Everything I ate on a 3 day trip to your city with family

Caffé panna: 7.0/10

Sungold sundae

Not pictured- cookies and panna, red flag

Sundae was a bit too salty, and not enough of the tomato came through. I make better ice cream at home compared to the other two scoops. Seems like the pints are the way to go since the flavors are more interesting and the mixins seem more generous.

Shukette: 9.2/10

Hummus

Labneh with strawberry, lime, and mint

Not pictured- pita, frena, sour cherries, fish in a cage, tahini soft serve with halva floss

Grilled half chicken

Strawberry sorbet and tahini twist

Dips and breads are the main stars here. Just order all of them. Everything else was great, but these were exceptional. Skip the fish and opt for the chicken or Skewers (fish was great, too, but tiny). Both desserts were awesome.

Tompkins Square bagel: 8.3/10

The Weezer on poppy with Scallion cream cheese

Nova DeLox on everything, sub pastrami lox

The Weezer was a bit underseasoned for my liking, and there was hardly any cream cheese. The nova bagel was the best bagel I have ever tasted. The bagel had a glassy texture on the outside and was soft and chewy on the inside. Perfect amount of fish and other fillings (I don't like a giant pike since that's all you taste when they're that generous).

L'industrie Pizza: 9.5/10

Plain slice

Pepperoni slices

Not pictured- olive oil gelato

Pizza doesn't get any better than this. Paper thin, super crispy crust with the perfect amount of toppings. Sauce very bright and not overly seasoned. Nothing competes. Everything meshes into the perfect slice. I didn't see anyone else order the olive oil gelato, but it was what caffé panna should have been. Just the right amount of salt, and nice fruity/grassy notes from the oil. Gelato perfection.

Au Cheval: 6.7/10

Double cheeseburger with all the fixings

Not pictured- prime rib sandwich, wedge salad, chocolate cream pie, and mille feuille

I have had the pleasure of trying the Chicago location, which gave me the tastiest burger I have ever had. Their sister restaurant, Gilt bar, also has the prime rib sandwich, and it is definitely in the top five of my favorite sandwiches. My experience here in NYC was nowhere near as good. The burger was great, but not nearly as memorable. The sandwich was a bit dry. Wedge salad wasn't even a wedge, and my dad had the pleasure of getting a giant hair in it. The desserts were fantastic, though. Definitely get the mille feuille, it's exceptional.

Chez Ma Tante: 9.1/10

Pancakes

Gigante Beans

Not pictured- cured salmon

The best pancakes I have ever had. Incredibly crisp edges, fluffy, moist interior, and absolute heaps of butter. Gigante beans were great, as was the salmon. Run to get these pancakes, though.

Radio Bakery: 8.7/10

Triple chocolate Croissant

Pistachio Croissant

Stonefruit and custard danish

Not pictured- chocolate chip cookie

Triple chocolate Croissant was the best Croissant I have ever had. Every layer was distinct and buttery. Not too much chocolate despite it being a triple threat. Seemed light despite the amount of butter that undoubtedly went into making it. Stonefruit and custard was also exceptional. Sweet and tart were perfectly balanced, and it had the nicest hint of vanilla. Other two were also great, but not as memorable. Wish I could have tried the chocolate peanut croissant and the sandwiches. It loved up to the hype (I waited 20 minutes in the rain, too).

Unregular pizza: 6.0/10

I forget what they called this slice, but it had clearly been sitting for a long time. The crust was light, crispy, and airy, but the sauce was not how I like it. Tasted mostly of tomato paste and dried herbs. It was also a but sweet, which isn't my favorite, either. My dad had a slice of the sausage, and that had the same issues but was also too greasy.

Nonna Dora: 8.3/10

Lasagna

Malloredus

Tagliatelle with wild boar ragu

Classics done well. Perfectly chewy pasta. The tagliatelle was the best dish, followed by the lasagna. The malloredus was like any other pasta shape I have ever had. Incredible eating experience there texturally. Nothing mind-blowing, but everything was well executed. Desserts and staff are also awesome.

Chocolate halva croissant from librae bakery: 8.5/10, a bit too sweet

Bahn mi from bahn mi zon: 7.6/10, classic taste, nothing amazing.

Overall, an incredible eating experience. No idea how I fit it all in, but my body is certainly paying the price for it. Thanks, NYC 🙂