Canandaigua,NY Hop #1: Just Crepes

101 South Main Street
Canandaigua, New York

On my way to a conference at the Wine & Culinary Center in Canandaigua, NY my friends and I stopped by Just Crepes on the main drag in Canandaigua,NY. The restaurant is formally informal....jeans can be worn but crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling. My favorite kind of place. This is my second trip back here which says something, but the first time I had the specialty fruit crepe. Crepes were being freshly made at the counter, and filled with sweet strawberries. They were topped with a berry mix along with a little bit of sugar and whip cream. I highly recommend this Food Hop. Yum! Dessert for breakfast!

Manhattan Hop # 9: Levain Bakery

167 West 74th Street

New York, NY

My last food hop in Manhattan has been all over the news, and recomended by a co-worker; I felt that I was forced to stop and try the best chocolate chip cookie on earth. This requires little more then a picture for you to understand why this soft on the inside, crisp on the outside little piece of heaven was worth it. Shared with a friend it might help you feel less guilty.

Manhattan Hop #8: Sarabeth's West

423 Amsterdam Ave

New York, NY

Before heading to the Museum of Natural History, this brunch stop a couple blocks west is well worth it! I had the crisp potato waffles with chunky apple sauce, sour cream, and chicken apple sausage! Get a little bit of each on your fork, and refuel at this food hop! Cute quaint and well worth a stop on your next trip to Manhattan. Oh yeah and the museum was nice too.

Manhattan Hop # 7: Matsuri Sushi

369 W 16th Street

New York, NY

From the moment I walked in I knew this would be my favorite food hop on this trip. The lighting is what hits you first with large paper lanterns lighting the japanese restaurant with a soft yellow glow. To my benefit they were participating in restaurant week and I had a three course meal, starting with a perfectly crisp spring roll on a small salad. This was followed by a sushi platter with fresh salmon, eel, avacado, yellow tail, and ahi tuna. All tasted amazing in addition to everyone else's dishes at the table: panroasted peppercorn chicken, avacado arugula salad and salmon with sisho-oba pesto to name a few. But the surprising part of the meal was at the end with green tea tiramisu, accompanied by red bean ice cream and strawberries. The smooth sake and awesome service also helped this food hop become one of the places I will hop back too!

Manhattan Hop #6: Lombardi's Original

32 Spring Street

New York, NY

Lombardi's the first pizzeria in America. I love those Italians! I brought my Italian best friend to sample what New York had to offer! Cooked to order on a coal fire bed our table sampled the margherita pizza. Every part of the pizza was homemade with fresh tomato sauce, fragrant basil, and buffalo mozzerella. The best part of the pizza was the thin crust with the lightly burnt edges. Yum! If you haven't been, it is one food hop you have to hop to once. Yes I have had better pizza but only in Italy!

Manhattan Hop #5: Dos Caminos on Park

373 Park Avenue South

New York, NY

Food Hop #5 was on of Dos Caminos several locations in Manhattan. The atmosphere was awesome and the service was excellent. Because this was my first time at the restaurant I was served a complimentary vegetable empanada with chipotle sauce. This small bite was the highlight of the meal. The rest of the dinner was good, but I have had better mexican at Rosa Mexicana on 1st & 58th in Manhattan. My main course was the black angus skirt steak with frijoles borrachos. It was good don't get me wrong, but I think I can get better more authentic mexican in one of the burroughs... maybe next time I'll hop somewhere else.

Manhattan Hop #4: A Salt & Battery

112 Greenwich Ave

New York, NY

I have heard about this fried fish for awhile, and I have never been to England for fish and chips. So this is the closest I believe I could come. I had the 4 oz haddock filet and split chips (british french fries) with my hubby. The fish was so fresh, and fried to order. Crunchy and crisp breadcrumbs coated the soft fresh fish topped with homemade tartar sauce. My husband had the chicken chunks (not a fish fan). To our surprise there was a hidden taste, and after talking with the cook we found out that the chicken was marinated in a light curry sauce. This food hop is an inexpensive quick lunch in a great part of town!

Manhattan Hop # 3 :Magnolia Bakery

401 Bleeker Street

New York, NY

This is my favorite stop in Manhattan. Yes there are two other locations in Manhattan now, but nothing beats a fabulously buttery vanilla cupcake topped with crunchy sprinkles off of Bleeker street in the west village. Everytime I go I have to stop. Yes it was on SATC, and yes I heard of it there! But there is a reason why people keep coming back...... and it is the whole experience down to the cute little box they come in! This time I got a pink and purple just for me. I recommend the buttercream frosting with vanilla cake. If you have a sweet tooth, you can rely on this food hop every time you are in manhattan.

Manhattan Hop #2: Serendipity 3

225 East 60th Street

New York, NY

Seredipity 3 was inspired of course by the movie, and I have always wanted to get the frozen hot chocolate! It was fabulous! Thank you to my best friends from TN for waiting for a seat with me. Small crystals of ice crunch in your mouth as you sip , and the chocolate taste reminds you of the classic taste you enjoy in chilly weather. Bring along a friend to share... this drink is huge. On my experience as a whole however the service left something to be desired. No one seemed to care that we were there. But worth a stop to try the famous drink!

Manhattan Hop #1 : PJ Carney's Pub

906 7th Avenue

New York, NY

PJ Carney's Pub was a quick pick on my way up to central park after arriving in NYC. I ordered a simple sandwich, a rueben with fries and a beer. The meat was stringy, and the bread was soggy. My friend got a watery chicken pot pie with a roll of phyllo dough crust on top.... not our idea of good eats. This food hop is not one I recommend. Just stop here for a beer and move on.