As mentioned in my last post, my sisters and a couple of their pals were in town this past weekend! Between walking all around town and chatting up a storm, we had a few little adventures. I finally remembered to tote my camera along with me, so I chronicled some of the fun via pictures!

One of the evenings, we went to the musical/rock opera American Idiot, based off of the Green Day album by the same name. Very different from the majority of other Broadway shows I have seen, but pretty enjoyable! I’m already jamming to the soundtrack on my iPod ;)

The next day for brunch, I took my guests to a new (to me) restaurant in the East Village called The Organic Grill. You could probably guess what I ordered if you took a peek at the menu—the Vegan Blueberry “Slamcakes!” Mmm…And look at all that was hiding underneath:

(Please disregard the blur.) Chock-full-o-berries. Delicious, hearty whole grains and antioxidant-packed fruit!

My sister Sarah opted for the frittata, which includes (besides eggs of course) potatoes, soy sausage, onions, red peppers and cheese.

As you can see, we were also quite thirsty after walking around the city quite a bit. Water refills please! 

Sarah and her buddies Lynn and Meghan showing some love!

Later, we moved along to one of the biggest tourist-y things to do when in NYC: A Double Decker bus tour. Just don’t tell my fellow New Yorkers! Still, I thought it would be informative for this semi-new city dweller. We saw some neat things along the way that we may not have come across on our own…

This display in the West Village, called Tiles for America, pays tribute to the victims of 9/11. School children decorated and displayed one tile for each person lost that day.

Our unique vantage point from under the Manhattan Bridge. Poor guy, always overshadowed by it’s Brooklyn brother! 

And a quick snapshot of the lesser-seen part of the Empire State Building. Brings to mind a little Jay-Z, no?

Later, we grabbed dinner at Pulino’s, a wood-fired pizza place with a local sourcing focus. The chef calls his work “pizza for the people.” Pulino’s decor was so rustic and fun!

A glimpse of the distressed picnic tables and the menu.

I‘m no big drinker, but the bottles are a cool, colorful touch!

I shared the marinara pizza (tomato, garlic, oregano) with Meghan. So tasty—and the crispy crust was done to perfection!

Here’s a tip for dining at wood-fire or coal oven pizza restaurants: The chefs often top your pie off with a generous pour of olive oil. If you prefer to skip it, just ask! They’re generally very accommodating.

The family group shot with Sarah (left) and Amy. Thanks for coming ladies! Hope you had a good time.

Now the question is, who’s coming to visit next? :D