So I haven’t quite been in New York for a month, but you can trust that I am absolutely taking advantage of all the food. Like, the entire city of New York knows I am here and is clearly ready to fulfill my foodie dreams. I do have a list. A really awesome list of foods and places I want to try because I deserve it because I’ve taken my lunch to work everyday because I can, mom. Maaaahhhmmmmmm….
Pommes Frites
I think it should be a pretty standard idea that if a restaurant serves 3 things or less on their menu, it’s gonna be a damn good three things or less. Pommes Frites? This place has one menu item. All you can get is fries. Hand-cut belgian fries that are just insane. See, I don’t count the dipping sauces as menu items but if all this place served was variations on ketchup, I think that would be pretty cool too. I tried the Sweet Mango Chutney Mayo, Parmesan Peppercorn and War Sauce (Peanut Satay, raw onions and Frites sauce) and the Parmesan Peppercorn definitely won the dipping game. Salty, peppery, creamy… the perfect sauce for piping hot, crispy frites. All about this. Must stay away between the hours of 10 PM and 2 AM on a Thursday or Saturday. I deserve it on Fridays.
Trader Joe’s
Everyone knows, or should know, how I feel about Trader Joes. I could probably name at least 50 products. This is a totally true statement, however pathetic. Grocery shopping is a bunch of real nonsense here. Hashtag for real. But Trader Joe’s is what makes grocery shopping bearable. I’ve discovered (Thanks Jackie Schultz!) That you do the inside rows first and then get in the giant checkout line and get whatever you need from the outside aisles. Genius. Now trying to get bottles of 2 buck chuck home on the subway? Not so much. Also, this is a pumpkin croissant. A pumpkin croissant. That is all.
Jcoco Launch Event with Chopped chef Amanda Freitag
The internship of my dreams has a few perks: The fact that I never even imagined myself working here and yet I do, I get to meet and learn from editors of the most prestigious food publication in America, I get to answer calls and go ‘Rachel Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine’ and, oh, also food. Amanda Freitag, a judge on Chopped, made dinner for a Jcoco Chocolate launch party that I was invited to. Tuna sashimi, lamb meatballs, dark chocolate brownies with creme fraiche… my life right now has experiences that includes these stuffed black mission figs.
I will be posting more NYC foodie dreams here, hopefully more consistently. Next destinations include Shake Shack, Dominique Ansel Bakery and Momofuku Noodle Bar. Your tastebuds already hate me, I can totally tell. On to October!
Rachel Johnson 