Doughnut Plant

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Doughnut Plant on the lower east side to pick up some doughnuts for our staff Birthday celebration at work. And then, I had the pleasure of trying to flag down a taxi with my foot, in the scorching heat, while awkwardly holding two boxes of three dozen doughnuts.  I'm just going to go ahead an pat my self on the back for that one. More importantly, let talk about how awesome Doughnut Plant is!

With recipes dating back to 1910, Doughnut Plant is pleasing the people of New York City one by one. Originally inspired by his grandfathers doughnut recipe, Mark, creator of Doughnut Plant, has been in the business of fried dough since 1994.  Starting from the basement of a tenant building gone kitchen work space, Mark and his team have come a long way now with two Doughnut Plant locations in NYC as of 2011 and locations in Tokyo and Seoul. I would like to personally thank Mark and his grandfather for their amazing doughnuts. Well done folks!

The doughnuts here are not so typical and that what makes it that much more interesting. They use all natural, high quality ingredients to make flavors like; Peanut Butter Jam, Black Out, Vanilla Bean, Tres Leches, Coconut Lime and they always have a fresh seasonal fruit flavor. Check out the full menu here.

Glazed and Peanut Butter Jam

 Cinnamon Sugar, Tres Leches, Vanilla Bean, Black Out

The Famous Peanut Butter Jam Doughnut

Doughnuts For All!

Doughnut Plant is located at 379 Grand Street and at 220 West 23rd Street in NYC. Grab a friend and go get some sugar at Doughnut Plant. You will be glad you did.


P.S. This is my favorite book right now and is the perfect accent to coffee and doughnuts. Get your copy now!

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ULYSSES' on Stone Street

Named after its cobblestone paving, Stone Street located in New York Cities Financial District, is one popular spot. Since 1996, the Eastern portion of Stone Street has been protected by New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission  and is pedestrian-only.  There are several restaurants and bars located on this street with beautiful outdoor seating.

 Last week my Aunt Sarah was in town for the day. We wandered through the winding roads of the Financial District and discovered Stone Street. We dinned under skyscrapers and took in all the sights. We sat at a long table under an umbrella and ate dinner at Ulysses' Folk House.

Ulysses' has draft and bottled beers from around the globe, along with a full bar. Check out the full drink list here. They have two menus; Pub Fare & Cocktails and the Dinner Menu. We indulged in some delicious choices. Check them out below!

Veggie Burger with Sauteed Onions

Lobster Fra Diavolo

Roasted Turkey Club

The food was great and the atmosphere was fantastic. Dinners range from $13-$26. This is a great spot to go to on a Friday night with a group of buddies, a Sunday afternoon for Brunch or for an after work cocktail. Ulysses' is located at 95 Pearl Street, New York, NY. They are open daily from 11 AM to 4 AM and their kitchen is open until 3:30 AM.

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 Some photos from: More Than Shipping

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Big Gay Ice Cream

Big Gay Ice Cream was a summer experiment gone right. In June of 2009, founders Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff, began cruising the streets in the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck and it became an instant success. So, in 2011 they opened their first store in New York City's East Village. Big Gay Ice Cream is all about "serving 'plain-old soft serve' with fun, electric toppings," and that my friends, is why we love them!

Not only is this place a super fun spot, but so is their website. On the site you see photos of people enjoying their ice cream and when you scroll over the photo the picture and ice cream change. It's is so funny and clever. Check it out:

The New York Post, Time Out NY, NBC, ABC, Logo, Daily Candy, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Rachael Ray Show, Food Network and CBS Radio rave about Big Gay Ice Cream and I guarantee after your first visit, you will to. Plus, you get a very welcoming greeting from this fine lady:

Everything on the menu has a quirky name to fit the funky atmosphere. They have shakes, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, floats and cones and with names like Salty Pimp, Cococone and Mermaid you can't go wrong. Check out the full menu here.

During our visit, Jill had a peppermint ice cream sandwich and I had the Mermaid; vanilla ice cream, key lime curd, crushed gram crackers and whipped cream. YUM!

Ready to visit? Check out their two locations in NYC at 125 East 7th Street and 61 Grove Street and tell them Hungry White Girl sent ya!

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Some photos from: Big Gay Ice Cream

Vapiano

"In cities around the world, Vapiano is where people meet to share their love of life and spontaneous and genuine companionship." And so, that's what we did.

After a Ron Pope concert last weekend at Irving Plaza, Brandon, Phanavahn and I were starving and that is how we ended up at Vapiano. With front windows wide open and decor that stops you from a block away, we were excited to have some late night fine Italian food.

Vapiano is beautiful, cool and their food is delicious. When you walk in someone greets you and tells you exactly what to expect during your visit. You are given a card and they explain that you order everything separately at the multiple stations. What ever you like, it's your, and all you have to do is swipe. At the end everything from your meal is combined on the card and you pay at the exit.

They have long oak tables perfect for striking up conversation with the people next to you or for a large family gathering. There are different stations where you can order pizzas, pasta, antipasti and salads directly from the chefs. All dishes are prepared to order in front of you and according to your personal preferences. So don't worry, here you can have it your way! To view the full menu click here.

During our visit we devoured some amazing bruschetta, salad and pasta. Check it out for yourself:

Bruschetta Trio

Ceasar Salad

Pasta Carbonara

  

Pasta Scampi

Vapiano is located at 113 University Place, New York, New York 10003. Fellas, take you ladies here and it will be a complete success. OK? =)

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Some photos from: nycgo.com

Jack's Wife Freda

Last month I made my first visit to the charming restaurant, Jack's Wife Freda. Some friends and I stopped in for lunch and instantly felt right at home.

Jack's Wife Freda is a cozy restaurant located on the very lively Lafayette Street in New York City. The name Jack's Wife Freda was inspired by the owner, Dean Jankelowitz, maternal grandparents. The menu is "based on the recipes of Dean's grandmother and his wife Maya's grandmother." The menu is a combination of the grandmothers recipes using South African and Israeli influences.

 The menu has breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, wine and beer. Check out the full menu here. One of the most popular items is Freda's Matzo Ball Soup, so that is what I had to try and fries of course.

 My friends also choose some delicious dishes like Chicken Prego, grilled chicken breast with smoked paprika aioli and watercress served with hand-cut fries, and Mediterranean Breakfast, 2 eggs any style, chopped salad, labne, avocado and pita bread.

Chicken Prego

Mediterranean Breakfast

Freshly Baked Croissant

Jack's Wife Freda is located at 224 Lafayette Street NY, NY 10012. Next time you are in the mood for some South African and Israeli cuisine head on over!

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Queens Comfort

If you are ever in the mood to completely clog you arteries while enjoying every bite, Queens Comfort is your place. Queens Comfort is a hot spot with the locals and that's exactly how I was told about it. My friend and Astoria local, Phanavanh, introduced me to Queens Comfort last weekend and since then I swear I want to live in Astoria. I maybe exaggerating a tiny bit about moving, but the food was just SO GOOD.

I was planning on reading over the menu when I sat down in the tiny, crowed restaurant but my mind was instantly made up when I glanced at the plate next to me. I said "I'll have that!" The server walked away and I said to Phanavanh "I don't even know what I just ordered." Fear not though, I do have an eye for amazing food after all!

Fried Mac N' Cheese

After a short wait, our food arrived. Phanavanh dove into some fabulous Chicken and Waffles and I had a breakfast sandwich with the best tots ever. The sandwich was scrambled egg, cheese and fried sausage patty with a dollop of a tangy cranberry sauce on an English muffin. OH MY GOODNESS. It was mind blowing and I didn't want it to end. But eventually it did, so we paid then bill and went and got mani pedis. Five star day all the way.

Chicken and Waffles

Breakfast Sandwich

 Queens Comfort is too cool for a website so you'll just have to go there and experience it for yourself. They are located at 4009 30th Ave. Astoria, NY 11103. Call them at 718-728-2350 and have a great time! 

That's my girl Phanavanh AKA: the girl who takes me to the best places!

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Umami Burger

Umami Burger known for their many locations in California. They have now moved East and opened a location in NYC, so last weekend my friend Jill and I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Umami Burger is "The art of creating that perfect mouthful...Experience it for yourself..After one bite you'll accept no substitutions." They like to call it "What you wanted before you even knew that you wanted it...Where YUM is the new WOW!" I couldn't agree more.

After a short wait we were seated and started studying the menu. After reviewing all of the unique burger combinations, I decided on a bacon cheese burger called Manly Burger. Jill went with the Umami Burger that was topped with shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted tomato and crisp Parmesan. To see all the delicious burgers click here.

MANLY BURGER

UMAMI BURGER

yummy fires!

Jill and I enjoyed these burgers so much! Umami Burger is located at 432 6th Ave. NY, NY 10011. Go get your burger on!

Molly's Cupcakes Are All The Rage

 Love cupcakes? Me to. Glad we got that settled. I actually have such a passion for cupcakes that I went on The Cupcake Tour of New York last winter and now I am going to tell you all about it. Pumped? Me to!

At Molly's Cupcakes not only do they bake up some of the most delicious cupcakes in the city, but they also are giving back to schools in the community with every cupcake sold. And that my friends, makes everything much, much sweeter. A portion of  all sales are donated to schools in the community and cupcakes are donated to school functions and fundraisers. So amazing, right?

 The outside of Molly's Cupcakes is painted like a yellow school bus and inside resembles a classroom that we all wish we could have attended in the 3rd grade. The swinging chairs and walls lined with board games are just a few of the fun accents that lie beyond those bright yellow doors. This unique shop is the perfect excuse for  an afternoon break where you can enjoy a cupcake, latte and a quick game of Chutes and Ladders. This is also a really cute date spot. What is better than cupcakes and board games?

The Game Wall

At Molly's Cupcakes the cupcakes are baked daily in small batches. The cool thing about this shop is if you don't want to try one of there featured cupcakes, you can build your own. Check out the build your own menu below:

So, you don't feel like picking your own cupcake and frosting? No problem. Some of their popular cupcakes are Carrot, Red Velvet, Cookie Monster, Cake Batter, Cookies N Cream, Blue Berry Cheesecake and Mixed Berry. They also have other sweet treats like ice cream, cookies, pies and bars in house.

Molly's Cupcakes

 "Molly loves to party. So invite her to your next one."  At Molly's Cupcakes you can per-order cupcakes for any event...even your Wedding! For more information on Molly at your wedding or upcoming function click here. 

Molly's Cupcakes

 Molly's Cupcakes is located at 228 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10014 and thank goodness they are open late to satisfy your after dinner sweet tooth. Today make it a date with Molly and trust me, you won't be sorry.

Annie and I at Molly's Cupcakes.

New posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Don't forget to subscribe and comment! Some photo's from: I Just Want To Eat, Molly's Cupcakes and Mia Melville.