Comment posted by normaa dean at 3:30 am on February 4, 2014...
What a great site is jesstours it made me feel like jumping on a plane to new York to taste all those yummy cakes and pies.
Prospect Park – Brooklyn
Feb 2014
Brooklyn’s Prospect Park is an incredibly beautiful and calming green space. As such it has become a popular landmark destination for locals and visitors alike.
The 585 acre parkland, which was designed and constructed in the 1860s by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (the same two men who were responsible for Manhattan’s Central Park), is filled with a diverse landscape of rolling hills, woodlands, lakes, meadows and open fields.
Dotted throughout the park are benches, picnic areas, baseball fields and playgrounds, as well as the Prospect Park Bandshell, which throughout the summer months hosts a variety of concerts through Celebrate Brooklyn. There are also several walking and hiking trails, bridal paths and a fantastic running and cycle track.
The park also contains a number of historic buildings (Lefferts House and Litchfield Villa), sandstone bridges and commemorative monuments. The Prospect Park Zoo and the recently opened LeFrank Centre (ice skating rink) can also be found within the park’s grounds.
Despite New York’s changing seasons, park goers enjoy a range of activities throughout the year. In the summer months when most of the city is out, the park is scattered with people picnicking, barbequing, playing football, baseball, frisbee, or simply stretched out on the lawns soaking up the rays.
Likewise, during the winter when the park is transformed into a snowfield of sorts, Brooklynites descend upon the park with ski’s and sleds in tow. A visit in autumn means the chance to see the magnificent change in colour of some 30,000 trees, whilst a visit in spring guarantees a stunning display of cherry blossoms and daffodils.
I absolutely adore Prospect Park, and Nick and I have been fortunate to live close enough to take advantage of it as often as we like. Two areas of the park that are particular favourites of mine are, the Nethermead Meadow where a range of festivals like Tropfest (short film festival) and Googamooga (food festival) are held throughout the year, and the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, which is opened Saturday’s year round and sells a huge array of farm fresh produce.
Whenever the time comes for Nick and I to leave NYC, I know we’re going to miss Prospect Park as it has been such a massive and wonderful part of our NYC experience.
Address: Prospect Park West & Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn 11215 (northwest corner of the Prospect Park)
Neighbourhood: Brooklyn
Closest Subway: Grand Army Plaza (2,3,4)
Tacombi – Manhattan
Jan 2014
If you’re looking for a fun place to grab a bite to eat as well as a craving for Mexican, look no further than Tacombi – Fonda Nolita. Despite its seemingly rundown appearance, this casual Mexican eatery serves up small but seriously tasty tacos. Braised beef, pork belly, crispy fish and roasted chicken just to name a few.
As soon as you walk through the door you feel as if you’ve walked straight into an outdoor fiesta. The string lights, palm trees and fold up tables and chairs make you feel as if you’re sitting at a roadside taco stand in Mexico rather than at a popular Manhattan restaurant.
There’s even a retro red VW van turned kitchen parked at the side, which dishes out tacos for breakfast and lunch then switches to a plating station at dinner. You get it … taco + combi = Tacombi!
For all you Londoners Tacombi has a similar vibe and ordering system at dinner to the Wahaca chain, in that you circle in pen what food you want on the menu.
Similar too are the portions sizes. Rather than stuffing your face with one huge burrito the menu allows you to order small portions of tacos (two soft-shelled corn tacos layered upon each other), therefore making it easier to share as well as giving you the opportunity to try more tasty fillings.
There’s also a wide range of vegetarian options on the menu. The guacamole ($12!) is creamy and full of flavour. Pitches of sangria and Mexican sodas are sweet and delicious.
Although the feel of the restaurant is ‘roadside stand’ unfortunately it does not have food cart prices. I guess it depends on how hungry you are though. Each taco costs about $4. So if you order, say four or more the bill can start to escalate without you realising (so can the pitches of white wine sangria). Tacombi’s staff however, suggest that three tacos should be enough to fill you up.
Enjoy Tacombi for it’s fun and laid back atmosphere, super friendly staff and tasty tacos.
Opening Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-midnight / Thurs-Sat 11am-1am
Address: 267 Elizabeth Street, 10012 (btw E Houston & Prince St)
Neighbourhood: Nolita
Closest Subway: Broadway Lafayette (B,D,F,M)
No reservations. Walk in service only.
Pies ‘n’ Thighs – Brooklyn
Jan 2014
Fried chicken is big business in New York! So big in fact, that walk down any given street and you will see a plethora of menu boards boasting a dish of crispy, fried chicken.
Gone are the days when fried chicken was thought of as simply a greasy, fast-food option. Now fried chicken has become somewhat of a gourmet delight, and has made its way into some of New York’s top kitchens.
Of course the calories are just as high and unforgiving but wow, how these restaurants have taken the Southern states notion of ‘comfort food’ to a whole new level. A dangerously addictive level.
Having eaten at my fair share of fried chicken places (could be the reason my jeans are getting tighter), Pies ‘n’ Thighs in Williamsburg still ranks as one of the best. The chicken, which is prepared in an open kitchen has a real home cooked taste to it, as well as an appropriate price tag.
As the name suggests Pies ‘n’ Thighs specialises in just that – pies and thighs. What that means for diners is that they’re not only spoilt for choice when it comes to how they want their fried chicken served but also with the selection of home baked pies. Yum!
The menu is full of mouthwatering Southern staples and sides: chicken and waffles, pulled pork, fried catfish, corned beef hash, homemade buttermilk biscuits, cheese grits, hush puppies and more.
It would be a great shame not to order some sort of fried chicken dish at Pies ‘n’ Thighs, so I recommend ordering it in a Chicken Box (3 pieces of chicken, a biscuit, and a side). Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
The chicken is crisp, succulent and perfectly seasoned. I also suggest drizzling some honey on the chicken (best not to calorie count), as the saltiness of the fried chicken and the sweetness of the honey makes for a ridiculously good combination.
The only thing that comes close to rivalling the fried chicken is the restaurants homemade pie. I bet you’re thinking “more food”?! Yes, more! You’ve come this far, so go on, indulge a little more. Plus there is always room for pie.
There are classic flavours such as, apple, pecan and sour cherry, as well as a few house specials: banana cream, coconut macaroon and choco peanut butter crunch.
For me, the apple pie with its super flaky crust, is the winner. It is especially good when served with a huge dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.
In addition to the finger-lickin’ food, the casual atmosphere of Pies ‘n’ Thighs is also worth mentioning. The vibe is relaxed, the wait staff are laid back and the background music funky.
As you can imagine Pies ‘n’ Thighs is an incredibly popular place. Devoted locals, along with diners who have travelled from afar turn up in their droves to taste the delicious fried chicken. While there is seating in both the front and back, Pies ‘n’ Thighs is still not an overly huge place, so it is likely there’ll be a wait for a table.
If you are told there is going to be a wait, I propose that you head across the road to the Dram for a quick drink. However make sure you return to the restaurant with plenty of time to spare. You don’t want your table to be given to someone else and you definitely don’t want to miss out on the fried chicken!
Comment posted by normaa dean at 3:30 am on February 4, 2014...
What a great site is jesstours it made me feel like jumping on a plane to new York to taste all those yummy cakes and pies.
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Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, 5pm-12am / Sat-Sun 10am-4pm, 5pm-12am
Address: 166 S 4th St, Brooklyn 11211 (corner of Driggs Ave)
Neighbourhood: Williamsburg
Closest Subway: Marcy Ave (J,M), Bedford (L)
Freemans – Manhattan
Dec 2013
After stumbling upon Freeman Alley whilst walking the streets of the Lower East Side earlier this year, Freemans restaurant and bar (which is tucked away at the end) had remained on my to do list for many months. That is until Nick and I went for a weekend brunch one sunny Sunday.
Apart from being one of the more pleasant things to find in a New York alleyway, Freemans is an enchanting restaurant, where the meals are delicious and plentiful, the atmosphere calm and inviting and the service friendly and attentive.
With the restaurants hide away entrance it is easy to walk straight past. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the Freemans blackboard which is located at the beginning of the alley on Rivington Street.
Follow the alleyway to its end and there underneath a series of strung up fairy lights and potted plants you will find the restaurant’s entrance.
The main door to Freemans opens to a charming, warmly lit space, where individual tables fill a series of adjoining rooms. Diners have the choice to sit at a table or pull up a stool at one of the two bars.
Weathered furnishings give the restaurant a rustic feel. As do the pressed flowers, antique paintings and assorted taxidermy that have been tastefully appointed to the walls.
Like the décor the rustic theme extends to the menu. Dishes include: devils on horseback, buffalo pork ribs, herb roasted chicken, marinated and grilled prawns and many more.
Indeed Freemans prides itself on seasonal, Early American and simple dishes, which are “inspired by Old World traditions”.
Despite the wonderful array of meals on offer I chose the Freemans Piedmontese Cheeseburger. Cooked perfectly and adorned simply with a thick slice of American cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato it is mouthwatering good!
Freemans also has an ‘ice cream of the day’, which I highly recommend indulging in – especially if the flavour is choc malt. Oh my it is good!
Serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch Freemans is an extremely popular food option in the Lower East Side. Nick and I turned up at midday on a Sunday and were incredibly lucky being seated straight away – practically unheard of! If you’re a walk-in, go expecting a wait of about 30 minutes or so.
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Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-11:30pm / Sat-Sun 10am-11:30pm
Address: End of Freeman Alley (off Rivington btw Bowery & Chrystie), 10002
Neighbourhood: Lower East Side
Closest Subway: Bowery (J), Spring (6), 2 Ave (F)
Hidden gem in the Lower East Side. Reservations for groups of 6 or more.
Brooklyn Flea & Smorgasburg – Brooklyn
Dec 2013
I was an avid market goer in London and it seems that things are no different here in New York. Lucky for me the city has a fantastic and varied market scene, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed checking out over the past year.
One market however stands above the rest, a market that I am always eager to return to time and again. It’s the Brooklyn Flea, a weekend market full of antiques, arts, crafts, fashion and food.
Typically an outdoor market in the summer, the Brooklyn Flea has just made its annual move indoors for the winter. This year though it has opened at a new location in Williamsburg.
Not only has the Brooklyn Flea set up shop at a new site but it has also taken with it Smorgasburg – Brooklyn Flea’s food market that has up until now operated separately. Such exciting news for foodies (like me), as it means that Smorgasburg will now run year round! Yay!
The new and much larger space also means that the Brooklyn Flea has now become the perfect place to browse and grab a bite to eat. Though with a staggering 175 goods vendors and 75 food vendors every Saturday and Sunday, it’s unlikely that you’ll leave the market empty handed. Come to think of it – I don’t think I ever have!
At the weekend, when the industrial loft space is transformed into a treasure trove of sorts, ‘Brooklynites’, curious shoppers, bargain hunters and visitors alike peruse the goods part of the market, which sells a mixture of new and old wares.
Stalls overflow with all kinds of vintage fare: antiques, clothing, trinkets, quirky knickknacks, toys, records, maps and boundless gadgets and gismos. As well as retro pieces, prints and recycled furniture.
In addition to the vintage finds there are also a bunch of stalls selling locally designed and handcrafted jewellery, clothing and homeware.
Now, being the food lover that I am it should come as no surprise that I favour the Smorgasburg section of the market. So much so, I usually make a beeline straight for it. And with an endless line of food vendors from NYC and across the region, each selling a range of delicious prepared and made-to-order food one can eat themselves silly – I usually do!
Stalls to look out for: Buttermilk Channel for crispy fried chicken, Mighty Quinn’s for BBQ meats, Red Hook Lobster Pound for tasty lobster BLT’s, and Raman Burger for New York’s newest culinary craze – the Ramen Burger (a hamburger patty sandwiched between two buns made of ramen noodles).
For something sweet, you cannot go past these treats: a toasted coconut doughnut from Dough, a sugared buttermilk doughnut from Rockville Market Farm, a cinnamon bun with hazelnut icing and choc chips from Sugar Daddy’s or anything from S’more Bakery. Though you should do yourself a favour and try the ‘all-in-one cookie’ – a sweet combination of choc chips, marshmallow and oatmeal.
There’s also a great selection of drinks on offer. On a cold, winters day noting beats a cup (or jar) of hot ginger lemonade from Frittering Away to warm you up. If it’s on the warmer side try a refreshing cup of lemonade from the Vermont Maple Lemonade stall, which will surely cool you down.
Overall, the Brooklyn Flea is a great place to spend the day and an excellent excuse to cross the river from Manhattan to Brooklyn if you’re looking for one – not that you need one!
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Opening Hours: Sat-Sun 10am-7pm
Address: 80 N 5th St, Brooklyn, 11249 (at Wythe Ave)
Neighbourhood: Williamsburg
Closest Subway: Bedford Ave (L), Marcy (J,M)
Winter Season location only. Dec 1st through to the end of March 2014.
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