Before my annual pilgrimage… pun intended… to New England for the Thanksgiving holiday, I made a stop in frenetic Manhattan and on a peaceful farm in upstate New York near the town of Coxsackie.  Take a brief trip with me, first eating my way through Manhattan like a culinary King Kong, then down of the farm hanging out with some gorgeous animals.

First stop: Billy’s Cupcakes

I ONLY had two… dinner was 4 hours off

Walking the High Line… and urban garden built on an old elevated railway trestle.

Pasta with calamari and shrimp

Dinner in the Village

Good setting for West Side Story

Another interesting sculpture on the High line; if only it would play Quentin’s Theme from the old TV show “Dark Shadows”

Roasted Vegetables and bread

Octopus Salad

The stunning Chrysler Building

The World Trade Tower from 7th Avenue

The most AMAZING ricotta cheesecake

Unique view of the Empire State Building

The World Trade Tower

Christmas cheer along 6th Avenue

View from the High Line

Chelsea, New York City

The walls at Doughnut Plant, Chelsea

Christmas comes to the West Village

Rafele

6th Avenue

The “Friends” Building setting in the Village

Scary sculpture on the High line

Bet you can’t pick just one doughnut…

I had to pick FOUR: blood orange, chocolate blackout, wild blueberry, and cranberry-orange. Breakfast of the insane!

Two and a half hours north of the Big Apple (or is it the Big Doughnut?)…and just south of Albany lies Lime Kiln Farm… check it out if you are anywhere in the area!

My friend Brent, the heartbeat of Lime Kiln Farm in Coxsackie, NY

Lime Kiln Farmhouse

Now THAT is a regal cow!

Pigs with personality

She was quite a conversationalist

The happiest and best cared for animals you’ll ever see!

Brent’s cat… they always know when they have found an allergic visitor…

and he stalked me all around the farmhouse… maybe because we are kindred gingers!