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If I'm feeling fancy, an everything bagel with pesto mixed with cream cheese (topped with tomato slices when they are in season).

For a lazy day, a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese makes me almost unreasonably happy.

Ditto what everyone else said: Brighton Beach. Lots of markets there, although the only one I've been to is M&I International Foods (some photos here), which I keep going to because I LOVE THEIR CARROT CAKE.

There's a great russian deli in central, NJ in Marlboro called Arbat Deli that has Kvass and lots of other russian delicatessens. Also a few doors down theres an amazing russian restaurant called Russian Dream.

brighton beach, kensington, midwood, all in brooklyn (easy to get to via subway). large russian communities with great markets.

You know what I find much stranger than being into food? Being into fantasy basketball.

And for a girls' night out on the town...we've already done all of the touristy things...we will have a Sat. night just to enjoy the city....?? any suggestions

Scalini Fedeli in tribeca is great upscale italian my 1st choice..
Del Posto is also very good.

Do not do not do not enjoy mock meat. Read the back of the package on some of the stuff and shriek at the reality of what you're eating. You're better off eating a hunk of dead animal flesh in some cases.

Tofu and tofu products are not mock meat, they are a food in themselves and aren't supposed to be imitating anything, so I consider tofu edible. It should be appreciated not as a substitute but as its own entity with its own NOT meat like qualities. (I have the same rage over people drinking soy milk as "imitation" milk. No, soy milk isn't supposed to taste like melted ice cream. It's supposed to be beige and taste like beans! If you really want milk that bad, drink the milk!)

2nd Scarpetta!

i am a huge fan of batali so i would second his restaurants, especially babbo.

the other ones that are fanastic that might be a more youthful are dell'anima (west village) and falai (lower east side).

I agree with and share Bourdain's stance. But you'll notice that he's never aggressive about it. He doesn't go up to a vegetarian and call them an idiot, but if someone's talking with him and mentions they're vegetarian he'll call them out. he's also a celebrity, and while it is a true personal viewpoint, it's also a part of his media personality to be anti-vegetarian.

And while I find every argument against eating meat utterly confounding, I also don't really care. With everything in life if your beliefs have nothing to do with me, then you can carry on your merry way. it's the rare vegetarian who doesn't understand nutrition that gets malnourished. When I come across a vegetarian like that I may (if they're a friend) try and educate them a bit on their eating choices. But with all of the resources available I can't see that ever happening again in my life.

My biggest pet peeve is vegetarians claiming they want to leave a reduced carbon foot print, or something similar. Unless you're growing all of your own veggies, then your carbon imprint when you walk to the store to grab some beets is the same as mine when I go grab a ribeye from the same store. Both items have to be processed, packaged, and shipped to the store. Plus humans produce around 1% of all the carbon dioxide in the world, it's barely a blip on mother nature's radar.

purplesque mentioned above that killing animals for food is "unnecessary violence." And that is a perfect example of a personal belief that can't be challenged. I can question it, get to the bottom of the reasons, but I can't say that the statement is wrong for purplesque. it makes no sense to me, but until purplesque (or any other vegetarian) comes up and takes my steak off my plate and throws it on the floor I see no reason to confront them about their own choice.

@tmj; I like mock meat because while I enjoy the taste and texture of meat, I have ethical concerns with the way most of it is produced. I don't understand the anger mock meat arouses in some people. Do you feel the same way about artificial sweeteners or decaf coffee?