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Nov. 8, 2009 - Local Goods

So of course sundays represent 2 things to Mike and I, (1) the end of the weekend and all of our fun excursions (boo...) and (2) Sunday Pro Football!!!! We decided to stop at Local (http://www.localcafenyc.com/) located on W. 33rd and 8th Ave. Again, as this is bar food, I don't feel like it merits a FULL review. What is worth mentioning is that they have 4 floors! Well more like 3.5 floors. They have the main bar when you walk in, downstairs is the lounge, updstairs is the Rooftop (with heat lamps! Woo hoo!) and halfway between the main bar and rooftop is the patio! Good grief, talk about options, no wonder NYers are always either utterly confused or totally indecisive we have tooo many options ... that can be a bad thing, you know!

Mike and I decided to share the buffalo chicken strips and a turkey club. The buffalo chicken strips smelled ridiculously spicy but it was just more of a pungent sauce rather than actually spicy which was OK by me coz I wasn't looking to spice myself out necessarily. The portions were pretty good and the fries that came with the Turkey Club were nice and crispy although I felt that they were a little too too salty, they probably could have laid off the salt shaker, they shook it a little too much in my opinion, but Mike loved it.

The Turkey Club was good but nothing stellar, it was solid though. All in all, I think they have a solid menu and it's a good place to hang out after work for those who want a small break before their travels home. The rooftop might be fun on a friday or saturday night, on a separate note though Mike did mention that during their happy hour (4PM - 7PM, Mon-Fri, I think) they have $3 Foster Oil Cans, Ha! I had no idea what an "oil can" was until Mike explained it to me, guess you learn something everyday huh? LOL! Check it out ya'll, it's a solid spot.

Nov. 7, 2009 - Wanderings - some good, some bad

As a note of mention just b/c i don't want anyone going here, we had a TERRIBLE lunch! We went to this chinese restaurant called "Oriental Noodle" located on E 45th b/w 3rd Ave and Lexington. Well, I thought it was terrible, Mike who's much nicer than me said that atleast it was edible ... bah humbug, lol! We ordered "hot" not cold, sesame noodles that apparently had the "spicy" annotation next to it, but if that was spicy then i'm miss america. Then we ordered scallion pancakes.... worst scallion pancakes i've ever had. How do you mess up scallion pancakes?!?!?!?! The name suggests it and even says the word "pancake" in it's title, so why was it hard as a hockey puck!? They should have called it scallion crisps or pucks! The only thing that might have been fair (and i'm being nice) was the moo shu pork, which came with only 2 wraps, wtf?! You know, Jason and I ordered this exact same meal at Green Bo Restaurant down in Chinatown and it's amazing how Green Bo's meal was utterly fantastic and Oriental Noodle was utterly disgusting/mediocre. I mean it was sooooo mediocre I was speechless and completely dumbfounded. Yuck. If you ever see this restaurant ... R.U.N.!!!!

Mike and I spent the afternoon, post lunch nastiness walking around Bryant Square Park looking at all the little cute shops that were open and the skaters on the newly opened ice rink. Which is by the way FREE!!!! Get your skates pplz, we're goin' ice skating! The only nice cap off to that dirth of food we had just finished was that we stopped at the little Max Brenner shop and ordered some thick hot chocolate, which should have been hotter, but was good anyways and super duper chocolatey! Yum!

For dinner since we were both pooped and decided that we'd be better off stayin' in and relaxin' which i'm really glad that we did (we also watched HITCH, coz Mike hadn't seen the movie!) we ordered from Portofino Pizza and Pasta (2nd Ave @ 58th St) some Chicken Parmigiana Heros which were very good! It was a great price for so much hero! $6.95 for like a foot long, i'm sure it could have used more marinara sauce on there but the truth is we probably didn't need it so I didn't really make a fuss. LOL! Nice and quiet evening with a great boyf for great company .... mmmm, loved it. =)

Nov. 6, 2009 - We caught De Feeeesh! Peace out Murph!

The scene; it's friday (11/6)night, Mike and I are huntin' for food as usual (on the late side - we were supposed to go to my friend's bday party at Duet 35, needless to say ... we didn't make it, lol, damn - being honest though, didn't feel like karaoke! Ha!). I suggest Casa Mono/Bar Jamon (jen, jane and I have tried to go to this place on several occasions unsuccessfully as it's usually jam packed and the menu being entirely in spanish isn't exactly helpful for the others in the party as they don't understand it and i'm not the best at explainin' ... sigh, today was no different). I can tell by the way Mike is lookin' at the menu that he's not entirely impressed and sho'nuff he says, "this looks kinda fancy shmancy, I can't even read half of what's on the menu!"

So now the hunt resumes and I happen to remember that we had noted some time ago that we had been interested in a restaurant called "Catch De Fish". I looked around and saw that we were on 17th and Irving Place and Catch De Fish was only at 15th and 3rd Ave. We decided to go in and I have to say it was one of the best decisions we made that day!



Name: Catch De Fish (http://www.catchdefish.com/)
Location: 147 Third Avenue (@ E. 15th S), New York, NY 10003
Contact: (212)477-7799
Cuisine: Thai Fusion/Seafood
Price: Seafood is reasonably priced, even a little bit cheaper than expected, but definitely well worth the funds you'll shell out.

The Review:

Mike and I went here with nothing but the hope that the food "sounded" good. We'd passed by the restaurant several times during our epic hikes throughout the island known as Manhattan. The restaurant looked inviting, the restaurant always had people in it if not completely full which is generally a good sign. I mean, NYers are fairly discerning eaters, it's pretty simple, "if we like it, we come back. If we don't, you shut down." LOL!

The restaurant gives you the option to order dishes that they have pre-prepared or you can create your own dish, you pick the protein and then the sauce that you desire to accompany the protein. Mike and I decided that we both wanted to create our own:

For an appetizer we ordered the FRESH ROLL which came out in beautiful presentation with a tamarind-apricot and mayo-wasabi sauce drizzle patterning the plate. The crab meat, shrimp and veggies that filled the inside of the fresh rolls were extremely fresh and crisp and delicious. It was a lovely start for 2 hungry people that didn't make us feel like we were overstuffing ourselves nor outlined the fact that we were starving (you know what i'm talking about too ya'll ... those appies that have all of one bite and after the one bit you're hungrier than before you ate the one bite). The waitress also notified us that they had a happy hour (it was 10ish) and you could have 2 beers for $7 or 2 wines for $11. I decided to have the pinot grigio and Mike had the Shiraz.

For dindin Mike ordered the Swordfish with the Spice Butter & Sea Salt Sauce (is your mouth watering yet?). At first the waiter suggested that the swordfish would be best with their Thai Basil Sauce so Mike ordered that, to which then the waiter promptly notified Mike that they were out of the Thai Basil Sauce! Ha! (WTF?!) I mean, if you're out, why mention it and get the customer all excited? LOL.

I ordered the Chicken with Green Curry Sauce. Now the green curry sauce is not the common green curry sauce you would think of when you order Thai food. It was thick versus watery and was closer to a thick green indian curry dipping sauce but it didn't taste like the indian green curry. The chicken was perfect! It was succulent and juicy and the green curry sauce had the perfect kick and paired well with the pinot grigio! I was in heaven. Both of our entrees came served on top of some pickled/grilled veggie assortment (squash, carrots, broccoli, etc). I even had the opportunity to try some of the swordfish (thanks Mike!) and it was very well cooked with a very nice flavor! Both, Mike and I were very pleased with our selections and the presentation was beautiful and appetizing, the appetizer was perfectly portioned and the staff was very friendly. The decorations were minimal, at best, but the overall ambiance of the restaurant was relatively romantic and cute.

I will definitely come back to this restaurant again in the future to try other entrees with the other types of sauces available, b/c if they taste anything like the chicken with green curry sauce that I had, I can only imagine how wonderful the other dishes will be! Yum!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After our fantastic dinner, we went to Murphy's good-bye bash. Boo... we're really gonna miss you Murph!!!! We went to this place called Professor Thom's located on 2nd Ave b/w 13th and 14th Sts. It was an interesting dive and we had the upstairs portion which was nice. Alot of people we hadn't seen in awhile showed up which was really nice and then we moved the party out to this other dive called Drop off Service ... not interesting either. But they did have many board games available to which Mike and his friends took interest in, ha! Mike and I were the only 2 left helpin' Murphy out with his last good ol' hooray in NYC before Philly. Needless to say, he was successful! =) Way to go Murph! Post that, got home and passed out. Promptly. LOL!

Teacup Piggies?! For real?! Seriously!!!!!

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/2009/10/08/2009-10-08_teacup.html

WTF?! Are people seriously THIS bored?! Horrifying ... it's not enough that they've effed up dogs (esp. the chihuahua and yorkies), now they gotta get the pigs too? This shizzle needs to stop, seriously.

Aug. 7, 2009 - A Casa Fox named Lucky Jack's

Oh Minnie she's so fine, she's so fine she blows my mind, hey Minnie!!!

So we're celebratin' little miss Minnie turning 3-0. Though I must say she doesn't look a day over 16!!! What a sweet girl, we are James Ervin and Calvin Wiley dance fans, yes we are!!!

So we were supposed to be at Minnie's Bday Party at 9:00PM, well that's when the fun and games was supposed to start, however ... being as we are New Yorkers and I am a very special breed of New Yorker (Taiwalaskalifornewyorker, LOL!), I run on a severe case of CPT. You'll notice this is already a theme throughout my entries/blogs and will continue to be ...

For those of you all who do NOT know what CPT is, it is b/c you are simply punctual, CPT stands for "Colored People Time" or the "inglorious-incapability-of-being-on-time-b/c-you-are-perpetually-by-nature-a-creature-of-tardiness".

CPT incapacitates "fashionably late" utterly. Fashionably late implies premeditation, you are purposely late b/c you want to make a grand entrance and don't want to be the idiotbox who was the first one there before the host even showed. CPT is the absolute inability to be punctual because your internal clock is always, and I do mean ALWAYS, behind. It is something inherent in your nature that you can't fight. It is, what it is.

So Mike and I were on our usual hunt for dinner before drinks. We like to walk around neighborhoods scouting out potential spots. Today it took us a little longer than F.O.R.E.V.E.R. to finally find and settle on a spot that we could agree upon. It looked interesting, inviting, cozy, it was close to our final destination and oh yes, it was open and still serving. Very important detail not to be missed.

Name: A Casa Fox (http://www.acasafoods.com/)
Cuisine: Spanish/Tapas
Location: 173 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
Price: Fair, won't break the pigster bank at home esp. if you stick to the bocaditos, but if you're trying to get the most bang for your buck, this might not be the ideal place.

The Review:

Mike and I decided being that it was late already (10PM) that we should probably order some bocaditos ($8) instead of full meals. So we decided to share:

1. Fried Plaintain Chips with Chunky Guacamole, Pico de Gallo & Black Bean Molido
2. Fried Manchego with Membrillo
3. Mini Empanadas (3: Pulled Pork w/Caramelized Onions, Chorizo w/Manchego, and Spiced Beef w/Tomato)

Can I just say right now the food there was EXCEPTIONAL!!! I still dream about the Fried Manchego! We're all used to mozzarella sticks, which are now utterly subpar in my opinion (there weren't that many exception mozz sticks in the city anyways, they all kinda taste the same; previously frozen and now greasily fried), but the Fried Manchego looked like a mozz stick when it first showed up and I was a little leery and I had NO clue what membrillo was but now I do and love it! But who could have known that Fried Manchego could be THAT incredelicious?!?! If you got to A Casa Fox, you MUST (and I insist) try the Fried Manchego!

The fried plaintain chips were thin, finely cooked and perfectly crisp! I loved it! You could eat them by themselves (although the portion wasn't brimming) but the sauces were all great, the black bean molido was excellent, the pico de gallo wasn't loaded with too much tomato juice as often many pico de gallos are, it was well done and the guacamole was thick and full avocado deliciousness as guacamole should be! Excellent dish to share or savor all by your lonesome!

The empanadas, in my opinion, were probably the least impressive. They didn't really pop out at me although they were good. Definitely give this place a shot, I would definitely go back, but this time to try their clay pot dinners! It looks fantastic!

GO THERE!!!!

Well by now it's 11PM and that's when we roll into Lucky Jack's our next adventure. However, we initially couldn't find our party b/c i'm blind as a BAT!!! So Mike and I decide to order drinks and Mike grabs a beer and I order the "LEMONADE" and my goodness, this was a fantastic lemonade! They actually use FRESH LEMONS and squeeze the juice into there, muddle a few lemons in with it and then turn the vodka bottle upside down until it fills the entire mug!! Then they use just a tad bit of sugar water to blend the mix and voila! A delicious and entirely too strong drink for me!!!! Hahahahaha! We found our party in the downstairs semi-private area. If you're in the area and have a hankering for a good, strong drink ... check out Lucky Jack's and try the Lemonade, it won't disappoint! Info is below!

Name: Lucky Jack's (www.luckyjacksnyc.com)
Cuisine: Bar
Location: 129 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
Price: Fair

The Review: Drink the Lemonade!!!!

Cheers!

Oct. 2, 2009 - Broadway Station to Studio Square

Hahahaha, so clearly my edible adventures are ALL over the board ... atleast these last few posts are somewhat close in dates of occurrence. The following will be nothing but scattered to the winds! LOL!

The Scene: Friday Evening, headed out to dinner with Mike and some friends ...

6:45PM: " ...What to wear to the engagement party? Oh look Saada, that's a pretty dress, maybe I can find something here."

7:15PM: "... Where am I going? Broadway Station? Ok. Walking the dogs now, then I'm gonna get dressed and get outta here."

7:30PM: "...I hate my clothes, maybe I should wear the new dress I just picked up?"

8:00PM: "...SHIT!!!"

For those of you who know me, this is a common if not albeit frequent occurrence with me. I need to change this, but this would require that I LOVE my wardrobe and how I look in my clothes at all times, which is another problem all by itself.

Stop judging me. And yes, I do wander outside of the borough named, Manhattan!


Name: Broadway Station
Cuisine: American/Bar Food
Location: 3009 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11106 (b/w 30th & 31st Sts)
Price: Fair, although for Bar Food it's equivalent to Manhattan prices. It may be a sign of times a changin' for LIC/Astoria, it's hip kids.

The Review:
We ordered initially a bunch of appetizers for the table to share (potato skins, buffalo chicken tenders, beef sliders and pulled pork sliders). Murphy was no fan of the buffalo chicken tenders, too hot for him to handle, I guess! ha! I thought the chicken tenders were well cooked. The potato skins were nothing to write home about, not bad, not stellar.

The beef sliders were about the same and I didn't try the pulled pork sliders although Mike thought they were great! Apparently, that was the dish I should have tried, because as a result of the appetizers, Billy and his brother, Tommy both ordered the main entree Pulled Pork Sandwich.

I ordered the nachos ($10) which I would say were really good! Very unconventional! Definitely give those a whirl, good for sharing, the chips come on the side and you get a dish of yummilicious chili loaded with cheese and jalapenos, just the way I like it! The guacamole, although, well done contained too much tomatoes and wound up watering down the guacamole. Great guacamole is thick and all avocado goodness!

Mike ordered the chicken wrap (he's good for that! Ha! *^_~*) but it was apparently a very good wrap b/c he ate the whole thing!!! Plus the appetizers!!!

As an overall, I wouldn't wander back to this place on my own. I'd rather check out all of the other great places that are popping up in Astoria/LIC. But if you live in the area, it's probably a solid spot to hang out and grab a few drinks with some friends.

The one thing that really does stand out at this spot is that each table has their own soundbox to watch any one of the big screen TVs with. I thought that was neat! Great place to be if you're watching a sporting event with friends!

~~~~~~~~

Post stuffing our faces we decided it was time to head out to our main destination ... Studio Square!!!! The brand new Beer Garden that opened earlier this year.

As a note: We took the NW train one stop ... we should have walked. But I learned very shortly after leaving studio square why we trained it vs walking. Can we say ... whine, whine, whine!!! LOL!!!!!

Name: Studio Square (http://www.studiosquarenyc.com/)

Cuisine: American, German, Sushi (who came up with that?!) - BEER GARDEN

Location: 35-33 36th Street, Long Island City, NY
Price: A little pricier than the Bohemian Beer Garden (down the road) but I guess you're paying for the cleanliness eh?

The Review:

I would just like to say ... THEY HAVE SANGRIA ON TAP!!!!

Hello?! After you say that, it. is. on.!!!! Now, honestly, I was a little leery about Sangria on tap but the guy behind the bar was more than willing to give me a sample in a little shot-sized plastic cup (which by the way is how they serve shots, it's how they keep their overhead low and the prices down). After trying the Sangria, I was a fan. However, I was with a bunch of beer drinkers and not just any beer drinkers, but IPA (got hops?) beer drinkers and so asking if they would help with Sangria after they ordered 2 pitchers of IPA was kind of out of the question so I went with a glass of Sangria ($7), pitchers are $13.

The outside is really, really expansive with HUGENORMOUS wooden bench tables! There were fireplaces too which was great! We got a good spot with the large umbrella covering us and sat down to imbibe and play "categories" courtesy of Murphy who is now forever, in my mind, the trivia king! Haha! It started raining but we were safe under the giant umbrella until the rain started to fall sideways ... ahhhh, mother nature always a step ahead of us.

I will definitely go back to Studio Square! Love this place as it is the only place I've found that has Sangria on tap, that's an automatic guarantee of my return!!!

If you guys get the chance, GO!!!! Do not miss this place! It's effin' awesome!

Saturday (10/3) Shenanigans, Part 3 - Stumble Inn

Post deliciousness at UVA, we walked a street down to Stumble Inn where I discovered that there was a beer pong table available. I'd heard previously about this place, according to the locals - the food is great, especially for bar food (aka - gastropub grub). Of course, having just come from a very nice italian dinner, we were exactly gunning for stuffed burgers and fries. So no food was consumed here unless you consider beer, food.



However, the bar was loaded with TVs which could translate to an excellent place for Sunday Pro-Football games! The ambiance was OK, it was definitely a locals spot, it wasn't very crowded but we also didn't get there until 1 - 1:30AM. They have great drink deals throughout the week as well so it makes for a great spot to hang out with friends, post work, or for watching sports!

Name: The Stumble Inn
Cuisine: American, Bar Food
Prices: Recession Friendly =)

The Review: See above.

The verdict? I would have to go back for the full experience versus just a couple of quick drinks! But I would go back to re-experience!

I just wanna say that I just realized I covered Saturday (10/3) without even covering Friday (10/2). Ridiculousness. Well that day we started with dinner at Broadway Station and then moved it to Station Square (Beer Garden with Sangria on tap!!!). But that's for another blog! Ciao!

Saturday (10/3) Shenanigans Part 2 - Uva

Well post Mee Noodle Shop, Mike and I walked to Union Square to check out the Mid-Autumn Festival that was taking place. It just turned out to be another street fair, when in fact, I was really hoping for a little more. Oh well. So then we wandered down into the West Village, where it became very apparent that I hadn't done much wandering down LaGuardia Place. That's what I love about NYC, there's still so much I haven't explored. Well we walked around SOHO shopping for a dress for my sister's upcoming engagement party (which turned out to be an unsuccessful venture, sigh). We didn't get back to the apartment until 9PM!!!



So, we had planned to be out of the apartment by 10PM (after we both took a shower, I know. Smart, eh?) to head out and find a late dinner. Well let's just say we didnt' get out of the door until 11PM. Yikes!



Now for all of y'all who know me really well and know how much I need to be constantly eating and how quickly I can crash if I don't eat shortly after feeling hunger, let's just say I was feeling hungry at 10PM. By the time we left at 11PM I was already hit the bottom of the barrel in terms of speed of irritability, patience, and anger. We decided to walk up on 2nd Avenue and go up town as we normally head down town.



Well Mike was being a little indecisive and then decided to tell me that I should make a choice and I was trying so hard to just stand up from lack of energy that my irritation was clear and in full bloom! LOL! I felt bad but I couldn't help it b/c poor Mike wasn't ever given any warning in regards to this part of me, so he wasn't sure what to do.



Well we decided to walk up to this new sidewalk pizza cafe called "Gina". When Mike asked if they were still seating for dinner, the waiter didn't even bother to speak he just used a hand gesticulation in the form of cutting off his own neck, which is what I felt like doing to the waiter. Rude! Could you please say something instead of just being flipant and gesticulating?! What the eff was that all about!? The minute I saw him do that, I started walking away, lol, my next action would have been to give him a piece of my very starved and angry mind! Haha, totally unproductive. So I walked away. Then we stopped at another italian joint half a block down called Spigolo. The waitress standing outside was much more polite and informed us that their kitchen was closed but that 2 streets down was a restaurant by the name of UVA and their kitchen was open until 2AM. So we make our way in that direction.



The hostess at UVA was very pleasant and confirmed that the kitchen was open until 2AM and we sat down, FINALLY, for dinner at 11:45PM. I was soo weak I had to lean against the wall for support. So here is my review of UVA:



Name: UVA

Cuisine: Italian

Address: 1486 Second Avenue @ 77th Street

Price: Average for an Italian restaurant, if you're trying to save and cash strapped, you would be better off doing some appetizers (which are more reasonably priced and well portioned).

Service: Fair. I can't say it was anything special, but they were nice and responded quickly when requested or called.

The Review:

Appetizer - Mike and I ordered the Polenta stuffed with Robiola Cheese and a black truffle sauce ($9)! We were in consideration of the Fondue that was part of the "Late Night" menu, which I find wonderful, but decided that the Fondue would be excessive for two! Not many restaurants have that option and options are BIG for me *^_~* (Wink wink!) The Polenta on first gander seems rather small and scant. However, upon sinking your fork into the Polenta you realize that it's made more grits-like because of the Robiola Cheese that's melted inside of it. The Robiola cheese gave the polenta a very nice thick consistency and the black truffle sauce was a very nice complement that did not overpower the mild Robiola and polenta. However, I felt that it could have been a little bit saltier (which I never say btw). I looked at the bread on my platillo and realized that I could use the polenta as a spread on the bread and the bread gave it that perfect saltiness that I was looking for! It was a wonderful dish that paired perfectly with the bread! If you go to UVA, I highly recommend the Polenta!

Main Dish - Me (Saltimbocca di Pollo, $18) which is a chicken in a light mushroom brown sauce over a bed of spinach. I would say that it would mostly be likened to a chicken marsala. However, the sauce is much lighter and the chicken breast was cooked perfectly! It was very moist! Mike ordered the Ravioli, which was also equally as delicious. It was also very different looking from a normal ravioli dish. Most ravioli dishes have little raviolis but this dish was like one big ravioli! It was very aesthetically pleasing and even more so for the taste buds, although I only had a small bite and Mike would be a better judge of the Ravioli! LOL!

We didn't get dessert as we were running a little late to meet up with Mike's friend. As an overall, I would definitely return here, especially if we were stuck up in the UES late at night with little or no options available again.

Saturday (10/3) Shenanigans Part 1 - Mee Noodle Shop

Where shall I begin ...



This has to be one of the most interesting days ever and I'll tell you, I think my boyfriend, Mike, got to see what I'm REALLY like when i'm in starvation mode for the first time! Haha! Hot mess!



Well we started by heading out for our usual weekend walk (well I was hunting for a potential dress for my sister's engagement party coming up this saturday - yikes! Totally unsuccessful hunt ya'll ... i'm in freak out mode ... again.)



We stopped at this really skeevy lookin' spot called Mee Noodle Shop. If ya'll don't know it, it looks like an old school straight-out-of-taiwan-hole-in-the-wall, but they serve good food ya'll! Though I would say not all Mee Noodle Shops (there are several locations throughout the city) are created equal. The one on the west side isn't as good ... but the one we went to is on the east side.



Name: Mee Noodle Shop

Cuisine: Chinese/Szechuan

Address: 547 Second Avenue @ 49th Street



Price: Recession proof! Delish and cheap, could you ask for anything better? Only if you don't like chinese food, but then that's a personal problem .... oop....



Service: Not bad, not great. Don't expect anything stellar, but the guy pouring water was pretty much on his game.



The Food: Well don't venture too far out into things like chicken and broccoli, in my opinion. Stick to the basics, the traditional chinese fare: Mike and I ordered noodle soups (Mike - Roast Pork Noodle Soup; Me - Beef Noodle Soup) with the thin rice noodles! Yum! We also split the Cold Sesame Noodles (which are always phenomenal in my opinion!). The peanut sauce on the cold sesame noodles was nice and thick and the light soy sauce at the bottom and then mixed up gave the noodles a very nice taste especially with the egg spaghetti noodles. This is one of my favorites.



The noodle soups were good. I was expecting something a little different when I ordered my beef noodle soup. For those of you who know what I'm talking about, I was expecting a noodle soup in a soy sauce soup base with stewed beef, but I got a clear broth w/unstewed but just as good and tender beef.



The overall experience was good and Mike really enjoyed (it was his first time there!) the food. I will definitely be back in the future for a nice chinese meal!

The Start of the Journey - Pio Pio

All right my loyal avid readers (snicker, snicker!) the start of this journey began roughly in April 2009 when a certain "beloved" of mine decided he didn't want to be anymore ... and the wonderment began ...

Well the start of all this and it will be the end of all this, is my absolute fave grubhouse ... and we do get down when we get there ...

PIO PIO (http://www.piopionyc.com/)
Locations:

1. UES - 1746 1st Avenue b/w 90th & 91st Sts
2. Murray Hill - 210 East 34th Street b/w 2nd & 3rd Aves
3. Hell's Kitchen -604 10th Avenue b/w 43rd & 44th Sts
4. Bronx - 264 Cypress Avenue

Prices:

ba-da-da-da-daaaa I'm lovin' it! If you feelin' the recession but you still wanna be able to go out and eat with friends and feel like a human being vs a hermit and still get fed well, get truckin'! There are lots more locations throughout the boroughs (these are the ones I've been to), check out their website for additional locations.

Fare: Peruvian

The Review:

The food is deeeeelicious! Now, they're supposed to be Peruvian and if you go to the UWS, Hell's Kitchen or Jackson Heights location you will get the "extended menu" with the full Peruvian fare (however, the traditional peruvian fare is not as purse string friendly). What I love about this place is the ROTISSERIE CHICKEN!!! A Whole chicken pio is $10 and they have different combos that you can work out with your friends and all of the additional platitos or side dishes are $3-$4. You can't beat that kids!

You have to try the Chicken Pio, Saffron Rice & Beans (to die for!), Maduros and Yuca Fritas! Their calamari is something to be had as well, do NOT miss out on those bad boys! Everyone I have ever taken to Pio Pio and has had the Matador Combo with has L.O.V.E.D. I.T.!!!! Take yourself here, have a glass of SANGRIA ($6-$7), and actually I think they have the best Sangria in town and their pitcher is affordable and HUGE!!!! The staff and service is a little spotty sometimes but that may only be due to the fact that Pio Pio is ALWAYS packed!!!

I will definitely be back, I've already been there a gajillion times, they should just give me my own table and an open tab, lol!

New Chapter - Foodieville

All right kids ... so I've decided to take my blog in a different direction ... apparently, i'm lovin' good eatin' again ... and have been eatin' very good! =)

I have a very special person to thank ... but if you know me, well, then you know who it is and there's no need for me to divulge more than I need to as I've decided that I'm going to start blogging about all of the great little restaurants and bars that I've been to recently (starting Memorial Day Weekend 2009) and all of the great noshes that I've been having ... I'm a little behind but hopefully I'll be able to catch you up to all of these great spots!

As a point, if you've heard for a hot new spot with some viciously good food, social scene and/or drinks, let me know and I'll check it out first if you aren't quite sure whether or not you want to be the one to take the first toe dip.

I won't be starting any reviews on this post - I'm at work so I gotta keep this short and sweet but did want to give you all an update but some of the places that I will be covering include:

1. A Casa Fox
2. Permanent Brunch
3. El Porron
4. Maya
5. Felice
6. Fatty Fish
7. La Palapa
8. The Perfect Pint
9. Duke's
10. Pio Pio
11. Mr. Biggs
12. Five Napkin Burger
13. Five Guys Burger
14. Spitzer's
15. Bo Green House
16. Houston's @ Hillstones
17. Porch
18. Black Finn
19. Maya
20. The Thirsty Scholar
21. Pommes Frites
22. The Bourgeois Pig
23. Porchetta
24. Su Casa
25. Van Diemen's
26. Hill
27. Baoguette
28. La Giara
29. Slate Plus
30. Whitehorse
31. Hell's Kitchen
32. Otto
33. Sidebar
34. Vig27
35. Barking Dog Cafe
36. Public House
37. No. 7
38. Joshua Tree
39. Stir
40. Baker Street
41. Natural Tofu
42. PJ Clarke's
43. Gonzalez y Gonzalez
44. Blue Owl Lounge
45. Frying Pan
46. Lobster Bar
47. Mercury Bar
48. Vero
49. Sutton Place
50. Turtle Bay
51. Uncorked
52. Ricardo's Steakhouse
53. Bar Vetro
54. 8th Street Wine Cellar
55. Empire Rooftop Bar
56. Mee Noodle Shop
57. Beer Bar
58. Sweet and Vicious
59. Soho Park
60. 218 Bar
61. Opia
62. Mama Mexico

So I will give the addresses and locations of these places later ... but I'm going to be reviewing bars, hotspots, restaurants and the like! I hope you guys have just as much fun exploring the city with me!

A little ...

I always thought I was a commitment phobe ... and I was while I was in California. I even had an allergic reaction to a guy (Long Beach cop) I was dating who called me "his girl" and my whole face broke out in an allergic reaction. It was horrific. Anyways, so I recently was in my longest term relationship, it's been a little over a year and a half. I was so happy and content. Then out of the blue (with the aid of liquid courage) my boyf calls me and tells me that he doesn't feel like he's "contributing" enough. WTF?! I guess I could see why a Bronx-born, proud, young man would feel that way. But still ... it hurts and now i'm very lonely and suddenly the prospect of being single is, not very exciting. I really saw myself with this guy ... forever. You know ... married. I guess I was wrong. I'm not even interested in dating at all ... not with like my other ex ... (Mr. Con Man), I don't want to be spending these days alone, I just want Putz to come back and stay with me. We're eachother's best friend and I'm not even comfortable talking to him anymore. It's so sad. We used to cook together and now i've lost my love to cook. I want to play my xbox 360 games but they remind me of him (we used to play together). I don't like being single. I don't sleep, I don't eat. My love to eat died. I don't sleep b/c of my previous jobs and when he wouldn't spend the night, I wouldn't sleep but when he would come over that's when i got my best sleep. My whole body just was so happy and content when he was here, I could totally relax and now ... that's gone. I'm thinking of taking up sleeping aids to help me sleep. I'm just not sleeping and it's taking it's toll on me.
It's hard to thank GOD through this, but there's a reason why this happened. I don't know why, but I have to THANK him for it all. Give him the glory and the praise. I mean I still have many more things to be grateful for ... I'm still so immensely BLESSED. How can I let one little hang up like this depress me so much?? I just don't understand. I have GREAT, loving and supportive friends, I have a wonderful family that's healthy and well. I have both my eyes, ears, arms, and legs. I have my health, I have a job that's in no danger of "lay off" despite the economic climate, I have 2 wonderful dogs who love me unconditionally no matter how much i ignore them b/c of my own hang ups. I have benefits; dental, medical and vision! I am utterly and completely BLESSED, and yet ... a breakup and i'm totally devastated. I feel totally lost. I feel totally alone although I know better. I know that GOD promised me that he would NEVER EVER leave me and he hasn't. But I'm just ... heartbroken. I'm sad and that's OK ... coz everyday, it gets a little bit easier ... I'm a little happier. I'm a little less sad ... I cry a little less ... I smile a little more ... I laugh a little more ... I feel a little less like a failure ... I feel a little more confident ... I'm a little less heartbroken.

Thanks ya'll for listening, every little bit helps.

Pets! Too Hilarious!

Hi Everyone! I know it's been a VERY VERY VERY VERY, did I happen to mention VERY long time since I last posted. That's how busy work has been for me and that's generally when I'm on the computer. Also, being that I spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week on a computer for a grand total of approximately 40 hours on the computer per week, I do try not to be on the computer too much at night or on the weekends as I would prefer to be outside walking my dogs, hanging out with friends and being active! =) That being said, I did manage to find a hilarious email that I would like to share with everyone! I laughed, I hope you do too!

~~~~

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door:

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:
(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4)To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.
(5)Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
(a) eat less,
(b) don't ask for money all the time,
(c) are easier to train,
(d) normally come when called,
(e) never ask to drive the car,
(f) don't hang out with drug-using people,
(g) don't smoke or drink,
(h) don't want to wear your clothes,
(i) don't have to buy the latest fashions,
(j) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and,
(k) if they get pregnant, you can sometimes sell their children

CONFUSION

I'm confused.
Have you ever felt that way?
No, not because you don't understand,
Instead you're lost in your head
and you don't how to say... I'm confused.

I'm confused..
I've thought and thought and thought
and I just end up more and more lost

I'm confused...
I'm searching, looking, high and low
And the end of every path keeps saying "no"
Try again.

I'm confused....
Even my words are incapable of proper delivery
I mull over them and nothing comes clearly,

I'm confused.....
Someone help me, but I'm afraid to outright ask
Can't someone just look at me and see that?

I'm confused......
So I stay holed up, shrinking helplessly into myself,
It's safe here, because it's just me, it's just as well

I'm confused.......
The music is still playing in the back, I don't hear,
It might say something to me and cause this fear,
This unnatural fear, that's bubbling deep inside of me,
To boil angrily, threateningly, seething, I'm bleeding,

And still, through all of the chaos,
The attempt to take this mask, this face off,
To see the frightening truth for what it is
To find the answers, to wade through the mist,
Could reveal something beautiful, something true,
Please just don't leave me confused.