New York City

My sister and I recently took a trip to NYC. We were there to see a dance show called Sway featuring Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani and others from the Dancing With The Stars cast. (Look out for a review of the show soon!) I told my sister there were some places I wanted to go while we were staying in the city, oh just a few shops and restaurants. (I’ll be posting an NYC haul soon as well!)

One of my favorite places to grab a bite in London was Pret A Manger and I only recently realized they were also in NYC. So we set out to find one a few blocks away, but either Google maps was wrong or it was no longer there. But this girl wasn’t giving up, I did another search and found one a little further away. On the way we came across the Union Square Christmas Market and it was so lovely. Unfortunately it was nearing closing time, but I may or may not have grabbed a pair of socks with corgis on them.

Pret was delicious and if you get the chance to check it out, I highly suggest it! They make their sandwiches fresh daily and their leftovers go to charities at the end of every night. “Made Today Gone Today” is their slogan. You can people watch at the bar by the window, but I always like to head upstairs. I’m a sucker for their sea salt chips, I don’t know what it is but they’re just perfectly crispy and so good. I especially love that I can grab a cup full of fruit with my meal, you know to balance out all the chips I’m eating.

The next morning we made our way to Sweet Chick, which was a recommendation from a friend. “American cuisine with a Southern accent” is how they define themselves. I loved the vibe of the restaurant. Wood and metal mixed together to make a perfectly rustic, yet modern decor. There were various antiques lining the walls, including vintage waffle makers.

I only recently discovered the deliciousness of chicken and waffles. I never thought I’d be into it, but dang it’s so good! So the instant we saw it on the menu there was no question what we’d be having! The proportions were quite large. The fried chicken was perfectly crispy and juicy and the waffles were sprinkled with powdered sugar. Add some syrup and all together it was glorious. Seriously, if you haven’t tried chicken and waffles yet, now is the time to do it and try it out at Sweet Chick while you’re at it!

On Saturday we had brunch at Ladurée Soho. The first time I visited Ladurée was at the airport leaving Paris, I grabbed some macaroons to take home with me. I stopped by again on my month long European adventure and got a box to enjoy in front of the Eiffel Tower. I made sure to make reservations figuring it would be quite crowded on a Saturday afternoon. I had seen reviews that people said despite their reservations they still waited, but luckily that wasn’t the case for us. They seated us straight away, albeit in a very cramped table between two others. I understand the need to fit as many guests in as possible, however you could hardly get in and out without bothering the people next to you. For me that was the only downside.

The setting was beautiful. We were seated in the second room, the seats were blue velvet, the ceilings were striped and the floor was covered in leopard print. I loved everything about it. The hot chocolate was literally liquid chocolate, it was so rich that I had a hard time finishing it! The raspberry french toast was tasty, with raspberry coulis (so good!) and rose whipped cream. The pastries almost looked too beautiful eat in all their gorgeous pastel colors. (Really how do you eat some of them?!) But I couldn’t leave without getting a few macaroons to enjoy later. The Blackcurrent Violet and Strawberry Candy Marshmallow were especially wonderful, but my favorite is still Rose Petal. Ladurée is definitely a treat and even if you can’t stop in for a bite, grab some macaroons on the way, they’re almost as pretty as they are flavorful!

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