Build your day in NYC- Evening
After a full day in the city you probably need a break. You’re sure to be hungry after relaxing at your hotel for a couple of hours so I’ll start off with some places to eat.
Where to eat
A fancy dinner is always welcome at the end of a long day as it is a form of entertainment on it’s own and doesn’t require an after-meal activity.
Staying on the East: Hidden behind a pawnshop in the Lower East Side is Beauty & Essex, a comfort food restaurant with an upscale twist. The food is bite-sized and made to share and the décor is cooler than you’ll ever be. My favorite part of this restaurant was the pawnshop as it’s such a unique concept, sadly the old-school cash register was not for sale and I didn’t actually buy anything but it was a great way to spend the time as I waited for my friends. While the meal was a little pricey, I enjoyed everything from the grilled cheese and tomato soup to the stuffed beignets. I recommended Beauty & Essex to my friend who visited soon after I left and she loved it. It’s definitely a great place to go with a group of friends you want to impress as it’s best to have enough people so that you can order a couple of different dishes.
Elegant Italian: I love me some Italian food and the meal I had at L’Amico was one for the books (or the blogs in this case). The Burratta was delicious and both pastas we ordered were worth the price. Unless you are a really huge truffle fan I would caution against the Truffle Pizza (photographed in the intro), but overall, I had a wonderful time at L’Amico, it is a great place to celebrate with your family as the dress code leans towards formal.
All-you-can-eat Pasta: My friend casually mentioned that she new a good restaurant in New York that served all-you-can-eat pasta and I was immediately sold on Becco. The best thing about the all-you-can-eat dish is that it comes with three different pastas and they are happy to make substitutions for vegetarians. While it wasn’t exactly cheap, I think that given it’s proximity to Times Square/ Broadway and the fact that you could skip lunch and really take advantage of the offer, it was a great deal. This is one restaurant where I really felt like I was in NYC because it was so full it felt like it was bursting with customers and you could tell they were all having a great time.
What to do
After dark there is only one thing I want to do in NYC: enjoy a Broadway show! For tips on what shows to attend please read this previous article. If you are not a huge Musical/ Show fan then I would suggest wandering about Times Square and taking in the chaos- it is a very typical touristy thing to do in New York but I love it.
This is part of a three-part series, you can also learn what to do in New York during the morning and afternoon.
