New York, New York. The city so nice they named it twice.
I frequent NYC at least two to three times in a year. It’s a place that you can go time and time again, and it’s different each time. The city changes daily, and I don’t think anyone can really keep up.
The real reason why I was in the city this time was for the 2016 U.S. Open Tennis Championships. I’d never been but always longed to, so I was happy to make this dream a reality. I was able to catch some of the men’s and women’s round 3 matches, particularly Pliskova vs. Pavlyuchenkova, Nishikori vs. Mahut, and Thiem vs. Carreno Busta. The weather was perfect, and it was thrilling to be apart of such a big tennis major.
The singular constant in traveling to NYC each time is that I’m always trying out new restaurants and eating something different. Of course, I have my favorite spots too but you really can’t visit NYC without trying out one of their many eating establishments. I didn’t try anything too fancy this time, but I was able to add a few more places to my fave list.
Bibble & Sip
I think if you’ve been following my blog since its inception, you’ve come to realize that I’m a big fan of anything and everything matcha. I’m on the hunt for the best matcha and I usually cannot resist ordering a matcha latte if I see it on a menu. Seeing that I was in NYC, I decided to Yelp some cafes that made matcha lattes and I found Bibble & Sip. The matcha latte was very, very good here. I usually find that cafes will make their matcha lattes either too bitter or too sweet, but Bibble & Sip did a good job at balancing the drink. The real star of Bibble & Sip is their cream puff. I ordered the matcha cream puff, and it was the best matcha cream puff I’ve had. The cream puff is topped with matcha powder and the matcha filling oozes as soon as you bite into it. It tastes delicious. They also have an Earl Grey cream puff if you’re not big into matcha.
Angel’s Share
This wasn’t my first time at Angel’s Share, but I couldn’t resist coming back. Tucked inside the Japanese restaurant Village Yokocho in St. Mark’s, Angel’s Share is a speakeasy that is known for their creative, out-of-the-box cocktails. As someone who prefers carefully crafted cocktails over beer, Angel’s Share is definitely up my alley. This is an Eastern-influenced speakeasy with stylish baroque decor such as the angelic-themed mural above the bar and large windows that offer views of the street below. Floral gold and dark red wallpaper, leather booths and ottomans, fringed curtains, jazz playing in the background, subdued lighting in the evenings, and a gorgeous bar help to create an intimate, sophisticated atmosphere.
I had the Flirtibird, which has Barley shochu mizu no mai, shiso, yuzu juice, agave nectar and plum salt rim. Some of their other cocktails I’ve had include:
- Serenity (Serenity house-made lychee-cello, ruby red grapefruit, lemon juice and a dash of rose water)
- Sweet Lorraine (Japanese rice vodka ao, tomato, water tomato confiture, lemon juice, basil and okinawa sea salt rim)
- Cheek To Cheek (Bacardi superior rum, mixed berries, white cranberry juice, balsamic honey, vincotto and topped with yogurt mascarpone espuma)
- Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Blanton’s bourbon, cocchi barolo chinato, oloroso sherry, benedictine, jerry thomas bitters in a smoking glass)
All the drinks were fantastic. Every drink I was executed perfectly and creatively. And if you’re not a cocktail drinker, Angel’s Share is also known for their bourbon, scotch, whiskey, wine, and sake selections. This is one of my highly recommended cocktail bars in the city. Come early to get a seat, as this place quickly fills up.
Amorino
You’ve probably seen this everywhere on Instagram. The famous Amorino gelato rose. I found out one of the boutiques was close to my hotel, so I walked over one night. The amount of flavors is almost overwhelming but I went with my usual favorite, pistachio, and chose their seasonal flavor, walnut and fig. Some of their other flavors include: Sicilian citrus, banana, chocolate, dulce de leche, strawberry, passionfruit, raspberry, chocolate and hazelnut, mango, coconut, and tiramisu.
You first choose what size and whether you want a cup or cone and then pay. Afterwards, one of their gelato artisans will assist you with tasting flavors and crafting the perfect Amorino rose. I also choose to have a pistachio macaron on top, combining my love for both gelato and macaron in one magnificent dessert.
I thought the pistachio and the walnut and fig were really delicious, especially the walnut and fig. It’s a pretty unique flavor, and they do it well. I was impressed by how lifelike the rose looked. They really are skilled at concocting the ideal Amorino rose.
alice from va 
