Category Archives: Food

August 24, 2012 · 12:23 pm

Burgers & Cupcakes


Some friends turned me onto Burgers & Cupcakes recently, and oh my, what a delicious concept that is very well executed.

There were plenty of different delectable looking cupcakes, such as the Marble Cake with Chocolate Ganache & Peanut Butter (which I had); Strawberry Shortcake; Mint Chocolate Chip and Raspberry Bavarian Cupcake. My cupcake was delicious- topped with lots of pure peanut butter and  chocolate in the middle, and moist, tasty cake.


The burgers also looked quite appetizing, though I didn’t get a chance to taste them yet… I was saving room for a BBQ that I had to go to afterwards. I did, however, get to try the fries, as well as the cheese fries. The plain fries were pretty good, but the cheese fries were out of this world! It was all I could do to not get my own order and ruin my appetite! They were amazing, and came piping hot… Full of flavor, melty deliciousness, and crispy salted french fries. My friend commented that they’re like crack (like we would know), and they were that addicting.

I can’t wait to come back and actually try a Burgers & Cupcakes burger- and have a real meal there.  And see? This is proof I don’t only frequent fancy restaurants!

 

Address: 458 9th Ave

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August 18, 2012 · 11:20 am

Restaurant Week at Le Perigord

A friend and I went to Le Perigord for Restaurant Week, a French restaurant in East Midtown. Le Perigord was a truly fine dining atmosphere with white table cloths, beautiful roses (pink or yellow) on each table and immaculate  silverware.

First course I picked the vegetable tart, which was délicieux! It was flaky, airy and flavorful. I savored every bite.

For the main dish, I was trying to decide between Loin of lamb sauteed with ratatouille and couscous or the Filet of Salmon with grenoblaise with mash potato and spinach. I finally chose the salmon, and feel that I definitely made the right choice. The meal well-portioned, and the salmon came looking beautiful. The salmon was of high quality, and simply divine – Melted in my mouth! The grenoblaise sauce was lemony and buttery, without the capers per my request. Though they skimped a bit on the sides – spinach and mashed potato – the mashed potato turned out well.

The dessert, however was sorely disappointing. I had gotten the chocolate mousse, thinking how could I go wrong with chocolate? Instead of being a chocolate mousse cake, or chocolate mousse beautifully presented in a nice glass, it was just black and white chocolate mousse (literally mousse) next to each other, with darker chocolate syrup around the two. I guess it was my fault or not clarifying.

My friend’s dessert, however, was much more satisfying. It was the Fresh fruit Napolean and gorgeously plated with flaky light pastry, rich cream, fresh raspberries & blueberries and a fruity sauce, with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top. Simply delectable, perfectly wonderful!

If only we had seen the dessert cart ahead of time…

The waiters were well-tuxed, but our waiter, while well-intentioned didn’t give me the impression that he knew the menu well. He couldn’t explain the entrees, or give me an opinion on which would be better. However, all in all a decent meal, fancy dining and … Would I come back? Possibly – for one of those desserts!

Here’s a little tip about Summer Restaurant Week 2012: Though RW officially ended on August 10, there are select restaurants (about half) that are currently offering 3-course dinners and lunches at Restaurant Week Prices ($35 for dinner and $24 for lunch) until September 3. The program is NYC Go Prix Fixe, so make sure to take advantage! (Unfortunately, Le Perigord is not participating.)

 

Address: 405 E 52 St.

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August 14, 2012 · 11:09 am

Hershey Weekend

I spent a relaxing, pampered Girl’s Weekend in Hershey, PA the past couple days. We stayed at the Sheraton in York, PA which was a lovely, luxurious hotel with all the amenities and at a discounted price.

The first night, we went to Crimson American Grill, where I shared both an appetizer and a meal. For the appetizer, I got to try Loaded Fries- fries with melted cheddar, bits of bacon and green onion. It was delicious of course. As for the meal, I sampled the seafood platter, which came with fried cod and fried shrimp, crab cake, lobster… It was all very tasty. We also got a side. I chose the rice pilaf, but it was basically just rice. There weren’t really any vegetables, even though they’re supposed to be included.


Later that night, I went out with a couple of the girls to The Hop, which was across the street from the hotel. It looked like it was in a barn and it was fun in a hicks town kind of way. However, I couldn’t stand that everyone was allowed to smoke in there, so we didn’t stay for very long.

Next morning, we all met for complimentary breakfast at the hotel. It was good- Bacon, eggs, potatoes, pancake, orange juice. We decided to head to Hershey Gardens after that, and it was gorgeous! Rolling landscapes, beautiful fountains, Hershey-kiss shaped sculptures, pretty roses, colorful flowers,  lovely brooks and bridges.

We also got to check out the Butterfly House, which was wonderful and charming. Nice little waterfall, leading into a small pond with golden fishes and pretty flowers all around. There were quite a few different types of butterflies in yellow, orange, pink, dark blue and deep purple. They were also quite friendly – A few of them landed on my clothes and fluttered close around me.




We went to The Hershey Pantry for lunch and were very lucky to get a table right away (since there were 9 of us). I had the turkey club with bacon, lettuce, tomato, melted cheese, and chips. It was scrumptious- everything was fresh, crisp, flavorful and went together beautifully. And since Hershey is known for chocolate, I just couldn’t resist dessert- I tried the chocolate peanut butter pie, which was simply divine. I loved the taste of the chocolate, merged with the peanut butter on top.


Next on the agenda was Chocolate World, which I was most excited for because chocolate is one of my favorite treats. Chocolate World was huge, and quite crowded but definitely worth it.

We started off doing the free tour around the Chocolate World factory which took place in a ride. It was really cool to see the process of how they make Hershey’s Chocolates.


Then we did a Chocolate Tasting, which was held in Hershey University. We got to try Hershey milk chocolate, extra dark, Bliss, Artisan Confections, kisses and really savored them so we could identify the flavors, whether they were fruity, woodsy, earthy, citrusy, floral, coffee, nutty and/or buttery. Afterwards, we received a Hershey’s University Masters Degree in Chocolate Tasting, signed by Milton S. Hershey, Founder and D.P. Quigley, Master Chocolatier! Pretty awesome to have that distinct honor.

We also got to do a trolley ride that went through the town of Hershey, PA and got to learn about the history of Milton Hershey, the man himself and how he built his Hershey empire. It was really quite an inspirational story, especially because Hershey had failed so many times, but instead of giving up, he kept trying and look at what he accomplished through that tenacity. And the story was told in a fun, lively way- There was our main tour guide who was very knowledgeable and very sweet, and there was also an actor playing different characters from Hershey’s life. It was over the top hilarious, and thoroughly enjoyable. They also sang some songs, and passed out chocolate samples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was so much fun to visit Chocolate World, and made me feel like a kid again. We headed back to our hotel after that and just relaxed, hung out in the pool (which was really gorgeous!) and jacuzzi for awhile.

We ended up having dinner in the hotel, and prices were actually not too bad. I ordered the crab cake sandwich with french fries. It was quite good. The crab cake was made of flavorful lump crab meat, bread crumbs, milk, mayonnaise, eggs, yellow onions, and seasonings. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious and made even better with tarter sauce.

After eating, a couple of us went out to a club called Banana Max. I didn’t love it, because smoking is prohibited and I get headaches if I’m exposed to smoking too long, but at least it was better than The Hop. It also had a cover charge, which I pretty much never pay in NYC. However, Banana Max did have a nice dance floor, played great music and was pretty hoppin’.

All in all, a great trip with fun people, full of delicious meals, beautiful places, chocolate, lots of laughter and good conversation!

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August 6, 2012 · 11:02 am

Restaurant Week at Indochine


Indochine is a French-Vietnamese fusion restaurant nestled in the downtown NYU area, near Astor Place. While its exterior is quite simple, almost hidden, the interior is lovely, utilizing exotic-meets-tropical design elements such as Japanese box lights, palm trees painted onto the walls and a sleek tiled floor. It is dark, lit with candles and quite romantic.

The Restaurant Week menu was seriously appetizing, with plenty of choices for appetizers, a main dish, side and dessert. It was tough for me to choose which appetizer, but finally picked fried spring roll for myself. The spring rolls came with chicken, vegetables and glass vermicelli, with plenty of lettuce, carrots and pickled vegetable on the side. Spring rolls were very tasty, fried to perfection and full of flavor. I also got to try the steamed Vietnamese ravioli (looked more like a Vietnamese summer roll with the see-through wrap) which had chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts,  shiitake mushrooms, ricotta cheese which gave it an interesting flavor, but was still quite good.


As for the main dish, I choose the marinated hunger steak with daikon and taro shoestring fries, along with a side of sticky rice. I always get my steak well done, and will defy anyone who has a problem with that! The steak came already cut in bite-sized pieces, neatly atop the poached daikon with the taro fries sprinkled on top. The steak was delicious, little bursts of juicy tender flavor and the fries were crispy delights. The daikon underneath was fresh and light.


As for the side dish, I’ve always been a fan of sticky rice and this one was filled with yummy extras: Dried baby shrimp, shiitakes, and Vietnamese sausage. I would’ve enjoyed a little more sausage, but overall quite good.

There were only 2 choices for dessert, and none of them were chocolate so I wasn’t as excited about this course. I picked lemon tart, over  the pineapple and raspberry sorbet. It was decent, very lemony and tart with a side of what looked like creme fraiche.


It was a lovely meal, filled with fun conversation and much laughter.

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July 31, 2012 · 11:57 pm

Club Getaway Weekend


This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Club Getaway Young Professionals Weekend with some friends. I was able to get a ride there, instead of taking the bus, which was great because I got door to door service–  Picked up and dropped off right at home.  Driving there also allowed us to get to Club Getaway earlier so that we could enjoy the happy hour under the Olmypic theme decorated tent. There was plenty of variety: Fruits, puff pastries, taco and mashed potato bars, cheese and crackers.

A little while later was dinner, which was a lovely affair. My only issue is that they always serve the same dishes for Friday night dinner: Salad, rolls, roasted potatoes with zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and some kind of chicken which was good the first time, but wasn’t so appetizing the 3rd time around. At least the dessert was tasty – Yellow cake with strawberries and whipped cream.

After eating, my friend and I hung out with some of the guys we met at dinner, then hung around outside – It was a beautiful, cool night. And there was a dance party in the Boathouse so that was fun. We also spent some time by the lovely gazebo and met more people, including a really drunk guy who was having a hard time holding a coherent conversation, but was quite hilarious. He was clearly interested in me and something might have happened if he wasn’t so intoxicated… At least we were entertained.

Saturday we got up nice and early to sign up for select activities, and for breakfast. I did the early morning stretch, and Beginning Fighting- Stunt Workshop with Alfredo, one of the Club Getaway volunteers who actually does this for a living. We learned how to punch, pull someone’s hair and drag them across the floor, choke, gouge someone’s eyes out- All pretend. The only thing that was missing was kicking.

I had signed up for trapeze early in the day, which I was terrified of but decided that I really wanted to try it because 1) I’ve always wanted to do it and 2) It’s really expensive to do elsewhere. However, it started to rain pretty badly halfway through so I didn’t get to my turn.

Instead, I ran into two of my friends who were on their way to archery and was about to join them, then decided to take the van into town since my other friend was heading that way. The little town of Kent is really cute and adorable. We chilled in the Kent Coffee & Chocolate Company and I got a delicious handmade Popsicle of blackberry lime, as well as some chocolate bon bons of unique flavors, such as chai, bacon, peanut butter & so on.

Once we were back on Club Getaway premises, I decided to see if I could try the trapeze now that the rain had lessened. There were a few people waiting, but I managed to get there in time to be in the line up.

When it was my turn, I felt ready until I started to climb that really high ladder- It was quite wobbly and I got pretty scared, but the ladies at the top were really encouraging and helped guide me up to the platform. I was already incredibly shaken from the climb, so it was hard for me to stand on the edge and try to reach for the bar, which I felt was quite far from me. The 2 ladies up there were a huge help, as they soothed my nerves (a little) and held on to me as I tried to grab the bar. I managed to get one hand on the bar, then quickly placed my other hand on it, did a little hop and I was flying through the air! It was incredibly terrifying, yet incredibly exhilarating at the same time. I swung a few times, and finally heard “And drop” which I couldn’t do because I was too scared (even though there’s netting to catch my fall) so I was led down slowly then had to slide down a pole to get to the ground.

I felt such a sense of accomplishment and pride for being able to face my fear and actually trapeze! One of the guys watching from below took some pictures, so they will be posted later.

After that exciting moment (that my friends all got to witness), we headed to lunch which is probably the best meal at Club Getaway, just because of the sheer variety of foods and desserts that we can choose from. There is pizza, taco bar, many different and delicious types of bread, turkey and stuffing, pastas, and so much more. As for dessert, there is ice cream (of course), a chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows, cookies & cakes galore.

So after lunch, I was all prepared to do water skiing, swimming in the lake, slip n slide but nature had other plans for us… It started to rain again! So we headed to the Boathouse where there were a slew of activities. I played some poker, then Flip Cup which I’m quite good at – and it was a great way to meet some cool people. Then, my friend and I joined in a fun game that was a bit revealing but all in good fun.

The weather started to get better later in the afternoon, so my friend and I went down to the lake to do the Pontoon boat ride, and I got my very delicious non-alcoholic Mudslide drink. The boat ride was nice, if a bit on the slow side but with beautiful views and a relaxing feel.

I was a little upset though because I missed one of my favorite activities, karaoke which took place in a different location than usual. I had really wanted to sing my favorite duet, “Summer Nights” with Ajax (who actually remembered me from last year’s Club Getaway weekends!)

Dinner was nice- With all of my roommates together, and getting to meet some new guys. There was salad, roasted potatoes, huge pieces of broccoli, chicken (again!) but was seasoned quite well, and beef which was delightfully tender and full of flavor.

Right after dinner, we enjoyed and danced to the music of live band, Radio Riot. They played some really great songs, like my absolute favorite, “Jessie’s Girl” and “Rolling in the Deep.” I went up to dance in the front, with a bunch of different groups, singing along, jumping high, and generally having a good time.

After the live music, my roommates and I headed back to our cabin to get ready for the End of the World party. I wore my pretty black dress with colorful flowers on them, green glitter, nude sparkly lips and silver platform sandals. The party was rocking with great music & beats when we got there, but was entirely too hot and stuffy inside.

So we found some mutual friends, and hung around outside for awhile. As soon as we saw they were setting up for the campfire, we went down there right away to get good seats around the fire. S’mores (mmmm) are my other favorite meal at Club Getaway… Perfectly melted burnt marshmallows with sweet chocolate and graham crackers.

I also loved hearing and singing along with Dave and his guitar, doing such favorites as “Bye Bye Miss American Pie” and “Cecilia.” We stayed by the campfire for quite awhile, then rejoined the End of the World party at the Boathouse and ended the night by the campfire.

Sunday dawned bright and early, felt much harder to wake up but we managed to get up early enough to be the first few in line for the ever popular omelets that are made right in front of our eyes. I had ham, peppers, onion, and cheese in my omelet and also grabbed a little waffle, which is another popular breakfast staple, along with bacon, hash browns, and strawberries.

I knew I wanted to spend time in the lake, since I didn’t get the chance yesterday (as it was raining most of the day). I also wanted to try water skiing, even though I should’ve taken that time to do arts & crafts or archery because I ended up spending quite a bit of time just waiting for my turn to water ski and when it finally came, I wasn’t able to do it for very long until it started raining again…

At least I got a ride in the water ski boat, and then went to swim in the lake.
I went up on the floating trampoline and managed to climb all the way to the top of the slide, thanks to a really sweet guy, and we slid down together, holding hands. It was a bit scary, since it was so high up but totally worth it.

After that, I wanted to just chill at Lakeside Live, but went into the Boathouse where they were starting “Wild & Crazy Game Show” which I just had to be a part of… We were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle team and did pretty well. Some of what we had to do: Have 1 team member wrap up the rest of us with toilet paper, and we won for being done first. Then there was the crazy building a wobbly cup tower, while one team member tries to bounce the ping pong ball into the cup (being held by another teammate) & each subsequent time, place the cup with the ball in it underneath. We won that round as well. Ultimately, we got 3rd Place- Not bad.

Then it was lunch time, and it came right on time. There was so much to choose from- Stuffed salmon, baked potato bar, pizza, chicken soft taco, pesto pasta, sweet fried chicken, and so on.

After eating, I said my goodbyes to the people I had met, and my friends and I made our way out. And I got a ride to my apartment, which was much needed as I quite tired, with a headache and stomachache… Too much fun and good food, I guess!

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July 26, 2012 · 10:55 pm

French Macaron Baking 101

Over the weekend, I took a Macaron Baking 101 class, of the French variety (not the coconut kind) through Skillshare, taught by the very sweet and very knowledgeable Kristen Joerger. It was a bit of a long and involved process, but I love these cookies so much that it didn’t seem like it.

We started with making the filling, splitting up into two groups. I was on the chocolate ganache team, while the others made a blackberry buttercream filling. The chocolate filling was the easier of the two – We weighed out the chocolate (we used grams in this particular recipe, because Kristen believes it’s more accurate), poured the hot heavy cream a little at a time into the chocolate, gently whisking in between. After letting the chocolate mixture cool to a comfortable temperature, add the butter and let cool in the refrigerator. And voila, you have your chocolate ganache!

Then we started on the French Macaron shells. For this we combined almond flour, powdered sugar, egg whites and cocoa to color the shells brown. We had to sift through the mixture to ensure there were no large clumps. Then for the meringue, we whipped egg whites (on high speed) in a mixer, and quickly added hot sugar water to it. It was kind of cool to watch the mixture thicken, and transform into a marshmallow-fluff consistency.

The next step was to fold the meringue (1/3 at a time)  into the almond/powdered sugar mixture in big sweeping motions. It is ready when everything is completely incorporated and the batter runs in a slow, thick ribbon off the spatula.

Fill a pastry bag with the macaron batter, and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Then start piping the macaron shells, by holding the pastry bag at about 90 degrees to the sheet and pipe straight down, cutting off the shell when your circle is about an inch. Below, are the purple macaron shells for the blackberry buttercream filling.

Let the piped macaron shells rest until they no longer stick to your finger when you lightly touch the top of them, which takes about 10-20 minutes. Next, bake them in a pre-heated oven, at 325 F for about 12 minutes. Make sure to turn the pan halfway through. They are done when you lightly tap them and they don’t move too much. Once out of the oven, carefully twist the macaron shells off the parchment and let the shells cool completely before filling.

 

Here is a recipe for the Macaron Shell, taken from Gourmet or Gourmand:

  • 1 1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3 egg whites at room temperature
  • 3 Tb. granulated sugar
  • pinch of cream of tartar
  • coloring: only powder or gel
  1. Blend the confectioner’s sugar and the almond flour in a food processor.
  2. Begin to whip the egg whites in a stand mixer until they start to froth. Add a pinch of cream of tartar, and as they foam up more gradually add the granulated sugar. Beat until stiff.
  3. Add the almond mixture to the egg white mixture and fold until the mixture begins to flow “like magma”. I would say this will take about 40 – 60 turns of the spatula.
  4. Fill pastry bag fitted with 1/4 ” tip and make 1 inch mounds on cookie sheets lined with parchment. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.
  5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.

And the recipe for Chocolate Ganache Filling, from Chow:

  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), at room temperature and cut into cubes
  1. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl.
  2. Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to boil. Stir it into the chocolate without creating bubbles. Let sit for 1 minute.
  3. Add the butter and stir until smooth.
  4. Chill in the refrigerator until thickened but still spreadable, about 30 minutes.

To assemble:

Pair macarons of similar size. Remove the ganache from the refrigerator. If you choose to pipe the ganache, transfer it to a resealable plastic bag and snip about a 1/2 inch off a bottom corner. Squeeze or scoop the ganache to about the size of a cherry (about 1 teaspoon) onto the center of a macaron half.

 

Our French Macarons came out wonderfully. We got to take home a bunch of French Macaron cookies to enjoy later, and of course I sampled some on the spot. Delicious, perfectly chewy and sweet with great flavor!

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July 24, 2012 · 3:06 pm

Midnight Brunch


Living in the city that never sleeps, there’s no surprise that we have events like Midnight Brunch.  Midnight Brunch is a rogue dinner party that happens in the middle of the night, featuring exotic food and craft cocktails, and hosted by the lovely Emily Cavalier.

Last week’s particular edition was sponsored by KitchenAid for Cooks for the Cure, which is an initiative that brings folks across the country together to host potlucks, in order to raise money to fund breast cancer research.

The Midnight Brunch menu was French-inspired and featured hors d’oeuvres, main course, dessert and specialty cocktails, two of them bright pink in honor of breast cancer awareness. One of the drinks was “Low Tide” which consisted of hibiscus-infused Tito’s Vodka, homemade lemongrass syrup, fresh lime juice and tonic.

As for the hors d’oeuvres, there were cream cheese deviled eggs and pissaladiere nicoises, which I helped make (mini caramelized onion tarts with nicoise olives). Both were savory, tasty and delightful in their own way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The amuse bouche mini parfaits in shot glasses, full of organic French Vanilla yogurt, granola and strawberry jam. The parfaits were simply delicious and temptingly sweet.

The main course was french toast bread pudding, with spiced pear sauce and a side of spinach salad with strawberry slices. The french toast was so thick and delectable, and the sauce warm, gooey and the perfect companion.

For dessert, we had lemon bars with thyme, which were so yummy! It was perfect for a warm summer day- Light, fresh, full of flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.

The next Midnight Event is Friday, August 10, 2012 in Brooklyn. To join the invitation list, complete the form at the bottom of the page, here or email emily@mouthoftheborder.com

Below is the recipe for the delightful lemon bars, by Cathy Erway :

 

Lemon Thyme Bars
(makes about 24)

for the crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons thyme leaves

for the custard
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
finely grated zest from the 3 lemons
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1-2 tablespoons thyme leaves for garnish

To make the crust, combine the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or cut in butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press mixture into a slightly greased 9 x 13″ casserole. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and flour and gently beat with a fork until there are no lumps. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Pour mixture on top of the baked crust and return to the oven to bake at 350 degrees for another 15 minutes, or until the top has just set. Let cool completely. For neatest results when cutting, cover and chill at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares. Sprinkle tops with thyme for garnish.

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July 21, 2012 · 2:47 pm

Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse & Newsadoozies

This past week my friend and I went to Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse for Summer Restaurant Week, which just started July 16. Michael Jordan’s is nestled in Grand Central and a nice little spot. They had a tantalizing RW menu, and we even tried one of the appetizers: the garlic bread gorgonzola fondue, which was as rich and     tempting as it sounds. The gorgonzola could’ve been thicker and warmer though.

As my appetizer, I chose the heart of palm salad with goat cheese. The vegetable was fresh and delicious, not too hard and not too soft. And it was a hearty portion. The main course was Filet Mignon in a gorgonzola sauce, along with truffle mashed potatoes. I also got to try my friend’s side order of asparagus. All of this was completely wonderful. The Filet Mignon was seasoned and full of great flavor, as well as crisped just the way it should be. The asparagus were bright green, crunchy, fresh and the mashed potato perfectly whipped.

The dessert was “Fat Boy” chocolate cake, hopefully not actually a descriptive for the person who ate it… This was a multi-layered chocolate cake with chocolate creme in between the layers and a darker chocolate topping, which was my favorite part. It was delectable, without being too sweet.

After eating my friend and I hopped in a cab to see Newsadoozies, a short comedic musical that our mutual acquaintance  co-wrote and plays the piano for! It was quite exciting and being shown at Upright Citizen’s Brigade, which is a little theater that shows lots of independent-type performances.

We sat in the front seat, center and it was thoroughly enjoyable. It’s a spoof on Broadway show, “Newsies” and “chronicles the news boys of New York City in their adventures of selling newspapers, finding love, and getting eaten by the members of an ancient evil cannibalistic sex cult.” The story was hilarious, unique, modern and a pleasure to watch. The songs and dance moves were creative, fun and well done. Plus, the Newsboys were all British, which made them undeniably more sexy and irresistible. I liked Cripply, a handsome Newsboy on crutches, with intense blue eyes and a sweet heart. There was also Smacky, cute and boyish with long hair, but also a drug addicted schizophrenic.

In the middle of all the crazy antics of the cult, newsboys, & energetic dance moves, there’s a bit of a love story between Cripply and a pretty but idiotic daughter. It’s a bit of innocence in the midst of the very adult themes. All in all, a great show!

I had a really enjoyable night out on the town!

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July 17, 2012 · 12:44 pm

Niagara Falls Weekend


This past weekend, I went with some friends to Niagara Falls on the Canada side. We stayed at my friend’s home Upstate  in the country for the trip, which was nice and comfortable-  A nice place to relax during our downtime.


While Upstate, we explored the town and woods, did some shopping, went out to eat, had ice cream, spotted a variety of animals, from deer (even baby deer) to horses. We even did a scary movie night one dark evening, enjoyed with with cheese and crackers.

Of course the highlight of the trip was visiting Niagara Falls on the Canada side for my first time ever! It was awe-inspiring, spectacular, gorgeous and incredible. We got sprayed by the mist as we walked along side it and then made our way to the Skylon Restaurant…

We went to the top of the Skylon Restaurant, which is revolving, and got to see some amazing views of Niagara Falls (pictured below) and Ontario from all sides. It felt so exciting to be on the top floor, and truly enjoyed the experience of being in such a nice restaurant with that breathtaking view.

I had the special, baby back ribs with sweet potato fries. The ribs were succulent, tender, perfectly seasoned with lots of yummy sauce. And the sweet potato fries were also tasty, sweet and crisped just the right amount.

After the meal, we went up a couple more flights to the Observation Deck where we got some more beautiful views of Niagara Falls. Then we purchased the group picture of us, and got to pick one of the lovely Niagara Falls background- I went for the night view of the Falls.

Next was the Maid of the Mist boat tour (pictured below). It was torture having to wait for the next boat in that hot sticky humid weather, but we finally were able to get on and rushed to the upper deck. It was standing room only, and as we got up there and felt that  cool breeze, we felt better. Soon we were on our way and loved feeling the wind and water. The boat went right into the middle of the Falls, which was just wonderful, getting to see the waterfall up close (we even spotted a rainbow!) and being sprayed by the refreshing water mist.


When we were done with the boat ride, we continued to walk along the Falls, enjoyed the view from a park and slowly made our way back to the car. It was such an exciting and fun day!

We had a day to relax from our trip, then took Monday to drive back to NYC. Along the way, we stopped at Cracker Barrel Country Store- A restaurant, as well as a shop with tons of old time novelty candy, bath & body products, DVD’s and other fun treats.

For lunch, I had the fried cat fish, which came with warm homemade corn bread, as well as 3 sides: Whole kernel corn, mac & cheese and hash brown casserole. As well as hush puppies, which were delicious. Everything was so good- and you could tell it was all homemade, and filled with lots of fresh flavor and butter.

After eating, I did some candy shopping in the Old Country Store and picked up caramel apple sugar babies, Mary Janes, old fashioned sour cherry, Now & Laters, Moon Pies.  Can’t wait to enjoy them!

I had an amazing time this past weekend, and finally got to see and experience Niagara Falls in all its glory!

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July 10, 2012 · 12:20 am

River Tubing Day


This past weekend I took a trip to Pennsylvania for River Tubing (my first time) in the Delaware River. I got to river tube with the two very good looking guides. It was a fun day of telling stories, laughing it up, singing pop songs, and relaxing in the cool water, under the warm sun. The river itself was quite lazy, but there were patches of more rapid areas which felt nice to go down.

Though I got stuck in the rapids at one point, when my inner tube disconnected from the guides and couldn’t paddle back to them so I stood up and walked back toward them. On the way, I hit my knee on a rock but it didn’t actually hurt much.

After 3 hours of river tubing we headed back on the bus and were taken into Doylestown, PA for pub party and BBQ buffet. The bar was hoppin’ with loud club music and the food was quite good: BBQ chicken, pulled pork, pasta salad, potato salad, corn bread.

When finished with the meal, I went with a couple new friends to explore the little town for a bit. We stopped at an old-fashioned ice cream shop for dessert. I got dulce de leche and expresso chip on a small waffle cone. It was a dripping mess but a delectable and delicious sweet mess.

We also happened upon a really cute shopping market and enjoyed Olive Oil Etcetera, which had a variety of olive oils, pasta, bath & body products and much more. I picked up Extra Virgin Olive Oil luxury soap in Lemongrass-Rasemary scent, which smells soo good and feels perfectly soft.

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