Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

So I figured since I was going to be at school for this Thanksgiving (like always), I should take the bus on over to NYC to catch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, something I had always watched on TV at home in California. It's my last year at college on the East coast and I figured, why not? It beats sitting in my apartment by myself on the holiday.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into.

Walking to the parade. 

So since the parade started at like 9:00 I took the earliest bus I could which left at about 6:30 from Philly.  The ride is only about and hour and a half on MegaBus. *If you live in an area where MegaBus services, definitely check it out. Their fares range from only $1.00!!

Anyway, I got to NY at about 8:00 and half of the streets in the city were closed off - even to pedestrians who were looking to get a good spot to see the parade from.  My morning started off pretty chaotic because I was just trying to find a street where I could enter to view the parade route. NYPD had those streets blocked like their lives depended on it and weren't going to let even the cutest little kid in to watch the parade. Boo.

So I ended up finding a spot on a side street that would give me a side view of the balloons and stuff. I managed to get fairly close, yet still had to stand on my tiptoes to see over people's heads to take photos and see the people on the ground, including the floats.  Luckily it wasn't too cold out, 'cause I ended up being outside for like 3 or 4 hours!! Definitely dress warm and grab a cup of coffee from an open McDonalds. Remember, most stuff is closed on Thanksgiving.

Overall, the parade was fun to see in person, but I would definitely recommend going early for a good spot, because even 30 minutes won't guarantee you a good view, and you can forget about being right along the parade route. 

The balloons were cool, yet seem bigger on television, hm. The floats were fun too, especially when you caught a glimpse of a celebrity. Attending this year were Cee Lo Green, Scotty McCreery (American Idol), and I think Mary J. Blige.  There were also billions of clowns, some extra creepy like the graduation and farmer clowns! Seriously, they need to fill the gaps with something, but clowns!? Think twice about bringing your kids if they have an irrational fear of crazy people dressed up in weird costumes with a lot of makeup on. Hm, maybe it's not so irrational after all.

Creepy Clown!! :o

If you're looking to go, I would say do it! I was happy I got to see it in person once in my life, but I think next year I'll be content to watch it from my living room in CA

Stephanie, WWT

Eataly: New York

As I wrote in a previous post, here is my review of Eataly in New York City.
Now when I was in NY I didn't really know what this was exactly. I just ran into it by chance, attracted by a sign for gelato in a window advertisement.  Little did I know that I would be transported to Italy, through the amazing sights and smells of this Italian market located near the Flatiron Building in New York.

Eataly banner

As I stepped through the doors, I immediately knew that I had stumbled upon a culinary jackpot. Whether you are passionate about cooking food or eating food, Eataly has it all. From wine tasting bars to restaurants, to a huge market, to aisles of pasta, one can easily lose themselves in the chaos.

I made my way through the overwhelming sections of the market/restaurant madness watching as people crowded around for coffee or talked and laughed over a glass of wine. It was easy to get caught up in the hubbub and fail to see the beauty in the simple things spread throughout the indoor treasure trove of Italian wares.  A wall of mushrooms especially caught my eye, boasting exotic varieties that I hadn't ever heard or seen before. Surprises, like fresh garlic bunches hung from cart roofs and ugli fruit stared up at me from a basket. 

Look at the price, $50 a pound!

I kept on walking, enjoying just taking it all in, stopping to photograph a mozzerella station, where a man was making fresh mozzerella cheese by hand! Oh wait... is he looking at me? Now he's gesturing for me to come over where he is kneading the cheese in vats of warm water and... oh my.. he just handed me a ball of fresh mozzerella cheese, still warm and dripping wet. Um, ok.. awkward?

I wasn't sure what to do with the small wet ball of goodness laying in my palms so I took a bite of it right then and there. I probably looked foolish, but I knew, that I would never taste something so delicious as this bought in a package. There is truly nothing that can compare to fresh mozzerella cheese. I expressed my gratitude to the sweet man for his free gift of joy that clearly made my day. I had just tasted heaven.

Stephanie, WWT

Sweet Treats and More in Chelsea!

So being the food lover that I am, I had to seek out Chelsea Market in NY. After some confusing subway rides and me hoping that I was going in the right direction I finally made it!

When I first walked in I found the food network sponsored James Beard Foundation section where they had free samples of cakes and cookies as well as a restaurant and a schedule of planned activities. I signed up for a raffle and actually won a food network thermos!! I was so excited I never win anything!

So after I won my little green thermos, I was on my way exploring the market. I ended up crashing a food tour (oops). I thought this guy was just giving an informational talk about one of the bakeries so I stopped to listen. After he was done he informed me that "this is a private food tour." I was so embarassed, so I went to seek out some sweets!

The spread of cupcakes at Eleni's

Aren't these NY cookies adorable?

Shoe Cake!

In case you can't find your way

After stopping to look everywhere including some awesome kitchen stores I was off to navigate through the masses of people again.

Sampling different olive oil and balsamic flavors

Try these at the Filling Station

Freshly baked Easter bread baskets

With real eggs inside!

Then, I unexpectedly came across a Prive designer sale! I tried on some clothes and ended up getting a Free People top for only $20! It was so fun and a great experience, although I wasn't used to trying on clothes in a huge dressing room in front of other people, but I quickly got over that.

Overall, I had a great time at the market and hope to go back someday and eat at the restaurant named after its famous iron chef, Morimoto. Foodies will enjoy the market because it has something for everyone, from soups and sandwiches, to gelato and cupcakes, you're sure to find something that will fit your needs.  There is also an impressive kitchen supply store there too. If you're in New York and are in the area, I would say the market is worth checking out, but not a necessity.

And... when I got back from my long day I came home to my hostel to find a nice present from a friend I had met from the Fat Witch Bakery, which has a location in Chelsea Market. They specialize in brownies and bars.

Thank you Chris!

Next stop on my food tour through NY...Eataly! Stay tuned!

Stephanie, WWT

Wafels and Dinges, huh??

Don't let the name confuse you! Wafels and Dinges is a delicious Belgian Waffle Food Truck located in various places throughout each week in New York!

I scouted it's location out beforehand and headed over to the Times Square area to find it. Hoping my directions were right, i was delighted to spot the big, bold, yellow truck with surprisingly, no line!! I just walked straight up, had a chat with the super friendly guys making fresh waffles and ordered.

The menu is a little intimidating at first and they have two main types of waffles, the Liege, and the Brussels.  From there, you can decide upon different variations, create your own with multiple toppings, or try "de Throwdown Wafel" made famous by Bobby Flay's Throwdown competition. 

I was feeling more on the savory side because I hadn't eaten any breakfast, so I opted for "de Bacon Wafel," a nice, crunchy Brussels waffle with bacon pieces baked inside of the waffle, topped with butter, powdered sugar, and my favorite topping of all...maple syrup!!

My bacon waffle!

Overall, the waffle was AMAZING!!! The waffle itself was crispy and crunchy on the outside, but unbelievably soft, moist, and warm on the inside. It wasn't soggy or too hard, just... perfect.  The butter and maple syrup toppings weren't dangerously flooding the cardboard box it came in and were very lightly added so as not to completely soak the waffle.  It was like, breakfast perfection!  I would highly recommend trying one if you happen to see the truck on the streets of NYC. Or look up the location beforehand, I think they have multiple trucks/smaller carts that rotate around the city. 

Fresh waffles, yum!

One of their specialties is their 'spekuloos' spread, which I did not have on my waffle (I'll have to go back again and try it!).  I have had a similar spread and the best way I can describe it is a smooth buttery, gingerbread like, graham cracker, spread.  If you've ever had Biscoff/Lotus cookies, it is similar to the spread that you can get with them. Wafels and Dinges has their own authentic spekuloos which you can purchase in your own jar to put on you waffles at home!

Enjoy! And I'll have more posts coming soon. I've been super busy lately!

-Stephanie, WWT

Magnolias, Pistachios, and Bananas, Oh My!

Starting off my reviews of New York is the fabulous Magnolia Bakery!

As you can see, the one I ran into was near Radio City Music Hall.

I had originally hoped to go here as I had heard about their fantastic cupcakes and banana pudding. Fortunately, I just happened upon the Rockefeller location by chance and stopped in when it was nearly empty around 10:30 am. Although they only had about 5 different selections of cupcakes at the time, that didn't bother me because I knew they were being made fresh. Quality over quantity right?

I had to order a pistachio because I am obsessed with anything green and nutty tasting! Ok, well maybe I just really like pistachio flavored things. Anyway, after asking the wonderfully polite lady manning the cupcakes about some of the other flavors, she graciously gave me a pistachio cupcake and a small container of banana pudding. Let me just start by saying the small was not small at all, however that did not deter me from finishing off the container later that night.

Almost gone! = saddest moment of my life! :(

It was fantastic! Best banana pudding I have ever tasted, hands down. No artificial, boxy-jello-pudding container-like taste. The bananas and cookie pieces were just heaven. Where do I start with the cupcake? The frosting wasn't grainy at all, but more like a pillowy, fluffy, airy, blob of goodness atop of a pistachio flavored cupcake. Yes... pistachio flavored cake. That's why I chose this one so I could taste the actual cake. BEST CUPCAKE EVER!! Like, seriously. The nuts on top + the airy frosting + the moist, nutty cupcake = Perfection.

Insider tip: Get a container of pudding to-go and throughout the day while you're exploring the city you have a snack you can whip out and eat on a park bench or something. My pudding lasted a whole day of walking and when I got it home to put it in the fridge it was still fine, like, it hadn't melted or anything like that.

The bakery itself was very fast moving and efficient for so little space and so many people. Although it was nearly deserted when I first walked in, when I had ordered and paid there was barely enough room to walk around. Don't get discouraged! The cupcakes and pudding are definitely worth waiting!

I ate my cupcake at a little counter with barely enough space for my plate, but I didn't care. It was amazing! The atmosphere is really inviting too.

After a long day of walking, it was nice to sit down with my leftover container of banana pudding and write some postcards. Honestly, I was surprised I made it through an entire day without finishing the container. Can you say... ultimate self-control?

Anyway, the moral of this posting is if you are ever in New York, GO TO MAGNOLIA BAKERY!! I also found the location in Grand Central Station underground in the dining concourse. There are various other locations to check out as well.

What is your favorite cupcake?

Stephanie, WWT

NYC!!

So the past week (April 20th - 23rd) I spent my Easter break in New York City!!
It was super exciting for me because I had never really been sightseeing in NY before. I had just visited a couple friends' houses and seen our Wildcats lose embarassingly to Texas at Madison Square Garden my freshman year.

Unfortunately in the past, my history with NY hasn't been too great. It seemed that every time I traveled across the state line I got sick. This time, I am happy to say I think the trend has been broken! Well, kind of. I ended up getting sick for a day after I got back to school, but I just attribute that to exhaustion and fatigue.

Anyway... I spent 4 lovely days and 3 nights at a hostel in Harlem, yes I know what you're thinking. College girl alone, staying in Harlem, at night = bad idea lol.  Most people think I'm crazy or strange for wanting to travel by myself in the first place, but it's actually kind of relaxing/enlightening for me. I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want, not having to worry about pleasing other people.

You have so much freedom and opportunities it's amazing! The only downside is that you are alone. It makes eating kind of limited because you can't just walk into a restaurant, sit down and eat a meal by yourself without feeling awkward. Luckily, NY has lots of cafes and food trucks perfect for single diners!

Overall, I had a great time seeing what I was able to see. I even was fortunate enough to get tickets to a premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival! However I missed out on the Statue of Liberty (it was sold out until like July!) and the Empire State Building. Hopefully, next year will bring another opportunity for me to visit this fabulous city. Over the next week or so I will post individual reviews and such about the various things I did in New York, so stay tuned!

If you want to go somewhere, go! Don't wait for other people to decide to tag along or you will miss out.

-Stephanie, WWT