Guys! So remember how one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2014 was to seek out what’s special about living in Manhattan and celebrate it? Well, earlier this month, Dan and I did just that. We went on a food tasting and walking tour through Chinatown and Little Italy with Ahoy New York Tours & Tasting. Of course, there are lots of New York tours to choose from, but this one really fit the bill for us: we basically ate our way through these two very famous neighborhoods, with a fabulous guide tossing in lots of interesting historical tidbits along the way.

EATING AND STORYTELLING? YES PLEASE.

As two vegetarians, we were a little nervous that there would be lots of meat-eating on this tour, but I have to say, the food offerings felt really well-balanced. (Plus it helps that Dan and I have a “cured meats” rule: we both love classic Italian staples like salami and prosciutto, and it just so happened that our very first stop on the tour included a tasting of fresh mozzarella and prosciutto from America’s oldest Italian cheese store: Alleva Dairy. Heck yes. In fact, it was so delicious that we ate it before I could get a picture of it. Alas. You’ll just have to take my word for it.)

^^ The tour guide, Alana, was so passionate about not only the food, but also the amazing history behind the shops and the neighborhoods. Little Italy used to be much bigger than it is now – these days the whole neighborhood is mostly a few connecting streets with Italian restaurants that cater to tourists, so it takes some work to sniff out the real, authentic shops. DiPalo’s Fine Foods has been around for over 100 years, and is still family-owned and operated. In fact, the owners travel to Italy constantly to ensure the authenticity of the products they sell – like this gigantic wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano, which beckons me with its sweet, sweet siren call: “cheese . . . mmm . . . cheese.”

^^ Not every shop we visited has been around for a century. In fact, our third stop was Grand Apetito, a little pizza shop that only opened a couple of years ago. You might be thinking, “Pizza? On a food tour? Really?!” And I would have to thought-admonish you, “Yes, silly reader. Really.” Because it is literally the best piece of pizza I have ever eaten – and as a life-long New Yorker and someone with Italian ancestry who grew up in the Bronx, I have eaten more pizza than someone my size should ever consume. The owner calls this “Grandma’s Pie;” it’s a twice-baked Margherita pizza with a special pesto sauce that sent everyone on the tour into raptures.

^^ We concluded the Little Italy section of the tour at Ferrara’s, a famous bakery and cafe known for their cannolis. I tell you, there is nothing like a crispy tube filled with ricotta cheese and chocolate chips to make your life a little brighter. 

^^ Our first stop on the Chinatown portion was actually a Thai restaurant called Pongsri. Now, I LOVE Thai food but it’s really easy for me to get caught up in the sheer vastness of their menu, so I’ll always end up with that old standby, pad thai. We tried a sampling of a few dishes, and I love the flavor combinations of Thai cuisine. Coconut, peanut sauce, stir-fried veggies . . . it’s all good, baby. It was also really thoughtful of Alana and the Ahoy team to have this sit-down in the middle of the tour – we went on what happened to be a really cold day, so it was great to warm up indoors! 

^^ This is Doyers Street in Chinatown. It’s only one block long with a sharp bend in the middle, and was once known as “The Bloody Angle.” From the early 1900s to the 1930s, the Tong gangs shot their enemies here. In fact, hatchets were often thrown at targets from rooftops, which gave rise to the term “hatchet man.” Police said that more people died at The Bloody Angle than any other street intersection in the entire United States. Today, it’s mostly barber shops and hair salons. I love that you can see the water barrel and the Chinese lamp-post at the top of the photo – and that all of the signs are in Chinese characters. Isn’t it colorful?

^^ Our last stop was at Nom Wah Tea Parlor, the oldest Dim Sum restaurant in Chinatown. We tried their Original Egg Roll which was approximately 1,000 times fresher and tastier than the egg roll that comes with your average Chinese takeout order. Nom Wah has been around since the 1920s, when it was originally a Chinese bakery. I love that they’ve kept the mid-century dining area intact, with furniture and flooring that’s completely original to the era. It was early on a Saturday afternoon when we were there, and let me tell you, it was HOPPING. The place was jammed with people, so Dan and I are planning on going back to have a proper sit-down meal there one of these days. Also, you know a place has legit NYC credibility when Woody Allen’s a regular. (His photo is on the wall! :D)

Overall, the tour was just over three hours and we felt full afterwards – not that grotesque, I’ve-eaten-my-weight-in-cheese-and-now-I-want-to-die kind of full, but the kind of satisfaction that comes after having eaten well. The selections were thoughtful and the portions were generous without being overwhelming. I definitely recommend bringing a bottle or two of water, and being prepared for all kinds of weather! We got lucky with sunshine, but the cold had me wishing that I’d worn a second pair of socks. 

Alana is unbelievably knowledgeable about the food and the area, and was even kind enough to send an email to the group afterwards with the titles of the books she mentioned throughout the tour. It was also great that the tour had only eight people or so – the group felt cozy, and it was so much easier to move about without stragglers dawdling and slowing everything down. It’s also great that they include a map of the places you’ve been, as well as other restaurants and shops they recommend so that you can go back and shop afterwards! I definitely recommend the tour to both visitors to NYC and locals looking for something fun and different to do. 

Thanks so much for a fantastic time, Ahoy! 

The post Best of New York City: Eating Our Way Through Chinatown & Little Italy appeared first on Of Revolt.

All right, all right. So Maryland and West Virginia aren’t really “The South” as we know it from TV, what with its charming drawls and sprawling antebellum architecture. But it’s south of New York and besides, “Scenes from a Few of the Mid-Atlantic States” just doesn’t have the same sexy ring to it.

Anyway, Dan and I took a road trip to these two states back in August and because this year is LITERALLY FLYING PAST ME (I know that this is not just me. Everyone agrees that 2013 shall go down in history as the year that could not wait to be over. And yet, I’m having a super great year and I don’t really want it to be over. Odd-numbered years are sort of my jam), I am just now getting around to blogging about it. 

So here she blows! Photos and recommendations from our long weekend, two months ago. Enjoy.

^^ Tootsies on the dash and the open road. My nail polish looks fabulous, if I do say so myself. (Color is Jelly Apple by Essie.) ^^

^^ Arriving in historic Thomas, West Virginia. Most towns call themselves “historic” because they have no better claim to fame, but Thomas is, quite literally, historic – walking down the main (only!) street feels like stepping back in time. It was a coal mining boom town in the early 1900s, and while it’s a sleepy little place these days, the shops along East Avenue have been lovingly and carefully preserved. ^^

^^ Miners & Merchants Bank, the only bank in town. ^^

^^ We stayed at the Purple Fiddle Hostel & Guest House (again, the only one of its kind in town, which you’ll notice is a trend around those parts). Don’t you just love the giant red faces on those beautiful sunflowers? ^^

^^ Snacks at Tip Top Coffee Bar, which were almost painfully delicious. When we arrived in Thomas, we stopped first at the Purple Fiddle Cafe, where Dan was playing, figuring we could drop off his equipment and grab a coffee there. We asked for coffees at the counter and the girl goes, “You don’t want our coffee. Go to Tip Top, out the door and to your right, about 40 paces. They make the best coffee in town, like a real Brooklyn cafe.”
The reasons I loved that were twofold: one, because every store in town can be described by the number of paces to get there. And two, because it was literally the best coffee I’ve ever had outside of Paris. Far better than any Brooklyn cafe. ^^

^^ This gave me a throw-my-head-back, deep belly laugh. Who needs a glass when you can put the citrus right on the can? Heretofore referred to as, “West Virginia style.” ^^

^^ My cute guy doing his thing at the Purple Fiddle. In addition to seriously delicious sandwiches and a whole heap of craft beers, the cafe serves what they call “karma soup.” Anyone who’s hungry and doesn’t have money to eat can ask at the counter for a bowl of karma soup and it’s free, every time, no questions asked. Good karma, indeed. ^^

^^ Frederick, Maryland was all pretty town house after pretty town house. I loved this one especially for its crimson door and Mini Cooper (my fave!) parked out front. Every time I pass a place like this I think, I could live here. ^^

^^ One of the coolest things about Frederick was the abundance of murals gracing the sides of its buildings. This one actually startled me at first, when I turned a corner and came upon it. The painted man has “Mona Lisa eyes”: you know the ones, they watch you and move when you move. The white shapes behind him aren’t ghosts; they’re his wings. And if you haven’t read the Gabriel García Márquez story “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings,” you should just stop whatever you’re doing and go read it because it will break your heart in all the right ways. Go ahead, we’ll wait. ^^

We stayed overnight in Thomas because of Dan’s performance schedule there, but both Thomas and Frederick are perfect towns for lingering in for a few hours and then passing through. The shop owners keep regular hours and they all do only one thing, but they do that thing very well. Towns like these are small and simple and lovely, like a daydream you had on a cool, cloudy day, and it’s not easy to find this kind of America anymore.

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Given just how many amazing casinos there are in Sin City, no one can reasonably expect to visit them all in a single trip, so it makes sense to pick a few of the very finest places to play casino games, and focus on visiting those select few during your visit. There are Vegas casinos to suit all tastes and styles, and folks who want to focus first and foremost on straight-up gambling perhaps will find the Wynn Las Vegas to be a fantastic option.

The glass façade of this fifty story building shines like an enormous diamond when the sun catches it, and inside, the casino is one of the best you can find anywhere in Vegas. Featuring all the games your little gamblin’ heart could desire – not to mention the luxurious decor and atmosphere – this is a place any casino goer could love. 

The Wynn isn’t the last word in glamour though, because both the Bellagio and MGM Grand have out of this world opulence practically dripping onto the sidewalk. The gambling at these establishments is a tad on the high-roller side, but with gorgeous pools and other entertainment like concerts, sporting events, and fine dining, you don’t have to spend all your time (or money!) in the casinos.

Another casino/hotel in Vegas which offers top class dining is the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, styled after Carnival in Rio. This is one of the brightest and friendliest casinos on the Strip, and perfect for those who like to meet new people and make new friends while they play.

For couples on a romantic getaway, the Venetian Casino offers a chance to combine casino gambling with a gondola ride through a painstaking reproduction of Venice, Italy – perfect for anyone who says casinos can’t be romantic. That definitely beats playing at an online or android casino, even though those can be enjoyable, too.

{All photos courtesy of the United States National Archives. Article by Brian Jensen, a Danish freelance travel writer. Thanks for contributing to Of Revolt, Brian!}

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