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New York

Vegan & Gluten-Free Fare: Sun In Bloom, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

August 4, 2014 / Brooklyn Bites, New York, New York Food, Park Slope / 0 comment

One of the best things about New York City is the amazing variety of food you can enjoy to meet any type of dietary requirements you might have. A good friend of mine has a gluten and dairy intolerance, so we regularly eat at cafes and restaurants where her dietary needs are met — and where she has more choice than a salad or eggs.

Sun In Bloom is a gluten-free, vegan & raw food kitchen, with locations in both Brooklyn and Tribeca. We visited their Park Slope cafe for brunch to see if their pancakes measure up when they’re made without delicious gluten. All three adults in our party ordered the Gluten-Free Pancakes with Spiced Germinated Walnuts & Side of Maple Syrup ($11.50), but we each chose different combinations of fruit toppings to go with it.

The pancakes were surprisingly still yummy even without gluten, and the fruit on top was fresh and sweet. We gave Missy E a side of Sprouted Wheat Toast and Sunflower Seed Butter to try, but it was too crunchy for her and so she preferred the pancakes and fruit. At prime brunch hour there was no wait for a table, but when we were leaving the cafe it was quickly filling to capacity. The wait on some of our items was a little longer that I would have liked, particularly since Missy E was being a whiny pain that day and we were desperate to eat and leave! We all enjoyed our brunch and will be back, particularly when entertaining people with special dietary requirements.

Last Bite: A healthy brunch option that caters to the special dietary requirements of vegan, raw-food-followers and gluten-intolerant diners.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Sun In Bloom
460 Bergen St,
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Prices: $
Phone: (718) 622 4303
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-9pm Sat & Sun 10am-5pm
Get Directions

An Upper West Side Standard: Isabella's, UWS, New York

July 24, 2014 / Manhattan Munchies, New York Food, Upper West Side / 0 comment

Isabella’s has been our go-to restaurant of choice when we visit the American Museum of Natural History for the past two years. It’s a truly delightful combination — fuel up on really delicious food, then hit up the dinosaurs and then Central Park. We’ve been taking Missy E to Isabella’s since she was about 6 months old. Taking her as an almost 3 year old means we really get to enjoy all the kid-friendliness this restaurant has to offer.

Isabella’s is popular. It has a great reputation for a reason — it’s REALLY good. As such, you need a strategy to get a table with minimal wait on a weekend. Arriving when they open is one option, or after the first rush is over, at around midday. If you arrive after 1pm, forget it. The wait is pretty long. (Isabella’s takes reservations, but not for brunch.)

We took E to see a new dinosaur exhibition at the AMNH during the early members hours, and then to Isabella’s for late breakfast. After a short wait, we sat at our table, and were greeted by a friendly staff member bearing a “welcome pack” for our toddler. The pack contains crayons, some cool sticky stick things and a kids’ menu that doubles as a coloring page. We ordered her a Bagel with Cream Cheese ($4) and asked for one of their complimentary straw cups for kids filled with water.

I always order the same thing — the Goat Cheese Omelette with marinated tomatoes and basil ($14). It comes with home fries, which I swap out for regular fries. E loves to pick at a lot of different foods, so this way she eats a decent amount of omelette, fries and bagel. She adores cream cheese. Alec ordered the Classic Breakfast Sandwich (scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, $15). On Sundays, brunch includes a beverage of choice, so we had our bellinis included. Cheers to that!

Last Bite: Isabella’s is a hit with the whole family. Adults love the elegant atmosphere (without the snootiness) and absolutely delicious food, while kids are happy being well attended to and given new things to play with.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes. Bring a folding stroller though, as during rush hour, you’ll struggle to find a place for anything bigger.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Isabella’s
359 Columbus Ave
New York
Prices: $$
Phone: (212) 724 2100
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-10pm Sat & Sun 10am-11pm
Reservations
Get Directions

Brooklyn Neighborhood Guide: Cobble Hill

July 22, 2014 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

The quiet neighborhood of Cobble Hill is home to a LOT of strollers. It’s often joked that once Manhattanites start breeding, they move to Brooklyn. If this is the case, then a lot of these new parents must move to Cobble Hill, as it is literally bursting at the seams with babies, toddlers and lots of kiddie fun.

Best Breakfast: Ted & Honey
This little cafe is the go-to breakfast sandwich spot. Order an egg sandwich on your choice of multi-grain, brioche or ciabatta (the bread is freshly baked from nearby Caputo’s bakery). The haloumi and avocado is our fave. While you’re waiting, look on the bottom shelf for books and puzzles to entertain your little one. If your child is not the sitting and eating kind, get your sandwich to go and sit in leafy green Cobble Hill Park next door. 264 Clinton St, Brooklyn

Best Quiet Nook: Cobble Hill Park
This little oasis of calm amongst the brownstones is a popular haven for mothers’ groups during the week, and families on weekends. A little play area at the end of the park entertains older kids with a sand pit and climbing structures. The park is lovely year-round, but is especially pretty in spring when tulips and daffodils are blooming.
Clinton St. Between Verandah Pl. and Congress St., Brooklyn

Best Lunch Spot: BareBurger
Grab an all-natural burger, shake and fries for lunch at Bareburger. Kids can order a Cubby Meal, choosing from items like a grilled cheese panini or “grizzly” burger (with a quinoa veggie patty option). Adults: order from a wide variety of burgers (including “build your own”), sandwiches and salads, all made with organic ingredients free of hormones, pesticides and other unsavory elements.
149 Court St., Brooklyn

Best Playground: LICH Playground
This large playground has climbing structures for toddlers and older kids, plus a few swings. The main attraction for the toddler set, however, is the ever-changing walker and car toys that are routinely “donated” to the park throughout the year. The park is well-shaded on afternoons, and the trees put on a beautiful display of color in the fall.
Henry St. and Amity St., Brooklyn

Best Kids’ Store: Picnic
Dress your little one like a Brooklyn hipster at Picnic. Owned by local mom Lindsey Engler, the store stocks adorable outfits and accessories for kids from baby and up. You’ll also find a range of NYC and Brooklyn books and toys.
192 Amity St., Brooklyn

This article was first published on MommyNearest.

The Best Pizza In NYC? Lucali; Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Carroll Gardens, New York

July 16, 2014 / Brooklyn Bites, Carroll Gardens, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

The famous Lucali’s is reputedly home to one of the best pizzas in New York City. As such, there is always a line to get in, and it’s always seemed to us like too much of a hassle to try to get in when we’re paying a sitter so that we can potentially stand in line for an hour. When we recently flew back from Australia however, we had a week with jet lag where Missy E was awake every night at dinner time. Since she wasn’t sleeping anyway, we all headed down to Lucali’s in Carroll Gardens to FINALLY try this pizza we’ve been hearing about all this time.

We arrived right before the restaurant opened, and were not that surprised when we saw a big crowd of diners who had the same idea that we had had. Turns out that getting there right when the doors open does not beat the crowd: the smart thing to do is to reserve a table over the phone, or arrive at least 15 minutes before the restaurant opens, guaranteeing you a seat in the second seating of the evening — so about a 30-45min wait. Missy E was napping in her stroller when we arrived, so we strolled around the neighborhood for half an hour until we got the call that our table was ready. They do not have high chairs. Our table was right next to the pizza-making station. The staff couldn’t have been friendlier toward our slightly crazy toddler. The wait staff gave her a fresh flower to play with, and then a piece of pizza dough with which she could “make” her own pizza. When she started to get antsy, I took her to watch the chefs hard at work making the pizzas from scratch. We watched as they rolled and threw our pizza’s dough, covered it in fresh toppings, and finally, removed it from the oven, piping hot.

And about those pizzas. There are two menu options at Lucali’s — pizza or calzone, with your choice of meat and vegetables, which are listed each night on the chalkboard outside the restaurant. The only beverage they serve is water, but you can BYO wine. The much-hyped pizza was absolutely amazing. It had the perfect crust, thin and crispy on the edges, with a rich tomato sauce, a generous amount of cheese and giant clumps of fresh basil. One pizza was just the right size for two adults and a toddler to share (they do half-and-half if you want different toppings to your dining companions).

After our pizza we still had room for dessert, so we dropped by our nearby fave, Brooklyn Farmacy, for a banana split.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Lucali
575 Henry St,
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (718) 858-4086
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-8pm Sun 10am-6pm
Get Directions

Brooklyn Farmacy
513 Henry St,
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (718) 522-6260
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat & Sun 9am-11pm
Get Directions

Tacombi: Kid-Friendly Restaurants Nolita, New York

July 8, 2014 / Manhattan Munchies, New York Food, Nolita / 0 comment

Tacombi started out selling tacos out of converted VW bus in Playa del Carmen. Now, comfortably parked in Nolita, Tacombi transports taco-lovers to the streets of Mexico by offering a piece of the Mexican beachside lifestyle set up in a garage just off Houston Street.

The food at Tacombi is prepared from scratch everyday, using fresh, wholesome ingredients to serve up the diversity of homestyle Mexican beach cuisine in a simple taco.

For a largish party of six, we ordered a variety of the tacos on the menu. They have quite a few varieties, plus a dish called Corn Esquites ($3.95; toasted corn, lime, & chipotle mayo) that is a crowd pleaser. Each dish is pretty small. The restaurant advises having three tacos per person as an ideal portion. We ordered the Guacamole Con Totopos ($11.49) which was actually a star dish. The tortilla chips look to have been made in house, and the guac was creamily divine. We had to order a second helping since it was so good. Our non-vegos ordered Crispy Fish tacos ($4.49 for two). My dish was the Tostada Del Amor ($4) which featured refried beans, avocado and cheese. Absolutely delicious, but I should have ordered another serving.

The beauty of Tacombi with kids is how entertaining it is for older toddlers and above. The big VW in the middle of the room is actually where the tacos are dished up, so not only is it fun for kids to run around looking at the car, they can also watch their food being made while they wait. The restaurant is a super casual, no-frills kinda place, which is also idea for taking little ones who aren’t good at sitting still and keeping food on their plates.

The taqueria is pretty big, but the wait is still long for a table, so arrive early and put your name down. They will seat incomplete parties, however, which was great for us as two of our friends were running super late, and we were still able to sit down and start ordering food.

Last Bite: Tacombi serves up homestyle, beach-inspired Mexican cuisine in Nolita. Take friends on the prowl for a trendy lunch. Wriggly kids are welcome.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Tacombi
267 Elizabeth St.
New York, NY
Phone: (917) 727 0179
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-12AM, Thurs-Sat 11am-1am. Now open for breakfast Sat & Sun 9am-1pm
Get Directions

Tu-Tu Much: Ballet With Eloise At The Plaza

July 3, 2014 / Cheese, Manhattan Munchies, Midtown, Midtown East, New York Food / 4 Comments

Ever since I arrived in New York, I’ve been dying to take my little girl to one of the special Eloise-themed events at The Plaza Hotel. The Plaza pays homage to its most famous “resident” with a special Eloise suite, an Eloise afternoon tea at the Palm Court, and a series of special events run out of the Eloise Shop.

The Eloise shop is one of my favorite drop-ins when I’m in the area with my own E. It has the most adorable Eloise merchandise (that’s a given), but it also has a lovely Eloise tea room with tiny chairs and tables; and another room with a stage, surrounding mirrors, pint sized grand piano and dress up tutus, wands and shoes. (Needless to say, we are frequent visitors at the shop.)

I’ve always thought my E was too young for the events, but when I saw the special ballet event, Creative Ballet with an Eloise Twist (for ages 3-5), I just couldn’t resist. The events are on the pricey side (this one was $75 for adult and child, for a one hour event), but I thought it could be a special outing for us both. The ballet event included a 45 minute lesson followed by pink lemonade and treats, and a “mahvelous” ballet-inspired gift bag.

So on a rainy grey day, we dressed in our ballet finest (or one of us did, anyway), and joined other Eloise-loving ballet fans for a special class à la Eloise. The class was completely adorable: Two teachers led a bevy of ballerinas through stretches, tendues and twirls, encouraging their imaginations with a fantasy journey through Central Park and flying like a butterfly.

At a couple points during the class, my E had an attack of shyness (or nerves?) and freaked out a bit when she moved around the room and couldn’t see me anymore, which is so unlike her. The teachers couldn’t have been kinder or sweeter with her, gently encouraging her to join them, holding her hand, and including her in everything even when she was hiding in my lap.

Following the ballet class was snack time. Usually this is held in the tea room within the Eloise store, but today it was booked for a party so we had our snacks in the main restaurant in the hotel instead. The atmosphere was just not the same, sadly. The kids were seated at too-tall tables and large, uncomfortable chairs that were totally unsuitable for little kids. We were surrounded by adult diners enjoying their lunches, which meant that the kids had to sit still (uh-oh!), talk quietly, and stay put (which, frankly, is very un-Eloise-like).

The snacks were nice and simple, however: The menu included strawberry lemonade, fresh fruit skewers and sugar cookies. As we left, we were given our gift bag, which included a cute Eloise tee and water bottle.

Before leaving I let E have a run around the Eloise store. She adores the baby grand piano — as do a lot of aspiring Eloise’s!

Eloise At The Plaza Hotel
1 W 58th St
Manhattan, NY
Phone: (212) 546 5460
Get Directions

Shake Shack Opens in DUMBO

June 17, 2014 / Brooklyn Bites, DUMBO, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

There’s a new Shake Shack in town! Brooklynites rejoice, you can now grab a burger, fries, shake and concrete from the new DUMBO Shake Shack.

The newest Shake Shack opened today, featuring free wifi, a baby change table, and gorgeous handmade furniture by a local furniture maker (who is also a friend of ours!) Mark Jupiter. Look closely at the tables and lounge furniture – they’re made from factory beams salvaged from old buildings in DUMBO.

The menu features two new concretes specific to the DUMBO location:

The “Brooklyn Pie Oh My,” which is made from a slice of Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie blended with vanilla frozen custard. We’re told that the pie flavors will change, with the first one being strawberry-balsamic.
The “Caramel Carousel” concrete is based on nearby Jane’s Carousel, and is made with vanilla frozen custard mixed with banana, sugar cone pieces, caramel sauce, and sea salt.

The DUMBO Shack has partnered with Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue, a non-profit network of volunteers that rescues, rehabilitates and finds homes for adoptable dogs from high kill shelters in the rural south. Five percent of sales from the Caramel Carousel concrete supports Badass Brooklyn. Isn’t that alone a reason to try the new concrete?

Thanks to Lindsey Turner for her pics of Shake Shack’s opening day! Will you be going to the new location too?

Shake Shack
1 Old Fulton Street at the corner of Water Street
Dumbo New York
Get Directions

A Rawther Fancy Tea Party With Eloise At The Plaza

June 9, 2014 / Cheese, Manhattan Munchies, Midtown, Midtown East, New York Food / 2 Comments

Something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time is take little E to an Eloise-themed Rawther Fancy Tea Party at the Plaza Hotel. The Rawther Fancy Tea Parties are part of the special events run under the Plaza Hotel in the Eloise store. I ADORE the Eloise character and have been so excited to share her with my own Miss E. So it happened on a steamy, rainy Friday that the Little One and I found ourselves at the pinkest tea party that ever might be.

Our host, Stephanie, made us feel extremely welcome. Stephanie ran the tea party for us, providing us with pink lemonade as well as real tea (E and I both had citrus chamomile). It was E’s first “real tea” and she flipped out when I gave it to her, because it made her feel like such a big girl to be drinking adult tea with mummy.

Our afternoon tea delights arrived on a three-tiered platter of illustrated Eloise plates. The bottom plate held fruit skewers, the middle plate had sandwiches (egg salad, cream cheese and cucumber and peanut butter and jelly), and the on the top plate, sweets (mini cup cakes, chocolate brownie and choc chip cookies). Please excuse the terrible photo of the tea platter. E was SO EXCITED when it was placed in front of her that she photobombed me and I laughed so hard the camera shook.

The Rawther Fancy Tea Party was held in the party room in the Eloise Store, which is under the Plaza Hotel, next to the Plaza Food Hall. We’ve visited the store before on many occasions and E has always been attracted to the tiny chairs and tables — a perfect size for this little one to feel like a big girl, while at a very special tea party with kids her age in mind.

E tried a little of everything, but particularly loved the mini cupcake and the fruit. I happily ate the sandwiches (LOVE me some tea sandwiches) and can report that they were delicious. The fruit was super fresh and tasty (they didn’t taste like the fruit had been sliced hours earlier, languishing in a fridge), and the baked goods were all kid-friendly crowd pleasers (it is hard to go wrong with cookies and brownies.) As often happens with me and tea, we couldn’t eat all the sweets so we had them boxed up to take home.

Our fellow tea party goers were girls of similar age, along with their mum or mum plus an out of town friend. After our tea party we all wrote letters to Eloise. Stephanie told us that Eloise always writes back, so we’re very excited to receive a special letter in the mail. Miss E “wrote” her letter in some beautiful swirly drawings, at the end of which I added that we loved our tea party and wished Eloise had been able to make it.

The letters were all posted in the appointed Eloise mail box, ready for delivery upstairs to the Plaza’s most famous resident. E loved posting the letter so much that she took out everyone else’s letters and reposted them all several times.

Next came story time. Stephanie read two shorter Eloise books to the party in the back room of the Eloise store, while we lounged on the bright pink ottomans.

And then the party was over! Each child received a gift bag containing an Eloise pencil, postcard, mints, gift voucher to the store, and a book.

We shopped around, said “hello!” to Eloise, and went home. We love, love, love a tea party! Thanks Eloise and The Plaza!

Rawther Fancy Tea Parties are held on Friday at 4pm at the Plaza Hotel. Cost is $100 for an adult and child pair. Reservations are required.

The Plaza Hotel
Fifth Avenue at Central Park South,
New York, NY 10019

ABC Kitchen; Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Union Square, New York

June 9, 2014 / Manhattan Munchies, New York Food, Union Square / 0 comment

For the husband’s big 40th birthday, I decided to spoil him with lunch at ABC Kitchen. With Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the helm, I knew we were going to be in for a great dining experience. The restaurant is situated in the ABC Home store near Union Square. They have a seasonal menu with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients (where possible). Their menu alignes with the farm-to-table movement, and is free of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, antibiotics and hormones. All of the food at ABC Kitchen is also GMO-free, and naturally and humanely sourced from regional farmers and fair trade cooperatives. The restaurant celebrates community and the future of the slow food movement.

Taking a toddler to a fancy lunch is always risky. I planned this lunch to get wiggly E to nap in her stroller on the way so we could get through at least part of lunch before she woke up. The staff couldn’t have been sweeter, finding us a table that accommodated our sleeping toddler in her stroller, and had a place set for her upon her awakening. In the best birthday gift of all time, E slept right through lunch, waking up when dessert was served. A happy birthday to Daddy indeed!

Since it was his birthday, Alec ordered the Wood Oven Roasted Maine Lobster with Oregano and Lemon-Chili Vinaigrette ($39). It was his first lobster ever, and he proclaimed it delicious. Together, we shared a few smaller dishes: Roasted Kabocha Squash Toast with Fresh Ricotta and Apple Cider Vinegar ($12), Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Vinaigrette ($11) and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cipollinis, Cashews and Maple Syrup ($10). The roasted squash toast was probably my favourite – I absolutely love the combination of ricotta and roasted squash. The flavors go together perfectly. I wasn’t a huge fan of the brussels sprouts – I found they were a bit bitter for my liking when paired with the mustard vinaigrette. Alec’s favorite was the roasted sweet potatoes with a hint of heat to them. For my main I had the Housemade Ricotta Ravioli with Herbs and Tomato Sauce ($23). It was absolutely delicious. Big fluffy pillows of pasta stuffed with creamy ricotta, and in a perfect tomato sauce.

For dessert we ordered the special, which, to be honest, I’ve forgotten what it was called (clearly not memorable!), and the Orange “Creamsicle” Tart ($10). The sweet staff put a candle in Alec’s dish and wrote a big “Happy Birthday!” on it in chocolate. With Little E to help him blow out the candle, Alec proclaimed it the perfect birthday lunch.

After eating we adjourned to nearby Union Square for play time.

Last Bite: High-end dining where kids are welcome. Reserve a table in advance so there’s no wait.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

ABC Kitchen
35 E 18th St,
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 475-5829
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon-Wed 12pm–3pm, 5:30–10:30pm, Thurs 12pm–3pm, 5:30–11pm, Fri 12pm–3pm, 5:30pm–11:30pm, Saturday 11am–3:30pm, 5:30pm–11:30pm, Sunday 11am–3:30pm, 5:30pm–10pm
Reservations
Get Directions

Goodbye to all that

June 1, 2014 / Cheese, Family, New York Life / 2 Comments

Three years ago, I flew to New York alone, and four months pregnant. Meeting Alec at the airport I was apprehensive, scared, extremely nauseous, and not sure that we’d made the right decision. The years that followed were the hardest, most challenging, most frustrating years of my life thus far – compounded a million by having a baby in a country far from our family.

But in the middle of these difficult years, something extraordinary happened. We created a tiny New Yorker and made a home in this big crazy city. We explored. We dreamed big. We discovered what we were truly capable of when faced with adversity. New York is a hard place to live. It’s fast, it’s dirty, it’s expensive. It’s also aggressive, strong and fierce. Each day can be like a battlefield – just taking a subway ride solo with a small child requires serious commitment and resolve.

I learned a lot about myself thanks to this tough city. That I, too, can be tough, resilient and resourceful. That I’m capable of starting over in a new country, of making so many wonderful friends.

Living in this city plus motherhood broke me down, and built me back up again into a person who is more confident, more certain of her own worth, and who is happier with who she is than ever before. Thank you New York for toughening up this soft girl from Sydney suburbia.

Saying goodbye is something I don’t want to be doing. It feels too soon, too unfinished. But things don’t always go to plan, and our priorities have changed. Alec, Cheese and I will be returning for a time to Sydney to be closer to our families. We feel that it’s the right thing for us to do at this time in all of our lives, and we are embracing this decision while walking away from a life we also love passionately. Something I’m finding really hard to do. We are beyond lucky that we have such a wonderful life to return to back in Australia. Family and friends whom we love, and a country where it’s truly great to live.

So goodbye (for now) to the piles of garbage on the sidewalk. To the smell of dog pee and sticky pavements in summer. To rats, lunatics and rappers in the subway, polar vortexes and hurricanes. So long to loving friends who embraced us into their lives. To Cheese’s playmates since birth. To tulips and daffodils in the spring, and fields of orange and red leaves in the fall. To carousels and whoopie pies, Broadway and world-class ballet. Goodbye to a life we loved, and hello to a brand new chapter for us all.

New York, we love you, and we will see you again soon.