown, New York. The place seemed dirty and worn, and not in a charming sense. I was pretty bummed about this choice.
So no bagels, no knishes, no pizza, very little beer. I think I’m going to need a return trip…
3 comments
Oh man, no bagels or pizza – travesty! I don’t suppose you brought any bagels back with you? [I have one last NJ bagel sitting in my freezer from Jon’s last trip back in March – tough call on when to eat it because on the one hand, I don’t want it to end, but on the other, it’s going to get freezer burn pretty soon.]
In NY for sushi, I’m a Tomoe girl. But I’ve heard great things about Sushi Yasuda (though weird about the T shirts).
No bagels…it was on my list of things to do before I left for the airport but somehow never managed to get around to it. That being said, my seatmates on my flight were probably better off. I would have packed a baker's dozen of everything bagels…lots of garlic!
I think you should say you are from New York for the same reason I say I’m from Birmingham even though I only lived there in total for about 4 years. People know where it is and it’s easier than explaining the smaller place.
I would LOVE to visit New York although I’m postponing it until my boy is at least 6-7 so he can appreciate it a bit more.
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