Food Trucks, Markets, Crepes, oh my!

So this past Thursday a good friend and I got it into our brains to head to midtown and gorge on the bounty of food trucks that rumor had it, were always there. We has been planning a food truck excursion for a while and since Thursday was going to be the warmest day that I was free it felt like the perfect thing to do. I put

on my comfortable (albeit incredibly bright neon orange) sneakers and met her at Lexington and 53rd st. We hugged, we squealed, we drooled and then set forth on our journey. 

The gray skies and high wind didn't feel very warm and Spring-like to my friend, nor did it feel that way to me. But we shook off the chill of first day of Spring and headed down the midtown streets in search of fabled eats. I fantasized about munching on delectable Korean BBQ, or fighting my way through a gourmet donut ring. Our stomachs set the tempo we travelled by as the New York City streets buzzed with life. It took us only a few blocks to discover, however,  that there were no food trucks in sight. My friend's hungry groans sent me into panic mode as street after street we walked and found nothing. 

I didn't want to admit the obvious, that there were no food trucks at all. So we walked and walked and walked some more, until we ended up a block away from Central Park. It was only then that I allowed myself to taste defeat. The food trucks had alluded us. And we were so hungry. My friend, in the tone of someone who knows you've lost but doesn't want to make you feel like a loser, suggested we go to West 4th street. The restaurants were plentiful over there and a full stomach more than makes up for a failed search. 

I agreed. 

We set off to West 4th street, catching a train that let us off at our destination. As soon as we exited the station blue skies and sunshine greeted us. It was a sign. We had only walked a few feet when we saw a Thai restaurant offering a great deal for 14 bucks, we could get an appetizer, an entree and a drink. We jumped on the opportunity. I ordered dumplings, rice and beef and a coke. The dumplings were savory and fragrant, set on a simple white plate that showcased the beauty of the food itself. 

The beef and rice was delicous and cooked perfectly.  My friend ordered the same dumplings as me and noodles with beef. We filled our bellies and felt at peace.  

Afterwards, we paid our tab and walked down the city street. The atmosphere here was vibrant but not overwhelming, not like it is in more touristy parts of the city like Times Square. The people walking along the streets were laid back, trendy without trying too hard, the kind of people you could admire without feeling like you have to. We walked past a variety of restaurants, bars and shops, some with names that made me smile (you gotta love a store with a sense of humor). 

And then there, amongst the many shops, stood an indoor market. My fried and I stared inside, stunned. Had this always been there? It was filled with vintage jewelery (some I would love to purchase), original artwork and clothes for the trendsetter. It was incredibly refreshing and fun looking through the items artists had created. I'm always amazed at how much talent there is in the world. Even though our wallets were pretty light, nothing is wrong with a little window shopping right? 

We left the market and walked down an empty street, the chill was coming back into the air. I turned my head and noticed that between two building stood an empty space. The space showed an obscured view of the recently built World Trade Center. It was astonishing how quiet the world seemed at that moment and I wondered how long it would be before you could look at that lone tower, a sad beautiful symbol, and once again hear life and not the echo of tragedy. 

Our journey was ending. We were chilled and tired and no longer starving when suddenly I came upon the one thing that could make me forget about the cold creeping into my bones. Crepes. I wanted one. Badly. And with a little convincing my friend wanted one too (hurray for peer pressure!) and so we went into the warm, dimly lit restaurant. I ordered a Nutella crepe with strawberries and whipped cream. My friend ordered chocolate. We devoured our dessert and drank in each other's company. We had not intended to sit in a small little restaurant eating crepes. We had intended to walk the streets with little food truck finds digesting in our bellies. But I find that the simple, quiet moments produce the most sound. And this simple moment screamed happiness to me.