I’m back!

Back from an exciting, jam-packed week in Manhattan, eating all types of mouthwatering (and not always healthy) food, sucking down fancy cocktails, staring at tall men in suits (a rare breed in Seattle), trying not to get flattened by maniac drivers, and breaking in seven different pairs of shoes that I somehow managed to shove into my suitcase.

Before I jump into today’s recipe, I’m going to quickly go over a few amazing treats I scarfed down this past week.

(If you could care less, skip on down to the bottom of the post.)

One of the most flavorful (and healthiest) savory dishes I tried was the Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Cake at the vegan restaurant Candle 79 in the Upper East Side. The cake was served with creamy kabocha squash, crisp-tender broccoli and cauliflower, spicy jalapeno, crunchy almonds, and tangy apricot-ginger chutney all in a flavorful red pepper coconut curry sauce. Wow there was a lot going on on that plate, and it was beautiful.

If you love avocados as much as I do, the Roast Carrot and Avocado Salad with Crunchy Seeds, Sour Cream and Citrus at ABC Kitchen in the Flatiron District is a must. You might will want to order two servings of this dish, because sharing is not an option here.

Craving a quick slice of high-quality pizza? Stop by My Pie in Midtown East. They have a lot of options, including several vegetarian (and even a vegan!) choices. My slice was topped with shredded cheese (of course), sliced mushrooms, spinach, tangy feta, and juicy tomatoes, all over an olive oil base. This might have been my first time digging into a rectangular slice of pizza, and it was great.

Before I get into the sweet stuff, I have to talk about the awesome salad featuring one of my favorite cheeses, burrata, at the Italian restaurant Cellini in Midtown. Cheese lovers must order this starter, which includes creamy burrata cheese, heirloom tomatoes, avocado slices, pine nuts, peppery arugula, and balsamic. I could eat this salad every day for the rest of my life and be completely happy. Really.

Now onto the sweets!

I had to jump on the Cereal Milk Soft Serve bandwagon and pop into Momofuku Milk Bar. I paid a visit to the Brooklyn location and was not disappointed. The soft serve tastes exactly like the sweet milk that resides at the bottom of your bowl of cornflakes. I opted to add some crunchy cornflake crumbs to my soft serve, because I heard that’s what you’re supposed to order. (Yelp rarely lies.) The contrast of crunchy and creamy was perfect! The only problem is that this treat melts pretty darn fast, so get ready for sticky hands or a lovely brain freeze.

While we’re on the topic of milk, have you ever tried a milk bun before? I hadn’t, but picking up a Peanut Butter and Jelly Stuffed Milk Bun from Bibble and Sip in the Theater District was completely necessary. Because I absolutely love peanut butter. The tender, light, slightly sweet bun was stuffed with a layer of creamy peanut butter, a layer of jelly, and a layer of sweetened condensed milk. I was in heaven for the 56 seconds that it took me to devour my portion of this treat.

So I’m sure you’ve heard of a cronut before… if not, we have a problem. But knowing that the cronut would be sold out long before my slow-moving family could manage to stroll on over to the Dominique Ansel Bakery in Soho, I set my heart on the DKA instead… aka the Dominique Kouign-Amann. Whatey what? Basically all you need to know is that this is the best pastry you can get your hands on in the states. Buttery, flaky, tender, and just the right amount of sweet. You are guaranteed to drool as the DKA melts onto your tongue. Guaranteed.

Now, for the grand finale. The Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie at Levain Bakery in the Upper West Side. You have not lived until you’ve tried one of these. This cookie puts all other cookies to shame. Lightly golden on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. Yes there were melty chocolate chips dispersed throughout. Yes I desperately wanted to scarf down another cookie after demolishing the first, but thank god for self-control. “Sharing” is a swear word at this bakery.

Okay so now that I’ve bragged all over the place about the out of this world food I consumed last week, it’s time to discuss this sandwich.

I guess you could call it a burger, but the “patty” is just a grilled piece of salmon, so I went with sandwich instead.

All you have to do is flavor a wild salmon fillet with fresh lime juice and salt, grill that puppy up just until it flakes easily with a fork, then throw your perfectly grilled fish on a toasted whole grain bun slathered in mayo and homemade guac, with juicy tomato slices, crisp romaine lettuce, and cilantro.

Bon appetit!

P.S. Don’t forget to season your tomato slices with a bit of salt! It makes a huge difference in the flavor department.

P.P.S. You can add some thinly sliced red onion to your sandwich, but the whole raw onion thing just isn’t my scene.

P.P.P.S. Use a gluten-free bun for a gluten-free sandwich.

P.P.P.P.S. Add the lime and salt to your fish right before grilling! If you try to be all organized and do so ahead of time, the acid will start to cook the salmon. This is not ceviche people.