Happy #WanderWednesday everyone! I am so excited to show you what I did during my weekend stay at Hotel 48LEX in NYC. The schedule of course followed the usual rotation of food, outdoor activities, and shopping, but I ventured out to some new destinations (a few of which were hand picked by the boyfriend!) and found some absolute gems. Keep reading to find out more about my new favorite soba, snow cream, and snooze spots!
FRIDAY
This NYC jaunt ended up being a quick, food-centric trip with the boyfriend. We were relieved when we finally arrived at Hotel 48LEX after a grueling bus ride and were completely enamored with its industrial chic vibes, not to mention its central location in Midtown.
We loved our room, a gorgeous corner suite with floor-to-ceiling windows whose modern transitional decor was punctuated with dark, edgier accents. We were also greeted with an awesome bottle of Prosecco, which we drank giddily before venturing out for dinner.
Tim (the boyfriend) actually picked out Soba-ya after seeing videos of the handmade buckwheat noodles on Instagram. I was so excited to try this East Village gem out, as it's also recommended on the Michelin Guide for 2017.
We ended up sampling the tempura assortment, the Tanuki (fried butter flake and fish cake) with udon, the Kinoko (saute’ed shimeji, enoki and shiitake mushroom) with soba and chicken, and the Zaru (cold soba with nori seaweed). Every element in each dish was so flavorful, and the noodles had phenomenal mouthfeel. My favorite dish was far and away the Tanuki udon, but I definitely wouldn't hesitate to try out anything else on the menu!
SATURDAY
We had a late start to Saturday but ended up strolling through SoHo towards brunch. I used the ShopDrop app to find a few sample sales in the area but didn't end up seeing anything I absolutely needed (I'm also saving up for a new Gucci Dionysus so I'm trying to cut down on the random sample sales for now!).
We were dead set on trying out the smoked salmon towers at Sadelle's, and were not disappointed in the slightest. The smoked salmon is thinly cut by hand, and each tower comes with fresh veggies, homemade cream cheese, and warm bagels. Suffice it to say that it was one of my favorite brunch experiences to date. We also tried out their famous sticky buns, which were incredibly delicate and delicious. I seriously could've eaten 5 more!
We then meandered through Chelsea for the better part of two hours to walk off brunch, with the goal of hitting Chelsea Market and The High Line. We didn't have any itinerary in mind and just ventured into a few small shops along the way. I'd definitely recommend ambling around Chelsea if you're looking to find the more serene side of Manhattan.
We did stumble upon Snowdays in West Village, which serves up shaved cream, a type of shaved ice with the fluffy texture of snow and the taste and creaminess of ice cream. We ended up trying the Original, which featured their Sweet Milk base with peanut butter sauce, Cap'n Crunch, strawberries, and mochi. The texture of the shaved cream was impossibly light and delicious, and paired perfectly with the heavier toppings. This is definitely a must-try if you're in the area, especially if you're looking for a lighter dessert.
We finally reached The High Line around dusk, and ended up walking the length of it to The Whitney before turning around for dinner. It was actually my first time at The High Line, and I loved how idyllic and community-centered the whole park felt.
We rounded out our Saturday night with dinner in Chelsea Market itself, and sampled LOS TACOS no. 1, which were every bit as good as promised. So good, in fact, that we scarfed them before snagging a photo!
SUNDAY
We were sad to leave this view behind on Sunday but glad we were able to enjoy it for the weekend.
We did get a chance to grab a cup of coffee in Hotel 48LEX's gorgeous lounge before we left, and definitely took a few interior design notes along the way. We weren't able to sample it this time, but the lounge also serves a daily European-style breakfast each morning and an evening wine and cheese pairing each night. I loved the little touches like these that really made our brief stay superb, and will definitely be back for a longer visit!
I hope you enjoyed my rundown of our trip and would love to hear your thoughts my restaurant recs! Feel free to comment if you have any questions on how I plan my trips, too.
x Kira