BFB #6: New York, Told Through Food
by Tiffany Tao
I spent my summer in New York City, and it went by in a flash! I’ve also spent a lot of time watching Chef’s Table, so I’ve become totally convinced that we are intimately tied to the food we eat. And so as I’ve been thinking of the very best parts of summer, my mind keeps coming back to the meals I shared and the people I shared them with (mostly Melissa).
Here are five foods (and restaurants) that are super special to me and why I think you’ll like them too.
Post-work burrata at Bar Pitti
Good for: burrata, taking a Boomerang of your burrata, when you’re thinking about making a trip to the ATM (the joy of cash-only!), its close proximity to the park, days when you wish you were in Italy but you’ll settle for a sort-of Italian waiter, learning a solid 10 Italian words from said Italian waiter, analytic conversations about boys, three baskets of bread
Chicken feet at Flushing’s New World Mall
Good for: when you’ve built enough trust with a non-Asian friend to take them to an unkempt, unruly “real Chinatown,” the best egg tarts and pork buns and turnip cakes, practicing your Chinese, days you’re really in the mood for a 45-minute long subway ride, anyone looking for an innovative source of protein
A pint of Van Leeuwen’s ice cream on the High Line on Sunday nights
Good for: long conversations about vulnerability, children, the universe, being alone; many mosquito bites; when you’ve exhausted all other dessert options in your neighborhood; sharing (of many sorts)
Escargot at Lucien
Good for: eating next to Phoebe Tonkin, ogling over the other beautiful famous people at the tables over, checking yourself out in the many mirrors decorating the walls, subsequent mirror selfies, lovers of butter, goodbyes
Sangria at The Crooked Tree every Friday
Good for: always having a table for you, forgetting your ID, the close proximity to the intern bars where you will inevitably see half of the Georgetown student body, if you’re interested in going dancing with your server Carlos, tastes of peach and watermelon, coupon lovers, answering all 36 Questions for Falling in Love, falling in love a little bit
Now it’s your turn— tell me about the restaurants you love, but more importantly, tell me why you love them. That way, I can live vicariously through your food and get to experience a sliver of your very best memories too.
Drawings by Isabelle Groenewegen