After months of meticulously researching, scouring Pinterest and creating endless lists of places to visit- New York finally arrived!
We checked into The Premier Hotel New York, located right off Times Square. One block away from Times Square, this is a perfect location for someone experiencing the city for the first time- not to mention access to several subway stations once you’re ready to get acclimated to the rest of the city!
Iced coffees in hand, we weaved through the city streets and made our way to my first carefully selected stop- Levain Bakery (Upper West Side). I had read about these delicious, oversized chocolate chip walnut cookies for months and they certainly did not disappoint. These are an absolute MUST HAVE. They are easily the size of your palm and are still warm as you bite into one! Even at $4 a piece, these are worth taking a box home for later. Trust me… you will want more later.
Armed and overflowing with cookies, we headed to Central Park to relax and take some photography for a few hours. Helpful hint: Be sure to download the Central Park app, which will help you navigate and pick your route carefully.
After our adventure, we returned to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Dinner was at one of Bobby Flay’s restaurant’s, Bar Americain, located right off Times Square. Rated 4.1 on Google, I selected this mostly for the experience since I happen to love Beat Bobby Flay (or let’s face it, anything about food). Unfortunately, the menu was limited for, ahem, certain picky eaters. However, my shrimp and grits was delicious to the last drop. (Clean plate club, for sure.) If I were to go back to New York City, I’d avoid restaurants near Times Square. However, I was happy to make this one exception.
Our night finished off with a trip to Greenwich Village for the 11:30 showing of Comedy Cellar. The show was amazing, but extremely intimate. Be sure to get reservations and show up early for a good seat, otherwise you’ll essentially be sitting on a stranger’s lap or two (it’s thatclose). Also, you’re required to buy two items per person. We got a pitcher, so come hungry and/or thirsty! We got extremely fortunate to see Jeff Ross, Dave Attell and other big names- even a preview of the Rob Lowe roast.