Shoppers perusing the bakeries and dessert shops in NYC’s popular Chelsea Market were loving the festive Halloween decorations. If you’ve never walked through and checked out the little shops, I highly recommend. Most of the food is freshly made and aroma from the ovens is absolutely wonderful.

The founders of the popular Hale and Hearty Soups, Jon and Andrew Schnipper have opened a new burger joint with the same name on 23rd Street close to Madison Avenue across from Madison Square Park’s famed Shake Shake. Inspired by their cross country travels, the Schnipper brothers aimed to bring same of the various flavors that were less common back home and craft a menu with just the right combination of these eats.

Let’s just say, if you like blue cheese in your burger, their Hickory Bacon Blue Burger is outright sensational at a great price.

The Detail on the interior of the car.

New Uniqlo store opens up on 34th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

Finland’s Marimekko opened their new store in NYC’s popular Flatiron district’s landmark Toy building on 5th Avenue and 23rd St./Broadway. They have chosen a prime location, right next to the beloved Eataly, last year’s phenom import. The store is beautifully laid out feeling spacious and warm, allowing their products’ bright color to light up the space.

Curious to learn more about Marimekko? Check out their English/US website here .. and their homebased website here.

On the corner of Park Avenue and 30th Street, New York City.

With the summer coming to a close (yes, I’m in denial, it has long since left) it feels like this drink is a little Johnny Come Lately but the recent warms in NYC has inspired me to share non-the-less. This .. is .. THE Ultimate Coffee Shake, and it all starts with the best coffee you can buy.

For those who haven’t heard of it, introducing Café Bustelo, the absolute finest coffee you can buy at the store, bar none. Be ye not dismayed, for alas it does come in a can. This is no Folgers or Chock Full o’ Nuts. This is an amazingly mild and hearty espresso. The flavor is full but there is no bitterness or heaviness to the drink. It is pure heaven. About 4 cups is good.

First you’ll want to make the coffee .. although Café Bustelo is an espresso, it isn’t absolutely necessary to cook with an espresso maker (like the Krups Steam Espresso Machine as pictured above, only $60.00) or the fantastic Bialetti Moka Express stove top. Café Bustelo tastes quite good when cooked with common auto-drip cofee maker.

You’ll need some milk (I prefer Skim Milk after years of only cream, but use whichever you prefer).

Add the 4 cups of coffee to a blender and then fill the milk up to about 450ml. Top off with a handful of ice to give a slight chill and you’re done! Rich, yet clean tasting. Feel free to add 1 full banana and 2 strawberries with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for added creaminess.

I can’t express enough the level of my disappointment with the Japanese Ramen restaurants in NYC. After having spent an entire childhood thinking that Ramen = Oodles of Noodles .. I was delighted to learn the amazing taste of genuine ramen in several different styles while living in Japan. Since moving back to NYC, I’ve been to countless ramen restaurants in the city and each time I’ve been disappointed to different degrees .. until now!

Hide-chan Ramen is located in Turtle Bay at 248 E 52nd St, New York 10022 (between 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave) on the south side of the street. I ordered the Shoyu chamen (Soy sauce with pork as seen above) and my wife had the Miso (as seen below). The flavor for both was full but not too oily, one of my biggest gripes about many of the NYC ramen shops. I’ve been to Ippudo Ramen on St. Mark’s Place numerous times and it’s decent but it is, in no comparison, as good as Hide-chan. Ippudo’s sauce is too sweet (much like many American foods) and this is not an American dish. I was disappointed with the Fried Rice (チャーハン) but I’d do without to have the taste of the soup. I’ve learned my lesson, as a non-Japanese, to take advice of a non-Japanese person’s advice on Japanese food very loosely, so my words may, for you, be a bit of a wash .. which is why I urge you to, the next time you are craving for some authentic ramen and in the NYC area, to stop by and try it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.