Well, it’s safe to say my feelings about New York haven’t changed much. Humidity is not my friend.
Aretha Franklin? Nope, that fro is ALL mine. God bless the inventor of the flat iron.
Our red-eye flight was as delightful as you’d expect any red-eye flight to be. Luckily the only thing on the agenda for the day was a bridal shower for Jess. In other words, I was in store for a day’s worth of boozing…which hardly helped the delirium that I was battling after 3 hours of interrupted shut eye.
We couldn’t check into our hotel when we arrived (7 am), so we wandered through Central Park…in jeans…in 90 degree heat…with swamp-like humidity.
I think this goes without saying but: IT. WAS. MISERABLE.
I have no real recollection of the first part of the day, but at 4 pm I headed to Jess’ wedding shower at Sarabeth’s on the Upper West Side.
I started with Spiced Plum iced tea.
This was beyond refreshing in the summer heat. I wanted to pour it over my entire body. It tasted good too – didn’t even need sweetener.
Here is our table of the bridesmaids and the bride. For new readers, Jess (the bride) is my best girlfriend – practically my sister lover – and is the blonde to my right in the photo. More on her later though…
The menu was prix fixe, and even though Jess is also vegan, there were not many items that were veg friendly to choose from. Hmmm.
Here are each of our first courses (mine is the mixed salad).
The salad was meh. Nothing too remarkable about it, considering the three ingredients in it were lettuce, tomatoes and olive oil. In their semi-defense, I did ask them to nix the cheese, so maybe just MAYBE that could have been the star ingredient that turned it from inedible to incredible. Alas, my cheese-less version was nothing to write home blog about.
I had higher hopes for the second course, though, which was a pasta dish full of yummy things. Again, I said to hold the cheese…
On what planet is this dairy free?
This plate alone would have admitted me into the hospital. As for Jess, well, call me crazy, but I don’t know a single vegan (or not?) bride that would eat that the day before her wedding. Hideous.
We both sent ours back after nicely re-emphasizing the dairy free nature of our orders. They were very accommodating and not at all rude, but the only other choice was this open faced tuna sandwich.
I picked around the tuna portion, and managed to salvage the side salad, the top piece of toasted bread and the balsamic tomatoes on the side. And let me tell you, those balsamic tomatoes were actually really impressive!
Still, this was not an acceptable veg option, and although I find it ridiculous that a New York restaurant such as Sarabeth’s couldn’t put together a legitimate dish in the kitchen for me and Jess, I wasn’t about to raise hell because the day wasn’t about me or the food – it was about Jessica.
The dessert options were the above (crème brulee, chocolate pudding, and a cookie platter), of which I ate the strawberry garnishes.
Prom pose with my one-and-only (I have so many of this identical shot from our sorority days it’s a bit sick).
After Jess opened her presents, I met up with Kyle in midtown for dinner #2 (my real dinner) and drinks with his former work colleagues. I hobbled my way home in my stilettos and vowed to never again wear 4 inch heels for longer than 8 hours (until the wedding on Saturday that is…). My pain was great, but we still made it to Peacefood for a late night snack 🙂
Quinoa salad.
Chickpea fries.
Iced coffee and soy milk.
The perfect night cap. You didn’t think I’d go back to NYC and not hit up Peacefood did you??
Question: What’s the worst dining option you’ve had to order when you are eating with a group? I know I have mentioned previous sad salad kinds of days before…I wish restaurants would learn!
Stay tuned for the rest of my NY trip…
My saddest restaurant meals have involved tiny salads, and Larabars from the bottom of my purse. Sad face.
That first picture of you is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.
I thought the humidity in SF was horrendous (which really, it isn’t that bad) and my flat iron was absolutely worthless. This coming from a Texas girl. What can I say, I’m used to the Oregon climate now!
I went to a very posh NYC wedding. The bride was very sweet and ordered a vegan meal for me. It arrived at the table smelling wonderful! I ate the whole thing and when finished I noticed the “plate” was embossed with LEAN CUISINE on the bottom! The most expensive lean cuisine ever!
buffalo wild wings… ugh…. every veggie should know that everything they fry is fried in LARD. i thought i could at least get some fries… nope. and this is in portland, oregon! portland restaurants that have no vegan options are inexcusable in my book.
I am really surprised that Sarabeth’s couldn’t pull it together considering their clientele. I had my grad school graduation brunch there but can’t for the life of me remember what I ate (ok, that was 10 years ago so I guess I can cut myself some slack).
Nice hair! I had to use VO5 the entire time I lived there. I had the fluffiest hair ever!
I have stick straight hair and the DC humidity is KILLING me! and i don’t have a flat iron! wah.
jeans + humidity = worst thing ever. i feel your pain, sista. have fun in nyc for your biffle’s wedding!! ps i love the dress you wore to sarabeth’s, i want.
Oh my goll, that quinoa salad looks FABulous!
No cheese, no bread (if it’s not wheat)… suprisingly enough, people still don’t understand!!
I’m sorry, but I’m still cracking up at that hair pic…only because I can relate. We’d be some hot cavewomen had we lived 50,000 years ago.
For a party my friend had at a local Mexican restaurant, the only options for me were cheese dip, and refried beans, but upon asking, the beans had lard and the cheese dip was made with chicken stock. Chips and salsa only! Not that I was complaining. I live in Houston so I am there with you on the humidity and the wearing jeans.
That’s so weird that they were so NON vegan friendly! Good thing u know your way around to correct that situation 😀
AHAHAHAHHA omg I just remembered the hair pic……..that’s all.
Ah man, I am quite familiar with the frizz effects of humidity. There’s a reason I wore my hair in a bun for all 4 years of high school.
Oh goodness…. what a horrible dining experience. I’ve had that happen more than a few times but it’s usually in less “contemporary” restaurants like when I am visiting grandparents in a small Indiana town… but sheesh, NYC should know better.
Enjoy the rest of your trip! 🙂
can i just say, i thought your hair was like shoulder length the last time i saw you in a pic. it’s like super long! i love long hair and so your hair gets 2 thumbs up from me!
That is unbelievable that they just kept giving you OBVIOUSLY non-vegan food! I mean, TUNA?! WTF?! LOL
You need to head downtown for all the good vegan places. You’ve got to try Wild Ginger and Blossom. Both are vegan and you have no chance of a food disaster like that happening again! 🙂
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Absolutely gorgeous chicas! Lo siento about your eats…boo
oh ya…nice ‘fro.
I ordered the “Veggie Sampler” at a diner and got green beans, succotash, and broccoli. All clearly straight from can to stove to plate. Plus, I’m pretty convinced there was butter in it.
omg. i forgot how annoying it was that they couldn’t manage to make us a vegan dish.
also annoying is how orange i look in our prom picture.
xoxo
hahaha – there are worse things. like looking pasty white (like yours truly)