Went to NYC for a wedding on Halloween. Had a blast. Ate some delicious stuff, gorged myself. Notable items eaten while roaming around town: Pretzel Croissant from The City Bakery; Ramen from Setagaya; Cappuccino from Ninth Street Espresso; Doughnuts from The Doughnut Plant (PB&J, Tres Leches, Blackout); Croissant from Balthazar; Essex St. Market; Union Square Greenmarket; and of course, H&H Bagels.
Probably the best part of the trip was the day we arrived. I was totally jet lagged but so excited to be in New York, that it didn't get to me until about 10pm. We took a red eye thursday night. I didn't sleep on the plane at all. After freshening up at our swank, pricey hotel we met up with McDuff, a wine blogger friend and ate delicious ramen in the East Village area. We then tried to get pizza at a recommended place but failed (it was closed!). Instead we stepped into the nearest coffee shop (I really needed a pick-me-up), Ninth St Espresso, lured by the abundance of recommendations and awards in the front window. A damn fine espresso they pull! Similar to Blue Bottle in SF (which is still my fave), a quality, aromatic cup. Next on the menu came a tasting of delicious cheeses from the cheesemonger in the Essex St. Market, an indoor market I'd never been to before. They had a nice selection of farmstead offerings.

Then on to donuts. The Donut Plant is everything I wanted Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland to be and more. Less precious than Dynamo Donuts but made with the same know-how. My favorite were the Blackout, and Tres Leches. Both were cake style with a glaze, flavorful cake, and injected with custard. OMG were they great. If only there was a bacon one. The PB&J was also notable. A yeasted style with a chunky peanut butter glaze and filled with jam. Also, it was square (like a sandwhich) and had a hole in the middle. Someone there has a sense of humor.

Totally high on sugar, we walked to a tasting Ten Bells, a great wine bar in the area. About 5 French winemakers were there. And lots of wine geeks. Delicious wines. Then onto another tasting starring Kermit Lynch at Chambers St. Wines. Strange and crowded. Then back to Ten Bells. It was a long night which ended with a terrible meal at a Mario Batali tapas place, Jamon, where I ate a Clif Bar I found in my bag because the food was so flavorless and unappetizing. The food was an insult to the wine we ordered and to Spain.