Quick Trips to NYC

I've been to New York City for work twice so far this year (so exciting because I love taking in the sights of this amazing city). Both trips were just quick blips, but I still managed to try out a neat restaurant and take in a few sights...

I grabbed lunch one day at Lily's, a restaurant located in The Roger Smith Boutique Hotel in Midtown. I first spotted the restaurant on my walk to a meeting in the morning and liked its unique, attention-grabbing exterior.

The interior was also aesthetically pleasing. Painted in a rich, deep red, the walls were covered with great art like that in the photo above. The layout was also nice as there were multiple rooms off the main entrance, so it wouldn't seem overly crowded. Interestingly, though, there were very few people there during the lunch hour. Not more than a couple of tables in each room. I'm not too familiar with how NYC professionals lunch, so maybe that's normal, or I just ended up there on a slow day.

I ordered the Roger Smith Burger and added bacon (yep, still loving bacon and ordering it on nearly every cheeseburger I get). It came topped with white cheddar, beefsteak tomatoes, bibb lettuce and red onions and was accompanied by fries and a pickle spear.

The burger was delicious. Well-cooked and fulfilling. The cheese was a great fit and the bun and bacon were icing on the burger cake. I also loved the pickle - it tasted more like it was somewhere between cucumber and pickle, making it extra tasty and refreshing. 

I'm glad I stopped at Lily's. It was the perfect little dining adventure in the big city. As for the sights...

I took in Times Square for the first time at night. It's breathtaking. And, I'm not afraid to admit that I loved every touristy minute of it.

We walked around a lot of Midtown and came across many of the iconic spots. One of our last stops was at Rockefeller Center Plaza, which is beautiful at night and just lovely in the springtime.