Author: Julie Terebkov
Hello wonderful humans, and welcome to December (aka the greatest month of the year). This week, in spirit of all things that are good and jolly, we are sharing our city guide for the Big Apple (NYC)! This is one of my favorite cities of all time ever because, its a hub for all great things which are held to a very high standard. The people of New York do not stand for subpar anything. Similar to Portland where you can’t really go wrong with any place you go to however, they’re very different cities. Where you might find a man trying to sell you weird fish from a trunk, you might find… oh wait that might happen in both cities. In all seriousness, NYC is definitely a larger and busier city in comparison to Portland and they are not really alike other than the amazing food and coffee.
Coffee
70 Pine Street
New York, NY 10005
Back Fox Coffee is some of the best dang coffee i’ve had, and they never fail me. I go out of my way every time i’m in New York just for this place. Let’s start by mentioning that they are a multi-roaster, meaning that they carry coffees from a bunch of roasters. For example, when I went by during my last visit, they were carrying Heart Roasters and 49th Parallel. Their attention to detail and passion for making some amazing coffee is seen, tasted, and freaking appreciated (THANK YOU Black Fox, you make my heart happy). Honestly, anything and everything you get here drink-wise will be stellar. I’ve had an amazing and delightfully creamy cappuccino here and some of the best drip coffee.
Another thing worth writing an entire paragraph on, is the fact that they have made the greatest pastries EVER. I mean that they are better than freaking oxygen itself. Okay so hear me out… I may be the world’s pickiest croissant enthusiast because, as much as I love them, I have gotten so many that were mediocre. These croissants were LIFE CHANGING. My life has never been the same and I seriously dream of these delectable, moist (sorry to anyone who hates that word), and buttery creations. Do yourself a favor, no matter if you are 20 miles away, just go out of your way to Black Fox Coffee. You will not regret it. Also, I should mention that google maps does you no favors here and it’s a bit hard to find this place but it’s on Pine Street, and not in the food market that is also a part of the building. That should help you find this lovely gem of a place.
109 E 56th Street
New York, NY 10022
This wonderful place has achieved something I have been looking for on this continent. There’s something frequently missed with milk based drinks in the US - creaminess, and the sweetness of perfectly steamed milk. I rarely stop in my tracks and over all the flavors of the drink pick out milk as the first thing. But holy cannoli, this cappuccino was fan-freaking-tastic. I’ve been to this coffee shop at many different locations and have always had great coffee but, this last visit I got a cappuccino and was shocked. So. Dang. Good. They have some great coffees and they are all great. They’re not really life changing like the cappuccino I got but, you can expect a consistently good cup of coffee and thats all I really want.
Westfield World Trade Center
185 Greenwich St. – Balcony Level C1
New York, NY 10007
There are many more locations than this one however, this was the only location not in Brooklyn so bare with me. Don’t be deterred by the fact that it’s inside the shopping center. First of all, this place is right across the street from Ground Zero which is a must see when in NYC. This place has fantastic coffees ranging from just drip coffee to creamy and delightful cappuccinos to - dare I say hot chocolate? Im not sorry about that one, everyone needs hot chocolate in their life, even coffee enthusiasts. The last time I stopped by here I got a wonderful Costa Rican coffee and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an interesting and surprising coffee that had notes of citrus and a sweet blackberry taste as well. I just love when I find a delicious honey-processed Costa Rican coffee. Costa Rica - you light up my world, thank you.
Food
15 Cliff St
New York, NY 10038
Okay so you may begin to see a trend here… Australians know how to make some delicious food. I think every one of my blog posts mentions an Australian food spot. Anyways, here’s another one for y’all! Hole in the Wall is a delicious breakfast/brunch spot that serves some beautifully presented and tasty foods. I have gotten a few different things here with my many visits to this spot and each thing was great and did not underdeliver. My favorite dish I had here was the pulled pork Benedict which was absolutely amazing and it had the most tender pulled pork on it - YUM. If you’re into sweeter dishes to start your day off, I would recommend the whipped waffles which were divine. I’m not normally a sweet breakfast person but, this was a great sweet yet, not over the top sweet dish.
667 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10022
Surprise! Another Australian cafe! Well, I can’t help myself when they make the best dang food out here. Little Collins is a win for a few reasons: they serve some delicious coffee (they serve Counter Culture), amazing food, and their speed and overall service was fantastic. This location is the tiniest little space, and it was packed. Within minutes of us sitting down after ordering, our food came out to us and the girl who brought us the food was amazing. She asked us if we had gotten our coffees yet, brought them over and poured some waters for us. This wasn’t a sit-down restaurant, it was more like a coffee shop in the way you order, sit down, and you yourself pick up the food and coffee. With the crazy busy look of the place I was expecting to wait a while. The entire time we were in there, there was a line to the door (which isn’t that long considering the place is tiny) but, the whole time they were getting everything out quickly and with a smile on their face! That’s a freaking win, especially in the city. I got “the big dill” and was very pleased. The fish was fresh, and every aspect of this sandwich was stellar. Honestly, I was mad I discovered this place at the end of my trip. I will definitely be back here for more food.
251 E 13th St
New York, NY 10003
Why do I eat so much ice cream while traveling? Don’t ask, I genuinely should not be telling people my secret habits. Okay so hands down… BEST ice cream ever. So Milk Bar is all about ice cream that is made with cereal milk and desserts that are simple and meant to not be pretentious. There’s actually an entire Chef’s Table episode about the chef and this place in which she describes her pastries as approachable and American. They carry things like birthday cake truffles and “crack pie” (which yes… this pie is crack, as in you can’t stop eating it). They also have amazing soft serve which is the cereal milk flavored ice cream. They also add toppings like cornflakes and fruity pebble trip cereal. So freaking amazing. There’s a ton of these little ice cream spots all over NYC and they are open for most of the day and into the night.
Exploring
One of my favorite experiences by far has been walking The High Line, a park that is actually above street level. The park is built on an elevated rail line used to move goods through the west side of the city. It runs through through the famous Chelsea Market, which is a great place to meander your way through. The High Line itself is just a great place to walk, see some beautiful buildings from an elevated point of view, and to get some nature in a bustling city. There’s a ton of flowers, trees, and plants all on this rebuilt rail line. This site is a must see if you’re in the Chelsea district in NYC.
Some hidden gems of the city are actually just historic buildings that are free of charge to explore. A few notable places we loved this last trip were: NY Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, Central Park, Federal Hall National Memorial, Battery Park, literally just walk through NYC and you will find so many of these rad places! The best part is that a ton of them are still in use and are absolutely astonishing to look at. One thing I will say is that part of the beauty of NYC is just walking around and exploring the place. Go and explore the city, and enjoy the view and the cool discoveries you’ll make.
Honorable mentions if you are into cocktails: Apotheke, Death & Co., and the Dead Rabbit are some of the best cocktail bars I’ve stumbled upon. They are definitely worth checking out if cocktails are your thing and you’re able to spend some time waiting since these places are usually pretty busy.
Stay classy coffee tribe.