Cup Cakes!

Yesterday was another beautiful day in New York City. While on my way to the Highline (elevated park in NYC that was formally an old railroad track) for a late afternoon stroll when I came across a new cute little Cup Cake stand on 14th st between 5th and 6th ave called Baked by Melissa!

The reason I say it is a stand is because there are literally no seats, you just pick out your miniature cup cakes and keep on going. The design and display is definitely different. The 3 flavors I picked were Red Velvet, Tie dye, and Peanut Butter. They were $1 each which is not so bad but considering they were bite size I think it could of been a little cheaper. The idea of a mini cup cake is cute but it did leave me wanting more, even though I had three.

I am not sure if "Baked By Melissa" will beat out it's competitors such as Crumbs and Magnolia bakery but time will tell for this cute little cup cake shop. My favorite cup cake shop is still "The Little Cup Cake Shop" in Bayridge, Brooklyn. My favorite cup cake is Red Velvet in case anyone ever wants to send me a dozen.

What is your favorite cup cake shop? And whats your favorite cup cake?

Oink Oink!

There is a saying that goes "You Are What You Eat"...well if that is true then tonight I was a pig! 

One of my favorite restaurants in New York City is the Hillstone, formally known as Houstons. As you enter into the Hillstone the first thing you hear and see is the pianist playing by the packed bar. The decor is dark and intimate with a classy vibe. It serves as a great spot for an evening for two or a gathering of friends. My favorite appetizer is the Artichoke Spinach Dip known as the Rockefeller hmm maybe because it tastes so rich?  I could easily go without sharing on this appetizer. Now on to the Stacked Ribs formally known as the knife and fork ribs. I could use the word delicious or scrumptious but that just wouldn't do it justice. Instead I would like to describe these ribs as "Divine" well at least in my eyes and my mouth anyway. The ribs just glide off the bone in a way where it is not necessary to get your precious fingers dirty but getting messy with these saucy ribs adds to the enjoyment of eating them. The BBQ sauce has a nice tang without being overly zesty and the string fries and coleslaw is a nice addition to this salivating platter. Not to mention the hot towel to wipe my little paws at the end of the meal adds a classy touch. 

Hillstone or Houstons as I still call it, will always be a staple restaurant for good decor,service and most of all my baby-back ribs.

Have you ever been to the Hillstone? What is your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant? Let me know!

Bubble Tea!

Yesterday was another typical NYC day until I chatted online with a friend of mine who was raving about this Bubble Tea place on St.Marks street in the East Village called TKettle(cash only.) Unbeknown to him I had never tried Bubble Tea before but had always wondered what the fascination was with this weird looking drink with black balls that New Yorkers were constantly sipping through a big colorful straw.

So you are probably asking yourself what is Bubble Tea? Well Bubble Tea by definition is a sweet tea drink with milk and tapioca pearls, of Taiwanese origin. I am an open minded person that is always willing to try new and different things so I figured why not see what this Bubble Tea is all about. The ordering process was a bit confusing for a newbie such as myself. Milk?No milk? What flavor to get? I was getting dizzy with all the options so I let my friend take over the ordering process and went with his suggestion to try the Honeydew Bubble Tea with milk. At first glance I thought to myself this looks like green milk with black balls at the bottom of a cup, but once I took a sip I thought Hmm... I might have a spot on my palette for this beverage. As for the Tapioca balls....well I didn't like them. They were soft and slimy with a  consistency that was hard to chew and kept on going through the straw. I was scared that if I sipped it to fast that I would get a Tapioca ball lodged in the back of my throat(now I know why the straw is so big proceed with caution when drinking bubble tea.)

The overall experience was great, the Bubble Tea was good, my friend got the Passion Fruit which was also yummy as well. We also tried the bubble waffle which was pretty good. I can say that I definitely will not be a die-hard Bubble Tea fan but I will go back and try some other flavors in the future.

What do you think of Bubble Tea? Are you a fan? Let me know!