Where We Ate: Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Costa Rica was filled with SO much delicious food. Do you like fresh fish? Local fruits? Freshly baked bread? It's all there. Fresh is absolutely the name of the game when it comes to food in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

We ate out each day for breakfast and dinner, but made sandwiches and salads at the condo since we were primarily focused on spending time at the beach. Here are some of the places we ate during our week long stay in paradise. 

Cala Moresca (dinner)
We went here for dinner our first night, and to watch the sunset most nights. The bar is really beautiful, and the food was good. You can eat dinner out by the pool. 

Langosta Beach Club (dinner)
This was the "fancy" dinner we went to for Matt's birthday. At another hotel (like Cala Moresca) and out by the pool. There was live music, which was so enjoyable! 

La Princesa Cafe (breakfast or lunch)
A favorite of our trip. All of the bread is baked fresh, and they make delicious breakfast sandwiches and avocado toast. We even bought a fresh loaf of bread to take back to the condo for lunches and I'm so glad we did, because it was so tasty!

Fruit Stand on the side of the road (mornings)
Shocking, there's no website or trip advisor page for this - but trust me when I tell you - if you see a fruit stand selling fresh juice and coconuts, STOP and buy one! So fresh and delicious!

Longboards (lunch, dinner, or drinks)
We stopped here for a beer one night before dinner. Very casual, sports bar-esque. Definitely pop in here if you're looking to watch American sports!

Bamboo Sushi Club (lunch or dinner)
Some of the best sushi I've ever had! The fish they served was incredibly fresh, and the prices were amazing. Matt ordered the Tuna Steak special, which came with 2 large sides, and it was $12 USD. $12!!!!!! Definitely stop here if you like sushi or asian fusion.

NORDICO (breakfast or lunch)
Our favorite place in Tamarindo! They are open for breakfast and lunch, and we ate here 5 mornings for breakfast. We got coffee here every day that they were open (they're closed on Sunday). I can't stress how delicious their Acai bowl is, especially with the 90*, humid days! And their iced coffee cannot be beat. We brought 2 bags of coffee home, and my only regret is not buying more. Their other food is also delicious, healthy, and fresh. 

The Shrimp Hole (lunch or dinner)
I loved the Shrimp Hole! It's literally a hut on the side of the road... but the size of this restaurant should not be counted against it, because the flavors were BIG! One of my favorite dinners.

Santa Rita Cafe (breakfast or lunch)
This restaurant was recommended to us for breakfast, and it was very tasty! I personally prefer Nordico for coffee, but their food was absolutely delicious. 

The Falafel Bar (lunch or dinner)
We love falafel, so the Falafel Bar was an easy choice for us! All of the sauces were home made and everything was delicious. 

Places I forgot to take pictures:
Dragonfly Bar & Grill (dinner or drinks)
Dragonfly had amazing, fresh seafood & AWESOME cocktails. One of my favorite drinks in town.

El Sapo Pizza  (lunch, dinner, drinks)
We actually ate at El Sapo twice because it was the closest casual restaurant to our condo (we were staying in Playa Langosta, which is about a 15 min. walk/3 min. drive from "downtown" Tamarindo). BUT the pizza was great. They have a ton of different combos and a lot of veggie options, which was great for me! 

You'll notice I use the words homemade, delicious, and fresh over and over -- because that perfectly describes food in Tamarindo! Every piece of bread we ate was homemade. All the fish and fruit were seasonal and local. My favorite way to eat!

There's no shortage of good food in Tamarindo! Enjoy eating your way around town.
xo

Where We Ate: New York City Edition

We ate a LOT of food in New York in July. After all, we were there for 30 days. During the week, we walked to get coffee each morning, at breakfast and lunch at home, and went out for dinner to cut back on our spending (even though our lodging was completely free!) There were a few weekday bagels, but I'd say that's par for the course. :)

You'll notice a lot of these restaurants, especially the coffee shops, are in Crown Heights, Park Slope, and Prospect Park. Mainly because we were staying in that area. We also ate a lot in the East Village - because there is so much great food! I actually prefer Lower Manhattan to Midtown or UES/UWS (no matter what Gossip Girl taught me). 

Anyway, here are photos & links to each restaurants website if available. We definitely enjoyed eating our way around New York.

Berg'n - Crown Heights

A really cool food hall with tons of different vendors & a great bar!

Harlem Public - Harlem 
Awesome pub with good burgers & beers on tap. Great outdoor patio.

Tinto Coffee Shop - Crown Heights

Percy's Pizza by the Slice - Greenwich Village

The Greek - TriBeCa
Delicious greek food. Absolutely loved our meal here!

Bergen Bagels - Park Slope
Favorite bagel spot in Brooklyn!

Gorilla Coffee - Park Slope

Near Bergen Bagels - great iced coffee.

Balthazar - SoHo
Traditional French patisserie. Amazing brunch!

 Doughnut Plant - Park Slope
Donuts - 'nuff said.

Shake Shack - Dozens of locations
I am particularly fond of their veggie option; a mushroom stuffed with cheese and deep fried (not even a little healthy, but a lot delicious!)

Camp - Boreum Hill 
A fun bar that looks like a cabin in the woods, that also has board games!

Konditori - Prospect Heights
One of my favorite coffee shops - I loved their espresso & tonic. It reminds me of Steadfast Coffee Soda here in Nashville!

Caribeana Coffee - Crown Heights 

Hotel Chantel - Lower East Side 
Loved this restaurant. Rooftop, beautiful & great food.

by CHLOE. - West Village
All vegan. All delicious. Full of white girls in Lululemon. 

Sit & Wonder - Prospect Heights

Breukelen Coffee House - Crown Heights 
A favorite for Iced Coffee near our place

Krupa Grocery - Park Slope
A fun find! Delicious food.

Brooklyn Roasting Company - DUMBO
Super cool vibe and they roast in house.

marker coffee - Crown Heights

Lula Bagel - Crown Heights

Tom's Restaurant - Prospect Heights
For all of the Seinfield lovers out there. Great traditional diner (we had breakfast).

Please Don't Tell - East Village
One of the cooler speakeasies out there. I'd suggest calling and making a reservation, it's unlikely you'll get in otherwise.

The Eddy - East Village

Joe's Pizza - Greenwich Village
The best! The original!

Miriam - Park Slope

One of the best meals we had in New York. Israeli brunch! I want to go back. 

Maison Kayser - Brooklyn Heights

Butter & Scotch - Crown Heights
Great dessert if you want something sweet! 

Vivi Bubble Tea - Chelsea
My first experience with boba tea -- I have been craving it ever since! So weird but so tasty.

Breukelen Brasserie - Crown Heights

Fraunces Tavern - Financial District
One of the oldest places in NYC! It's been a tavern since the 1700's! Worth dropping in for a beer.

Hungry Ghost - Park Slope/Prospect Heights

Nagel's Bagels - Crown Heights

Nathan's Hot Dog - Coney Island
I didn't eat anything here, but Matt did! 

Cookshop - Chelsea
I've been here a few times over the years, but it's always delicious. Make a reservation for brunch if you can.

10 Below - East Village
Thai ice cream! We had no idea when we walked in... we thought it was a normal froyo shop. It was such a fun experience.

Levain Bakery - Upper West Side
BEST COOKIE I'VE EVER HAD. No lie. It was huge and delicious, and somehow the chocolate chips were still warm and gooey inside two days later when I finished it (seriously - HUGE).

Lazy Ibis - Crown Heights

Royal Palm Shuffleboard Club - Gowanus
This place was so fun. Shuffleboard, great bar, and a food truck if you're hungry (reminds me of Pinewood Social in Nashville)

Roof at Park South - NoMad
Great rooftop bar with an amazing view!

Other places we ate but I never took a picture!
The Halal Guys - East Village
Bluestone Lane - Financial District
Hearth - East Village
Manhattanville Coffee - Crown Heights
Little Zelda - Crown Heights
Think Coffee - East Village
Chavela's - Crown Heights
Sweetgreen  - Chelsea
Prêt a Manger - All over!

There is SO MUCH GOOD FOOD in New York - that's half the fun of visiting! The only problem with writing this blog post, is now I'm hungry. How quickly do you think I can get to Levain Bakery?

Where are your favorite spots in NYC?
xo