I realize I unfortunately cannot be on vacation all the time. Sometimes when my friends visit me in NYC I take to opportunity to have a mini staycation weekend being a tourist in my own city.  We decided to make it a food filled weekend!

We started our weekend with a delicious brunch at The Union Square Cafe. They recently moved to a new location by Union Square.  The new two-story restaurant is beautiful with balcony seating overlooking the main dining room. The restaurant has large windows with lots of natural lighting and a great view of the neighborhood.

Union Square Cafe features a menu that includes year-round dishes as well as seasonal fare that will change based on available ingredients. For me, the best part was the desserts!

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I have been in NYC for almost 2 years and I still have not been to any of the observatories in the city. There’s the Top of the Rock, Empire State Building and the newer One World Observatory.  We decided on the One World Observatory because it’s the tallest and I’ve heard it’s more of an “experience” than just a view.

At the base of the tower is the 9/11 memorial and museum and the new Oculus structure (train station)

For dinner, we went to the Daniel owned by French chef Daniel Boulud. It is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and has two Michelin stars. For dinner, they only offer a prix fixe 3 or 4 course menu and the seven course tasting menu.

If it fits in your budget, I would definitely recommend checking it out. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

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We also managed to taste the Cronut invented by Chef Dominique Ansel of the Dominique Ansel Bakery. It is part donut part croissant and 100% delicious!

I can’t wait for another NYC adventure!