After struggling to obtain a U-Pass and piece together a complicated map of bus and train times, you finally made it from UCONN to NYC. Such an intricate and time consuming process can exhaust whoever chooses such a path, so it's absolutely necessary to reward oneself with the best lunch the city has to offer.
During the process of shopping which leaves red rings on everyone's wrists, and the photographing which guarantees that all the New Yorkers know you're a tourist, you most likely past a hefty amount of restaurants offering cozy booths for you and your friends to collapse wholeheartedly into.
Because this day of spoiling yourself only comes a few times a year, It is my job to recommend only the best of the best. Whether you find yourself wandering the streets of SOHO, the fashion block of the city, or The Meatpacking District decorated with its brick paths and old withered architecture, you’ll still find one restaurant they both have in common: Black Tap.
Black Tap appears to be a little hole in the wall joint, but the line outside says otherwise. Luckily when I went, they had a table for 8 available and they pulled me and my eager friends out of the long line (which actually moves pretty quickly). Once inside, everything is dark and cozy, the seats are low to the ground and the table holds crayons and brown paper tablecloths where diners can share their creativity. The drawings and the clever conversations sparking up at all the tables are not the only form of art found in this hideaway.
The restaurant prides itself in its Craft Burgers and Beers. An interesting idea considering the main attraction at the restaurant is the milkshakes. I’m almost positive we've all seen the videos of milkshakes being stacked high with cookies, cotton candy and all kinds of mouthwatering treats. We scroll down instagram looking for the hashtags of where these items are offered, only to be devastated as the search is over with no destination located.
With the help of my friends, I found it. Before I describe how perfect and dream accomplishing such a find is, I want to recommend either only getting a burger, or only getting a shake. If you can finish both, congratulations you hold a skill many wish to possess. These shakes are a meal on their own.
I got The Cookie Shake, which is made with a “vanilla frosted rim with cookie crumbles topped with a ‘cookiewich’, crumbled cookies, chocolate chips, whipped cream & chocolate drizzle”. Across from me, you can see the Sweet N’ Salty shake. This god sent dessert is crafted with “chocolate frosted rim with chocolate gems & PB cups topped with a sugar daddy, pretzel rods, chocolate covered pretzel, whipped cream & chocolate drizzle”. Both amazing, both impossible to finish if you order a burger to go with it.
With 12 different burgers to choose from, as well as chicken and salad options, it’s gonna take a while to pick what you’d want. After 15 minutes of dealing with the self-conflict of deciding whether I should get The Old Fashioned burger (burger with “crimini mushrooms, swiss, caramelized onions” and horseradish sauce) or The Mexico City burger, I went with The Mexico City. Topped with pepperjack cheese, jalapenos, chipotle mayo, and crispy onion rings, this burger is to die for (and ~spicy~).
My friends and I all enveloped ourselves in food and walked out with our shakes in to-go cups and food babies in our stomachs. After enjoying time at Black Tap, the only option is to fall into a food coma on the train ride back home.