La Paella, Top Hops, Euro Market, Ray's Candy Store and Ferrara's

All in one night!

Michael and I went to Ferrara's last night to buy Easter bread.

Afterwards we ate dinner at La Paella:  Manchego cheese with apples; shrimp in garlic; pork chop with peppers and potatoes; grilled calamari.  1/2 carafe of red sangria.  Place is small but quaint. Service is good, attentive but no rushing, red sangria is really good (lots of fruit) and the grilled calamari was some of the best I've ever had. 

After that, we went to Ray's Candy Store for beignets.  They were amazing!

Then on to Top Hops (http://tophops.com/) where Michael loves their beer selection.  Cool place to drink there and take out in bottles or growlers.

Next on to Astoria to Euro Market (http://www.yelp.com/biz/euro-market-astoria) where they have a great beer selection too.  I also shopped for a while and got French Feta, Hungarian salami, Greek spanikopita, bread and spoon sweets (sour cherry) to put over their homemade Greek yogurt.  This is a great store with a wide selection of products from out of the country.  It smells like smoked meat when you walk in and the guys that work there are really nice and helpful.

Tonight it's Greek treats for dinner!

Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Spring, Will it Ever Show Up?

Has this winter been sooooo long or is it me?  I can't get the chill out of my bones and I am longing for warm sunshine!

Easter is this Sunday and we always go to Glenn and Eileen's.  Such a special treat to celebrate and share delicious food with our close friends (Framily).  Glenn makes lamb soaked in garlic on the grill and the smell is amazing.  Tonight, as is our annual ritual, Michael and I will go to Ferrara's (http://www.ferraracafe.com/home.php) to pick up Easter Bread for Sunday.  Afterwards, we have a reservation at La Paella (http://www.lapaellanyc.com/) on East 9th Street.  Review to follow :)

Recently I've had Tom Yom soup from Asian Bowl on Queens Boulevard twice.  I ask them to add tofu and they do and it's pretty good.  The vegetable spring roll was so small it was cute, but not worthwhile.  Their Pad Thai wasn't too great either, but I am willing to try other things.

Michael and I were at Cronin and Phelan last week.  I usually order their Shepherd's pie, but changed to roasted turkey dinner instead.  It was yummy.  A bit salty (but I like that) and the gravy had the right color, consistency and flavor!

We've been to Oktoberfest on Yellowstone also.  Went with junior high school friends to hear a  band called Jagged Edge (good and fun) and had dinner too.  Pastrami Reuben, Caesar salad..just what you'd expect.  Fine for what and where it is.

A few weeks ago I was at the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side and afterwards we ate at Congee Village (http://www.congeevillagerestaurants.com/restaurant-village.php).  It is a staple New York Chinese restaurant that I've never been to before (odd, I know).  I've passed it often and somehow thought it was Vietnamese (not that it matters).  Anyway, got there at just the right time, huge line when we left.  Food was good, place is decorated in Chinese kitsch and servers are average.

And lastly, but certainly most importantly, announcing our new grandson CLAYTON: