I heart NY

I can't put my finger on it exactly, but every time I'm in New York City it's like I'm rejuvenated. That might be an oxymoron to some, because most people will tell you that the city will wear you out, but for me since I don't live there (yet), I get a feeling that I know that that is where I need to be. Living at home in Boardman, it's like the longer I am away from the city, the more I think to myself that "ya maybe I can be fine with staying in town, most of my close friends and family are here, why couldn't I stay here and be happy." The longer between trips to the city, in my head it sounds like a good idea to stay at home and in the town I grew up in, but as soon as I see that skyline and walk a street or two, hear the sounds, see the sights and smell the smells of the city I know that it is my home. I love the feeling of being in the city and I can't wait until the day I can call it home. Only two more years of school and it will become a reality for me.

This was my first time back in the city in just about a year, and I had an absolutely great time. I stayed with my cousin in her swanky lower east side apartment, with a roof top view of the city that you wouldn't believe.

I only had from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning in the city, but I definitely did a lot of fun things in the time that I did have, I saw a building on fire,

watched Lebron make his decision with hopeful turned hateful New Yorkers (Lebron is an idiot by the way), went to a Brooklyn rooftop barbeque, went to brunch with friends, saw about 15 minutes of a band that was really good and about an hour of one that wasn't so much, had a few beers into the wee hours of the morning with another one of my good friends, watched the World Cup final in a packed bar with people who were actually interested and cared about the result and of course ate a bunch of good food.

I started out by getting a slice of new york pizza when I first got in. New York style pizza is probably my favorite kind of pizza and whether or not it's Famous Original Ray's or Lombardi's or any other pizza place in the city I love them all. Dinner Thursday night was at Max, which is a little indistinct Italian restaurant with a really nice space for eating outside. My cousin, my parents and I went and we all enjoyed our meals, I had penne with sausage, shitake mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and spinach in a garlic oil sauce. I would definitely consider going back to Max and recommend it to anyone looking for a good Italian meal. Friday I started out with breakfast at Russ and Daughter's, which was the best lox and cream cheese bagel I've ever had, and I would imagine one of the tops in the city. I heard about this place on the disappearing Manhattan episode of No Reservations, and couldn't believe that is was right around the corner from my cousins place. If you're in the Lower East Side, you have to stop in to this place and get a sandwich, I actually ended up getting it again for breakfast Sunday morning as well. Lunch on Friday was sweet (literally), I had some tasty delight, and what I was probably most excited to get, a compost cookie from Momofuku Milk Bar. I've heard plenty about this cookie, and even tried to make it myself, and finally had the opportunity to give the real thing a try. It did not disappoint, to say the least, easily one of the best cookies I've ever had, and a bakery I will try to get to whenever I'm in the city, because everything I saw in it looked just as good. Friday for dinner was hot dogs and burgers on the roof of one of my cousins friends. Saturday we started the day by going to brunch with two of my friends that now live in the city, at Freemans, a really cool place with great decor and ambiance, that serves sort of a classed up homestyle type food. I had skillet eggs, bacon, spinach and cheese and it was another really good meal. For lunch on Saturday, it was another sweet, there was a creperie down the street from my cousin that I felt like I needed to try. I had a banana and French milk chocolate crepe that transported me back to Paris, it was awesome, and I felt like I don't get enough opportunities to eat crepes. Dinner that night was at another Italian restaurant, but I can't remember it's name, needless to say it was a bit underwhelming and one apparently not worth remembering, definitely the only disappointing food experience of this trip so far. More Russ and Daughter's for breakfast Sunday, and a liquid lunch at the bar for the World cup Final.

I was worn out by the end of the day Sunday so I got some take-out from the very popular Meatball Shop, that my cousin has also been raving about, and french toast rice pudding with an oatmeal and coconut crumble, and vanilla caramel sauce, from Rice to Riches, a hip little rice pudding shop (I know him and rice pudding don't seem like they go together but it's true) that I've heard about.

I got beef meatballs with parmesan cream sauce from The Meatball Shop with a side of mashed potatoes and rigatoni. This meal might have been my favorite of the long weekend, and I can certainly understand why waits at The Meatball Shop can reach two hours.

Finally, for the bus trip up to Boston, I got a Vietnamese pork chop sandwich, from Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches, that was spectacular, and I can totally understand why I saw it on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, on the Food Network. The perfect cap to an absolutely great food weekend, and even better weekend just being in the city, up next Boston.

Eat well, Live well (especially in New York)