Mighty Quinn's BBQ: Pulled Pork Perfection

Since Pitt-Cue no slow cooked pulled meats have been able to live up. In New York I figured this was all about to change. In the East Village on the corner of 7th Street and 2nd Ave you will find a neighbourhood joint filled with university students lapping up amazing cooked meats and cold beers.

We went on a Sunday evening and the place was packed. You queue up and choose your meat, the favourite two choices are beef brisket and pulled pork. Naturally we went for one of each. The meats are served naked or in a bun. We went bun, but this turned out to be a mistake. This is way too much meat and messy to even entertain the idea of eating it like a sandwich. Go naked laden with slaw and pickled cucumbers and tomato. Heaven.

Try getting that in your mouth

The beef brisket was so tender and soft, with a slight crisp on the outside. The pulled pork was cooked to BBQ perfection. They don't mess around with their portions either. The selection of beers is a great mix from all over the States. We went local for an NY flavour.

The seating is all family style, we sat next to some NYU students who also recommended a bar around the corner called McSorley's Old Ale House, which is the oldest bar in New York. One of the main differences of London vs New York the people are so friendly.

I could go on with pictures like this all day

Highly recommend Mighty Quinn's for the food and getting out of the normal touristy places in the City. We've also been for brisket and pulled pork since being back in London and it didn't even come close. 

After a night eating like locals we went back to the hotel with some enormous cans of Mike's Hard Lemonade and dessert, it was literally as big as my head! It's class all the way with us!

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New York: The Empire Hotel

On 63rd and Broadway you will find my new favourite hotel in New York, maybe even the world. Yes there are a number of fabulous hotels in New York, this however is Chuck Bass' Hotel! From the awnings outside the Empire is instantly recognisable - a New York (and Gossip Girl) icon. Perfect place for a rooftop bar don't you think?

As soon as you get to the front door this place oozes cool. Being greeted by the doorman and stepping over the threshold, it's about to get cooler. The lobby is decked out so temptingly, the lobby bar may be your first port of call. In here you can also get the famous Gossip Girl cocktails. Everything from the Guinness infused 'lonely boy' to the champagne riddled 'Dorota's Secret'.

We opted for a 'Who is Charlie Rhodes' and 'Dorota's Secret', they were both ridiculously delicious, and the sofas were so comfy - a great place for people watching and seeing the world go rushing by. Upstairs you will find a whole other world.

The Rooftop Bar at the Empire Hotel is possibly my favourite venue in New York now. I can see myself back here with a much bigger group having a ball post work on a Friday night. This was the nice thing about the clientele too...more locals than tourists. A very chic crowd of after work drinkers starting their night with a hell of a view.

In the summer the roof comes off and the sun comes down, but for now the fire was on and the lights down. Awesome. the music was also fantastic (some current hits mixed with old school classics). One of my favourite parts of the whole place? The small ICONIC terrace housing the Empire Hotel signage. Definitely coming back here in the summer to spend some awesome summer nights - staying here? Go on then...until this time you will find me whining about not being here.

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New York, New York; Day 1

The city so good they named it twice! My favourite city in the world. What better thing to do than round off my birthday week than a very long weekend in the Big Apple? Starting our holiday early at a Heathrow Airport hotel, we had a c. 4am start and headed the entire 5 minutes to the airport.

Welcome to America!

Flying United airlines is awesome. The seat back entertainment system allows you to start your films as soon as you are seated with no faffing around during take off and landing. The selection was also amazing. Over 100 movies including 26 recent blockbusters. I opted for Wreck it Ralph (which made me laugh AND cry, it is fantastic - go and see it if you are young or old) followed by Argo. I wasn't expecting much from this film but it is an edge of your seat thriller. Totally Oscar worthy.

Anyway onto more important things! We landed in Newark around midday (the joys of going back in time) and hopped in a cab to Midtown. Just seeing the skyline is one of my favourite things. You can almost smell the excitement of the city.

The Intercontinental Barclay Hotel

Home for the trip was the Intercontinental Barclay on 48th and Park. Central enough for most things, and close to the Subway for anything else. We dropped our bags and headed to 5th. 5th Avenue is the main high end shopping street of Manhattan. On here you have the elite department stores (Henri Bendel, Saks, Barney's and Bergdorfs). The other two main ones Macy's and Bloomingdales are off 5th.

Bergdorf's is probably my favourite - not just because it is a staple of the Gossip Girl life! It also has fabulous bars and restaurants. I've dined in the basement cafe before, this time we headed up to the bar, with it's fabulous views out on to the Plaza and Central Park. First drink in NYC? Two champagne cocktails coming up.

My Spiritual Home

Champagne at Bergdorf Goodman, We've Arrived

SHOES!

First school bus sighting - and the smokey pot

Carrie's Shoe! SATC Fans...

The Plaza, one day I will own one of these apartments

Post cocktails and a slightly tipsy browse around 5th Avenue we headed back to the hotel to unpack and get ready for a chilled night out in Midtown. We weren't looking for anything fancy as we'd been up for so many hours. Bubba Gump is a kitsch themed restaurant based on 90's favourite Forrest Gump. Good seafood and enormous cocktails, with a view over times square. Every time I've been to New York I've been here and it kind of never gets old! These sort of places in London I'd generally avoid like the plague but being a tourist in someone else's city means you can get away with it.

Times Square from our table

Bourbon Mahi Mahi and Shrimp - Bubba would be proud!

We ordered Sangria - which when you do you get to keep the cocktail shaker it comes in! Yep we are those people. I was torn between a couple of things on the menu but opted for Bourbon Street Mahi Mahi - which is charbroiled cajun spiced Mahi Mahi (a fish you don't see enough of in the UK) with bourbon sauce, grilled shrimp and mashed potatoes. M opted for fish and chips. Yep. My Mahi Mahi looked totally divine when it arrived. The fish and chips also looked awesome. The taste? Just what the doctor ordered. I wolfed it down - totally delicious and we were starving. It also called for another massive cocktail!

Perusing... 

First cocktail (of many) the size of my head

After dinner we headed along 44th Street to the Royalton Hotel. Within the Royalton is Bar 44 (you'll find a lot of venues named after their street name or address in Manhattan). A divine fire divides the bar in two, you have the raucous end where you will likely find a band, lots of loud drunk business men post work and some very young, thin ladies accompanying them. On the other side of the fire is the more chilled relaxing area.

We opted for this and ordered more cocktails. Almost midnight we dragged ourselves back to the hotel after a very successful first day - and ready for our first real day as Upper East Siders. On the way home I couldn't resist snapping some shots of the night time skyline, it never gets old...

For now...XOXO

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