Seven great things I ate in April

Hi foodies!

Yes, It's been a long time without showing up in here. 

A few things have been happening lately. A trip back to Chile for a couple of weeks, the end of semester for my Master's Degree, the search for a new apartment in NYC, and my wedding as the main background explain my absence -which was the best day of my life-. I became sort of a wedding planner for a few months, and although I hated it, I happened to be an expert. As I want this passing knowledge to be worthwhile, let me know if you are a bridezilla or a stressed-out groom so I can give you tips on surviving and navigating the criminally offensive wedding vibes market. 

Anyway, since I'm not a bride anymore, let's go back to the food. Of course, none of these activities have stopped me from eating so pleasingly, especially because spring and good weather make us try new things. So, between cherry blossoms, cozy picnics in parks, and—finally—more than 15 degrees Celsius of great temperature in the city, here are my favorite things I ate in April. I hope you like them!

1. An unexpected spanakopita

After a slow Sunday morning, I was getting ready to have a boring day: assignments, reading, and homemade meals, which lately were basically scrambled eggs with avocado and tomato because of how tired I've been after such intense weeks. However, my friends Paula, Maca, and Martin were more enthusiastic than I was and planned lunch at a Greek restaurant on the Upper West Side and an afternoon in Central Park. Elea is one of Beli Eats's best pick of restaurants on this side of Manhattan, and I had already heard comments and suggestions to go here but have yet to do so. 

Although it is not one of their famous dishes, like their zucchini chips, hummus, or chicken souvlaki, the spanakopita—a pie made of crispy phyllo dough with spinach, feta cheese, and a sprinkle of mint filling inside—caught my attention. I don't have many words for this, just go and try it, you won't regret it. It tasted good, was crunchy, wasn't expensive, and was big enough in case you want to share, but the most important thing is that it beautifully portrayed what Greek cuisine is about. 

Furthermore, the name is so cute, don't you think? 

2. Tsukemen to happily end the week.

As if spanakopita wasn't enough, after my afternoon in Central Park, my friends Mica and Diego, even more enthusiasts, decided to go to TabeTomo in the East Village, and I didn't want to subtract myself. 

It has been a long time since I've had ramen, and even though I'm still struggling with evaluating these -for me- new meals (it's way more challenging than traditional ones because I always like everything), I have to say that this was one of the best unique ramen I've had. Would I say it again? If I do, charge me for it later.

TabeTomo means "eating buddy" in Japanese. Did you know? After 20 minutes of waiting outside, we three sat at the dining bar and ordered their signature tonkotsu pork broth ramen, the fried mashed potato cakes with crab, and the star of the night, tsukemen. As explained in the restaurant, this is a "dipping ramen" where noodles and pork come in a separate bowl from the broth, the chashu slices, eggs and vegetables. I don't don't know why that was, but it was great. According to TabeTomo's explanation, it is for better tasting the broth and having firmer noodles; indeed, the broth tasted amazing. 

3. Fluffy pancakes on a weekday

Okay, I have to say that I initially only had sweet treats on this April list due to my sugar obsession. However, I managed to overcome it—sort of—but I couldn't remove this meal from my selection. Breakfast by Salt's Cure is well known for its oatmeal pancakes but also for its endless queues to get a table inside and get the perfect brunch during weekends. 

That's why if you want your pancakes and are not patient enough, go from Monday to Friday, as this is a first-come, first-served place with locations in Brooklyn and the West Village. 

This place has multiple reviews, including TikToks and Reels, and it's the food influencers's favorite. That's why I've wanted to go for a long time because, at the end of the day, so much hype around something tempts you.

Great brunch, what can I say. Even my friend Victoria, who's not that into sweets, loved them. What I liked the most was their no syrup policy, which, although at first it seemed suspicious, I later understood why. The brown sugar-cinnamon butter they put on each pancake makes them not need syrup at all. Trust me. 

4. A great burger with a Korean twist

How difficult is it to judge burgers in NYC. One day you find them all perfect, and another, you think all of them are shitty. That's why I've been trying through trial and error to evaluate burgers in the best way possible. 

This time, after eating at Nowon, I came up with a reflection. There are two types of burgers: the classic ones, which should be judged on their merit, and the awesome ones, which have a unique twist. Both are perfect for impressing out-of-towners, don't get me wrong, but they simply cannot be judged as the same thing. 

This one, their "legendary cheeseburger," was pretty good. It was a double smash burger with a kimchi special sauce, roasted kimchi, American cheese, pickles, and onion on a toasted milk bun. Perfectly manageable (nothing drops off when you eat it by the hand), right-sized, and great taste, Nowon's dinner is the kind of meal I'd go to if I had a friend visiting me. They also say they are the first Korean American Pocha (Gastropub) birthed in East Village, and they actually are a cool bar as well. So, go for it!

5. A majestic Cacio e Peppe

The other day, after a Comedy Cellar show, we went with some friends to an Italian restaurant in the West Village. We ordered pasta, and my choice was the classic Cacio e Peppe spaghetti. After finishing my dish, I commented that it was fine but not a big deal. Immediately, a guy from the group—clearly not my friend—laughed at me and said, "Of course, it was fine; what were you expecting? It's just pasta with a bit of pepper." I threw him a slight side eye and kept thinking, is it?   

It is not. L' Artusi's Cacio e Peppe version demonstrated it. Not that I think I'm Italian, but, in my opinion, for a great Cacio e Peppe, the quality of the spaghetti is vital—it should be excellent, tender, and always slightly al dente. The pepper should be the right amount so as not to overwhelm and tire the palate too quickly, and as for Pecorino and Parmigiano cheese, I have no specific demands, it is already perfect. All that and more was this pasta that I ate at L'Artusi, an Italian spot that reminded me of Misi in Brooklyn because of its excellent cuisine. 

6. My latest scone discovery

If you made it this far, don't tell anybody, but this is my favorite pick. There's nothing more pleasant than a good bakery near your routine places to save you in a hurry or turn a bad day into a good one. Librae Bakery is not only that but also one of the best bakeries in NYC, according to more than one food review site. 

Many of my professors warned us that we had the best bakery in town, just a few steps away from our classes, in front of Cooper Square (Astor Place). However, every time they told me that, I was so angry because I was only a few weeks away from getting married, and I went into the toxic necessity of losing weight to fit better in the gown, so I was preventing myself from spots like that one.

Happily, upon my return to NYC, the first thing I did was to go in there and try their famous feta cheese scone. My anxiety enabled me to take a picture before eating this beauty, but check the actual footage of happiness below that my friend Vic took (also see the picture I stole from Librae's Instagram account). Absolutely perfect: crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, marvelous. 

7. A divine -didn't know it existed- cruller

To coronate this list of cool things I had this month, I'd like to close with my second favorite sweet treat after oatmeal pancakes. A cruller is a French pastry; I'd say it is the perfect blend between a donut and a churro because it is a pretty well-done deep-fried dough with a shiny and glazy sugar coating. 

I had Daily Provisions Coffee randomly saved in my Google Maps list of go-to places, so on a Sunday afternoon, I went with my husband to the Upper West spot before taking a walk through Central Park. He ordered a coffee, and I ordered their classic maple cruller. He drank his coffee, and I had 1/4 of the cruller because he took it all, even though he said he didn't want anything to eat. 

sheinspirevibes

A post shared by @sheinspirevibes

Even though I only tested a glimpse of it, and he was like, "This is the best thing I've ever tasted," it was the perfect pastry for a perfect Sunday afternoon. Daily Provisions is also an ideal spot for co-working, having coffee, and having light lunches. You should definitely give it a try at any of their four Manhattan locations.  

Did you like these recommendations? What cool things did you have this month? Let's chat!