Hearty eating in New York

Most of my friends are much healthier eaters than I. My favorite meals in New York include dim sum brunch at Jing Fong, chicken fried chicken at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and brisket sandwiches at Katz’s Deli.

If I don’t want a salad, sometimes I’m on my own. Soo, I’ve decided to do a little solo exploration of some restaurants in New York this summer while I’m there. Here are some places I want to check out:

1. Maialino
2. Osteria Morini
3. Eataly
4. Fatty ‘Cue
5. Pies n Thighs
6. Char No. 4
7. Minetta Tavern 
8. BeerParc

Any suggestions?

Food in Ubud

Eating in Ubud was a treat. The food there is delicious. Here are my two best recommendations:

NAUGHT NURIS: The meal we had at Naughty Nuri’s was actually my favorite in Indonesia, period. This side of the road shack with corrugateed metal roofing is a fun modern interpretation of the warung (roadside foodstall)–sort of Indonesia meets the wild west. Which makes sense, since Naughty Nuri’s is the love child of a Javanese woman and her American husband. We tried the ribs, which were delicious, and the steak sandwich, covered in cheese and peppers and onions, also very good. But the crown jewel was definitely Nuri’s sashimi plate–12 pieces of delicious, succulent raw tuna for only $4.50. Maybe best deal in Bali. (Note: sushi and sashimi only served Thursdays, when the restaurant apparantly overflows and goes standing room only…but we went for a late lunch and were fine getting a table.) Naughty Nuri’s is also famous for its martinis, which Anthony Bourdain calls the best outside New York. Apparantly another Nuri’s has opened in South Bali, and doesn’t live up to its name, although we didn’t get a chance to try it.

WARUNG IBU OKA: Again, not quite a warung, but certainly authentic. Ibu Oka serves one thing: Babi Gulung, or suckling pig, an Indonesian favorite which yes, means piglet. And how delicious. A friend told us beforehand that the pig was like an “explosion in my mouth” and to describe the experience as anything less explicit was to do it an injustice. I’m not sure I was that blown away, but it was definitely a great lunch, and as we sat on cushions on the floor eating, a huge funeral procession passed, which was cool. Obviously not suitable for vegetarians.

Some other places we tried and liked were MURNI’S WARUNG, where the food was standard Indonesian/Western fare (I liked my burger more than my companion liked his Indonesian duck, I think) but the real winner here is the insane view down a green, green gorge; and INDUS, which served us alone in the restaurant long after the other restaurants had closed. Indus has some bad reviews on line, but I loved my salmon, and again, the views were beautiful.

Barneys New York

I don’t really need to tell you to go to Barneys but I will anyway.

Everybody loves Barneys, I love Barneys. If shopping was like iTunes, it would probably be my most played…But I don’t get tired of it, because nothing about Barneys is tired (yet.)

I guess what makes Barneys special is the amazing effort they put into staying (not just up to date but) modern and au courant and forward thinking. You can find everything from Chanel and Louis Vuitton to Proenza Schouler and Rodarte. Far from being stuffy, Barneys manages to be simultaneously sharp and whimsical…Amazing! Even if you can’t afford any of the clothes here, its worth walking around (don’t skip a floor.) Contrary to popular opinion, I think the sales people are really nice and helpful, and also basically leave you alone, which is sort of a relief when you’re browsing through clothing you clearly can’t afford. I’m talking about myself here.

On the seventh and eighth floors of Barneys’ flagship store on Madison Avenue is Barneys Co-op, which is sort of Barneys delightfully younger, cheaper sister. Self-described as “courageous! outrageous! contagious!” which is pretty legitimate, especially the contagious bit. Co-op is always changing up its brands, but some they have right now are: ALC, Alexander Wang, 5th Avenue Shoe Repair, Helmut Lang, VPL, and Vena Cava. There are also three freestanding Co-ops around the city which is very convenient when you want to keep your trip cheaper and to-the-point. Also, if you live downtown like me.

In Barneys, there is a restaurant if you get tired of shopping (well, never tired of shopping, but tired shopping). It’s tasty, but definitely overpriced. My coca cola was like $23.oo ( I exaggerate.)

Here is the info:

 

MADISON AVE
660 Madison Avenue
New York NY 10065
Mon – Fri: 10am – 8pm
Sat: 10am – 7pm
Sun: 11am – 6pm
TEL: 212.826.8900

CO-OP CHELSEA
236 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
Mon – Fri: 11am – 8pm
Sat: 11am – 7pm
Sun: 12pm – 6pm
TEL: 212.593.7800

CO-OP UPPER WEST SIDE
2151 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
Mon – Fri: 10am – 8pm
Sat: 10am – 7pm
Sun: 11am – 6pm
TEL: 646.335.0978

CO-OP SOHO
116 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
Mon – Fri: 11am – 7pm
Sat: 11am – 7pm
Sun: 12pm – 6pm
TEL: 212.965.9964

ps It seems presumptuous to review Barneys, but… I always miss Barneys when I travel. Enough said.