The week is over and we left Philadelphia on Amtrak and headed to New York City.  I love the energy of NYC.   At the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, we found the Red Cap porter and he helped us with our bags, took us to our train and got us on the train early. If you are on Amtrak, I highly recommend using this free service.  Note–tipping is recommended but it is worth it for the ease of getting on the train with luggage.

Our train took just about an hour to get us to the city.

We checked in to the Hyatt Centric Times Square and dropped off our bags and got ready to head out.  The hotel was conveniently located and so close to all the action.

My friend Melinda told me about ABC Cocina, a Jean-Georges restaurant on 19th street so we walked from 46th Street all the way down to 19th Street and burned some calories so we could splurge on our late lunch/early dinner guilt-free.

We enjoyed an assortment of bread before our assortment of tapas-style dishes.

I LOVED the tomato salad with red onions, serrano chilies, sherry vinaigrette, and herbs.

The sauteed mushroom tacos with cashews, mole, kale, and lime were delicious.

Shrimp with sizzling garlic and chili oil was a must-order.  We are so glad we did.  The garlic with chili oil was delicious.  I dipped other things into this oil just to enjoy the deliciousness throughout the meal.

We had the baby calamari with chorizo, tomatoes, chickpeas and herbs.  The chorizo chunks in this dish added to the bright flavors of the tomatoes and herbs.  

Since we are from Hilo, we did want to have some rice so we ordered the arroz con pollo that was topped with crackling skin and lemon zest.  Yum!  Crispy chicken skin?  Yes, please!

After lunch, I took my friends to one of my favorite shops to stop in when I visit NYC.  Fishs Eddy sells fun dishes and household items on 19th Street right near ABC Cocina.

On my last trip to NYC with Wendy, she and I came across a store called Flying Tiger Copenhagen on 21st Street that is another fun stop.  It is colorful and sells lots of reasonably-priced items for home and office and kids.

We ended the evening on Broadway at Beautiful, The Carole King Musical.  She wrote so many songs and to see her life story acted out on stage was a treat.  Knowing more about Carole King’s journey makes me love her music even more. We got our tickets from the TKTS discount ticket booth right in Times Square earlier that day.  We had a fun and delicious first day in NYC.  Living Hilo Style in NYC.