Another restaurant that I had the pleasure of visiting in NYC.

On our many visits to New York we have always stayed in Manhattan but this time we discovered how easy it is to get in and out of Manhattan and enjoy the more affordable lodging in the Burroughs like Queens. More about this fascinating neighbourhood in a future post. In the mean time I made a solo visit to Thai Son while D was on a Brewery adventure.

The spot was busy with solo diners who I imagined were business people on their lunch breaks. Service was efficient and the dishes were proudly served by the kitchen staff.

I was tempted by the Com Suon Bi Cha (grilled pork chop and shredded pork) that I had seen raves about but in the end opted for my favourite Vietnamese dish-Banh Hoi Thit. This noodle dish (which is then wrapped into clingy rice paper) makes a great little packet that can be eaten on the go. In Viet Nam the dish is a breakfast one-kind of like their version of an egg mcmuffin. Given the two, I would rather have the former, any morning of my week.

Rice vermicelli noodles are lightly steamed and become extra sticky so that the toppings of your choice will adhere together when wrapped into the rice wrapper. The strings of noodles are as thin as a toothpick but the texture is firm enough so the noodles do not fall apart. When topped with what I call “candied” pork, that is thin pork strips that have been marinated in a sugary sauce and then char-broiled, I am crazy about the taste. The sugared peanuts add another dimension and are perfect when offset by the variety of vegetables that accompany: lettuce leaves, cucumbers, cabbage, carrot, mint and pickled onions. When the packet is plunged into fish sauce you are treated to another hit of sweetness.

Sweet/salty is my favourite taste profile.

Thai Son is one of the many ethnic restaurants found in Jefferson Heights-a foodies’ dream come true.

Kath’s quote: “New York is a gothic Roquefort.”-Salvador Dali

Love, that is all.

Sometimes when I am organizing my expenses (which I do quarterly) I realize that I have dined at an amazing place that I have forgotten to write about and share the adventure with you my loyal readers. Such is the case with this iconic place.

On our arrival day in NYC en route to Milan and then Tuscany, we had a picnic in Central Park in the late afternoon just as the sun was “setting” behind the urban landscape of skyscrapers. We stayed in New Port that evening and we were reluctant to leave all of our favourite sites in Manhattan.

So we wandered through the park and decided that it might be nice to stop for a thirst-quenching beer. We thought of crossing the street to the Upper West Side when we accidently came upon Tavern on the Green.

There was a private reception taking place in the courtyard and because we had already had our picnic, we didn’t want to go to the dining room for a full meal (besides we were dressed for a picnic, not Manhattan dining). So we opted for the quaint Beer Garden appointed with picnic benches overlooking the “green” and the beautiful and historic apartments of the Upper East Side (think The Dakota) as the backdrop.

October evenings are still fair in NYC and it was the perfect choice.

I let D do the beer selecting and whatever it was he chose for me was refreshing and delicious. Nothing quenches my thirst like a cold beer. You?

The food menu showcased simple fare and we selected a Polish Kielbasa

and Potato Latkes. The latter were a bit overdone and greasy for our liking but hey, it was our first evening in NYC, we were not inclined to make a fuss and send them back.

Simple food, served in a garden in Central Park in one of our favourite cities in the world. What could be wrong with that?

Kath’s quote: “There is nothing yet which has been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern.” –Samuel Johnson

Love, that is all.