New York in Spring . Day 2

Breakfast once again at Babycakes.  I went for the sole purpose of sending donuts and brownies to my mom for Mother's Day, but I had to try their blueberry donut for myself!  The lemon coconut is still my favorite, but blueberry is a close second. 

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For lunch I took my friend Alexia's suggestion and ventured to Red Bamboo.  It's a cute little restaurant on West 4th Street that was completely full on a Monday afternoon.  The menu is a mix of southern comfort food and traditional Asian fare.

Their Almond Coconut Chicken is served with a sweet chili sauce and it's a great meat substitute.  It's crunchy and salty with a touch of sweet, and extremely filling...I could only eat two of them. 

I also tried the Dragonfly Dumplings, which were filled with cabbage, carrots, vegetable protein + vegetarian shrimp on top of a mixed green salad.  The soy dressing that comes with it was great with the dumplings, but for the salad I ordered a side of their carrot ginger dressing, which you can never go wrong with.  The dumplings were incredible - the vegetable protein and veggie shrimp gave them a great texture and wonderful flavor.

If you're looking for somewhere to take both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, this is the place.  The flavors and textures leave nothing to be missed. 


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We stayed at The Ace Hotel on Broadway & 29th.  We've stayed there several times before and it has such a great vibe.  The lobby is meant to be a neighborhood hang out, with lots of comfy couches and communal tables.  The style is really similar to what my husband I are constantly trying to perfect - a mix of simple modern + raw vintage industrial.

This time was the first time we ate at their restaurant, The Breslin.  I wasn't terribly hungry, so I just had a few snacks.  The Sea Salt and Vinegar Crisps came in a cute little bag and they were completely delicious (I have a weakness for potato chips).  I also had their Bibb salad without the botarga and a side of Asparagus and Basil, both very good.
 

Our friend Victor Schrager had the best dish of all, Sauteed Radishes and Cippolini.  They were outstanding.  And he even held up the table lights to provide me with a good photo, as he himself is an extremely talented still life photographer.

Note:  If you are at all squeamish about meat, you might want to avoid The Breslin.  I saw parts of a pig there that a vegetarian should never see.