goodness, do i miss new york.
did you know i lived there? — for 3 years. i miss it every day. mostly, when i reflect – i realize that what i miss the most is the diversity… in everything. people, culture, music, views, buildings, art, sounds, lights, and most of all – food.
i lived right in the heart of lower manhattan, surrounded by {in my humble opinion}, the best food ever.
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my favourite restaurant to treat myself to was always ANGELICA KITCHEN. i mean, hello — look at that beautiful website! i always appreciated their approach to cooking and the way they always cooked with seasonal, local, organic food. the same food i would buy from the same farmers in union square… how cool is that?! in the biggest city in the world, i still felt like a community – eating food from the market, supporting local businesses. that is part of the total charm of living in the big apple – tiny little island with infinite possibilities. magical.
the menu changed daily at angelica, so i always ordered the special when i would go… i remember the first time i ate there, i was like – “this can’t be vegan.” i didn’t miss the meat or carbs at all! i’m pretty sure the first dish i had was gluten free, too. just a really delicious plate of veggies, but created in such a unique way with texture and flavour galore! such a cozy setting and they have a free corking service {they don’t have a bar, so bring a bottle of red!} having dinner at angelica kitchen was what inspired me to change my eating habits. not that i was eating unhealthy… but it opened my mind to ways to create yummy meals using predominately vegetables. it helped me to realize that you can eat veggies in fun ways – like, peel your carrots into fun spiral shavings and top your dish with it – that kind of thing 🙂
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my second favourite restaurant to treat myself to was DINER in brooklyn {not to be confused with brooklyn diner}. i mean, wow — it’s one of those places – even though their website is pretty basic, you really just have to go there and be in the ambiance of the place. it’s just so cool. i had a friend whose husband worked there for a time, and on the few occasions i had the pleasure of going to diner, i was blown away. “enamored” was the word that frequently left my lips. i was a little spoiled, since the chef took care of us – but the food was simply out of this world. i mean, really awesome and carefully prepared food. they pay attention to detail. they appreciate aesthetics, and they cook with local and seasonal ingredients — also change out their menu daily.
you can’t make a reservation at DINER, you just hope to god you get in before the crowd forms… so basically show up at like, 2:30 on a wednesday, ha! i’ve been told that celebrities such as Jay-Z and Beyonce love to frequent DINER, since that’s their old stomping ground, you know… one may not think much of it from the outside – converted to a restaurant from an old diner car {i think}, the place just wreaks of character, and you feel like you’ve discovered a hidden treasure when you go in. like, “i hope no one finds out about this place…” and you want to make it your own personal “CHEERS” you know… 😉
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one time i took myself to dinner at this place called CITY CRAB — and i swear they thought i was a food critic! i’ve never had such superb service in my life! i never did write them a thank you letter, i should do that……….. and i should blog about it – quite a story, actually!
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if you live in NYC, please check these two places out… i promise you’ll thoroughly enjoy the experience! 🙂
food & foto 
Thanks for sharing!
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thanks for reading! 🙂
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I’m visiting NYC in September – I’ll have to make sure these spots are at the top of my to-do list. Thanks!
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oh emily i highly recommend it! finding these little treasures is what makes new york special. the service is fantastic at both places, too. it’s just this sense that they really enjoy cooking for you. have you ever been to the city?!
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awww gee New York City really misses you soooooooooooooooo much and these are 3 awesome places to eat toooo
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Thanks for the heads up on these faves of yours! I pass Angelica Kitchen sometimes, and always wondered about it. I’ll have to try it. Diner sounds interesting, but I have the worst luck with no reservations policies. Seriously, I’ll go out with friends who’ve never waited more than 30 min, and we’ll end up waiting for three hours. Maybe if I’m hungry at 4 pm! Thanks.
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absolutely, thanks for reading! angelica kitchen is seriously so wonderful! oh, did i mention it was vegan?! let me tell you, even if you’re a meat eater by nature – it won’t matter to your palate! fantastic food! as far as diner – go at like, 2:30 — as silly as that sounds. and just plan on being there till like 8 p.m. and spending about $100 between courses, drinks, and dessert – haha! it’s for sure a “treat” but if you appreciate well-prepared, unique and amazing local food, then you’ll make time to go enjoy it 🙂 and there’s just something about the vibe there – for real.
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I *love* Diner! It’s just around the corner from me but we had to start limiting ourselves going there to save our bank balance. I haven’t tried Angelica Kitchen but it’s now on the list! Thanks.
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hehe, i hear ya on that for sure! angelica is a little bit better priced, but still phenomenal — and it’s just over the L train and south a bit 🙂
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I used to live right near Angelica Kitchen too – I miss New York like crazy, I love reading about people’s favorites!
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same same. i didn’t think i would. where do you live now and how long have you been gone?! i was in stuy town, LES rocks! 🙂
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I was on East 4th Street – now I’m all the way in Sydney, Australia. I’ve been gone for almost a year now but got back for a visit this past May. Sydney’s great, but I have a very soft spot in my heart for the les!
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thanks for the shout-out about diner! i do love it there too! p.s. did you get an email from me last week? i sent it to your .me and .mac accounts. is that right?
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miss you girlie!! sorry for lax response in email, been doing some rearranging in that arena 😉 i did get it, but only just yesterday. i’ll respond quickly. miss you, boo!
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