On our recent long weekend in NYC, we spent a fun day strolling from SoHo to lunch in Greenwich Village at Minetta Tavern to dessert at Milk & Cookies. It was the perfect way to recuperate from the overindulgence of the night before (and I will speak for myself in that department…) and to get a little bit of fresh air. Although maybe we should have started with lunch and the restorative cheeseburgers and fries and ended with shopping because, really, our hearts and heads were just not into the shopping…
Minetta Tavern looks unassuming from the exterior, but the inside was hopping and full to the brim. It seems that reservations are crucial–at least at noon on Saturday. The menu is stocked with delicious brunch items and one person in our party veered from the cheeseburger/fries to experience the ham/grits/eggs combo. The beverage menu looked worth exploring–but Diet Coke is such a perfect complement to a cheeseburger that I couldn’t resist.
Next stop: Milk & Cookies! I love this cookbook and was so excited to actually enter the bakery that chef Tina Casaceli put on the map. It was quaint and adorable and evidently a stop on many walking tours. It was rated 4.8 out of 5 on the Foods of NY Tours by over 180,000 guests!
Now that I’m home, I plan on getting out my cookbook to savor some memories from last weekend. I love the way the cookbook leaves room for some creativity–by providing recipes to five different base doughs, then having examples of how to elaborate on them. I’ve gotten fond of throwing in my own mix of goodies, depending on what’s laying around, into the various bases. Try it on a cold winter day!