Robicelli's

Finally, I had the chance to try Robicelli's cupcakes at the awesome (but short-lived) pop-up Park in Nolita. Lured in by their unusual flavors, these didn't disappoint - the Thai Chili Chocolate was insanely hot, as in, I needed a glass of milk. The Elvis, a peanut butter banana, was topped with candied bacon.

Rubirosa

At Rubirosa, an Italian restaurant in nolita, we started with great little bruschetta - one with tomato, mozzarella and balsamic, and the other a rich meatball smothered in mozzarella, both on thick crusty bread.

The rubirosa salad as a perfect mix of greens, country bread, tomatoes, and more mozzarella.

The pizza is the star here - a 50-year old recipe that's thin and crispy with a great sauce and pepperoni.

Nuela

Nuela is a cavernous Nuevo-Latino restaurant in Flatiron that's gotten great reviews, and although the service could be better, the food is excellent. The tuna ceviche was bright, tart and beautiful.

The charred octopus had amazing flavor on a bed of potato puree with avocado, black olives and onion.

The hanger steak was cooked perfectly in a light chimichurri sauce with a yuca hash and frisee.

I loved the lobster, putter poached in a creamy sauce with a quail egg.

To finish, a big alfajore topped with powdered sugar.