After Kevin headed back home, I still had a few more days to myself in NYC before the Hellmann’s 100th Birthday Party. My sweet blogging buds Shelly and Shaina joined me, and at the last minute we found out our other friend Jessica was going to be in NYC too! :) We met up for a fun and sweet day running all over the city, and we started with these Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Lavo. I nearly died when they came out topped with a giant scoop of chocolate gelato, lol!
Shelly had the PB&J Pancakes with Reese’s Pieces and they were ridiculously good. Jessica had the Banana Pancake Layer Cake and Kevin was very jealous he was not there, lol! :)
I have been to Lavo for dinner before, and the food was delicious, but it was SO LOUD. Definitely had a nightclub feel, and that is just not my scene. Brunch was much more laid back! :)
Next we popped down to City Bakery for a pretzel croissant and one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies in the city. Love the unique texture of this cookie!
Then Shaina surprised us with her homemade chocolate chip cookies!! I love traveling with food bloggers!! :) xoxoxo
We had dinner that night at Parm in Little Italy. Oh my gosh, you guys. If you are planning a trip to NYC, put this on your MUST EAT HERE restaurant list!! :) I am dying at how good it was!! I had SUCH a hard time picking just one thing to get. The entire menu looked amazing!! I finally decided on the classic chicken parm. Knocked my socks off. You can get it as a sandwich or with a side of ziti, which is what I did — and highly recommend!! Shelly got the meatball parm and it was amazing. Shaina had the special, a homemade penne pasta in a creamy bolognese sauce. Life changing. I will be coming back here again for sure!
And don’t miss out on their Zeppole!
It’s sugared, deep fried, and the softest cake ever.
They also had a very impressive-looking ice cream cake that I will be checking out next time. ;)
The next day we were up on the Upper West Side and passed by Cafe Lalo. How fun is this? This is where Meg Ryan is waiting for Tom Hanks with a copy of Pride and Prejudice and a rose in You’ve Got Mail. This is where he stands outside and says “She had to be. She had. to. be!!” :)
Love that movie! :)
Next we made our way over to Sugar and Plumm. Oh my gosh you guys! This was the cutest bakery ever! So fun!! I did not realize that they also do breakfast and brunch, but I will definitely be coming back here for that next time. Their menu looked AMAZING!! Plus they have some seriously decadent-sounding gourmet milkshakes! :)
How incredible is their chocolate chunk cookie??
I also had to try their famous creme brulee cookie! So fun! :)
We ended the day with one of my very favorite gelato shops in NYC, Amorino. In the front is my Nutella, Speculoos, and Hazelnut gelato. LOVE IT!! These are my three favs!! :) In the back you can see Shaina’s Mango and Raspberry, seriously amazing. If you are going to NYC, I recommend having gelato here at least twice a day. ;)
If you’re planning a trip to NYC, here are a few more posts you might find helpful:
NYC – What to Do, Where to Eat and Where to Stay
My Guide to NYC Sweets
Sunset Boat Tour of NYC
Thanks so much for looking! Have a great day!! :) xoxo
I have been checking all your recommendations for NYC as I plan for an upcoming weekend – I don’t think there are going to be enough mealtimes! You make every place sound magical! Could you or any of your readers please help with this question: Is it worth getting in line by 6.00 am (!) for a cronut from Dominique Ansel Bakery on a Friday morning in November? What time would you suggest we started queuing?
Many thanks,
Victoria
No!!!!!! :) Go a little later in the morning (before noon) and get a DKA. THAT is worth it!! :) They have been selling out of that since day 1! :) Have so much fun!! :) xoxo
That’s some good eats! ;)
I seriously think you’ve visited more bakeries in NYC then me. Next time you come, you MUST let me know, I wanna have a girls day go bakery hopping : )
You know how to do New York City, girl! Food, treats and more!
I have just one question. . . How in the heck do you keep from gaining weight? I gain 10 pounds everytime I read your post!!
WOWZERS! My mouth is watering so bad I may choke! YUMMY!
Holy crap, these foods are so off the glycemic index chart it’s ridiculous. No wonder we have a diabetes epidemic in this country. Hope you’re at least trying to stay healthy! ;)
I am still dying over that Preztel Croissant! So – So good!
I was lamenting the fact that I couldn’t simply run to Amorino yesterday to get gelato. I need that in my life more often. Also, I am determined to find the secrets to making that gorgeous bolognese sauce. Seriously good.
Parm in Little Italy and nutella, speculoos, and hazelnut gelato?! I would have been in heaven! I am loving your NYC posts!
Love this blog since I am off to NY in a month and needed some new and interesting things to do!!! thanks!!!
I am still dreaming of those Reese’s Pieces Pancakes… I need another NYC trip!!
I always love when you do NYC posts because I bookmark them and know that I will have one awesome trip when I finally get there one day!
Hi there, I love reading your blog, your tips, your tricks, your photos, your trips +++ !
– but every time I read it I get so hungry!!!
Keep up the good work, and please tell us how you can eat all that lovely food, and stay fit!
Regards from Norway, Jon
I love reading your blog. I’m actually going to attempt to make those oatmeal buttercream pies today when my son goes to nursery! :-)