The cupcakes sit in melamine boxes and you help yourself.  At US$1.75 each, it’s a very guilt free treat (well, on the hip pocket that is!).  Choose from chocolate or vanilla cupcakes with various sprinkles and 2cm thick layer of icing (not for the calorie conscious!!). You need to pre-order if you’re going to buy more than a dozen – but the best part is that you can choose your decorations!  If cupcakes aren’t to your liking; they also serve other desserts including cherry slice, banana bread; and coffee. There is only 1 little table though, so plan to take out. There’s a small park nearby where you can gobble up your cupcake without being watched by everyone!

I just actually bought the cookbook from the Magnolia Bakery from Amazon. It’s got the recipe for those famous cupcakes, as well as many other delectable traditional baked favourites such as peanut butter fudge cheesecake squares…. better hit the treadmill!

 Exhibit B:  The toffee apple on steroids.  Found in amusement parks, eaten by children who haven’t yet experienced a filling at the dentist perhaps? These are HUGE! And covered with anything from regular toffee, caramel, caramelised popcorn, chocolate and nuts, cinnamon… sink your teeth into those ~ and likely they will stay there

And finally, exhibit C: the American pizza pie.  On Bleeker street, people were eating huge slabs of greasy pizza – meatballs, pepperoni, meatlovers. I thought I would go for a healthier option, it looked quite bready and non greasy, straight from the oven, and uncut.  I learned once again that appearances can be deceiving.  I had no idea that this beast of a pizza had double the amount of cheese inside, and fatty bits of sausage and who knows what else… by the time I got a snap on my camera, the ring of oil had already started from the cheese which was leaking out the side. Starving though, I tried to eat the crust… and gave up, when my plate became compeltely translucent from the oil, and i may as well have been eating straight off the dirty tray! Eww!  So I just drank the rest of my diet snapple, trying not to think about all the fat I had just consumed! 

Oh yummy yum.  New York’s trendy Upper East side is packed with brilliant delis, trendy bars, amazing Italian - and authentic Japanese!  My friend Viv took me to this intimate local restaurant, in the middle of a popular dining strip where you can’t walk two steps without tripping over a cafe or restaurant that you make a mental note to come back and try!   We had the rainbow roll (US$9.50) – delicate tempura prawn sushi rolls done inside out style, and rolled in roe and black sesame.  Unlike most versions of it, the prawns were light and crispy on the outside, and not embalmed in batter that could cover a dagwood dog. 

Bite sized and delicious, and very hard to share!  The spicy ramen with fillet steak was delicious, albeit slightly expensive at US$16.50 a bowl.  Big big basin full…. be hungry before you come.  The beef rolls were slightly chewy – I think it was topside steak, and not the best I’ve had, but okay.  They encased shallots and were drizzled with teriyaki sauce.  Add tax and tip… that’s US$50 for 3 dishes. Ouch! (in Aussie dollars at least!).  Let me ask my friend for the name…

We also tried the Kalua Pig with Butter Lettuce Cups – a twist on san choy bau. Wow.  The texture of the melt in your mouth pork cubes, with the crunch of nuts and the sweetness of the hoisin BBQ sauce was finger licking good and at US$10 was a steal, with enough for 2 serves each.  A bit of chilli would have elevated its status from delightful to heavenly for me.   The Fire Fried Calamari was just the only average dish we tried. It was slightly rubbery, and the batter too oily.  But was a generous portion for the price US$9.   I think we were well full after that. The serving sizes are amazingly generous, and presentation mouth watering. I’m not accustomed to such value for money here in Sydney!  

Well I can’t speak for the others, but the main course was outstanding.  After tossing up between my options (they were very reluctant to cook most things beyond “medium” so that ruled out the Ponzu Grilled Hanger Steak US$20.  My dislike of blue cheese ruled out the Macadamia Nut and Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon, so finally I convinced the waitress to let me order the Pan Roasted Duck “Peking Style” with green onion crepes at medium well, for US$29.  The serving – like many things American – was HUGE and I could not finish it, leading my host to believe that I didn’t like it. In fact I was full from the entrees! (or, appetisers as the yankees call them).  The duck was delicious and tender (despite the waitress’s protests), and moist on the inside with a great leg and skin.  Sadly, the crepes were too soggy to wrap and were more like omelettes. Nevertheless, I loved it.

And dessert at only US$6 was amazing – a trio of refreshing sorbets with a dried pineapple wafer and green apple salsa. Great way to finish my meal and ensure I need not eat for a few days after.

I do have to say though out of loyalty to my host, that we were extremely disappointed, that when we enquired about why there was a compulsory 10% gratuity added to the bill for our table of 4 (whereas the menu says it’s only the case for 6 or more), our waitress chose the “honesty is the best policy” approach.  Her reply was (Get this) “Oh we usually do that for europeans as we find that generally they don’t tip, and it would be like we’re paying to serve you”. In the words of Michelle from that San Fran institute/TV Show, Full House: “How rude”!!!.

So if you’re not european, please do go try it.  Pier 33 at Bay Street, San Francisco.

Keep walking around 15-20minutes until you hit the Chelsea Markets.  A former factory has been converted into a strip of gourmet wholesale and retail food stores and cafes.  You’ll find some interesting produce including a plethora of exotic mushrooms including lobster mushrooms, fresh porcini (a bargain at US$26.50 per pound! gulp..); as well as donut peaches; baby sweet pineapples; fresh white asparagus and some gorgeous bakeries and homeware stores.  

At the Union Square Markets, you will find fresh produce including apples straight from the farm, the largest melons (or cantoloupes as they call them!) and some white eggplant I’ve never seen before.  If you’re into the local sketches and paintings, a few artists have set up shop there too.

And as a bonus, the largest Whole Foods store is on the other side too!

Balducci’s is an amazing upmarket providore, selling a wide variety of pre-prepared meals, fresh produce as well as a huge variety of groceries – exotic coffees and teas, oils, honeys, and a selection of bakery items.  I would compare it to David Jones food hall perhaps? I believe it’s also mentioned in the movie “Just My Luck”. (bad movie, good taste).

Other places to go: Ferry Terminal, San Francisco

So eagerly we arrived half an hour before our booking and surprisingly our table was ready anyway.  You may as well have stepped into a cafe/bistro smack in the middle of Paris.  Everything – from the waiters’ outfits (white long aprons), to the font on the menu; the wooden bistro chairs and of course, the food - would make you think are in France! I had the brioche frent toast with bacon (don’t ask about the savoury/sweet mix – apparently it’s common in America!); which was US$15.  2 thick slices of sweet toast with just the right amount of “egginess” was served dusted with icing sugar and topped with the bacon - which surprisingly wasn’t too oily; and not hard and dog-food chewy like most places in the US! My friend had the waffles with sour cream and berries – a huge serving, and if I was a coffee drinker, I would have loved to try the bowl cappucino.  Add an OJ for US$4.50; 8% tax; and 15% tip and you’ve just spent around A$33 on brunch! But hey, you got to eat at a place that’s popular with locals and celebrities - you never know your luck! 

 

La Petite Soupe is a charming and unassuming family run French bistro. They serve omelettes, croque monsieurs, but the main drawcard is the great value menu prix fixe.  For just US$22.95 (dinner), I had a French onion soup, an amazing rosemary and garlic infused tender pork (which reminded me of Christmas!) that came with a cress salad and the crunchiest French fried potatoes which would put the golden arches to shame! To finish, creme caramel, or chocolate mousse. The creme caramel had the right firmness in texture and bathed in sticky syrup, rounding off a great meal.  With the unlimited crusty bread, and well priced cocktails, it really is a haven for the traveller looking for an unpretentious, friendly and authentic meal.  The bonus – it’s only four streets away from broadway and Times Square – just the right distance to get your disgestion started!