New York eaty me uppy!

Ive had a few friends enquiring about blogging my NYC trip with he the mans , so I thought Id do my best and finally finish it, (well part one anyway) , seeing as it was back in April! Its been sitting in my edits section for some time now! We , will I, planned long and hard for our eatery itinerary and even sparked off some very lengthy heated debates on Chowhound , (a very useful foodie forum), about several places in NY.

Most people ask you what you've bought when you go to NYC , but they know with he the mans and I , its all about the food!! So here over the next few paragraphs is a sort of restaurant diary of our 4 days of gluttony , wonderful feasting!

Our first night was spent at the very stylish , star spotting Mercer Kitchen. I had hankered after a very classical NY evening by returning to Keens Steak house , but my Brother & Sister in Law happened to be in NY at the same time staying at The Mercer Hotel & being only round the corner from our Hotel 60 Thompson, we thought it nice to meet up there. Its like bees to honey for the stylish set this place, but it could do with a little bit of a polish on the service front; some food came out cold and the wait for a a new dish was decidely long! The saving grace was the lovely flavours and a few free drinks thrown in.

We didn't go for all out decadent blow out meal here thought, as quite frankly after a whole day of travelling you just want something either light or homely, well I do anyway!

I know Carpaccio is a bit passe now , but this I couldn't miss, as it combined my faves in fish ; raw & citrus . I love a bit of Ceviche Sea bass Carpaccio!!!

After said day, I really wanted some major comforting familiar food and for me a Friday night is all about a Roast chicken meal! So Roast Chicken in butter with mash it was . For those of the Kosher hearted think away now! ( I don't know why , but I have no picture, but how different can a roast chicken breast look!). I have to say, the fact it was roasted with butter made for the most moist flavourful chicken I had ever eaten out. I never ever normally eat chicken out for the very reason of it being bland and tasteless. This was far from it.

Now I know I talk a lot about healthy eating and being mindful over edibles, but sometimes when in Rome , well when in USA , I just have to start the day with a BIG American Breakfast! So Big Daddy's at Union Square it was 1st thing Saturday morning. Nothing exceptional and not even really a traditional NYC experience , but it was fun , in a sort of old fashioned Disney themed diner sort of way!

We had planned to do it the civilised and stylish way and partake of room service breakfast on our balcony , but sadly we were rained out of our Penthouse suite, (surprisingly given as an upgrade for us on the 1st night of this 10th Wedding Anniversary trip).

Just take a look at this beautiful space.

After this we wandered over to the Union Square farmers market. Walking away from Big Daddy's and on to Union Sq , we stumbled upon a piece of our past, namely City Crab, (visited on our 1st trip together over 12 yrs previously), on the very same corner. Ive written in more depth about all the serendipitous events around this trip on my other blog Gifted Hand if you would like to know the crazy number of synchronistic happenings that took place in our packed 4days! Most particular on this day was the juxtaposition of City Crab, Wholefoods market and the Union Sq farmers market that struck me, having such a rich interest in all things foodie and our past and present all combining.

Its not so much the uniqueness of places like Unions Square Farmers market , as we have Borough market, which is equally bustling and vibrant. This was more about enjoying submerging ourselves in New York food culture & a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.

These ramps seemed very abundant that day, if we' had a kitchen to cook them in we would have bought some.

I loved the way the greens were displayed here ,rough wood trays , but it worked so well.

This stand of macro herbs and shoots was very popular a hive of activity and so beautiful too.

It was at the end of the meander that we saw across the road the famed Wholefoods market and would you believe I have not ever set foot in a whole foods market , this coming from a so called foodie! Everything is layed out so perfectly, almost to perfect, but it is a feast for the eyes. All those wet dripping bright shiny vegetables and lettuces, makes you want to buy the lot!

Ok thats part 1 put out there. Watch this space for the next installment were I natter on about more food and more restaurants, like this lot;

A continuation of our Saturday scoffing with Lunch at Bistro Les Amis, Dinner at Eleven Madison Park, Sunday Breakfast at The Grey Dog, another lunch at a dodgy TGI Friday type place off Time sq with not so great buffalo wings ( so not memorable , we cant even remember what it was!), dinner at Kittichai in 60 Thompson, Monday Breakfast at Southstreet Seaport (nothing fab, just the place next to Abercrombie), and finally Lunch at restaurant Landmarc in the Time Warner Center.

Saturday night desserts, are they dangerous?

I forgot to mention that instead of going to Just desserts after Taste of London , we decided to go to Brookmans. A new bar and restaurant in the centre of Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire , a small but very lovely affluent little area just outside North London.

It used to be a little traditional British affair of a hotel with 6 rooms ,called "The Brookmans Park Hotel" .

At only 6 rooms it must have been quite small and stuffy hotel, but as a contemporary light glass ,black chandelier and stone filled restaurant the space works really well. The real downside is and I'm showing my old age , the loud thumping banging music in the bar!!!!!

Despite this and a rather put out bar girl , the usual I- don't know -what -to- do- as -you've -asked for- something-we-don't-normally-do attitude, found so often in this country, we had some really lovely desserts and drinks; Creme Brulee, although a little stingy on the caramel topping, Cheese plate , with a lovely combination that was very tasty, fresh ice cream scoops of chocolate & passion fruit sorbets , all served very stylishly , although predictably with the ubiquitous raspberry coulee and chocolate twill and a 4th one of a wine glass full of trifle!

We phoned especially, earlier in the day, to make sure we could have just desserts, excuse the pun, and drinks, but when we asked about ordering them all hell broke loose! Once she recovered from her desserts in the bar fright, normal service resumed sort of!

A little more passion from staff about what they are serving also wouldn't go a miss in these new glossy places. They all look stunning and the menus certainly are appealing , but when the "front of house" , don't know what they are serving and don't really care, its a real shame for the whole concept. I asked what the ice cream flavours were when ordering and got a distinct shrug and a "I don't know" combined with whatever face! It seems such a let down , its like shiny exterior , but dodgy structure. It wont last unless its strengthened and fortified from the inside. I'm still deciding on whether to let the management know of our little altercation!! You kind of want these places to work , but only if they are nice to customers hey!!!

and why this big no no on being able to order only desserts in restaurants or bars of restaurants? I remember being summarily turned away by the Maitre De from The Rock Garden , despite there being empty tables, at 10:00 one Saturday night in Covent Garden, because I dare ask If we could have some desserts! Surely its hugely incremental for most, especially in this financial climate? Or is it that no one wants to eat desserts for fear of ruining diets on Saturday night in the UK ? Or is is it very unusual or not cool for school enough for UK younglins? Are we so programmed now into healthy food choices due to the likes of Jaimie Oliver et al , I'm not knocking him here by the way, I admire what he does immensely, that dessert only places are taboo? I don't think so , what with all the cocktails being knocked back around us!!!

So I feel there is something greatly lacking in this country and that is somewhere to go out and have desserts, after a meal at home. Being of Jewish descent , everything centres around food , everything ,even drinking and sitting noshing with drinks in a nice loungy surrounding sounds quite appealing doesn't it? Apart from central London Hotels, Ive been stumped on finding places to go do this very thing! Well apart from the odd bright quick ice cream parlour and may be Haagen daz in Leicester Sqaure?

New York has them in droves ,as written about here in a NYC publication. Desserts and pastry chefs are BIG business there. Up to the middle of 2007 there was about 6 of these dessert only places ,and I know several more have been opening . As the chocolate market is one of the main sectors of growth in the food industry , it seems fitting that they are the new stars. The 1st was ChikaLicious in 2003 , and seems to be fairing well and another, which was the 1st more progressive of this style, is a famed place called Room 4 dessert, were its all gorgeous stylish sweet creations on a plate and cocktails, how amazing is that? I was very disappointed to not get there on my trip to NYC last year , as we just had so much to cram into 4 nights. Alas it has now permanently closed ,which makes it even worse that we didn't visit before its doors shut. However the founder of Room 4 Dessert , Will Goldfarb opened another place in collaboration with a famous chocolatier Michel Cluizel at the end of last year. I haven't yet read much about it and may yet get to try his creations , if we ever get back to NYC in the near future that is! He seems to be the talk of the town and even has a virtual restaurant in the online community called Second life , see this intriguing blog here for more wacky details of our changing world!!!

Image of Sugar Mama , Will Goldfarbs Second life online dessertary ! care of Sasy Scarborough at Ramblings.

Well anyway that's across the Atlantic, for now I'm in London , so I'm yet to continue my hunt for dessert places in here, anyone care to point me in the right direction?

Tell me I'm wrong here , Im used to being humbled , but I may have a long wait as the UK are always about 6-8 yrs behind America in terms of lifestyle progressions, so may be by 2016 , we may see a Room 4 dessert in a Soho address as yet.

Soooo come on Heston , get a move on !!!!