Blossom

We have visited Blossom restaurant twice so far. This is one of the more high end vegan restaurants in NYC, along with Candle79 and Dirt Candy. With low lighting and plush red interior, friendly staff and good food. Our first visit was a week ago and most recently after seeing Morrissey 25:Live at the Chelsea Cinema. We loved the entree (called the starter here) we both ordered the first time so much that we got the same the next time. The 'cape cod cakes' and the cashew cream ravioli are both amazing. One of the benefits of dining out with a fellow vegan (and your sister) is you always get to share! The main (entree) was a a bit more hit and miss. The first time I ordered a really yummy pistashio crusted tofu filled crepe. Unfortunately Leeanne's 'Hickory bbq tempeh' was a bit overwhelming - must admit some of the flavours they use here are so different/unexpected that there is always a chance some weird tasting dish will arrive. The dessert (only tried one) a berry cheesecake was nice but have to admit it was nowhere near as good as the one our mum makes! On our second visit we struck out again on one of the main meals, a Port red wine seitan which was simply too 'meaty' (and we both love fake meat but this was a little too realistic). The really nice and friendly wait staff (Dylan)who we had a lengthy chat with comparing Australia and the US (he had visited Australia for two months) was kind enough to give us this meal for free so we chalk it up to experience. Must say that the service at both Candle 79 (review to come) and Blossom is fantastic and much more like what we are used to in Australia. So far the service in the US has generally consisted of long waits, being ignored, shrugging of shoulders when you ask a question (that is when you are lucky enough to get the attention of staff) or the most common one, a bemused look followed by 'no'.

Cape Cod Cakes

Cashew cream ravioli

Pistachio crepes

Berry Cheescake

drugs?

My favourite film is 'Drugstore Cowboy' which is set in the 1970s and features the large signs outside US pharmacies that proclaim 'DRUGS' in bright fluro letters. I've always wanted to see these. Given the so-called "War on Drugs" in the US I can't help but find a bittersweet irony in seeing these signs. Even more ironic is the misleading nature of them. Both Leeanne and I are suffering from major back, neck and other bad bed and pillow related aches and pains so we walked into a 'drugstore' hoping to get some voltaren (really, just any anti-inflammatory) and some panadiene (or at least some sort of codiene product). This is the point at which the pharmacist advises us that no such products are available in the US without first seeing a doctor (and we all know how accessible and cheap the US healthcare system is don't we?!!). After directing us to some heat packs and natural remedies we left empty handed and counted out our last remaining pain relievers to be taken only on the verge of death from now on...

Morrissey 25 Live

Was very excited to see Morrissey 25 Live last night. Will probably be forever before it comes to Australia, let alone little Adelaide. It's basically filming of one of his few American performance last year, due to all his cancellation, held at the Hollywood High School Auditorium. It's a beautiful way to relive seeing him live (Susan and Suzy - you will love it). The amazing thing is, the American audience is so tame. When we saw him in Sydney last year it was pretty crazy up front and people were singing along - the American audience were much more reserved.

I think our concerts in Australia were much better, but would be good to come over for one here so I can push to the front and go crazy - I'm sure Morrissey would notice me then.

Squirrel action on the terrace

These guys are sooo cute. Wish we could take one home.

Brooklyn Bridge

What better way to spend a beautiful sunny, clear, Saturday than walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Of course in a city full of tourists we were not the only ones.

 We walked from Brooklyn to Manhattan - some shots of the views along the way below;

Once on the Manhattan side we stopped to enjoy a little street entertainment, and then because it was so close, decided to go to the WTC memorial.

After about an hour of lining up, tickets checks, security checks etc. we finally got to the memorial fountains. There are 2, one for each of the towers. The new World Trade Centre is close by and still under construction. It's amazing that 12 years on there is still such a physical scar on the landscape.

We'd planned a lunch stop at MOB, which is back over the Brooklyn Bridge.  By this time we were pretty tired and hungry so getting lost (our first time since we arrived), and then discovering the place was closed that day for renovations was not fun. Luckily two friendly vegan girls, also looking to lunch at MOB came along and suggested some alternate vegan eateries in the area.

Setting off again, and with another wrong turn we ended up walking past the Barclays Centre twice. This however turned to good fortune, as they were prepping for the VMA awards that were being held there the next night, and my sister spotted Grimes, who she is a fan of, getting out of a car - so managed to get her autograph. 

There was finally lunch after this at the V-Spot in Parkslope - a Latin American vegan/vegetarian place. I had their Buffalo 'chicken' wings  which were pretty tasty, Ange had the Raw nori rolls, basically sushi but with the rice replaced by a creamy nut paste - this was yummy

Pure Food and Wine

 We have visited quite a few vegan eateries through the week since we last posted .  Pure Food and Wine was one of them. After a morning of shopping at Macy's, retreating to Pure Food and Wine for a relaxing long lunch was just what we needed.

This is a raw food, organic restaurant, which is usually a huge turn off (the raw,not the organic), but the menu looked interesting and we knew they had wine so we decided to give it a go.  We got a seat in their outdoor garden area out back - it's a beautiful spot, very relaxing and quite, which is amazing given the hustle and bustle of the streets outside.

I was feeling a bit of fake meat/ deep fried overload so decided to order the Pumpkin seed and herb salad.  Ange decided to take advantage of the Prix Fixe Lunch  ordering the Mediterranean Salad, Brazil Nut Sea Vegetable Croquettes and the Tiramisu Triangle for dessert.

My salad was ridiculously boring and didn't deserve a picture. Lucky Ange had ordered well.

 Brazil Nut Sea Vegetable Croquettes

 Tiramisu Triangle

Ain't Life Grand

Crossed off a few touristy things today - sure we are here to sample the vegan fare, but while we are here...

First stop was Grand Central Station. Didn't feel out of place here with my camera, lots of tourists snapping away.  Reminisced about the opening GG scene with Blake arriving at the station, returning to NYC after her summer away. It certainly is grand looking, inside and out.

Next stop was the Chrysler Building, literally across the road from the station.  It was really just the glimpse of art deco interior as we walked past the doors that made me realise that we'd found the building, as looking up from that angle you don't see much. The interior is a dream, you can't capture it on camera really. The facade is better viewed if you take a short walk down 42nd street. Their are some gorgeous building around this area, The Chanin Building across the road from Chrysler was also a knock-out.

Final tourist stop before our long leisurely lunch at Pure Food and Wine (review to follow) , was the New York Public Library.  It is HUGE, and I really mean massive - you know I love our state library but really, it is piss-ant in comparison. My observant sister noted a 10 % discount for Librarians/educators - so we both received a discount on our purchases in the library shop. Altogether a fabulous day.

We are off tomorrow night to MomaPS1 in Long Island City for one of their 'Warm up' events - outdoor music performances from local and overseas DJs, held every weekend throughout summer. The weather has been beautiful (except for yesterday which was rainy and sticky), so we are looking forward to enjoying a balmy night out and about.

NYC grafitti

Big issue in NYC is the controversial 'stop and frisk' law which allows police to literally stop anyone and 'frisk' em. Not surprisingly lots of black and latino kids are being targeted. There's an election campaign on here for NYC mayor (I know, we thought we were getting away from election ads by leaving Australia) and many of the candidates are campaigning on this issue. Saw this out the window of the G train.

Champs Diner

We'd read a lot about this place, and drooled over their menu - it didn't disappoint. A vegan retro style diner in Williamsburg. Our vegan guide book described this more as a bakery, but I think it has underwent some changes since then and while they do have desserts/baked goods, it is much more savoury focused.

Everything on the menu looked good (we are definitely planning to go back for a 2nd/3rd visit). I finally settled on the 'Southwest Chik'n salad' - mixed greens, balck beans, sweet corn, grilled chik'n, tomatoes, avocado, creamy chipotle dressing.

 Ange went for the more traditional diner fare  - a burger - blackbean/chickpea burger with grilled onions, chilli (HOT! - but described as not - and u know Ange likes chilli), pickles, melted cheese (the Teeze brand - much better than the Daiya brand that seems to dominate her in NYC).

Both were yummy and extremely filling which meant no room for dessert. We are thinking of making a run their just for desserts - I have my eye on one of the sundaes.

Two girls with big eyes and small stomachs

So we (or I should say Leeanne aka 'the map guru') have finally started to get a hang of the subway and the various trains to get us to our vegan destinations. So far things have worked out very smoothly with everything being exactly where we thought it would be - everyone who has traveled knows how rare that can be! The subways are pretty easy to navigate and despite the oppressive heat whilst waiting the trains themselves are air-con and freezing (in my humble opinion). Can't go past the underground for transport efficiency and convenience though. On the advice of the Moo Shoes owner we headed out the other night to an Italian restaurant in midtown called John's which has been around for 100 years serving traditional Italian food. Fortunately in this family-run business the latest generation includes a vegan son and for this reason we find an entire separate vegan menu! Leeanne has been outdoing me in the ordering department (or perhaps I simply am always jealous of the other plate) so far. She got a yummy ravioli and I got an average portabello mushroom and polenta dish. Of course we shared (as kind and thoughtful sisters do..) but still would have been nice to have two good meals. Dessert was vegan cannoli which was yummy but not amazing. One problem so far has been our inability to eat as much as our desires would have. Somehow we are getting full much quicker than we would like - need more room for vegan delights. Something about the US diet? Not sure. Given that we are perhaps not sampling the 'average' US fare probably not. Some photos below.

Portabello mushroom and Polenta

Yummy vegan parmesan - this was really tasty

What a view

Just had to post another photo of the view from our rooftop garden, as my original photo post did it no justice. The weather here is beautiful - it's nice to end each day sitting out in the garden  at sunset and enjoying a glass of wine and the view.

 

The other side of the river...

I've been instructed not to look like a complainer in this post but then again anyone who knows me won't be too fooled by that! So, lets just say our introduction to Brooklynites has been less than perfect and at times utterly frustrating. Yes, the stereotypes about the occupants of the 'land of the free' tended to be on full display for the first two days of our visit. After listening to loud Americans wax lyrical at the same cafe two days in a row about the fascinating topic of their bike brakes/locks/chains etc for at least an hour at a volume so loud that you cannot have a conversation and finding that the task of buying a SIM card for your 'cell' is near impossible (I still don't have one!) and discovering that customer 'service' here translates to 'we can't help you with that' we retreated to our apartment for some respite... Happily we had a much better experience yesterday as we hopped on the F train to Manhattan East Village. Finally, people who chat, smile, indeed go out of their way to assist you (and this started in the subway). Perhaps the previous two days were just a bad dream? We spent an hour or so chatting with the lovely woman at 'Moo Shoes' and patting her cat we left with two new vegan shoes and a plan to eat at Caravan of Dreams just down the road. Almost every food store/cafe we past on the way boasted 'vegan food' proudly on their signs. After a nice but very expensive lunch we popped into Wholefoods on the way back to our apartment and stocked up on supplies. A quick train ride and a mid afternoon relaxation on our rooftop balcony with our squirrel friends followed by an evening in with a home cooked meal was just fine. Getting way too addicted to the crappy cable TV though! Today we are off to Williamsburg to the vegan cafe/bakery Champs and to Pine Box Rock Shop (a vegan bar) for post lunch/pre-dinner drinks. Brooklyn take two! Sharing our rooftop garden with the friendly critters of Brooklyn

Caravan of Dreams

Wild Rice and Cremini Risotto Croquettes

Chocolate and Acai Berry Pie

g

Have passport, will travel, but not if autopilot is fucked

Sure the excitement of getting on our way to NYC made our early wakeup to make the 6 am flight from Adelaide to Melbourne seem okay. Arriving late in Melbourne to catch our International flight to Los Angeles, while a little stressful, added to the excitement, as we ran through the airport to make our flight. Boarding our plane and hearing an announcement that the autopilot had malfunction and was being refitted and tested before takeoff, lead to mild anxiety attack from me (nervous flyer) and mild stress out from Ange (super organised girl already doubting that our 2 hr layover at LAX would allow us to make our connecting Qantas flight to NYC).

Still sitting  on the tarmac 2 hrs later we knew we were in trouble, and were serious pissed. They finally had the sense to let us off the plane, where we spent the next 3 hrs in the terminal (thankfully they gave us vouchers - spent on food, alcohol and reading material - we were following the holiday rules so it's okay to start drinking before 12).

Back on the same plane and ready for take off just after 1.30 (our original flight was 8.30 am!) I was hoping Qantas really do care about safety and have not rushed any checks.  All hope of making our connecting flight had gone.Many on board were in the same boat as us, which gave us something to talk about on the just over 13 hr flight. We became part of a rowdy gang hanging out in the galley area stretching our legs, and convincing the new flight attendant ( 2 days in the job) that serving us drinks while standing was okay (unfortunately he was eventually told this was against the rules). As I am writing this post you will realise I have made it to NYC (no autopilot malfunctions) but can safely say I will not be travelling Qantas internationally again ( Singapore A380 is so much better, putting aside the malfunction, Singapore A380 is far more comfortable and looks so much better - not old and daggy like Qantas A380s, and the staff are sooo much friendlier)

Of course there is so much more to tell of this story ( we will bore friends later), but getting through immigration and customs at LAX - approximately 3 hrs) and then arriving in NYC at 1 am instead of 5 pm, and having to catch American Airlines (a Qantas affiliate - with no food & no entertainment) for the 5 1/2 hr flight from Los Angeles to NYC - was not fun.

But holidays are FUN and full of adventure right?? - so having slept a little and just spent our first day in New York City, relaxing in our Brooklyn apartment and exploring our local borough, we are feeling slightly revitalised. I'm posting a picture of the Manhattan skyline from our apartments roof top garden  - Sorry taken from the phone so doesn't look nearly as good as real life - the view is spectacular.

No sleep till Brooklyn!

Now that we are into the final stretch and work is over for me (sorry Leeanne) I am taking care of the important things. Like making a playlist for us to listen to on our way over. Well, so far there are only 9 songs but I'm open to suggestions...
Of course, they need to be New York themed.
So far we have:
'No sleep till Brooklyn' - Beastie Boys
'Open letter to NYC' - Beastie Boys
'Empire State of Mind' - Jay Z and Alicia Keys
'New York, New York' - Frank Sinatra
'New York, New York' - Cat Power
'Manhattan' - Cat Power
'You said Something' - PJ Harvey
'New York, New York' - Ryan Adams
'New York City Cops' - The Strokes

To wet our appetite for the streets of Manhattan...Cat Power - Manhattan

Hard decisions

What bag...what accessories...this is too hard. Can't I take it all?

NYC here we come

Okay the Australian dollar is in the toilet (oh how I wish for the days of above parity) but life is grand - New York City here we come. Bags packed (by this I mean the bags have been taken down from storage, and a I've tried on a few outfits - Ange is way behind on this front), accommodation sorted and vegan gastronomical delights have been planned, thanks to the Vegan guide to NYC. Now we just need to get through the next 7 days of work....