Tool of the trade

Moving to New York was a shock to my system in more ways than one. I left a great job, fantastic friends and family and the familiarity of my beloved London. It takes a lot of time and commitment to get to know a city like London or New York, and I feel like I was nearly there. I’ve exchanged easy weekends of wandering around old haunts for the buzzing opportunity of this manic city. New York affords some wonderful conveniences: shops open 24 hours a day; the subway running through the night and every service you could possible ask for. Gastronomically it is rich, diverse and eager to please. My biggest difficulty is narrowing down the choices.

One of the best tools I’ve found to acquaint myself with the food scene here is the Manhattan board at Chowhound. Members post and answer any kind of question relating to groceries, gourmet shopping and restaurants in Manhattan. Non-members can search previous questions and answers to find out what people have to say about a particular restaurant, area or cuisine. It’s the ultimate online support group for those wondering about trying something new in the city. The outer boroughs have their own board too - in fact almost everywhere on earth is represented by one board or another. Most of the advice I have read has been spot on, and if in doubt, you can cross reference a variety of posts. Just keep an eye out for the most recent information.