New York: Pickles, Rice Mush and Shopping, Oh My!

As many of you may know, I headed up into the great north for a bit of rest and relaxation in New York City. Ha! No, actually I "had" to go up for work. While there, I of course, dined to my heart's content... and did a bit of shopping.

First New York meal was at a great restaurant called Congee Village on the outskirts of Chinatown, or the Bowery, or what is also commonly referred to as the Lower East Side... or in my case, referred to as "next to the Tenement Museum" (Jeeze, they got a lot of names for this place!).

Congee, better described as overcooked rice.

If you too are wondering "just what exactly is congee?", I now have an answer for you! It's basically rice cooked to mush and then referred to as a porridge. I did not eat the congee. Sorry.

Table of pea shoots

I did include some of the photos of the yummy nomz I, and my coworkers did stuff our faces with at this fine establishment!

Classy, right?

Pea Shoots and then
Tofu and Mushrooms

Then a shout out to The Pickle Guys. I brought my mom home two pints, and, well basically I am the best daughter in the whole world.

Here is a quote from their "About Me" section:

My name is Alan Kaufman and I have a gourmet Pickle Store on the Lower East Side. As far back as 1910 there have always been numerous pickle stores on Essex Street. Today we are the only pickle store that exists on Essex Street.

I make my pickles from an old Eastern European recipe “Just the way mom use to make them”. This is a barrel cured pickle. The pickles are made by letting them sit in salt brine with garlic, spices, and no preservatives. 

REAL kosher pickles!

Dinner in Little Italy... They heckle you and offer free wine. kinda weird.

Ha! Faux food with cockroach! Adorable!
Go to the Merchant's House Museum if you are ever in NYC.
You won't regret it... that is, assuming you are like me and awesome, of course.

Shopping with hipsters at the
Williamsburg Flea in Brooklyn