Restaurant Week

Restaurant week is held twice each year in NYC.  It's a great way to try some of the cities finest restaurants for a fraction of their usual prices.  For almost two weeks each summer and winter, restaurants around the city offer three-course prix-fixe dinner menus for just $35.00.  (Three-course lunches are also available for $24.07).  I'm normally never on the ball soon enough to grab some of the hottest reservations, so I'm happy to just try out a new place.  I figure you can't go wrong with any of the places on the list, so it's normally pretty random selecting where to go.  This time, my girlfriends and I headed downtown to North Square.  It had a pretty nice location... convenient to the train and near Washington Square Park.  It can only hold up to 50 people but wasn't too crowded.  (Maybe that's a sign??)

First, they brought to the table a basket of bread and a small bowl of pickled treats like garlic, onion, and olives.  It was a nice surprise for the palette.  I tried the grilled shrimp with a pineapple salad and tomatillo sauce as an appetizer.  Quite good - flavors perfect for summer.  My friend tried the chopped salad - it looked interesting, but she didn't make any remarkable comments about it.

For entrees, we all selected the NY steak.  It was pretty tasty but not quite as good as I was hoping.  It was unevenly cooked.  For dessert, none of us could resist the chocolate mousse cake.

As you can tell, I devoured it...

The table next to us got the summer fruit pavolva with pineapple fruit sorbet which looked divine.

Spicy Dilligan

My husband and I hardly cook when we're in the city.  It's not that I hate to cook (actually I love to bake), but it isn't so much fun to go grocery shopping when: 1) the store has aisles that only fit midget carts, 2) the food prices are ridiculously high, and 3) you have to carry all that stuff for six city blocks.  Maybe if I had a spacious, dreamy kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances I would be a little more motivated, but not having to do dishes after a day at the office is very appealing.  Plus, every type of food is just a phone call away and then someone new to this country delivers it right to your door!


We have a few go-to spots from which we regularly order food.  We're not opposed to branching out and mixing in some new spots, but the old reliables never let us down.  I will name some of the the oldies but goodies, as well as some of the newbies.

My all time fave is The Pump.  The Pump puts a healthy spin on fast food.  They have several locations in NYC.  I wish they would spread across the country, but since they don't franchise, there's not much I can do about that.  They pride themselves on making everything fresh daily, even their sauces.  They use fresh, unprocessed whole foods, all-natural chicken and grass-fed beef.  It's kind of like Chipotle - first you pick whether you want a plate, salad, or twist (wrap), pick from five proteins and three veggies, add a good fat if you like, and choose a sauce.  They have a few pre-set menu options as well.  My favorite is the Spicy Dilligan.

I think I could live on the Spicy Dilligan alone.  Every day.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  This year for my birthday, I treated myself to two Spicy Dilligans within 6 hours - at least I'm a cheap date.  They even make my mouth water just writing about them.  I recommend ordering one on a plate with brown rice, spicy bison meatballs, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers & onions, yogurt dill and "hot" hot sauce.  It is a flavor explosion in my mouth - the perfect mix of fresh, spicy, healthy, tasty, and filling, but somehow it always leaves me wanting to come back for more. 

U-S-A!!!

Go USA!  I hope by the time I land back in New York City a lot more celebrating like this will have taken place.

Man, the last couple of games have been SO exciting.  I've been soaking up all of the highlights, since they only come around once every four years.  This team is definitely going down in the record books.  I just hope we come out on top at the end of 90 minutes or 120, however, this one plays out.  My husband is a deputized member of the uniform police and thinks that their uniforms look like nursing outfits.  They look like mandarin collars to me, and they are probably uncomfortable to play in, but they seem to be good luck.

Rolo McFlurry

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you read that correctly.  McDonald's now offers a new flavor on the McFlurry menu, but hurry, it's only for a limited time!  It is pretty random that I even knew this existed because I hardly ever step foot in a McDonald's or place a tire in it's drive-thru.  But, we happened to stop by one day and this heavenly jewel was staring back at us from the menu board.  We had to try it, and it did not disappoint.  But, how could it?  When you mix soft serve vanilla ice cream with Rolo pieces, and a weird plastic spoon with a big hollow stem, it's gotta be good.  I'm just glad they offer it in snack size because my husband is now addicted, and we're making more regular stops for this tasty treat.

He thinks the Rolo is one of the most underrated candies on the market (is it even still on the market?).  It got us discussing overlooked candy and other treats we would like to see chopped up in a McFlurry.  Like Junior Mints.  Or York Peppermint Patties.  And Three Musketeers.  Feel free to comment and add to the list.

Kayak

I've been interested in getting a kayak to tool around on the lake, but I didn't want to invest in something I haven't even tried.  Well, this past weekend I got the chance to try out our neighbor's kayak!

It was really fun and a workout all in one.  Now, I need to begin researching kayaks.  Does anyone have any recommendations for a good basic kayak?  Or tips on how/where to shop for one?

I spotted this on the web, and it was love at first sight.

Bargain Shades

I can usually count on downtown Manhattan for great fashion finds.  In the summer, the streets are filled with tables of trendy and very affordable sunglasses.  Every once in a while I may treat myself to a pair of luxury shades, but lately I've been on a kick for the cheap.  You never have to worry about scratching or losing them and can stockpile them in every color of the rainbow for every occasion.  Plus, I saw a news report once that said that the uv protection of cheap sunglasses equals the protection of some of the most expensive pairs on the market.

Here is my latest pair of faves:

I didn't think the $3 price tag could be beat... until I found these recent $4.99 beauties from the Roscoe Little Store.  They are a 2-in-1 steal of a deal, plus they've provided hours of entertainment.

Repeat Angler of the Year

At the second annual 4th of July Tennanah Lake fishing invitational championship, I once again took home first place!  Okay, so maybe I completely made up the fishing tournament and title, but I did out-fish the guys once again.  Here is my 22-inch walleye shortly before dinnertime.  I also reeled in a pickerel, bluegill, and seven perch.

We also enjoyed a great fireworks show, especially since we only had to fight the mosquitos, not the crowds or traffic.  I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July!