Food in NYC

As is most likely already obvious, one of my passions in life is food.  While this has definitely made weight loss a struggle, I refuse to deprive myself of every delicious food in life, simply because it isn't lettuce.  :)  This trip was certainly no exception.  There were several fast food stops on the way up and back (for time's sake), but once in NYC, there were at least three memorable meals (along with photos) that I want to share.

The first was a lunch in Grand Central Terminal.  One of the veteran chaperones suggested that Jason and I try the Oyster Bar's fare on the lower level of the terminal (If you haven't been there, Grand Central is full of shops, bakeries, and restaurants.).  Jason ordered a fish sandwich, and I chose the crab cake sandwich.  It was amazing -- moist, delicious, and the crusty bread was the perfect finish.

crabcake sandwich from The Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal

The second memorable food experience from this trip was also in Grand Central Terminal...yes, on the same day.  I saved room after my crabcake sandwich for dessert, specifically because I saw a sign for Magnolia Bakery (I had heard of how delicious the cupcakes were at this bakery before coming to NYC, and was determined to try one.).  I ordered a vanilla cupcake with buttercream icing.  The icing was a beautiful pastel purple, and was topped with Magnolia's home-made and hand-dyed sprinkles.  It looked pretty simple, but the taste was divine.  The icing was perfect, not too heavy, and the cake was perfectly moist but still light.  It left me wanting more, but I didn't buy another.  :)

vanilla cupcake with buttercrea

he last meal we had in NYC was most definitely the most amazing of them all.  We chose Carmine's, an Italian family-style restaurant, where you order together as a group, and everything comes out on huge platters for all to share.  There were six of us total, and we decided upon three choices, with a pasta added as a "base."  After much deliberation, we chose: fried calamari, chicken parmigiana, shrimp scampi, and penne alla vodka. 

The calamari was the best I've eaten...it was tender and less chewy than most I've tasted, and the breading was delicious.


fried calamari



tiny squid about to be devoured by Candice

I did not try the chicken, but that is Jason's favorite dish, and he says it was delicious, so I am taking him at his word.  It looks amazing.

chicken parmigiana



The runner-up for most amazing part of the meal was the shrimp scampi. I am a huge seafood fan, and this shrimp stood out not just because of the size, but the breading on top gave it an extra crunch and flavor that made it some of the best shrimp I've ever tasted.  Unfortunately, we dug in too fast for me to get a photo of the whole gigantic plate, but I did take a photo on my plate before I devoured them.

what was left of the shrimp scampi

The most amazing part of the entire meal was the part that seemed to be the most boring and unassuming, but it was the most delicious.  The penne alla vodka was exceptional.  I love marinara sauces, but I had never tried a creamy marinara sauce before, and now that's all I'll be looking for in the grocery next week.  The pasta was perfectly cooked, the sauce was creamy but still tomato based (not nearly as rich as an alfredo sauce, which is the cream-style sauce I am most used to eating), and it went perfectly with the other dishes we chose.  I went back for seconds on the pasta, and would have gone back for thirds if my stomach would have allowed it.

penne alla vodka

just some of the massive spread of food we had

Better than just the food, though, was the company on the entire trip.  As a chaperone, I was expecting lots of teenage drama and complaining about getting up early, but in fact, it was quite the opposite.  The students were wonderful to work with, they seemed to have a fantastic time at each stop; my colleagues are hilarious to work with and kept me laughing the entire trip; and any trip with Jason is made more entertaining.  :)  It was a wonderful week in NYC, one I won't soon forget.  More on the sights and sounds later...today was all about the food.