NYC in the Summer: Food and Fun in the Hot City

NYC in the Summer is a fun filled, scorching hot time! We were there for a weekend in July and we were able to fit so much into (our bellies!) in our short time there.
From a wedding celebration in China Town to a delicious Mexican food dinner and old fashions in Brooklyn to an exclusive tour of everything cool and delicious in Red Hook, here is a recap of our YUM adventures:

Getting to NYC from eastern Connecticut

First let me start by saying how easy and convenient Shoreline East is to get to NYC. With free parking in Old Saybrook, CT, it's only a $6.25 train ride to New Haven where you literally walk across the platform to a waiting Metro North train to the city for $15. In total the trip only takes a little over 2 hours.

A Manhattan Wedding

My former Boston roomie's wedding reception was at this swanky lounge on the skirts of China Town. Fontana's was a really cool place. I'm not sure if they usually serve food here or if it's just for special occasions since there is no mention of food on their website and they are predominantly a music venue. But they had some really great food including dumplings - pork, chicken and vegetarian for everyone! Food or no food, I recommend checking out this place if you are ever in the area!

And they had a Pacman table!

Dinner and a Night Cap in Brooklyn

As awesome as Manhattan is, Brooklyn is simply amazing. There is SO much there. From great restaurants and quirky bars to wine store owners who immediately realize that you are "new" to the neighborhood because they know all of their customers (and their dogs too!)

We had dinner at La Slowteria, a delicious Mexican food restaurant in Carroll Gardens.

This restaurant was amazing. From the food to the ambiance - everything was perfect.

We started out with the most delicious cucumber margaritas and some yummy appetizers.

The first appetizer was called, El Diablito. It was a tasting of sauces served with hand-made tortillas. This was absolutely perfect for me. I LOVE sauces so a tasting of SEVEN all at once was awesome!

The second app was La Estrella. 5 oysters paired with 5 different citrus fruit wedges & worm salt. I had never thought to try different fruits with oysters. Very clever! Not to mention fresh and delicious.

Then came dinner! Shame on me, but I can't remember what this was called on the menu exactly. It delicious meat wrapped in corn husks with salsa on the side. AH-MAZING!

Then they brought the table a special dessert! Cranberrys in Tequila - Salud!

This is a view of table on the outdoor patio from above! So beautiful. A perfect summer Brooklyn night.

After dinner, we had the best nightcap of all-time: an old fashioned at Jack the Horse Tavern in Brooklyn Heights. The bartenders here know how to make a drink!

This is a video I capture of the last steps in the old fashion making process (sorry it's sideways, I haven't quite gotten the Instagram video making basics down yet!)

 I would love to come back here to try a bit of their menu someday! Crispy Mixed Herb Polenta and an Angus Hanger Steak sounds good right about now. Or how about some Macaroni & Cheese and a Roasted Free Range Half Chicken! And that Big Bowl of the best PEI Mussels sounds so good!

 Coming up next: Finding the YUM in Red Hook, Brooklyn! Stay tuned!