The Big Manzana Part 2
Hey everyone!!!
I love New York.
It’s the total opposite of Valdosta 😉
We got settled into the hotel and spent a couple of hours walking around. It’s perfect because our hotel is right in the middle of all the action and I love to walk around and look at all of the stores and people. I’m definitely a people-watcher and this is the prime place to people watch 😀
Before going out, I hit up the hotel bar with the pilot and we each had a shot of tequila:
Had to get the night started the right way 😉
For dinner, we went to a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try since Megan visited last summer…
The atmosphere in Pure is absolutely gorgeous. It’s dimly lit and everything inside of the restaurant is eco-friendly, from the linens and furniture, to the extremely filtered water. Everything on the menu is raw, vegan and prepared on site.
Megan and I shared a bottle of Cotes de Rhone:
Oh how I love red vino
And we dined on the patio, which is my idea of heaven. It’s in a garden type setting with comfy lounge tables, trees, a fountain and a little bar.
For appetizers we all shared the sushi (filled with jicama “rice”, avocado, mushrooms and cucumber) rolls:
And cashew “cheeses” (spicy, mint and plain) with rosemary crackers:
For my meal, I chose the tamales, which I’ve been wanting to make for quite some time but figured I’d leave it to the pros 😀 I was SO glad I did. The corn filling was so light and delicious with the cilantro and cucumber topping and I looooooved the mole sauce and “sour cream”.
Megan got the stuffed squash blossoms:
Her pilot got the Thai coconut noodles:
And my pilot got the ravioli:
It was the ideal spot for our first dinner in the greatest city in the world.
Of course was had to order dessert 😀
Listen to what I got….. Chocolate INDIAN SPICED ice cream treats. They might as well have called it “The Gina”
There was in ice cream “popsicle” spiced with garam masala, an ice cream cookie sandwich and a coconut ice cream cone. I’m very glad the pilot shared it with me, even though we all know I could have devoured it on my own.
Thanks again to Sarma for giving Megan and I such a beautiful dinner 😀
After our meal, we decided to hit up a nearby karaoke bar called the Watering Hole:
Even though I had a belly full of wine, I didn’t sing. I totally would have but didn’t see any songs I was crazy about on the list. Do you karaoke? What’s your song of choice??
Needless to say, we’re having a wonderful time here and I’m so glad that both of our pilots could join us 😉 I’m not sure when I’ll have the chance to post again but you know I’ll be back soon with the rest of our NY adventures (including an awesome blog lunch that we had today!!).
Have a wonderful weekend!!
xoxo,
Gina
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So glad you're trip is off to a great start! Can't wait to hear about the rest of your visit 🙂
Do your's and Megan's pilots like Raw food? Or did they just go to Pure Food & Wine b/c they support your healthy eating style?
I’ve heard such amazing things about that place! I hope I can make it to NYC sometime to try it… hope you enjoyed your show tonight!!! Did you see the foodie jewelry on my site?? Its the stuff i facebooked about a while back!
ooooooh NYC!! It really looks like you’re having an amazing time!! That’s so awesome! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!
aww it looks like you guys are having a blast, enjoy the rest of your vacay 🙂
Wow gina, what an amazing way to kick off an awesome vacation! I’m totally jealous 🙂
Keep enjoying it!
I’m so glad you are having a great time! That restaurant looks so amazing!!! Especially love the dessert. 😀
Have fun!!
Glad you are having a great trip! This makes me want to go back to NYC I haven’t been in ages!
Your pilot is such a trooper! I also never realized how much you and Megan look alike! Gorgeous girls!
Glad you guys are having so much fun!
What a fun night – if I had too much wine, I wouldn’t care what the playlist showed, I would continue to make and ass of myself – turns out I’ve done that once or twice before!
Country girl in the big city! Have fun!
I have that white dress in black! 🙂 so cute!
Love your dress! Sounds like the trip has been awesome so far. I don’t karaoke – I have an awful singing voice.
yaaay how fun! i try not to sing.. i don’t want to scar anyone.
Ohhh that restaurant looks so good! Your dessert must have been so yummy!!! You are soo lucky! Enjoy NYC!!
Glad you’re having fun! The raw/vegan restaurant looks awesome! Very cool that your pilots were down for going too. Enjoy the rest of the trip
Oh what a fabbo restaurant! Glad you all are having a great time!
Those squash blossoms look incredible. As does the ice cream treats.
I last did karaoka in Taiwan. I sung in English, but everyone else sung in Chinese. It was fun and embarassing at the same time.
YAY I’m so happy you’re enjoying NYC! That restaurant looks incredible, I’ll have to drag my family there the next time we’re in the city.
The tamales at Pure are my favorite! Good choice! 🙂 I also had that chocolate dish, it’s amazing!! Have fun in NY!
Yay! You got the same tamales Mark got when we went, which filled him up!! And I remember that ice cream Oh man it was so delicious!!!! Keep having fun. You look super happy. I think city life agrees with you.
Looks like your trip has started off well =) Those ice cream treats look divine!
Pure looked amazing!!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend Gina.
Looks like you’re having an awesome time! Yay for that! 🙂
I would have to say that anything Stevie Nicks sings would be the perfect karaoke song for me! 🙂
Enjoy!!
We love following your blog!!
It looks like such a blast to go to NYC with friends!
you look like you’re having a blast in NY!!! it think it should be your new home. 🙂
and such a great dinner!!!
You and the Pilot are such a gorgeous couple! I need to visit NYC!!
Gina,
Oh my gosh. So totally jealous as I'M DYING TO EAT AT PURE FOOD & WINE! Your meal looked absolutely amazing…all of it, and you and your Pilot are just the cutest couple ever. Can't wait to hear more about your trip. Enjoy enjoy enjoy!
Pure Food & Wine sounds awesome – what amazing raw food options! So happy you like NY, I hope the rest of your trip is just as wonderful!
My go-to karaoke song is Build Me Up Buttercup 🙂
Ahh Gina, I am sooo incredibly jealous that you are livin’ it up in the big city!! I love NYC, and it is definitely THE place to people-watch!
And all that raw food looks so good, did the pilots enjoy it?! I know you girls must have, since it all looks so unique and delish!! Hope you have fun with the rest of your trip!
you and the pilot are such a handsome couple! and I think I say that everytime you put a picture up of you two!! love the dress and fancy dinner!! looks delish!!!
have a great rest of your trip!!! 🙂
I am envious, been wanting to check out Pure and I’m planning my first trip to NY this Aug:).
Karaoke..always Crazy by Patsy and Criminal by fiona Apple:)
Go to the Levein Bakery..best cookies in the world…so they say!
B
holy moly that dinner sounds fantastic!!! and dessert? over the top 🙂
Hi Gina,
Thanks for posting all your photos from Pure food! It looks like a fantastic dinner. I popped over here from Gena’s site 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your time in NYC!
~ Emily.
I am dying to visit NYC…I’m so glad you’re having a great time and blogging so we can see a little bit of the city, too! 🙂
AAAH You are enjoying our great city right proper! It is a tragedy that I haven’t yet gotten to Pure Food and Wine, esp. since I work nearby. Everything looks beautiful! I have had the rosemary crackers though and they are so awesome, no? Can’t wait to hear about the blogger lunch – I’m still so bummed I missed it. 🙁
Love your blog!
Looks like you are having an amazing time!
http://strivingforbalance.wordpress.com/
Looks like you had a great time!!Enjoy the rest of the vacation!
The only kareoke I do is in the shower!!! LOL
Dinner looked fabulous!
Can’t wait to see more pics from your trip. My friend and I are talking about taking a trip to NYC. Looks AMAZING so far. Can I ask, is that the small hobo bag from Prada that your holding in the pic with you and the pilot? I LOVE that bag and am wondering if I’m begining to be able to spot it from thousands of miles away!! LOL Anyway looks like you had a GREAT time.
glad you’re having a good time! that restaurant looks awesome and those desserts look SO GOOD!
So glad you had such a great time in NYC! Sorry I didn’t get to meet you though… 🙁
What an awesome restaurant, I wish I could’ve gone somewhere like that when I was there but my husband is not so adventurous and we were at the mercy of my in laws most of the time. Oh well, maybe someday 🙂 I definitely karaoke but I always do a “duet” with a friend because I’m too chicken to go up there alone (though I do sing alone for Rockband, haha). My latest performances have included Kiss “Detroit Rock City” and Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” hahaha.
I was so excited to go to Pure this past week! I actually got the Tamales too! loved them! but not so much the mole sauce….
and that indian dessert looks phenomenal but i had to pass up on it!
http://tinyurl.com/n397ea
ohhh i can't wait to go again!
you should also try Candle Cafe or Candle 79 next time you're in the city!