March Favorites: Top 5 Picks

NYC Restaurants

My first top 5 for my March Favorites is naturally restaurants! I love supporting small businesses in New York and trying the most popular places. I love trying the on-the-go places and hole in the wall locations so if you know of any in the city let me know! I have two pages of vegetarian friendly restaurants, here and here.

L’Industrie Pizza: Perfectly thin slice of pizza that has a slight crunch when you take a bite. I would compare this pizza to Scarr’s. I had the cheese slice and the truffle mushroom which were super fresh but not too cheesy. When I held up the pizza the toppings stayed no with no flop of the slice. The line wrapped around the block so we waited about 45 minutes to get the slices. I think it’s worth a try if you are in the neighborhood. Everyone said to get the hot honey on the pizza which I have done in the past. The pizza also reheated well at home in the oven if you are planning to take out a large pie.

Qahwah: This coffee shop (and much more) has the best quality coffee and they don’t use any added preservatives, artificial additives, or flavors. If this place was close to my house I would literally get the Yemeni latte (hot) every single day. Keep in mind I do love masala chai from India that I make at home so my palette is used to intense flavors. I have heard mixed reviews regarding their pastries but I would highly recommend ordering the bread-like pastry filled with cheese and topped with honey. It tastes like a cloud and just pulls apart so easily. The different tea choices when staying come in different size pots. We got the medium pot of adeni chai and it was a perfect size for two people. It was very strong but very similar to a masala chai.

La Pecora Bianca: I know there are millions of amazing Italian restaurants in NYC. La Pecora Bianca has numerous locations and can usually accommodate larger groups. I have been here twice and I would recommend getting the whipped ricotta, brussels salad, garganelli pasta, herb fries, and brussel sprouts. Having been to two locations, their quality seems consistent and fresh! I have never had an issue here with the food coming out hot from the kitchen.

Amazon Swimsuits

Swimsuits can be insanely expensive! I typically order my swimwear from Amazon or Dillards without spending hundreds of dollars. The swimwear from Amazon are thicker fabric and usually you have to size up one size! I also order numerous different patterns and sizes just to see what will work! Most places can take weeks up to a month to be delivered so make sure you plan accordingly.

Reformer Pilates

I joined Club PIlates about one month ago for the unlimited classes. I love to vary my workouts every couple of months but I have to say reformer pilates isn’t a joke. It is truly a full body workout so I feel amazing after I finish each class. I have gotten used to which instructors I like and the difficulty amongst the classes differ greatly. Thankfully I have 2 studios 6 minutes from where I live so I am very selective which classes I take. When reading reviews online, there is huge variability in the complexity of the classes so I would recommend just trying out a couple of classes to make sure the class is good for your workouts! There is a complimentary 30 minute intro class where they go through basic movements on the reformer.

Vahdam Teas

I have ordered numerous teas over the past couple of years from Vahdam teas and their quality is a 10/10. On their website, they state they travel all over the country to get farm-fresh teas and spices while empowering millions of farmers in regions across India. In the tea bags they are vacuum packed with an additional bag and label to seal for freshness. You can actually see the whole flowers or spices used within the teas so you can tell it’s super fresh! They do have sampler packs on the website but I enjoy the butterfly pea flower (blue tea) before bed and the Kashmiri kahwa that I use to make Kashmiri chai. If you want to make your own masala chai mix at home look at my recipe here!

Canada Goose Vests

I wear vests more than I wear coats because I feel like I get overheated wearing large coats. It isn’t a secret that I have been a fan of Canada Goose for about ten years. My first parka lasted about 7-8 years and I definitely wore it almost every day of the Chicago winter. The coats and vests are very expensive but when you look at the cost over time I think it does even out slightly. I bought a parka last year from J Crew and I think I will only get one more year out of it. I recently bought the tan Elora vest a couple of weeks ago with a fleece detail that looks super unique.