Category: Food Spotting

What I ate in New York City – Day 2

Posted on by dreamingoffood

The second day of our trip in New York City was a Saturday. We woke up very early since we were still on Danish time, but that meant we got to be one of the first ones up to get the complimentary pastries, coffee, and tea at our hotel.

Hotel Evelyn
Location: 7 East 27th Street – NoMad

We stayed at Hotel Evelyn located near the Flatiron District, and the lobby there was so warm and cozy. I very much enjoyed our nice quiet breakfast there. In Denmark it is pretty common for a breakfast to consist of pastries, and a warm drink, so the breakfast at Hotel Evelyn was perfect. It was something light to start the day, and still left us plenty of room for a great lunch in NYC later. :o)

The pastries were small, but they were really good, and we each grabbed two. :o)
Complimentary tea and coffee – all day
The coziness of Hotel Evelyn

I really enjoyed my stay at Hotel Evelyn. It is a newly renovated hotel, the service was really great, and the location was perfect. We actually didn’t take the subway once while in NYC and just walked around the whole time, and if you do have to take the subway or a bus it’s located right by the Hotel. My only complaint is the elevator. It was very slow, and tiny, so I would recommend staying on a lower level floor, instead of the top floor like we did. Other than that, I would stay there again if I could next time I visit NYC. They even offer to store your luggage after you check out of the hotel which was perfect for when we were leaving, since our flight to Texas was later in the day. So we got to walk around NYC a bit more, luggage free.

After breakfast, we went out to explore. It was still early so NYC was not quite awake yet, but that meant it was not that crowded, which we liked. 🙂 If you have never been to NYC, it is more crowded than you could ever imagine, and everyone is in a hurry.

After a short stop at CVS for cough drops, and medicine to keep me going through out the day, we decided to go to Times Square, check out the large Macy’s department store, and just explore. As I mentioned before, I was very sick, in fact I had bronchitis, and tonsillitis. So after a lot of walking it was a perfect time to try The Original Soup Man for lunch.

The Original Soup Man
Location: 259A W. 55th Street – Midtown West

Not only is soup good for when you are sick, but being a huge Seinfeld fan, this was a place on my list of musts.

Surprisingly, the line was pretty short there (2 or 3 people ahead of us), and the service was pretty normal. We ordered two soups, chicken noodle, and jambalaya, and two waters. We thought it would be good to order a small portion so we had room for dessert after. 🙂 Each soup came with a slice of freshly baked bread, an orange, and a chocolate truffle. We managed to find a little park nearby to sit (8th Ave./56th Street), although Central Park was very nearby, at this point I was feeling pretty weak so the sooner we got to sit down and eat, the better.

The soup was really good. I was surprised at how complicated the soups were. They were definitely homemade. The chicken noodle soup was spicy, and tasted so different from any chicken soup I’ve ever had. I tried the jambalaya and it was really good as well, and I normally don’t like fish soup. So the Soup Man definitely knows what he is doing! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Jambalaya Soup

So after we had some soup, we wanted a little afternoon tea/coffee and dessert. Can you tell I’ve been living in Europe for too long? 🙂 Well, we decided to try a place nearby the Original Soup Man called The Bread Factory Cafe.

The Bread Factory Cafe
Location: 935 8th Ave – Midtown West

This place was not one that I knew about before hand, but I did plan to have dessert in NYC. I got a cupcake and mint tea, and my boyfriend got a lemon pie and coffee. We also got a few cookies to try. Although my cupcake looked so good, it was pretty dry, but the lemon pie tasted a lot better. All in all it was a nice place to relax a bit, and I guess I just picked the wrong dessert to order. A lot of people were going in there to eat the pizza so perhaps that is better. Is there a place you like to get dessert at in NYC? Let me know in the comments below.

 

After dessert it was on to more exploring and a stop at Rockefeller Center. Later that day we got dinner. Since I was feeling pretty sick (hate to keep mentioning it, but it is the truth), my sweet boyfriend went out to get us some Cheesesteak Sandwiches from Shorty’s Philly Steaks.

Shorty’s Philly Steaks
Location: 66 Madison Ave. – NoMad

Shorty’s was pretty much right by the hotel, and I had read online that it was really good. They even have their bread shipped directly from Philly. My boyfriend is from Denmark, and he had never really had a Cheesesteak sandwich so I thought this might be the best time to try one.

From what he told me, he had a pretty interesting experience there. The place was pretty much a bar, and he said it was difficult to figure out where to get the Cheesesteaks, and no one was willing to help him. He managed to bring some food to me, and it was good. It tasted different than the Cheesesteaks I have had in Texas, but I’m not sure what that means hehe. The fries were also good.

 



Check out what I ate in NYC on Day 3 here!

What I ate in New York City – Day 1

Posted on by dreamingoffood

This last December I had a short stop over in New York City on my way to Texas. This was my first time in New York City and I had a list in mind of what I wanted to eat while there. Even though I was only in NYC for 4 days I managed to try a lot of different foods while there and more. So this is what I ate in New York City on my first day there.

I arrived in NYC around dinner time from Copenhagen, Denmark. I had done a lot of research before hand, and we decided to try the burger place near our hotel that I had found online called New York Burger Co.

New York Burger Co.
Location: 678 Sixth Avenue – Flat Iron District

The food was really good. They use all natural beef, and everything is homemade, down to the sauces. I got the New York Cheeseburger with cheddar cheese, fries, and a drink. It wasn’t really that busy when we arrived there, and the service was pretty fast. So it was a great first stop after an exhausting trip. We had flown straight from Copenhagen to Newark, New Jersey, and then took the train to NYC, then walked to our hotel, plus I was sick with a bad cold at the time. So this place was conveniently located literally around the corner from our hotel, and it had a nice atmosphere, so it was a great place to finally unwind a bit.

 

 

 

 

Find out what I ate in NYC on Day 2 here!

Klejner – Danish Christmas Pastry

Posted on by dreamingoffood

In one of my first blog posts I made a list of my favorite Danish pastries. One of those listed was Klejner. It is a fried pastry found in the Scandinavian countries around Christmas time typically made with egg yolks, flour, and sugar.

Today I noticed my local grocery store in Denmark, Føtex, had two kinds of Klejner for sale, Norwegian and Danish, and they looked very different.

Danish Klejner (left) and Norwegian Klejner (right)

I get the feeling that Føtex is probably not the best place to try Klejner at. :o) I have had Klejner before at Tivoli and it was really tasty. These weren’t that great. The one on the left was the Danish Klejner. The flavor reminds me of Barnum and Bailey Animal Crackers. If you are from the U.S. you will understand that reference, but it also had a hint of orange. This particular one was pretty dry, and very crunchy, more like a big dry cookie. The one pictured on the right is the Norwegian Klejner. This was totally different. It tasted like a fried donut, without the frosting, and no orange flavoring. Just a plain fried donut, but not a fresh one. hehe

I would say if you have never tried Klejner before, try it at a non-grocery store bakery. :o)

Caesar Salad Dressing

Posted on by dreamingoffood

Yesterday was my birthday and all I really wanted as part of my birthday dinner was a really good Caesar salad. This might sound like a simple request, but here in Denmark the only way you can find an assumingly good Caesar salad is at a restaurant for $18!! I don’t even know if those ones are good, but I sometimes see “Caesar Salad” pre-made at the grocery stores here and they are weird. There is cooked pasta on the bottom, tomato, and corn, amongst the usual lettuce, parmesan cheese and pre-cooked chicken. Sorry, but that is not a Caesar salad. Corn and cooked pasta?? So I am not taking the risk on paying that much for something at a restaurant that also might be weird, and not good.

I don’t think Caesar salad is very popular here. I have found maybe 3 or 4 varieties of Caesar dressing here and they all taste horrible. As a solution, I have brought dressing from the U.S., to have here (without having tried them), but each one of those also lacks flavor or tastes boring. I can’t exactly bring one that needs to be refrigerated at all times, from the U.S. so that kind of limits my selection.

I have also tried to make my own, and I have to say a homemade Caesar dressing tastes really good. The flavor is there, but the dressings come out too thick or don’t mix together well. So, yesterday I decided to go to Magasin to buy a fancy Caesar dressing. Magasin is an upscale department store here, that also has a grocery store in the basement with gourmet food, and imported goods. Needless to say it is a lot pricier than a regular grocery store. Kind of like H-E-B Central Market back home.

There were three Caesar dressings there to choose from. One I have tried before, Cardini’s, and it’s okay, but I don’t really like it. The other two were from Belgium and the U.K. Each dressing cost $10 a bottle so I had to make a wise decision. It was a tough decision. Surely the Brits know more about Caesar dressing, right? Do the Belgians even like Caesar dressing??

I decided to just try the one from Belgium called Natura Vinaigrette Cesar.

The decision was ultimately based on the color of the dressing and the ingredients listed. Basically this dressing had real parmesan cheese and real ingredients vs. the other dressing that had parmesan powder, and garlic powder, among other things.

Ingredients listed in Danish: sunflower oil, vinegar, egg yolks, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, anchovies, salt, lemon juice, spices etc.

Also this dressing had a slight yellow tint, and the other was very white. Over all it just looked better, and it looked homemade with real natural ingredients, and no preservatives. I was so surprised when I made a salad and tasted it and it tasted amazing!! Who knew that Caesar dressing could taste good from Belgium. :o)

Since it is a vinaigrette, it mixed very well in the salad. It was really flavorful, and tasted like a restaurant quality caesar dressing I might get back home. It was so good, I think I’ll buy my mom a bottle to bring back home to Texas. :o) If you ever see this dressing you should try it. I noticed the brand had other varieties of dressings so I think I might try one of those as well. Here is the link to their website if you are interested: http://www.natura.be

Now lets hope my local Magasin doesn’t stop carrying this dressing!! :o)

 

Caesar salad with romaine lettuce, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and Natura Vinaigrette Cesar dressing

 

Best Pizza in Amager – Copenhagen, Denmark

Posted on by dreamingoffood

The pizza is really good in Copenhagen. It tastes unlike any pizza I have had back home (in Texas), not to say it isn’t good back home, but it’s different. Maybe it’s because the pizza here is often made by Italian immigrants, so it is the real deal. There are other pizza places here that tend to sell more than just pizza, such as burgers, Danish food, shawarma sandwiches, Indian food, Chinese food, etc. If you want really good pizza then stay away from those places. :o)

Since there are so many good pizza places in Copenhagen, I thought I would list my favorite pizza places in each part of the city (in multiple blog posts), and I am going to include Frederiksberg because it’s practically Copenhagen hehe.

First, if you are new to Copenhagen, I will give you a little insight on the pizza places here. The Italian run places tend to either only make pizza or make Italian bread, pasta, salad, dessert, and/or sandwiches in addition to pizza. The pizza is almost always thin, and usually comes in two sizes: normal (almindelig) and family size (familie). A normal size pizza can be compared to a medium size thin pizza in the U.S. and a family size pizza is more like a large U.S. pizza. There are usually always lunch specials, and it tends to be a normal size pizza for a cheaper price than usual, and it’s only select varieties. This is not to say that the places I will list meet all of this criteria. I am just giving you a rough idea on what is most common here.

So lets start with Amager. Part of Amager is located in what is considered Copenhagen. There are actually a lot of really good pizza places in Amager, believe it or not, but I will just narrow down my list to 5 (in no particular order). :o)

Delle Alpi
Location: Amagerbrogade 17

Delle Alpi has been open since 1998. They sell pizza, pasta dishes, homemade tiramisu, homemade bread, pizza slices, sandwiches, salads, tærter (savoury pies), and gelato ice cream.

The crust on the family size pizza is not super thin, but I like that. So I feel like this pizza is a little bit more filling than normal. The pizza tastes different than most Italian run pizza places here, the crust is very good, has a nice crunch and flavor, and they use fresh ingredients. So if you want something a little bit different than the standard super thin pizza you should try the family size pizza at this place. I am not saying the crust is thick but it just isn’t paper thin. :o) I love it!

regular size pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, and peppers
regular size pizza with pepperoni and buffalo mozzarella

There is limited seating inside (a bar with two chairs) so it is more of a takeaway place.

Pizzeria Sardegna
Location: Gullandsgade 2

Pizzeria Sardegna is a place I found by chance. It is located in the middle of apartment blocks and not on a main street at all, but the pizza is really good. In fact it is so good that I have eaten here a lot now and even have taken my friends. In addition to pizza this place also sells pasta dishes, sandwiches, and gelato ice cream.

What is also neat about this place is that you can eat inside comfortably. There are two tables, and you are provided with a knife and fork and a view of the not so busy street, but it’s still nice. The owner is also very smiley, and often sings in Italian while he is making pizzas so you might just get a true Italian experience while here. :o)

Here is a pepperoni pizza I ordered. You might notice this is my favorite pizza topping hehe.

Pepperoni Pizza from Pizzeria Sardegna

Pizzeria Cavallino
Location: Kongedybet 28

Pizzeria Cavallino is located near Amagerbrogade and it is a chain (I just found out). I really like this place too, and actually the Italian bread here is the best I have tasted. The pizza here has a very thin crust, but I promise you won’t be disappointed. You can also sit inside and it was recently remodeled so it looks very nice, and cozy. Unlike other pizza places that tend to have bright lights and a fast food atmosphere, this place has a few dark wood tables and candles lit, so it has a more restaurant feel on a small scale.

In addition to pizza, this place also has pasta, sandwiches, homemade bread, salads, italian drinks, and gelato ice cream.

Piccolo Mondo
Location: Holmbladsgade 83

Piccolo Mondo is another one of my favorite pizza places in Amager. I have probably ordered pizza from here more than any other place in Copenhagen. The pizzas are made in a stone oven. The pizza has a thin crust as well. In addition to pizza, this place also has pasta, bread, sandwiches, and gelato ice cream. It is more of a takeaway place, but there are some seats outside.

Pizza with salami, pepperoni, and mushrooms from Piccolo Mondo
Pepperoni Pizza from Piccolo Mondo

Pizza Art Copenhagen
Location: Sundbyøster plads

Last but not least let me tell you about this little gem I recently stumbled upon, Pizza Art Copenhagen. It is located at Sundbyøster plads off of Amagerbrogade and it is a pizza food truck!

Pizza Art Food Truck

By the looks of it I didn’t know what to think, but I noticed a lot of people went out of their way to come to this little pizza place, and it sometimes had a bit of a line. This was intriguing considering another pizza place was located just across the street. So I thought it must be good, and when I took a look inside this guy had a pizza stone in there! I had to try it.

Once I did, I realized the pizza tasted amazing. I loved how fresh mozzarella was used, and not only did the crust have a good flavor, but so did the sauce. This just might be my new favorite pizza place in Copenhagen.

I have no idea if it is here all year round, but it is a great place to visit on a nice day. It is located in a square so you can easily have lunch outside on a bench, and there is a playground and small green area nearby.

Pepperoni pizza from Pizza Art Copenhagen

So that is it. My top 5 favorite places to get pizza in Amager. I hope someone enjoyed reading this. Let me know if you have tried any of these places or do you have a different favorite? 🙂

To check out my top pizza places in Central Copenhagen click here!