Travel & Hotspots

FOR WHEN YOU HAPPEN TO GO TO NEW YORK

May's culinary checklist

Suddenly I'm going to New York. Well, suddenly, suddenly. Quite unexpectedly, two tickets were booked. Man had to work but planned that, being handy as he is, of course exactly for a weekend. So at 5:20 PM we sip a glass of fizz on board and late Sunday evening we fly back.

Call me crazy, but I like flying (unlike Kiki). It's a forced offline moment, watching a few videos, deleting a thousand photos from my phone, and fiddling with my fork in the airplane food. Although if you fly economy comfort, you can actually order quite a decent dish, and if you manage to sit at the front of the plane (like our Joss before she met Queen Máxima), then you get served a star menu. I recently spoke to Jan Taminiau and he always systematically works through the entire wine list. It’s specifically chosen so that it rolls nicely in your mouth even at two thousand meters high.

“You supposedly die after 54 minutes, but after six sessions you should already see results”

And then we are in New York and I have a lot to do. Training at Physique 57, where all the rich (and thin) women of the Upper East Side do their daily exercises. You supposedly die after 54 minutes, but after six sessions you should already see results.

But mostly, there is eating. I share my favorite restaurants and my new upcoming favorites that I have compiled through thorough research with New Yorkers.

1. Freemans

This is a hidden restaurant that you would expect more in a David Lynch movie than in real life. I believe it used to be a British storage for hunting gear (hence maybe the wall full of stuffed animals) and it is really hidden. This gives you the feeling that you are truly in a unique place that no one else knows, and New Yorkers love that. And so do I, by the way.

2. Woondee Siam

Nothing fancy here, but the very best Asian food for a soft price. If you want to pee, you have to go through the kitchen, and if you want wine, you bring your own bottle. Ideal after an evening with a bit too much of this and a bit too much of that because it’s healthy, perfect against a hangover, and cheap.

“I’ve heard that the cocktails are heavenly there”

3. Milo’s

A New Yorker told me that this was an insanely good Italian place, but it turns out to be a Greek one. I forgive her, those silly New Yorkers also think that the Netherlands is the capital of Denmark. Greek or not, it has a bizarrely delicious menu with lots of fresh fish and ceviches, and they love shared dining. Seems perfect for lunch…

4. Chef’s Club

Okay, I saw shaved artichoke & mushroom pizetta with black truffle, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil and they had me. But totally.

5. Jack’s Wife Freda

You want to go here just for the name, right? And otherwise because this place is going to do a lot for your Instagram account (here by the way, tips for a beautiful Instagram). One point for improvement is that putting the menu on the site wouldn’t be a bad idea, but I forgive them. I’m definitely going there. I’ve heard that the cocktails are heavenly there.

6. Madame Geneva

It’s a cocktail bar, it’s located on Bleecker Street (my favorite), it’s cozy and dark, and it has been rated as a ‘number 1 bar’ by restaurant guide Zagat. So I’m going there. And if I have a little hangover at the office on Monday morning, you know why.