New York Eats Los Angeles

Was I homesick for L.A. last week? Perhaps. Everywhere I turned during my seven days in New York, I saw a reminder of our fine hometown. L.A. is invading N.Y. -- but sorry guys, you're gonna still have to fly here for In n' Out, Langer's and Philippes. You can't have it all.



Yup, the ubiquitous Pinkberry has made it out to Manhattan -- Koreatown (or, more like Koreastreet) on 32nd and 5th. New Yorkers appear slightly curious about The Yogurt That Lindsay Eats, but it wasn't all that crowded when I passed by.

However, the Pinkberry craze is enough to have already spawned another L.A. trend:



The Pinkberry Clones. Here, a joint that calls itself "Crazy Bananas" promises the same sour yogurt that launched a million "Stars, They're Just Like Us" columns.



Trader Joe's! Located on 14th, near Union Square, our little dose of California supermarket nirvana finally made it to Manhattan last year. The store is still foreign enough that a big sign screaming "GROCERIES" remains in the window. Trader Joe's long ago went national, with stores on the east coast and in Chicago, for example... but now that it has reached New York, the media once again went ga-ga for Two-Buck Chuck -- but in New York City, at least, it's been renamed: "Three-Buck Chuck" (cue Nelson: "Ha-ha!").



Of course, at least in Manhattan, you won't find Two (er, Three)-Buck Chuck at Trader Joe's proper. Nope, you gotta hit the Trader Joe's wine shop next door.



I just assumed a chain like California Pizza Kitchen had been in Manhattan forever... but the second CPK in all of the borough just opened for business last week (around the corner from my hotel) while I was there. The place was mobbed -- seriously people, just pick up Trader Joe's pizza dough and BBQ sauce, and make a BBQ chicken pie yourself.



I spotted this cafe next to my fave NYC building, the Flatiron, and went inside. What makes the L.A. in L.A. Cafe? Turns out, nothing.