Sabrina Ko Photography » Manhattan

The Mermaid Inn (NYC)

Sabrina Ko — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:53:25 +0000

Yet another post about dining in NYC…and yet another brunch in NYC. This time brunch was with Andrew’s friend Stanley on the Upper West side. While Andrew preferred the Mermaid Inn to Locanda Verde, I was still smitten with the latter. The menu at The Mermaid Inn consisted of your typical brunch fare. If you’re in the Upper West side and hungry, it’s worth a stop, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to get there.

Locanda Verde in NYC

Sabrina Ko — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:36:50 +0000

Locanda Verde in TriBeCa came highly recommended from my friend Jack, a former Manhattanite. So when my friend Marie suggested we meet her there for brunch, it seemed like the fates were conspiring to get us there.

I liked the atmosphere of Locanda Verde instantly with its warm and inviting wood decor. I was even more excited by the menu, which had tripe on it! When Andrew warned Marie that I liked to take photos of my food, she didn’t seem concerned since her friend Mel does the same thing (with a point-and-shoot). I got a few stares and an “OMG, what the hell is that thing?” from Marie when I pulled out my Canon 40D with the 24-70 f/2.8 lens. Sometimes I forget that I’m not in San Francisco where everyone’s got a dSLR in their handbags. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop me from snapping away.

Uovo Modenese with cotechino hash, spinach and tomato hollandaise

“Scampi and Grits” with organic polenta, tomato, sausage and coddled eggs (Andrew wasn’t a fan)

8 Hour Tripe and fried eggs (YUM!)

Le Pain Quotidien (NYC)

Sabrina Ko — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:07:35 +0000

Now that it’s raining in San Francisco, I’m reminiscing about the sunny and warm extended weekend in NYC we had earlier this year. And with our upcoming reservations at Wayfare Tavern, Spruce, Fringale and Farina, I’m looking forward to re-entering the SF dining scene (oh, how I have missed it!) and remembering the good and the bad apples in the Big Apple. Although the highlight of the trip was probably lunch at Jean-Georges, we had rather good dining experiences at Yakitori Totto after A Little Night Music, Carmine’s after The Lion King, and Burger Shack on the way back to the Warwick. If you’re looking for a few places to dine in Midtown near Times Square, these options are pretty good ones depending on your mood.

The entire food adventure, however, started off with a very early breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien after a stroll through Central Park. We had previously eaten lunch at Le Pain Quotidien in Old Town Alexandria on our Washington, D.C trip, so we were looking forward to trying their breakfasts. There aren’t a lot of options, but after a red-eye and arriving too early to check into our hotel, Le Pain Quotidien hit the spot.

Red

Sabrina Ko — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:35:57 +0000

Central Park

Sabrina Ko — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:46:50 +0000

I wish San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park were as nice as NYC’s Central Park.

ANDY at MOMA

Sabrina Ko — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:19:43 +0000

Now I’ve always been the kind of girl who enjoys art, but typically in the impressionistic style of Monet, Renoir, and Morisot while strolling through the Musee d’Orsay. The Museum of Modern Art in NYC is pretty much the exact opposite of my Parisian memories. And while I have not yet become a lover of Rothkos, Pollacks, and Magrittes, I can certainly appreciate an air-conditioned museum in the afternoon on a sweltering day. Andrew found more to appreciate than the indoor climate control, but even he was perplexed by the performance art that so many others seemed to be drooling over.

We did decide to create some performance art of our own…Andrew’s idea, not mine.

Jean-Georges NYC

Sabrina Ko — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:39:50 +0000

Over Memorial Day weekend, Andrew and I ate our way through Manhattan, starting with the Jean-Georges, the famed 3-star Michelin restaurant. Since all our nights were already booked with Broadway shows, we could only fit in a quick lunch here. We had a wonderful 3-course meal and the French food was excellent. Some of the dishes we tried: Skate with Chateau Chalon Sauce, Coach Farms Goat Cheese Gnocchi with Carmelized Baby Artichokes, Grilled Beef Tenderloin, and the Parmesan Crusted Confit Leg of Chicken. And although Jean-Georges is ranked higher at #19 than Mozaic in Bali (#84) on the Times list of The World’s Top 100 Eating Experiences, as a complete experience, nothing really compares to Mozaic in my mind.