Last month, I was able to truly experience my first college spring break when my friends and I planned a spontaneous trip to New York City. As a Boston native, it’s been instilled in me from a young age that there is a strong rivalry between New York and Boston. I had only gone to New York a few times with family before this trip, so experiencing a girls’ trip there was totally different. The sights, the cuisine, and dancing in the street at Bryant Park made the 48-hour stay in the city all worth it.
Our first stop was a French restaurant called Laduree. We sat outside at the Soho location where we were instantly transported to a patio in the middle of France. The 70-degree weather and the sun shining down on us completed the vibe. The menu was filled with extravagant main courses including sandwich options, specialty french toast, and various brunch items. My friend Taylor and I were both interested in two meals, so we decided to get the best of both worlds by each ordering and sharing those options. I ordered the trio mini burger which included three brioche bun sliders with beef, comte cheese, and tomatoes, while Taylor ordered the club pistachio pesto and mozzarella, with sherry tomato and zucchini. It was expected for the food here to be a bit pricey, but the quality and experience at the restaurant made up for it. After lunch, we made sure to pick up some macarons from the bakery inside. I tried rose and salted caramel, both of which were the perfect treat for my after-lunch sweet tooth.
Of course, our “phones ate first,” and we took a picture in front of the Krispy Kreme sign. We went to the location in Times Square for a quick pick-me-up after a few hours of roaming around the hot city. As someone who isn’t a huge fan of Krispy Kreme, I decided to give it another try and get a specialty donut. After getting the Oreo cookies and Kreme doughnut, my mind was changed and it was delectable. The doughnut was frosted with dark chocolate icing, topped with crushed Oreos, and a cookies and kreme filling. As an avid dark chocolate and Oreo lover, this was the best pairing I could have asked for in a doughnut. My friend Cynthia tried the cake batter doughnut, per the recommendation of an employee. It’s filled with cake batter kreme, yellow frosting, and rainbow sprinkles, a true birthday party in your mouth. Savannah tried the cinnamon sugar flavor, something that isn’t super flashy and she actually thought the cinnamon flavor was lacking a bit, but the freshness of the doughnut still left her feeling satisfied.
For dinner that night, we went to an all-you-can-eat spot called “Hometown Hotpot” to celebrate our friend Savannah’s birthday. After being awake for over 12 hours and taking over 30,000 steps during the day, we were ready to eat. A few of us had never had Hotpot before, so our friends started with ordering. With the amount of food we got, the $30 price for all-you-can-eat was incredibly reasonable. We picked 3 options for broth: one spicy, one plain, and a vegetarian-friendly option. Then, we chose from an assortment of proteins including crispy fried tofu and thin-sliced lamb, veggies such as spinach and bok choy, and melt-in-mouth udon noodles and ramen noodles. The great thing about this place was how customizable it was. Unfortunately, the “phone eats first” rule did not apply here, as none of us snagged a picture of the food while we were eating it.
We started the next day off strong at a Maman Cafe and Bakery in Soho. We decided to share two of the pastry assortments and a side of the ratatouille hash. We each picked one pastry we wanted to try off the menu, there was everything from a pistachio loaf, a nutella brownie, to an almond croissant, even a nutty chocolate chip cookie that Oprah named as one of her favorite things in 2017. The ratatouille hash also deserves a standing ovation because it was fantastic, the perfect savory item with all of our sweet pastries. I also tried the honey lavender latte, pictured with stunning latte art. I made the mistake of forgetting to ask for my latte iced and it turned out to be a great one because the lavender flavor was decadent while it was hot. Starting our day at this hidden gem right by our hotel was wonderful and I know if I was an NYC local, I would spend many hours sitting here having a main character moment either people watching, reading, or attempting to do work but getting distracted by the aromas of Maman.
The last place we went to for dinner was in Times Square at an Italian restaurant called Tony’s Di Napoli. We didn’t have any reservations that night, but were able to snag a table for five during the dinner rush. What we didn’t realize until we looked at the menu, was all the meals are made family-style. We went with a special that was being offered that night, a mushroom truffle ravioli coated in breadcrumbs and an alfredo sauce, and a classic dish, penne primavera. The mushroom truffle ravioli was a fan favorite at our table and I made sure that I saved a ravioli for my last bite. Just when we thought we had no room for dessert, our waiter brought the menu over and we were compelled to order. Judging from the photo, I’m sure you can figure out that the dessert also was served family-style. Two heaping pieces of chocolate cake were layered with strawberry and vanilla ice cream, raspberries and hot fudge in the middle, and whipped cream, with a cherry to top it off. This was the true test of 5 college girls vs. food, and in the final round, the dessert won. Not only was the food at Tony’s fantastic, but all of the wait staff made the experience even better, as they found our reactions to the large portions of food quite amusing.
If you’ve been dreaming about planning that girl’s trip to New York City, this is the time to do it. We were lucky enough to go on a beautiful weekend where it was 70 degrees in March and felt like summer. I will always remain true to my Boston roots, however the food and the liveliness of New York, even at 3 a.m. when we ventured out for $1 slices of pizza, were unmatched and made for some core college memories with some of my best friends.