When asked if I had ever been to the east coast, I would typically respond with “Yes, Florida is super humid!” resulting in blank stares and blinking in quick succession. Now, I can confidently—and accurately—say that I’ve flown, walked, driven through, ate in, and survived the east coast! I could sum up my experience with one word: Direct. There are two buckets of people that exist on the east coast, people who know what they’re doing, and idiots. Safe to say, I spent most of my time in one of these buckets and the locals made sure to let me know!
CHAPTER 1: Welcome to New York
First, after an amazing experience flying biz class for the first time (with lay-flat seats!) into JFK, we took a cab ride over to our hotel and jumped on the subway to meet with my cousin Jon! Together, we walked through Chinatown and Little Italy as he and his husband helped guide us to the World Trade Center area.
Did you know? According to the architect, Michael Arad, the pools represent “absence made visible.” Although water flows into the voids, they can never be filled.
Did you know? This pear tree may look ordinary, but its guard rails let you know that this is in fact The Survivor Tree, a tree found at ground zero that was rehabilitated and replanted at the memorial.
It’s hard to look around and even consider what it must have been like to be in these buildings, on this street, in this city, as the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded. 20-years-ago feels a lot closer here.
To lighten the mood after a rather somber experience, we walked over to the Hudson River for a glimpse at New Jersey and luckily for us, a dog costume competition was being held in a park looking over the river! By the way, NYC has no shortage of dogs—despite what you’ve heard about small living spaces, that is not enough to keep people from giving up precious personal space for their pooch!
After parting ways with both Jon and these costumed pets, we headed up to the One World Trade Center Observatory, which had a spectacular exhibit-like queue and 360-views of the city. Paired with a clear day, this was the ticket to get!
Back on the concrete, let’s take the subway and walk around!
Did you know? The building below is not the Empire State Building, it is the Chrysler Building—the world’s tallest building for 11 months before Empire State took the crown. Not gonna lie, I actually think this building is way cooler! #SizeDoesntMatter #ArtDeco
Central Park at this time of year was exceptionally colorful! Yellow, orange and red leaves filled the branches as well as the ground, and it took all of our will power to not gather a bunch of them and toss them in the air saying “Wee!”. Also a fun surprise, the statue of one of Jenny’s favorite animated movies exists here: Balto!
Times Square, the iconic center of Manhattan—big crowds but even bigger screens! We were able to catch Aladdin on Broadway, as well as eat at Joe’s Pizza, a local’s favorite slice!
Did you know? Pick pockets love this place, be careful!
New York is a very walkable and metro-able city, which means you can eat about twice as much as you normally would and not gain weight, right? Is that how this works?
Wah Fung Fast Food – Eat It
If you know Chinese BBQ, you will love this to-go joint that serves up all your favorites in single-portion-size containers. BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck are at the top of the list for me, and both of these were absolutely amazing, delicious and so portable! We went to the park across the street to munch on these. The sweet soy sauce they use drips over the meat and onto your bed of rice and cabbage (arguably the best part!)—a great primer for the rest of the day.
Joe’s Rice Roll – Eat It
These Hong Kong style rice rolls, otherwise known at dim sum as Cheung Fun 腸粉, are freshly made to order and by far the best I’ve ever had! A little chewy, gummy, saucy and no skimp on fillings (BBQ pork and plain for me), these rice rolls did not disappoint. Go for the sweet soy sauce, but don’t forget the sesame sauce, too!
Ess A Bagel – Eat It
I had heard a rumor that NYC bagels are especially good. That rumor is true. Check out this spooky Halloween-themed bagel with a NORMAL AMOUNT of strawberry cream cheese, and this BLTA (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado) with a NORMAL AMOUNT of bacon in an everything bagel!
Dominique Ansel Workshop – Eat It (Kinda)
Dominique Ansel is famous for inventing and selling Cronuts! Unfortunately, the Workshop is not the place to go to buy cronuts, this is where they are doing experimental recipes—I should have done more research! Needless to say, the brown butter kouign amma (DKA) was delicious, airy and flakey. As my friend John said, “That looks amazing, slap me with it.” A must-try!
Harry Potter New York – Drink It!
You’ve had it at the parks, but have you had it at the New York store? This version of Harry Potter’s butter beer is far superior than any theme park, store bought, or home brew! With a thick foam topping and a stein you get to keep, this butterbeer is worth the detour!
Sarge’s Deli – Eat It
I didn’t make it to Katz’s only because I always root for the underdog. Sarge’s Deli has been a contender for the #1 spot for pastrami sandwiches, so I just had to give it a shot. These thin slices of Pastrami were stacked incredibly high on soft, delicious rye. Add some mustard—and if you dare, some of your side coleslaw—and you have a sandwich up to your eye brows. The pastrami was both soft and delicious, but the ratio of bark to meat left me wanting more seasoning. Enter mustard. Also, if you get the Arnold Palmer see if it tastes like the smell of horses. Weird, right? Despite its shortcomings, I think it’s still on the Eat It list… at least once.
Rubirosa’s – Eat It
The two-hour wait was worth it for this artisanal take on the New York slice. Arguably the best pizza we’ve ever had, the vodka tomato sauce was sweet, the dough chewy, and the additional basil swirl on top is a GENIUS move. This “Tie Dye” pizza is the crowd favorite here for good reason. Order with a side of meatballs!
Joe’s Pizza – Eat It
“The quintessential New York Slice”, the line moves fast and the dough flies even faster. Remember how I said Rubirosa’s pizza was arguably the best pizza ever? This is why it’s an argument. Keeping it real with a slice of pepperoni, these pizzas have all the cheese, the grease, the chewiness you’re looking for in a New York slice making you feel like one of the locals (Ayyyyye!). So nice, we had it twice! Avoid anything fancy (the White, the Fresh Mozze, etc.) and stick to the classics like cheese, pepperoni or supreme for maximum effect.
CHAPTER 2: For Love and Crab Cakes
With burning thighs and aching soles, our time in New York ended and we headed onto the next leg of our east-coast excursion. Check out these beautiful (and clean!) train terminals from NY to PA! It was also Halloween, so we dressed up—can you find us in all the pictures below?
We had a few landmarks to check out in our short time in the city of brotherly love (what about the sisters though?). Given the state of our legs, the Rocky steps were not considered when we arrived in Philly!
I know Philly has a lot more to offer, but time was of the essence—rentals aint cheap these days! We headed into Baltimore in our Hyundai Elantra. Luckily the rental came equipped with an EZ Pass (FasTrak equiv) so the toll roads were a breeze for us as we headed into Baltimore, Maryland. Why Baltimore? One thing and one thing only.
Crab Cakes.
Faidley’s Seafood – Eat It
Maryland blue crab makes up this giant “lump crab cake” from Faidley’s Seafood – rated one of the best crab cakes in the nation. Using locally sourced Maryland blue crab, this 20-something dollar ball of sea spider was worth the pit stop. I’ve never had a crab cake (allergy) but I’ve seen Jenny eat enough to know that this one had more crab than any fillers! Jenny’s only gripe: “Needs lemon.”
Chapter 3 – D.C., a True Marvel
The best part about renting a car? Unlimited pit stops and detours! As we were on the edge of Maryland and DC, we passed by this amazing trail that had everything Jenny was looking for in a fall backdrop. Breathtaking views into a deep forest of trees—it’s fall, y’all!
After a 2-hour trek, we made it to the Nation’s Capitol! Having a quick bite and checking into our hotel, we headed to the National Mall to check things out! I had never rented one of those Bird scooters or bicycles, but with daylight running low, a light drizzle, and our walking capacity limited… YOLO. Honestly, it made for one memorable night and an even better pictures!
Jenny also got to do some trick or treating (chocolate) and meet a samoyed (dog)—two of her favorite things in the world!
You might’ve guessed this, but D.C. is filled with monuments to some of your favorite American celebs like Abe Linc and G. Wash! It’s great to see at all times of the day, and lucky for us there were little to no crowds. Off-season maybe? Great metro, though!
Absolutely loved the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History! Why? Because science! Also check out cool display of live humans behind glass doing cool stuff with bones! Loved the addition of the screen that lets you see what they’re seeing. Not pictured is the National Archives Museum (no photos allowed) which houses the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights—all of which are hardly readable now due to aging, but very cool to judge their penmanship 246 years later.
Did you know? All Smithsonian museums in the National Mall are free!
More walking, more eating! Although I must say, D.C. was mediocre at best.
Ted’s Bulletin – Eat It (or Drink It)
I ordered their pickle-brined fried chicken sandwich and was not impressed by the breading or seasoning. However, we really enjoyed this smore-inspired malt! We got it extra malty and you know it’s a great spot when they give you the metal cup along with the dressed up glass. I hear it’s the spot for breakfast, so I’m the problem—it’s me.
Daikaya Ramen – Eat It
If you’re looking for a solid bowl of ramen, Daikaya offers your traditional bases like Shio, Shoyu and Miso along with other specialties. This broth seems to use a really light chicken base and overall was a bit bland. The egg and the chashu were great along with nice chewy ramen noodles. Overall, a solid choice in Penn Quarter, but not memorable.
Succotash Prime – Beat It
Shocked that this was in the Michelin guide a couple of years ago, their specialty of fried chicken and waffles was under spiced and dry. The ribeye steak was somehow tough despite it being medium, and had a ham-like taste to it. The waiter said, “At least the grill marks are pretty!” The best thing we had there were deviled eggs with pickled green tomatoes at 1.50 a piece, but how many of those can you eat without getting gas? A money grab, an upscale restaurant disguise for mediocre food. Hot garbage.
Lincoln’s Waffle Shop – Beat It
I’m disappointed in this shop and I’m disappointed in Eater for advertising this as an essential place to go to for breakfast in D.C. I would have rather had hotel breakfast for this price and this quality. Hot garbage.
Well, that concludes our east coast tour! I kinda love the no-frills life style that exists on that side of the continent. I can also see how some people never learn how to drive because it’s sort of a useless skill when you live on grids as dense or well-connected as theirs. Overall, I’m excited to go back to other places (Boston? Vermont?) and I will be more equipped, knowledgable, and exercise both my legs and middle fingers to walk among the locals once more.
Until next time, GET OUTTA HEA’! #BadaBingBadaBoom
All photos in this entry were shot on the iPhone 14 Pro. This is not sponsored. Please sponsor me. I like free stuff.