Stevie Jewel

Best Restaurants – New York City

I’ve been to NYC multiple times, and I always have amazing food while I’m there.  I’ve eaten in critic favorites like Hundred Acres to little hole in wall amazing Ramen spots, but this trip was planned intentionally with specific restaurants in mind.  We tried several different places and these are my favourites from this trip!

One if by Land, Two if by Sea

This restaurant was incredible.  It has history, atmosphere, excellent service, and the food was beyond amazing.  It was so great I didn’t even bother taking my camera out for the food because I wanted to enjoy the experience!

Sugar and Plumm

The ultimate in whimsy, this spot was as sweet inside as it’s plated food!  With a glass tiled wall that created sweet treat art, and an extensive dessert menu, this became one of my favorite stops of the trip.  They had crepes, waffles, and all sorts of creative takes on traditional brunch favorites, one of them being a short rib benedict!  I had the brioche berry french toast and it was as sweet and crunchy as it looks in the picture!

B Side Pizza

Pizza was obviously on the menu and our first foray into the world of cheese covered pies was B Side!  It had great Yelp reviews and the  honeyed pizza did not disappoint!  It was an interesting flavor combination and one I welcomed, as a departure from typical pizza flavors.  The kale salad (because, healthy, right?) was also amazing with a tangy almost sweet dressing that complimented the pizza.

Red Eye Grille

I had heard, from the depths of social media, about a sushi burger breaking onto the food scene in New York days before we landed, so naturally I had to try it while I was there.  I was expecting amazing, and it was exactly that.  I didn’t know until I ordered it that you can customize it, to reflect your favourite sushi roll!  All in all, it was amazing and I completely recommend it.  The service was great and the lobster mac and cheese was the perfect side dish!

Levain Bakery

They claim to have the world’s best cookie.  We waited in line for 45 minutes.  Then got to consume the world’s best cookie!  I was skeptical, I’ve eaten a lot of cookies, I would consider myself a cookie connoisseur, and this cookie was delicious.  I tried two; the raisin, the dark chocolate and both were so damn scrumptious, that I wanted to go back the next day for more, but ran out of time!  Suffice it to say, next time I’m in New York City, this will be one of my first stops.

Baked By Melissa

Have you ever had a really good cupcake? I mean really delicious; the kind with soft moist cake with the perfectly adequate amount of frosting for the size of the cupcake.  That’s what Baked By Melissa is, with one tiny exception…all the cupcakes are BITE SIZED.  Which at first my sound disappointing, but when you realize that you can try ten different delicious baby cupcakes for the calories of one typically sized cupcake any disappointment vanishes instantly!  I have gotten Baked By Melissa almost every time I’m in New York City.  I’ve tried most of the original flavors and I have yet to find one I don’t love.  If you’re visiting New York City, make sure this pipsqueak bakery of awesome is on your to-do list!

Just Chil

My friend who introduced to some of the great local places to dine in London also recommended this frozen yogurt gem.  Chil is a small dessert shop near the universities in London Ontario.  This place was presented to me with a lot of hype, so my expectation were high…and it didn’t disappoint!  I can’t eat dairy on the days that I sing, so I had to time my visit carefully, but this place was magical.  I was told it was a frozen yogurt shop with greek yogurt as the base flavor for everything, along with some vegan options.  The outside wasn’t anything remarkable, but the inside! It was so cute and the flavors were impressive, especially the super fruit and the original greek yogurt.  They boast the largest available toppings of any frozen yogurt shop in Canada, and they don’t disappoint.  They have everything from apple pie to golden oreos to warm white chocolate sauce and everything in between.

London by Local

I have a wonderful friend who went to school in London Ontario and she recommended to me some of the best local spots in London.  Along with my own research I found my way to three places that are well kept secrets of London.  Here are my top 3 spots to eat in London.

1.  Thaifoon

This Thai restaurant is only open for late lunch and dinner, but it was worth the wait!  With some great originals and a few fresh takes on traditional thai food, I’d definitely visit this spot again.  It’s located downtown very close to Covent Garden Market, so it’s also convenient to get to!

  1. Early Bird

A restaurant with personality! This was featured on Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here” and once you walk in you can see why.  It’s bright and colorful with band posters all over the walls, four elvis busts painted with KISS makeup, and a tiki bar in the back! I had the “Pancake Stack” and my friend had the “Toad in the Hole” and both had fun presentations and were creative interpretations of breakfast classics.

  1. The Salad Bowl

This spot is in Covent Garden Market, which seems to be a bit of a hub for activity in London.  It has fantastic and highly customizable salads, with all sorts of variations for any diet restriction you may have.  The staff was friendly and helpful and the final product was delicious and healthy; the latter of which isn’t always easy to find when traveling with a hectic schedule! Forgot to snap a picture by The Salad Bowl, but it’s not far from this Chocolate Factory stand!

Chicago’s Best Donuts

It’s no secret that when I travel I love to explore new places, and especially to try new foods! I had the opportunity to visit Chicago for the first time, and I was so excited, because I’ve heard so many great things about the city.  From the architecture to the dishes, Chicago did not disappoint!  While in the windy city I had the opportunity to compare one of my favorite sweet treats; donuts!  So here are the three I tried and my favorite of my visit to Chicago!

Firecakes

I just stumbled into this place a couple hours after arriving.  It looked so cool on the outside that I just had to try it out, and luckily I got in before the line got really long!  These donuts are very classic as far as donuts go, but the one stand out in my opinion was the Malted Milk Ball! It’s small so it’s not overwhelming but it packs a lot of flavor.  It has a chocolate frosting top and then a cream filling, perfect for an afternoon pick me up!

Stan’s Donuts

I loved the shop!  It was bright and fresh, with a very clean design.  I had heard about Stan’s before so I knew I had to at least try their Donut Cake Shake, which was amazing!  I also sampled a few flavors and my favorite was the Strawberry Bismarck!  It has a very authentic strawberry jam filling, and the dough complimented the jam so well.

Doughnut Vault

This donut shop had a line, and operates from the “open until sold out” mentality, so when I saw how long the line was I got nervous.  By the time we got inside they had sold out of gingerbread and birthday cake flavors already, but they still had Chocolate, Vanilla, and Chestnut.  This donut was by far the best of the trip, it was so fluffy but full at the same time and because the glaze covered almost the entire donut every bite was as satisfying as the first one!  My favorite flavor was the Vanilla, because it’s a true Vanilla bean glaze.

Best Desserts of Nashville

I love dessert! Truly I do, if it’s sweet and decadent I’m probably going to love it.  I decided to take it upon myself to find the best desserts in Nashville.  I’ve had desserts in almost every city I’ve visited because I almost can’t say no, especially if I know I may not visit the city again soon!  Nashville has a great dessert selection, in fact it’s really a city for foodies. When I’m not on the road, in a cowrite, rehearsing, or performing, I try and take full advantage of all the cuisine variety.  I’ll probably do a favorites restaurant post at some point, but for now here are my favorite desserts in Nashville!

Bricktops - This was so good and so decadent! The cookie was hot, but the frigid ice cream balanced  every bite! I was even able to take it home and savor it.   Bricktops – This was so good and so decadent! The cookie was hot, but the frigid ice cream balanced  every bite! I was even able to take it home and savor it. Germantown Cafe - I love these beignets! In fact they spoiled me when it came to trying Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, the famous beignet just wasn't as dreamy as these! They also aren't on the menu! They are served as Germantown Cafe – I love these beignets! In fact they spoiled me when it came to trying Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, the famous beignet just wasn’t as dreamy as these! They also aren’t on the menu! They are served as “bread” for the table on Sunday brunch, so make sure to get there early! Goozys - The great intimate setting of this place is only surpassed by the excellence of their desserts. This molten cake and ice cream combo was so decadent and if it hadn't been perfectly portioned could have been too much, but it was JUST the right amount!  Not to mention the adorable presentation in the mini mason jar.  Goozys – The great intimate setting of this place is only surpassed by the excellence of their desserts. This molten cake and ice cream combo was so decadent and if it hadn’t been perfectly portioned could have been too much, but it was JUST the right amount!  Not to mention the adorable presentation in the mini mason jar. Acme - This is more than just a restaurant, this is a four story bar, restaurant, and venue on Broadway in downtown Nashville! The venue was amazing, but so was the peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.  It was a classic southern dessert, and one that shouldn't be messed with.  Acme delivered the classic and it was just as delicious as you could hope a peach cobbler would be. Acme – This is more than just a restaurant, this is a four story bar, restaurant, and venue on Broadway in downtown Nashville! The venue was amazing, but so was the peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.  It was a classic southern dessert, and one that shouldn’t be messed with.  Acme delivered the classic and it was just as delicious as you could hope a peach cobbler would be.

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