Friday Favorite: Best Tagline. Ever.

New York really does have everything. Including awesome restaurant taglines.

Friday Favorite: Sexy Beast

One of my favorite pics from my recent NY trip--adorable cookies from Dean & Deluca.

Absolutely adorable and hilarious!

Friday Favorite: Anchors!

Here's a shout out to my friend Matt. Anchors! We spotted these anchors on a Mast Brothers Chocolate bar in NY. So cute! Huge regrets for not buying it...chocolate and sea salt? Ummm. Sounds delicious!

Friday Favorite: A Return to NYC

Eight years ago, I made my first visit to New York City. I met one of my closest friends, Matt, out there. We had an awesome NY weekend--filled with lots of amazing eats, fun nights out, shows on Broadway, and even a nap in Central Park.

And although I've been back many, MANY times, I've never gone back with my friend Matt. Well, this weekend, I am returning to NY. With Matt!

Here's a photo of us from 2002--in front of the theater on Broadway. I can't wait for our weekend...we already have so many things planned. We'll have to plan a return trip just to get them all done!

New York City Green Market

I was in New York recently, and had about an hour to duck off to the Green Market in Union Square. It was an interesting experience to see what was in season on the East Coast, and to experience a New York City Farmer's Market.

I immediately noticed a ton of ramps. Ramps ramps ramps. They were beautiful. And there were plenty of them!

Apples! Apples were still around. That was a surprise to me...feels like it's been awhile since I'd seen them out here in San Francisco. But they were beautiful. And made me really want to make an apple pie.

And then asparagus was starting to make it's appearance. What I loved, was this farm's display:

South Jersey Asparagus?? Hmm. Something about that just doesn't feel right to me. I'm use to Cali grown asparagus, thank you very much!

No matter what city I'm in, or what season it is, I like checking out the local Farmer's Market. I love seeing what produce is available, talking to the local customers, meeting the regional farmers, and seeing what local producers are there.

However. After all is said and done, with the exception of maybe the Portland Farmer's Market, I tend to prefer my market here in San Francisco. Partly because I'm comfortable with it, I know the lay-out, I know the vendors, I know who's got the best Meyer lemons, who's got the best strawberries, etc. etc. And I've got all of my food vendors that I'm use to (the Green Market had NO coffee, can you believe that? My SF'ers, I was craving my Blue Bottle!) And on top of it all? My friends. Constantly running into friends, old and new. It's one of my favorite things about the market.

I guess when it's all said and one. There's no place like home!

Friday Favorite: Just Another Fall Day

One of the things I wish I did more of was just walk around with my camera. Looking at the world through a lens. Seeing things from a sometimes strange or different angle. Using light. Using different objects to frame a shot.

I did a little of this while walking through Central Park a few weeks ago. And this was one of my favorite shots.

Here's hoping that I'll have more free time to do a little bit more walking with my camera--in San Francisco, in New York, and where ever my travels may take me.

Friday Favorite: Sunset

One of my favorite things: landing at JFK just as the sun is setting. What does this mean to me? That I'll be in Manhattan in about an hour, and will have good times ahead of me!

My Affair

I have a love affair. A love affair with New York City. Every single time I'm there, I fall in love with the city.

I’m in love with Murray Hill where my pied-a-terre, 70 park avenue hotel is. With Brooklyn, and the old brownstones and neighborhood feel. With the amazing restaurants and bars. With the excitement. With the adventure. With the shopping. And all of the different neighborhoods.

It's a love affair-because like most affairs, I don't actually leave my home. I like what I've got going in San Francisco. It's just nice to be able to leave for a little while, live in a fantasy land, and then to return to the comforts of home. Back to my beautiful city. Back to my friends. My family. My life. My routine. My comfort zone.

But sometimes, like an affair, I wonder if this is something I’m going to regret. Should I have moved? Should I have spent some time in New York? Should I have left San Francisco?

Well, unlike relationships, I don’t see any harm in allowing my affair to continue. I’m going to continue making to make my regular trips and to spend time in the wonderful city. And well, in the meantime, try and remember all of the wonderful things about MY city that I love. And those important reasons that I choose to stay here.

Reflections: New York

I’m still thinking about my last trip to New York. This is what always happens. I come back from a place, and think about the differences between that city and my own beautiful San Francisco. I find myself exploring each city thinking, “What do the locals do? Could I live here? Which neighborhood would I live in? What would I do? What’s different between here and San Francisco? What do I like more? Less?” In the case of New York, a few observations are sticking with me.

The honking!
Yes, the cabbies there are crazy with the horn! And it’s everywhere! No matter what part of town, what time of day. It’s all around you. I think they should start making NYC taxis without horns. I think New York would be a much nicer place.

Cab drivers not knowing where they’re going
Yes, I realize, Manhattan is big. Toto, we’re not in San Francisco anymore. I get that. BUT. When I get into a cab and ask to be taken to a major hotel, or well known restaurant, it still shocks me that a cab driver can have no idea where it is. I know there are TONS of hotels and restaurants and stores and landmarks in New York. But I see it is kind of their jobs to keep tabs on the city. To at least have a sense of where things are.

Produce goes to NYC to die
Do my other Californians wonder what happens to produce when it goes bad? My new guess? It gets shipped to New York, where New Yorkers will pay three times what we would have paid for it when it was healthy. Seriously. I found that everywhere I looked, from corner stores to grocery stores to even the Farmer’s Market, produce just wasn’t the same. Beets were soft to the touch. Veggies were limp. Colorless. Sure makes life in Cali seem even better.

Diversity
We hear it a lot. New York is one of the most diverse cities in the world. I think it’s true. After spending time exploring multiple neighborhoods (even checking out the coolest Indian specialty foods store, Kalustyan's, with the largest selection of Indian spices I have ever seen in my life!), I believe it. I tend to think San Francisco is pretty diverse (in case you can’t tell, I really do think San Francisco is one of the most special places in the world.) But in terms of ethnic diversity, New York may have us beat.

Just some of the amazing spices at Kalustyan's

It’s a small city if…you have a community
New York always seemed so big to me. Harsh and cold. You know, the theory that the bigger the city, the lonelier you can actually be? Well, this last trip to New York opened up my eyes to another thought. That any large city, no matter how large, can seem small if you have a good community or network. I know this sounds like I’m stating the obvious, but let’s take me for example. I love food. And the restaurant business. I have a network of friends in my industry and with this same interest. Well, through this network, I continue to meet more and more interesting people. This isn’t limited to just San Francisco. Through my network of friends, I’ve met so many equally amazing people all around the world.

Just takes time to get use to…
Like anything, it just takes time. Because of multiple trips to New York within the recent years, I feel more and more at home there each time I return. I have a better sense of the neighborhoods, how to get where I need to go to, and how to even make suggestions of where to go. More than any other trip before, I could actually see myself living there after this last trip (I think I even know what neighborhood I’d live in!!)

All in all, my last trip to New York was amazing. And as always, it continues to be one of those cities that I want to live in. Until next time…