NYC Weekend: Greatest Hits
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008
Despite having lived in DC for two years, I hadn’t taken the requisite weekend trip to New York, until now. For Labor Day weekend, I went to visit some friends who had recently relocated. It was the perfect vacation, because all we did was eat, drink, shop, and walk around. Here are some tasty highlights:
Ramen from Rai Rai Ken
Nestled on a quiet street in the East Village, Rai Rai Ken is a little shoe box of a restaurant. There is an L-shaped bar that seats maybe 12 people, and chefs lowers steaming bowls of ramen over the edge of the counter. Rai Rai Ken serves miso, shoyu, and curry ramen, along with a handful of other seasonal noodle dishes, appetizers, and yakitori. This place kind of reminds me of the movie Tampopo and the protagonists’ quest for the perfect broth. Rai Rai Ken’s is rich and multi-layered, and the egg noodles are fresh and wonderfully chewy.
Rai Rai Ken Japanese Restaurant
214 East 10th St, New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-7030
Chocolate Covered Bacon from Roni-Sue’s
Bacon + Chocolate? How could we go wrong? My friends and I saw this on Serious Eats and thought we’d make a stop at the Essex Street Market to give it a try. The first bite is all creamy chocolate, but then as you chew, all the salty, porky, bacon-ness starts to come out. It’s very strange, fatty, and delicious. Roni-Sue also make some great truffles. Big ups on the coconut, pineapple, and toffee flavors.
Roni-Sue’s Chocolates
Essex Street Market #24, 20 Essex Street, New York NY 10002
(212) 260-0421
