New York, New York. Oh how I love you in so many unexpected ways.

A lot of people say they love living in New York City. They say there’s absolutely no place they’d rather be. As a Midwest farm girl, I never got it. I’d traveled to New York twice on (very touristy) school trips and family vacations. New York was only dirty and busy at that time in my life: a strange place with too many cars and nowhere near enough green. I’d watch Sex & the City and be utterly confused by their love affair with this chaotic place. I was blind to the culture, the intricacies, the immense melting pot of people of every conceivable background with every conceivable dream, the sheer immensity and importance of such a place.

This time, on this visit, my eyes were wide open. And in three short days, I fell in love with a place I had only traveled to because my friends lived there, a place I had never dreamed I’d actually care about, respect or understand.

I could go on and on and on about all of my revelations. But I won’t. Don’t worry. You can email me if you want to hear all my musings on the culture and sociology of the city. For now, I’ll just tell you about the food.

Here’s our walking eating tour of the city. All that we ate in three short days. Friday is remarkable in retrospect. No wonder my stomach still hurts.

WEDNESDAY
Midnight Thai food upon arrival. Drunken noodles with shrimp from Tung Thong Thai to be more specific

THURSDAY
A pistachio cannoli. And not more than a minute after I stepped into Little Italy
The Ginger Hot Bowl from Roast Kitchen before exploring the Strand bookstore for hours
A frisée and roasted cauliflower salad at Sweet Afton accompanied by many Ommegang happy hour beers

FRIDAY
My very first New York bagel (everything, toasted, plain cream cheese, if that was even a question) eaten while walking like a bona fide New Yorker
Vegan sushi from the Chelsea Market
Samples of blueberry balsamic, pear balsamic, truffle infused Kosher salt, tangy Greek yogurt and (for the win) olive oil gelato at the Chelsea Market
Tiny vanilla & lavender donuts and tiny (not matcha enough) matcha green tea & honey donuts at the Chelsea market
Culinary lavender from the Union Square farmers market (Okay, I haven’t eaten this… Yet.)
A limp $3 churro that left much to be desired from a Central Park cart
4 for 1 happy hour wine with a BBQ chicken flatbread for 6 friends to share
Pork dumplings, scallion pancakes and udon noodles in massive family style portions at somewhere nondescript (but perfect) in Flushing
A pizza and garlic knot snack
A million beers
A much later pizza snack

SATURDAY
Freshly baked madeleines from the Dominique Ansel Bakery, hot out of the oven, with a side of guava black sesame panna cotta while we waited. Alas, we began our day at 3 PM and there was no longer a cronut in sight.
A chocolate rugelach at an uptight coffee shop in Brooklyn heights.
The best Mexican food of my life. Salmon enchiladas and coconut sangria 👍

All the love from your favorite farming city gal,
-Leek

P.S. It took me an entire two hours flight to document and remember all of this food.