Exploring Manhattan

I've been spending a lot of time perusing travel books and sites in preparation for our European honeymoon. Although I am looking forward to all of the historical sites, museums and natural wonders, I am most excited about the food (of course). Most of my research has centered around where and what to eat in the various countries we'll be visiting. I can't wait to be a tourist!

My culinary research inspired me to spend my Saturday off in search of NYC goodies.

First stop: Chinatown
I had really only been to Canal Street, a crowded strip of shops known for selling designer knock-offs. Today I discovered how awesome Chinatown actually is. I kept on thinking how much my dad would loooove it down there. Places I visited:
Dumpling House (technically on the Lower Eastside I think): where you can get 4 dumplings for a dollar. And I did. I also bought a red bean bun for a buck. Everything on the menu is cheap, cheap, cheap and looks amazing. I will definitely be back.


If you want to read more about Dumpling House (which has recently been renamed Vanessa's Dumplings):
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/Dumpling-House/


Next I visited Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. This place was so fun. I love ice cream and I love offbeat flavors, so I was in dessert heaven. I had a scoop of the lychee flavor, which is a type of Chinese fruit. They feature flavors such as black sesame, ginger, green tea and avocado along with fun flavors such as peanutbutter and jelly and blueberry cheesecake. Again, I was reminded of my dad because he used to make us avocado milkshakes. I think he'd get a kick out of all of the exotic flavors (which are actually referred to as the "regular" flavors at the shop. Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry are labeled "exotic).



You can see all of the flavors here: http://chinatownicecreamfactory.com/





In wedding magazines, I kept coming across these:



photo from www.davidlebovitz.com (a fantastic resource for info on Paris)



They are French macarons (not to be confused with the coconut macaroon). I had never tasted one before today. On the way home today I stopped at Macaron Cafe http://www.macaroncafe.com/ where a lovely young woman with an apron and a French accent sold me 2 of these pretty little cookies (pistachio and a passion fruit). Oh my gosh....move over cupcakes, I've found a new obsession. These light and chewy cookies made me smile. I also got to taste rasberry, rose and mandarin flavors....all so yummy. I can't wait to go to France and eat more macarons. Until then, I think I'll be a frequent visitor at Macaron Cafe, which is practically in the neighborhood.

My feet are so tired from walking around lower Manhattan for hours but ahh....what a wonderful day. I can't wait to be a real tourist.