NYC Recs: Last Week in NYC with Joe & my Dad

Last week my Dad and Joe both visited me in NYC! 

My dad was in town Tuesday-Friday after spending a weekend in Hudson. My grandpa lives in Brazil half the year and Brooklyn the other half, so it worked out well that my dad could see me, my grandpa, and my aunts who live nearby all in one trip. He hadn't been in the city since last Labor Day when we were in the Hamptons and spent one night in the city with my grandpa. It was so fun to have him here, and then Joe arrived late on Wednesday night for a bit of overlap! 

Since Joe's move to Dallas in June, his new job has allowed him to work remotely, so this time he came to NYC for a bit longer. The timing was great because we all got to hang out together one night and Joe finally met two of my Dad's three sisters. If you follow closely, you might know that I am extremely close with my aunts (my Dad's three sisters) and they are honestly like my favorite people in the world. It was crazy that Joe had never met them before, so I am so glad it worked out. 

In general, I rarely recap my weekends with Joe in the city, and I want to get better about it! They are some of my favorite weekends because we have so much fun together and because we always manage to explore new parts of the city and try new spots! I also had so much fun picking out places to take my dad. Let's get into it!

Wednesday

Frenchette Bakery - On Wednesday my dad and I tried Frenchette Bakery in Tribeca for pastries in the morning. The treats were absolutely incredible, and I never would have discovered this spot without Tik Tok! Alex Delany has quickly become one of my favorite follows.

Pig & Khao - This is one of my favorite, favorite restaurants in NYC. Located in the Lower East Side, Pig & Khao is a grungy, southeast Asian restaurant with neon green walls, affordable, incredible food and drinks, and a killer playlist. I knew my Dad was going to be into this- he loves Asian food and hole-in-the-wall vibes. Everything we ordered was great: I started with a red wine flight (how fun!) and we had the shrimp, a noodle dish, and the ribs which were the star of the show; my dad says they're the best ribs he's ever had! Also, we had coconut rice on the side which is a must. I didn't know rice could be that good.

Thursday

La Colombe - Joe arrived super late on Wednesday night; his flight was delayed. Thursday morning we needed coffee desperately and went to La Colombe for black & tans! I, obviously, had to try their new seasonal pumpkin spice latte, and joe went with the classic draft oat milk. So good, but not quite as pumpkiny as I'd hoped.

Jacques at the Lowell - On Thursday both Joe and I had to work, and then immediately after we ventured up to the Lowell to meet my dad, grandpa, and two of my aunts! This hotel, wow. The bar is also wow. It was incredibly gorgeous and fancy and the drinks were great. We had so much fun. I love bougie hotel bar vibes, haha.

Fish Cheeks - After a couple of drinks, Joe and I needed dinner so we taxied down to Bowery for dinner at Fish Cheeks. I'd been here last September with my dad actually, so I was excited to take Joe. Fish Cheeks is very cute and serves creative, kind of elevated Thai food. Our waiter was from Bangkok actually and it was really cool to chat with him. We sat at the bar and the vibes were just fantastic. We had pork cheek and tilefish, and Joe says it was some of the best fish he's ever had.

Terra Blues - After dinner, we met back up with my dad at Terra Blues, which I've definitely mentioned before because I've been here so many times. It's just a great blues bar near Washington Square Park that always has a live Blues band going... and a $20 cash cover per person... keep that in mind, haha.

Friday

Laughing Man - Friday morning we woke up and of course, I was hungover. Lol, people are not kidding about it getting worse as you get older. Anyway, I'd really been wanting to try the pumpkin iced latte from Laughing Man. Joe and I love going to Tribeca on Friday mornings because there are always so many cute babies and little ones out and about, heading to school or just joining their parents for their coffee run. At Laughing Man especially there's always a bit of a line and crowd so it's kind of fun to people-watch if you have the time. The pumpkin latte was really good!

Shopping - We both had to work again on Friday, obviously, and then in the evening we just went for a long walk and did a little shopping. Clic is one of my favorite stores that I've talked about many times, and the J.Crew Men's store on Broadway is also great. Their collection right now is amazing. Someone buy their boyfriend this jacket, please.

Chili Recipe - We stayed in on Friday and made this chili! It was so good. I will 100% be making this again this season. 

Pumpkin Blondies Recipe - Joe was in charge of the chili and I was in charge of dessert. I made this pumpkin blondie recipe, and they were good, but a liiiittle too thick. The next day after they fully cooled they were better, but Friday night they were a little hard to swallow, lol. I blame my oven though, it's a typical NYC oven that I swear operates at one temperature and bakes everything oddly.

Saturday

EJ's Luncheonette - On Saturday morning we ventured up to the Upper East Side for the vibes and some shopping. I'd always wanted to try EJ's Luncheonette, the iconic diner on the UES. It was great! Very classic NYC diner vibes, but the food was better than some others I've tried. It was a short walk to Fifth Ave / the park, and we mostly walked around after and eventually did some shopping. We got to the diner around 10am and had no problem getting seated immediately.

Shopping - spent most of our early afternoon just walking around and popping into stores. I got this elevated-basic shirt (a new staple in my closet!) and Joe got this incredible cashmere sweater. He ended up wearing it the rest of the weekend because it was perfect for the weather and just so cute on him.

Ralph's - obviously had to make a pit stop at Ralph's! I feel like recently their coffee has gotten even better. Before it was good, but I mostly went for the photos. Now, I'm actually a big fan of their drinks! I had an iced chai and Joe had their draft oat latte - that was soo good. 

PS at Pine & Polk - Joe's uncle was in town over the weekend so we met up with him! I, of course, was in charge of picking the spot, and I think I did a great job with this choice. We had a dinner reservation in SoHo so I wanted to do something nearby/in SoHo, but I really don't know of many spots in my neighborhood because I am always heading out to other areas. Somehow I found PS at Pine & Polk, which is a fabulous little speakeasy hidden inside a tiny grocery store in West SoHo! They opened in May, so it's relatively new. The vibes were lovely- nice and chic and dim lighting without being pretentious or pitch black. The cocktails were delicious and creative, as one expects at a speakeasy, and the staff was so kind. 

We went on a Saturday around 5:30 and the vibes were so laid back while also being elevated, and it was busy but not crowded or stuffy. You know? Just a really good, rare balance that you don't get often in NYC. I feel like the "popular" places are packed and impossible to get into, and then everywhere else is totally empty. This was a perfect balance. Would highly recommend it! I'd totally go back. 

Raoul's - I was so excited that we finally had a reservation at Raoul's on Saturday night! This iconic French restaurant is soo close to my apartment but I'd never been. It's a bit hard to get a reservation, but if you turn on your Resy notify you'll have a good chance! It's definitely somewhere on the cozy/dark side that I prefer in the colder months, so I'm glad we went when we did. 

I had the Coquilles Saint Jacques, which is a scallop dish with a creamy sauce and lots of cheese. It was such delicious, comforting food and one of my favorite meals I've had in NYC. The food and wine were a 10/10 but I will say we did not linger, it felt like a quick dinner and not necessarily very romantic. While it was dark (which I love), we were kind of crammed in there (it was packed inside). I'd recommend it for sure, definitely for the food, but I think it's the kind of place you want to go on a double date or with any group of 4-ish people. For two people it's just not likely you're going to get a great table and the vibes are more fun (like so many people standing and hanging out around the bar), so I just imagine the vibes are ideal for a small group or double date situation.

Sunday

Now or Never - I've definitely mentioned this spot before; Now or Never is my favorite coffee spot in SoHo. They have the best seasonal drinks. Joe had the walnut latte which was a winner. I got the snickerdoodle latte which was delish but a little too sweet. 

Crispy Heaven - Right across the block from Now or Never is a fabulous bakery that we've also popped into before. We were making breakfast sandwiches at home so we picked up fresh bread. 

The Whiskey - We made our way to Williamsburg in the afternoon to eat wings and watch football. It was such a gorgeous Sunday and getting out of the city even a little bit felt incredible. It was a crisp fall day and the vibes were immaculate. I loved this spot because they had one of my favorite seasonal beers, the Montauk pumpkin ale, and great nachos & wings. The decor was also cute and it wasn't too crowded at all, unlike some of the other sports bars we passed on our way. 

Overall it was a great weekend. We had so much fun together and I am always grateful for the time I get to spend with the people I love!

xoxo