Also, I had started a blog actually quite awhile ago. I hope that you will check it out (esp. if you are planning on going to NYC!) I was just there this past month at the end of July visiting friends & family. ENJOY! (See below) Nom, nom, nom...
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Helloo all!! It is a beautiful Saturday morning & I'm finally getting around to blog about my whole two weeks. My trip to New York was amazing. I had a chance to see my family who I haven't seen in two years & also my wonderful friends from study abroad Hong Kong (woo!)
Before that, I had mentioned that I had a cooking night with Van where we decided to experiment with salmon. We both have been trying to eat healthy so we decided to have it be a cook night/"healthy" night. Healthy in quotes because that usually tends to be just one night, well for me at least. Oops! Guilty. Yup.
Van brought over some food that she had bought at Pete's Market near south side Chicago. We had some fresh asparagus (steamed), freshly cut salmon, spinach, and bell peppers.
The salmon was seasoned with four different kinds of dry seasoning (orange pepper, onion pepper, lemon pepper, & garlic pepper)
This is a simple dish that can be cooked by everyone. We steamed all the vegetables and added salt for taste. The salmon was simply seasoned and pan seared with oil. We added fresh yellow bell peppers to the spinach leaves with lemon pepper salmon & steamed corn. The asparagus was a side. Easy as that! Following Chinese custom, we had a fruit plate afterwards. Props to Van for the plate setup:
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So...when I was in NYC, I went to a few restaurants as mentioned in my previous message. I wanted to emphasize two in particular that I felt that YOU! all should visit if you go to the N - Y - C : ]
There are two places in particular that I would like to share with you about. The first was Telio, a Greek restaurant in New York City located in the Upper West Side. It is a mix of Mediterranean and Italian food (Yelp lies...the menu said Mediterranean/Italian..hmm). We went around brunch time where they had a select list of specials for $9.95 including a choice of Mimosa or Bloody Mary's. I had the Arizona wrap- Grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomatos, and pesto sauce with a greek salad (could choose fries):
I usually don't like wraps but this one was really good! The salad was crisp and fresh. Greek dressing was just the right tartness. The best part about the wrap was that all the ingredients blended together. It's like eating a hot calzone out of the oven. Each bite a complete one. Could not taste the sun dried tomatoes though (minimal taste). The pesto sauce was subtle... I liked that. In my opinion, depending on the dish, it can be slightly over bearing. Another thing to note, the ambiance of the restaurant was nice. Open space, Greek interior decorating, casual, outside seating available. My rating: 7/10.
Second, Amy's Bread
located near the Meatpacking district in The Village. Although I felt as if it was a secret find, it has been featured in magazines and even Martha Stewart's show...yes Martha Stewart. She may be doing some sketchy insider trading but at least she knows how to eat.
I had the Almond Brioche Toast. Felt like eating into a pound cake with crispy edges of a toast. Soft in the middle...if you like Almond, you can't go wrong with this one:
They also had some tasty cupcakes, fresh baked breads, sandwiches, and pastries . Look at this happy camper (Sharon, my friend) who was the one who discovered Amy's Bread:
Haha~ I love this picture. I think it goes to show that Amy's Bread will leave you pretty darn happy. My rating? A 8.5/10...Yumm!
We were in The Village around 11:30, this was our first meal. Nothing like starting your day backwards, with SWEETS. Isn't it nice to spoil yourself sometimes? I think so*! We sat in an area with benches just right by Amy's Bread and enjoyed the nice summer day :)
...I leave with you with this question:
If you had to pick ONE, would you pick savory or sweet?
Our responses:
Van and I: Sweet
Jenny: Savory
~Signing off guys! Until next time-
Always, Silvia "Savor"
*Silvia's eating philosophy #1: There is always room for dessert[s]
