Day 5: New York - The Shake Shack

~LUNCH~
THE SHAKE SHACK
Madison Square Park
E 23rd St & Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010
(212) 889-6600


'Nough said. No standing, people.. Keep walking.

Jackie and I woke up bright and early on Tuesday (April 20th) morning to catch the 7:30AM bus to New York City. For about $20 round trip ticket for each of us, it was a great deal. For whatever reason the bus had the fan on full blast and we were not properly prepared. Jackie ended up moving towards the back of the bus while I stayed up in front.. I had a seat where I could prop my legs up.

Two hours and a numb butt later we made it to New York City. My eyes got wide as I gazed up at the sky scrapers for the first time. It was hustling and bustling even for a weekday. This was New York, alright.

Could I look any more like a tourist? And, yes, that green bag does contain my massive camera that I later took out and had around my neck the entire time we were in New York.

After a brief walk through Times Square and a few pictures later we decided to make our way to our first destination: The Shake Shack. This was one of the places Kelly had recommended me to check out so we made it our lunch stop. A friend of Jackie had suggested we get there at around 11AM otherwise we'd be waiting in line for a long time.

We took the subway right to The Shake Shack.

The Shack is located in a small but absolutely stunning park.

All throughout the park there were different colored, perfectly tall tulips. I never cared much for them until right then.

It was, SERIOUSLY, the most gorgeous day. Probably just as perfect as a beautiful spring day out here in Southern California.

The Shack is... pretty much a shack. All the trees were covering it as we entered into the park. It wasn't until I was literally right in front of it that I realized that it was it.

We got there right around 10:45AM with coffee in hand. There was still another 15 minutes before the Shack opened so we sat at a nearby bench and waited.

My paparazzi shot..

There weren't too many people around so we weren't too worried about lines. Little did we know of all the people ready to jump in line as soon as the windows opened. All of a sudden Jackie and I saw people leaping into line. We looked at each other and jumped to our feet and hurried to the line.

And this was even BEFORE they officially opened too. Insanity. No wonder they have a video feed (known as the Shack Cam) on their website. People can look at the line through the internet to see how long the line is before they make their way down there.

We were suggested to get the Shake Stack which was like their basic burger but with the addition of a crispy fried portobello mushroom filled with muenster and cheddar cheese. I got that and Jackie got the ShackBurger.

With very little discussion we also got the frozen custard of the day: gianguja (hazelnut chocolate). Flutternutter sounded pretty good too. Too bad it wasn't Friday.

We ordered and took a seat. I looked up and saw all these light bulbs. How romantic!! Bet the place looks amazing at night..

We got our burgers... and oh.. my... goodness.

A closer look at my lunch:

I actually didn't realize there was cheese inside the mushroom until after I took my first bite. As a cheese LOVER, you can imagine my utter shock and delight.

What was that?? You can't see the cheese? Well, let me show you...

Hell yeah. Now that's a burger.

Oh my word, how delicious it was. They had actually overcooked my patty a little more than I'd like but it was still amazing. After stuffing our face we got our frozen custard. They actually wait until you're done with your meal to make it for you. That was pretty neat. I thought I'd have to eat the ice cream simultaneously with my burger.. which I wouldn't have minded, but was thankful they did that.

This is probably my favorite photo that I took while I was visiting the east coast. A special thank you to my hand model, Miss Jackie Kim. I took so long shooting it started to melt.

All throughout the lunch I kept looking up and around the beautiful scenery trying to soak it all up. Nothing makes me happier than a gorgeous atmosphere, eating delicious food with someone I love. It wasn't a mistake when Jesus integrated food with his ministry. Something about it brings people together.. and that's what I love about food. Don't you??