To my mom, who still has no clue on my living details in New York City. May this book give you a glimpse into the world I’ve learned to love and call home. (Home for now. Don’t freak

out.)

&

New York City, for being a great teacher, a loving home, and, most importantly, being real. I love every corner of grit

and grime and always will

“If you think of the great cities of history, Athens is glory, Rome is grandeur & power,

let’s say Paris is culture... Well what is New York? New York is a home. People from all over the world could come here and

feel a sense of belonging” -Robert Caro

ContentsStart Here

7 Brothers’ Deli Amish Market Laundromat CafeKyotofu

World Wide PlazaHell’s Kitchen Community GardenThe Flea Market

Manganaro’sCupcake CafeTwo Boots

Solaces & Sanctuaries

Eating Everywhere

4

6

8

10

18

22

28

38

42

46

HudsonRiver

CentralParkColumbus Circle

49 st

39 st

Midtown

Contents

“In New York, just got a place in New York.”

- U2, “New York”

“In New York, just got a place in New York.”

Maybe start at My Kitchen..

Or not. From some who considers herself a lousy cook by ‘circumstance’ (truth is, I’ve never tried to efficiently commit to anything more than creative egg creations and easy rice/pasta dishes), there’s not much to see in my kitchen. I’ve never used my new apartment’s stove since I refuse to stop being mortified by gas stoves, and I store old magazines in my never-been-used-either oven. In fact, I’ve never tried baking anything in my life. Disgusted with me enough? Moving on back to the bigger picture - or Kitchen.

Hell’s Kitchen is a unique name for the mediocrely gritty and gentrification-in-progress Midtown West, also given the name Clinton in an attempt by real estate brokers to fancy it up (fun neighborhood fact: during President Clinton’s year, news on the area Chelsea-Clinton provided a double entendre), between 34th Street and 57th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River.

Many possibilities seem to be floating around for the original name, the most concise briefing on those is this following piece:

“Several different explanations exist for the original name. An early use of the phrase appears in a comment Davy Crockett made about another notorious Irish slum in Manhattan, Five Points. According to the Irish Cultural Society of the Garden City Area:When, in 1835, Davy Crockett said, ‘”In my part of the country, when you meet an Irishman, you find a first-rate gentleman; but these are worse than savages; they are too mean to swab hell’s kitchen,” he was referring to the Five Points. According to an article by Kirkley Greenwell, published online by the Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association:No one can pin down the exact origin of the label, but some refer to a tenement on 54th Street as the first “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Another explanation points to an infamous building at 39th as the true original. A gang and a local dive took the name as well.... a similar slum also existed in London and was known as Hell’s Kitchen. Whatever the origin of the name, it fit. Local historian Mary Clark adds a probably apocryphal anecdote when she states the name:...first appeared in print on September 22, 1881 when a New York Times reporter went to the West 30s with a police guide to get details of a multiple murder there. He referred to a particularly infamous tenement at 39th Street and 10th Avenue as “Hell’s Kitchen,” and said that the entire section was “probably the lowest and filthiest in the city.” According to this version, 39th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues became known as Hell’s Kitchen and the name was later expanded to the surrounding streets. Another version ascribes the name’s origins to a German restaurant in the area known as Heil’s Kitchen, after its proprietors.

But the most common version traces it to the story of Dutch Fred The Cop, a veteran policeman, who with his rookie partner, was watching a small riot on West 39th Street near 10th Avenue. The rookie is supposed to have said, “This place is hell itself,” to which Fred replied, “Hell’s a mild climate. This is Hell’s Kitchen.”

--

That said, let’s move on to what’s around the block from yes, my kitchen, on 444 w 49 st.

2

7 BrothersDeliEspecially when the ‘brothers’ trend seems to be all over Hell’s Kitchen with an 8 Brother’s Deli a few blocks away, and even a 12-Brother-something spotted once on one of my many walks in this neighborhood?

Well, not much inside the deli anyway. It really is your typical Hell’s Kitchen Deli. However, the wholesale flowers lined up outside are a different story..

This one has become my second hand version of a flower garden on a daily basis as I walk from my block to wherever my day takes me. I’ve been in that deli maybe once since I moved here (and with The Amish Market so close by you’ll see why I never needed to),

So what makes this deli unlike every other deli in New York City...

Gardens and flowers especially were a big part of my experience of leaving the house back in my Dubai neighborhood. Regardless of the questionable environmental costs to keep such a garden, my family insisted our villa have a lush garden of rose bushes, palm trees, and other plants and flowers I’m not particularly informed on.

Moving to NYC, and especially living so high up on the borders of the Upper East Side and Harlem at first, had left me leaving my apartment to smell a garden of piled garbage every day - So the flowers on my block in Hell’s Kitchen were definitely met with more welcome on my side. It’s a sweet slice of home, bringing back memories of family, my LDR*, and just a pretty garden I left behind. LDR*, abbrev. of long distance relationship.

An opportune way of saying you’re in one while making it sound like a disease.

7 BrothersDeli ““..leaving my apartment to smell a garden of piled garbage every day..”

“..leaving my apartment to smell a garden of piled garbage every day..”

4

The AmishThe touristy part of me that seems to never wash off was excepting a run-by-something-other-than-electricity store with real Amish butters, honey, produce, and maybe a few rugs thrown in. My naive hope was diminished but not disappointed with this chain.

A spacious market (compared to my previous Associated experience) that has gotten me back to eating real food since moving here. In fact, I’ve left my heart in the (real) cheese aisle.

Coming from a house of doctors where ‘take out’ has always been a dirty word, this place is one of the few in the neighborhood to provide a healthier alternative to the trans fatty Thai take outs that have manifested throughout Hell’s Kitchen. Visiting friends seem to use it’s proximity to my place as a way to get out of having to eat my cooking - which is a win win for all.

Another branch of the franchise (the original) in Tribeca has gone the whole nine yards with free wifi, a flower shop (and you now know how I love those), valet parking for those doing groceries in style or just heading to the cafe. The one on my block provides none of these, but I’m left impressed none the less.

A chain that had me fooled before I stepped In..

The Amish“..expecting a run-by-some-thing-other-than-electricity store..”

“.. expecting a run-by-some-thing-other-than-electricity store..”

6

Market

LaundromatcafeBy cafe they really mean a small coffee maker and paper cups, so I’m guessing the cafe aspirations didn’t quite work out so well. Hey, you’d be a little hesitant too if you were pitched with the idea of having coffee in a Manhattan-small space of loud washers and dryers, with the smell of detergent probably putting you off most edibles and drinkables.Yet this place gets a lot of business, thanks to what was once a novel fact to me that most Manhattan apartments don’t provide washing machines (ta dah!).

For someone that only learned to do her own laundry after moving to New York City from the land of everyone-has-housekeeping, this wasn’t just a minor inconvenience. It was more like a handicap.. My previous apartment had what most people would consider old school washers and dryers, which I became proficient with after a session of youtubing and some light reading on eHow.

These big busters in Midtown are just as retro, yet everyone comes here from other Hell’s Kitchen residents in the same boat as I am, to tourists seeking cheaper laundry service than their hotel options. You will be surprised who you meet here, as Broadway extras tend to stand outside as they wait for their laundry, all while practicing their vocal exercises as the machines conveniently drone them out to the rest of us.

The Cafe bit Didn’t really work out for them..

Laundromat

8

“..by cafe they really meant a small coffee maker and paper cups..”

“..by cafe they really meant a small coffee maker and paper cups..”

KyotofuDessert to Die for..

New York’s first award winning Japanese dessert bar & bakery (and yes they do serve some limited entrees besides their looooong list of desserts), happens to be on my block. Holy moly- Or should I say molé? I even forgive them for having my favorite green matcha latte staple take longer than my less artisinal white mocha at The Coffee Pot nearby. Yes, the latte order requires you to wait for the matcha leaves being grinded and milled traditionally in a bowl by the hostess.... and so on.

My theory is by the time you get your order, you’ve already drooled over the exquisitely displayed cupcakes and other goodies that your order racks up a few more items. In my case, a small portion of their amazing soy softserve which I can definitely eat unlimited amounts of left to my own devices. I don’t allow myself to come down here too often.

Kyotofu

10

“..Holy Moly- Or should I say molé?”

“..Holy Moly- Or should I say molé?”

Soy soy good..

It’s hard to believe that Kyotofu’s famously owned and made artisanal tofu with specially imported fermented beans can be this good. It’s a vegan heaven - and a friend-of-a-vegan heaven-which is rare for desserts, even in New York City. From their online store itself:

“Since opening in the fall of 2006, Kyotofu has quickly become New York’s favorite Japanese dessert bar to visit for award-winning sweets, lunch, brunch, drinks, or dinner.

While sipping your shochu cocktail or one of our many varieties of sake, we invite you to sample our delectable modern Japanese dessert plates, made with all natural, healthful ingredients, including our artisanal tofu - made fresh daily on the premises.

If you can’t visit our New York location, we invite you to shop online. We ship many of our most popular desserts nationwide, including our Chocolate Souffle Cupcakes, voted “New York’s Best Cupcake” by New York Magazine.

Kyotofu also offers offsite catering, private events, corporate gifts, custom gift assortments, and bridal and wedding cakes and favors. Contact us for menus and more details.

With our emphasis on all-natural, organic, and healthful ingredients, Kyotofu is preparing the palate for new levels of refinement - one soybean at a time!” (Kyotofu-nyc.com)

12

“I want to live like a goddamn human being.”

“I want to live like a goddamn human being.”

Anonymous New Yorker circa 2010

“Many a truth is Spoken in Jest”

I’ll quote E.B White when he said “It can destroy an individual, or it can fulfill him, depending a good deal on luck. No one should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky.” (Yes he’s an author of more sophisticated material than your childhood must-have, Charlotte’s Web). To most people, lady luck is the butt of a hundred bad dark jokes and downtown comedians play the village drunks, and by that I mean drunk on elixirs of truth... Welcome to New York City.

Hell’s Kitchen isn’t any different. The same perverse pride in surviving this city permeats most that aren’t at their cracking point. We’re all sick of the noise, the trash, the vermin, the weather, atleast something will always be bothering the average New York resident. He -or she- might even jump off a bridge, and check - We have those.

On a quote I probably relate to more - “I love this city” (last line of Ghostbusters, duh). It hasn’t come easy for the spoiled rotten (speaking relatively to most New Yorkers; I’m considered fully ‘independent’ in the banana republic of Dubai) author of this book, in fact it’s taken a lot of attempts at nesting in order to feel fully a part of this city.

For the 24 years of my life, I’ve traveled more than most people I know due to the circumstance of growing up with a single mom who went back to med school (all over the world, may I add), and even the pleasure that comes with being from a family that travels at least once or twice a year. For the first time in my life after all this moving around, I’ve fallen in love with a place that finally feels like my own.

Putting the “Hell” in Hell’s Kitchen

Others however may not always agree on trying on the rose tinted glasses I metaphorically and permanently have on here. A “New York state of mind” is more like a head full of absolute disgust at this city; whether it’s a bad ride on the subway, a late train, missing a train, just the general population... Whatever it is; everyone needs to get out of their menacing mindsets for a while and just.... breathe? You thought I’d say get some coffee, didn’t you.

As a sometimes-decaffeinating breather, I enjoy various spots in Hell’s Kitchen that I can handle even on my worst days. Yes, this city was meant to run on sugar and caffeine (our stimulants of the hour, or more appropriately 24 hours), it’s why replenishment is available at almost every corner here- an observation my mother made on her first visit to the city, and is a major pet peeve of hers.

But when your system needs a break, or just somewhere great to sit and replenish as I do, there are in fact great ‘green’ spots in Hell’s Kitchen to break the concrete jungle landscape and provide some nature for the day.

As a firm believer that we were meant to interact with nature a lot more than just the trees segmented on the side of the street, I fully extend my two thumbs up for the following places.

16

“.. outdoor space that doesn’t involve crowds of shutterbug tourists trying to cross the street.”

“.. outdoor space that doesn’t involve crowds of shutterbug tourists trying to cross the street.”

Worlwide

Worlwide PlazaA noticeable love-to-hate-it trend comes with the World Wide Plaza, yet most Hell’s Kitchen residents flock to the nearby Starbucks, grab a meal at the small boutique restaurants (after all, this neighborhood is all about food), walk their dogs at the Urban Plaza, and some even go to work there.

With this place, I’m on the love wagon. It’s refreshing to pass by on my way to take the E train, which is my favorite and cleanest train from the blue line. It’s a fresh open space that breaks the claustrophobic density of this city, making the landscape a little more interesting, and providing a decent public outdoor space that doesn’t involve crowds of shutterbug tourists (a situation also to referred to as “Midtown Mania”) trying to cross the street.

“Lite architecture. Ugly, newish building. Nice outdoor area. Used to have a low-price movie theatre. Eh.”Diana B. New York, NY

18

An Oxymoron in Manhattan

When you think public space and Midtown... You really don’t expect ‘calm’ to be a possible adjective to describe the hypothetical situation. However, the reality proves that even Midtown can shut up once in a while. The bustling of the tree leaves are like catnip to the overly caffeinated (thanks Starbucks) posse that inhabit the Urban Plaza, and a sense of private space is immediately acquired even when you’re sitting less than an arm’s length away from a stranger in Elvis dress up.

People really make themselves at home in this semi-historic space. The Urban Plaza is only part of this mixed use 3-building composed of residential spaces and work offices designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merril. - Also known for his controversial One World Trade Center design solution post the 9/11 tragedy. The tower facade is made of brick, and the building is crowned by a copper roof and glass pyramid known as “David’s Diamond” after the architect.

The landscaping of the plaza contains over 40 trees and numerous plantings, and a cafe. Public seating is available year round. The center of the plaza is highlighted by a fountain created by Sidney Simon called “The Four Seasons”. Four female statues hold up a globe, each representing a season.

The plaza was constructed between 1986 (a birth year we both have in common) and 1989.

20

“.. Like every other told of heaven, there’s always some big guy laying out some rules..”

“.. Like every other told of heaven, there’s always some big guy laying out some rules..”

ClintonCommunityGardenGardenThe Grass really was greener on the other side..

Finding this little piece of heaven on 48th St had me really excited, I naively walked in as those with actual keys sat around enjoying themselves and eyeing the new entitled stranger which they gave no heed to seconds after; assuming I was a tourist that would disappear back to her foreign land once her curiosity was cured.

Like every other told of heaven, there’s a always a big guy laying out some rules and establishing some exclusivity. The black railing to heaven- I mean the garden’s gates keeps away the rest of us keyless mongers, unless you happen to like sneaking in when others have already used their keys like myself.

22

Pretty, peaceful... & Political?If you think office politics are bad, think twice - This facade of beautiful greenery comes with a competitive hierarchy of people behind it. To understand why anyone would be this passionate (besides the fact that the concrete jungle leaves you starving for actual jungle) about this specific plot, a little bit of history can help. “The garden was created in 1977 by Hell’s Kitchen residents who cleared out the rubble from a long-vacant lot and began planting it with flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables. The garden is organized into two main sections: the Front Garden and the Back Garden.” (Clintoncommunitygarden.org)

It now has parkland status, and is just as impressive as say - having your own rose bush in Central Park? That could be pushing it, but the ‘keyholders’ don’t seem to think so.

To become a keyholder, candidates have to be Hell’s Kitchen residents for one thing (you’ll also have to prove that with a name and address document, like an electric bill). A driver’s ID or some ID of the sort is another requirement to be brought down on the first Tuesday and Saturday of every month between May and September - the front bulletin board at the park keeps the timings.

If you are bestowed a key, that does not automatically make you a member.. Yes those things get tricky.

24

You’re “In”... Now what?Keyholders, members, and volunteers (Oh my!) - assuming you’re one of those, what does that entitle you to? If you have chosen to walk down the competitive lane of plotholders and parallel-to-PDA-meetings community garden gatherings, then you’re in for the following treat (or hierarchy) :

Having a key does not entitle you to a gardening plot. Also, a group of 10 or larger are not allowed through one key, not that you’ll be throwing a party there without possibly losing your keyholding rights. You can however volunteer to help out with the garden if you just want to enjoy keeping up the rest of the garden with other muddy peers (not my personal cup of wheatgrass). This comes with the added benefits of learning a thing or two from those more experienced in gardening - so volunteering is another way of getting a freebie gardening class.

To get a personal plot - there’s an actual wait list, and a plot assignment process to go through. Most plot holders end up looking at their plots as medals of joyous achievement in being worthy enough for a little piece of green.

26

It may be too easy to lose a few hours here, scouring through a diverse arena of second-hand and vintage clothing, jewelry, furniture, curiosities, old luggage, lamps, sunglasses, art etc... etc.. etc.. Everything from the normal to the recent trend of army souvenirs from “the I-raak”. If it’s out there and used, it’ll be looking for a new owner (and if you’re lucky, for under 5 bucks).

The Annex Flea Market was formerly located in Chelsea, and only recently moved to become the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market - branded campaign and all with some merchandise available online or at their location on 39th St between 9th and 10th Ave.

I personally come down to practice my people watching/stalking skills and stand in the many long lines while messaging friends and family back home as I wait for my turn at an iced coffee rickshaw or for 3$ apple crumb cake.

You don’t have to be as boring as I am though. Go for a massage service if you don’t’ mind hands that have definitely been somewhere suspicious (you can bet on it.. Yours won’t be the only body they’ve been on.) or for a 7$ burger or steak n’fries, if you have no objections towards mind ‘fair food’ meat.

Let the treasure hunt begin...

The Market

“If it’s out there and used, it’ll be looking for a new owner (and if you’re lucky, for under 5 bucks).

“If it’s out there and used, it’ll be looking for a new owner (and if you’re lucky, for under 5 bucks).

28

When, What, Where...

“Named one of the Top Ten Shopping Streets in the World by National Geographic, Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market sets the standard for distinctive vendors, where collectors and top-notch hagglers including the fashion éclat, artists, celebrities, tourists, and residents shop the market for antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, mid-century modern items–including home decorations and furniture–jewelry, and more.

Located on West 39th Street between 9th & 10th Avenues and open 9 AM – 6 PM every Saturday and Sunday, Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market includes vendors from The Annex, formerly located in Chelsea. The market’s Hell’s Kitchen South location is near the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Times Square.” (hellskitchenfleamarket.com)

30

Art of the Haggle

Peruse the world’s top flea markets and bazaars with these tips from Keith Johnson.

“The most important thing is to have an agenda for what you want your place to look like,” he says. “It shouldn’t be dictated by the find; the find should be dictated by the plan.”

Next, he suggests arriving to flea markets and bazaars early to beat the crowds. Upon arrival, “run--- don’t walk,” he explains. Scope everything out and ask sellers to reserve pieces that really stand out. “Later, I come back with a fine-toothed comb.”

When it comes to haggling over price, there is etiquette to be followed. In most countries, offering more than 50 percent less than the asking price will insult sellers, so make a first offer that is between 10 and 30 percent below the suggested price.

Once items are purchased, care for them by lightly dusting away any visible dirt. “You don’t want to scrub it and remove the patina.”

Finally, Johnson stresses the importance of enjoying the items once they’re brought into the home. “I tend to get things that can take abuse,” he says. “I don’t like the idea of living in a museum.”

--

Keith Johnson From Anthropologie Shares Flea Market Tips!

By Kate DevineStylecaster.com

32

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”

George Bernard Shaw,“The Revolutionist’s Handbook,” Man and Superman

The Anti Restaurant row

The topic of food is one to definitely come up in anything regarding Hell’s Kitchen, walking around people interact more with restaurants reading there signs and menus over any other interaction. Food venues are aplenty, and parts like Restaurant Row seem unavoidable as a neighborhood landmark/tourist trap to tackle in this book.

However, the average Hell’s Kitchen resident does not eat on Restaurant Row regularly. Living so close to the tourist infestation a.k.a Time Square has naturally led many to seek out their own foodie nooks, and in an area with everything from NY’s only authentic Philly cheesesteak (when you’re feeling naughty with your cholesterol) to Japanese desserts, or even drag diva-esque pizza parlors...The question poses itself; why would you eat at Restaurant Row?

9th ave, being dubbed as the “new Restaurant Row”, is lined with different cuisine options an the-next-hot-coffee-spot to sit ‘n sip in. Famous now for topping out as Best Street Fair (by Hellskitchen.biz) for it’s annual Ninth Avenue Food Festival, that’s enough said about a livelier area to eat well for less (sometimes).

Why so many kitchens?

All this foodie-ness regarding Hell’s Kitchen poses the question - Why so many restaurants? Asides from the urban myth that the place got it’s name because all the Midtown kitchen workers from the restaurant business lived there (definitely not true for any year this place has lived through!).

The restaurant businesses are largely due to the heavy immigration flood that poured into the Manhattan through the 1800s, family owned pubs and restaurant businesses popped up in the once poor and gritty parts of Midtown - Many still standing today, some even considered neighborhood landmarks (a little PR never hurt anyone, metaphorically speaking anyway).

Even though the area has gone through some drastic changes in the past 50 years, residents can attest that the famed for food paradise is not running low on business or changing any time soon. Restaurant diversity is an area trademark and a capstone to Hell’s Kitchen’s history thus far as that part of the city that blossomed from gang violence grit to foodie fabulous.

36

“I feel a LITTLE guilty when i say this but i hope gentrification destroys this place and forces them out, and they’re left operating a sloppy joe cart somewhere by the Lincoln Tunnel during a January blizzard.” Selena I, Brooklyn, NY

Manganaro’s“The negative reviews are by tourists looking for a “real New York experience” and then get offended when they get one. You have to walk all the way to the back to get to the dining area. Don’t think of it so much as a restaurant, but more like dining in your aunt’s house. I sort of felt like I should do the dishes before I left. With that said, the food’s great, the atmosphere is, well, hell’s kitchen pre-disneyification.The ladies that work there are hilarious. Mind your P’s and Q’s. Mind your own business. If you must, make some chat about the dismal state of the world or how you find the rest of the country generally annoying.They’ve been there something like a hundred years, may they have a hundred more!”

Not to be confused with Manganaro’s Hero Boy next door, I’m guilty of loving this old world grosseria. From someone who’s spent a good time living in very ‘old world’ medieval Florentine towns, this place hit the spot. My Italian didn’t come rushing back to me (as it does after a few days in Italia, especailly waiting at the Santa Maria Novella station back in Castiglione Fiorentino..) the minute I’m in, but the Mama “Good luck with school.” Manganaro who cusses at “YUPPIES!” on the phone makes my day if I’m down looking at overpriced food or good homemade sauce. I won’t kid around, some people hate this place... But not me. So here’s to more about the place., right after a more positive review by Adam H on the place than our Selena “I can cook better Italian, and I’m Chinese” from Brooklyn:

“Don’t think of it so much as a restaurant, but more like dining in your aunt’s house. I sort of felt like I should do the dishes before I left.”

“Don’t think of it so much as a restaurant, but more like dining in your aunt’s house. I sort of felt like I should do the dishes before I left.”

38

Manganaro’s

“A deli? A place to buy olive oil”

A lot of people start out unsure what this lovely business is, unless you actually go in their display does not do this place justice. For the sake of all that’s good in this world - they sell RAINBOW cookies! It’s New York City, but where do you find those anymore? Besides maybe Little Italy since I recall a few at the San Genarro festival.

Although my personal experience has been positive - just be polite, smile, and don’t just hang around doing nothing - but others have had there beef with Mama Manganaro’s little spit fire. To quote another New Yorker:

“Occasionally customers who have obviously seen too many movies, walk out of there thinking they’ve just had some magical experience because they were yelled at by “real New Yorkers” with an attitude.”

And maybe that’s true for some people. The food is, i’ll admit overpriced (I’m assuming to pay their rent of a house-like area). Served in styrofoam plates and slopped over with watery sauce.The sandwiches are where they hit the spot, if you’d pay around $20 for something you can buy ingredients for and make alone for a lot cheaper. I mean, since when was a tuna sandwich equivalent to a caviar order.

40

“So maybe the urban myth of this spot ‘inventing’ butterfrosted cupcakes is a bit on the ludicrous side..”

“So maybe the urban myth of this spot ‘inventing’ butterfrosted cupcakes is a bit on the ludicrous side..”

Cupcake

Coffee from Philly and beautifully decorated cupcakes..

So maybe the urban myth of this spot ‘inventing’ butterfrosted cupcakes is a bit on the ludicrous side (though some who work there seem to believe it, or enjoy spreading around the rumor). Pants on fire or not, this place is great and one of the most spacious cafe spots in Hell’s Kitchen - or the cupcake world for that matter.

New Yorkers are so spoiled with cupcake and cafe options, but there’s a reason this place tops them in my book (literally). Personally it reminds me of a back-home favorite called Shakespeare, that does have a wider menu but not the authentic er... shabby chic of this New York cupcakes n’ coffee spot. (Yes, Shakespeare is now a chain - as most places turn into eventually in the capital of commercial capitalism, say that thee times fast.) Or cupcakes as beautiful (or delicious) as the ones here... Some have even hailed their cupcakes as the best in NYC.

42

CupcakeCafe

A Whole Block of a Cupcakery!

Sounds like another potential heaven on earth? Well, yeah. Let’s say this would definitely double up as a self perceived sugary ‘solace’. I like the (dare I say it?) Williamsburg feel to the place, the barista gets a bad rep, but he’s a perfectly friendly dude in my books. Some love the cupcakes, some hate em.

Asides from the coffee too, they do right about everything you could think of - including wedding cakes. Would I necessarily depend on them for my own, if ever? Probably not... With a story of them forgetting an order (well, once?) even after double check ins from the customer. The end to that story is that she wasn’t satisfied with the service, understandably so. New York blasé isn’t always cute.

The place is also notoriously famous for their book, cleverly titled Cupcake Cafe Cookbook, as most cupcakeries are expanding through publishing these days. They also offer catering, cake decorating workshops and intensives where you might as well learn from the best, especially when the instructor is internationally recognized Ann Warren, who not only has taught cake decorating seminars at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum (among other establishments); But has also been on Martha Stewart, The Today Show, and The Food Network. It’s the closest I can think of to being a superhero.

44

Two“..their pizza manages to magically defy the greasy New York pizza rule..”

“..their pizza manages to magically defy the greasy New York pizza rule..”

TwoBootsA joint that redeems my otherwise bad experience with ‘New York style’ pizza..

All artsy fartsy, this place looks great. Maybe a little heavy on the fartsy - kitchen smell’s extraordinarily potent in the dining area - which is why I’ll look on the bright side that their delivery is spot on. Besides the pizza being the best I’ve had in this city, and that’s saying a lot with all the Italians here.

If you pop in for lunch or so, expect a little under 4 bucks for a slice and drink. Pretty cheap, but more importantly, their pizza manages to magically defy the greasy New York pizza rule - there’s no irksome dripping of oil when you tilt the pizza... I repeat, no dripping oil. For someone that avoids that by a fierce tissue blotting ritual before every pizza piece, this indeed made my heart sing.

46

Funky folk art, Two great cuisines, and a creative name ‘to boot’

I’d call myself Cajun curious; I’ve always had a soft spot for New Orleans (my dad had lived in Louisiana for quite a while himself) and get excited as a good tourist would over little bits of it here in New York City. 2 Boots’ name actually was derived from the fact that both Italy and Louisiana, the sources of this joint’s cuisine, are shaped like... well, two boots. You can eat in or order (even online) for free delivery, however if you do choose to eat in the place is interior is definitely off the wall and provides a good opportunity to just stare at quirkiness.

Two Boots originally was born in another part of town, East Village more specifically, by two indie filmmakers who loves all things New Orleans. Now locations span different parts of NYC, Connecticut, Los Angeles, and even Baltimore.

Not saying that every location is equal, as apparently the Hell’s Kitchen one is not one of the best (though aside from the smell, service was great and staff are friendly). And who can forget their 75 cent cookies.

So far all I’ve ever been keen on ordering has been their Earth Mother pizza, described as “five from the garden on a regular or whole wheat sicilian crust”. The indie influence permeats the menu list with options such as The Newman, Tony Clifton, Larry Tate, and Cleopatra Jones to name a few. Additional toppings you’ll be surprised to know you can have include crawfish and tasso (Cajun ham).

48

End

Resources

http://www.wikipedia.com

http://www.yelp.com

http://www.hellskitchenfleamarket.com

http://www.cupcakecafe-nyc.com/

http://www.twoboots.com/

Otherwise, this book was made possible by many lovely willing and, thankfully, opinionated New Yorkers.

All photography and copy -unless stated otherwise- is owned by the author and designer of this book.

To my mom, who still has no clue on my living details in New York City. May this book give you a glimpse into the world I’ve learned to love and call home. (Home for now. Don’t freak

out.)

&

New York City, for being a great teacher, a loving home, and, most importantly, being real. I love every corner of grit

and grime and always will

“If you think of the great cities of history, Athens is glory, Rome is grandeur & power,

let’s say Paris is culture... Well what is New York? New York is a home. People from all over the world could come here and

feel a sense of belonging” -Robert Caro

lamis haribexperienced by