One of my friends spotted a waffle truck outside the shopping center, and it just so happened that I had heard of the food truck before. Known as Waffles and Dinges, (pronounced ding-gus) these Belgium waffles were a real treat. Each waffle came with one topping, referred to as the "dinges". We all choose speculoos as our waffle "dinges". What is speculoos? It's a concoction of caramelized gingerbread cookies which have been melted into a nutella-like substance. One of my friends has loved nutella for years, but one taste of speculoos had her reconsidering her love of said hazelnut spread!
Later that night, as we continued to brave gusty winds and pouring rain, we headed to one of my favorite spots in all of NYC, Union Square. Located on the outskirts of Greenwich Village and the West Village, Union Square has a really young, urban feel to it. When school is in session, students from New York University tend to frequent the area, also giving it a college-town feel to the neighborhood. On the weekends, Union Square is home to the Union Square farmer's market, one of the best greenmarkets in New York. On this particular night, we were headed to one of the best places for dessert, Max Brenner's. Upon opening the door to the restaurant, which was packed, I was instantly hit with the smell of chocolate. Max Brenner's is famous for its dessert options which include a variety of fondue options, smore's making, and even chocolate pizza. We opted to share a fondue, which was excellent.
After Max Brenner's we walked around Union Square and stopped by a bookstore called Strand. It's home to 18 miles of books! This is not your everyday Barnes and Noble. Although very hipster in its decor, Strand has a wide variety of classics, fiction and non-fiction, best sellers, bios, textbooks, and more! It's a great place to stop for books about New York City, or unique New York City souvenirs. I could easily spend an afternoon looking around, and I am already planning my next visit to Strand.
We then left Strand and headed to St. Mark's Place. St. Mark's Place reminds me of a seedy boardwalk. On this street there are small storefronts offering tattoos, and piercings, as well as others promoting karaoke, cheap dim sum, and pizza for only a dollar a slice. Yet again, because of its proximity to NYU, St. Mark's is notorious as a college-friendly haven, especially for the more artsy crowd. Although I like to frequent St. Mark's to mostly gawk at the absurdities, it does have a few good cafes that specialize in chai tea. We bought two pots of Moroccan chai tea, which provided a relaxing end to the night.
The next day we headed to my old stomping grounds--Chelsea! The neighborhood of Chelsea has so much to offer in the way of food, architecture, and art, as well as the Fashion! It's home to the Fashion Institute of Technology, where I used to go to school! Our first stop was the High Line, a new must-see outdoor walkway. Somehow this walkway mixes the comfort of a botanical garden in the hustle and bustle of factories, studios, and the neighboring West Side highway. It was very windy on the High Line yesterday, and only the holly leaves were in bloom, so I recommend visiting during the Spring and Summer months.
For lunch, we ate at Cafeteria. I have been to Cafeteria more times than any other restaurant in New York it is that good. The food is unique, and the atmosphere is trendy, hip, and loud. It is always packed, and the sound of various conversations gives it the cafeteria-like atmosphere. Yesterday I had Cafeteria's notorious specialty, the "mac attack," a sampling of three macaroni and cheese flavors including: cheddar and fontina, smoked gouda and bacon, and original macaroni and cheese with truffle oil. Each was amazing.
For our last snack of the day, we visited the Doughnut Plant adjacent to the Hotel Chelsea. Again, this doughnut shop is no ordinary Dunkin' Donuts. Here, they serve up such flavors as: marzipan, pear, valharona chocolate, panettone, vanilla bean, and gingerbread, among many others. I had a peanut butter and jelly doughnut! This consisted of a vanilla cake with a peanut butter glaze, sprinkled with peanuts, and a raspberry jelly center. Delicious!
*I'm not into punk or Rock n 'Roll music, and I never understood the hippies of the 1960s. But I do find American history, as a whole, quite interesting. When I pass by the Hotel Chelsea I like to take a moment to stand outside the lobby and think about the icons of American pop culture who stayed there. They include: Mark Twain, O. Henry, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Dylan Thomas, Allen Ginsberg, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Frida Kahlo, and Diego Rivera, just to name a few.
Box that the waffle from Waffle and Dinges came in.
View of Columbus Circle from the Shops at Columbus Circle Shopping Center. The stars are hung each year during the holidays and constantly change color.
The stars at night
Chocolate fondue at Max Brenner
18 miles of books at Strand
Only a small section of the many, many books
We love winter accessories
The cutest MasterCard ad
"mac attack" at Cafeteria
A great time was had by all, and I loved going back to some of my favorite neighborhoods in NYC. Hopefully I'll be back in the city once more before returning to DC next week!
Best,
Theresa
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