Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company

   

Can you imagine anything better than being shown around New York City by a local? I learned so much from friends I have met online through Craigslist Food Forum. On this particular visit I was led to some of the most wonderful food related venues, most notably Sahadi's, a specialty grocery store in Brooklyn. My friend and I also visited a local shop in Chelsea that sold bakeware and everything related to baking including a plethora of unusual cake pans and candy molds. It was an amazing day and by the end of it, my friend who is a professional singer and actress, even gave me a lesson in breathing! I wouldn't consider online dating, but it's great for finding friends with similar interests. After the foray into baking equipment and multicolored doilies and chocolate sprinkles, we needed a quick bite. Finding one with a local proved easy.

 

We walked over to 8th Avenue and went into Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company's Chelsea location. It was the best venue for us because most everything they offer is premade and ready for take-out or to eat there. The sandwich fillings are lined up and ready to go, waiting for you to to select your choice of bread, wrap or roll. My friend, as a New Yorker, could afford to be blase about bagels, so she ordered her egg salad sandwich on whole wheat. As a visitor, I would not consider ordering any form of bread in NYC unless it was a bagel, or biali. Besides, lox and cream cheese demand a bagel. I have tried my share of bagels, but it's true, they make them better in New York. Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company makes a good one, but more importantly, they offer quick service in this fast paced city.

Brooklyn Bagel Website

286 8th Ave (between 24th St & 25th St) New York, NY 10001 (212) 924-2824

The Green Table in NYC

Located inside food central, Chelsea Market in lower Manhattan, The Green Table was a small tasting room set up by the Cleaver Company to allow it's potential catering clients to taste samples of organic items prepared by and available from their facility. They ultimately decided to use it as a minuscule restaurant with perhaps 6 or so tables to serve the throngs of people walking through or working at Chelsea Market. A good use of space in my opinion. They also have a take out window for prepared meals.

I was fortunate to be visiting Chelsea Market after the lunch rush because I had no trouble getting a table, green or otherwise. Each item on the menu looked enticing and was described by not only ingredients, but by where the ingredients came from, mostly organic farms and dairies close to the city.

I had no trouble selecting blue corn pancakes served over a vegetable ragu. For very healthy food, this tasted better than I had imagined and lighter than I had expected. Cleaver company has a good thing going and I'm glad I went. Since Buon Italia, a purveyor of imported Italian food and condiments, is located in the same building, I'm certain I will dine here again.

http://www.cleaverco.com/

212) 741-9174
75 9th Ave

New York, NY 10011