Nutella Heaven in Flatiron

So, I have grossly neglected my blog recently but a quiet weekend to myself has given me time to get back to it. 

I love Eataly, I used to work in the area and would pop in for lunch most weeks. They have the most amazing produce and its a genuinely enjoyable shopping experience with knowledgable staff and quality foods. So when I heard that Eataly was opening a Nutella bar, I was counting down the days until the opening.

This is any self respecting nutella fan's dream. So, as expected, there was a fairly sizable queue of fellow nutella enthusiasts. With nutella jar upon nutella jar stacked up to the ceiling, I definitely felt as if I had gone to nutella heaven. 

Prices are a little inflated I would say, even for New York, and stock was limited as they were struggling to keep up with demand. I decided to try the Crostatina con nutella.

Realistically this place is great but more for the novelty. Nutella is good on anything and the crostatina was good- but I can't really give it any more praise than that. 

There are also lots of nutella related products (recipe books etc.) so well worth a visit if you are looking for a nutella related gift for anyone!

City Bakery- Union Square

City Bakery has been on my to do list ever since I heard that it does the best hot chocolate in town. Now that we are entering spring and summer I knew that I had to try this out before the summer heat hits and hot chocolate becomes less tempting. 

Now, City Bakery may have built their reputation based on their hot chocolate but they also have a fantastic array of baked goods and salads. 

The decor- the main service counter dominates the room with little tables hugging the walls. It has quite an earthy feel with its wooden floors and metal structure. Inviting and spacious, it is a great place to hang out. 

I opted for one of their massive chocolate chip cookies (I will admit I had to share it in the end) and a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is not massive but really is the perfect amount! Thick, rich and super chocolatey, this is for real hot chocolate enthusiasts. I normally like marshmallows on my hot chocolate but had been told to avoid this here and don't feel that I missed out on anything by opting for a marshmallow free treat.

Overall, this may not be the cheapest of places but a great stop off when you have a craving for something sweet!

The Basque Bakery in Soho

My family home is in the South West of France, deep in the Basque Country. So when I stumbled across a basque restaurant in Manhattan, I just had to go in for a taste of home. With two locations, one in San Sebastian and one in New York, this authentic restaurant is staffed by Spaniards and serves traditional basque food. 

I love gateau basque (traditional basque desert made with almond flour and pastry cream) but have to say I wasn't taken with their version of it. Heavy pastry and filling that wasn't quite light enough- bit stodgy. 

But their thick spanish hot chocolate was fantastic. I also tried a peach pocket and a freshly squeezed orange juice. 

This quirky little cafe/restaurant is perfect for a spring afternoon, its doors open up onto the street and the indoor plants climbing up the walls blur the line between indoors and outdoors.

London vs NYC

I originally intended for this to be a comparison between the US and the UK, having lived in a several places in both countries. However it then dawned on me that these are pretty big and culturally diverse countries. Comparing the two would be widely inaccurate so I decided to narrow it down to just NYC and London.

I should also probably admit that I am somewhat (ok, fairly) biased towards NYC. Not only am I currently living in the Big Apple but I have never fallen in love with London in the same way. Quite frankly, my heart belongs to New York. I would also note that I am specifically referring to Manhattan. 

With this being said, London may not be for me but I do recognize it is a fantastic city. And there are of course things that I miss. So here goes my London vs NYC list.

      1. Food

Ok so this has to be a tie. The UK has a reputation for having awful food and whilst I do see where this comes from (pot noodles and awful greasy spoons, I’m looking at you), the UK is home to a huge number of Michelin starred restaurants. NYC is a melting pot of a million cuisines, famous for its pizza and pastrami and bagels, there is always somewhere new to try, some pop up restaurant, some incredible and mind boggling fusion. But London is equally a melting pot of various cuisines, from China Town to Little Portugal, you can find everything and anything under the sun. And boy do I miss British chocolate. 

      2. Drinking

London takes this. Purely based on the pub scene. Yes the swanky NYC bars are fantastic, but you can find equally swanky bars in London. A good British pub? You have to go to London for that. Next!

3. People

NYC you got it. Londoners are renowned for being a tad moody. Cold, distant and reserved, Londoners are not a fun and friendly bunch to strangers and the general public (of course they are lovely to their family/friends/acquaintances, but on the streets you will not catch them cracking a smile). I find New Yorkers to be a genuinely friendly, down to earth and approachable bunch.

     4. Weather

Now I have yet to experience an NYC summer so I appreciate that voting NYC at this point is most likely extremely naïve of me. But so far, I am not missing the continual London drizzle. I am enjoying the sun on both warm and cold days. Granted, I am likely to change my tune when the oppressive summer heat and humidity hits. Watch this space. 

     5. Layout

London is obviously a much older city with a rich heritage and stunning buildings. However, I found the sheer scale of London to be pretty overwhelming. I never quite managed to get my bearings and certainly not as quickly as I did in NYC. Maybe it’s the grid system. Maybe it is the fact that I live and work in Manhattan and that I don’t venture off the island all that often, but I seem to have made sense of NYC faster.

6. Public Transport

It had to be said, NYC is just generally more convenient a city than London. Nothing embodies this more than the subway system. It is open 24/7. London's underground kills me. Aside from the fact that it is extortionately expensive, ridiculously overcrowded, consistently late/delayed/not working.... the underground shuts down around midnight. This baffles me. Say goodbye to drinking past 10.30pm. Taxis are unbearably expensive and the night bus is terrifying. NYC seems to have understood that a city that never sleeps needs 24/7 subway service. And you know what? Taxis are so affordable that if you can't bothered (and you're not going too far), hop in a cab! Sorted. 

So I give the win to: NYC. 

However, this is not to say London is without its many merits. London, I'll tell you what: I miss your good British TV, cadbury chocolate, pubs and sunny afternoons on the common. But no I do not miss your weather. 

Morandi- West Village

I had been meaning to eat at Morandi's for a while as I had heard good things. And so we headed off on a rainy day to try it out. 

This cosy Italian restaurant embodies the rustic and authentic Italian cuisine most foodies look for in NYC. The food is fresh and the atmosphere is great. Portions are not huge but then I am not normally a fan of over sized dishes that you can't finish. 

The pasta was fantastic and the staff were great. We were seated straight away and they answered any questions we had about the menu. 

It looks like it would be a great place to eat outside in the summer. But it does get quite busy, so do book ahead!

Commerce- West Village

I had heard great things about this restaurant and had been aching to try it for a little while. So I was excited once I finally got round to making a reservation. Tucked away in a quiet unassuming West Village street, this cosy restaurant is very popular. And boy does that show on a Friday evening. Despite my reservation and arriving on time, we had over an hours wait before we were seated. I am not going to lie, this was not the most pleasant experience. We were crammed in by the hectic bar like sardines (imagine the Northern Line at rush hour). The delays and cramped conditions led to a few upset customers complaining but the staff did an amazing job working under high pressure with tempers flaring. We were given complimentary drinks and the food that followed then made up for the less than ideal start.

The bread, oh the bread. Normally I try to avoid eating too much before my food arrives so as not to fill up on bread. But the Commerce brings a bread-basket to end all bread-baskets, with a variety of hot, home made rolls that are impossible to resist. From freshly baked tomato and pesto to soft salty pretzels to cheese and bacon mini rolls… the bread-basket did not last long.

I opted for the Winter Vegetable in Thai Red Curry: fresh, delicate, aromatic and seriously tasty. The Steak Diane was elegant and cooked to perfection. 

For desert I ordered their famous Coconut Cake. While this is not normally my favourite desert, I had heard such good things that it just had to be done.  First of all, it is huge. Everyone at the table ended up trying it but even then I still left about a third (maybe I did eat a little too much bread after all). Second of all, it is delicious. Just go and try it. Be prepared for a moist slab of coconut deliciousness.

Their cookie was a great choice for those who want something sweet but who know when enough is enough (yes my eyes are frequently bigger than my belly). The Birthday Cake comes complete with a candle and is just as big as the Coconut Cake.

Overall, yes the hour wait standing in a seriously crowded room did initially put me off but the staff was fantastic, the atmosphere was good and the food was just amazing.

Brunch in TriBeCa

There is nothing quite so "New York" as a good brunch. So I felt it was pretty shameful that 3 months into my time NYC I still had not tried this late breakfast, early lunch. This weekend I decided it was time to get rid of my guilty conscience and hit the brunch scene.

It can be hard to narrow down where to go given the huge choice of restaurants offering brunch, from Mediterranean to Mexican, Danish to Vietnamese. I was in the mood for a traditional American Brunch and stumbled across Bubby's in Tribeca.

Let me start by saying, I have a feeling that I am going to be a regular here. 

Fantastic comfort food, great service and a buzzing, busy atmosphere. You cannot reserve for brunch but although the place was packed we were seated within minutes.

 Everything was incredibly fresh and ridiculously tasty. Bubby's prides itself on locally sourced, organic food made from scratch. Portions are big, so do make sure you're hungry. 

  

The Basque Country- lush and ancient land

"Everyone who has visited the Basque country longs to return; it is a blessed land." - Victor Hugo

The Basque Country is close to my heart, I have moved a lot throughout my life but for the last 8 years my family home has been there and I go back for the holidays. Nestled partly in South Western France and North Western Spain, this lush and green land has dual nationality and speaks three languages (like myself!). 

It is both mountainous and coastal. You can spend your days hiking or surfing, but wherever you go, the views are incredible.

St Jean de Luz- small French seaside town.

Hiking the Col d'Ibardin- one side of the mountain is France. The other is Spain! With wild ponies and stunning views, this hike is challenging but so worth the effort.

San Sebastian is a prosperous and beautiful coastal town on the Spanish side of the Basque Country. Fantastic for shopping and the culinary capital of the country, this is the perfect city for a day out!

The Basque language is said to be the oldest in the world with no tangible link to any other in the world. They have a rich heritage and a strong national identity. The Basques are hugely proud and rightly so- it is an ancient part of the world steeped in tradition and history.

La Fete de Bayonne (in Bayonne, naturally) celebrates Basque culture and is a five day street party in August with local music, drink, food and street party. Everyone dresses in white and red (colors of the city of Pamplona, also part of the Basque country) and enjoys the fireworks, fun fairs and party atmosphere. Even during the day it is pretty hectic, so at night it can get a little lairy! 

The Basque country belongs in part to France and in part to Spain, however, it is in reality very separate culturally and historically. There is so much beyond the few places I have mentioned that I hope to get round to writing about one day. Quaint rural villages and local traditions, it is a beautiful and truly unique part of the world.