Eat, Drink, Run: NYC Restaurants

I recently had the opportunity of my life to travel to New York City with NikeWomen. It was a three day trip which included a look at their Spring/Summer line for 2016, a few events, a lot of awesome free stuff (Nike is very generous.), and a run with Kevin Hart on the last day. Also, of course, plenty of great food.
My immediate goal before traveling to New York was to stuff my face as much as I could with every kind of food possible at all the NYC restaurants I could manage to hit. It didn’t exactly go that way, but I got pretty close.
The first day, I didn’t really know anyone and was too chicken to venture outside by myself or order delivery — especially since I didn’t get back to my hotel room until 10 p.m. I munched on some chips (that were probably like $15 — New York, you’re hilarious) and decided it totally wasn’t worth it. Happily, this was the last time I had to settle for a bag of chips.
The following day, I had a few hours to roam around SOHO. Myself and two other bloggers (Jena from Chi City Fashion and Jessica from Addictions of a Fashion Junkie) found this adorable little gem: Chalk Point Kitchen.

The moment you step inside, you feel like you’re in your cool grandma’s fancy farmhouse (and I mean that in the best way possible). Fresh flowers centered each table and the menu, (oh, the menu!) was mouthwatering.

We were in a bit of a hurry as we had to make it to Flybarre in less than an hour, so we rushed to order. I ordered the Warm Japanese Teriyaki Chicken Salad, which consisted of Hudson Valley pan-grilled chicken, broccoli, sesame, radish and Asian greens. The salads ranged from $15 to $17 — and I’d say it’s totally worth it.

I mean, this salad was to die for. I was trying to eat fast, but I couldn’t help but savor every bite. It had a bit too much dressing for my taste, but was still delicious. My fellow diners feasted on the Quinoa Bowl (which was my second choice). It consisted of organic upstate kale, avocado, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pistachio, preserved lemon and fried goat cheese. They said it tasted as good as it looked.
My overall grade: 4.5/5
The following night, after a long day, five of us went to dinner in the Lower East Side at The Stanton Social. We put our name on the waiting list, and while waiting, ventured up to the second floor to the lounge and bar area to grab a drink.

The picture doesn’t even do this place justice. The ambiance is so relaxing and a perfect spot for a girl’s night out or a date night. The drink menu offered a variety of fresh cocktails, making it really hard to decide. I settled on the Cranberry Flower: Hendrick’s Gin, cranberry compote, fresh lemon, and lemon syrup. If I hadn’t already had plans to run with Kevin Hart at 7:30 a.m. the next morning (and yes, you know I’ll be writing all about that on Fit Bottomed Girls!), trust me, I probably would have attempted to try every cocktail on the menu — with no regrets.
Once our table was ready, we sat down and looked over the menu. The menu items are designed for sharing, giving us the chance to experience multiple dishes. We ended up ordering 11 dishes. (Yes, I said 11.) We ordered the Cobb Salad Bites, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, French Onion Soup Dumplings, Red Snapper Tacos, Pan Seared Scallops, Chicken ‘n Waffles, Mexican Street Corn Ravioli, Nori Spiced Tuna Poke Wonton, Herb Dusted Fries, Kobe Beef Burger and Maryland Crab Cake BLT Sliders.

We demolished every. last. one. of. them. And one thing I’d like to point out: I hate brussels sprouts, but everyone forced me to try them. And I’m thankful they did. I finished them off and now have reconsidered my stance. By the way, my favorite dish? The French Onion Soup Dumplings. Holy shiitake. I’d come to New York just for those babies.
Despite all of us about to explode, we then decided to order dessert. We ended up ordering Birthday Cake Milk Shots (even though it was nobody’s birthday) and warm doughnuts. That’s right — health fanatics can enjoy some indulgent desserts occasionally, too!

The menu items range anywhere from $9-$30 each. Between the decor, ambiance and delicious food and cocktails, this by far is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to.
My overall grade: 5/5
On the final day, a few of us had some time to spare before our flights. We decided to take the subway to the World Trade Center, as I really wanted to see the memorial and museum. Before we made it there though, we ran into this small grab-and-go restaurant, Juice Press, in Tribeca.

Upon walking in, there was a refrigerator full of cold-pressed juices, superfood smoothies, raw foods, soups, and raw desserts. A tad overwhelming, but in a good way.

We had the option to grab something from the refrigerator (awesome for those in a true rush) or choose something off the menu — they’ll make it fresh on the spot.

What makes Juice Press special is they produce juice and food everyday and pull the juices and foods off the shelf earlier than strictly necessary to ensure freshness. All their products are all Certified USDA Organic and kosher. And in addition, majority of their plastics are compostable, recyclable, and BPA-free. Rock on, Juice Press.
They have a very large menu with already established dishes and the option to fully customize whatever you like, from smoothies to salads.

I went with the Raw Falafel salad, and guys, this salad was ON FLEEK. The falafel was non-fried, dehydrated and provided me with a great source of protein to continue on in my day. It definitely had a different texture than baked or fried falafel, but I personally loved it.
If I lived in New York, I would probably make a trip to this place everyday — or make an order for delivery ’cause, guess what? Yep, they deliver! Woot, woot!
My overall grade for Juice Press? 5/5
What would you suggest trying for anyone traveling to New York City? —Erika