Yura Gonna Enjoy This!

I had some plans on the Upper East Side a couple weeks ago and was excited to finally be in the neighborhood of Yura on Madison. This gourmet prepared food market made the list of Serious Eats' Uptown Edition chocolate chip cookie taste test (and is one of the few on Serious Eats' list that I haven't tried yet). Everything in this restaurant looked amazing - both the entrees and bakery items. And I have to say that my Healthy Asian Chicken Wrap was so good that I find myself daydreaming about it at least once a day.

The chocolate chip cookie was obviously crunchy, which I typically don't prefer. But I went in with an open mind and was pleasantly surprised. There was not a bit of softness in the cookie, but instead of tasting like my sweet mom's burnt Pillsbury refrigerated break-the-dough-and-bake cookies, it had a great balance of flavor. It was buttery without being greasy, rich, and a little salty. I still prefer a cookie with a crunch on the exterior and a soft middle, but as far as hard cookies go, this was a winner.

The goodness of the day continued when we met some of our favorite people at the awesome Ancient Playground next to the Met. My little Egyptian goddess loved exploring the Nile as it flowed through the pyramids and obelisk. Great sprinkle park, but bring a hat and sunblock, because there is very little shade. And hopefully the water isn't recirculated, since Hannah told me she needed the potty, and in the time it took me to strap my baby into the stroller, Hannah had stripped her bathing suit off and was peeing in the drain. Oops!