Tasti D-Lite

What I Had: Nutella Frozen Yogurt
What It Cost: $3.50
Where I Was: Upper East Side


Nutella. Frozen. Yogurt. Who knew such a wonderful thing existed? And at only 90 calories, it can't get any better. Tasti D-Lite has "hundreds" of flavors but each day, six of them are available to you. Today's flavors all sounded good but if Nutella is ever available, it's a rule that you must have it. I would call ahead and ask what the six daily flavors are before going, but that's just me.


1049 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 319 - 8800
Tasti D-Lite

Burger Heaven

What I Had: Burger Heaven Salad
What It Cost: $14.95
Where I Was: Upper East Side


Getting just water with it and spending $20, it was probably the most expensive salad I've ever eaten, but it was so good I don't even care. After "fixing" it (because..who likes tomatoes?!) it turned out to be one hell of a salad. Lettuce, egg, cheese, grilled chicken, bacon, pita bread, honey mustard... would you like some salad with all your toppings?! Either way, it was awesome.


804 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10065
(212) 838 - 3580
Burger Heaven

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Dominick's Cafe

What I Had: Cafe Latte
What It Cost: $3.00
Where I Was: Upper East Side


Well, a latte is a latte! This was a really good one at that and there was NO line whatsoever, what are the odds? It's also a deli with Boar's Head sandwiches and other goodies so I will have to try that some other day. Being stuck in a cubicle all afternoon made me feel entitled to some afternoon coffee, so to Dominick's I went.


1109 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10065
(212) 838 - 5283
Dominick's Cafe

Baker Street

What I Had: Bowtie Carbonara
What It Cost: $14ish
Where I Was: Upper East Side


Maybe I enjoyed these a little too much because I was starving and wanted pasta very badly, but oh well. Note to self- don't ever order a soda! But other than that, for a solo lunch, it was really good. I was sold once I read the description of "bowtie pasta with bacon in a creamy sauce." If bacon and creamy are ever in the same sentence, it's safe to order that item!


1152 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10065
(212) 688 - 9663
Baker Street

Serendipity 3

What I Had: Chocolate Milkshake
What It Cost: $6
Where I Was: Upper East Side


I was craving a milkshake ALL day and all I could find nearby was Johnny Rockets!
In between ten thousand rug shops and antique stores I ran into Serendipity 3--which I've heard a lot about! I will definitely be coming back to have an actual meal, but I have to say that milkshake was well worth the $6. It better have been... that's a lot for a milkshake! There's an $8.50 minimum charge to sit and eat so you'll have to take it on the go.


225 East 60th Street
New York, NY 10022
(212) 838 - 3531
Serendipity 3

Blue Water Grill

Mother's Day Lunch/Brunch!


What I Had: Rainbow Maki (tuna, hamachi, salmon, fluke, tobiko)
What It Cost: $16.00
What Everyone Else Had:
Calamari Appetizer - $12.00
Crunchy Florida Maki (crab, shrimp, avocado) - $11.00
Crabcake Benedict (spinach, citrus hollandaise) - $20.00
The Burger (pepper jack cheese, sweet onions, avocado aioli, french fries) - $16.00
Dessert: Blue Water Grill's Chocolate Fondue - $10.00
Caramelized Banana Ice Cream Tower - $8.00
Where We Were: Union Square


Speaking for everyone at lunch, this was some serious seafood. Aside from my brother who stayed in his comfort zone and ordered a burger, we all finished lunch having found a new favorite place for sushi/maki. Apparently, ordering the maki only counts as an appetizer, but after eating the calamari and anticipating some dessert, the 8 rolls that came on my plate were plenty filling. This is a great place to go and have everyone order something different from the raw bar and mix&match/share. The dessert was also phenomenal... If you don't want to sit by the loud bar, expect a really long wait. Or have a reservation! And don't use their bathrooms if you're not comfortable being waited on by a bathroom attendant either...


31 Union Square W
New York, NY 10003
(212) 675 - 9500
Blue Water Grill

 Calamari

 Rainbow Maki

 Crunchy Florida Maki

 Crabcake Benedict

 The Burger

 Chocolate Fondue

Caramelized Banana Ice Cream Tower

Tony's Di Napoli

What I Had: Individual Portion- Rigatoni with Vodka & NO Mushrooms
What It Cost: $9.95
Where I Was: Times Square


Everyday from 11:30 - 3:00 you can go have lunch and order a (cheaper) more reasonably sized "individual" portion from a limited menu they offer. The staff is very friendly and it was decorated very similar to a Maggiano's. Very good Italian food, and if they have a chandelier, I'm sold.


147 W 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
(212) 221 - 0100
Tony's Di Napoli

Sunrise Delicatessen

What I Had: Toasted Butter Bagel
What It Cost: $1.15
Where I Was: Times Square


Of course I got the butter bagel... it's my favorite go-to breakfast. I can't say it's the best one I've ever had but you can't compete he location and speediness of it. They had a huge array of different appetizing breakfasts to try, but I just kept it fast and simple. I would consider this my emergency cheap food place whenever I'm in this area. Also may I point out, it's very close to Bryant Park...which makes almost any meal enjoyable!


On the search for the best butter bagel... this comes second to Europan Bakery Cafe


575 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10018
(212) 221 - 6490

Piccolo Cafe

What I Had: #8 (Italian Flatbread, Stracchino Cheese, Prosciutto, Arugola)
What It Cost: $9.00
Where I Was: Fashion District


This place is so homey! I loved just being in there, yet I've never noticed it until the day I accidentally ran into it. Not only is it little and quiet, it's right across the street from Port Authority-- super convenient for a quick lunch. There's a lot on the menu that I'd still like to try, but since prosciutto is almost always delicious, you can't go wrong. This is a very filling sandwich and it makes you very, very thirsty!


274 W 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
(212) 302 - 0143
Piccolo Cafe

Europan Bakery Cafe

What I Had: Toasted Butter Bagel
What It Cost: $1.47 (tax included)
Where I Was: Times Square


I should have known there would be an incredibly long line, but I didn't put two and two together until it was too late. Regardless of the wait, that butter bagel was really, really good! Good luck if you're wanting to eat it at the actual restaurant though. The second a chair becomes available, somebody appears from thin air and throws himself onto the empty seat. It doesn't really matter though because it's only a short walk from Bryant Park, and where else is better??


672 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10036
(212) 730 - 4442
Europan Bakery Cafe

The Meatball Shop

What I Had: Naked Balls w/ Parmesan Cream (Classic Beef) & Freshly-Milled Polenta (Under)
What It Cost: $7.00 & $4.00
What He Had: 3 Meatball Sliders (Classic Beef w/ Parmesan Cream; Chicken w/ Parmesan Cream; Spicy Pork w/ Spicy Meat) & Mashed Potatoes
What It Cost: $9.00 & $4.00
Where We Were: Greenwich Village


As soon as I heard there's a whole restaurant dedicated to meatballs, I knew I had to check it out. And one of the many upsides of going out to eat with someone is having more than one meal to try! Sadly, I didn't get to experience telling the waitress I want to eat naked balls. Probably to avoid the awkward convo, you're given dry-erase markers to select what you want on the menu for the waitress to read. Bummer. 
Aside from that, this was a very good lunch. We ate outside which was really nice and the food came out MUCH faster than you'd expect. The two sides we ordered were to die for, but I'd pick the mashed potatoes over the polenta after trying them both. As for the sliders, the Chicken Meatball w/ Parmesan cream is the winner!


64 Greenwich Avenue
New York, New York 10011
(212) 982 - 7815
The Meatball Shop

St. Andrew's Restaurant and Bar

What We Had: Roasted Thistle-Honey Free Range Chicken & Individual Chocolate Bundt Cake
What It Cost: $21.00 & $9.00
Where We Were: Times Square


Home of the kilted waiters. This is definitely a place where the food and the atmosphere aren't fighting for first place. I'm a sucker for a dimly lit dinner; throw plaid couches and kilts and I'm in. I don't really know what was better- the chicken or the dessert. I don't know what's so special about a free range chicken but whatever it is, it's amazing. It came with sautéed lemon spinach and whipped potatoes that don't disappoint.
I'd say "chocolate bundt cake" is just a fancy term for lava cake. It came with vanilla bean ice cream which made a great contrast with the hot melted chocolate center. Big enough to share for sure! This is the second time I've been here and I would go again.
If you can, ask to sit upstairs!


140 W. 46th Street
New York, New York 10036
(212) 840 - 8413
St. Andrew's Restaurant & Bar