Pondicheri Cafe: a huge birthday party in back, so the noise level was unpleasantly high and it was nigh impossible to get to the restrooms. We had the Sindhi Pakora Chaat (delicious), the Dal and Brussels (good, but an odd combination), the Green Masala Shrimp (fabulous), and the Goa Pork (very good). We finished with house-made ice cream. I had the Turmeric Lavender in a house-made cone, which had ground peppercorn and rose petals embedded in it. It was an innovative combination and I adored it. The other people had the Moringa Mint and said it was really good, but not as minty as they'd expected.
Pain Quotidien: I actually ate here on two consecutive mornings. The first time, I had the Avocado Toast with Smoked Salmon, and a mug of their Hot Honey Lemon Ginger. Both were terrific. The second time, I got the Smoked Salmon Breakfast and a mug of coffee. The food was great but I once again realized how much I dislike trying to eat a soft-boiled egg in the shell. My companions had the Belgian Waffle with fruit (delicious, not too big) and the Skillet Eggs with Salmon and Avocado (really good.)
Xian Famous Foods: it's a tiny little dive, mostly catering to the carry-out crowd. You stand along one wall and watch a pair of cooks prepare your order, which takes under 5 minutes. Everything involves their hand-torn noodles, which the cooks also make when they have a free moment. I recommend it for sheer entertainment value, plus the food was delicious. We had the Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles (delicious, but so spicy I could only have a bite) and the Pork "Zha Jiang" Hand-Ripped Noodles (only slightly spicy, and totally delicious.)
Fournos Theofilos: We also got carry-out from here one night. The Greek Salad was amazing and I will always remember it as my new gold standard. Unfortunately, the carry-out situation was confusing, with almost nothing else on the website actually being on offer that night. We ended up with mediocre sausage rolls. I really liked the tomato chutney that came with it; not so much the spicy green mustard sauce.
Great Northern: a food hall in Grand Central Station, featuring Nordic food such as open-faced sandwiches (smørrebrød) and hearty salads. It's a bit confusing: there are multiple stations and you pay for the food at each station right there. I planned carefully and got my drink (GUS grapefruit soda, so good) and a trio of open-faced sandwiches at the same stall. I had the smoked salmon and radish, the curried herring with grated egg, and the avocado with green tomato and green apple. All three were delicious and innovative and I only wish I'd had more space in my stomach!
Bien Cuit: a bakery in Grand Central Market. We picked up breakfast food: an apple cardamom danish, a ginger cranberry tart, and a chocolate almond croissant. All three were terrific.
Pescatore Seafood: a seafood shop in Grand Central Market. We picked up crab rolls and shrimp rolls for the trip home. I loved the crab roll; my mom loved the shrimp roll but I thought it had too much mayonnaise. Service was swift, friendly, and helpful.
In addition to all this, we shopped at Columbus Circle and Uniqlo, and window-shopped up and down Madison Ave. We spent hours at the Winter Fair at Bryant Park, and I found some really lovely and unique gifts plus a necklace for myself. I'd wanted to eat at Momofuku Noodle Bar, but they turned out to be closed on Sundays. (Hello! Update your website with correct hours, people...)
All in all, a lovely weekend despite the driving rain and sleet on Sunday.
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