I assume that all you readers are familiar with Dr. Seuss's first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street? Well, I'm not sure where the good Doctors' Mulberry Street was, but I like to think of it as the one that shoots from NY City's Chinatown, up through Little Italy and SoHo, and ending in Greenwich Village.

I've been traveling on business all over the country for most of April and just made it home late last night. One of my favorite things to do before going on the road is put together a list of food and beverage destinations for every town I visit. This is so important to me because then I know that I can have something good to eat during or after a long day of meetings and events. Many of these events are centered around food and are usually excellent. But some are a little on the meager side food-wise when they are focused on libations.

The past week was an intensive exploration of NY City's cocktail and spirits world with a few stops here and there for some great food in between. I had just finished taping a radio show discussing artisanal spirits and modern mixology when I was feeling a mite peckish. Being a part time resident of NY, I hadn't done as much research as I normally would, relying on my good friend and fellow blogger Joe Distefano to be just a quick phone call away. I drew a blank about places I had heard of and gave him a call for some suggestions. Of course it was one of those days when each place was closed or too busy to grab something quick. I finally ended up for a long session of dim sum at Jing Fong in Chinatown.


I was on my way to another business meeting to set up sponsorship for my upcoming TV series on wineries, distilleries, food, and cocktails; and was wandering contentedly up Mulberry Street when something caught my eye. It was a computer printout of a NY City street map. I picked it up and unfolded it and to my surprise it was a lovingly made and quite detailed food, shopping, and museum map of lower New York. It was like some alter Jonathan had dropped the map just where I would happen to run across it. Forty destinations were written out with their addresses and then numbered on the map.

Well, whoever this unknown person is, I thank you. It was some great list. Just a few places mentioned were acquaintances Zach Pelaccio's Fatty Crab and David Chengs Momofuku Ssam Bar and Momofuku Noodle Bar, Spotted Pig, Spice Market, Kittichai, Suba, wd-50, Cookshop, Five Points, Blue Ribbom, Katz's, Famous Noodletown, Raoul, Orchard, Babbo, Blue Hill, Ina, Crew, Perry Street, Gotham Bar & Grill, Jacuqe Torres chocolates, a little hand pulled noodle place on Elderidge, and so many more.

I actually made it to a few of the places on the map during my mad rush around town the next few days. Getting in some good meals saved me from drowning in the almost 70 different cocktails and rare spirits I tried in just six nights. So I just want to say a quick thank you to whomever it was that lost their precious treasure map.

So do you Slashfoodies make restaurant lists and maps as well?