A Fork And A Suitcase

The wonderful thing about Madison Square Eats is that we get an opportunity to taste a nice variety (over 20 vendors) of great food in a fun setting next to Madison Square Park.  The awful thing about Madison Square Eats is that it lasts only for one month in the Spring and Fall.  Unfortunately I got there too late to fully enjoy the offerings over the entire month and only sampled one lunch.  I really think that the Madison Sq. Park Conservancy should consider extending the running time by a month.  There is really no reason to end this early while the weather is still lovely.  In other countries where the street food culture is thriving, there is no cut off time, well unless the weather is totally miserable.  I understand that this place is in between two food giants, Eataly and Shake Shack, but from what I saw, there were crowds at each location. So, I guess these photos can be viewed while listening to "The way we were" by Barbra Streisand.  ...

How often do we find something great when we are not really looking for it?  That was the case with City Bakery.  A few years ago, my friend and I were shopping for tiles and needed a place to sit down and discuss what we have seen so far.  We stumbled across City Bakery which looked really inviting.  The atmosphere was so great and the food so fresh and delicious, I have been coming back ever since.     City Bakery is very spacious and designed so that it doesn't feel uncomfortable even when filled with a lot of people.  There are places to sit along the walls of the main level and an additional sitting area upstairs. The baked goods are fresh and yummy, with a few creative takes on the traditional.   They are known for their pretzel croissant which is a delicious combo, a twisted croissant with a bit of salt and a dense texture. A nice cup of hot chocolate and a fresh pretzel croissant is an ideal pick-me-up on any d...

I love New York City.  Each neighborhood in this magnificent city has something special to offer., but if I ever had to create a list of favorites, this street would definitely make the top ten.  The century old flower district is not what it used to be but it still is a wonderful little oasis in the middle of this concrete island.  Here, sidewalks are showcases filled with beautiful flowers, trees, lush green shrubs and plants.  When most of Manhattan is still asleep, fragrant blooms are unloaded from delivery trucks.  The market opens at 5:30 in the morning, and the first customers are florists, decorators and other wholesale customers,  after 8am, most stores will sell to regular walk-in customers.    The only problem is that one cannot buy a stem here and there, flowers are sold in bundles.  It's difficult to resist since the prices are much less than in a regular shop. It is so uplifting and magical to stro...