Taking Monday Back in the City

Yesterday I met my friend, Catherine, in Manhattan. Catherine and I went to grad school together and had not seen each other since I graduated in December 2005. We had missed each other so much and were so excited to be able to meet up in the city. We had so much catching up to do, so we spent the whole afternoon eating and talking!

We first met at Lincoln Center, which I hadn't been past since I arrived last week. I thought we would meet at the gorgeous fountain - forget that! - Lincoln Center is completely under construction. I am surprised we found each other at all amidst the jackhammers and forklifts! What is going on???

We ended up walking to a nearby sandwich place for lunch. Then we decided it was time for COFFEE and desert, so we walked over to the adorable Crumbs bakery on Amsterdam Ave. They have locations all over Manhattan, so if you are ever craving a cupcake while you are walking around the city, I highly recommend this place!

After much pondering at the display case, I went for the Reese's Cupcake: "Rich chocolate cake with a peanut butter buttercream center. The cupcake is frosted with Crumbs signature peanut butter buttercream and then rolled in peanuts and covered in chocolate chips and real pieces of Reese's buttercup." Again, I highly recommend this thing, especially if you are in need of a sugar boost. With a fresh cup of coffee - what could be better?

We sat and talked over our coffee and cupcakes for probably a couple of hours before we met her friend and decided to move on to dinner! We ate at a great Vietnamese restaurant even farther up Amsterdam. I wasn't exactly starving at this point, but I had a very good shrimp curry noodle soup. Just the right amount of heat and spice for me on a chilly evening.

Great food, coffee, and conversation. Now that is what I call a perfect day!