Four Years in New York City

Four years ago today, I’d just finished selling most of my stuff, quitting my job and saying goodbye to my best friends and goodbye to one of my bestest friend’s brand new firstborn child. I had no job lined up here, about $1,000 in my bank account and had only one friend I knew in this big, badass city.

Four years later, I have dear friends here and experiences that I’m lucky to be able to cherish every day. I have an awesome job, I’m getting ready to start my own business on top of that and I’m happy to say that I can usually get where I intend to go without getting lost first. I couldn’t convince my bestest friend to move here, but she is now just weeks away from having her second baby. Everything comes full circle.

I’ve had SUCH a good time eating and drinking and writing for my food website that I’ve earned a bit of a rep for being a hedonist. Starting today, I get to share my knowledge of the NYC food and beverage scene as a trendspotter for Scoutmob NYC. Check out the article by clicking the screenshot below.

Stories from MouthOfTheBorder.com will be featured on Scoutmob’s website and in their emails once a month. You can download the app (Apple and Android) here, and sign up for the daily deal emails at Scoutmob.

Below are some parts of the interview you won’t find on the site. Consider it an EmilyCavalier.com Reader Exclusive.

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What’s the best thing about being a local food blogger? Meeting the people behind small local businesses and eating their food! I’m very into helping local people succeed. I love NYC, especially Brooklyn, and want to see it stay the unique city that it is. A big part of that is making sure that the people who make the food and provide other experiences I enjoy are able to pay their rent.

What’s your favorite part of living in NY? Being able to walk down the street and hear people speaking four different languages in the space of one block. I dreamt about that before I moved here. The cultural access we have here is unparalleled.

Least favorite part? The B61 bus, which I used to have to take to get to work, and trains that move sideways, like the G, S and L. I don’t trust them.

Where do you go when you want to escape from blogging or other work? To Barnes & Noble. I grab a dozen magazines, turn off my cell phone and immerse myself in fashion, food, music and décor for a few hours.

Your favorite “curious find” in New York? (Something—anything—that others may not know about, but that you love) Go to any ethnic neighborhood and wander around their bodegas and food markets. You have no idea what kinds of spices and weird produce they have for sale. You walk past them every day without realizing that you have this gem right in front of you.

You have friends from out of town visiting you who’ve never seen the city. Where are you taking them on Emily’s Tour de NY? I actually wrote about that on my personal blog when I was a brand new New Yorker here and here. Katz’s Deli and Il Laboratorio del Gelato are top picks. I also adore Crif Dogs and the bar inside, PDT, is my favorite bar in Manhattan. Now that I’ve lived here for four years, though, the list would be more Brooklyn-centric. I always take friends to my favorite brunch spots (Maggie Brown and James).

We’d walk around the Brooklyn Flea, go get cocktails at Weather Up and wind down over a quiet dinner at Brucie. I’d finish up with late-night cocktails at my friend’s bar, Dram. (Dram is different from Dram Shop, which is another great spot also owned by friends of mine.)

If we had more time, I’d also definitely take guests to drop in on one of my friends’ supper clubs. The crew behind A Razor, A Shiny Knife and Whisk & Ladle are super-talented and always deliver a memorable experience that lets you see food and cocktails in a whole new way.

What’s one thing people don’t know about you? I never write my cat’s name online. She’s only referred to as “cat.” I think knowing a person’s child’s or pet’s name puts you on a different level with her. So much of my life is available online that it’s nice to have one little detail of my life that is private for the people who know me best.

Describe New York in three words. Intense, Electric, Straightforward

Finally, a shameless plug for you and what you have going on right now: I’m focused on teaching people about food, culture and cooking, so please subscribe to my site, MouthOfTheBorder.com!

In 2011, I’ll be bringing the hotness with food and cocktail walking tours and my new supper club. I’m also looking to partner with NYC public schools to create an after-school program to teach kids about other cultures through food, so reach out if you’ve got an interest in partnering there. Lastly, I’m taking on more consulting projects. I just wrapped up executing Gourmet Live’s partnership with Foursquare. Gourmet Live is the mobile reincarnation of Gourmet magazine – a really exciting combination of food and technology. I’m looking for other major brands or media businesses who need help developing or executing creative event- or technology-based projects.

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Some of you reading this might get a kick out of the first blog post I wrote after moving to NYC. Check it out: The First 72 Hours in New York.