Hi everyone!
No reporting in a while because I was in crazy cleaning + organizing mode before my nephews arrived, and then on an eating spree through my younger nephew’s NYC favorites (which included me NOT eating several meals, which puzzled him deeply, lol).
In case you’re curious what the eating spree included:
- New York pizza - his favorite (ie the one by where he grew up), my favorite (down the street from me), Roman-style (by the older one’s old school, ludicrously expensive but delicious and constituted the occasional after-school treat)
- Dim sum - his favorite (near me, ridiculously expensive, but he only eats 2 things there and looks forward to them all year, so who cares), my favorite (in chinatown, my first visit post-pandemic and it was a slight disappointment tbh), we never made it to my new favorite (because: pizza)
- Bagels - we tried a “regular” one from a deli, then I decided to take him to what’s regarded as one of the top nyc bagels (which was a great bagel, but also a long wait… also pretty sure the guy considered throwing in extra bagels a form of flirting hahaha - I ordered 6, we had 10 when I checked at home)
- Indian - we only made it to South Indian, but it was a big hit, and a great revisit because I used to take the two of them there alone when they were little, and he recognized it unlike many other landmarks
The little one went home, older one is still here doing a summer program, but he’s mostly on his own there so I’m off full-time aunt duty, and thinking about what I want to eat myself again!
Tentative thoughts, may change based on mood and effort:
Mon - We had a HO-down in Flushing’s Chinatown at lunchtime, which lasted me through dinner!
Tues - Umami noodles, using some Chinatown produce (shiitake and oyster mushrooms). Maybe some Viet lemongrass pork chop on the side (marinated and frozen).
Wed - Taking older nephew on a college tour just before dinner, will feed him either Ethiopian or grandma pizza which are nearby. Probably Ethiopian, which he likes but never gets to eat. He’ll go back to his friends and I will proceed to another HO-down - this time in Queens at an Egyptian restaurant.
Thurs - Missing my friends due to unintentional self-imposed hibernation, and also their summer travels / weekend houses. Thinking wine & small bites with one of them around the corner from me at one of our favorite spots.
Fri - Maybe catch up with another friend. He recently separated and moved back into the city, and also has a big surgery coming up. Might be nice to have a casual evening without any of those stressors in play. If not, leftovers from the South Indian restaurant - chhole (chickpeas) plus some carb (the bhatura / giant puri that came with it is probably leather at this point).
Sat - Whatever didn’t happen on Fri.
Sun - Might make biryani. In my freezer rummaging I found lamb that I had marinated for this purpose.
I’m also gearing up to bake my usual brownies and maybe also take a stab at Egyptian Basbousa for tomorrow, as the restaurant apparently doesn’t serve dessert, and one of the non-NYC HO visitors will be celebrating a birthday!
