Biting The Big Apple

Went to New York this past weekend and, as is always the case, much of the trip was centered around eating/restaurants (wouldn't have it any other way). Had a nice variety of some really good dishes, so I thought I'd give you a picture-filled recap of my recent dining adventure:

Day One: Arrived at the airport with some time to kill before departure, so I decided to hit the food court prior to going through security. Forgoing my usual airport tradition of scarfing down a McGriddle, I instead opted for a calzone from Giorgio's (not sure if they're connected to this Giorgio's - a fantastic New York-style pizzeria that I'm a big fan of). Made sense, as I'm usually there with family or friends, which almost always necessitates going in on a whole pizza, leaving the mouthwatering calzones for another visit - this was the perfect opportunity.



Got the stromboli kind with hot cheese on the side (instead of tomato sauce - a wise decision, although I was initially unsure). Absolutely delicious, and I was glad the calzone had lived up to my grand expectations (hadn't had one for years, but remembered them being pretty damn good). Glad I saved the McGriddle for another time.

First restaurant in New York was originally going to be The Spotted Pig - a gastropub in the West Village, famous for having one of the best burgers in the city. It also has a reputation for being incredibly difficult to get a table, but we figured we had a shot if we got there before 7:00 (also, the city's not as crowded in the summer, upping our chances even more). Alas, our party of six guaranteed a wait around the tune of two hours, which, in the 90 degree-plus weather we were having, simply wasn't an option. We then set our sights on RUB (Righteous Urban BBQ), which was just a short walk away. My brothers who reside in NYC claim it to be the best BBQ in the city, although upon hearing this claim, a friend of mine said it's more likely that honor belongs to a place in a different borough (not sure if my brothers are referring to just Manhattan or all of New York when they say "city"). In any case, RUB seemed like a solid plan B, so we made our way there after a brief stop at Magnolia Bakery for some post-dinner cupcakes. The players for this meal consisted of myself, my friend Troy, brothers James and Daniel, as well as their respective girlfriends, Diane and Joyce. Some candid shots of the group:






The food was good, if a little heavy - but hey, it's BBQ. Appetizers consisted of hushpuppies (which I've never had outside of Long John Silver's - for shame), thick-cut bacon bits, onion rings snagged from Joyce's plate, and something else which escapes my memory - all fantastic. I had an excellent pulled pork sandwich as my entree, but in retrospect, perhaps I just should have had the pulled pork by itself with maybe another meat on the side (I think the bread of the sandwich filled me up quicker than I would have liked, and at BBQ, it's all about the meat).



The traveling with a hefty backpack, intensive walking, 90 degree weather, hefty BBQ meal, and dehydration (I downed several cokes, but little to no water) resulted in me leaving RUB a bloated, tired, and hot mess, but a great time was had by all and it served as a fitting celebratory feast to kick off my visit.

Next: Day Two!