Eat, Walk, See - A Snippet of New York - SLMpickings

Eat, Walk, See – A snippet of New York

5/20/2016

Musings about my favourite places in NYC - from restaurants to galleries and city wanderings, including The Quarter, WILD, Keen's Steakhouse, Norma's, Izakaya NoMad, The Highline, MOMA and street art.

Mediterranean eats in NYC

The Quarter
522 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014, United States

This bustling little spot brings tastes from the Med to Hudson Street, offering breakfasts, tacos, dips, salads and entrees. On a summery day it’s the perfect place to dine outside and catch some afternoon rays. The food is jam packed with flavour and their Bellini’s are sweet and refreshing for an afternoon tipple. If you find yourself in West Village, this is a good place to take the weight off and refuel.
££

Gluten Free New York Feast

WILD
535 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013, United States

WILD opened 11 years ago when its owner started to experience intolerances caused by mass-produced food. This inspired the creation of a menu filled with organic gluten-free meals, using hormone-free produce. The NYC restaurant is located on Hudson Street in the Meatpacking District, offering relaxed inside dining in wooden-decked interiors, and al fresco tables on the sidewalk – perfect for people watching. WILD offers brunch and lunch specials along with a range of pizzas and light bites…and their chocolate and coconut brownie is a dream.
££

The best steakhouse in town

Keen’s Steakhouse
72 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018, United States

The only landmark surviving from the Herald Square Theatre District, Keen’s own the largest collection of churchwarden pipes in the world. Historically travellers would keep their pipes at their favourite inn, and today Keen’s possesses pipes once owned by Teddy Roosevelt, Will Rogers, Grace Moore, Albert Einstein, J.P.Morgan, John Barrymore and “Buffalo Bill” Cody amongst others. Giving the restaurant its unique reputation, the ceilings are adorned with row upon row of pipes, and the dim lighting and old photographs create a nostalgic atmosphere. Keen’s is renowned for its mutton chops but we can vouch for its chateaubriand – cooked to perfection and deliciously tender.
£££

All American Breakfast Extraordinaire

Norma’s
119 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019, United States

This high end dining room at Le Parc Meridien Hotel is renowned for its breakfasts, and if you’re in the mood for splashing out on an over-the-top American feast then this is your place. For what it is it’s on the pricey side but it’s certainly an experience and the portion sizes are pretty insane. We opted for Crunchy French toast and the Waz-Za Fruit Waffle and only just managed half of each. They were tasty, and presented beautifully, but nevertheless incredibly overwhelming. Still, if you’ve just won the lottery and money is no object, you might as well treat yourself to the Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata. Supersized, with 10oz Caviar, it’ll only set you back $1000…for real!
£££

A taste of Japan in NYC

Izakaya NoMad
13 W 26th St, New York, NY 10010, United States

This dimly-lit Japanese joint is undeniably cool, with murals covering the walls, rows of beautifully packaged Japanese whiskey adorning the bar and a hint of cherry blossom setting the scene. The menu offers an extensive range of izakaya-style food like sashimi, skewers, gyozas and everything in between. The Japanese equivalent to tapas, order as many small dishes as you like and enjoy in a relaxed, low-key atmosphere.
££

Calling all culture vultures…

MOMA
World-renowned midtown museum MOMA has been on my ‘to do’ list for almost 10 years. It’s certainly a must-see destination for all contemporary art lovers, showing an impressive collection of art from Dan Flavin, Bruce Nauman, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Warhol, Marcel Broodthaers, Edward Ruscha, Baldessari and John Chamberlain to name but a few!

the Highline

Not only does The Highline get you away from the hustle and bustle of the city’s traffic, placing you instead in beautifully landscaped surroundings, it is littered with art among its route, making it a great spot for art fans. Playful and often humorous works can be found along the path, by artists Nari Ward, Barbara Kruger, Kathryn Andrews, Tony Matelli and Matt Johnson. Make use of the numerous seats along the route to stop and let the city soak in.

Street Art Snapshots, NYC

Not too dissimilarly to London, Street art can be found in NYC with relative ease. We didn’t make it to the Bushwick Collective, but snapped a number of works in Williamsburg, Soho and beyond.