NYC is home to me. Growing up in NJ and living in Manhattan for 10 yrs, I call NYC home. The people, the atmosphere, the drive and most importantly the food is some of the best in the world. I flew into NY for a short work trip and had a running list of places we had to eat and drink at. It's def tough to narrow it down, but check out my foodie's weekend guide in NYC!
Upper East Side: Mission Ceviche
Am I biased because I lived on the UES for 10 yrs? Maybe. But, one thing you can trust me on is the food. We flew in mid-afternoon so we only had time for dinner. This was always a go-to spot of ours if we were feeling ceviche. It's a Peruvian restaurant with an indoor and outdoor patio. The indoor space is loud - like music bumping and sparklers going off when people order bottles - but back to the food. The ceviche is out of this world, but definitely try anything. It's more of a tapas style menu so you can try a lot.
SOHO: Prince Street Pizza
You can't go to NYC without getting pizza, EVER. If you like thick, pepperoni Sicilian slices, this is your place. And if you don't, this will sway you. It's a small place, there will be a line, but it moves quickly and it is a NYC staple. It's also open until 3am so it's a delicious late night spot.
West Village: Dante
Voted Worlds Best Bar in 2019, it's a no brainer to make a pit stop here. They do have a full food menu, but we opted to grab a cocktail (or 3). Staple martinis are poured table side with chilled olives or citrus dependent on which one you order. I'm a dirty martini fan and it was delightful. We also ordered espresso martinis, because, why not!
West Village: Don Angie
Go here. Get the sharable lasagna. Then thank me.
They take reservations a week in advance via Resy and they go quick. If you can't get a ressie, you can also go as soon as they open and see if there are tables or sit at the bar. Chef's kiss.
Quality Eats (WV or UES)
Highly recommend for brunch. They do offer dinner, but the brunch (IMO) is way better. They have locations on the UES and West Village so you can chose either one. Definitely recommend the monkey bread breakfast sandwich, patty melt, short rib hash and the pancakes. Their brunch cocktails are beautiful and are served with citrus infused ice cubes - Southside is my fave.
Chinatown: 456 Shanghai Cuisine
Soup dumplings have recently climbed the ladder of my love language. I was introduced to them late in life and I contemplate why all the time. Chinatown is the place for them and everything else authentic Chinese food. 456 is a very casual, very affordable, very appetite pleasing. Get the soup dumplings.
Looking for more NYC inspo? Check out my NYC + NYC v2 highlights on Instagram @kerrenmanzella