About a month ago, my food-loving mom flew in from North Carolina to spend a weekend in New York City with me.
She was in charge of picking activities; I was in charge of picking food.
I wanted her to experience a variety of cuisines and see different neighborhoods of Manhattan. I also had to account for one "splurge" night — to celebrate her new job — but wanted to balance that out with affordable spots.
Most importantly, I wanted these places to have really good food.
There were a lot of factors to consider, but after two weeks of indecision and second-guessing, here's what I came up with, from $4 oats at a tiny oatmeal bar to $14 guacamole at Richard Sandoval's elegant Mexican restaurant, Pampano.
The itinerary
After several days of Googling, Yelping, polling people, and making — then canceling and remaking — reservations, I came up with a (tentative) agenda, hence the pencil.
We didn't make it everywhere, but we did a did a pretty good job following through on this aggressively scheduled itinerary.
Friday breakfast — Frisson Espresso
By the time my mom arrived on Friday, I was already at work, but that was no reason for her to miss out on a cup of NYC joe and a fattening pastry.
I decided to leave my apartment keys for her at the coffee shop a few doors down from my place in Hell's Kitchen: Frisson Espresso. The relatively new shop is charming, with just as charming of a staff who agreed to deliver my keys to the suitcase-lugging-lady arriving at 10:30am.
They also let me pre-pay for a coffee and scone to greet the traveler.
Price: $7.25 for a medium coffee and scone (I left tip for their hospitality)
Friday lunch — Sagaponack
A coworker recommended this lunch spot tucked away on W 22nd street in the Flatiron District. It's one of those places where you enter and immediately forget you're in the middle of bustling New York City; its nautical inspired decor gives it the feel of its namesake town Sagaponack, in the Hamptons.
We ordered on the lighter side, trying to pace ourselves for the caloric marathon we were about to embark on over the next few days, and went with their East End salad and hummus platter. Had we not been pacing, we would have explored other parts of the menu, which offers burgers, tacos, lobster rolls, hot and cold sandwiches, and pasta.
While the food was flavorful, fresh, and exactly what we wanted, the service was a bit slow. I'm all for leisurely meals, but a weekday lunch that drags for over an hour can be stressful.
Price: $31.67 for two courses and two Diet Cokes
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