How cruel to ask Tracey Ceurvels to pick six foodie favorites for New York City. Only six??? Tracey loves sniffing out the best places to eat in NYC as well as cooking and creating her own recipes with the incredible ingredients she finds in local specialty shops. In fact, she created an App: NYC iFoodShop—A food lover’s guide to shopping in NYC, which helps food lovers find markets and ingredients. You can find Tracey’s food recommendations and recipes on her blog, The Busy Hedonist.
Tracey Ceurvels worked at several top Boston and NYC restaurants before she hung up her apron over 10 years ago to devote herself to her twin loves of food and travel. Her articles have appeared in many publications, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times City Section, The New York Daily News, Dean & Deluca’s Gourmet Food Blog, Hauteliving.com, The New York Sun, Relish, Time Out, Citysearch.com, Papermag.com, among other publications.
My 6 favorite food destinations in New York City
by Tracey Ceurvels
What I love about New York City is that I can find nearly any ingredient I desire, whether I want a rare Indian spice or a unique cheese made locally at a nearby farm. I also love the dining scene here, from casual Asian bistros to high-end temples of seafood and everything in between. Whatever you like, I’m certain you’ll find it here, which makes New York City my favorite food destination in the world.
The Meadow (also pictured above), http://www.atthemeadow.com/shop/. I enjoy using different types of salt and discovering how they can enhance a dish. The Meadow’s owner wrote an award-winning book, Salted, and his passion for the subject shines through at his gorgeous store that sells hundreds of salts (and chocolate, too).
Murray’s Cheese, http://www.murrayscheese.com/. Blue or goat, stinky or smoked…cheese, in all its glory, is the specialty here. Stop by the store and the knowledgeable cheesemongers will help you decide on which cheese to take home.
Kalustyans, http://www.kalustyans.com/. This gem of a store is the go-to specialty ingredient and spice shop for many local NYC chefs and home cooks. And no wonder: they sell nearly every spice under the sun, from Peruvian hot peppers to sour pomegranate seeds—and everything in between.
The Roasting Plant, http://roastingplant.com/. My coffee addiction began at The Roasting Plant, where beans are roasted on site, shot through a pipe overhead and brewed to order. I stock up on their Block Party Blend, a mix of nutty Brazilian and fruity African beans, which is great hot or over ice.
Talde, http://taldebrooklyn.com/. My latest favorite neighborhood restaurant is Talde, where Top Chef alum Dale Talde, has created a menu to swoon over, that is if you like creative Asian dishes like Pad Thai with oysters and bacon or Wok charred ribeye with black pepper caramel and holy basil.
Le Bernardin, http://www.le-bernardin.com/. When I’m celebrating, I head to Le Bernardin, Chef Eric Ripert’s midtown masterpiece. From the service to the food, this is a stellar experience worthy of a celebration or a special lunch with a loved one.
The Chile Trail 