TESSA, New York

It was a busy weekend, and a lazy Monday night at home was tempting, but not enough to keep us from checking out Tessa.  Conveniently located (for us) on the Upper West Side, we met at the bar for happy hour at 5:30pm.  It was quiet, but it was early.  The drinks were great and a good intro to what was to follow.  We were seated promptly at 6:15pm, our reservation time (again, early).  I was happy to be seated at a table for four so the three of us could talk more easily.   It's off balanced when you are asked to sit along the wall in a restaurant and two people face one person.  Christopher chose our wine for the evening and we were off and running.  We decided to sample two appetizers:  House Dips (smoked eggplant, ricotta cheese, and hummus with crispy lavash bread) and Octopus a La Plancha (yellow squash caponata and green olive tapenade with aged balsamic).  Delicious on both counts!  For dinner, I ordered the Roasted Monkfish with lentil, quinoa, and pancetta pilaf and mustard agrodoice.  It was wonderful.  Devin and Christopher were pleased as well with their choices - Scallop Risotto and a Tile Fish Special.  No one really wanted or needed dessert but I insisted.  How can you try a new restaurant and not go all the way?  We ordered Chocolate Mousse.  What arrived was in no way traditional. There was toasted almond, fennel seed caramel, and honey anise ice cream. Wow!  It was a fun evening, one we were glad to have under our belts - literally.  But so worth it.


TESSA
349 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY  10024
PH: 212-390-1974

LE  GARAGE

 

Hampden has some great bar/restaurants and Le Garage fits right in.  Vicki and I went there tonight and were not disappointed.  We prefer to sit at the bar and tonight the bartenders dazzled us with their drink making talents.  The bar specializes in specialty drinks and beer.  We loved our choice - the Beaute.  It consisted of Polish rye vodka, creme de pamplemousse, grapefruit juice, and mint.  Smoooothe.   To accompany our cocktails, we shared a cheese course.  Fresh ricotta with honey on zucchini bread.  It was delicious.  Following that, Vicki chose an open faced bacon, tomato and basil sandwich and I loved my onion soup loaded with braised short rib and flavor.  We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and after looking around the room, felt a good time was had by all.

 

 

 

LE GARAGE

911 W 36th Street

Baltimore, MD  21211

PH: 410-243-6300

Veuve Veuve Veuve Voom!

The three of us were walking and what did we see but a truck displaying our favorite champagne!  Veuve Clicquot (pronounced Vove like glove, Kleeco) was offering a special menu at a local restaurant and it pained us to not have enough time to participate.  Cheers!

 ABC, New York

As many times I have shopped at ABC, I have never blogged it.  Vicki wanted to shop there and Georgia and I had no problem tagging along.  There are many things to see (and buy) if you have time to browse their six floors (and that doesn't include the building across the street housing carpets).  Something for everybody!


ABC STORE
888 Broadway
Between 18th and 19th Streets
Flatiron District, NY  10003
PH:  212-473-3000

 FRIEDMAN'S , New York


It was Monday morning and we needed nourishment!  Our concierge recommended Friedman's and away we went.  Remind me to thank the hotel for having a concierge with such good taste.  Like lots of women (and men), we are trying to be more health conscious, not to mention not gain weight.  Friedman's was perfect for a discriminating breakfast.  I posted my delicious egg white scramble with vegetables with an

avocado beautifully spread over the top (I had already eaten some of it before I remembered to take this pic, what can I say?? ).   It was a great place to eat, not to mention its location is not far from Penn Station.  Looking forward to frequenting Friedman's again (and again)!

FRIEDMAN'S
132  West 31st  Street
New York, NY  10001
PH: 212-971-9400

DA ANDREA, New York

Ever wonder where the locals go for a great, inexpensive dinner?  That would be Da Andrea.  Located in Greenwich Village, it was the perfect place for Georgia and Vicki and I to decompress after a full day of activities.  The wine selection was good, something that's very important to the three of us.  We shared homemade pappardelle with sweet sausage ragout and truffle oil essence.  It was delicious.  We also shared a salmon filet with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and dijon mustard sauce.  Wow!  When the food arrived, we knew we ordered too much, but it tasted so good that we didn't care and managed to clean all the plates.  It was easy to see why it was one of the few neighborhood restaurants that was crowded on a Sunday evening in July.  Do your best to eat there and be as content as we found ourselves.


DA ANDREA
35 West 13th Street
New York, NY  10011
PH: 212-367-1979

 You never know what you're going to witness walking the streets of New York.  It was the day of the final game of the World Cup and Germany had just defeated Argentina.  We heard singing and drums beating, getting louder as the group approached.  Argentina fans were partying in the streets, proud to be Argentinian. The beat of the drums and the joy in their singing made listening and watching and enjoying them irresistible.  

Georgia and Vicki and I celebrate our birthdays together, and when the number ends in a zero, we celebrate by seeing a Broadway show in New York.  With that said, we decided to see Beautiful.  It was a fabulous show, one to be recommended.  I knew the lead (Jessie Mueller) won the Tony Award and it was easy to understand after witnessing her talents.  Do try to get tickets while she is performing the role of Carole King, you will not be disappointed.



BEAUTIFUL
Stephen Sondheim Theatre
Broadway, NY

LATTANZI,  New York

Georgia and Vicki and I had a fun morning on the train and then checked our bags in our hotel, all the time thinking about where to eat lunch.  We chose Lattanzi, a wonderful Ristorante on Restaurant Row in Broadway's Theatre District.  As much as we loved our lunch choices, I think the appetizer we shared was the most intriguing.  It was their signature dish - artichokes sauteed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil.  Excellent!  Do put this restaurant on your list of places to eat on Restaurant Row, it's a perfect accompaniment to seeing a show on Broadway.



LATTANZI
Ristorante Italiano
361  West  46th  Street
New York, NY  10036
PH: 212-315-0980

THE FOOD MARKET

Sunday Brunch - one of my favorite things!  Today's brunch was especially fun because I've been wanting to get together with my friends Bill and Brian and Eileen and Richmond.  We ventured to The Food Market in Hampden hon, on The Avenue.  Everyone enjoyed their selections, but here are the ones I considered to be the best from our choices:  Drink:  French Tease.  Hendrick's gin, domaine de canton ginger liqueur, splash lemon juice topped with champagne.  Lunch:  Pat Lafrieda Burger.  Diced bacon, lettuce, tomoato, onion, cheese, pickles, sesame bun.  Dessert:  Heath Bar Bread Pudding.  And that says it all!  We are looking forward to trying their dinner offerings, hopefully very soon!!

THE FOOD MARKET
1017 West 36th Street
Baltimore, MD  21211
PH: 410-366-0606

We were a week shy of St. Patrick's Day, but we managed to finish our night out at this great Irish bar.  Although we were filled from dinner, we decided to have one last night cap in Times Square.  The bar was filled and serviced by a bartender who was most accommodating.  Eileen ordered a half and half beer and I tried my first Irish coffee.  It was about 1am when we decided to call it a night.  Having a drink in friendly O'Donoghue's was the perfect way to end our day - or should I say our good fortune?


O'Donoghue's
Bar and Restaurant
156  W.  44th Street
Times Square
PH: 212-997-2262

 ANDANADA 141


Eileen and I recently met Devin and Christopher for dinner and a great time was had by all.   The Spanish cuisine at AndanadA was amazing.  We met at 7:30pm and relaxed over two bottles of wine, tapas, paella and a dessert.  We each chose a tapas selection to share: Sauteed shrimp in spicy garlic sauce, Meatballs in squid ink sauce, Fried artichokes with grated Manchego cheese, and Mini potatoes in an "earth" of black olives.  Afterward we shared two orders of paella mixed with chicken, calamari, shrimp, fish, and mussels.  It was the perfect amount of food for us, but we couldn't not sample one of the desserts.  We tried the warm torrijas with hazelnut ice cream.  Yumm.  Everything was so good I can't wait to return for more - and more!




ANDANADA 141
141  W.  69th Street
New York, NY  10023
PH: 646-692-8762

ALCHEMY, Maryland

What a FUN night!!  The four of us were supposed to eat dinner together at a table by the window in lovely downtown Hampden hon, but we got there early and the four seats at the upstairs bar were calling us.  We nuzzled in and had a wonderful dinner with the help of our great bartender.  We loved the beverage menu and each of us ordered something different (Amy withchild, drinking non-alcholic).  Our dinners were great, three of us ordering from the Restaurant Week menu.  We all loved our choices and were quite pleased with our decision to eat here.  Do give it a try!


ALCHEMY
1011  W.  36th Street
Baltimore, MD  21211
PH:  410-366-1163

Crab Mac & Cheese
 

 OUZO  BAY

Georgia and Vicki and I met here tonight to celebrate my birthday.  What a great evening.  As a New York City lover, I am always looking for restaurants that remind me of NY and this one fit the bill.  I love going out with Georgia and Vicki because they appreciate good food and know where to go.  Tonight was no exception.  The lamb meatballs appetizer was amazing and my scallops entree was perfect.  Our server couldn't have been more nice, not to mention attentive.  If I'm going to get older, this is the way to do it!!!!


OUZO BAY
1000 Lancaster Street
Balto  MD  21202
PH: 443-708-5818

 

 

 LOCANDA  VERDE

It was Monday afternoon and time to part with French cuisine.  We had a wonderful weekend and chose Locanda Verde in TriBeCa as our last culinary hurrah.  It was fabulous!  We began with Sheep's Milk Ricotta with sea salt and herbs Crostini.  Very rich and filling, but we had all afternoon to take our time and savor each course.  Our second plate was a pasta that melted in your mouth, and we finished with Scallops on Sicilian Cauliflower.  A great lunch and a great way to finish our weekend.  We walked from the restaurant through SoHo and the Village and Chelsea just to justify eating so richly, but it was worth it!

 

 

LOCANDA VERDE

377 Greenwich Street

New York, NY  10013

PH: 212-925-3797

  LE  GIGOT


We were pretty tired after scouting Brooklyn all afternoon, but not too tired to meet Devin and Christopher for dinner in the village at Le Gigot.  It was a great evening - good company, good service, and good food.  Very enjoyable.  My steak (in pic) was excellant!  Everyone loved their entrees and we couldn't resist sampling a few appetizers beforehand.  We had a salad, escargot, and pate.  After dinner, we passed around a pudding and a slice of chocolate cake with chocolate sauce (a meal isn't complete without chocolate).  Un bon moment a ete eu par tous!



LE  GIGOT
18 Cornelia Street
New York, NY  10014
PH: 212-627-3737



BROOKLYN  FLEA


The Brooklyn Flea is huge, one might call it overwhelming at the end of the day.  It gets moved inside for the winter months in a warehouse type building.  A portion of the space is filled with numerous food vendors.  (These two guys in the picture are the Crosby Connection)  You can eat to your heart's delight here, I don't think any venue was missing.  Then you can shop till you drop.  Details, details, details.

 

 

BROOKLYN  FLEA
80 North 5th St.
Williamsburg

ARTISTS & FLEAS


We didn't have to walk far before we found Artists & Fleas, an array of artists displaying and selling their products "flea market" style.  We found several things we liked and made our shopping bags a little heavier.  I must admit though that my favorite part of this establishment was the music being played by the dj.  I tried my Shazam ap so I could add them to my IPOD but the mix was too customized and not retrievable.  Too bad for us.





ARTISTS & FLEAS
70 North 7th Street
between Wythe and Kent Avenues
Brooklyn, NY

 BEACON'S  CLOSET

After we bought things for our kitchens, we decided it was time to shop for us.  Our initial shop was Beacon's Closet.  There was a great collection of vintage and modern clothing, enough to need lots of time to sift through.  We managed to each leave with a bag in hand, proud of ourselves for finding "good finds" in a short time period.  It's a great store to play in if you have some time, the staff is very accommodating which helps the process.  I would definitely return for more!

BEACON'S CLOSET
88 N 11th Street
Brooklyn, NY  11211
PH: 718-486-0816

THE BROOKLYN KITCHEN

Our next stop was The Brooklyn Kitchen where you can buy all kinds of kitchen and household items, products, foods, and classes. 

There are two levels to explore, and even though it is not a huge place, there are lots of choices.  Vicki bought a ravioli punch (that's what I call it) since she is much more energetic with her pasta making than I will ever be.  I'm looking forward to dinner at her house!  hint hint



THE BROOKLYN KITCHEN
100 Frost Street
at Mercer Avenue
Brooklyn, NY  11211
PH: 718-389-2982

Kitchen for classes

PATES & TRADITIONS


Sunday morning Vicki and I decided to spend the day in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  It was virgin territory for us, making it all the more exciting.  We read about a great little cafe that serves wonderful buckwheat crepes so our brunch mission began.  We got there not long after it opened and were able to get seated right away which was perfect since we really needed some coffee and tea to warm us.  Everything was delicious!

 

 

 

Bon Appetit

PATES & TRADITIONS

52 Havemeyer Street

Brooklyn, NY  11211

PH: 718-302-1878



 

 


CHEZ JOSEPHINE

It was a cold weekend, but one can always find places to go in New York City.  Vicki and I met there Saturday evening to spend a few days absorbing as much of the City's offerings that we could.  First, we went to see "Betrayal" on Broadway featuring Danial Craig and Rachel Weis.  As a James Bond fan, I was very excited to see one of the "Bonds" live.  He did not disappoint.  After the theatre, we went to Chez Josephine (as in Josephine Baker) for dinner.  What a fun spot!  It's like stepping back in time.  I love live music and the gentlemen playing a piano and sax kept a steady pace throughout the evening.  We were seated at what we thought was the best table in the house, which made it all the better.  Our dinners were delicious and when we left an hour or two later, we left fulfilled. 


CHEZ JOSEPHINE
414 West 42nd Street
New York, NY  10036
PH: 212-594-1925