Summer on My Mind

May 1st is the day that we can open up our cabana.  No services at the club except for open bathrooms (quite the necessity).  So naturally I've got summer on my mind and that includes grilling and drinking :)

The new thing at our cabana this summer will be vodka infused with fresh fruit.  I've been reading up on it.  We had pineapple vodka at Agora on Austin Street last week and it was GREAT!  Just cut up pineapple in a glass jar, covered with vodka and left to steep.  Ice in the glass and voila!  Just got a recipe for strawberry vodka too.  (http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/06/strawberry-vodka-recipe-infusion/). Totally do-able.

Speaking of Agora, we were there last Friday night with Jill and Lenny.  Their grilled octopus is really good! We had a great time.

Prior to that on Wednesday, Michael and I had haircuts and then stopped at Don Peppe's on Leffert's for the obligatory salad, baked clams and linguine with white clam sauce.  So...if you were never there before you wouldn't notice the difference and it would be fine, however, since we have been going to Don Peppe's for over 20 years (had Michael's 30th birthday dinner there) we noticed.  Here goes:  The salad had exactly 4 olives in it and was mostly iceberg lettuce (tasted great however); the baked clams were good but had too much bread crumbs in the sauce and not enough garlic (Carmine's are better) and the plate for the full order of linguine is smaller than it used to be.  Wine still comes in blank bottles, but no more juice/water glasses, now served in small, cheap wine glasses.  All in all, would go back with a crowd, but no rush.

I am going to El Quijote (yeah) tomorrow night with my new friend Christian whom I met during jury duty and Michael is going bar hopping with Joe.  Friday night we will be at Blacksmith's tavern in Smithtown for a happy hour (s) in memory of Tracy (Glenn's sister); Saturday night we are trying a new Greek place in Astoria (Ovelia Psistaria Bar) with Dina and Dmitry-review to follow and Sunday is Louis' 20th birthday party out at Leslie's.  Looking forward to a great weekend with friends!!