September 28, 2012 · 12:42 am

Day At The Botanical Gardens

This past weekend, I went on a date that started off with brunch at Pershing Square, the bustling Midtown restaurant right across the street from Grand Central (and underneath the Park Avenue Viaduct). This lovely restaurant was roomy, with a wonderful energy and surprisingly comfortable. Also, loved that it was quiet enough to have an intimate conversation, while businessmen, tourists and locals all shared the same space.

I had the steak and eggs (any style you wish), which came with home fries and toast. The meal was delicious. I loved the peppery taste of the steak, which was quite juicy and well done. The crispy potatoes were well seasoned. The eggs, which I ordered fried and cooked completely were a bit flat and not as flavorful as it could’ve been. But overall a great meal to start the day.

We then headed to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx by way of Metro North. A truly vast, beautiful space with so much to see. Upon entering, we checked out the gorgeous and magnificent building (that housed Monet’s Paintings & Photographs), with an intricate fountain of mermaids and sea creatures in front. It was reminiscent of fountains in the piazzas of Italy… Okay, not quite, but close.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued on to see interesting statues, grassy lawns, rock formations, different types of trees, colorful bushes and plants then came to the elegant Haupt Conservatory which was home to many beautiful and exotic plants, flowers and displays of bridges, water, fountains, trees, ivy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside of the conservatory was something of a Monet Garden with different colored flowers of pale pink, violet, lavender, yellow and huge green lily pads covered the surface, as well as some golden koi fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked through high ceiling-ed gardens, roses, the children’s garden filled with carved pumpkins and came across a bridge that led to a sort of gazebo near a larger body of water covered with green moss. Then a quiet tree-lined area and after that took a free trolley tour around the rest of the Botanical Gardens, which was quite fun and as an added bonus, learned some interesting facts about the Gardens. Overall, a wonderful afternoon and lovely experience.

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September 24, 2012 · 11:23 pm

Club Getaway Classic


A couple weekends ago, I had the pleasure of attending Club Getaway. It was perfect, weather wise (and in almost every other way as well) – Not too hot and not too chilly. I managed to pack in tons of activities, while making great friends along the way.

I did the zip line; cooking class on making apple fritters (which were delicious, especially with the cinnamon & sugar mix); archery (I finally managed to get the hang of it after several initial tries); arts & crafts (we painted tumblers- I decorated mine with hearts in hot pink, silver, blue) ; swimming and playing in the lack (a bit cold at this time of year) ; slip n slide; outdoor karaoke (of course I sang “Summer Nights” with Ajax, which has become a tradition now); rocking out to live music by Occasional Sunday; dance party; campfire with s’mores and a guitarist/sing-a-long. And that was just Saturday!

We had quite a feast during meals, with sit down dinners and buffet lunches. The lunches were the best just because of the sheer number of options. There were sub sandwiches, ribs, chicken, turkey, sweet potato, stuffing, different types of pizza and bread, fajitas, and a plethora of delectable desserts- from fruit tarts, to cheesecakes, to ice cream, to Napoleons, to chocolate cakes, to cookies, to red velvet cake and strawberry shortcake. There is even a chocolate fountain with marshmallows, rice crispy treats, strawberries and other fruits to dip in it. As for dinner, Saturday night is the best, complete with salad, veggies and rice, chicken and beef in an amazing tasty sauce.

Sunday, we woke up super early to sign up for activities. The first one was spelunking (caving), which was off-site. We took a bus to the location, walked a bit in the woods then came to Tory’s Cave- a small cave with one main room and two smaller rooms that you have to shimmy through tunnels to get into. It was pretty awesome, and I loved seeing the marble covered interior and sparkling mica or fool’s gold all over the walls.

After spelunking, I went on a hike to Bulls Bridge- Also off-site. It was not a bad walk- along a stream with waterfalls, going uphill but just slightly. We got to the bridge and hung out along the water, taking in the beautiful woodsy view and relaxing, dipping our feet in the cool, clear water.

We got back to the camp grounds just before lunch and after eating, headed back into Manhattan on the Club Getaway bus. I would recommend Club Getaway to anyone… I always have such an amazing experience and cannot wait to see what next year entails!

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September 13, 2012 · 12:19 am

Nonna’s Italian Chef’s Tasting Menu

I had heard about the 5-course tasting menu at Nonna’s Italian Restaurant and wanted to try it out, so I jumped at the chance to help host a Rotating Dinner there, featuring Nonna’s Italian Chef’s 5-Course Tasting Menu, with Random Events and New York Social Network. It was a pleasant experience and I enjoyed getting to know different people throughout the meal.

We started off with something called rice balls, which look like spaghetti meatballs but are much better. The rice balls are deep fried in a red sauce with mozzerella cheese sprinkled on top, with risotto (rice with peas and melted cheese) inside. These were soo good: Full of flavor, crispy and melt in your mouth delicious.


Next came Cesar salad and a plate of meat and vegetables. The salad was just okay, nothing to write home about, though the accompanying little cheese balls on the side were quite good. The plate of assorted meats and vegetables was lovely- Bright, colorful, fresh and came with carrots, olives, peppers, artichoke, tomato, cauliflower, a whole head of garlic, cheese and prosciutto.

After that was the pasta dish. I had the pappardalle with mushroom sauce and truffle butter. Although the description made my mouth water, the actual dish wasn’t delectable as anticipated. Though the pasta was well made, the sauce wasn’t flavorful enough.

For the main course, I had gotten the cod with some sort of white bean underneath. The cod was light and flaky, with just a the right amount of crispiness and complementary seasoning. The white beans came with a delightful sauce.


I had my dessert with coffee (included). To our utter delights, we were given 2 desserts: Zeppoli and Tiramisu. The zeppoli is fried dough balls with a honey sauce, with powdered sugar on top. They were just okay next to the Tiramisu, which was simply divine. Perfectly melded tastes of coffee, expresso, marsepone cheese, whipped cream and a sweet egg yolk mixture. The tiramisu was both light and creamy, sweet but not overly so and just melted in your mouth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, quite an Italian feast with good service and great company!

 

Address: 520 Columbus Avenue

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September 11, 2012 · 4:22 pm

Never Forget 9/11

We will never forget…  We remember all the families and friends that lost love ones. We remember  all the first responders that made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty


“Through blurred eyes we find the strength and courage to soar beyond the moment. We look to the future knowing we can never forget the past.  God Bless America.”

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September 5, 2012 · 11:03 pm

LivingSocial Adventures Camp

I enjoyed a whirlwind of activities this past weekend at Island Lake Camp in Starrucca, PA, with LivingSocial folks. I was a little bit unsure about the camp at first, and upset that I had to bring my own bedding and towel, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. And happy to get some LivingSocial swag, such as an orange tin water bottle, a big blue towel, lip balm, sunglasses, etc.

I met so many new friends, both male and female, and found it incredibly easy to start conversations and loved the college-like friendly & wild feeling that permeated the whole weekend…

There were shirtless men; stripping; raucous games of Jenga (& late night Jenga on the tennis courts) and Apples to Apples; self defense class; hiking in the beautiful wilderness; arts and crafts (where I made a pink Strawberry Shortcake inspired oven mitt); bonfire and delicious s’mores; crazy dance parties; pool and water slide; slip ‘n’ slide on the grassy quad between our cabins; movie night of Dodgeball and much more.

The food was mediocre, but bearable, with lunches being probably the best meal out of all of them. French toast, eggs, bacon, chocolate pancakes were served at breakfasts. For lunches, we had grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken tenders, mac and cheese, more pasta. Dinner time, we had chicken fajita, chicken parmigiana, pastas, and outdoor grill on the last night of hamburgers, hot dogs and sausages. I did enjoy desserts though: Oreo cheesecake, soft chocolate chip cookies and cannolis.

And the Sunday night fireworks show was the most amazing display I have ever seen. We all sprawled out on the lawn in front of the swimming pool and one second we’re all gabbing away, and the next second a frighteningly loud booming sound interrupts us… The fireworks were so, so close, bursts of bright color and explosions of light, dissolving into glitter in the night sky. It was truly beautiful. We kept thinking it was over, then more would come, to end in a spectacular finale.

After the fireworks, we proceeded into the dining hall to enjoy the best karaoke concert/dance extravaganza ever! I started off singing “Summer Nights” with one of the very cute LivingSocial staff, which was great fun and such a sweet song to sing. Others continued with awesome performances of songs like “Wannabe,” “Bye Bye Bye,” “No Scrubs” and so much more. My group of friends and I did “What’s Love Got to Do With It” – We called ourselves Kathy and the Dreamers… Pretty awesome to have my own band!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And my favorite boy band of the night, showing massive amounts of bro-love…

After karaoke, we spent the next few hours on the dance floor where I danced it up like crazy with a bunch of different guys, including one of the hot strippers from earlier on.

Leaving on Monday morning was such sweet sorrow, but at least I got to see almost everyone I wanted to at breakfast. My friends and I picked a bus that wasn’t completely full, so that we could all have window seats and I stayed up to watch “Parent Trap” (the version with Lindsay Lohan, when she was actually good), which is a great camp movie — and it made me cry at the end.

So maybe there weren’t as many activities or as much great food (compared to Club Getaway), but the people, fun and craziness (so crazy that I lost my voice!) made it well worth it. These memories and friendships (well, hopefully) will last a lifetime!

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August 31, 2012 · 10:38 am

US Open


I managed to get discount tickets to the US Open and went for the first time this past week. And what a beautiful night it was! We were seated up high in section 311, which was actually quite a good view.

The first game was Maria Sharapova versus L. Dominguez and it was really not a fair match because Sharapova was so much better. She definitely dominated the tennis court and looked beautiful doing it. Afterwards, there was a short interview with Sharapova, and she was both engaging and charming.

Next was Olympic Medalist, Andy Murray versus Ivan Dodig. They were better matched, thus this game was more exciting, but Murray reigned superior, as expected.

I had a wonderful time! Really loved being able to witness the games live, and being so close to the action!

 

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August 28, 2012 · 2:36 pm

Splish Splash & Parasailing


This past weekend was a whirlwind of water fun!

Saturday I spent the day at Splish Splash, Long Island’s premier water park. We started off with a simple ride – Two long yellow water slides and I took the one to the left, since apparently that was the “easier” of the two.  It wasn’t bad, but I closed my eyes the whole time. Instead of it being a free fall, there were two major curves that I went over super fast, and definitely made me scream.

The next ride was not scary at all, called Lazy River, in which you relax on a water tube and go through the length of it at your own pace. There are certain spots that have cold water spraying at you, which was refreshing and enjoyable.

After that we tried the Jurassic Park themed dinosaur ride, which I was a little apprehensive about going on, but agreed to do it after my friend said she’d do it with me in the double inner tube. It turned out to be much fun, and then we went to the Surf City area where there was a pool with simulated waves. That was pretty chill and enjoyed being in the waves, bopping to the loud music.

The next ride we did had a super long ride and looked a bit scary- It was inside a tunnel and complete darkness, but wasn’t so bad.

We took a break for lunch, and have to say was very upset that the Grill and ice cream truck were both there just for show. We shared Johnny  Rocket’s burger and fries meal, as well as our own mixed chocolate and vanilla shake.

After that was another scary looking ride that was quite high up and quite windy; I was most worried about the midsection, where we would be spun around. When I got up there I almost chickened out, but watched others go before me and it didn’t look so bad, so I did it. It turned out to be all good fun.

The park was close to closing at this point, but we managed to fit in two more rides. One of them was a little scary when I looked at it, but turned out to be not a problem an the last one, “Shotgun Falls,” was simply high powered short water slides that propel you into 10 feet deep water. That was all right, but since the lady didn’t have me take my flip flops off, one of the straps broke.

After we finally got out of the Splish Splash parking lot, we headed to a Japanese restaurant, Sakura something…  It was tucked away in the corner of a strip mall, so we weren’t sure about the quality of it, but was actually quite nice. We decided to get Hibachi grill, so the chefs gave us a show and cooked in front of us.

I had ordered the combination of chicken and salmon. The meal came with soup, salad, fried rice, vegetables, shrimp and the meat. Everything smelled great, looked delicious and was very filling- large poritons. The chicken, however, was a bit too chewy and had a weird texture but the salmon with sauce was simply wonderful.

Sunday it was Parasailing and Beach Day in Ocean City, NJ with my friend and a bunch of new friends. I got picked up at home, which was really nice especially since we had to leave early in the morning.

We got to the Parasailing place right on time and rode a boat to the middle of the ocean and prepared to take off from the back of the boat. We got attached (two of us at a time) to a large yellow parachute and the boat took off, allowing us to be carried up high into the air (500 feet).

It was amazing feeling- I loved being up so high and being able to see that beautiful view. I just didn’t like it when the wind made us turn a  bit, but overall was a very gentle, relaxing ride. I liked when we were being lowered, and loved being dipped into the water. Such an exhilarating time! Except that I went twice because there was an odd number in our group, and during the last half of the second time, I got a little queasy but the first time was so great.

After Parasailing, we headed to a nearby seafood restaurant. Since my stomach was still a little weak, I got the chicken fingers- They allowed me to order from the children’s menu so it came with fries and applesauce. I was able to eat maybe half of it, and one of the guys actually paid for it for me to make me feel better. That was such a thoughtful gesture!

We then headed to nearby Ocean City Beach for the remainder of the afternoon, and I spent the entire time in the ocean- Swimming in the waves, splashing around in the water. It was wonderful and loved the feeling of the cool spray.

Then, started our journey back to Queens, and ended our day at A Taste of Shanghai restaurant in Flushing. It was definitely good to go with people who know what to order. We started with crab meat soup dumplings (or Xiao Lon Bao) and pan fried pork buns. The soup dumplings were just okay- They weren’t really juicy enough for me, and the meat didn’t taste like crab. Also, I’ve been spoiled by real soup dumplings in Shanghai, China. The pork buns were very tasty though.

We then shared several dishes. First came the soup with fish, pickled vegetable and see through glass noodles, which was quite good with plenty of fish. We also had a couple of side dishes:  Potato slices were okay, but really plain and bok choy with tofu was decent- Very fresh.

The main dishes were better: Pork Shoulder and whole fish. The pork shoulder was a huge piece of meat, with the skin on the outside. Delicious meat bathed in a delightful sauce was tender and flavorful. The whole crispy fish was mouthwatering — In sweet and sour sauce, and had a topping of shrimp, peas, carrots and pine nuts. Fresh and perfectly crisped, the fish meat was light and yummy.

And since we shared everything, our meal was quite affordable. What a wonderful end to a wonderful & full weekend!

 

Address: 39-07 Prince St, #1 in Flushing, Queens

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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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