I LOVE NEW YORK! The buzz, the people, the skyscrapers and most of all the FOOD! There are so many great places to eat, so for this post I thought I’d share my fave places to take a bite in the ‘Big Apple’.

 

1. Hillstone – 378 Park Avenue South, NYC

I’m not a glamorous girl. I prefer flats to stilettos, jeans to dresses, and if you catch me wearing a full face of make-up I’m either on my way to a special event or something is very “wrong” with my naked face. However, sometimes it’s nice to go somewhere a little more sophisticated and Hillstone is the perfect place. The lounge decor with darkened mood lighting and museum-worthy works of art (including a life-size horse sculpture!) all create an air of distinction. The food is always out of this world, and the attentive service is of a standard you’d expect to find in a Michelin-star restaurant, yet Hillstone is relaxed and welcoming (yes, they even to me in my jeans!) and the prices are equal to those you’d pay in any UK gastropub.

During my recent trip, we ate the most amazing Tuna Sushi Roll appetisers containing crunchy macadamia nuts, toasted coconut and a kicking wasabi sauce. Sticking with the Thai theme I then had the Thai Steak and Noodle Salad – boom! I couldn’t stop myself from scraping the plate clean. Then came that awkward moment, when I really REALLY wanted to order dessert, but didn’t want to be the first or only person to order one. I would have jumped out of my seat and kissed our friend Joe when he said he couldn’t leave without having the Key Lime Pie, but the food in my belly was weighing me down (thankfully for Joe!). So to be polite (ahem!) myself and the hubby added a Tres Leche Cake and three forks to share. I simply cannot describe their Key Lime Pie without going ‘x-rated’, so I’ll simply say it’s the best I have ever tasted!

2. Sarabeth’s – 40 Central Park South, NYC 

Sarabeth’s is, without a doubt, my fave brunch (because I never make breakfast!) and afternoon tea spot. With it’s neat white tablecloths and traditionally attired waiting staff, it’s a fantastic experience to eat here and with menu choices like Toasted Cocount Waffles, Apple-Cinnamon French Toast and an “Extraordinary Eggs and Omelettes” menu, you are guaranteed not to leave disappointed (or hungry)!

 

3. Dos Caminos – 373 Park Avenue South at 27th Street, NYC

With a restaurant just across the road from Hillstone (they have a chain of restaurants across New York, New Jersey and Florida), I love Dos Caminos. Not only for being one of the first restaurants I frequented with my now husband, but because of the food, and in particular, the guacamole.

I now have to be quick, as I don’t want to drown my keyboard in drool, but my fave item on the Dos Caminos menu is a REALLY GOOD spicy guacamole with…wait for it…BACON! OMG what doesn’t taste better with bacon?!!!

With a party atmosphere and bright, lively decor to match, it isn’t perhaps the most ideal location for a romantic first date, but it certainly worked for us!

SLEEPY HOLLOW & TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK

When in New York we always take a few days to visit friends in the nearby town of Sleepy Hollow, the infamous home of the Headless Horseman – yes, it’s a real place! Despite being fairly small with a population of just over 10,000 people, this sleepy town is haunted by a horse-load of frighteningly good places to go…

4. Guadalajara – 2 Union Street, Briarcliff Manor, Sleepy Hollow, NY

This Mexican restaurant is a real gem. The food is awesome and the large selection of margaritas and mojitos is far too tempting to resist (so I didn’t!!). Although I must warn you, the food portions are generous so make sure you arrive with an empty stomach! As you already know, I LOVE guacamole and at Guadalajara they make it to order right at your table. The Chorizo Espanoles was pure heaven and I couldn’t stop stuffing my face with the chicken fajitas (as well as picking at my husbands steak fajitas!).

By the end of the main course I was uncomfortably past my “full” level, so of course I politely declined when asked if I’d like to see the dessert menu – NOT! The Helado Frito (fried ice-cream to you and I) was the perfect finale to a rather “theatrical” food evening. If I was impressed by the guacamole “table show”, then the Helado Frito was definitely the head-liner, being set alight right at the table (thank goodness I went ‘light’ on hair product that evening!).

5. The Twisted Oak – 61 Main Street, Tarrytown, NY

I haven’t personally eaten at the Twisted Oak, but as we walked in through the front entrance, the people who stepped aside to let us pass exclaimed “the food is absolutely delicious!”. For such an impromptu recommendation, it must be true! But having just left a barbecue at Sleepy Hollow Beach Club we continued on to the bar for a nightcap.

I include The Twisted Oak in my list of hot spots because it’s a great place! The ambience, and in particular the service, is second to none – our bartender, Connor, was exemplary! He was an encyclopedia of knowledge when it came to the drinks on offer, made the BEST cocktails EVER (and I should know as I’ve drunk a few!). He was professional, witty and welcoming, but when he served up our drinks my attention was instantly drawn to the giant ice cubes used to chill them. When asked him how he had made them he pulled out a handful of Tovolo® Sphere and King Cube Ice Moulds – “they’re great aren’t they?!” he exclaimed. And who were we to disagree?!!