No matter how many places we visit, how many cities we explore, Manhattan is still our favorite and probably always will be. T’s hometown, our love affair with all things food related, and our passion for theater and it’s no wonder that New York is the apple of our eye. Sorry, but these Big Apple puns are just too easy.
We travel to New York as often as we can and I’m thrilled to see that 2016 is shaping up to be a year of several NYC jaunts. Two wonderful recent visits and some future plans already in the books make for some happy Hill’s.
Highlights of Our Recent Visits to NYC:
Untitled at the Whitney Museum:
Our friend Bryan (same Bryan we recently traveled to Iceland with) is our own personal New York food Zagat, and in our opinion, much more knowledgeable and reliable. If it wasn’t for his questionable carnivore habits and affinity towards pork, we would probably be foodie soul mates. But I guess there is no use in trying to compete with carnitas, is there?
He is always in the know and never steers us wrong, so we have him to thank for our wonderful lunch at Untitled at the Whitney Museum. At first thought, you might think: A museum restaurant? Like as in a cafeteria? But then you remember that this is a Danny Meyer restaurant, as in the same restauranteur who brought us Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe (a shame that this institution is now closed), and The Modern (all of which we love), and so many more, and you immediately know better. Encased in glass and surrounded by art, the space is gorgeous and the food is equally as stunning as it is delicious. Highly recommend.
Sushi Yasuda: An incredible dinner filled with mouthwatering sushi and sensational sake. They serve traditional sushi often using fish flown in from Japan. Sushi Yasuda is frequently regarded as one of the top sushi restaurants in the country and it is certainly worthy of making our all-time “best restaurants” list. We found it comparable to our equally phenomenal dinner at Uchi in Austin. While the ambience is unpretentious and minimalist, the restaurant is better suited for special occasions due to its high price tag. It was the perfect place to celebrate T’s birthday.
Want more high-end sushi in New York? Sushi Nakazawa, headed by the apprentice in the movie, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, is also phenomenal and equally expensive. If I had to choose, I would lean towards Yasuda–but both are absolutely fantastic–it’s pretty much like comparing apples to apples here. #sorrynotsorry
Happy Birthday, T!
“Blackbird” at Balasco Theatre:
While not food-related, I couldn’t write about our recent NYC trips without mentioning the immensely powerful play, “Blackbird”. This raw and jarring production took our breaths away all while making us wildly uncomfortable. Michelle Williams and Jeff Daniels gave riveting performances and both are very much deserving of their Tony nominations. Williams’ memorable performance resonated with us most and really shook us at our cores. I cannot recommend this play enough–it runs through June 11th–so there’s still time to get your tickets!
Planning Your Next NYC Visit:
Untitled at the Whitney Museum
Other Recent NYC Recommendations:
Anejo: Casual Mexican fare and margaritas in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood
Macao Trading Company: Exotic, trendy venue that serves killer cocktails; the late-night DJ and dance party make for a really fun night
Other Fabulous NYC Restaurants Mentioned in This Post (highly recommend ALL of these!):
*…Then Let Me Take a Bite: I often mention songs and artists in my posts, so it should be no surprise that I’ve referenced my all-time favorite and our dog’s namesake, Michael Jackson. Actually, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long. I mean, Michael’s music is as American as…
You knew I had to sneak one more in!
*This post primarily highlights our NYC trips of Spring 2016
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