Eat Your Way Thru NYC | Travel Diary Part Two

First off, let me say... I do not consider myself to be what some call a "foodie". Do I like to eat? YES. Am I picky? YES. Do I have an 'exotic palette'? NO. I like the basics, no frills. For most of my life, the food choices I made were all in the same basic color family: chicken, potatoes, bread, corn...all pretty beige-y. While that is still my comfort zone... I have broadened my horizons and begun to try new things. For instance--salad. I used to hate the idea of eating a leaf of any kind. I didn't see a point and frankly it didn't sound appetizing in the least. However, since salads are considered healthy... I figured I should probably give it a go. So I did. I started with the 'gateway' salad, which is my nickname for a ceasar salad. I actually liked it. I might even venture to say...I loved it!! What?? Who am I??

So naturally for me, a place like New York City can be intimidating, when considering what to have for dinner... or any meal, for that matter. If you've never been to the apple, you might wonder why it intimidated me. Allow me to explain. You can literally get ANY culture of cuisine in this city. There is the famed China Town, which is right across Canal Street from Little Italy.

Every street has atleast one food cart selling a variety of quick eats. Hot dogs are probably the most popular, but there are also carts serving breakfast, ice cream, barbecue, Indian cuisine, the list really goes on and on. Pizza is another food that is like its own language in this place and you can find it cheap...but you can also spend a small fortune on it. Chelsea Market is like the grandfather of all food courts, with a hipster vibe and an insane selection of food options & shoppes. During our visit to the market, we only made it thru the first level of the venue and were overwhelmed in the best way!

Now, if you have a hefty sweet tooth-we are kindred spirits and let me tell you... if you visit NYC, you MUST go to Serendipity 3 . It is a treasure of a place. Don't try it on a weekend though. At first, I had to go there because of the movie, starring Kate Beckinsale & John Cusack. (If you haven't seen this, maybe we can't be kindred after all). I highly recommend the frozen hot chocolate, it's a contradiction that makes perfect sense. You will love it.

Our entire crew actually went to Serendipity after our NYC elopement, to celebrate and 'cut the cake'!

If candy is more your jam, definitely seek out the Sugar Factory. Apparently there is one right here in Orlando and I had no idea! They make magic cocktails using candy, dry ice, and adult beverages. It is SO worth the trip.

Bagels. How about 'em? They are so simple yet completely essential. Bagel shops are on every street corner, it seems. You can have them with plain ole cream cheese, gourmet artisan cream cheese, as a sandwich, etc. There is even a quaint little spot called Bagel Boss, that has made the plain bagel a true work of art!

Hot dogs. Let's talk about these for just a sec. What a controversial food item. They are classified as a meat product, yet we can't really define what kind of meat they are, can we? The real irony, here, is that - for the most part, this is a non-issue. We eat them anyway! We accept them, in all their glorious mystery and eat it up. Literally. That being said, hot dogs are plaguing the food scene in Manhattan. Those street carts that I previously mentioned, that's only a piece of the pie. For starters, there is the unique little establishment called 'Crif Dog') located in the East Village. This place has a hole-in-the-wall feel, but the food here is on the gourmet foodie radar! Their website even boasts being "The Official Website of Crif Dogs, NYC's Number 1 Weiner." and it does not disappoint. We also stumbled upon a little chain eatery called Papaya Dog. This was quite tiny, but they have the most affordable AND tasty little dogs.

Ultimately, I love the selection this incredible metropolis has to offer and I haven't even made eaten in the other four boroughs ... yet!. I have barely gotten started on the discovery of all the awesomeness this place has to offer. I guess I will just have to keep going back until I have tried it all... well within reason. Remember-picky (beige-y food) eater here. I hope that YOU can go on your own little edible adventure there too! And when you do... I want to hear about your experience. Share your own stories and photos with me.

Stay tuned for my third installment of my NY travel diary series: How to be a total tourist. I will discuss my personal favorite attractions as well as the spots that I will be content to have only seen ONCE!