Terminal 2 at JFK Airport is home to Due Amici, a fast Italian "restaurant." I seated myself, ordered at the tablet and waited for my meal to be delivered. I actually love this process because the airport is already people overload for me, so it was nice to decompress a bit.
It's a pretty casual and open dining area. The menu has a good variety no matter what time of day you're traveling. I instantly gravitated toward the pastas, which included a mushroom ravioli. Pasta is always a comfort food for me, and the earthy, umami flavors in this dish were enjoyable. I wouldn't mind my pasta being a little bit more al dente, but considering the location, it was adequate.
Grade: B
Keens Steakhouse is one of the oldest steakhouses in New York City. It is known for its collection of 50,000 clay smoking pipes, which patrons could store here to avoid breaking them during transportation - making it one of the largest collections in the world. The restaurant is also famous for their renowned mutton chops.
The restaurant was founded in 1885 by Albert Keen in Herald Square, what was then the Theater District and is the only surviving establishment of that district.
The old-school steakhouse has old English decor and dimly lit dining areas. Complimentary bread and butter is served to begin the meal, which helped whet the appetite.
The menu features USDA Prime steaks that are then dry-aged on site. USDA Prime is the highest grade of beef that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can give to meat. It's known for being juicy, flavorful, and tender with good marbling, and is often served in restaurants rather than stores. The USDA has eight grades of beef, but the first three are: prime, choice, and select. USDA Choice is the second-highest grade, with less marbling than Prime but still flavorful and tender cuts. USDA Select is leaner than Choice and more uniform in quality.
I ordered the prime filet, which is undoubtedly one of the most tender cuts of meat you can get. Some may say less flavor, but I prefer the subtlety and texture. It was served with boiled baby potatoes, which were fine. I miss the classic rich steakhouse sides, but the simplicity fit with my dish. Tasty and classic.
Grade: A
Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald created Levain Bakery in 1995. One day, they created an ultimate chocolate chip walnut cookie to give them energy while exercising. They sold a batch in their bakery, and they flew off the shelves - creating an iconic cookie. An icon was born.
"We take our name from the French word for the natural leavening agent made of flour, water and wild yeasts: Levain. In the United States, a levain is more commonly known as a sourdough starter. While Levain Bakery is now best known for the six-ounce cookies, Pam and Connie started their business making artisanal breads for restaurants around New York City. We love that our name continues to honor those roots."
Chocolate Chip Walnut - The cookie that started it all; the signature Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie is crispy on the outside with a satisfyingly thick and gooey center. Every bite is packed with semi-sweet chocolate chips and chunks of walnuts.
I had to try this one because it is a New York staple. But, I do not love semi sweet chocolate chips because they read very bitter to me so, take those out, and I would love this cookie.
Grade: B
Gray's Papaya is one of - if not the - most famous hot dog shop in New York City. It was founded in 1973 by Nicholas Gray.
The "papaya" part of the name refers to the papaya fruit drink they sell. They also sell orange, grape, piña colada, coconut champagne and banana daiquiri fruit drinks, all non-alcoholic.
The storefront became famous for its low prices, according to Eater. "From the time of opening until 1999, the restaurant sold hot dogs for 50 cents each. In 1982, the restaurant launched its famed Recession Special — two hot dogs and a papaya juice for $1.95. It’s still offered today, though it now costs $6.45."
The hole-in-the-wall is open 24 hours a day and serves 100% all beef franks.
I ordered the recession special at the counter and quickly moved to grab my order and head out.
It comes with two hot dogs and a tropical drink. Ketchup and ketchup with onions. Warm bun. Thin weenie. Solid lunch.
The drink was right up my alley. Fruity, sweet and just a bit different. I'd like to try the whole lineup.
Grade: A
"Ess-a-Bagel was established in 1976 by Florence and Gene Wilpon and Florence's brother Aaron Wenzelberg. Coming from an Austrian baking family, the art of baking or crafting the perfect bagel came naturally to them. Within two years of opening, Ess-a-Bagel was voted #1 in the Tri-State area, and had attracted a loyal following," reads the website.
The restaurant offers fresh hand-rolled bagels, coffee, pastries, and more. The bagels are the star, though. They are baked fresh daily with no artificial flavors or preservatives.
Big options include plain, poppy, garlic, multigrain, everything, pumpernickel, onion, sesame, salt, cinnamon raisin, whole wheat and whole wheat everything.
Flavored cream cheeses include: Scallion, Vegetable, Herb, Everything Herb, Jalapeno, Olive, Sun Dried Tomato, Avocado Garlic, Raisin Walnut, Banana Nut, Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Strawberry, Peach, Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet, Oreo, Rainbow Cookie and Lox Cream Cheese.
There are a number of specialty sandwiches available, and you can choose your bagel. Everything from a lox bagel to a Reuben to chicken parmesan.
I kept it fresh with a BLTA - or bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado. I had scallion cream cheese on an onion bagel.
This was like the fresh familiarity of a BLT, but with some added flavor punch of the onion, garlic and cream cheese. I could've done with less lettuce because it waters things down a bit for me. But very tasty overall.
Grade: A
"Milk Bar is a sweet (and occasionally savory) shop that’s been turning familiar treats upside down and on their heads, shaking up the dessert scene since 2008. Bon Appetit magazine called us 'one of the most exciting bakeries in the country.'"
Founded by James Beard award-winning pastry chef Christina Tosi, Milk Bar first opened its doors in NYC’s East Village, and soon developed a loyal fanbase, according to its website.
Tosi was profiled on Netflix’s docu-series Chef’s Table, and I really admired the way that she unapologetically shared her love for sweets. A lot of times, chefs tend to look down on sweets or claim they don't enjoy them. But Tosi has a whimsical viewpoint of sweets, which carries over to her restaurant and products.
Popular menu items include the Compost Cookie®, layer cakes with unfrosted sides, Cereal Milk™ Soft Serve, Milk Bar Pie and more.
The Compost Cookie is their original sweet and salty kitchen sink cookie, with chocolate chips in a deep vanilla base, plus Milk Bar’s five recommended food groups: pretzels, potato chips, graham crackers, coffee, oats, and butterscotch.
Thr corn cookie is lacked with salted butter and a sprinkle of sugar. This corn-y cookie is a love letter to Tosi’s family farm, to her grandma’s famous cornbake, to Sunday morning cereal, and, of course, to the wonder of cornbread. Pro tip: use two as the ‘bread’ of a grilled cheese. Yes, really.
Finally - the blueberry & cream - A muffin top disguised as a cookie: mini white chocolate chips and bright, chewy dried blueberry bits suspended in a luscious sugar cookie base. Ideal for breakfast consumption… or any-time-of-day consumption.
These were all so delicious and so fun. I took them back to the hotel I was staying at in the city and savored each bite.
Grade: A
Junior's is a restaurant chain based in New York City. The restaurant was founded by Harry Rosen in 1950 and is known for its iconic New York–style cheesecake. According to the restaurant, it was named Junior's after Rosen's two sons, Walter and Marvin.
New York–style cheesecake uses a cream cheese base and incorporates heavy cream or sour cream. The typical New York cheesecake is rich, dense, smooth and creamy.
Alan Rosen identifies the roots of the cheesecake in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine and based on a recipe that was in the Rosen family for three generations.
In addition to cheesecake, Junior's features reubens, deli sandwiches, ten ounce steakburgers, BBQ and seafood. Though, I was here for the world-famous cheesecake. There are a ton of flavors: Plain Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheese Pie, Cherry Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake, Pineapple Cheesecake, Three Fruit Cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake, OREO Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cheesecake, Devils Food Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse Cheese, Carrot Cake Cheesecake, Sugar Free "Diabetic Friendly" Cheesecake, Apple Crumb Cheesecake, Brownie Explosion Cheesecake
I went for the Original New York Cheesecake, which is topped with strawberry pie filling, finished with Junior’s signature macaroon crunch, and baked in a sweet pie dough shell.
It is so rich and fresh. Truly, one bite is satisfying enough, so entire cheesecake might take me a month to enjoy. If you really want to try this cheesecake, they are often sold at select grocery stores and can be delivered. But, I don't know that it comes close to the original.
Grade: A
The Modern is a two Michelin-starred, contemporary American restaurant at the Museum of Modern Art, featuring three separate experiences.
I opted for: THE BAR ROOM - The lively Bar Room offers Chef Thomas Allan's vividly seasonal contemporary cooking à la carte, along with an award-winning wine program and carefully curated cocktails, beer, and spirits.
This space is dark, moody and feels very high-end. The benefit is that I could order a la carte, and sinfe I was dining solo, I didn't necessarily want an hours-long tasting menu experience.
I started with their most popular dish: tarte flambée. It is an Alsatian flat bread with smoky bacon, sweet soft onions, and tangy créme fraîche. It is really quite good - like a refined, light pizza with amped up flavors.
I also ordered the hand-cut mafaldine with shaved black truffle. Malfaldine is a ribbon-shaped noodle that is like a cross between lasagna and fettuccine. It was perfectly cooked to have just a tiny bit of toothiness.
Truffles are like hard underground mushrooms that have a deep umami flavor and are hard to find, so they can be costly. But that almost pungent flavor cuts through the creamy pasta flawlessly.
This was a wonderful meal in a really cool space. It felt like an experience from a movie.
Grade: A
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