Next Trip to NYC

Hey all 6 followers.... looking for some feedback on where to eat on my next trip to New York City! I have my favorite places but I am thinking I need to branch out!

Firenze

So I know bloggs are supposed to be up to date current information, and this is the only time I will break that rule... for Italy. I went to Florence, Italy in February of 2009 and fell in love with food. There are three places in Florence that you have to stop if you go. One is the Hotel Rosary Garden http://www.rosarygarden.it/. I know this is a food blog.... just wait... if you stay here right outside the main center it is quiet and you live above the best Gelateria and La Piazzetta (43/R, Vl. Giannotti, Firenze, Italy) in Florence in my opinion. Causal, and amazing. I have dreams about the pistachio gelato mixed with dark chocolate. At La Piazzetta the margherita pizza is served straight from the wood ovens, and if you sit in the main dining room there are large iron hangers that hang spits of meat when ordered.... okay that is number one.

Okay #2. Take the bus to Piazza San Marco every morning. My favorite piazza because it is quiet, and has the best quick breakfast! Stop at Gran Caffe San Marco for a quick espresso and a lemon filled sugar donut! Or stop by Pugi for a quick lunch with fresh pizzas and breads! Neither of these have web links so google map piazza San Marco and take the street view... you will see them on the corner.

Okay #3: I had the best dinner of my life at Trattoria 4 Leoni (http://www.4leoni.com/index.php). I had the Fiocchetti di Pera in salsa di taleggio e aspargi. (pasta filled with pear, in a sauce made with taleggio and asapargus). Little pasta purses stuffed with pear and marscapone cheese and asparagus. This is coated in the lightest cream sauce made with taleggio cheese.Oh my! Please if you can in your lifetime get these little pastas... do so!

Lake Luzerne, New York

On our way up to Lake George this year we stopped by our old standy by with good food, and sundaes that look like little dreams. As a group of eight we had many dishes that were just so good. It is hard to find reliable diner food today. The vegetarian rueben called the Roxanne with homemade saurkraut was fabulous served with a side of fresh snap peas sauteed in garlic and olive oil. One of my travel mates had the homemade raisin bread french toast with a side of home fries. The service was fabulous, and the desert put us over the top. Try a pistachio nut and chocolate sundae with thick hot fudge and fresh whipped cream. Oh and of course a cherry on top! http://www.papasicecream.com/index2.htm

The Food Hop

When I travel I love the culture, the people, the architecture, but most of all I love the food. I think in a specialty dish you can experience everything about a place in a single bite. The path I take on every trip is determined by the places I will be eating. At a fabulous restaurant you experience what the owner has a passion for, and each dish you taste is like a gift. Based on my travels I will post my experiences good or bad. I do have to warn you that I went to Italy this past February of 2009, and will probably blog a little bit about that first.... I am a Polish girl turned Italian.