Hooray! You got the holiday dinner invite. You don’t have to cook but now you’re running to make that train. Here’s my NYC transit hub cheat sheet so you don’t arrive empty handed. Tick tock!
Grand Central Terminal:
5 minutes: Great Northern Deli – Part of the mini-Nordic food court in Vanderbilt Hall. My Aunt Kathy turned me on to the Sesame Rye boule. Good with good European butter for dinner and great as French toast for breakfast. Buy a few at $8 each and you’re good to go. Vanderbilt Hall by 42nd Street entrance. Another location by the Shuttle subway entrance, near Rite Aid.
15 minutes: Neuhaus Chocolate – This little Belgian boutique is all you need. Grab a box of milk or dark chocolate. Depending on the size and style, you can get a 17-piece assortment ballotin or a milk chocolate crunchy square mix of 40 pieces. Pretty wrapping, pretty bag. Booyah! You’re done. Near Grand Central entrance at corner of 42nd St and Vanderbilt Ave.
30 minutes: Dahlia and Central Cellars – Fresh bouquets of sunshine and a nice bottle of swish. Dahlia is offering a lovely bunch of kale florals and if you pair it with a nice bottle of Summer Water rose at Central Cellars you can keep that happy, sunny vibe going strong. Dahlia has 2 locations – one upstairs @ Biltmore Room Track 40 and the other downstairs @ Food Concourse Track 113. Central Cellars, centrally located in the Graybar Passage on the main level.
Penn Station:
5 minutes: Duane Reade/Walgreens – Yep I said it. They have Pirouline rolled wafer cookie tins and Tate’s Cookies galore. Gee whiz they even have fresh-ish flowers! Oddly enough, flowers can also be found at Hudson Booksellers by the Amtrak/NJ Transit ticket booths too! Main Level near the 7th Avenue/32nd St entrance.
15 minutes: Magnolia Bakery on the lower level. Who doesn’t love a pretty iconic cupcake or decadent bread pudding?! If the line is too long go back upstairs and get some bubbly. Sadly, the longtime commuter fav Penn Wines is closed but the new Transit Wine can get you to the 11:07 to Port Washington in no time with a nice bottle of prosecco. Magnolia Bakery, LIRR Concourse, Lower Level. Transit Wine & Spirits, Amtrak Concourse, Main Level.
30 minutes: Head to the 6th floor of Macy’s where you’ll be in gourmet snacks heaven, grab a nice box of Frango Mint Chocolate that apparently Chicagoans and Midwest folks love, perfect for that post-turkey food coma. My girls gave it the fancy Junior Mints thumbs up. Or stay closer to Penn and run to The Pennsy food court up on the plaza. Inside you can get a dozen yummy kid-friendly vegan doughnuts from the Cinnamon Snail. My favs were the vanilla glazed and the crème brulee. Macy’s Herald Square, 7th Ave & 34th St. The Pennsy, 2 Penn Plaza next to Madison Square Garden on 7th Ave.