I began writing this post a few days back, after the first half of our New York holiday ended. I updated it when I could do so without eating into precious holiday time. I have finally finished writing it—a day before we leave.
We stayed at The Langham during this period. It is located on 5th Avenue, a chic area of Manhattan. The New York of books we had read and the movies we had watched came alive for us as the days progressed. We walked down roads such as Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, Broadway which pop up often in popular culture. We walked past department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s—massive outlets of super posh brands such as Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, etc. We went to the Chelsea Market and walked across the High Line to the Hudson Yards. Went to Bryant Park, watched Hamilton, a musical on Broadway – we were jostled by the crowds at Times Square, which reminded me of those in front of Oberoi Grand in Kolkata. We took a tour of the New York Public Library, went Van Gogh, Picasso and Warhol hunting at MOMA, climbed the Empire State Building, which we could also see from our hotel room. We spotted the Statue of Liberty from there. We did every touristy thing.
I could write about the dialectics of Manhattan,… the awe inspirinf skyscrapers that dwarfed its streets and the scaffoldings that held them up, the all pervasive smell of weed and pee that shrouded its glitzy store, people experiencing homelessness that sat in front of hotels whose room rates cost an arm and a leg and a kidney too if you took a breakfast included package …but let’s stick to the more comfortable topic of food for that’s what you are here for.
We ate at places which some might call overrated or ‘touristy,’ but which we found to be good. There were a few ordinary meals, but why bother with those? So here’s the good stuff:
1. Keens Steakhouse (est 1855)
We had to have the mutton chop there after we heard the character of Chuck Rhodes sing its virtues in the show called Billions, which we are currently watching.
The interiors of Keens looked distinguished, and so did its clientele. The service was warm and courteous, and it made us, non-Ivy League, non-suited, non-WASP types feel at home.
K & I shared a plate of the legendary mutton chops. The serving was huge. I asked it to be done medium rare. It was seasoned perfectly. The meat was juicy and had the occasional sensual layer of fat. It lived up to the top billing that Chuck Rhoades had given it.
We had the blue cheese puff, which was a spongy sphere with a blue cheese sauce base and which left us moaning with pleasure.
2. Dickson’s Farmstand Meats
This is a butchery cum deli in the Chelsea Market. They claimed to make the best hot dog in NY. It was the only hot dog we had had up to that point on the trip, so I couldn’t comment on the veracity of the claim. What I can say is that it offered a life-redefining experience. The sausage, a mix of pork and beef, was made in-house and was firm, yet juicy and lip-smacking. The bun was soft. K didn’t add anything to her hot dog. I added the customary ketchup and mustard. Both versions were delightful.
3. Russ and Daughters (estd 1914)
We went to the Hudson Yards outlet to have bagels for breakfast. This was a newer outlet, spacious and bright. The staff was helpful.
The way it works if you want a bagel is that you indicate your order (sandwich) to the person at the counter, choose the type of bagel, cream cheese and vegetables that you want, a bit like ordering in a Subway.
K chose a classic bagel, which came with lox (salmon). She went for the standard cream cheese. Apparently, the scallion cream cheese is the most popular one. She chose a sesame bagel and didn’t want any salad added to it. I ordered the pastrami-cured salmon poppy bagel. That came with mustard and sauerkraut. Both were delicious in their own way. K’s was indulgent like a Jewish mamma from a Woody Allen film. Mine was sharp and saucy like a Jewish wife in a Woody Allen film. The bagels were chewy like New York bagels are said to be, though not excessively so. We went back later. This time I chose ‘daughter’s choice’ which had salmon roe, along with salmon and cream cheese, and I asked for onion and capers. It was rather messy, and I would say that K’s minimalist pick was the best.
It’s a Jewish deli where you can purchase various products, including Jewish challah bread, babka bread, salmon, cream cheese, tinned fish, and more, or enjoy matzah soup. We loved the food and the experience. Tbe only negative was that we had to go elsewhere for coffee as they didn’t have espresso, cappuccino, etc, just black coffee.
4. Joe’s Pizza
Joe’s is one of the most famous pizza places in New York and originated in Greenwich. We went to the outlet at Times Square after watching Hamilton. The queue snaked in loops so we gave up and left.
We had dinner in our room the next night, found Joe’s on Uber Eats and called in for a pepperoni pizza. Easy peasy compared to the previous night.
The pizza was luscious. The pie was supple, the cheese and tomato sauce were well balanced, the pepperoni was juicy and ample. The pizza lived up to the hype even when delivered in and not straight from the oven.
5. Serafina
I have concluded that my favourite pasta dish is the rather risqué spaghetti carbonara. The one I had at the Serfina near Langham was everything that your mother and dietitian had warned you about. The sauce was thick and intense, it hugged the strands of spaghetti which were done al dante. The tiny cubes of bacon, interspersed all through, had a cuddly, fatty vibe. Its taste will stay with me for long.
6. Black Tap Craft Burger
Richard, the friendly concierge at the Langham, left his station and accompanied us till we reached the Black Tap, when we asked him to suggest a good burger place.
I ordered the Wagyu steak burger, cooked medium-rare.
Soft buns which didn’t fall apart, juicy meat, flavoured right and which needed no condiment on its side.
Life could not get better.
7. Tick Tock Diner
You can’t think of food in the US without thinking of the diners that one sees in shows and movies. We went to a 24-hour diner called Tik Tock, recommended by Richard. It was located in a hotel; the decor (red leather sofa booths) and menu were like that of a diner, but it was a gentrified one. I had a baked meatloaf in brown gravy. The meatloaf was juicy, had a lovely granular texture, and the sauce was perfectly flavoured and not too thick. The mash potato that came with could have been creamier. There was broccoli, which I pushed aside.
8. Pershing Square
Once again, a place recommended by Richard. We went there for breakfast. It had a deli-like red booth seating but was quite posh otherwise, bright and spacious too. I had their version of the New York sandwich…scrambled egg, cheese and bacon in ciabatta bread. The intensity of flavour and lush texture made it memorable. The espresso was nice too. K had fried eggs and was impressed by its seasoning.
9. Culture Espresso
K read about the place on the internet, and we went there after our breakfast at Russ.
The vibe reminded us of Central Perk in Friends as well as Boojee back home. It was smaller, though. K enjoyed her cappuccino. I wasn’t overly excited about my espresso.
Their chocolate chip cookie had apparently won the best cookie in New York in a blind test. I ordered one and it did live up to its top billing. It was chunky, soft-centred, liberally interspersed with chocolate chips and gave unbridled joy.
As I said at the start, I began writing this post a few days back. We have had many more lovely meals since then. Wait for the next instalment to know about those. Or follow my Instagram stories in the meantime.
