In the mood for a sandwich and thinking to yourself “What type of strange combination of
foods shall I combine?” Then head over to No. 7 Sub Shop. There are four locations and I went to the one in NoMad. Since I was too lazy to open my own bag of chips I opted for The Frito Kid, with cold balsamic chicken, black bean hummus, lettuce, tomatoes and yes, Fritos. Or you can check out the Goodfella, the Zucchini Parm as well as others
Then, of course, it was time for dessert. I headed to Koreatown (which was hopping with lines outside many of the restaurants). What I wanted was a ho-dduk Grace Street-style– a take on a traditional Korean dessert. For the uninitiated (like I was) Grace Street’s ho-dduk is a donut with a warm maple brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon filling. The place was packed and the ho-dduk was delicious. Check out Grace Street’s website because ho-dduks are only served during certain hours.
I did do some walking prior to breakfast the next morning and was virtuous with an egg white sandwich with some spinach. But the girl from Queens got nostalgic at Johny’s Luncheonette. The throwback diner has an old-fashioned counter with around 10 seats and a couple of tables for two in the back. There were lots of tourists there and lots of different languages being spoken. Johny himself is behind the counter. He was friendly and accommodating toward all the patrons. Next time I’ll try the Curious George or the Notorious Nick (do these restaurants have copywriters coming up with these names?).
More walking, no lunch and then dinner at The Library. Was I breaking a law and bringing food into the stacks? No, I was dining at the restaurant at The Public Theater. The food here is very good but it is the clubby atmosphere, great servers and innovative cocktail list that keeps me coming back when I’m in this neck of the woods.
The weekend ended (food-wise) with brunch at Hearth. This is another favorite as the servers are also lovely and the food is different without being overly fussy. Poached eggs with kale salad, buckwheat ricotta pancakes and delicious apple cider donuts to start are some standouts.I came home, and put on my sweatpants and signed up for spin class.
While some of these places are less expensive than others, I found the prices at all worth every bite and sip. AFW
Johny’s Luncheonette, 124 W 25th St, New York, NY 10001, 212-243-6230, (http://www.johnysluncheonette.com)
Grace Street, 17 West 32nd Street, (http://www.bygracestreet.com)
The Library at the Public, 425 Lafayette Street, 212-967-7555, (http://publictheater.org/Visit/Library)
Restaurant Hearth, 403 East 12th Street, 646-602-1300, (http://restauranthearth.com)