It's Tuesday

That doesn't mean very much, not working today, switched with the other secretary for tomorrow. Work's going well. Staff are really nice and I'm getting the hang of things.  Need to learn about payroll, then I'll be all set.

As for going out...We've been to Tuscan Hills with Jill, Lenny, Patty and Vince.  (http://www.tuscanhillsnyc.com/).  Food is pretty good, shrimp dishes not so good (shrimp is canned, maybe, small, definitely).  Service is good.  We had a good time all around.  Same crowd, but with Karen and Brett also, went to Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem after the Avon Breast Cancer Walk that Jill and Brett do every year.  We had the usual:  Chipotle garlic wings, fried green tomatoes, beer, hard cider, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, bbq chicken...Always a special annual outing for all of us!  Jill, Sue Boyle and I met at Bonfire last week.  Drinks and apps at the bar.  We had a really nice night.  Michael showed up near the end for chicken wings and while we walked home, he biked around us :)

As for staying in...I've made pork roast, spare ribs and Guinness stew, along with usuals like roasted chicken, Greek salad, etc...Mike and Margo were here for the weekend.  Glenn and Eileen joined all of us for Chinese on Saturday night.  Love hanging with friends at home.  Need to do this more often. 

Passed a few birthdays too:  Ryan was 21, Sarah was 19 and Barb was 60!!! Gotta love milestones (where would we be without them)?

Since Then...

Since the scotch tasting...I've cooked a bit. Jesse was home for a long weekend and I made chicken meatballs (I don't make them, Costco does) but I made the sauce and etc...The Wisners shared that dinner with us :)   The next day for lunch I made French Onion (soup) grilled Cheese:  Grilled rye bread with rare roast beef, melted gruyere and caramelized onions with spicy mustard (yum).  I also made seafood stew (cioppino) with chorizo, shrimp, scallops and calamari.  These are cooked with fennel and celery root in San Marzano tomatoes and white wine (also yum). 

Before Jesse left we went out for Chinese (http://www.yelp.com/biz/grand-sichuan-ny-ii-rego-park)
at Grand Sichuan across the Boulevard.  We have only ordered in but decided to try it.  They love the spicy wontons in red oil (shrimp and pork).  We also had soup dumplings (which cannot compare to others, but are fine nontheless).  The place got busier and busier as we ate, we had good timing that night.  It's good for take out and it's a real eat-in restaurant.

Thursday night, Michael and I went to Jack and Nellie's (thanks Tom and Monica).  Yummy as always.  Good wine specials, nice beer selection too.  We shared:  Warm olives with lemon zest; spinach and artichoke dip with crostini; veggie quesadilla and a chicken sandwich with mozz and peppers.  Jill and her friends were at the next table :)    Fun night.

Tomorrow is the CT Garlic Festival and we are going again with Ryan.  Last year was so much fun.  Looking forward to it!!

A Scotch Tasting and More

Michael and I met Britt and JoAnn for a scotch tasting at the Flatiron Room (http://www.theflatironroom.com/).  Before we met up, Michael and I were across the street at the Flatiron Hall (http://flatironhall.com/).  Both places are very cool.  At Flatiron Hall we sat at the bar, had beer and a GIANT pretzel (for $9.95 it had better be giant) but it was good.  The place is very colonial looking inside and the bathroom was tiled nicely too (lol).  I really liked the vibe in there, but it was early (6:30pm) so it might get louder later.  They have a large downstairs room with long tables that are shared.  The menu is:

    

 

 

The Flatiron Room was across the street, fancier place, funky live music and cute room upstairs for the tasting.  We had Bowmore.  12 year, 15 year, 18 year and 25 year.  With and without water, which was the theme of the evening.  What water (by varying amounts) can do to the flavor of your scotch. It was pretty interesting and the served a nice cheese board alongside the drinking.  They have a single malt chocolate malted on their menu so we asked if we could try it and they gave us one on the house.  It was delicious and very much appreciated.  Next time you have a chocolate shake or a chocolate malt, add a shot of single malt scotch to it.  It's really good.

50 was a great Day!

I spent my 50th birthday with Michael.  It was a great day!

Of course, I woke up around 10:30am.  Sleep is the best! 

We went to Cabana (http://www.cabanarestaurant.com/originalcabana_m.html) on Austin Street for lunch.  We sat outside in the beautiful sunshine and had mojitos, ceviche, tostones and jerk chicken.  Flan and cafe con leche and iced espresso finished the meal. 

We went out to dinner too :)  We were at Cipriani's (http://www.cipriani.com/en/services/restaurants/harry-cipriani) at 7:15pm.  For some reason, unknown to myself, I have always wanted to eat here.

Let's check this one right off the list. While reservation through open table was honored and service is average, food is also average. 

Bellini was good. Can make better (and way cheaper at home $18.95 are you kidding me?). Prices are outrageous, not high. We had to ask for our water glasses to be refilled more than once. 1/2 a roasted chicken for $38. Please! It's not as if the quality warrants these prices either. 

I had cannelloni. It was good. Michael had a burger, it was good. We shared the beet, string bean and goat cheese salad, it was fine.

The hike to the ladies room, through a door, across the lobby of the hotel, down a flight of stairs, past the health club. Holy crap I was exhausted by the time I got there. And the worst, on the way there and the way back not one waiter stepped out of my way. They all pushed past doing their best to look busy. I had to get out of their way. Disgusting service for such an establishment. 

Don't waste your time. Next time I'm 50 I'll go elsewhere :)

 

Afterwards we went on a horse and buggy ride through Central Park.  The moon was bright, the clop-clop of the horse's hooves was great to hear and sitting with Michael was the best! 

 

All in all, a great 50th birthday.

 

 

A Review

Of Me...

I will be fifty years old (OMG) next Tuesday .  I cannot believe I have come this far.  I certainly don't remember being born, or most of my early years, but I really feel as if I were nineteen just yesterday.

Time doesn't fly, it disappears right before your eyes.  Jesse was just twenty-one.  How is that even possible?

I was not always the happiest person, I was not always the most social, but I  always strive to be as introspective as I can; to change the things about myself I do not like and proliferate the things I do.  I hope I was as best a friend to all my friends that I could be.  I hope, even with my trials and tribulations, that I was the best mother that I could be; and certainly I've tried to be the best wife-lover-friend to Michael that I can be.

What else can we do in our lives but to be good, to love, to be kind, to do our best?  Other than our best (which is all perspective anyway) what else can we be?  Some appreciate the effort, some don't, some don't see it at all.  In any case, the sun rises and another day comes around.

Depressing? I don't think so, just honest. I can honestly say that I have had the funniest, most wonderful days; the most surprising and astonishing days; the happiest and most joyful days.  I am thankful for all my days and all my experiences because they make me who I am.

I love to go to the beach, to read a good book, to hang with my friends, to take care of my family, to cook, to have days of my own and to feel good about myself.  And I get to do all of those things.  What could be better?

Growing older alongside Michael and being Jesse's mom are two of the most important things in my future.  I am happy to have them to look forward to.  Having my greatest of friends is icing on the cake. 

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanks to all my friends for letting me be stupid with them :)

Have a great day and thanks for listening!

The Beach House and Barboncino

The Beach House, Long Beach:

 

Casey our waitress was pretty good. Forgot pepper and sour cream but she is forgiven. The plates are sooooo heavy. Don't know how they manage. Menu is varied and food is good. Menu is

better than food though. Drinks could use more alcohol. All in all, if in the neighborhood I would go back, but only sit outside. Inside is tacky. Bathrooms are not clean.  Had a really good time for our last summer dinner outdoors with Jill and Lenny.

 

Barboncino, Crown Heights:

 

So far, so hipster. Waited at the bar for a table. Cheap pour on the wine. No one asked if we wanted anything else.  Server seems ok. Hot honey as an addition to pizza, copy of Paulie Gee's... Roasted peppers with Buratta and spinach salad with apples and Gorgonzola are very good.  Waiting for soppressata picante pizza. Service still ok. Clear tables pretty well.  Pizza came. Very good! Will come back.  Good meal with my honey!

Quickly...

I'll work backwards...We've been to Buffalo Wild Wings (good for wings, beer and TV screens) not much good for anything else; the Lobster Joint in Greenpoint (fantastic) and Ray's Candy Store on the LES for beignets (yum, yum, yum); Pershing Square; Dani's; Narita and The Meatball Shop.

I started work today :)  Will begin with just 2 days a week and if there's more to come that's fine, otherwise 2 days is good.  Payroll secretary at PS 174!

Beach closes this Sunday (boo hoo), but good things are on the way.