Otto & Retipping Shoes

Life is the funniest thing I know. You must already be aware that life encompasses the strange and odd and wonderful all at once. But I never cease to blink in wonderment each time it takes me by surprise. Enroute to the shoe repair shop with Steph, we came across a fact. It was an utterly unexpected fact revealing a surprising side to an individual. That fact tripped upon another, shedding light upon something we had previously agreed would never be answered. It's ridiculous how small and crazy, absolutely crazy, this world is. And with all that considered, after colliding into a fantastical coincidence the day prior, life is indeed wonderful...or as Steph decided after we dropped off our heels to be retipped, "I love life!"

Hours before, I was at Otto for a long and lazy lunch. I love Otto as much as I love life. Now, now you might think that is exaggerated, but no, it is the honest and complete truth. I love Otto most in the afternoons, weekends or weekdays. I love it just the same during peak dinner hours, though get irritated by the crowds. I've never been a fan of crowds or big groups in general. Dining in big groups is the worst form of dining.

On that afternoon I nestled into the corner bar seat closest to the windows and counted exactly five other people seated along the bar. One couple sharing gelato and a bottle of wine, a young boy around 21 with the Olive Oil Copetta, and two older males dining alone, one in a business suit, and another in a white button down and jeans. I browsed the menu for items anew and realized that I had not yet tried the brussel sprouts before! And because what has never been tasted must be had, a dish of the brussel sprouts vincotto was soon set in front of me. I tucked each half away, one by one, over the NYT and Daily News, which bore the dooming proclaimation of "777" in bold letters.

Then I moved on to the carbonara which only gets better with every visit. The one pasta dish I would gladly eat on a daily basis. Rich, eggy and marked with salty bits of pancetta, the carbonara is better shared, but unless you have to worry about slinking into a corset post-lunch, there's no reason you can't down it alone.

And then dessert. The caramel coppetta is my current affair. A deep wonder composed from a base of chocolate crumbles, a generous round of caramel gelato and coffee bourbon sauce. Sliced bananas, buttered pecans and a lush pipe of mascarpone crema brought dessert and that midday meal to the sweetest, most satisfying end possible.

Otto
1 Fifth Avenue
NY, NY 10003
(212) 995-9559

Frozen: Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, Kyotofu, Sundaes & Cones, Chickalicious, Yogurtland, 'wichcraft, and Shake Shack

As the weather in the city starts to cool, I find myself dreaming frequently of ice cream, gelato, and soft-serve. My penchant for frozen treats extends throughout the year, but reaches a peak come fall and the dark days of winter. Ice cream in summer is classic, but the rush for quick consumption before it turns into milky puddles down your black dress is far too nerve-wracking.

Like that time Shann, Steph, and I made way to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory for a pre-Grimaldi's snack.

As though the outside air were not hot enough, they neglected to open windows inside the little shop, providing a steaming sauna experience as we waited in line for cones filled with scoops of the classic Vanilla Chocolate Chip...

...and Coffee ice cream. Delicious? Why, of course. But the cones were downed in less than a minute, for if we dared to stretch the enjoyment a second longer, we'd encounter nothing more than lukewarm liquid. Shann remarked, "that was incredibly stressful."

On a cooler afternoon, we headed to Kyotofu for twists of Chocolate-Black Soybean and Tahitian Vanilla. Each serving comes with your topping of choice: kuromitsu whipped cream, fresh fruits, mixed berry compote, or mochi. Steph went for the Matcha Mochi...

...while I found favor with Kinako Mochi, fine compliments to the subtly sweet soft-serve. The "soy" element was not pronounced as I had hoped for, but the lush, smooth and easy texture was made this easily likable.

Sundaes & Cones, with a full line of Asian inspired flavours (I'm still hoping for Durian to come on the menu) is our go-to ice creamery. Close proximity to our apartment, ample seating and magazines galore make it an ideal location to close off a lazy evening...tucking away scoops of black sesame...

...Corn & Green Tea...

...and a very lovely Guava. The wispy tropical flavours and pale pink shade never fails to make me smile as I am reminded Hawai'i.

A couple blocks east of Sundaes & Cones is Chickalicious Dessert Club. Here, $5 buys a dainty sundae of vanilla soft serve with brownies chunks, toasted pistachio, and shredded kafti. It's presented in a plastic cup, swirled high, and completed with a luscious pour of hot fudge.

Cookies don't quite fit in the 'frozen treats' theme of this post, but add a trio of their chocolate chip cookies to your order, and this sundae will be elevated to levels of deliciousness previously unknown. They're priced well at 3/$1.95, and besides, they sit so close to the register…how could you resist?

I stopped in at Yogurtland the other week after learning that they had Taro on the menu.

Green Tea on the left and Taro on the right. A small serving of each ran $2.50 for this cup. The Green Tea was terrible . And while the Taro was indeed full on fake tasting, it had that slight likeability factor...you know that same oomph you get when you order taro boba drinks? The it's clear that this is not real taro, yet it is strangely addicting? Something to that extent!

Following lunch at Soba Totto the other week, Lauren and I had dessert at the Bryant Park 'wichcraft stand. For myself: coffee ice cream with toffee sauce and chocolate cookie crumbles.

And for Lauren: hazelnut and coffee ice cream, crumbled peanut butter and chocolate cookies.

And while the fall days are cool enough to enjoy the outside, but not so cold that the notion of frozen custard induces shivers, I very often find myself in the "B" Line at Shake Shack. Noon, late afternoon, or 10pm, custard is perfectly appropriate for every time and meal of the day. Last Friday I decided a sundae would be most suitable for the 6pm hour - peanut butter and concord grape jelly custard, vanilla custard, bananas, whipped cream, and a single cherry. Whimsical! Steph had the same sundae, with shortbread cookies in place of bananas.

I was back two days later, this time with Lauren who had a chocolate custard concrete with almonds and peanut butter sauce.

Cannoli was the custard of the day, my favourite Shack Shack flavour and one I'd never turn down. Creamy ricotta custard with sharp hints of lemon and...oh man, get this...crushed cannoli shells! Now how wonderful is that? I am absolutely in love :)

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
1 Water Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-246-3963

Kyotofu
705 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10019
(212) 974-6012

Sundaes & Cones
95 E 10th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 979-9398

Chickalicious Dessert Club
204 E. 10th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 475-0929

Yogurtland
267 Bleecker St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 206-1824

'wichcraft
11 west 40th Street @ 6th Avenue
Bryant Park

Shake Shack
Madison Square Park
23rd St and Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010
(212) 889-6600