New York Spots To Try

One of my favorite things about being in a city like New York are that there are so many restaurants to try. Surprisingly, it's actually pretty hard to find a great restaurant based just upon Yelp and OpenTable reviews, which is why I've been relying on friends suggestions...and why I'm sharing my favorites with you.

Upstate (EAST VILLAGE)- I lucked out and this restaurant is right down the street from my apartment making it one of my go-tos. I love their fresh oysters, happy hour deal (1/2 dozen oysters and a beer for $12 from 5-7), and the fact that their specials switch up since they order daily from the market.

source

My favorite from this visit were are of course the oysters, the 1/2 cheese and 1/2 meat plate, and the crab cake special. The special was TO DIE FOR. Which is huge for me to say, since I'm really not a crab cake fan.

Apotheke (Chinatown) - My very trendy friend (thanks Sarah) introduced me to this place in Chinatown. We went there first on a Wednesday during their Prohibition night complete with a password entry, jazz and classic drinks (highly recommend the Peg Flip).

source

This past weekend, we went and got the Deal Closer. It was delicious, light and fresh and so delicious that we drank ours too fast for me to get a picture, so here's one from the bar's Facebook page. (Yes, it was that good)

source

The Standard Grill (Meatpacking District)  - This last spot was a recommendation from a coworker.

source

My picks from this spot - are the oysters , the scallops and the lamb paired with the Melville Pinot Noir.

Would love to hear if you have any recommendations of New York places to try!

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend CT came to visit, and we had a great time shopping and eating in the city. I am still in the process of decorating my room so we took a trip to IKEA on Saturday. It was a huge ordeal, but pretty cool to take a ferry to get there. While shopping in Soho, we found this shabby chic furniture store by Rachel Ashwell. The awesome silver baskets and tufted baby blue headboard pictures are from her shop. 

Most importantly is the picture at the bottom right - it's from CT and my new favorite spot - Upstate Craft Beer and Oyster Bar. We went their Saturday night after trying to get in Friday and ended up going back Sunday night. It was delicious! They also do a happy hour special from 5-7 where you get 1/2 a dozen oysters and a beer for $12. All of the their food is extremely fresh and they order daily from the market to make sure it stays that way. We ate a lot of east coast oysters and tried about four different beers (even though I am a huge wineo). I'd highly recommend the Sly Fox Royal Weisse Ale, Hell of High Watermelon Wheat (goes great with Oysters), Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, and the Peak Organic Nut Brown.