New York New Yorking: Part 1

There are few things that get me excited like travelling. I am hungry - no starving, ravenous - for new experiences.

I find myself wanting to be everywhere at once: I want to eat proper Asian food and drink Tequila in Mexico; I want to explore off-beat tracks and winding side streets; I want to climb mountains and I want to lie on a sandy white beach with no responsibilities. I want to live a thousand lives.

But this, of course, is impossible. Even if I had all the money and time in the world to do with what I wish, I'm never going to experience everything. So with my incredibly limited resources, I have to make do with the occasional splurge of adventuring!

I was lucky enough to land two separate adverts over Christmas last year, so I started 2017 with a little extra burning a hole in my savings account... I could feel it smouldering.

Time for an impromptu holiday.

What do you do when you have all these plans for the perfect holiday, but not one of your devoted friends or family can/want to come with? Three years ago me would probably have called the whole thing off.

But I'm not the same kid from your memory.

So off I went. In the months running up to the week I had in mind, I got organisey (which, for me, a human demolition site, is quite the challenge!)

I got in touch with a family friend who said I could stay at theirs for the week - an unbelievable undeserved stroke of luck, and kindness, which meant that when I sat down and crunched numbers I figured out I could do the whole trip, flights, spending money and all, for less than a grand.

That sounds like a lot, but when you think about it, sometimes you hear about people tripping to NY and just the flights are that much!

Flying into Newark

So I was pretty puffed up and proud of my bargains. What my bargains really meant, however, was that I could go all out on spending money! I took $600 for the seven days... and came back with about -$2.

I am the Queen of Skint Londoning, I told myself. I'll get along just fine in the Big Apple.

Turns out them apples is spensive.

Where I ended up spending the most was - predictably in America - food and drink! I have never before in my life been in a position to eat out three times a day, explore and find hidden gems. I practically planned every meal in advance, meticulously researching. I was only there for a week and I didn't want to waste a moment!

I am quite a serious person in general. Sometimes I jump ahead in a conversation to capitalism and/or death. But those are very serious things. If there are two things that aren't that serious that I take a little TOO seriously for my own good it's:

1) Junk food

2) Alcohols

Luckily, so did my hosts! Not only did I feel welcome, but they actually took me to dinner, and for drinks, multiple times!

So here are my top 5 food and drink places that I visited in NYC! Get ready for a LOT of calories...

1) Queens Comfort, Queens

Queens Comfort

I trekked a long ass way for Queen's Comfort. In my mission to experience all five New York boroughs, I got off the subway at Astoria, and walked four miles up the road. It was one of the dodgier walks of my trip (I stepped into a community centre to ask for directions, and a gentleman told me to leave "For my own good"...) I hoped it would be worth it.

It was.

As soon as you walk in you find your senses drowning in the homely, the kitsch. There are Troll dolls on the wall. A cheese movie plays silently on a hung television screen. Everywhere you look is draped in eighties and nineties Americana.

My Starter - Sriracha Deep Fried Mac and Cheese Balls.

Now, this was my last day, and I didn't have that much money left, so I was going to play it safe and just get a main. But something on the menu just caught my eye... Sriracha Mac and Cheese Balls?! *Titanic voice* And they were. They really were.

I feel like I don't really need to say too much about these niblets of joy with a garlic dip. But yes. Joy. Such joy.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken stuffed with Cheese and Caramelised Onion

The Inside (much oozy cheese!)

For my main, I went with the awesome bartender's recommendation: The Stuffed Cap'n Crunch Chicken Sandwich. And I wasn't disappointed. The sweet-tartness of the caramelised onions with the mellow flavour of the oozy, melty cheddar worked perfectly.

Also, the staff were so very lovely - they let me charge my phone behind the bar, and they gave me a side of avocado for free! This restaurant was my #1. 10/10 would recommend.

2) The Boil, Manhattan

The Restaurant

This was my hosts' recommendation. In their words "You can't leave New York without trying proper Southern seafood!" This was my experience of upscale Manhattan dining.

Someone Very Excited for Seafood

The staff at The Boil were bubbly, lovely, but unpretentious. They don't dress things up at The Boil; You buy your shellfish by the pound, and they bring it to you in clear plastic bags. Then they pretty much leave you to get on with it. And as the smells from the rich seasoning start to escape from the bags, you can't wait to get on with it.

Seafood

We Were Given Our Own Shell-crackers.

It was a feast. The closest I've ever felt to being Henry VIII. By the end of it, I think I was so bloated I must've looked about nine months gone! I say I think because the drinks were... let's just say they weren't just strong - these were professional bodybuilders.

I had the Hurricane, a jalepeno concoction which was basically pure spicy alcohol death. I don't really remember what was in it, what it was based on, or what it tasted like. I just remember it was gooooood.

The Deadly Jalepeno Hurricane

3) Lillie's, Times Square

The Bar, Lillie's Times Square

Talking of alcohol, I arrived on St Patrick's day. So I should have taken that as a warning from the universe that this was going to be a very. boozy. holiday. And on my first night, my host took me to the most gorgeous hidden gem: Lillie's is just down a side street off Times Square, and as you step inside you are instantly taken away from Manhattan's imposing chrome; Lillie's is warm, friendly and beautifully decorated.

Me and My Pal Lillie, Ready to Explore

I would definitely recommend trying their Harvest Collins. It tastes orangey and comforting, enveloping, and the bartenders actually set the rosemary stick alight! This gives the cocktail a unique, smokey twist. I had about six.

I was obsessed with this cocktail. When I returned to London, I have (so far) failed to find an equal to the ones I had at Lillie's.

The Harvest Collins

4) Raclette, Manhattan

Raclette

What can I say about Raclette? From the chic, Shoreditch-esque vibes of the decor, reflected in the simplicity of the menu, my meal at Raclette was filling, yet refined.

Telling it Like it IS

The Beautiful Melty, Scrapey Cheese

The star of Raclette's food is, of course, the scraped cheese that falls beautifully onto a pile of potatoes and salad. I got their standard cheese, the house cheese, which was rich, flavourful and gloriously gooey.

Even as the cheese started to cool and solidify, giving the feeling of leftover pizza, this was true American comfort food, in an elegant French style.

5) Tony Baloney's, Hoboken, NJ

Taco and Mac and Cheese Pizza, Tony Baloneys, Hoboken NJ

It was late evening. One of my hosts was still at work and the other uttered that fateful word: "Pizza?" The answer is always yes, but I didn't know what I was letting myself in for.

Tony Baloney's looks like your average American pizza joint as you approach it, but don't be fooled. Stepping inside is like falling down the rabbit hole, with such curious delights as mac and cheese pizza and - even curiouser - taco pizza! I got a slice of each. The mac and cheese pizza was delicious - golden and gooey, with an oily, cheesy film on the top. True American indulgence.

But the taco pizza was something else. Now I must tell you that my favourite food is guacamole - I am an Avocado Advocate. This was a pizza smothered in guac. With two full on tacos where the crust would normally be. It was a mess to eat, but believe me, every smidgen was worth it.

I'm not gonna lie, putting together such a short list was hard. I ate so much good food, it's surprising that they didn't have to roll me back onto the plane!

I was so lucky, but I was also determined, driven, to shoehorn everything in. I managed everything I wanted to experience, as well as a few surprises thrown in! Travelling alone teaches you so much about yourself and it has made me a more organised person for sure - you don't have anyone to fall back on if you get lost!

Unfortunately, I have to go to work now, so Part 1 of my New York post has got to come to a swift close. Brace yourselves, though: in Part 2, I'll be talking more about exploring a strange city alone. More about how it's affected me as a person. And, of course, more recommendations of places to see, and tips on Skint New Yorking!

See you soon,

Char

xxx