Hey Friends!!

I know it's been a while since you've heard from me on here (I hope you're at least following me on social media *side eye if not*), but I'm back with a few updates for you! First, let's start with the title of this post...DOM DOES NYC... Yep, that's right, your boy hit up New York City this past week and it was everything I needed plus a little bit more!

I know you want to hear about all of the fun things I did, so let's just dive right in; I promise I'll keep it short and sweet.

This trip landed on my 28th birthday and I was able to spend some time with a very special lady, my grandmother! Let me tell you, she makes these amazing pan fried apples for breakfast that you're seriously missing out on. I wish that you could try them, but if you're ever in town I'll hook you up with a batch.

New York was an adventure that was full of amazing food, great cocktails, new friends, and me constantly getting lost on the subway. I mean, the public transportation is supposed to be easy, but of course I still found a way to make it more confusing than it actually is.

My NYC adventures started in the West Village over dinner at L'Artusi with my friend, Sherie. She text me saying, "would you prefer Italian or steak." My response was basically, "Italian all day errrrrday!" Anyways, L'Artusi's Italian-inspired cuisine now has a special place in my heart and it felt like such a quintessential New York restaurant. Our waiter, Abdul, was literally THE BEST and gave us perfect food & wine recommendations (ask for him when you visit). I definitely suggest the scallops, the root vegetables, the spaghetti, & the buckwheat cavatelli...honestly, grab a few friends and work your way around the entire menu.

The evening then continued next door at a super cool speakeasy, Employee's Only, for a couple of rounds of a classic French 75 cocktail. The cocktails were great and the music selection was on point; 90's music reign supreme!

The next couple of days were filled with more adventures and more of me getting lost; my phone died 3 times in one day while I tried to meet up with a few friends for dinner. My friend, Michael Ma, happened to be in NYC during the same time so we made it our mission to have a night of trying as many restaurants as we could in a very small time frame. haha. We hit up the Lobster Place and a pretty good sushi restaurant in Chelsea Market before tackling heading to The Summit Bar in East Village.

Of course, no trip to NYC would be complete without some touristy sightseeing so I spent a rainy Saturday hitting all of the go-to sights. I rode the Staten Island Ferry (it's free and offers a great view of Lady Liberty) to see the Statue of Liberty, walked thru the Financial District, saw the bull & the standing girl, snapped awesome photos of Freedom Tower, geeked out as I walked past the New York Stock Exchange, stared at all of the lights in Times Square, and felt like I was at the crossroads of the world at Grand Central Station.

I rounded out my NYC trip with a HELLA fun Sunday Funday in Harlem; seriously was the most random, unexpected, spontaneous day that I've had in a while. Sherie and I decided to have brunch at Red Rooster (I had to try it...the chicken is pretty legit) and then the fun continued from there. We checked out the bar across the street called Corner Social, met 3 fun guys, joined forces with them, my friend Emilio met up with us, we bar-hopped around Harlem, and then went to catch a DJ set by DJ Kenneth Kyrell. After a full day of Sunday Funday-ing, we hit the deli across the street from the last bar for sandwiches; it's safe to say I became quite addicted to NYC Deli sandwiches.

Alas, Monday came and I met up with Emilio and Sherie for dinner at Sauce and a tad bit more exploring. We checked out a couple of speakeasies, had some impromptu photo shoots, and laughed uncontrollably. Let me point out that Beauty & Essex has some of the best cocktails ever and is a super sexy atmosphere....and you enter through a pawn shop; how cool is that?!

OK...I know what you're thinking; I promised to keep this short and you want to see pics. New York City was an amazing, tiring, fun, well-rounded, much needed trip that I'll always remember. I met so many cool people, created new memories, dined on delicious food, and fit a bit of what makes the city so special. I kept getting asked, "Dom, do you want to move to NYC now?" My answer is a resounding, "nah I'm good," but I'll definitely be back for many more visits in the future.

Michael Ma came prepared with his camera and captured parts of the trip, check it out below!