The GVA Foodie Goes to New York!

Well my dear friends, all work and no play makes the GVA Foodie a dull girl, so I decided to take some time off and enjoy a few days in one of the world's most iconic destinations: New York City. Now it's fun to be in New York for numerous reasons and you know food is definitely one of them! So if you stick around, I'll be posting individual reviews of the different places I visited and the different eats I definitely enjoyed!

I hadn't been to New York in a while, so you know, a couple of stops by Dunkin' were inevitable. Not something you should be eating every day, but if your last visit was several years ago, maybe having a few doughnuts here and there isn't all that bad...?



This isn't going to make me sound very young, but there was a time in the '80s/'90s when you could pretty much walk into any pizza by the slice joint in NYC and enjoy something vaguely resembling an authentic New York style pizza. Those days seem long gone, and now a little research may be required to locate the places that still make these gems.



A trip to New York City without stopping by its very own Katz Deli for a pastrami on rye? No way!



Levain's Bakery on the Upper West Side makes the most sinfully delicious cookies. I can't wait to post my review!



Rice gelato at Macy's Stella restaurant... wait, rice gelato? I am sooooooo in! Hope this delectable treat makes its way here someday soon.



Magnolia Bakery is known for its wonderful cupcakes, not to mention its famous banana pudding. Guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth!



New York is also home to many burger joints with sides of onion rings on many a menu.



Manhattan will also serve up some of the most exquisite Italian food in the world. Fresh ingredients, Mediterranean flavors and a great atmosphere to boot... how can you go wrong?



But maybe Chinese food is what you were craving? I loved these scallion pancakes and wish they'd make that kind of thing here more often.



More deli sandwiches in NYC -- corned beef on a roll that particular night.



Shake Shack has many locations around the city, and they know their way around a burger, fries or even a hot dog if that's what you fancy!





So please stay tuned, I will be posting a number of reviews in the next couple of weeks, and I hope you'll enjoy them.

Giolito Mango Ice Cream

I don't typically review store bought items on this blog just because I don't have very much interest in writing about products one can purchase at the supermarket -- be it a high-end and some might say overpriced supermarket -- but I thought I'd make an exception just this one time for Giolito's product line of ice cream. I had the mango sorbet the other day, and I have to say for a store bought sorbet, it was kind of delicious! Rich and creamy in a way I just didn't expect.

Do you like Giolito ice cream?

CNN's World's 50 best foods

Not exactly recent but definitely worth a mention, CNN got users to vote on the world's 50 best foods a couple of years ago. Some of the results may be a little surprising, but I can definitely get on board with a list that includes cheeseburgers, fettucini alfredo, maple syrup, fajitas, pizza, fried chicken, fried rice, fish 'n' chips, gelato, dim sum and pad thai among others!

Check it out:
Your pick: World's 50 best foods

Hafez

There are actually a few Persian restaurants in Geneva. Most of them aren't bad. But because I have a couple of Persian friends who know their way around a kitchen, I'm usually unwilling to settle for anything less. However Hafez, located in the Rive area, does tend to stand out. It is one of the older Persian restaurants in Geneva, and the quality of their food is clearly head and shoulders above that of their competition.

Pictured below: Persian flatbread followed by fava bean rice and fall off the bone tender lamb shanks (I believe the dish is called Baghali Polo) and a saffron pistachio ice cream.

La Table du 9

La Table du 9 is a restaurant I quite enjoy going to every so often. It's located in the Old Town, one of my favorite neighborhoods, it's rather cozy inside, I really like the subdued light and their dishes are tasty and original. However, while I appreciate the staff's friendliness, I've noticed they do tend to be a little slow sometimes... which as far as I'm concerned is OK if you're not in too much of a hurry.

Pictured below: salmon raita and shrimp starters, asparagus and mushroom risotto and a chocolate fondant.

LOVE ME DO - Gelato

Even though the temperatures are still fairly warm, the summer is definitely over. Nevertheless, one still craves a good scoop or two of scrumptious gelato every now and then. LOVE ME DO, a Plainpalais located joint, serves a number of different flavors, a nice combination of classic and original.

They also seem to sell pizza by the slice, but I haven't sampled their pies so there is not much I can say about them.

Pictured below: two scoops of chocolate and peanut butter goodness.

Shibata

Shibata is a Japanese restaurant located in Petit-Saconnex. With only a few tables inside and a small terrace outside in the summer, it would be easy to miss the restaurant while driving by. However, what this establishment lacks in size, it more than makes up for in quality. Indeed, I wholeheartedly believe the best chicken teriyaki in the city is served at Shibata. However, if you're hoping for sushi, this is definitely not the place to go -- it is simply not on their menu.

The restaurant is slightly on the expensive side, but the exquisite dishes and the fresh ingredients make it worth the extra cost in my humble opinion.

Pictured below: dumplings, seared tuna and chicken teriyaki with sides of mixed vegetables and rice, a cheesecake which is somehow as delicious as it is light and finally scoops of red bean and sesame ice cream.

Burgers - La Réserve

The gvafoodie's quest for the perfect burger continues, with a visit to La Réserve, the Bellevue located five star Hotel. Of course, La Réserve is one of Leading Hotels of the World so it won't come as a surprise that prices are on the steep side. However, the cheeseburger was quite good, though I would have personally preferred the bun to be a little more toasted. The fries were crispy and well seasoned, though I suspect they may have been the frozen kind. Nevertheless, this was a very satisfactory meal overall, and the chocolate fondant that followed was absolutely scrumptious. Not to mention the accompanying fresh scoop of vanilla ice cream which had a distinctly artisanal taste.

Pictured below: a cheeseburger with a side of fries and a small salad followed by chocolate fondant with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.