Manhattan's Best Coffee Shops By Subway Stops

This is genius! Butterfruit Labs has created New York Coffee Map, a free Andoid app that maps out the best coffee shops near every subway stop in Manhattan. According to the app, locations were selected based on equipment, beans, professional and customer reviews and duplicates were avoided. The majority of the spots are indie coffee houses that represent their neighborhood so I was happy to find a few that I've visited on the list: Buunni, Lalo, Indian Road, Chipped Cup, and Java Girl. It's definitely giving me the itch to grab my MetroCard and check out some of their other picks.

Manhattanites, do you agree with their choices?

A Guide to Upper East Side Eateries

When A. lived in the Upper East Side, we used to eat out a lot. A LOT. That has completely changed since moving in together and while I'm happy that we're cooking every day and saving money, sometimes I miss some of our old haunts and dishes. Below, a list of our favorite restaurants in the Upper East Side.

BURGERS

Brgr - I've lost count of the times we've eaten here and fully admit to dining here multiple times a week. The burgers are just so so good and the fries are just as delicious. It's a pain for me to get to now, but I still dream of making my way over for a Down on the Farm burger. Mmmm, they got me hooked on fried eggs on burgers!

Bareburger - This place prizes itself on serving organic and all-natural fare.

Shake Shack - The lines might be crazy at Shake Shack, especially when the weather is nice, but it's worth it. I like that the burgers are not huge so I don't feel so disgusting after wolfing one down and their crimped fries, lemonades, and shakes are also quite tasty.


DIN DIN

Honky Tonk Tavern - This was our go-to place when we wanted to meet someone for drinks. The nice thing is that along with some great frozen margaritas, they also had a menu filled with yummy Tex-Mex offerings like pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, burgers, and quesadillas.

Blockheads - A.'s spot for a tasty chicken quesadilla.

Chirping Chicken - This was some good and juicy charcoal broiled chicken.

The Meatball Shop - Huge Meatball Shop fan here especially of their arugula and apple salad and classic beef sliders with parmesan cream. The UES location is the latest shop in this growing chain.

Fresh Basil's - We'd order penne pasta with shrimp and share the meal because it was so much food. We'd also argue over who's eating more shrimpies than the other so maybe we should've just forked over the money for two.

ASIAN

Fatty Fish - This Asian restaurant can serve up a mean sushi roll, but I can count on one finger the number of times I ordered something than the Kobe beef burger and sesame fries. So good!

Ginza - Oh Ginza, how I loved and miss your perfect little Gyoza dumplings, miso soup, and fried rice. The sushi was quite nice, too.

Ahana - This was a newcomer in the months preceding our move and an instant favorite. A., who is picky with his General Tso's chicken was really pleased with his dish, and I, who's super picky about my Gyoza dumplings, finally found a closer restaurant that could compete with Ginza.

Yakitori Torishin - This was an experience that you need to try at least once. With the Chef's Omakase menu you'll spend a couple hours feasting on a steady stream of skewered meats and veggies grilled to perfection. Ten little plates filled with the chef's selection of fresh produce and meats of the day will really fill you up (before being served chicken and eggs over rice, soup, and sorbet!) and send you home beyond satisfied.

Lilli and Loo - Aside from dumplings, noodles are another food I could probably eat every day and not tire of it.

Dai Hachi Sushi - Another one of A.'s favorites for sushi.

Wong Finest Asian Cuisine - This was our go-to place for some greasy Chinese food.

The Nuaa - I held my birthday at this restaurant last year shortly after it opened its doors. They get you hooked as soon as you sit down with this shot of mysterious yummy delicious soup paired with an orange juice chaser to cleanse your palate before your entrée. And I always find myself staring at the carvings on their wall decor.


LATIN

El Porrón - Fiending for amazing tapas and good wine? Head to this dimly-lit romantic spot to get filled up with so much savory goodness. Don't miss the calamari in garlic sauce, Spanish veal meatballs, and the jamón serrano on toasted garlic bread.

Rosa Mexicano - Sometimes a girl is just craving a plate of short ribs with rice and black beans and a molcajete full of guacamole made fresh right at your table.

Aprovecho - Good for a quick empanada to go.

BRUNCH

Cascabel Taqueria - Yummy Mexican style brunch that includes choices like eggs benedict on corn bread with chorizo or carnets, chilaquiles with chicken and fried egg, and my favorite, huevos revueltos in green sauce. Don't forget the ancho chili-infused hot chocolate.

Johnny Foxes - Brunch in a bar setting so you know those mimosas taste good.

Barking Dog - At some point in the past year, I became obsessed with eggs benedict for brunch. This place has one of the best ones I've tasted in the area.

Yorkville Crêperie - Whether you opt for a dessert crêpe or choose a savory one, it'll be such a delight for your taste buds. My top pick: the Fungi crêpe with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, ricotta, caramelized onions and mozzarella, a house favorite.

Silver Star - A pretty standard diner that never ceased to amaze me with their expansive menu. Too bad I always stuck to the same dishes I loved. The California omelette wrap is a must-try.

Ritz Diner - The first time A. and I ordered curly fries from this diner, we devoured them in a matter of minutes and then wondered where the hell they all went. And as an orange juice snob, their fresh squeezed juice is very delicious.

Big Daddy's - The place oozes 1980s vibe and serves up tasty American foods like burgers, crispy tater tots, and thick milkshakes.


SWEET TREATS

Dylan's Candy Bar - You'll find any candy imaginable here (like gummy bears separated by color!) along with nostalgic faves.

Baked by Melissa - I went crazy for their bite-sized cupcakes when they first opened years ago and they've been steadily spreading throughout the city. How happy was I when they opened a shop in the Upper East Side last year?

Wafels & Dinges - While they have trucks that spread their waffly goodies around the city, you'll usually find one stationed at the south east end of Central Park.

Maison du Chocolat - It's always nice to treat yourself to something fancy - even if it's just a little bite.

Godiva - Last summer, A. and I decided to indulge a bit and buy their Godiva milk chocolate shake with chocolate chunks. Oh my sweet, sweet Lord…so good without being overkill.

Hot & Crusty - The chocolate rugelach from here received top marks from A.


COFFEE SHOPS

Gotham - A good place to bring over the laptop and get some work done while lunching on hot panini.

Java Girl - If you want a more intimate vibe with cushioned seats and tiny tables, head over here.

Griottes' French Storybook Recipes for Children

How sweet are these recipes that Emilie of French blog Griottes created for Doolittle magazine? Mind you this is a couple years old, but I just stumbled upon it on Pinterest and have been loving the styling that went into each page. It gives off a storybook feel and even though you might not understand the instructions, how lovely would it be to have an entire cookbook laid out like this?

"I tried to respect the taste but also the visual, to create a little childish and playful universe," Emilie said of her creations.

To follow her design and culinary adventures (and brush up on your French), visit griottes.fr.

Images: griottes.fr

War/Photography at the Brooklyn Museum

Last week, A. and I visited the Brooklyn Museum to see the War/Photography exhibition. I expected to be surrounded by gory images of death, but was instead lost in the walls of photos, article clips, and book pages showing the human race at its best and worst. I found myself wondering what on earth drives us to destroy each other, what motivates people to rip others of their rights and lives. When I entered the In Memoriam room, I just stood in front of the long list of journalists and photographers we've lost in combat. Men and women who were so dedicated to sharing these stories that they risked their lives for it. Sad thing is, while many might have died due to the dangerous nature of war, recent names are those of journalists who have been targeted, silenced. I felt like such a hack in front of that black wall. These were the people who chased those stories even if it came at such a high price.

The exhibition was not only a history lesson, but also a chance to show how photographers get up close and personal during some harrowing and inspiring moments, the stories behind iconic shots, and the role photography played in the art of war. It was a display of human emotion, compassion, how military men and women deal with the stresses of combat while trying to retain some sense of normality in their lives. The walls lead you through the experiences of recruitment, training, embarkation, daily routine, battle, death and destruction, homecoming, and remembrance. Some scenes and the accompanying stories were so heart-wrenching, difficult situations I couldn't imagine having to live through, but they were all someone's reality.

War/Photography: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath is on display at the Brooklyn Museum through Feb. 2nd.

P.S. If you need a place nearby to decompress after the exhibition and grab a bite to eat, Milk Bar (620 Vanderbilt Ave.) serves super tasty toasties that'll soothe you from the inside.

Image: brooklynmusem.org

Yakitori Tori Shin + Humans of New York

One of the things I was going to miss out on if I left to Cameroon was A.'s birthday, but I decided to go anyway because, you know, "it's Africa." Still, I wanted to make sure I fulfilled my loving girlfriend duties before I left and that I set up some surprises for him while I was away.

For over a year, A. had been wanting us to have dinner at Tori Shin, a popular Japanese yakitori restaurant by his apartment, but we just never pulled the trigger when it came to treating ourselves to a fancy meal. Plus, it's so full during dinner time that it's not a place that you can just drop into on a whim; reservations are the way to go. But like A. mentioned, you know it's a good spot when the tables are filled by Japanese men in suits so I booked us a table for the Friday night before I went away, got dressed up, left our phones at home, and walked on over to the restaurant for my first taste of yakitori. A., who's been raving about his dining experience in Tokyo for the past three years, was excited about what was to come.

I didn't know much about what to expect, but the night was just incredible. He and I spent the next couple of hours just being fed a stream of skewered meats - mostly chicken - and vegetables grilled to perfection and sipping plum wine. While you can order set entreés from the menu, part of the delight of yakitori restaurants is that you can choose to be surprised, which we did with the Chef's Omakase menu ($55 per person). The chef cooks up whatever he wants - a selection of fresh meat and produce with a few surprises - and you just decide to go along for the ride. It's not for picky eaters (though you can tell your waiter what you absolutely won't eat like, say, organs), but it makes for such an awesome dining experience.

You'd think 10 tiny plates couldn't fill you up, but by the time they wrapped up dinner with chicken and eggs over rice, soup, and then green tea sorbet for dessert, we just could not handle any more food and walked home happy and dizzy from our impending food coma.

As for A.'s other surprises, I had a box of his favorite cookies from Levain Bakery delivered on his birthday as well as a copy of Tumblr blogger Brandon Stanton's beautiful photography book Humans of New York, a New York Times best seller that happened to be released on A.'s day. We both enjoy following Stanton's work on Facebook every day and never cease to marvel at a) how many stories are lurking within all these strangers around us and b) how Stanton gets them to share something so intimate with someone they've never met. One of my favorite quotes was given by the woman below who said, "When I was 20, I made a plan to get a good job and be secure. Now I'm 35, and I need a plan to be happy."

Images: handi-eats.blogspot.com and facebook.com