Travel Log: New York City in Winter

I hope your week is going well so far!  I am still working in Shanghai this week, but looking forward to returning home for the weekend. First I want to thank everyone who entered my Koret Tudor Zip Pouch giveaway: there were a total of 472 entries!  I will announce the winner later this week, so be sure to check back to see if the winner is you.  Second, I want to share with you a few snapshots from my most recent trip to New York in December.  When a group of close, food-loving friends said that they were planning a long weekend in NYC to watch the Seahawks-Giants game, my boyfriend and I happily jumped on board for the trip.  One of my bucket list items was to visit Manhattan at Christmas time to see the decorations, the Radio City Music Hall performance with the Rockettes, and just be a part of the hustle and bustle that is winter in New York.  Oh, and did I mention the food?  I could barely contain myself when our friends listed out the restaurants they wanted to visit: the highlight being Eric Ripert's three star Michelin awarded Le Bernardin, featured in my last post Foodie Review: Le Bernardin.  My boyfriend and I did not attend the football game, but we enjoyed a whirlwind long weekend of amazing food and Christmas spirit with our dear friends.  Please scroll through for photos and details of our adventures.


Rockefeller Center and the famous tree! The square was packed with tourists, of course, but luckily we were able to jump in for a decent photo.  As you can probably tell, it was freezing cold and I was so thankful for my puffy Burberry coat!


Checking off an item on my bucket list: the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes!


I couldn't take a very good photo with my phone, but those white blurs are the Rockettes!  I was so impressed by their coordination and skilled routines.  The show was such a treat.


The skating rink at Rockefeller Center.  We walked by after the show, so it was late and there were very few people on the rink.  It was also very cold and windy outside.


 Out in the Meatpacking district Friday night.  We were already dressed up for our dinner at Le Bernardin, so why not go out?  A night out in Chelsea is something that you have to do at least once while in the city.  In previous years when one of my best girlfriends was living in the Upper East Side, I was known to stay out all night and be at the airport at 5am for the earliest flight back to Seattle!


David Chang's Momofuku was one of the restaurants on our list to try this time, and we were not disappointed.  The ramen was amazing, perfect for the snowy weather, and totally worth the wait!  You can see the fat in the broth...and that perfect soft boiled egg...I'm drooling all over again.  We put our name in and walked across the street to another bar for drinks while waiting for our table, something I also recommend.  It makes the time pass quicker and everyone much happier.


Lox bagel with caviar cream cheese from Russ & Daughters in the Lower East Side.  This place has been a New York staple since 1914, and I loved all of the photos on the walls of the owner and his three daughters over the years.  In addition to bagel sandwiches, Russ & Daughters sells a variety of smoked fishes and caviars as well as desserts.


Russ & Daughters is located just one block over from Katz Deli, so of course we had to walk over there as well for the famous Katz Pastrami.  I also like the corned beef, go with a group if you can so that you can share.  We did a lot of sharing so that we could fit in more tasty treats!


Lunch at the Meatball Shop in SOHO - this spot is always on my list when I visit the city.  Their menu is pretty simple: bowls of meatballs with sauce that you can mix and match from the available choices.  Meats are pork, chicken, beef, veggie and the sauces are tomato-based, cream-based, or pesto.  You can also choose the daily balls, which is what I usually do.  All of the meat is ground in house, and some of my favorites are spicy pork meatballs with parmesan cream sauce, beef meatballs with spicy meat sauce, and chicken meatballs with pesto.  They also serve veggies and sides, and we had two tasty seasonal ones: collard greens and butternut squash with brown butter and pecans.


After all these trips to Manhattan, I finally visited the Empire State Building!  We went on Sunday during the Seahawks-Giants game, when the line was basically nonexistent.  It took all of five minutes to purchase tickets, then we walked all the way to the elevators without stopping.  I highly recommend going during gametime if you want to skip the crowds!


One of my favorites shots from the observation deck.  The sun streaming through the clouds is so pretty!  One World Trade Center stands tall among the buildings in FIDI.

I love visiting New York, and I hope you enjoyed these photos from my most recent trip.  Thanks so much for reading, and be sure to check back later this week for the winner of my Koret Tudor Zip Pouch giveaway!

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