NYC: ALL THINGS FOOD

Today, Thailan took advantage of it being a rainy Sunday and trekked Billy and I all over NYC to sample all of her favorite foods at her favorite places. There was a lot of eating. A lot of "Oh my God, THIS IS SO $&*@# GOOD!". A lot of food-munching/slurping/shoveling onomatopoeia. A lot of good times, in general.

[Round One] Soup Dumplings at some Shanghai restaurant I can't remember the name of on Mott in Chinatown. The three of us pushed through the crowds and puddles with our umbrellas raised up overhead to get to these. I just remember looking down at the ground or at eye-level to make sure I didn't fall into one of those side cellar doors, or poke someone out in the eye with my umbrella spokes. (Obviously, I'm not as good as Billy is because you can see all the soup on my plate that I failed to slurp up during the initial bites. :( They seriously burned off the top layer of my papillae.)

[Round Two] Amaretti Cookies from Little Italy. Dubbed "magical cookies" by Thailan and her friends, these cookies are deceptively chewy.


[Break] Sixth Avenue Street Festival. I bought a purse for myself (for the first time ever) for $28, and a pair of earrings for a bargain $5. Billy and Thailan enjoyed smoothies and corn. Stopped by the Time & Life Building to visit the People Books section so Billy could pick up some reads for subway traveling.

[Round Three] DOSAAAAAS at Tiffin Wallah on 28th St. MY FAVORITE.

"Tiffin is an old English word for a light lunch, and also the name of the multi-compartment metal lunch box that carries it. Tiffin Wallahs originated over a century ago when the many Indians working for British companies disliked the food served at work. Tiffin service was created to bring home cooking to the workplace."

Masala Dosa. Breaded caulliflower tiffin. Take be back. Now.

It was my first time coming up against a dosa. A Southern Indian delicacy, a dosa is most comparable to a crepe though it has a crispier accent to it. Our masala dosa was filled with a mix of potatoes and vegetables, and was accompanied by a coconut curry and some sort of spicy chutney. As the plate was placed on our table, Thailan announced it had an early expiration date, and that the dosa was enjoyed best when it was fresh. This spurred some sort of frenzy, because the three of us soon began to attack the dosa with a newfound fury. The warm filling coupled with the novel texture of the casing made this meal experience one to remember.

[Round Four] Dessert at DOMA Cafe and Gallery (7th Ave and Perry St.). I got the Doma Refresher at a solid $2.25 and watched the girl at the bar pour out Doma's homemade concoction of fresh pineapple and cranberry juice out of a pitcher from the fridge. Billy got fresh lemonade. We split the crepe (abounding with granola, strawberries, bananas, etc.)

2 Refreshers, 1 Lemonade, and me recording the day's events.

Crepe from heaven.

Formerly known as Crepe from heaven.

[Round Five] Dinner at Risotterria. A tight little joint near Doma, the place seats only 6-7 tables, and the majority of those are two-tops. They serve gluten-free pizza and risotto. We got the porcini, sweet corn, and white truffle risotto; and the mozarella, asparagus, and white truffle oil gluten-free pizza. Billy took advantage of their $15 deal for a bottle of red wine.

Something disturbing: See the two girls in the pictures above? They're sitting at two different tables, one in a white shirt, and one in a red shirt with the headband. Red Shirt got up with her friend to smoke outside in the middle of their dinner, leaving their half-eaten pizza on the table. As soon as they leave the door, White Shirt GETS UP AND GRABS said half-eaten pizza and PUTS IT ON HER PLATE, only to return it back to its home because "ew! it has cheese on it!". Seriously?!? White Shirt got approached by the waitress, and later asked her dining partner, "Are you embarassed by me?". White Shirt's friend only laughs, but I know she's secretly dying on the inside.

[Round Six] Gelato from a place down the street, and some R&R in a park nearby.

HOME!

[this post was written after returning home from the trip]