Be Happy NYC

Palisades Interstate Park - Toddler Hiking!

2014-06-18T14:37:00.000-04:00

The George Washington bridge has always had a special place in my heart. Growing up once you crossed the bridge you were just 10 minutes away from home and so the bridge always felt like home to me. I even walked across it in the early '90s with my parents (something I hope to do with my kids someday!)

(picture credit - NYTimes)

When I came across a picture like this online, I knew I had to visit the Palisades Interstate Park. There are 2 main trails with people running, walking, riding bikes, etc. There are different areas to visit each with different attractions (BBQ, playgrounds, boat basins).

We parked in the Englewood Picnic Area and did the Dyckman Hill Trail (yellow blaze). It was very short but beautiful. We passed waterfalls, old stone structures and ended at a beautiful lookout of the GWB.

It was such a fun activity! Next time we will bring a cooler and enjoy a picnic as well. It will be beautiful to visit in the fall. I can't wait to go back!

Brooklyn with Babies - Brunch & Carousels

2014-06-03T12:43:00.002-04:00

One of my best friends lives in Carroll Gardens and it's always so nice to visit her. This section of Brooklyn is completely walkable and filled to the brim with adorable shops and fantastic dining options. Day trips are my favorite!

This trip we specifically came to meet up with a former co-worker and their precious baby girl. We started the day with brunch at Seersucker. It's important to me that a restaurant takes reservations and Seersucker is on opentable! Even better, when we had to push back the time by 30 minutes they were so accomodating and friendly over the phone. A+ service! The food was fantastic. I indulged in fried oysters and poached eggs and it was DIVINE! They served a very generous portion of 6-7 large oysters fried and eggs poached to perfection. My husband has the fried chicken and didn't live a lick on his plate! Our friends enjoyed their dishes and we all imbibed in some yummy brunch cocktails. (sorry no photos! brunch with a baby and toddler doesn't leave much "hands-free" time!)

Next, we took a very long stroll (upon my insistence) to Brooklyn Bridge Park. It's truly incredible to see this area of Brooklyn transformed in the past few years. The piers have amazing little nooks and crannies for kids of all ages.

Playgrounds GALORE (including swings, a playground for crawlers, sandbox, etc!)
Picnic areas and places to BBQ
Dog Runs
Handball
Bocce
Basketball
Soccer
Volleyball

We brought a blanket and just laid out for a while as N napped and their little girl entertained herself sitting up and being adorable. My favorite part of the entire area is the carousel. Jane's Carousel is stunning, completely encased in glass and just magical. N is now REALLY into carousel's and I was so excited to go for a ride!

Such a stunning backdrop of the skyline and bridges as we spend the afternoon relaxing!

After our walk back we decided to grab a quick bite before heading on the road back to NJ. Since pizza is a big hit with my boys I did a quick yelp search and found Claudine's. It was perfect! We sat outside in their backyard patio and had an early dinner of pizza & pasta. They were so sweet with N, all the employees went above and beyond to make us comfortable. The pizza was typical brick oven style and my pasta bolognese (Testaroli on the menu) was insanely good homemade pillowy ribbons of rich flavor.

We changed N into his PJs and hit the road just in time for him to fall asleep - I declare the day a BIG SUCCESS!

Boston Family Weekend - Toddler Edition

2014-05-18T22:38:00.001-04:00

Our Boston weekend was prompted by Avi's 10 year Law School Reunion. This was enough of an excuse for us both to revisit our stomping grounds. We truly had a phenomenal time!

We got a late start on Friday, May 2nd and hit the road around 3PM. After some traffic and 2 rest stops (we pulled over at a Babies'R'us in Connecticut which is awesome for their changing station and some last minute baby items!) we finally arrived around 8PM.

Avi and I were starving and decided sushi takeout would be our best option. We only get sushi from ONE PLACE when we come to Boston. Asahi Sushi (which is actually in Brighton) is where Avi came at least once a week while studying for the bar exam. He jokes he put the owners son through college :-) The owner, Long, and his wife run everything and the fish is very fresh. It's a tiny restaurant and sitting at the sushi bar or the one table are your only options.

(Pictured: N trying tuna sushi for the first time! I think he liked it! We don't intend to make sushi a regular part of his diet but this was super fresh and Long threw in the piece extra especially for baby!)

We stayed at Club Quarters downtown, it's not an obvious choice but we love it for it's great amenities and extremely spacious rooms with kitchenettes. We ate breakfast Saturday at Elephant & Castle downstairs. The food was incredibly average but we appreciated the large space and the fact that they sat us far away from other dining patrons!

(Pictured: Travel tip! Buy disposable place mats and bibs for eating at restaurants. We have this fantastic Feeder that keeps N busy at mealtime and lets us put any fruit/veggie in there for him to gnaw on!)

We spent the day Saturday visiting friends over in Kingston, MA. We had the most lovely time with them and their two beautiful boys. N can't wait to go back!

Saturday night was reunion time! Our sitter arrived early so we could get ready and off we went to the Prudential Center. The event was held at the Skywalk. We had a great time mingling and enjoying the view. We stayed until the very end and still had time before the sitter was due to go home so we decided to have some dessert/drinks nearby. We passed Max Brenner's and it was DEFINITELY a winner! We immediately sat at the bar and indulged in some cocktails and a shared dessert. It was a sweet ending to our night.

We woke up early Sunday (obviously - we have a baby - we never sleep "in") and decided to venture out for the best breakfast sandwiches Boston can offer. We went to Mike & Patty's in the lovely neighborhood of Bay Village. The sandwiches were truly AMAZING! Be warned - even with no line we still waited for 20 minutes for them to cook our sandwiches. It was worth it. I got "the fancy" and hubby got the breakfast grilled cheese. Both we quickly devoured and little N enjoyed eating some with us!

We kept on strolling after breakfast and wandered through Boston Common where N got to ride on a Carousel for the first time! He LOVED it!! The joy on his face (not pictured...) made my heart melt. There is something so magical about the pure joy from such simple pleasures.

(Of note - Boston Common is the first stop on the "Freedom Trail" if you wanted to do a historical walk through Boston)

Some other touristy options that we didn't take advantage of this weekend but have in the past:

Quincy Market / Faneuil Hall
Fenway Park- check out the Red Sox
New England Aquarium
Strolling down Newbury Street
Sampling yummy Italian food in the "North End"
Go on a Duck Tour! (we never did this but looks fun!)

We rounded out the weekend with a brunch at Stephi's on Tremont. Little N slept over 2 hours in his stroller while we dined outside. It was GLORIOUS. The food was delicious. We ordered blueberry pancakes and eggs Benedict (with pretzel crusted crab cake) to share and they brought everything out split already into 2 portions. I love when restaurants do that!

We drove off right when it started to rain, so glad it didn't rain on our weekend! We lucked out and got to see this lovely end-to-end double rainbow during our ride. I would highly recommend Boston for a short little getaway. Plenty to do with the little ones!

Almost 3 Years!

2014-05-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

It's been almost 3 years since my last post! I can't even begin to share everything - in summary I got pregnant, we moved to NJ, our son was born, we just celebrated his 1st birthday and now I am BACK!

I wanted to resurrect this blog and use it as a way to document some of our family adventures. You can expect trips to local parks in NJ, day trips in Upstate NY and around, weekends away and our big trip of the summer to France. I may also dabble in reviewing some restaurants again, we shall see.

Next post - our Boston weekend away!

Marea Review: Fine Dining in NYC

2011-07-12T17:09:00.000-04:00

I was overwhelmed with the notion of writing out this post. There is so much to describe about our lovely anniversary dinner at Marea.

We had a 9:15PM dinner reservation on Saturday, July 2nd. We arrived a few moments early and were asked to wait at the bar where we ordered some dirty vodka martinis to properly begin our evening.We barely had 2 sips before we were escorted to the sunken dining room to a great seat at the edge of the back row. I was sitting against the banquette and my husband was to my left, I love when we are close and not across the table-much more romantic and intimate for an anniversary dinner!

As a self-proclaimed *foodie* and part-time menu peruser I came in to this dinner with a game plan. On the menu itself is written: "Our Menu is Recommended as an $91 Four Course Prix Fixe" -- it sounded like too much food. I like to eat, but I know my limits. I also wanted items that weren't necessarily included or counted as upgrades. I had my husband order the Four Course Prix Fixe and I ordered a la carte.

Here is what we did:

Pre-course 1- The much acclaimed "RICCI" which is sea urchin, lardo, and sea salt. We are *huge* fans of sea urchin and I am constantly looking for restaurants that include this delicacy in inspired menu dishes. This crostini (eaten in 2 bites for me, 1 for my husband) was literally heaven in a marshmallow rolled up to melt on your tongue. The flavors of the sea urchin, very briny and silky, along with the lardo just added such a buttery level to this one bite. It would be sinister to eat more of it. I would come back to Marea, sit at the bar with a glass of wine and just order this, literally. {Please excuse the AWFUL picture quality, I tried to be relatively discreet}

Husband Course 1- For a $6 supplement to the Pre-Fixe you can have a tasting of three crudo. I thought it would definitely be worth it and we choose the following 3:

POLIPO octopus, chili oil, lemon, parsley
TONNO bigeye tuna, oyster crema, crispy artichokes
BRANZINO local striped bass, sturgeon caviar, mussel vinaigrette

The Polipo was our least favorite. I LOVE octopus, but I guess I really like it cooked, not raw. The Tonno was great, like going to a 1st class sushi establishment. Very delicious strong flavor. The Branzino was our absolute favorite by far. The sturgeon caviar added such an exquisite flavor to a rather delicate fish. I could have eaten an entire plate of the Tonno/Branzino.

* In between this time, an amuse bouche was served. It was some vegetable soup, apologies I can't remember. What I do remember is the chopped hazelnut in the amuse bouche after we EXPLICILTY told the waiter of a nut allergy. I was rather upset at this oversight but didn't let it ruin our dinner. Thank goodness we caught it before it was consumed. *

My appetizer - The ASTICE antipasti which is nova scotia lobster, burrata, eggplant al funghetto, and basil. This course came out with my husband's mid-pasta course. Great flow throughout the evening. The lobster was cooked perfectly, obviously. It was so so good, but really the star of this dish is the burrata cheese that is flown in daily from Italy. It's sort of like a VERY fresh mozzarella but EVEN BETTER and creamy. You could spread it like goat cheese with a fresh mozz flavor. Amazing.

Husband Course 2 - SPAGHETTI with crab, santa barbara sea urchin, basil. Again, our love for sea urchin came to play when ordering this dish. It gets rave reviews all over chowhound and the like so I figured we had to order it. We both really enjoyed the pasta but thought it was more "vodka sauce" vs. sea urchin in terms of flavor. The dish was super rich and definitely something to try but the crab was hard to spot. I wouldn't come running back for it, to my own shock.

* Here I would like to point out, other than the nut allergy MEGA misstep, service was impeccable. Water promptly refilled. Fresh bread basket would come around with a selection of amazing foccacia, whole wheat, regular breads. Wine order was promptly taken. Our waiter was very personable and had a lovely demeanor. *

Husband Course 3 - BRANZINO local striped bass, roasted eggplant, fava, grilled ramps, apricot mostarda. We both agreed this fish was cooked to pure perfection and melted once it hit your mouth. We also agreed that other than perfectly cooking the fish, it wasn't *that* special (considering the cost!).

My Entree - FUSILLI red wine braised octopus, bone marrow. Again, another acclaimed star food item all over the web, I had to order this baby as my main. I love octopus (especially cooked!) and love bone marrow. The dish was awesome. At this point I was already pretty full (I KNEW I WOULD BE!) and could barely finish but it was so delicious I kept stuffing myself. Very generous portion of octopus. The fusilli was al dente and absorbed all the bone marrow flavor. It was a very magical pasta dish, unlike any other I have ever seen.

Lastly, we ended up Husband Course 4 - CIOCCOLATO BIANCO E POMPELMO which is a white chocolate honey mousse, pine nut, grapefruit, basil. DESSERT HEAVEN! Probably one of the most creative and refreshing desserts I have ever had. The entire combination with the tangy/tart grapefruit and crisp basil with the oily pine nuts and white choc mousse - WOW. It was sweet but the grapefruit did a nice job of cutting that sweetness a bit. I still think about this dessert, that's how awesome it was! I also think it was very sweet of them to have a little candle for our anniversary. Just a cute little touch to make us feel special.

AFTER the dessert, came petite fours. We thought we were done - wrong! I forgot to snag a picture but they were very yummy. Some chocolate, some gelatin, all delicious!

As we were walking out they handed us a wrapped pastry. A muffin! How random & fun! We really enjoyed the sweet breakfast item the next day and got to relive our memories of a fantastic evening meal the night before.

Marea is highly recommended to celebrate that special occasion or to impress a special someone!

Happy 4th of July! Staycation NYC Style :-)

2011-07-06T10:53:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had an amazing Independence Day weekend. I spent the majority of yesterday still recovering from the shock of having to return to work after 4 days off!

July 4th is synonymous with our wedding anniversary

{ July 2, 2009 }

This year we celebrated 2 lovely years together! The traditional 2nd anniversary gift is cotton. The husband definitely WINS in the gift-giving department this year. He special ordered a turkish cotton robe with my married monogram (that I actually didn't have on anything, yet) in all my favorite colors, pink&purple! I am such a girl sometimes! I got him a cool Defenders of the Universe T-shirt :-)

Now, on to our STAYCATION CELEBRATION!

Friday - the *PLAN* was to head to Governor's Island and take advantage of their free bike rides on Fridays. Alas, work called and hubby had to tend to some client matters. I did yoga and napped. Not too shabby of a start to the weekend! Finally, at exactly 5:00 pm he officially proclaimed it was WEEKEND TIME and we promptly headed over to the Boat Basin for drinks. {picture from here}

After drinks we started to wander down the west side highway heading towards Tribeca to check out the new mini golf on Pier 25. We gave up on walking around 42nd street and took public transport the rest of the way. I need to give some attention to Pier 25 in general: sand volleyball court, plenty of lounge chairs for spectators, an awesome playground for young ones, a skate park, AND then mini golf?! WOW! At $5 a head mini golf prices were dirt cheap for Manhattan. We had SO MUCH FUN! It's a small but adorable course and definitely fun for kids and adults alike. Being on the pier, the backdrop is stunning -- especially during sunset. Lastly, we started wandering in search of food and came across the most adorable bistro, Il Mattone. Grilled calamari, brick oven pizza, and some white wine capped off a perfect evening.

Saturday - It was a gorgeous day with perfect weather. We rented a cabana at the Empire Hotel's rooftop pool deck. The cabana is great because you are guarenteed seats, regardless of when you arrive, you have a TV, private area, and a mini-fridge! I stocked that fridge up with some fun beers, cherries, grapes, and homemade sandwiches {marinated fresh mozz in basil/EVOO/balsamic on a fresh baguette bought that morning!} The pool itself at the hotel is TINY -- but serves its purpose of taking a quick dip to cool off from sunbathing 8-) {image taken from here}

Saturday evening - July 2 - we celebrated our anniversary with a romantic evening dinner at Marea. This will have to warrant a separate post as I made sure to take several pictures. It was definitely drool-worthy and delicious. Check back this week for that post!

Sunday - What horrible weather we had! What was supposed to be a beach day became a bum day! Bum = several hours of Netflix. We finally had a yummy sushi dinner and went to see Super 8. The night was salvaged but not the most exciting day. . .

Monday - BEACH DAY! With clear (albeit somewhat hazy) skies we headed to the Jersey Shore. Don't judge :-) Avon-by-the-Sea was our shore of choice as it's one of the closest beaches driving from the city. It's soooo picturesque and quaint with the old Victorian homes with large hydrangea bushes. The beach itself was crowded but not annoying at all. It is a very pleasant experience and I would definitely recommend for a day-trip (if you have access to a car!). Be prepared to pay $9 a head though - I don't know if this was holiday pricing but I thought it was a little steep!

Monday ended with an awesome extended family BBQ and catching fireworks through all the towns as we took the train back in to the city.

There are so many other fun *staycation* ideas I plan on sharing as the summer progresses!

What about you, readers? Anyone have any great staycation tips or suggestions?

Arriba Arriba: Mexican - Hell's Kitchen Style

2011-06-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I had the pleasure of eating at Arriba Arriba with my sister-in-law. We are both big Mexican food fans and her brother (my husband) is not. What better than to ditch him for a girl's night of guacamole and gossip girl?

I immediately loved the atmosphere that included cute waiters and great music! We started off with guacamole which is definitely standard. It wasn't prepared at the table good, but still satisfied. I ordered "Mama Burrito" for my entree which is a sundried tomato flour tortilla filed with broccoli, spinach, mushroom, rice, beans, cheese topped with enchilada sauce and sour cream served with pico de gallo, lettuce, and tomato- woah! I only ate half but not because it wasn't good, because it was HUGE! I loved all the flavors and the surplus of veggies. Made getting Mexican feel remotely more healthy :-)

My sister-in-law ordered the "Camarones Al Chipotle" which is sauteed shrimp dish with chipotle cream sauce. She took a risk and ordered based on the waiter's recommendation. I tried a bite and it was delicious. The cream sauce made it a little too heavy for her to be able to finish though. It was really good, and was definitely indulgent. Someone with a big appetite should try this one!

She has been to the restaurant several times and always has a great experience. If you catch yourself looking for Mexican in Hell's Kitchen, Arriba Arriba is your place!

Columbus Tavern UWS

2011-06-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

I had Columbus Tavern bookmarked as a new UWS addition to try. I was definitely excited when a group of friends decided to eat there.

I have mixed feelings. Let's get straight into the dishes.

Appetizers for the table were ordered and I was eager to try the "Blt" Dumplings. They were a miss. Let's put it this way: if I placed these in front of you than your thoughts would be "This is a decent fried wonton" but you would be unable to define the contents. There was no resemblance of "B" "L" or "T". I am sure it was there, but you could have fooled me! I also prefer to not eat fried dishes so I was a little put off as I didn't expect it to be fried.

We also had deviled eggs and artichoke hearts. The artichoke hearts were the best item of the three appetizers! The deviled eggs were too "mustardy" and just not that appetizing.

At this point I was losing confidence for my entree.

Alas, victory! I loved my mussels. I ordered the Red Curry Mussels and they had the perfect hints of curry and cilantro.

However, there was another "meh" moment. My husband's burger. The Brisket & Bone Marrow Burger sounded absolutely amazing. He said he couldn't taste brisket or bone marrow. I took a bite to confirm. It seems this burger has the same complex the "Blt" Dumplings had. They do not taste how they are described. Quite sneaky! It WAS a good burger. Not the best, not top 5 or anything. It just was not what was expected...again.

I probably would recommend to skip this place unless you are dying to try it out for yourself. There are better eats in the neighborhood!

Frank Pepe New Haven - CLAM PIES!

2011-06-26T12:47:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I love seafood. I am sorry Mom, but I do. It's probably my favorite food ever since I was introduced to crab legs circa 1991. ANOTHER favorite food of mine is PIZZA. So when I heard there was a pizza place in Connecticut that puts clams on a white pie I knew I would soon be on a mission.

One of my best friends, Maid of Honor at my wedding (I find this note establishes credibility in saying *best* friend) lives in Connecticut. We were college roommates/floormates but state lines keep us away longer stretches of time than I would like! When we visit her now we often take the train, but sometimes we drive. Over Memorial Day weekend we drove up and as we headed back earlyish on that Sunday I looked over to the hubby and was like "It's not even noon yet, how do you feel about pizza?" He knew EXACTLY what I was up to and happily obliged.

Off to Frank Pepe's in New Haven we were! We got there slightly after they opened for the day and had no problem scoring a table. We ordered the classic tomato pie with mozzerella and the clam pie (both size small). It was a feast! With leftovers!

Frank Pepe's in thin crust heaven. The clam pie with its garlic and briney sea flavors had me in pure food bliss. I could eat this pizza every day if my waist line would allow it! We *did* order a salad to make ourselves feel semi-healthy about this carb bonanza.

Apparently, there are several locations throughout Connecticut and even a Yonkers location. I do think I once read New Haven was the best though. They get my vote for sure!

If you catch yourself out of NYC and hankering for some delish pizza DEFINITELY give Frank Pepe's a try. A word of caution: get there early! As we were leaving the line was already out the door and on the street.

Bouchon Bakery - AMAZING Grilled Cheese

2011-06-23T18:38:00.000-04:00

On my first official "Summer Friday" (have I mentioned that I love my new job!?) I had a full fun-filled itinerary planned out. Amongst frolicking in Central Park and being a tourist on the row boats I had Bouchon Bakery lunch on my "must-do" list for a few simple reasons. Located in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle it is a nice long walk from our apartment through the park. However, more importantly, my husband LOVES grilled cheese. He eats it often and is quite critical. He's a grilled cheese purist opting not to taint the delishness with meats or vegetables and simply indulge on the cheese (even if the cheese is sometimes Kraft Singles-shame.)

We headed for what turned out to be quite a late lunch around 3pm (don't judge, it was my day off!) I figured "Heck, it's past noon, let's start drinking!" To celebrate Summer I ordered a glass of Rose and hubby got a beer. They brought out fantastic rolls that are baked on premises with softened butter. I ordered what I *thought* was the Roasted Butternut Squash only to be presented with SUMMER SQUASH. Oh the plight of a yuppie... regardless, the sandwich was great. I only was able to eat half. The mixed greens accompaniment was perfectly dressed.

My husband was obviously quite eager to order his grilled cheese and nearly had a heart-attack when he didn't see it listed under "Sandwiches" in the menu. Relax, relax - it's listed under "Soups" as it comes with a fantastic San Marzano tomato soup! I stole two bites of the sandwich (1 dipped in soup, 1 plain) and it was heavenly! I definitely see what the hype is all about! The key to any great dish is quality and when the ingredients used are all of high-quality and fresh then often you will have a success! The combination of fontina and gruyère cheese oozes out of perfectly buttered and grilled bread. This is simply a perfect lunch dish.

We skipped on desserts this time but I will definitely return for a macaroon in the future!

Was lunch cheap? No. Would you buy this $13 grilled cheese everyday? Of course not. This was a fun lunch to have together and I would actually definitely recommend for a business meeting setting. The location is relatively convenient for all being off the 1,A,B,C,D subway lines and the ambiance was really great - despite technically being in a "mall".

Daisy May's BBQ

2011-06-10T15:33:00.000-04:00

Last week, after watching The Daily Show live with the husband we were ready for some good eats. We originally planned to use one of my livingsocial coupons for a steak dinner but as we walked to the show we passed a piece of BBQ heaven - Daisy May's. One doesn't find themselves in the 40s/50s on 11th Avenue too often, so once we were here we knew we had to change our plans.

We are sure glad we did! Apparently, the beef rib (our personal FAVORITE) was on The Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate" show and our dining fate was confirmed.

For around $30 we got the beef rib and 2 sides. You read correctly, ONE beef rib. We SHARED it. We did NOT finish....

Behold:

As you can see, the ONE rib is the size of a standard cafeteria tray. HOLY MOLY was it delicious. Great sauce and seasonings, really well flavored and obviously cooked to perfection. You didn't need a knife. As for sides, we got the collard greens and mac & cheese. Both were too salty and unimpressive. Stick with the meat here!

Overall, I liked the atmosphere of "seat yourself" type community tables and relaxed service. There was a large group at the table behind us and they ordered an ENTIRE PIG. It was kind of gross to look at in that way...but if you're interested it was like $400ish and serves 12!

If you catch yourself WAY on the westside and have a hankering for no nonsense BBQ - definitely check out Daisy May's.

SUMMER FUN! Boat Basin UWS-Central Park-Fleet Week and MORE!

2011-06-07T21:20:00.000-04:00

I realize I haven't posted in over a week but I have been having SO.MUCH.FUN!

This summer sure is off to a great start - here's what we've been up to:

Memorial Day Weekend was spent celebrating college style with college friends.
FLEET WEEK in NYC!
A few spontaneous visits to The Boat Basin
Being in the studio audience of The Daily Show
Dinners with friends (to be blogged about soon!)
Rowboat in Central Park with my hubby
Movies - Bridesmaids in the Theater and Hot Tub Time Machine on Netflix!
Riding on a MOTORCYCLE with my Dad for the Israel Day Parade

I will leave you with some pics for now, check out my blog this week for some recent restaurant reviews!

stolen images from here, here, and here

Luke's Lobster UWS - DELISH!

2011-05-27T12:44:00.000-04:00

In honor of Memorial Day Weekend and this GORGEOUS weather let's talk about LOBSTER!

I am a sucker for a good lobster roll! As previously posted I am IN LOVE with Pearl Oyster Bar's lobster roll and will use any excuse to head down to my old block to grab one! Also, I recently tried the lobster sliders at Mermaid Inn and was pretty impressed (especially for the happy hour special price of $6).

So clearly, when I heard Luke's Lobster was coming to the Upper West Side, I got very very excited. Just a few short blocks away and we were in lobster heaven. We ordered quite a feast for ourselves:

The Noah's Ark – $40
"A meal of biblical proportions! Two half lobster rolls, two half crab rolls & two half shrimp rolls, Empress crab claws, chips and drinks. (It’s a Taste of Maine for TWO!)"

The lobster roll was really good. Not a lot of mayo at all compared to Pearl's super mayo roll! I wasn't too excited about the shrimp roll (it was good, just wouldn't get it again). My favorite - for the price - was the crab roll! I would totally come in and order one. Considering the picture shows *half rolls* I think the portions are rather generous.

I liked the laid back vibe of the location but be prepared, there is rather limited seating. They *do* deliver but with this warm weather I would opt to take out and dine in the park!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Moore Brothers: Rutgers Alumni Wine Tasting

2011-05-26T10:03:00.000-04:00

I attended a fun wine tasting event at Moore Brothers Wine Company Tuesday night. My husband is on the board of the Rutgers Club of New York City and he helped organize this event.

I had actually been at an event here a few years ago for my alma mater and thought it was great fun. Last night, the food was catered by Delectica and it was DELICIOUS! My most favorite was the crostini with apricot spread, cheese, and almond slivers- YUM!

The wines ranged from a sparkling to a deep red. I actually favored the Rose, which I normally despise. It was completely different than usual Rose with a fruity flavor but very dry. We bought a bottle!

Check out Moore Brothers for a local wine shop emphasizing on wine produced by humans, not robots :-)

Home Cooking! Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

2011-05-20T14:17:00.000-04:00

It's time for another post on homecooooking!

A recent favorite of mine (and my husband's!) are Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs. I actually got the recipe from Cooking Light Magazine so it's not even that bad for you! Here is a version of the recipe online from myrecipes.com - it's the same.

My favorite part is using chicken thighs, I am partial to dark meat (a recent discovery of mine) and it just holds up so much better than using breasts. I normally have most of the Asian ingredients in my pantry anyway so I like that I don't need to go out and buy anything specific for the recipe.

Some Asian ingredients the recipe calls for that I use in my cooking about once a week include:

Rice vinegar {great for homemade salad dressings, putting in stir-frys or homemade fried rice!}
Lower-sodium soy sauce {we use this when we order sushi takeout}
Dark sesame oil {GREAT for homemade fried rice or stir-frys}
Chile paste {I don't know which one I have, I bought it thinking it was something else but works well for this dish!}

I like to serve the chicken with some mashed potatoes, sauteed broccolini, and fresh salad. We recently had another couple over for dinner and we served this up with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

I love when you come across a *winner* recipe. This is a great dish I try to make every few weeks.

Kate Spade Online Sample Sale!

2011-05-17T15:05:00.000-04:00

I *love* Kate Spade products.

I have been trying to limit my purse shopping habit and despite REALLY wanting the Maryanne, I haven't purchased it. I know I don't need it and I use a very large bag for work on a daily basis so it wouldn't fit my needs. I just love how it has the Chanel Shopper look - without the Channel price tag...

Kate Spade is having their Sample Sale ONLINE now. I couldn't resist. I bought the wallet in HOT PINK :-) This purchase is justified seeing as my old wallet (of several years) is just too bulky for my daily needs and the "interim" wallet I have been using is not really that cute.

THIS is a cute wallet and very *me*

Head on over to their site now and grab yourself some GREAT deals! Happy Shopping!

Lombardi's: Classic NYC Pizza Downtown

2011-05-16T16:04:00.000-04:00

I went to Lombardi's for the first time to break Passover. I could not wait to get my hands on some leavened bread!

We were seated right away which was really great considering you always see people waiting in line around the corner for this place. My biggest gripe...cash only. I mean, come on, it's 2011 people! Who carries cash? I most certainly don't. Luckily, I did have some and we were able to enjoy a pitcher of beer and a delish pie.

I really enjoyed the pizza. To me, elements of a good pizza are QUALITY ingredients and you can tell Lombardi's uses the good stuff. The sauce was great, the cheese was not overpowering (which is perfect for me as I like a hint of cheese) and there was some basil for extra flavor. I liked the charred taste of the dough and the fact that it wasn't *too* thin and definitely not thick/chewy.

I don't know if I would wait a long time for a table. My favorite pizza place in the city is still Keste. They ARE worth the wait.

If you catch yourself downtown without a line wrapping around the building, definitely check out Lombardi's. It is a NYC institution after all.

Lombardi's
32 Spring St, At Mott St
Phone: (212) 941-7994

Bamboo 52: Delish Sushi and Martinis

2011-05-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

I recently met up with a friend for happy hour martinis at Bamboo 52. We went on a Tuesday night and had no trouble getting a comfy space to sit back in the patio area. It's so great to have any form of outdoor space in the center of Manhattan and Bamboo 52 really has a cute space!

I was immediately intrigued by their extensive cocktail & sushi menu! What I loved about the restaurant is that they give you the option of white, brown, black, or red (gluten-free) rice -- how fun! We choose the black rice on our rolls and it was awesome. It held together way better than brown rice every does and has its own distinct flavor that added to the rolls. I wish EVERY sushi place offered black rice!

We ordered the following rolls:

Lovely Roll - Chilean Sea Bass Tempura topped with Avocado and Garlic Sauce (*Our MOST favorite!)
Spicy Bamboo 52 Roll - Spicy Tuna, Avocado with Wasabi Tobiko
American Dream - Spicy Lobster, Yellow Tail and Jalapeno topped with Seared Scallop, Tobiko and a Honey Wasabi Sauce

Each roll was really perfect. We ended up getting a second "Lovely Roll" because it was just so gosh-darn good! I love Chilean Sea Bass and it felt like an entree from a nice restaurant wrapped up in a sushi roll!

We also got some *great* cocktails. They have a very long menu here.

I would definitely recommend Bamboo 52 if you are in the Hell's Kitchen area.

Bamboo 52
344 W 52nd St, New York 10019
Btwn 8th & 9th Ave

The Meatball Shop - LES

2011-05-11T15:11:00.000-04:00

I have been dying to try The Meatball Shop on Stanton Street since they opened last year. I met one of my dearest friends for a little culinary adventure in comfort food at it's finest - ball form!

Going out to eat with this friend is THE BEST. We always split everything and I basically just trust her to order all the items as we have very similar tastes.

I met her there and she was already sitting at the bar when another seat opened up. I *love* bar eating. It's not what I want to do on date night but often it helps alleviate long wait times and, from my experience, bartender waiters are so much cooler and more interesting.

I started off with a pint of Sixpoint as we pondered all the different menu options. A meatball shop sounds like a relatively simple concept, however, it's all in the delivery. Meatball Shop sure knows how to serve their precious balls in a variety of ways: Naked, Sliders, Hero, Smashed, and each with additional options - oy!

We ultimately decided on Naked Spicy Pork balls in the classic tomato sauce with 3 sides! Polenta, Market Salad, and Sauteed Broccoli. We like to mix in healthy with our indulgence! Because we wanted to ensure we had the full meatball experience we threw in 2 sliders for good measure. The classic beef with a mushroom sauce and the special of the day (walnut lamb - YUM) with the pesto sauce.

It was really a hard toss up between the spicy pork and the special meatball for what was my very favorite! I like the familiarity of the pork with the tomato sauce but I am a sucker for lamb!!!

We ended the meal with an ice cream sandwich - how fun!! You can choose two different cookies. Yummmmmmy!

I left feeling VERY satisfied with my meal and the best part - $25 each! We ate so much, each had beers, AND dessert!! LOVE. I would definitely hit up Meatball Shop, you will NOT be disappointed (as if the 800+ yelp reviews don't speak for themselves).

The Meatball Shop
84 Stanton St, New York 10002
(Btwn Allen & Orchard St)

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-09T15:50:00.000-04:00

What a great weekend we had celebrating our moms! The weekend started off Saturday morning with brunch at Monaco on Amsterdam at 80th Street. We celebrated my mother in law with delicious eats and drinks. I love Monaco's website that offers pictures next to the dishes on the menu. Everyone had some sort of specialty drink of juice made with fruit/veggies. My mother in law had a mimosa to celebrate!

I ordered the Nova Scotia Salmon Salad served w/ Warm Potato Pancakes over mixed greens. The serving of Nova Scotia Salmon was so generous and the potato pancakes were deliciously crispy on the outside and soft in the center. The vinaigrette on the mixed greens was really good, however I would recommend ordering it "lightly dressed". I basically ate the entire plate -- it was SO good!

My husband ordered the Scandinavian Eggs Benedict which he devoured and really enjoyed. They have REALLY good salmon here and for quite reasonable prices. We also all got the order of banana pancakes to share because my sister in law said they were amazing. They did not disappoint! SO fluffy. It was nice to have a little sweet taste after my salmon/potato filled meal.

One of my favorite things about Monaco is that you can make a reservation...unlike Sarabeth's right next door. I do not like to wait! We sat outside and enjoyed our meal in the glorious sun (until the quick rain shower -- thank goodness for the awning!)

After a little almost 2 hours of wandering in Central Park enjoying spring in full bloom and taking in the gorgeous views we headed uptown to Crepes on Columbus to get our sweet-fix! First thing, this place was difficult to find! There isn't very good signage and the area isn't too appealing. I wish this place was 10-20 blocks further south! Regardless, it's adorable and the crepes were AWESOME! Gluttonous as we are, we each ordered one! Here is mine, pictured above. Isn't it gorgeous? I ate *almost* the entire thing. You can choose any three fillings and I chose nutella, marshmallows, and strawberries. YUMMMM!!!

It's a little out of the way but I would highly recommend checking out Crepes on Columbus for sweet (or savory!) crepes. They also have a variety of other items on the menu that make this place a cute weeknight date spot!

Sunday was spent in New Jersey COOKING dinner for my mom :-) I loooove to cook! Our menu included caviar on toast, beet salad, mixed green salad, acorn squash, and the highlight beef wellingtons (I converted the recipe to larger portions from the Food Network). I brought in yummy pastries from Zabar's for dessert and my sister made an impromptu apple turnover that actually was a huge hit! Let's just say dinner, and the whole day spending time at home was a BIG SUCCESS!

Hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day! We had a great weekend!

Downtown Dinner @ The Smith

2011-05-04T08:35:00.000-04:00

Dinner at The Smith is perfect for a date night and girl's night alike. I liked the atmosphere and laid back downtown vibe. I especially liked that I could make a reservation on opentable.com. I am a very big fan of reservations.

My friend ordered the pot of mussels which was a generous portion and VERY delicious. I tried the Skate A La Plancha {roasted butternut squash, aged balsamic}. I thought the fish was cooked perfectly and had a really great flavor.

With a great location on 3rd Avenue between 10th and 11th Street it's so convenient for meeting friends from all over the city.

Hi-Life Brunch UWS

2011-05-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

I have walked past Hi-Life several times never thinking much of it. Is it a bar, restaurant, what exactly? Why do they also serve sushi? I got confused.

Then, I read their brunch tag line:
Your First Brunch Beverage Is Only $2.95 with Entree. Hand Squeezed O.J. Or Grapefruit Juice, Mimosa, Bloody Mary or Bellini. Brunch Includes Basket of Homemade Blueberry Muffins and Cinnamon Toast.

Um, what?! You had me at yummy bread basket, you WON me at $3 for my first drink!!!

We went with a few friends and I was pleasantly surprised at the low prices for brunch items. Smoked Salmon Benedict for $12, fantastic!

Here is what came:

THREE eggs! Who does that? I barely finished this dish. I forgot to take a picture of the bread before we starting devouring it... the strawberry butter was killer. The cinnamon toast reminded us all of something mom used to make when we were kids. Ah, nostalgia :-)

Another great thing about brunch here was the lack of long line. We were seated pretty quickly which just enhances the whole brunch experience.

Definitely give the Hi-Life a chance if you are in the neighborhood!

Hi Life
477 Amsterdam Ave
(At 83rd St)
Phone: (212) 787-7199

ROYAL WEDDING 2011 MANIA!

2011-04-29T07:19:00.000-04:00

All I want to do is talk *ROYAL WEDDING*

Kate was a stunner and the ceremony was moving--a real life fairytale.

"In a sense, every wedding is a Royal Wedding, with the bride and groom as King and Queen of creation, making a new life together, so that life can flow through them into the future."

Blondies UWS: Beer-WINGS-Sports

2011-04-27T08:23:00.000-04:00

Some couples choose to go to a nice wine bar for their *date night*.

My husband and I?

Wings&beer. Yes, I win for best wife for the night, ha!

Look no further than Blondie's on 79th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam. This is the mecca of all sports bars. You basically can move your head and look in ANY direction to view the television.

What I love about Blondie's is other than the traditional hot wings flavor you can also order Honey Mustard, Barbecue, or Honey Barbecue. YES! If you are spice averse like we are than you will enjoy these wings! We also got the sliders to share...must say--they resemble White Castle. Stick with the wings!

For happy hour, late nights drinks, day drinking on the weekends - Blondie's is your spot!

Blondie's
212 W 79th St
(Btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Ave)
Phone: (212) 362-3311

UWS Sushi - Momoya

2011-04-25T07:33:00.000-04:00

Let's start with a good old Upper West Side sushi spot - Momoya. Momoya is a fantastic place to come with a date or large group of friends. Their sushi rolls are delicious and imaginative. They also have my most favorite appetizer Sweet Miso Black Cod - YUM!

This is literally the butteriest, melt-in-your-mouth way to prepare cod. I don't know what it is about it but it never fails to amaze me in it's deliciousness. Please order it.

We also got the Lobster Spring Roll which was also very yummy but I wouldn't order it again. It was too heavy and too much since we ordered the cod.

If choosing between the two, I would HIGHLY recommend the cod. Also, the spring roll is fried and I don't like starting a refreshing meal like sushi with fried food.

As for the sushi...fresh, delicious, and some very creative rolls. They EVEN have this: Momoya Black Cod Roll- awesome!

They also have a Chelsea location for you downtown cats.