My Favorite NYC Bites & What I Cooked Last Week

Eating out in New York City, Spring Vegetable Baked Ziti, BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, Crispy Chicken Caesar Cutlets, Mom’s Sheet Pan Benihana Fried Rice

Hi everyone,

Hope you’re having a great week! Last Thursday was my birthday, and I started the day at one of my favorite neighborhood spots in Brooklyn: Radio Bakery. We got there early to beat the crowds and ordered the smoked salmon focaccia (which I’d been really missing), plus a few sweet pastries to round things out. It was the perfect little spread, just what I was craving for a special day :)

This is what bday breakfast dreams are made of 💫

Doug and I are so happy to be back in Brooklyn for May and June. Most of the folks at his company are based in New York, and we lived here for seven years before moving to the West Coast, so it’s been really nice to be back and spend time here. We’re in Greenpoint, a cute and hip neighborhood just north of Williamsburg and across the river from Midtown.

When people ask what my hobbies are, of course I say cooking, but a close second is dining. I love going out to eat and trying new things. So below, I’m sharing some of my all-time favorite dishes and bites from eating out in New York. Most of these are spots I’ve loved for years.

First, here’s a recipe for my favorite baked crispy chicken cutlet topped with a cool umami-dressed Caesar salad. Every bite is balanced and flavorful.

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Crispy Chicken Caesar Cutlets

In this dish, two components that are good on their own become even better together: warm crispy chicken cutlet topped with a refreshing Caesar salad.

Crispy Chicken Caesar Cutlets

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You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)

My Favorite Bites in New York City

People often ask if restaurants are a big source of inspiration for my recipes. The truth is, I rarely try a dish and want to recreate it exactly. But I do love how eating out plants little seeds in my mind. I’ll pick up on flavors, textures, and ingredient pairings that spark ideas later on. Dining out also helps me keep expanding and refining my palate. That said, there are exceptions, like one dish I’ll tell you about this week that I loved so much, I had to recreate it at home.

Whenever Doug and I land in New York, there are always a few restaurants or specific dishes we’ve been craving, so we usually head straight to our favorites before branching out and trying new places. Here are our current go-tos:

Birds of a Feather: mung bean noodles and mapo tofu

You’ve heard me say it before: Doug and I love spicy food. New York has an amazing Sichuan scene—I’d almost forgotten just how good it is. If you’ve never had Sichuan food, let me introduce you to green Sichuan peppercorns. They’re not super spicy, but they create this tingly, mouth-numbing sensation that I absolutely love. (Though I know it’s not for everyone!) It’s such a full sensory experience. One of my favorite things about Sichuan food is how bold and exciting the flavors are.

For one of our first meals back in New York, we went to Birds of a Feather, a Sichuan spot we love in Williamsburg. We started with some dim sum (their soup dumplings are great), but the real stars were the mung bean noodles and mapo tofu.

Mung bean noodles can be a little odd at first—the texture is kind of jello-y, which doesn’t sound super appealing—but they’re neutral in taste and come dressed in this spicy, garlicky, oily sauce that’s just incredible. And mapo tofu has long been one of my favorites: soft tofu stir-fried with ground pork, chilis, and at Birds of a Feather, some leeks.

Both dishes were spectacular. Doug and I kept saying it was a 10/10 meal (we polished off every bite) and it was somehow even more delicious than we remembered. I’m not sure if the food has gotten better, or if it’s just that we’ve missed it so much.

Also, I’m so glad Doug loves spicy food and Asian cuisine. I really can’t imagine being with someone who only eats sandwiches and pizza… that would make me very sad. Love you, Doug!

Signs of a good meal

After dinner at Birds of a Feather, we headed to one of my favorite dessert spots…