i made it to a lot of new places this month, including quite a few not listed here. these were the standout spots.

astoria.

for my birthday matt took me to stamatis for lunch. we ordered way too much food that i very gratefully ate for the rest of the weekend, and it was all very good; the zucchini croquettes and chicken souvlaki platter were particular favorites.

i was in a new part of astoria one day and needed a place with wi-fi where i could work for a few hours; i discovered coffee ave on google maps and it turned out to be perfect. the women working there were so friendly, the hibiscus tea was delicious, and because the weather was nice i was able to sit outside and do my work while watching the world go by. i will definitely be back.

red hook.

sanjeet and benjamin hosted a cookout at their place on the 3rd, so after we gorged ourselves on food and played a round of cards against humanity we went for a stroll through the neighborhood and wound our way to brooklyn ice house. a dive bar with a beautiful outdoor courtyard in the back, this place was right up my alley. the bourbon was good and the company even better, and before we knew it the sun was setting and it was time to head home.

fidi.

to celebrate molly’s return to new york and my birthday we had a lovely sister dinner at hey thai. our server was so nice and even gave us free sake at the end of our meal as a belated birthday celebration. we shared the crispy rolls and the summer roll, and for mains i had the pannage [penang] curry and molly had the drunken noodles. all of the food was delicious, and our table by the window allowed for some great people-watching.

when michael told me i was right by the ipic fulton theater while dog-sitting i figured it would be a good spot to watch elvis. we encountered some confusion over the concessions, but the movie was great and the chaise lounge was very comfortable. i would have gone back for another movie if i could have worked it into my schedule.

another michael recommendation was the very delicious caravan uyghur cuisine that’s right around the corner from abi’s place. i had a solo evening one night and took myself there for dinner; the stir-fry noodles with lamb were excellent and i cleaned my plate. and then because i mentioned it we went back for dinner the next week and shared the naan, lamb samsa, lamb kebab, and of course the lamb stir-fry noodles. i think the kebabs might be my favorite — they’re so perfectly seasoned and so delicious.

one saturday alex, marcus, and i met at the oculus to check out the strangers project installation that is set up there. creator brandon has been collecting people’s stories since 2009, and at each show he displays photocopies of various [anonymous] stories for you to peruse. he also invites visitors to write down their own stories for potential future shows and has collected 75,000+ stories so far. this particular installation ends on july 31, but follow the project on instagram to get news about future shows.

for one of my lunch breaks i hit up casa taqueria which hit the trifecta of being close to abi’s apartment, having great service, and being very delicious. i had the camaron, chorizo, and brisket tacos; all were great but i think the camaron was my favorite. if i ever find myself in fidi again for lunch i will very likely go back.

williamsburg.

as a belated wedding celebration minji and don hosted a lovely lunch at aurora in brooklyn, and as luck would have it i got to tag along as molly’s date for the day. all of the food was great and was served family-style, and i went into an immediate food coma after. there was also a whiskey-mango puree cocktail that was fantastic.

chinatown.

when alex and marcus requested dim sum, to nom wah we went. it’s the oldest dim sum parlor in new york, and we had a great time sampling as many things as we could. there’s no way i could list all the things we tried [especially since alex and marcus did all the ordering], but it was all incredibly tasty and well worth the wait. pro tip: there’s always going to be a wait; go at a non-traditional meal time for your best chances of being seated quickly // they only accept cash or american express

cobble hill.

as sustenance for watching the wimbledon finals, breakfast was procured from shelsky’s. i had the great gatsby which was fantastic, and michael had his go-to which is the member of the tribe. neither of us left a crumb to be found, and fyi they ship nationwide!

lower east side.

i appreciate a friend who acknowledges my dessert stomach, and especially one who takes me to joey bats café. they specialize in delicious portuguese pastéis de nata, and theirs are amazing. their outdoor seating also provides great people watching, and we wound up sitting and chatting for nearly an hour and a half after we finished eating because it was very entertaining.

west village.

i finally, finally made it to semma. abi and i had dinner there one night before an author event at the strand, and we ate so much food. between us we shared a gunpowder dosa, the mangalore huukosu [cauliflower], the attu kari sukka [lamb], a parotta, and the dindigul [goat] biryani, and it was all incredible. i would love to take my father the next time my parents visit, because i know he would love it.

murray hill.

technically my visit to saravanaa bhavan with alex and marcus was a repeat for me, but it was the first time i got to have all of my favorite things in one meal: i ordered the chana bhathura, alex and marcus each had a mysore masala dosa, and we ordered a south indian thali for the table. and i was in heaven.

i am taking a chance and posting this before the end of the month in the hopes it motivates me to eat at home the next few days. we shall see.

xx