Reade Street and Hudson Street

Happy Halloween!

Reade Street and Church Street

The unassuming approach to Tribeca Treats might not prepare you for all the pink sprinkles and chocolate smells inside this bakery and store (they have a nice selection of dainty, funny birthday cards). The cupcakes and cookies are also dainty—but serious. And there’s a cookbook, just released this week, called Sweet Chic.

Fourth Street and Bowery

A slice of Harumi Ori’s I Am Here installation, depicting a slice of street life. “There is truth in any moment, however ordinary,” according to her artist’s statement.

Columbus Circle

The last time I had dinner at Bar Masa, I wondered out loud why I couldn’t eat here every night. (Many reasons.) And maybe if I had those tiny pancakes of Peking duck with foie gras, the grilled maitake rolls with fresh truffle, that uni risotto that is too much—and so much more—on a more regular basis, I would soon lose my sense of luxury.

Houston Street and Crosby Street

Saturday afternoon, Soho scene, stuck in traffic. A shiba inu in the cab next to me sticks his body out of the window to take in the breeze, to see: Beauty.

Union Square

Eggplant and pumpkins at the farmers’ market: weekend cooking and decorating inspiration.

13th Street and 2nd Avenue

A slice of crack pie to go (long gone) at Momofuku Milk Bar. I’d read the recipe for it a while back and thought: how good can that pie be? But, in fact, there’s a reason it’s called crack.

29th Street and Fifth Avenue

A swatch of nighttime autumn skyline. For some serious shots of New York atmosphere (the kind you might want to frame), check out the photography of James Maher (whose work I discovered via the Manhattan User’s Guide a while back).

Prince Street and Mulberry Street

A glance, askance, at the menu at Macbar, while waiting for my mac and cheese to go. I took the cashier’s suggestion and ordered up a portion of the mushroom version (with fontina, mascarpone, and truffle “essence”) and one chipotle chicken, and both were really good. Better than I ever make at home, I have to confess. (Here's a recipe for the Margarita Mac, if you want to give it a shot.)

Third Avenue and 60th Street

Floor design at Dylan’s Candy Bar, where they have, just in time for Halloween, crème brûlée candy corn (among other treats, including a new book out about all things candy-related).

Broadway and Fulton Street

This blue and pink interior of St. Paul’s Chapel caught me off-guard recently, when I passed through to get from one side of the block to the other. (I don’t think I’d ever been inside, though I frequently walk through the graveyard.) The chandeliers “date from 1802 and were originally made to hold candles,” according to the brochure I picked up at the exit, on my way out into a decidedly unpastel downtown Broadway at lunchtime.

16th Street and Union Square West

  
Union Square Cafe feels (to me) like a California restaurant (a good thing) stuck in New York. It’s casual (but not really), the staff is super friendly, and the food is always better than you remember. (Three words, especially, not to forget: crispy pork confit.)
      And, in celebration of the restaurant’s 25th birthday, you can read chef Michael Romano’s restaurant haiku here. Even better: read some of his recipes here.

Manhattan Avenue and Bedford Street (Brooklyn)

Vignette with toy dinosaurs at Van Leeuwen ice cream shop, where I discovered that red currant is too tart but cinnamon is perfect for autumn. (They also have trucks parked around Manhattan.)

Broadway and Warren Street

Accidental abstraction in the subway station (mixed media). “Everything in life, turned sideways, can look like—can be—art.” —David Shields in Reality Hunger

Columbus Circle

“When there are such lands there should be profitable things without number.” —Columbus

This is the view from the Time Warner Center, looking past the statue of Columbus. Enjoy the long weekend!

North 11th Street and Kent Avenue (Brooklyn)

Shoes on a wire: who knows why.

St. Marks Place and Avenue A

View of an afternoon, from the open-air front of the Belgian Room, which feels like a small, dark-paneled pub in Brussels (until you look outside, into the East Village).

West Broadway and Chambers Street

Message or misspelling? I can understand the urge to abbreviate because of lack of letters (corned eef), but the first two lines: those are a mystery. Unless they’re trying to compete with the strip club around the corner.

Carmine Street and Seventh Avenue

Hot pot of bibimbap at Do Hwa, a Korean restaurant with a contemporary vibe, fancy cocktails, metal chopsticks, and such. (The bibimbap was lovely, and the pork bulgogi: I wanted more of it.) I didn’t have a chance to taste the pork ribs, but I’ve printed out this recipe to try at home.

Murray Street and West Broadway

Skyline, 9 o’clock: rainy day in New York. Good day to stay inside (especially with flooding in the subways), but here are a few things to do if you have to get out.