Gwyneth, Boyz II Men And A Review Of Paleo Restaurants In New York

Last weekend I attended a blogging conference in New York called BLOGHER15. When I travel, I always put a considerable amount of thought into the logistics around food acquisition. I have simply found that living Paleo on the road requires preplanning if you hope to realize any level of success. Your sleep quality, energy, endurance and attitude fair much better if you take your fuel into consideration.

Before we dig into the “meat” of potential food options in New York for you paleo-savvy poodles, let’s hit a couple highlights from the BLOGHER15 conference. (No groans please.)

The keynote speaker was none other than the beautiful, perfectly highlighted, Gwyneth Paltrow. Frankly I was prepared to get my “hate on” for her because of her current polarized reputation. (I hate admitting I was preparing to think badly of another woman!) I could not have been more wrong. She was sweet, engaging and down to earth. She shared a poignant story about her father taking her to Paris for the first time. He believed that a women’s first trip to Paris should be with a man that was going to love her forever. She wrapped-up the story amidst tears, and then turned to the audience and in earnest and said, “and then the f***er had to go and die on me”. The entire audience burst into laughter. SHE, or an appointed lemming, even commented directly on an Instagram post I made about her after her talk. We are so best friends now.

The second highlight of the weekend was my face-to-face encounter with the talented boys of Boyz II Men. These handsome devils were selected to play the McDonald’s BLOGHER15 closing party on Saturday night. I always was, and still am, a huge fan. I had their cassette tape “Cooleyhighharmony”, and played it so repeatedly I had to replace it…twice.

A final highlight was of course meeting up with some of my blogger friends. As a blogger, a lot of your life is spent in front of a computer. (Really, Captain Obvious?) It is fantastic to converse in real time with some of the friends I have made! Shannon, who writes HappyWifeStyle.com, is a woman I had been chatting with on Instagram for sometime. Check out her site, she has great information!

Okay, enough jibber jabber. Onto the food! New York, of course, is teaming with stellar restaurants and food options. There are food trucks, with line-ups around the corner, and multiple restaurants on every block. The restaurants serve scrumptious offerings ranging from Italian, to Japanese-Persian fusion. There were so many options, and considering I only had a couple of days, I wanted to be sure I didn’t take a wrong turn from a paleo perspective.

So Glad I Brought THIS!!! (VIDEO LINK)

When it comes to uncovering Paleo offerings en route, success can be elusive. Whenever I travel I do a quick search to determine a few, fail-safe options. I had tremendous luck in New York and wanted to share the results with you in this week’s post.

Note: It does not take long to figure out a “paleo tavel plan”. I spent seven minutes doing “extensive” research on Paleo-friendly digs in New York. For your travels, I suggest you do a check on Yelp, Tripadvisor and a general Google search by typing in “paleo friendly restaurants in ____________ (insert awesome travel destination here)”.

Here is what I came up with for LINKS to Paleo in New York!

Yelp

Tripadvisor

“Guest of a Guest“

“Paleo Local“

“Paleo Penny Pincher“

“The Lazy Paleo“

I was very impressed by the amount of street-food options that were healthy. There are tons of juice trucks, and fruit stands and although the options may not be all organic, their selection is much better then the street-side hot dog, that is the alternative.

I also found a great Whole Foods, and a Trader Joe’s, right near the hotel!

Two spectacular restaurants I encountered on my journey through New York are detailed in the review below:

HU KITCHEN: This treasure is a little “lunchy” looking place on 5th Ave. and 13th. Looking through the front window, I was already impressed. I spent 30 minutes walking around with my jaw slack because of the sheer prolific abundance of paleo options in one place. I was astounded. There is a lovely fresh, organic, cold pressed, juice bar near the entrance. Next there is a “Mash-Bar” that makes delicious chia seed pudding, or paleo granola with all sorts of toppings. The back of the restaurant holds options for salads and hot food. There is a full array of pre-made yummys like sweet potato salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, and wild salmon cakes. Adjacent to the prepared food section is the place where you can custom order hot food. I elected to have the coleslaw with the “Hu Joe” (picture zesty taco meat made out of grass-fed beef). The chef took his time creating my meal and presented it with sweet crushed almonds, fresh cut basil and coiled red onion. I could hardly hold off eating it before I got a pretty photograph. My meal also came with the cutest little ball of goodness. I was informed this little popper was made primarily of vegetables, seeds and almond flour. It looked like a teensy, little falafel. HU Kitchen serves your meal on these fun silver trays like a quirky, cool cafeteria. On my way to the register I seemed to end up with many other things on that tray as well, including a paleo banana nut muffin, some cashew kale for the plane, and three bags of paleo carbs including “graham” crackers and granola. The prices are very reasonable but I ended up dropping fifty bucks because I just kept grabbing crap.

I found a seat at the window looking out across Fifth Avenue. The feel was largely a “post workout, I am super healthy” crowd, but not in the “granola, I-don’t-wear-deodorant-for-political-reasons way”. My coleslaw and beef were outstanding. I had to keep putting my fork down to stop from inhaling the meal in one go. You absolutely must stop at HU Kitchen if you are in New York.

Café Clover: Located in the West Village, this precious, corner restaurant is accessorized with pretty tables adorning the outer rim of the establishment. Upon entry, the place smelled of a very hip vibe. I asked to sit outside because I knew the light was going to be good for photographing the food. Yes, it was July in New York – 97 degrees, with Bikrum studio caliber humidity. I didn’t care. I was playing “food reviewer” and I was going to suck it up. The restaurant isn’t classically “paleo”, but their menu items lend beautifully to the food plan. And they get it. They know when to suggest adjusting a selection because of a particular unfavorable ingredient in a sauce or rub.

I had walked almost 17 miles that day and I decided I was going to eat robustly. I ordered the Sweet Gem Wedges salad, the Octopus A La Plancha appetizer, and the Organic Scottish Salmon as an entree. My adorable, longhaired, “Josh Grobeny” waiter was attentive and concerned that I was enjoying myself. The manager even stopped by a couple of  times. I wonder if the attention might have had to do with the fact that when I made the reservation online, I noted that I was a food reviewer. Or perhaps, Café Clover is just about ensuring their patrons are highly pleased and satisfied.

The Gem Wedge Salad was mild in flavor and presentation. It was not a salad that you might want if it was all you had elected to eat, but it was a beautiful gatekeeper to the rest of the meal. The Octopus A La Plancha appetizer arrived. I am pretty sure I heard angels sing as I took my first bite. It was tender and popped with flavor, which octopus is not usually known for. There was a perfectly ripe wedge of avocado served alongside that complemented my little “tentacle” beautifully. A smoked chili sauce was the base of the dish, and it definitely tied everything together with a bow. The salmon arrived grilled to perfection, with that thin crispy layer on the outside that we all love, but can never re-create. It was served atop a bed of black kale and the portioning left me somewhere between “ I am stuffed” and “I want one more bite”. (In my opinion, that is the best place a meal can leave you.) Café Clover was a triple threat comprised of an original, respectably-sourced menu, lovely ambiance and attentive service. You must go!

And finally, here is a listing of some of the top “paleo-friendly” restaurants in New York.

1. HU Kitchen**
2. Dig Inn
3. Café Clover **
4. Frer De Lys
5. Local Thyme
6. Natureworks
7. Market Table
8. Bareburger (highly recommended, but apparently does use Canola Oil a no-no)
9. Eat Tribal – option for food delivery
10. Reviver

 ** These top ten are simply a compilation of online research. The asterisk denotes the ones I was able to get to this trip!

 The weekend moved so fast it was like a time-lapse movie. A very full BLOGHER15 conference, a connection with my good friend Gwyneth, reuniting with Boyz II Men, making new friends, walking my butt off, and eating highly satisfying, paleo food. I leave you with a little Boys To Men for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.

I FREAKING LOVE BOYS MEN (VIDEO LINK)

What paleo places have you discovered in New York? Are there any fully paleo restaurants in your city? Please leave comments below. 

WANT TO READ ABOUT HOW TO SURVIVE THE AIRPORT, AIRPLANE AND HOTEL STAY PALEO PEOPLE? LINK