Let's just start off by acknowledging the group of friends I went with to NY. The amount of postponing, planning, re-planning, budgeting, and accommodating we had to do was all worth it the minute we landed. I could have definitely gone without the stench of garbage-filled, reek of urine scents that basically lingered with me since I've been back. But nonetheless, I had an amazing time with this group and I'm sure they would all say the same!
Now, let's talk about what New York had to offer a bunch of Canadians. As you all know, Ronnie and I are pretty big on trying out the city's local shops, tasting their food, and seeing their art. Since we were mainly there to experience the NFT events and pop-ups, we didn't have enough time or energy to really adventure out, which overall was fine for me. Walking down New York's long blocks filled with cocktail bars, fancy restaurants, and brand-name retail stores was more than enough for me. Let's just say, I had to recharge every night because of how many things you see and discover in a day - Which was a lot.
We still however had the chance to try a few restaurants and found cute pubs along the way. I would definitely recommend trying the following places out for those planning a trip out there!
Beyond Sushi (Check out their Instagram here)
There were 8 in our group. 3 of which have dietary preferences. Keonna is Vegan, My sister is Vegetarian, and I'm Pescatarian. So, I was worried about us going and not having anything to eat or us having to make arrangements just for us to eat all together. I wasn't expecting much but was happy to see how many restaurants had plant-based options. I wasn't as proactive as Jeni and Keonna as they researched where we could eat beforehand. Having that list made things a lot easier, and the group we were with was very accommodating and wasn't afraid to try new things with us!
Beyond Sushi is 100% plant-based and 100% delicious!
We tried their Ginger "Beef" dumplings, Spicy Fried-Chick'n Bao, and their Spicy "Tuna" Maki. You know me and sushi. So when I say it tasted like sushi, it literally tasted like sushi!
Cafe Peanut (Check out their Instagram here)
There's something about me and small intimate cafes. I'm a sucker for small businesses, especially when I see the owner themself working behind the counter and putting their passion for food or whatever it is out there. When we walked into Cafe Peanut, I instantly fell in love with all the knickknacks that surrounded their walls. Random pieces of art were overflown with hanging plant decor that filled the cafe. The warm welcoming and accommodations they provided us were sincere and it just shows the effort these owners do on a daily basis to ensure high-quality care to their customers.
I tried the Salomon Sandwich (check out their menu here). And it was fantastic! They have a variety of options on their menu which was also easier for our group, and it honestly was nice for a change since this was our first real meal since we arrived. We had been living off free grub food and drinks the night before so I think we were all quite happy with full stomachs to get us going for the rest of the day, to say the least.
Those two were definitely my top choices when it came to restaurants. We were all craving ramen one morning and found this restaurant called Miso Ramen in Jersey City. I didn't mind the food at all, but I know not everyone enjoyed theirs. The service was complete crap as well which ultimately lead Jeni to write a nasty review. I'm posting this on here to advise you all NOT to go there. That's gotta be the first, lol. I wish we got the name of this server so I can shame her on here but it's over and done with. On to the next.
Sweet & Vicious (Check their Instagram here)
This pub is located on Spring Street. It's right beside Supreme which is why we ended up in the pub and I'm honestly glad we stumbled upon it because of how offset the pub was which clearly sets the tone of their name. It was literally sweet and honestly, a bit vicious.
A huge painting of Bruce Lee, very cute bench seating arrangements to make it more comfortable, hanging lights shaped into hearts on their walls, and a spacious bar. It's nothing like we see here in Winnipeg that's for sure. They had a lot of drink specials to choose from. We probably spent a couple of hours in there since they had the AC on blast and it was a good pit stop to relax our feet and have a few drinks in between our mile walks.
Nish Nush
While the guys had Shake Shack, we found a quaint Mediterranean Vegetarian restaurant called Nish Nush
The place had a rustic feel to it, kinda like we were entering a garage but instead was a restaurant. Huge portion sizes which we couldn't finish (classic) with a lot to choose from off their menu. Definitely would recommend it to our vegetarian community!
Other than that, it was mainly just finding places to eat on the way. But enough about the food. We were fortunate enough to check out the Friends Exhibit while the guys went to another NFT event. I swear I had shivers walking through the whole thing. It felt like we were really on set which was such an amazing experience!
We got to walk down the Brooklyn Bridge in +40 degree weather so it wasn't such a pleasant experience. But we did it! Seeing Time Square was more of a shock to me. The number of people trying to make their way, the lights, and food trucks surrounding the whole street. It was overwhelming. I don't even want to start on the amount of energy those screens use on a daily basis. We also made our way to visit the World Trade Centre. We didn't spend too much time there but made sure to see the waterfall memorial and paid our respects.
I've had the chance to finally recover from everything we did out there. The walking, the partying, the street music, the endless subway rides, and of course, the angry pedestrians yelling at us for no reason are what makes New York. I can't believe I felt relief getting back home to Winnipeg, settling back into some sort of normalcy. It was definitely an experience and one for the books. Here are a few more photos to share! Enjoy!
Until the next adventure.
Jree.
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