I walk to eat. Seriously. When I was planning the trip to New York City, I found so many places to eat that I knew we were going to have to put on our mega walking shoes to burn off all of those calories. And that we did! It was a TERRIBLY successful foodie trip and we ate and drank at so many amazing places. I’m going to share the food with you in the order in which we ate it. Enjoy and don’t drool too much on your keyboard!

LATE LUNCH – PizzArt

Best pizza ever. The atmosphere was light and clean and there were tables to accommodate parties of all sizes. Bar area was downstairs with the main dining room upstairs. The staff was incredibly attentive and fast. We first enjoyed an appetizer called Frittura All’Italiana. It was a perfect variety of fritters, meatballs and fried pizza dough. We’re still dreaming of it! The pizza (Verace) was hot, flavorful and fresh. Although it may not have been a slice of “New York pizza”, I would rather have this than anything else. Highly recommend this place…and it was reasonably priced, too.

DESSERT – Dylan’s Candy

Dylan’s Candy Bar was a children’s dream with an incredible variety. We had fun looking around and I’m sure if my kids were there, we would have been in sugar overload!

DESSERT – Sprinkles Cupcakes

Sprinkles Cupcakes was a very cute store with good cupcakes. They had moist cupcakes and a good frosting to cupcake ratio. I honestly would not say that they are over-rated.

DINNER – Luke’s Lobster

This Luke’s Lobster location was located in the Plaza Food Hall. It was a very hidden-gem feeling because of the lack of signage. This place had tons of places to eat, probably very busy during lunch and dinner hours. I image this would be a great place for a family to go to because everyone can find something that they like. The lobster and crab rolls were delicious! Pretty sure that the roll consisted of lobster, butter, salt, pepper and oregano. So delicious and reasonably priced.

DESSERT – Grom’s Gelato

Yum! Small place right by Columbus Circle. Great place to grab a snack after walking through Central Park.

BREAKFAST – Ess a Bagel

Arrived at 10, left at 11 after waiting in line. The bagel was fantastic and worth the wait. There was not a lot of seating, especially when there is a line weaving through the store. We ate on the go and it was worth every bite. P.S. They closed for Rosh Hashana during our trip, so we were glad we went this day.

COFFEE BREAK: Fika

Perfect latte and iced coffee. Not as busy as the Starbucks in Manhattan! Swedish coffee shop that had a very scrumptious lunch menu.

Wikipedia says: Fika (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈfiːˌka]) is a concept in Swedish culture with the basic meaning “to have coffee“, often accompanied with pastries.[1]

LUNCH – The Meatball Shop (near Central Park)

It was a cute restaurant with indoor or outdoor seating. My sister got the meatball bowl below and she liked it. She  said it was probably a better choice when it is cold outside and you want something warm and hearty. Mine on the other hand was just okay. It wasn’t very flavorful and quite hard to eat. We probably wouldn’t go back there.

SNACK – Levain Bakery (open at 9am)

The Cookie Gods were looking out for us! There was no line, the place is TINY on the inside. The cookies are served warm and fresh. The dark chocolate peanut butter chip was a favorite of ours but you will need a glass of milk on standby. The outside of the cookie has a crunch while the middle of the cookie is perfectly soft, chewy, and gooey.

DINNER – Burger Joint

Now, this is a secret. The Burger Joint is HIDDEN in Le Parker Meridien New York on the left-hand side of the lobby. Make sure you know your order or you get kicked to the back of the line! The menu is printed on cardboard along with all the signs by the register. There is seating in the joint, but be very aggressive when trying to find a table. The burger was perfectly cooked with melty cheese on the top. Don’t skip on the fries, they were fantastically crunchy and salty. There were also milkshakes being made but we didn’t order them. Yum! It was featured on “The Layover” with Anthony Bourdain. Worth the line.

BREAKFAST – Mangia

This was more like a small market with lots of different counters of food. Nothing to write home about. We had a coffee…and moved on. We probably wouldn’t go back here.

LUNCH – Sticky’s Finger Joint (3rd and 32nd)

Cannot say how amazing this place was. We walked in, not knowing what to expect. The place is a little hole in the wall. We walked up to the register to order and had no idea what to get. The girl behind the counter was AWESOME and gave us recommendations. She had good things to say about everything on the menu but pointed out their top sellers. We ordered the Pretzel crusted caramel finger, the parmesan chicken finger and the truffle fries. Amazing food. There was a big open window in the front and it’s a great stop for all ages! I will be going to NYC just to eat here again!

DESSERT – Dominique Ansel Bakery

Cute location, large crowd…watch for a line and go during mid morning or mid afternoon. We got the chocolate chip cookie shots and they were amazing! Chocolate chip cookie cup coated with chocolate and cold vanilla milk poured inside. They pour when you order!

LUNCH – Eataly

This was totally not was I was expecting but met my expectations in a very frantic and crazy way. This place was HUGE and full of amazing foods, drinks and the smells were amazing. It is the mixture of a fresh food market and grocery store. We enjoyed a cold caprese panini which was so good. The nutella crepe was amazing, too, and it was made to order. I would go here again for the same meal. Or maybe order 2 paninis and split them!

SNACK – Macaron Cafe

A typical macaron shop. We ordered a variety to go and the chocolate marshmallow was a fan favorite!! Cute cafe, nice staff.

DINNER – Shake Shack

We walked to three separate Shake Shacks throughout New York, all with a line…until we found this one! We were so happy to have found a Shake Shack with a manageable line! Expectations were set very high and they were met! The burger was so fresh and juicy. I would have added onion and pickles, but it was a great meal. My concrete ice cream dessert was yummy, too!

BREAKFAST – Gramercy Bagel

Tis a shame that this was our last meal in New York City. It was not good. Don’t go there.

So that’s that! I hope you enjoyed our food tour of New York City!