A Foodie's Guide to Travelling Without Moving

Food and Travelling are a few of my favorite things especially being in NYC.... find every piece of culture in a cuisine without the cost of a passport & plane ticket. Here my thoughts of my favorite places to go...



Madiba: My friends and I came across this South African restaurant in Brooklyn. It's not exactly my motherland but it's nice to find a piece of Africa in the Fort Greene neighborhood. It's decorated with so many amazing photos tributing influential people including their respected president Nelson Mandela. It gives off an eclectic vibe and respect for American pop culture Michael Jackson. I also found a piece of my heritage: Nigerian music artist Fela Kuti. My favorite dish: The salmon burger with chips with sangria (below).

Nelson Mandela: the "father" of South Africa 

Salmon Burger w/ Chips

Dokebi Bar & Grill: My favorite Korean restaurant in Williamsburg.. (pic): spicy chicken taco

BBQ Spicy Korean Chicken Taco 

Tertulia: Not only does the spot in West Village takes me to Spain but it sends me back with the Beat Generation era with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsgberg, and so many Beat writers (ripping out a page out of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road". With a just piece of Spain, Asturias -- Seamus Mullen-- Spanish wines-- cider- pan con tomatoes, pimientos and so much more.


L'Antagoniste: I love to think of the michelin French restaurant as "the Paris in Bedstuy". Love that this place is just around my neighborhood and can cater to my Francophilia as well as my appetite. Delicious french cuisine including their escargot, charcuterie, canard l'orange avec des frites (below) and their deserts.

'No Reservations' at the Plaza Food Hall

It was a nice get together with my friends at the Todd English Food Hall at the Plaza. Being at the Food  Hall with Patrick and Vanessa gave me that Eloise-Holly Golightly-Anthony Bourdain inspiration. It was fun seeing friends, swapping stories about our lives and future endeavors-- and of course enjoying the food and the Valdo prosecco selected by culinary genius Patrick M. Bradley Jr. If Goldilocks had a sip of this crisp, sparkling drink she would say, "Not too sweet, not too dry, but just right." My favorite dishes are the salmon pizza and the lobster hushpuppies - considering this is the first time I've had lobster. What I love about the delectable pizza was the olive oil lightly soaked on top of the salmon.

Our Shared Course

• Valdo prosecco
• Lobster guacamole with chips
• Salmon pizza (sans the eggs... merci beaucoup Patrick)
• TE sliders and french fries sprinkled with parmesan cheese
• Lobster hushpuppies
• Risotto tater tots

And of course Jessica was our gracious server.... We were for desert for now but we decided to make our next stop at Pazza Notte (1375 Ave of the Americas) where we had the delicious tiramisu (I don't drink coffee but it's soaked in coffee--- mon dieu the irony!)

*My random moment was that I bumped into my server Jessica from the Plaza and later hung out with her at Aspen (157 West 47th St.)

the iconic Farrah Fawcett smiling at Aspen.. 

CHANGE

All my life I've always been "afraid" of change but surrounding myself with inspiring friends helped me understand Ghandi's famous phrase "Be the change you wish to see in the world". So many things inspired this past week it's either a friend's growth in her cyclist journey or having a few drinks with two aspiring artists celebrating a maitre'd following her passion to continue her education. 

Everyone has their own philosophy in life, but the key is always finding the career that you love and forge your own path that fits best to you. It's nice to see them fulfill the next chapter in their lives. I'm so proud that they're pursuing their dreams that it inspires me to go after what I want in life. I don't know if it's the PEENO NOIR that knocked some perspective in my head but it made me understand a huge difference between a job and a career. After what I've seen with my three friends I now understand what it means to "dress for the job you want". From what I've experienced last night I want to "dress for the person I want to become".

Where it all Began: A Drifter in the City

It was five years ago back in Baltimore I was living a sheltered life without a job and a short supply of friends. My answer was to escape my mundane life to the bustling streets of Manhattan. Sometimes I don't know if it was just a spur of the moment, a vacation, a lifelong dream of mine, an urge for a change, or an adventure but it's still surreal to this day. All I had was a ticket, a luggage, and some money to get me by.

New York was an "accidental" wake up call that I needed. One of my dreams in life was to live or be a part of something in the Big Apple. I'm not a true believer of signs but being here got me to change my perspective and accept the coined phrase "everything happens for a reason". I remember that I came at a bad time and my first stop was at Columbus Circle and that crazy snowstorm in February. 

It's been an interesting adventure, I've found myself living a bohemian lifestyle by staying in hostels, the YMCA at the Upper West Side, and in the Hotel Chelsea, or hanging out in Irish pubs to kill time. 

It's been quite interesting experience that a year can make- from a two week stint in the Bronx, living in Harlem for less than a year, and now living in Brooklyn. There is so much I had to learn is that whenever you go in life, you have to make it the best you can or revise it the way that want it to see fit.