Where to Eat in NYC - My Picks and Pictures!

One of my blogger friends had asked for suggestions about places to eat in NYC. I would have written about this anyway, but since there was a specific request, I thought of coming up with it at the earliest!! Hope you find this useful.

NYC is a place where you get almost all cuisines, and in all price ranges. Pizza/ pasta/ salad/ burgers/ hot dogs are available readily and make the cheapest meal anywhere, any time. You can get a slice of yummy pizza with all possible meat toppings for just around $2-$3. And trust me, you will love it! As I mentioned in my one of my earlier posts, though pizza was first made in Italy, I bet it can't be yummier from the ones I had in NYC!!

Typical American or even British dishes like say Fish and Chips have may be a bland. So if you like it spicy, you have to let them know!

Now coming to the restaurants.. I obviously have not explored the food options completely to give an expert opinion, but I am writing about the ones I really liked and were located in the most popular destinations. These are all reasonably restaurants.

Times Square
Times square has a plethora of restaurants. And the funny bit is that I have not been disappointed by whichever restaurant I have tried! My favorite ones are.

Olive Garden
It is basically an Italian place but offers a decent variety of items on the menu. The best part I like about this place is that they offer a very nice and wholesome complimentary salad. The ambiance is nice and casual, and it's a good place to with date or family both :)
http://www.olivegarden.com/
Meal for 2: < $60

Bubba Gump Shrimp
This is a seafood place based on the theme of the movie 'Forrest Gump'. If you can answer 5 questions about the movie, you get candies too :). I also managed to win a really nice cocktail glass. You get a huuuge variety of shrimp items here. My favorite is the Cajun Shrimp, nice and spicy and suits the Indian palette.
Another interesting thing about this place is the way you're supposed to call your sever. They come and attend you if you display the 'STOP' board. Else you hold the 'Keep Running' board. They also have a nice way to celebrate birthdays :)
http://www.bubbagump.com/
Meal for 2:  $90

Hard Rock Cafe
This of course needs to introduction. They usually serve very nicely mixed drinks though I was a bit disappointed in my last visit I hate to say. The decor is grand and nice. It's located right in the heart of Times Square, and so has long waiting time.
The suggestion that I have here is that since HRC is there almost everywhere including Delhi/ Mumbai etc, you could skip this and try something new!
http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/
Meal for 2:  $70





Chevy's Fresh Mex
This is one of my favorite Mexican joints. They have some nice Margaritas too! And is very reasonable.
My absolute favorite here is Shrimp fajitas.
http://www.chevys.com/
Meal for 2:  $60

Red Lobster 
By now you can feel my love for seafood! And if you are a fan of seafood like me, you will like this place too :). The restaurant welcomes you with a display of live lobsters in an aquarium! They have decent variety and also offer a nice complimentary ceaser salad.. I usually avoid lobster as they are a bit cumbersome to eat. But I did not want to not eat lobster in a restaurant that had lobster in the name! So after our server promised that it would be not be that big a deal,  we ordered the Fire-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Scallops! And it was pretty good and easy to eat too!!
http://www.redlobster.com
Meal for 2:  $70-$80

34th Street: Lucy's Cantina Royale
I will not rate this placevery well in terms of the menu but the location and the view from the top is pretty amazing! There is an open air section on the second floor from where you get a somewhat aerial view of the 34th street. You can see the Empire State building too! In terms of food, they do not have a great variety, you get the common American items like burgers etc and some mexican stuff too.

View of the Empire State from Lucy's

South Street Seaport - Pier 17
I have eaten at a few places here and frankly liked all of them. The USP of the restaurants here is the view they offer more than anything else. Having a romantic dinner (or actually any kind of meal) by the riverside is something I have always fancied. You get a breathtaking view of the Brooklyn bridge as well. Just choose something up the stairs, by the river! And if you like seafood, try the Grilled salmon.

One restaurant that I really thought was interesting but never visited is Beekman Beer Garden Beach. It's a relatively new place and looks great! They have created an open air restaurant on a water taxi with seats that glow in the dark. I thought it was pretty awesome, will try it the next time for sure!

Beekman Beer Garden Beach

China Town
This is different part of NYC altogether. All signs are in Chinese, many people here can't speak in English and you often may have to talk with your hands! Busy, crowded yet very lively, and I had one of the best Singapore noodles there. This is the best place for some authentic Chinese food. And all the restaurants are very reasonably prices, most items between $10-$15. And it is highly likely that you will get the bill also in Chinese :)

A Glimpse of China Town

Little Italy
Right next to China town is Little Italy, the place for some great Italian food. They also have some food festivals or the other all year round. An interesting place to be at!

Little Italy Food Festival

Bleeker Street
This is close to the university area and has a line of small and homely pubs catering to the student population. The pubs have an informal environment and give you a perfect value for money.

Meatpacking district
This is really known for the night clubs and the speakeasy bars. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to explore this place well, although we accidentally went into a restaurant that served us an amazing octopus dish! Here is a list of the restaurants you will find there. It's a rather long one!
http://www.meatpackingdistrict.com/restaurantsbarsclubs/

My Travelogue Begins - 10 Places to See/ Be at in New York City! Part 1

It's been almost a month since I've been back in Delhi and thinking of writing about my trip. I've been both busy and lazy, but I finally got some time and decided to start writing. I was in New York City for 3 weeks for work and then traveled to visit the Niagara Falls, Disney World, Universal Studios and Miami. The focus for this article is my first destination, though I have to admit I'm already dying to write about the last ones too!

Though I have been to NYC a few times before for work, this was a special trip for several reasons. I discovered some new places in the city in terms of food, shopping and experiences, almost making it as exciting as the first visit to any place. Also, the romantic air of the city always made me miss my husband and I had him with me for the first time, though for a rather short time in the end! My selection of the best 10 places to see/ be at in NYC obviously has a a bias towards things I love - Walking around, Riverside, City View, Shopping, Eating. The night-life coverage unfortunately will be a little low. And I promise, I will try to cover them more in my next trip :). So here are my favorite places of the New York City! Since it is going to be long, I am splitting it into 2 parts.

Brooklyn Bridge

Thanks to my poor memory, I had forgotten what it was like to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge and hence went on to relive that experience. And guess what, my heart skipped a beat yet again as I stepped on to the wooden walkway and felt the vibrations of the cars racing under my feet. I could actually see them through the gaps between the wooden planks right below me. At the centre of the bridge, you can even throw a coin in the East river below (not sure if that is allowed though). It was quite a feeling, not to mention the view! It is almost impossible to not feel a little bit romantic there :)

Central Park

Yes, you have seen a lot of it both in Hollywood as well as Bollywood, but it's still worth seeing it with your own eyes. Honestly, I'm not really a fan of greenery but the vastness and serenity of this place is  breathtaking.  Seemed like the Central Park had also become a favorite spot for wedding couples. Saw quite a few of them with their crew of photographers following them along the park! The huge park spreads from the 59th street to the 110th street and has a drive space of 10 km inside the park used by joggers, skaters, cyclists etc. An interesting fact is that though the park looks very natural, it has been entirely landscaped and several lakes inside have been created artificially, but you simply can't tell!

Bridesmaids..

Street Show outside the Central Park

Central Park Zoo: While this zoo is one of the smallest in NYC (Bronx being the largest), a few residents make a treat for the eyes. My favorite are the seal and the penguins! They also have a snow leopard and a polar bear amongst other interesting beings. It is not a bad place for an entry fee of $13! In fact on two weekends every year, they allow complimentary entries to all corporate employees and I happened to be there on one of those weekends!

Times Square

I call it 'The I Make Everyone Smile' Square. No matter how I feel, the liveliness of this place cheers me up. The lights, the crowd, the hustle-bustle - all make it a happy place. I love sitting on the red stairs in the main square and watching the hundreds of people before me with something unique about each of them. You could often see an Elvis Presley or a topless but starred female guitarist or a Micky Mouse! The place also outlets for most of your favorite brands which also stay open till later than the other stores. The Times Square Forever 21 has the best collection and shopping hours, remains open till 2 am!

Eating options galore too!

Check him out, Elvis!

Breakfast @ HRC, A bit ironical :)

Inside HRC

The 34th Street

For someone who loves shopping, 34th street cannot be missed! You have the huge 9 floor Macy's that has a solution for almost all possible shopping needs! The shopping in Macy's experience deserves an independent article I believe! You also have Victoria Secrets, H&M around though the Forever 21 isn't exactly great. And I have to make a special mention of the Fossil store. There was a small problem with my Fossil watch and I had gone there to get it fixed. Since the duration of my stay wasn't long enough for them to fix it, they gave me a brand new watch!!!!!!!!!!!! I was rather shocked with this 'unthinkable in India' gesture! But I would recommend that Fossil store to everyone for their courteousness and generosity. And please don't blame me if you had entered the store to just buy a watch for your girlfriend but ended up buying two for yourself as well :).

Though Pizza is an Italian dish, they are absolutely yummy in America!!

Empire State Building

The spectacular view of the entire city from the top of the Empire State Building has again been dramatized in several movies and my first reaction too was nothing but a 'WOW' back in 2007. It is a different story that I went to the 45th floor of my office the next day and was equally mesmerized with the view that I got there! But if you're a tourist without the access to an office space in the 45th floor, you must visit this place! And the best time to go there I think is a little before sunset so that you can get both the day view as well as the night view! It is a photographer's delight! The lights, the buildings, the streets - it has to be experienced rather than read! It is not one of the post popular attractions of NYC for no reason.

Though I have been to only the 86th Floor and not the 102nd floor, 86th has an open space and I have read is better than 102! (You need to know this as there are separate tickets, 102 being more expensive). The skyride is also good is what I have heard.

  

Souvenir @ the Empire State

This is it for today. Pardon me and also correct me if there has been any factual errors. I have written this article more share my experiences rather than the widely known facts :). These snaps have been taken by three people (one of them being me), hence I cannot take all the credit :). Enjoy!

Places to See in Agra - Day 2: Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri

The post continues from here. Taj Mahal is something that neither needs any introduction, nor any history lessons! The place is so so popular that there may be a situation that you may not even be able to enter the site since it is flooded with visitors! And that is what exactly happened with us :(. The number of people waiting at the ticket counter were far more than the total crowd at the Delhi Slut Walk! In general I would advise against visiting the place on a Sunday or public holidays. And if at all those are the only days you have, you should go in the morning.

Timings: The Taj Mahal is open from 6am to 8pm. Tickets are sold till 5:30 pm. It is closed on Fridays.

The Experience: After the failure to enter on Sunday, we headed there early morning on Monday. The cars have to be parked 1km from the site and you have several transportation options thereafter. You can walk, take a horse cart or even an electric auto. But beware of the tourist guides! They would always tell you there's a huge queue and they would get you in quickly, but they lie most of the times!

We had a smooth entry. No food/ tripod allowed! The place was beautiful but quite crowded even at 8:30 am! Ofcourse it was the Independence Day. The Taj Mahal is one of those places that a photographer must visit at least once! And the weather was perfect, a little cloudy but not hot at all. We spent almost 1.5 hours there, roaming around and taking pictures.

From there we headed towards Fatehpur Sikri, 40 Km away from the Taj Mahal. Fatehpur Sikri is a far more peaceful place. But let me warn you, the tourist guides are very annoying here! Just shove them away. It is also very huge. The complex includes royal palaces, courts, the dargah and the Buland Darwaza. In fact if you are interested in some history, you should take a guide along! They don't cost you much. Alternately, you can take Wiki print outs with you.  By now however, I had an overdose of red :).

The drive back was absolutely horrible. We were directed to some road via Bharatpur and it was the most broken road I have ever traversed on! Finally we reached after driving for 9 long, difficult hours!

Now here's my journey through my photographs.

The First View of the Taj Mahal! 

I almost wanted to run to see more of it..

The Gate to the Taj Mahal

Finally..the Taj, A Complete View

Any trip to Taj Mahal is incomplete without this pose :)

One of the Minars

The Red Sandstone Boundary and The Yamuna

A Monkey taking a Leisure Walk by the River Bank

A little bit of a Discrimination :(

People, People Everywhere..

Thingsto Buy from Agra

Fatehpur Sikri

Dargah

On our Way Back Home..

Hope you had fun being a part of my journey :)

Places to See in Agra - Day 1: Akbar's Tomb and Agra Fort

This was a long weekend and we decided to drive down to Agra. I had seen the Taj Mahal, but that was long ago! I could barely remember anything. So it was time to refresh some memories.

The 190 km drive was to Agra was not too bad, but definitely not the best one. The weather was by our side thankfully, it was cloudy and pleasant. We reached our destination in about 5 hours. On our way, we made two haults at a Dhaba and then at Akbar's tomb. I have always been very excited about eating at road-side dhabas, they serve you the tastiest and truly authentic food.

Akbar's tomb was on the way and not really planned. It was a nice and peaceful monument, not overly crowded.

After checking in our 'Grand Hotel', we headed to see the Taj Mahal. Agra as a city is not very appealing. It's not very clean, and the 'guides' really really get on your nerves'. They would almost run after you everywhere. Unfortunately we went there in one of the busiest possible days and all the tourist places were super-crowded! We actually stood in the ticket queue for Taj Mahal for an hour, while they had shut the counters to control crowd. The queue to enter the Taj Mahal was more than a kilometre long. It was sad how they could mismanage a world heritage site like that! We and many others gave up and went to the Agra Fort.

Anyway, a bit of my usual History lessons (Courtsey: Wiki) before we proceed to the photos!

Akbar's Tomb
The Tomb of Akbar the Great is an important Mughal architectural masterpiece, built 1605-1613, set in 119 acres of grounds in Sikandra, a suburb of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Akbar himself commenced its construction in around 1600, according to a tradition to commence the construction of one's tomb during one's lifetime. Akbar himself planned his own tomb and selected a suitable site for it, after his death, Akbar's son Jahangir completed the construction in 1605-1613.

Agra Fort
This is located on the bank of Yamuna, 2.5 Km from the Taj Mahal.  It is one of the most important and robustly built stronghold of the Mughals, re-constructed by Akbar on the remains of an ancient site known as Badalgarh when he he made this his capital in 1558.

It was only during the reign of Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan, who built Taj Mahal, that the site took on its current state. Unlike his grandfather, Shah Jahan tended to have buildings made from white marble. At the end of his life, Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son, Aurangzeb, in the fort. It is rumored that Shah Jahan died in Musamman Burj, a tower with a marble balcony with a view of the Taj Mahal.

And now some pics..

Break for Breakfast @ Milan Dhaba

Gate: Akbar's Tomb

Inside the Site

A Tomb

Deer Posing for a Snap

Agra Red Fort

 

Red Fort: Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience)

Red Fort: Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience)

Red Fort: The Other Side

And, he was on top of the world!!

Finally made it to the Taj at 8:30 the next morning! I will post the pictures soon!