I Heart NY

Vegan Eats in NYC

Even though I fully admit to falling off the wagon during my visit to NYC, I also indulged in some seriously awesome vegan eats (that city is like veg heaven!). Sadly I didn't take any pics of my food (my camera sux), but I'm still happy to dish on the yummy treats I tasted.

Candle 79 - An upscale all vegan restaurant on the Upper East Side, Candle 79 is truly a treat. My friends and I dined here on the first night, and even they were impressed! The appetizers were phenomenal (the mushroom ravioli? OMG) as were the desserts (I had the strawberry rhubarb crumble a la mode). The entrees were just OK. The service was impeccable and the wine washed everything down quite nicely.

154 East 79th St. @ Lexington - Candle 79

Babycakes - The famous all-vegan bakery!!! I was stoked to try Babycakes but by the time I got there, I was exhausted from a day of walking around the entire city. A cupcake sounded a bit much for me, so I got donuts instead - one cinnamon sugar (my FAVE) and one toasted coconut. The cinnamon sugar? Oh I could eat about 10 of them... Luckily Babycakes is situated in the lower east side, which is a little bit out of way, thank goodness. Still, I anticipate making weekly trips to satisfy my sweet tooth. :)

248 Broome St. between Orchard and Ludlow - Babycakes NYC

Cafe Blossom East - Sister to Blossom Restaurant in Chelsea, Cafe Blossom East is even more inconvenient than Babycakes! It's waaayyyy up on the upper east side, but I begged my sister to take me there after our Monday morning visit to the MoMa. I'm so glad we did!!! I got the Tofu BLT (southern fried tofu, tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato and basil mayo) with a side of some of the best fries I've ever had, and it was incredible. My sister got a grilled tofu salad with seaweed, which was good, but nowhere near as good as mine. :) I can't wait to try the one in Chelsea (my future 'hood!).

1522 1st Avenue between 79th and 80th - Cafe Blossom

The Good and The Bad

Things always comes in 2's, right? Good news tend to come with bad news, at least that's been true in my life. And now, I have both to share with you...

The Good: I'M MOVING TO NYC!!! Yes, June 1 I will be moving to the big city, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm going in June specifically to look for a job, and I have a couple of exciting leads. This opportunity came about at the perfect time, and I am so eternally grateful to the universe for presenting it to me. It's crazy, it's risky, it's unlike anything I've ever done before. I cannot wait.

The Bad: I just learned that my uncle's colon cancer has spread to his liver and lungs. I am beyond devastated and hardly know what to do with the information. At this point, I think the only thing I can do is pray pray pray and hope for the best. I ask that you do the same. This is a heartbreaking time for me and my family, and I... well, I just want to stay as positive as possible. Thanks for being there.

Support

This has been a whirlwind of a week, and it's not even over. I've had to come face to face with some of my greatest fears and have had to make decisions that were incredibly difficult. I'm okay now, and a lot of that is due to the fact that I have the most incredible support group EVER. Seriously, in the past 24 hours, I have realized just how lucky I am to have so many people to reach out to in times of need or crisis or confusion. It's the most incredible feeling in all the world to know that I am never alone, even in the times I feel most alone.

I'm not alone. Not only do I have an incredible family, but I also have friends and mentors of all ages from all over the country who are ready and willing to support me at a moment's notice. It's unreal. The purpose of this post is not to gloat about how great the people in my life are, it's to just send gratitude and love out into the universe.

Suffice to say, I'm going through a lot right now. And things are busy at work and I'm leaving for NYC in 7 days (WOO HOO!!!) and I've got tires that need replacing and an apartment that desperately needs cleaning and oodles of challenges up ahead and the list goes on and on. As such, I've decided to put this blog on hiatus... indefinitely. It's just that time. I hope you'll be here when I return. Lots of love.

Wknd Quote

"This is what happens when you bring a vegan to a crawfish boil... Sad Pony."

H-Town

Tomorrow morning I'm driving to Houston (aka H-Town) to spend the day with my law school bestie, Pony. I haven't seen Pony in almost a year, but I know that as soon as we see each other, it'll be just like old times. Pony and I couldn't be more different (in some ways), but she is truly one of the best friends I've ever had. And she is SO sweet and considerate! She suggested a couple of vegan eateries in the area AND made sure her Mom stocked the fridge with plenty of fruits and veggies for our to snack on. Love it!

I hope you guys are having a fabulous weekend. I'll be back in Austin Tuesday night (working out of our Houston office Monday and Tuesday), but will KIT via twitter. :)

New York, New York

{Image: credit}

16 days and counting...

I'm, like, stupid excited about my trip to NYC at the end of the month! It's not that going to New York is anything new for moi, it's that it's my first official vacay of 2010, and I am so. ready. Also? Ma Soeur will be there, and even though I'll see her later (2nd official vacay is an extended stint in California over July 4th weekend) this year, the idea of us together in the big city is tres exciting. The last time we were there together was for her bachelorette party back in 2007! My, oh my, how time flies...

Anyway, I'll be spending the first couple nights of my trip playing with friends from law school and the latter half playing with my sister and her friends (one of whom is like a big sister to me). In the midst of all the playing, I also plan to walk everywhere and soak up every inch of the city as possible. In the past I've always tended to stay in one particular area of Manhattan (Soho, East Village, Chelsea), but this time I want to see everything. I even want to see Brooklyn, as I've heard it's got some pretty gorge neighborhoods. Also on the list? Museums! I've been to the MET, of course, but this time I want to check out the American Museum of Natural History (I have a big, big thing for dinosaurs) and the MoMA.

Oh and let's not forgot about the food... I've got brunches & dinners lined up (Candle 79 and the Red Cat to name a couple), bakeries (helloooo, babycakes) to frequent, and a Whole Foods Market just in case I find myself hungry and sans vegan options. As for shopping, well, let's just say this will be my first trip to NYC that doesn't revolve around shopping. I plan to visit Topshop, bien sur, but I don't anticipate blowing my budget there. The thing is, I don't need anything right now, and I'm starting to realize that NYC (and vacays in general) are more about the experience than the shopping. (And yes, as sad as it sounds, one of things I got most excited about regarding vacations was the shopping.)

So, the point of this post, was to ask for any suggestions as to what I should see/do/eat/visit while in New York! Please feel free to leave in the comments or to email me directly. Merci and Happy Tuesday!