NYC Gourmet Food Trip

Happy Friday, everyone!  I feel like this post is long overdue, especially since we went on this trip over a week and a half ago.  Last Sunday, Fred and I boarded a city-bound bus {cooler on hand} with friends for a fun-filled day of shopping in NYC.  On the agenda were three stops purposefully planned for us to explore and shop various food markets in New York.  Included for the day was Zabars Gourmet Food Market, Little Italy, the Meatpacking District and Chelsea Market. 

First stop:  Zabar's Market which was located on the Upper West Side.  This two-floor emporium had so much to choose from including cheeses, fresh breads and pastries, coffee, meats and other items you would find in a typical market.  The second floor was full of cooking items and kitchen gadgets.  

Second stop:  Little Italy!  By 11:00am, we were famished so our first mission was to find a place for lunch.  We chose a place on Hester Street called Caffe Napoli.  We started with some fresh focaccia bread and the best parmesan/garlic/olive oil dipping sauce I ever had plus an antipasto salad.  For my meal, I ordered the special...chicken with mozzarella and spinach topped with a marsala sauce.  Double yum!

After walking around a bit, we hit Ferrara...the famous Italian bakery in Little Italy, for dessert.  Fred and I bought a few cannoli and biscotti to take home, plus a cup of decaf for the rest of our walk.     

Third stop:  Meatpacking District/Chelsea Market.  While in this area, we toured the High Line section, a newly renovated railroad bed/walking path/park.  If you are ever in the city, this district is worth checking out!  

From the park, the Freedom Tower was visible amongst the buildings... 

Some sites and sounds around the neighborhood: People from a mission playing the drums garbage cans for funds; a pretty entrance to a local boutique; the Diane von Furstenberg building complete with painted lips, and an ultra-modern hotel on a side street.

Because we had a few hours to spare, we stopped at this local pub to relax.  A good hour was spent there conversing with a nice couple who lived in the neighborhood.  

By 4:00, we made our way to the Chelsea Market for the last hour we had in the city, only to find out that it was closed due to a private party.  Apparently someone rented out the WHOLE building for an event later that evening.  We were trying to figure out who could possibly do that...Trump, maybe?  On the flip side, Fred promised me a return trip ASAP because we missed out on the market...the one part I was most looking forward to!  

Have you ever been to NYC on a food shopping excursion?  If so, where would you recommend?    

Running:  Lauretta and I met {bright and early} on Wednesday for a "before-school" run of 7.08 miles.  We ended up running at a nice pace and finished in ~52 minutes.  It felt great!  

Have a good Friday!