Bacon and Ice Cream for life

When it comes to food and drinks, bacon, ice cream, and whiskey all rate fairly high on my list. So why not combine them?

After a day of running around, I met my friends Linda, Wes, Lorne and his family at BarBacon (http://www.barbacon.com/) in Hell’s Kitchen (9th ave btw 54 and 55th) and had such a good time that I thought I need to do a proper write up.

Special shout out and thanks to Wes for all the food photos. I am not as diligent or maybe I am just too hungry most of the time. I did manage to bookmark it on yelp though. Yay.

Drinks / Starters

• Beer and Bacon Flight – guaranteed to impress the entire table.
• Whiskey Flight
• Bacon Infused Old Fashioned (Not pictured) - Bacon Infused Bourbon, Maple Syrup, Aromatic and Orange Bitters. I highly recommend this to everyone who likes Old Fashioned and want to see a new variation. Really smells amazing too.
• Pork wings – small ribs made with sauce like chicken wings
• Fried Pickles – I like that they do these thin like fries as opposed to most places that have larger wedges.
• Next time – try their bloody mary

Main Entree

• Bacon Burger with Tater Tots
• Brussels Sprouts
• for next time try: Sausage/bacon/egg/cheese sandwich, Bacon/Steak/Sausage

Dessert

While bacon desserts are tempting, we decided to walk off some dinner and headed to Holey Cream (http://holeycreamnyc.com/) for ice cream. Lorne assured me that they do a nice donut ice cream sandwich but ice cream on its own is also great. I liked Java Guatemala (coffee flavored) and Long Island Raspberry. I also sampled their seasonal pumpkin flavor which was also a winner. I will definitely have to come back and try other flavors.

Colorado Trip Notes

I visited Colorado for the first time and wanted to share some sights and tips from my visit. I enjoyed both Denver and Boulder and would definitely come back for more fun. Some specifics around restaurants / hikes / beers / food stuffs have all gone out of my head. hopefully S. and T. have better notes and/or memory and can add a bit more.

day 1 Denver

beautiful airport with tent structure and fantastic lighting http://www.flydenver.com/

16th st free mall ride http://www.rtd-denver.com/FREEMallRide.shtml

state Capitol building. restoration of house and senate chambers (check it out next time). hall of president portraits. http://www.denver.org/listings/Colorado-State-Capitol/3679/

Tattered Cover Bookstore with coffee and ice cream shop (reminds me more of Powell's than Strand) http://www.tatteredcover.com/

Wynkoop Brewery. http://www.wynkoop.com/ Rail yard Amber ale (also part of the downtown brewery listing from the visitor center. food was also pretty good. I ordered trout with polenta.

Union Station. yet another station that’s prettier than our Penn Station. I didn’t take the train and we walked inside where they had many food shops and even décor for Halloween.

day 2 Boulder

We took Green Ride from Denver to Boulder. http://greenrideboulder.com/

walking around on Pearl St. one memory store was the puzzle store and one memorable street art was watching people make art by sticking leaves and flowers on the rock with water slowly running down it. http://www.boulderdowntown.com/visit/history-of-pearl-street

tried a pumpkin cannoli from this shop: https://pieceloveandchocolate.com/

hiking and panorama views (photo from S.)

French restaurant near pearl st. I think it was brasserie ten ten? great happy hour specials https://www.brasserietenten.com/menus/happy-hour/

SFjazz Michael Jackson tribute (with jazz interpretation) http://www.sfjazz.org/events/2015-16/1022/collective

day 3

origami convention

west end tavern rooftop – forgot which beer I had? smoker selection (pork, chicken, sausages) http://www.thewestendtavern.com/

day 4

flat iron coffee. http://www.flatironcoffee.com/

flat hiking around Sawhill Ponds https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/sawhill-ponds-trailhead

celestial seasoning tea tour http://www.celestialseasonings.com/tours learned about herbal infusions and the overpowering “mint room”. of course sample all the teas there ( I liked watermelon zinger and chamomile lavender) and buy some gifts for your friends and family back home! I enjoyed reading about the history and also looking at the illustrations that they have for each tea.

teahouse lunch (amazing décor outside and inside, visit it!) we sipped some tea and I loved the Mediterranean salad which came with hummus, grape leaves, and olives  http://www.boulderteahouse.com/

street art near the teahouse

more hiking with more slope and views Chautauqua https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/chautauqua-trailhead

chophouse and tavern (??) split lamb chops with T.

we sampled java porter (coffee flavored beer) at mountain sun bar and caught haymarket square 'punkgrass' band performance. http://haymarketsquares.bandcamp.com/ the bar also offered prime people watching opportunity. we saw poker players, board game groups, dancers, couples, visitors, and more. http://www.mountainsunpub.com/

day 5

the buff for breakfast http://www.buffrestaurant.com/

Next Time:

• Denver Visitor Center Tips
  • Appaloosa grill 10pm music http://appaloosagrill.com/
  • Jazz at Jack's http://www.jazzatjacks.com/
  • http://www.denver.org/things-to-do/day-trips-around-colorado/denver-beer-triangle/
• Coors Field baseball stadium tour http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/col/ballpark/
• Denver zoo http://denverzoo.org
• various parks and stuff
  • http://estes-park.com/peak-peak-scenic-byway
  • http://peaktopeakguide.com/

Resources:

• Colorado Beer Tour iOS App. I consulted this along with Yelp for a few good outings. https://appsto.re/us/LL6zz.i
• University of Colorado at Boulder
• Visitor Centers and Trail Maps

Cafe Katja

I tried out Cafe Katja with my friend Wes on Monday, the day I passed my exam. I don't recall the last time I studied like that but it felt great to relax after all the studying and the 6 hour exam. Since I set out for dinner quite last minute, I scrambled to find a place on yelp (I believe the keyword I used was "beer") and stumbled upon this gem in LES. Good thing it's so close to the bus stop since the winter weather does not make for nice walks in LES.

79 Orchard St

New York, NY 10002

http://www.cafekatja.com/

Note: All photos courtesy of Wes. 

For drinks we all had the Bayreuther Zwickel.Their cocktail list also looks great but I may just be tempted by everything elderflower and gin. Since beer goes better with our food choices, I will have to try their cocktails another time. 

We looked over the menu extensively and decided to split two entrees and a dessert. 

Trout with spinach, potato, and dumpling. The potato was buttery and melts-in-your-mouth. The dumpling was very heart-warming and exactly what was needed for a cold winter evening.

Emmental Sausage also came with dumpling and potato and some cabbage (?). I almost went for the sausage sampling but we wanted to try a bit more variety and got this dish with the trout above. The sausage sampler is for minimum of two people and judging by the giant platter my neighboring table received, I think it's heaven for hungry people.

Dessert was molten chocolate cake with orange sauce and schlag. The orange flavor was interesting and offers something a little different from the normal raspberry sauce.

Staff was great and attentive. I am also a sucker for interesting light fixtures, which they had plenty of in the place. I was surprised to see such a nice crowd on a Monday but must be a good neighborhood hangout for residents and visitors alike. As we were mid-way through our meal, we noticed a growing line at the door. Would like to bring J. here so he can look through the drinks and food list as well. Would highly recommend the place for all beer/hearty food aficionados.

Update March 16, 2014: I came back with J. during brunch time. unfortunately dumpling is a dinner thing so the sausage I ordered did not come with it. Instead I tried sauerkraut and shaved horse radish (came with dish) and they were pretty good too. J. ordered the hearty beef goulash with spatzel which came with a few good sized chunks of beef in a nice sauce. The size was reasonable for brunch/lunch. After our meal I was looking for more food to have with my beer so I asked for a side order of the cucumber/potato side. This turned out to be a good find. Fresh cucumber slices, dill, some pickled onion rings and chive all added to the potato nicely. I couldn't figure out how everything was integrated together (some vinegar, but no mayo as far as I can tell).

Winter Restaurant Week 2014

Say what you will about Restaurant Week (http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek/), a deal is a deal, especially for steak and seafood restaurants. Even though the three week long event is finishing up this Friday, I hope to be able to fit another restaurant in there. Or at least make plans for the next restaurant week.

Looking back at my blog, the last time I participated in Restaurant Week was in 2008. I went to City Lobster with some friends (entry here) and had a grand time binging on lobsters. I did check out City Lobster for this restaurant week but decided to venture out and try something new this time.

Many times people who don’t like restaurant week because the restaurants tend be very crowded and the actual value of the prix fixe vary from place to place. After looking through several steakhouses in the financial district, I decided on Mark Joseph by the South Street Seaport (http://markjosephsteakhouse.com/index.html). Full disclosure, I’ve been to both Capital Grille and Delmonico’s before and they’re fantastic. So… wanted to try somewhere new.

Since it was a Monday and we had a reservation, I didn’t have to deal with the crowded factor. I’m sure many people took the opportunity to check out this steakhouse during restaurant week. My friends Wes and Linda joined me for this meal and below are some pics courtesy of Linda.

Not pictured is the Sam Adams seasonal on tap (Cold Snap). When it comes to Sam Adams, I love the regular Boston Lager but also love Boston Ale, Winter Ale, and Oktoberfest. I used to enjoy the Nobel Pils but may have had too much of it one spring and honestly can’t have it anymore. This is my first having a Cold Snap and I have to say, it may be my new favorite Sam Adams.

Filet Mignon (8oz) with Canadian Bacon – Bacon is an appetizer but I recommend saving a bit to have with your steak (delicious combo). All steaks came with a side of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes.

Sirloin Steak (20oz)

Strawberry and Cream (Schlag)

This place made me a restaurant week believer again. I recommend it for special occasions (look forward to trying the steak for two). Food, service, and atmosphere are top notch.

Summer in NYC

Assorted shout out and photos for H., T., and the lovely S. Cheers for good times and beautiful new found friendships.

Cheering on the Mets at Citifield
Take the 7 to Mets-Willets Point.
First Mets game for T. and S. The Mets may have lost 13-0 but the experience  of the beautiful stadium and lobster roll outweighed all of that.

Chilling with Comfort Food at Wonjo
23 W 32nd St. New York
http://newwonjo.com/
After a night of happy hour specials, I had the idea to get some good hearty food. While I’ve been to Wonjo for Korean BBQ a million times, I stayed from that this time. Cold noodles in beef broth was just the right dish for hot summer nights. I probably should have ordered the regular bibim bop instead of the cold veggie version (which was more like a salad with rice…) Made the right call to order a small seafood pancake for a group of four, just enough food to get people interested but not so much to get all greased out from them. We also ordered the tofu… (I still prefer BCD tofu house but found out they moved recently).

Waving to Statue of Liberty from Staten Island Ferry
White Hall Terminal
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/ferrybus/statfery.shtml

Midtown Night from Brooklyn Bridge
Look for the benches near the middle and enjoy the skyline and the cool evening breeze. There’s nothing quite like crossing the bridge at night. It’s a completely different experience from the day.

Walking together on Summer Streets
This is a NYC city sponsored event where an entire stretch of the city becomes car-free, and the streets are clear for biking, roller-blading, and walking. My two favorite sections of the entire walk were the roadway leading up to Grand Central and the entire downtown section (below Astor or thereabouts). First Saturday I took the entire route from City Hall to 72nd (around 2.5h). Second Saturday I went with T., H., and S. and we had a blast walking south from 51st to 23rd or so. We also tagged on other activities along the way.

 

Eating Brunch at Spoon
17 West 20th street (between 5th and 6th avenues)
http://www.spoonnyc.com/
Three of us ordered the Hungry Man Special, which consisted of two sunny side up eggs, blueberry pancakes with the best syrup ever, toast, bacon and shitake hash browns (the best!). While I didn’t realize this at the time, Spoon is actually my first proper Manhattan brunch after I moved into the city. I guess this is what people call one of the essential city experiences, hanging out with good friends and catching up over good food. I liked it even better since I didn’t have to wait in a long line or anything.

Browsing Books at the Strand and the B&N
Strand 12th Street and Broadway.
http://www.strandbooks.com/index.cfm
B&N Straight on Union SQ north side
http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/store/2675/

Lounging at Ginger Man
11 East 36th Street
http://www.gingerman-ny.com/
Every bar should have comfortable couches in dim-lit corners and 60+ beers on tap. Feel so incredibly spoiled! Before you order any bottled beers, read this wise quote we found at the entrance:



Walking up the steps of NY Public Library at Bryant Park

Taking a break with Ginger and S’Mores Gelato from Ciao Bella in GCT

Admiring the Cloud City exhibit of the Metropolitan Museum
http://www.metmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/listings/2012/tomas-saraceno

Obviously the complete Met experience also included American Wing, Egypt Temple, the Knights and Armor Room, Chinese Garden, and even sitting on the front steps. Pleasantly surprised that T. liked this museum as much as I do.

Just an appetizer from Ooki Sushi
1575 3rd Ave. New York NY 10128  ( between 88th - 89th Street )
http://www.ooki-sushi.com
I can definitely recommend the tuna tataki here (next time will try toro) and it impressed both people in the table next to us (awesome!)

Food Adventures in New Orleans

Also known as the Big Easy, Crescent City, NOLA, and New Awlins, New Orleans is not short on music, food, or the various nicknames. J. and I visited the beautiful city for a few days and I also got to experience the annual JazzFest (New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival). Full disclosure, this is my first trip to the city, so I don’t have any tips about Mardi Gras. Food in this post, jazzfest in separate post [link TBD], and attractions in yet another.

Jackson Brewery Bistro and Bar
http://jacksonbrewerybar.com/
Near street cars, Jackson Square, and Cathedral. You’ll see a building with JAX sign on top. To give you some context, J. and I arrived in New Orleans late at night so didn’t make it to French Quarters etc until midday next day. After stumbling upon the Old U.S. Mint, we wandered until we found this Brewery for a late lunch. Great first impression of the city since the food, drinks, and service were all superb. Would also come back for dinner/concert upstairs next time.

// southern pecan from lazy magnolia (MS), this beer is so good both J. and I loved it. nutty, sweet, rich, and awesome. (update: according to beermenus there’s none available near me in NY, bummer) http://lazymagnolia.com/
// abita amber. support the local brewery, try their beers when you’re in town. http://www.abita.com/
// crawfish etouffee: light and quite tasty, I got the small portion.
// boudin burger: tasty, although I still don’t know what kind of boudin it was.

Mothers Restaurant
http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/
Near Harrah’s casino, Riverwalk market, Magazine street galleries.
My colleague D. recommended this casual corner restaurant (it’s her fav in NOLA) that has a laid back look and feel. It just happened to be a close walk from our hotel so we took a look. Overwhelmed by the menu, I resorted to ordering their Ferdi special in an attempt to get a sampling of everything. Their sign upfront claims world’s best baked ham, which is no small claim. and they lived up to it. (Why can’t we get better ham in the northeast?) The space also has nice photos/local news/etc. I need to come back for breakfast/brunch.

// Ferdi: Ham and Roast Beef on bun with slaw. Below is a pic of the “smaller” portion. Very filling!

// Roast Beef: Same as above, without the ham.

Mandina’s
http://www.mandinasrestaurant.com/
One out of the many recommendations from my college buddy G. from a few years back when I first started to put together a trip plan for NOLA (glad I finally made it), one of his recommendations “Janita's” unfortunately closed down. I didn’t make it to Jacque Imo’s, so wanted to try this place Mandina’s because G. mentioned their fish selection is great. Located along the Canal St. streetcar line, a bit ways out from downtown. We caught the street car to and back, luckily they run frequently.
//  trout bayou style: this was a daily special. grilled trout topped with shrimp etouffee, with a side of baked potatoes and vegetables. superb fish and shrimp (quite a number of shrimp, by the way) in yummy sauce.
//veal parmesan with spaghetti – Italian food in New Orleans? sure, why not. I know J. loves veal so very happy see him enjoy this dish to his heart’s content.

Cafe du Monde
http://www.cafedumonde.com/
This cafe is on everyone’s top 10 so I had to include it in mine. Great for morning, afternoon, and late night people watching and taking a break from all the walking you’ll be doing. We ended up going there twice during our trip. Good stuff
// cafe au lait (hot): puts all other chain coffees to shame, if you’re not sure if you like chicory in your coffee, don’t worry, just do it! I contemplated buying a can of coffee there but realized I can never quite transport the charm of the shop and nearby streets of NOLA with me. Leave it for my future trips to enjoy and savor. Some things lose context once removed from their homes. 
// beignets (with liberal amount of powdered sugar): don’t even think about sharing one order (they come in threes). lovely with cafe au lait.
// cafe au lait (frozen): looking for a treat to cool off in the hot and humid weather? look no further, order a frozen cafe au lait and your energy level will go right up. I can almost eat it with a spoon!

Spirits Bar (inside Hilton Riverside Hotel)http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/MSYNHHH-Hilton-New-Orleans-Riverside-Louisiana/index.do
Nice place to chill and have a cocktail. Funny enough I got a Manhattan (a tad homesick?) and J. ordered a Tom Collins (there needs to be more gin-based drinks, you know?). They also serve pretty good food even late at night. I had their portabella and spinach sandwich which came with great sweet potato fries.

Beach, Boardwalk, and Dogfish

Recently went on a beach house vacation in Dewey Beach, DE for a couple of days. A lot of “firsts” on this trip. Amazing hosts and an amazing time.

1) First beach house vacation
5 feet from the door is the sandy path to the beach. Quiet and beautiful, with enough seashells for collectors and enough sand for castle builders. Weather was a bit too windy for frisbee. Tether ball was more entertaining to watch than play. Besides the prime location of the beach house, I also enjoyed the guest book that provided us with constant laughter (and some haikus to frame our weekend’s adventures). Try describing your vacation using no verbs (many of the entries followed that pattern, I wish I could have quoted some here)!

2) First car ferry (or at least through the Cape May one)
http://www.capemaylewesferry.com/
The terminals were recently renovated so everything is in top shape. I liked the bar/restaurant on the Delaware side. J. was keen on meeting Lighthouse Pete the Pirate (the ferry mascot) but there wasn’t enough time. Delaware side also has a grand pirate ship with cool sails. I suppose any ship with sails is impressive enough for photos. On Cape May side we stopped by the farmers market for peaches.

3) First boardwalk in the downpour
Upside is we all bought colorful ponchos and ran around the place like M and M’s. yellow, orange, and blue! there was no red or green though. Just to clarify, Dewey Beach didn’t have a boardwalk, we went to the more happening Rehoboth Beach (they had nice shops to walk around too). First peach ice cream since FL days. It was wonderful.

4) First time visiting Dogfish Head Brewery
I can’t remember where I’ve heard of this brewery or its beers, but likely some NY bar or foodie event featuring a beer garden. Anyhow, we walked through the rain to this place and ended up going upstairs in a corner (ended up getting food faster though). Worth the walk/wait and will definitely come back and/or be on the look out for their beers in NYC bars and Whole Foods. More in food roundup later in this entry.

5) First time playing Bananagrams and Skippo
A. taught us two games and inspired me to bring back board game night (well it hasn’t happened yet, but I’ll have to figure it out). If you don’t know what they are, take a look in the game section of your nearest bookstore/toy store. I’ve definitely seen Bananagrams at the B&N and Strand in NY. It’s kind of like Scrabble but the words/letters don’t have values attached to them. and the game play is much more fluid. Skippo kind of reminds me of a version of card game I played in camp where the objective is to either go up or go down the numbers (i.e. if card facing up is 3, you can put down a 2 or a 4.)

Food Roundup Dewey
Rustry Rudder
http://www.deweybeachlife.com/dning_rr.html
Featuring an impressive seafood buffet but we all didn’t feel we could finish the offerings. So instead, we ordered various entrees. The mahi mahi with mango pineapple salsa was great. also liked the molten chocolate cake. Also check out the outdoor area and the walk on the pier/bay.

Starboard
http://thestarboard.com/
We didn’t go here but I’m adding this to the list for next time. On the drive down, I spotted the shark in the logo and looked up the place (bar food mostly but quite happening place). When we were walking around the next morning the place was hosting a 5k or some event. Clearly this was the place to be.

Food Roundup Rehoboth
Coffee Mill
http://www.coffeemillrehoboth.com/
We ran into this store almost by accident. Didn’t have a coffee since I’ve already had my morning brew but tried one of their chocolate smores cookies. Delicious! Would definitely come back here for a coffee/snacks session. Also a nice selection of goodies for coffee and tea lovers alike!

Dogfish Head Brewery and Restaurant
http://www.dogfish.com/
//drinks: My Antonia (light pilsner great for summer and fish taco), Burton Baton (really really dark ipa. this was a recommendation by an overly enthusiastic beer drinker at a nearby table), Chateau Jiahu (J’s gone halfway around the world for this beer, jk. I’m just glad it was available. verdict: thumbs up.)
//food: fish tacos. J.’s aunt recommended this and I’m glad I tried it. For some reason I’ve never tried fish tacos until now, how tasty! any good fish tacos in NY?

Kilwin’s Ice Cream
right near the boardwalk, there are at least 3 ice cream places (cold stone, baskin robbins, rita’s etc). this one looked the most interesting and glad we checked out its flavors. their cappuccino/coffee one got compliments and I liked the peach one.

Three bars and a karaoke

Rye House
http://ryehousenyc.com/
11 W. 17th Street, NY, NY
(btw 5th and 6th ave)
Props to W. for recommending this place. Near Union Sq. Quiet space on a week night and friendly service.
beer: milk stout. excellent, would order again.
bourbon: Elijah Craig. learned to put water by the tiny spoonful in my bourbon to open it up. very nice.

Village Pour House http://www.villagepourhouse.com/
64th 3rd Ave, NY, NY
(at 11th st)
Near St. Marks. Amazing beer selection and giant screens for sports. I went with K. and C. for a Yankees vs. Rangers game (disclaimer, I’m not a fan of either team). I remember Beck’s Octoberfest was a new find that I enjoyed.

Jimmy’s Corner
http://nymag.com/listings/bar/jimmys_corner/
140 W. 44th St, NY, NY
(near Broadway times square)
G. and her husband J. were coming down from CT to visit NYC and recommended this place after we had dinner at Hurley’s. I could not believe the amazing music selection, boxing photos, and reasonable drink prices (especially in Times Square!). Everyone should go here with friends and visitors. Just watch your liver (since your wallet is saved)!

U2 Karaoke
http://www.wewantu2sing.com/
6 St. Marks Place, NY, NY
(btw 2nd and 3rd Ave)
I love St. Marks so this new place makes it much easier to plan for food/karaoke nights. I usually go to Karaoke Duet [link] but I’m very impressed with U2’s music selection, especially new pop songs. Better system than Duet but the Chinese songs are different to navigate. Not sure how they sorted it. I’m sure we’ll be back often!

Boston City Guide

While I have been using Tumblr more often, I find its pace a bit too hectic for non-picture entries. I went to Boston for a few days and wanted to jot down some ideas for future visits and reference.

Sorted by area near subway stations for easy trip planning.

North Station Area:
Bulfinch Hotel: We stayed here, very convenient location since it’s close to several subway stations and walking distance to Boston Commons. Ethernet cable available in the room. Across the street from TD Garden for games and concerts. Close to Rite Aid/CVS/Whole Foods/Quiznos/Dunkin Donuts if you need to grab supplies/snacks/fruit/drinks.
Beer Works: Several locations around town. We went to the Canal St location. Great selection beer and big screens for sports fans. I had the Amber Hefeweizen and the 9 Alarm wings (tasty, not too spicy though). The jalapeno poppers weren’t too spicy but they were decent.

Park Street Area:
Cheers: Made popular by the show. Also a nice spot for a drink and a burger near the park. If you go, take a look at their souvenir shop which has many good items. I got a classy postcard there.
Public garden: Small but pretty garden near the park. When I went I saw a lot of roses blooming.
Esplanade: After dinner at Cheers, you can take a leisure stroll along the esplanade. During the summer they also have outdoor concerts.
Freedom Trail: It starts at Boston Commons, just follow the red line on the sidewalk to visit the different sites. I didn’t complete it but saw most of the sites near the beginning. If you don’t want to walk there are other tours in the area via trolley or duck tour etc.
Finangle a Bagel: Yes, I know I’m crazy. I tried a bagel outside the NYC area. I didn’t want burger king and the pubs were not open until noon on Sunday so I just grabbed a breakfast egg on bagel from here. Around town you will find many Dunkin Donuts (literately two on each street corner or more), Au Bon Pain (yay for soups?), and this bagel place (more than just bagels). I would recommend it for breakfast or lunch.    

Aquarium Area:
Quincy market/Faneuil Hall: A lot of food choices. I had a lobster roll/chowder combo from Walrus the Carpenter Oyster Bar (booth). Pretty tasty. Apparently there are many famous seafood booths there. Next time when I have more time I will do some more investigation. J. tried some Mac and Cheese from a booth and thought it was decent. Comfort food, I guess.
Emack & Bolio’s Ice Cream: There are tons of ice cream places near the harbor but this one caught my attention. I liked their “Deep Purple Cow” (raspberry with white chocolate and dark chocolate chips and blueberries) and “Heaven” (vanilla with marshmallows and white chocolate chips)
Aquarium: If you take the subway you’ll notice a lot of ads for the aquarium. Check out the penguins and jellyfish and giant fish tank in the middle. I listened to one of the aquarium talks near the tank which was really good. They spoke about the different fish in the tank and how they rescue various sea turtles in the area.
Harbor boat tour: Order your tickets by phone (no surcharge) if you plan to go. The first day we tried to get tickets they were sold out. We took the sunset tour which started at 7pm. Natural lighting near the harbor is great for photos. You get to see the islands, a little bit of Boston skyline, and the U.S.S. Constitution fire a cannon. Boston doesn’t have too many tall buildings though (unlike NYC or Chicago boat tour) but it’s good to enjoy the view and some wind after a hot day running around town.

Copley Area:
Public library: Gorgeous building, open air courtyard, and fun exhibits. I caught an exhibit on vintage travelling posters. Great stuff.
Copley Shops: If you like to browse a mall and cool off, this is a good one before taking the train back home.
Duck tours: Your car turns into a boat for the water portion of the tour! I took this tour last year when I was in Boston. Definitely touristy but fun for at least one time. The water portion was somewhat disappointing (not much to see around the river) but the land portion gives you a sense of the town architecture and history. You can also take the tour at several locations.

Outside downtown:
Revere beach (Revere Beach Stop): Around 15-20 min by subway from downtown. I caught a sand castle/sculpture contest which was tons of fun. They have many pavilions with benches set up around the beach so you can enjoy some shade and sea breeze.  
Fenway Park (Kenmore Stop): Take the stadium tour since Red Sox tickets are hard to get! Smaller stadium means sold out shows all the time! Alternatively, you can probably just visit a bar near there on game day and soak up the baseball air.
Hahvahd Tour (Harvard Stop): I found them on a brochure in the hotel lobby. Pretty funny tour with energetic student guides. Not for high school students looking at colleges but more for travelers looking for a fun way to get around Harvard campus and soak up some history and anecdotes.
Harvard Coop Bookstore: Beautiful bookstore with spiral staircase and gorgeous lobby, just outside the subway stop. Rest of Harvard Square is great for walking around, too. Lots of shops, food, and fun.

Travel Reference
Acela Express is actually affordable (not too much more than regular train, you can use AAA discount on weekend trains) and has Wi-Fi. If you take the Acela from New York, you can get off at Back Bay Station (near Copley and Back Bay subway stations) or South Station (closer to downtown). Sometimes trying different combinations (Newark/NY Penn and Back Bay/South Station) will give you different schedules and fare prices.
MTBA for all your local travel needs. The subway (or T) is easy to navigate around and most trips don’t take very long. Watch out for weekend station closures and you should be fine.
If you fly, Logan Airport is close to downtown as well, via subway.
There are also several buses but since I haven’t taken them I don’t have any recommendations.

News
Boston Globe: Local news. You can also follow their twitter to receive news while you’re visiting.
Calendar of Events: Check out fun ideas.
Also check out various magazines/brochures/maps in the hotel area or tourism offices. You never know what you’ll find! That’s how I heard about the Harbor tour, the Hahvahd tour, and the Sand Castle Contest at Revere Beach. My hotel room had a copy of the Where magazine for Boston. Nice listings.  

Misc
If you have a smartphone or Ipad look for many free Wi-Fi hotspots around the city. On top of my head, some locations include Copley Mall area, Harvard Square, Public Library, Faneuil. This was my first trip using a smartphone so I found it incredibly useful. Google maps overlay with transit lines was a lifesaver. After you get around town for a few hours, you’ll notice that many downtown stations are actually very close together. That doesn’t mean getting the subway card is a bad deal though. I got the weekly unlimited card for $15, definitely worth it since I used many trips during my stay there ($2 if you pay per ride, one day unlimited is $9).

Previous Blog entries on Boston here.

Loreley Restaurant

7 Rivington Street
(between Bowery & Chrystie)
New York, NY 10002
Lower East Side
(212)253-7077
http://www.loreleynyc.com/

Will introduced me to this place that has a beer garden although the cold weather prevented me from checking it out. The inside seating is a bit tight but not unbearable. Not a busy night but our location clearly was difficult for the waitress to attend to.

Beer
Radeberger Pilsner. fresh and light. perfect summer drink to go with your dinner. would have been even better if we sat in the beer garden I bet. For those of you who don’t do metric and don’t have a smart phone, 1 liter is approx 2 pints. So if you usually get pints at a bar, just go ahead and get 0.5 L of your favorite beer.

Food
Since it’s impossible to decide on a dish, we just got a platter of the three sausages to try. The side of mashed potatoes and sauerkraut were tasty too. My favorite out of the three sausages was the smoked sausage.

Dessert (?)
While I usually order potato pancakes for brunch, I really wanted to try it here because they had lingonberry in addition to the applesauce. We had to ask for more applesauce though since the small serving they gave us was probably enough for 1 pancake. We had a total of three pancakes. I think it was sweet and tasty enough to be dessert.

Pound & Pence Pub

So I went to this pub with coworkers to celebrate someone's birthday. When the waitress came around to take drink orders, I asked her about the draft list and ordered a draft London Pride (excellent by the way). Next thing I know, people are asking me why I'm drinking dark beer. Maybe I haven't been paying attention, but apparently girls don't drink beers (even at a pub?), let alone dark beers. I look around and take in other women's orders: red wine (classy, especially with a smart dress), tea (they serve it in a small teapot, wow), and some other cocktails that I don't know the names of, and probably has some kind of fruity taste. I finally explained that I'm just more used to beers and that I don't know much about wine outside of merlot. Light beer is too light for me and Guinness is too foamy for me. and I haven't developed a taste for anything sweet (although my cousin did buy a case of Mike's Lemonade once...and after we went through it in a month I'd sworn off it forever).

Pound & Pence

55 Liberty St.

Between Nassau & Broadway

New York, NY 10005

website | drinks menu

My drink preference:
Yay List 
any IPA, Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Oktoberfest, gin straight, gin&tonic, Bass, Smithwicks, Becks, high grade tequila, Sam Adams Regular, sherry (extra dry), port, cognac

Nay List
Bud, Corona, TsingTao (this is almost unavoidable at a Chinese restaurant but oh well), vodka (unavoidable at most parties and in most cocktails...argh), margaritas (I don't know why I never cared for them, esp salt rim and umbrella), rum and most rum cocktails. there's probably a huge list of sweet drinks here...most flavored vodkas and rums.

Fav Non-alcoholic
cranberry juice (it looks pretty! Hot Fuzz reference, anyone?), fruit juice with seltzer, coke (yup, I don't care what people say, it's good), coffee and baileys (o wait...it's a bit alcoholic).

The above list may make me out to be an alcoholic but the reality of the matter is, I was just lucky to try a variety of drinks out of curiosity on different occasions. I'm still looking for that perfect, safe drink to get when I go to a bar and can't decide what I want. Until then, more experimentation!

Beer and Love Drunk

Spitzer's

101 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002
212.228.0027
website | beer menu
I probably need to keep a beer list somewhere so I will know what I've tried and liked...


Liked:
//Sword Swallower

Didn't like:
//Delirium Tremens: You may be seeing pink elephants but sure wasn't that great tasting.

No opinion:
//Watermelon Wheat: very strong watermelon aftertaste. otherwise not really notable.

"Love drunk" by Boys Like Girls

I used to be love drunk

Now I'm hungover

I love you forever

Forever is over

We used to kiss all night

Now it's just a barfight

So don't all me crying

Say hello to goodbye

Last.fm track

Lyrics

I thought this song was catchy and happy, then I looked up the lyrics and found out it's an angry breakup song! Still catchy though.

"Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga

I'm your biggest fan

I'll follow you until you love me

Papa-paparazzi

Baby there's no other superstar

You know that I'll be your

Papa-paparazzi

Last.fm track

I've liked this for a long time but probably didn't jot down the lyrics.

"Obsessed" by Mariah Carey

You're delusional, you're delusional

Boy you're losing your mind

It's confusin yo, you're confused, you know

Why you wasting your time?

Got you all fired up with your Napoleon complex

See right through you like you're bathin' in Windex

Last.fm track

Finally I'd like to say that Mariah managed to make the biggest diss song a top hit. and it's catchy too.

Beer & Cheese

J. moved to a new apt earlier this summer (see move in entry) and finally got a chance to throw an apt-warming party. It was also an official party to celebrate Beatles Rock Band.

The game was awesome, but I'm not here to give a lengthy review. Before we got to the main celebration, J. and I created a little platter to get started:
-Garlic Hummus (with a generous shake of the paprika bottle)
-Tam Tams [see company entry] (they are crackers, of course you need crackers with cheese!)
-Fuji, Gala, and Roma apple slices (I happened to have 3 different apples, yay)
-Brie cheese (the runny kind)
-Drink of choice was Brooklyn Brewery's Oktoberfest

After watching Ratatouille (the animated movie about a gourmet rat), I've been very keen to try different food combinations. When J. suggested that we do a beer&cheese, I figured apples would go well with the beer and cheese. Since it is currently autumn, the prime season for apples, and also the season for oktoberfest beer, the combination idea came quite naturally. When I tried it, I put a bit of brie on the cracker, and then a slice of apple. Take the whole thing and eat. Then sip a bit of beer, and wait for the magic to happen. Our guest recommended apples with hummus. The salty garlic paprika hummus actually goes quite well with the crisp sweet apples.

According to the Brooklyn Brewery webpage, the original Brooklyn Lager can be paired with Aged Cheddar. IPA with Asian food. and Oktoberfest with roasted food. I guess everyone can get creative when it comes to pairing beer with food.

Barley Love?

Beer Menus (website)
Saw this from gothamist, just wow....what a great resource.

Ever since I got back from Boston (and the Sam Adams tasting tour) I've been very selective about my beers. As in, why drink bottles when there are microbreweries and quality draft stuff? and I finally agree with W. that Corona is really not that amazing. The lime fizz at San Loco, though...that's one fine quality non-alcoholic drink!

Getting the Sam Adams Boston Lager and Brooklyn Lager on draft at my recent sports events were definitely highlights too. One at Madison Square Garden (great venue for music and beer, not for the Knicks, no offense). Another at Shea Stadium (Mets won...it's the last season before Citifield, how sad). So glad we didn't have to settle for aluminum bottled budweiser though. The carvel chocolate/vanilla softserve ice cream inside Mets caps were also amazing, but nearly beer prices, what gives?

Two places the Beer Menu page inspired me to try:
Ginger Man (36th St btw Madison and 5th Ave, Beermenu): Blue Point Berry sounds good.
Village Pourhouse (11th at 3nd ave, Website, Beermenu): Chimay Cinq Cents (pricey though)

Since we're on the topic of alcohol, I want to also mention that clearly I've been spoiled by decent wines and expensive liquors by B., K., among others. We went to the 5 shots for $10 place near St. Marks and I could only stand the Red Label (we have Blue Label at home, sick, yes) although Southern Comfort was interesting (sour and sweet). I'm disappointed to say that while Jameson has great subway ads and Dewar's has great magazine ads, they do not taste that great.

Aged tequila is meant to be savored.

Boston Wrap Up

Clearly I've been slacking on the updates...

Quick notes for one day when inspiration hits and I get organized with the contact info and so on.

NYC
GO (St. Mark's, awesome plum riceballs and vinegared sashimi)
Riceball Omusubi (near Grand Central, plum riceballs are good but not quite GO quality...or I'm just picky about my plum riceballs. they offer a punch card for riceballs...I have to go back!)
TONY's (yay for seafood linguini, nay for Italian beer, yay for passionfruit sorbet, still weird in Time Sq. and full of tourists though).
Suba (tasting menu is amazing, Spanish ham and "Napoleon" sherry are my two new loves, bring a lot of appetite. One of the desserts had ice cream with a sweet liquor. Another cool tapa was a bunch of wings stuffed with chorizo.)
Arties (pickled tomatoes and cucumbers for the win, also loved their chocolate shake. learned to eat potato pancakes with apple sauce, feels "cultured" now)

Boston
Avoid food court chowda even if you're starving. Avoid convention sushi, it'll probably kill you (unless you're trying to lose weight?)
Highlights:
Sam Adams Brewery Tour. After chewing roasted barley, smelling hops, and listening to the tour guide talk about beer, we got three different samples. I liked the Boston Ale and Boston Lager. Previous night had Winter (or was it white?) and thought it was ok. We also got free Sam Adams glasses to add to our glassware collection, pretty cool. The guide also told us the 5 steps of tasting a Sam Adams. Think wine tasting and you're not too far off. I like the idea of enjoying a fresh crisp beer slowly, as opposed to sucking down some cheap stuff. Anyway, totally worth it for the beer. We even went to a store they recommended to get a few variety packs. One thing I have to say though, Boston cards too much. We're not criminals or underage! geesh.

Blue Moon Winter Ale "Full Moon" on tap was amazing. As I wikied blue moon I realized that it's actually owned by Coors?! Now I feel dirty. It still tastes great though, no matter who owns it. I'd also like to try the other Blue Moon varieties such as spring and summer ale. Harpoon IPA was ok I think. Yay for reasonable priced beer on tap though in Boston though. This makes up the fact that so many places closes at 10pm and we had to go 2 or 3 places before finding food. and they didn't have jalapeño poppers...only a "spicy" wing which was "mild". sigh.

Atlantic Fish Seafood Restaurant was excellent. It made our Boston seafood experience rather memorable. Can't believe it took until lunch on our last day to figure out seafood.
Drinks: dry gin martini with lemon twist, Bellini, and Scotch. you figure out who had what.
Starters: oysters (some raspberry kind with sweet finish from PEI), ahi tuna (looked good, I didn't sample this), clam chowda (not too creamy like other places, which is great).
Food: Tuna (bah overcooked), Mahi Mahi (light), some kind of burger (maybe not really a dish at a seafood joint? how dare they give bad pickle and onion with it!? miss NYC burgers that are more like $10+ with "organic" pickles and lettuce and heirloom tomatoes or something)
Dessert: Chocolate cake, Apple Pie with ice cream. I of course combined a bit of chocolate with ice cream from the other plate. Just heavenly =)
p.s. we didn't leave this place until around 4pm which almost meant we were fined for parking too long at the hotel valet.

Pourhouse Steak Tips were nice. we liked their mashed potatoes too. My chicken sandwich was so so but since it was so cheap I didn't care that much. The place was so cold though since the door kept on opening and closing. Why doesn't everyone just get the temporary room thing outside their place like NYC? This way the cold wind/air stays in the temporary room and does not bother the inside.

Chinatown China Pearl was a pretty place for dim sum I thought. Loved their tripe and rice noodle beef things. And of course the coconut jelly.

I think that about rounds up the places I've eaten so I can look back on this list next time for reference. The convention was a tad crazy and the line for our badges took 3-4 hours. not sure if I want to come back, but may change my mind next year, who knows. I do love Boston though, even if we missed the touristy sightseeing (unless you count Sam Adams?) Back Bay is a pretty neighborhood. Next time I shall walk around more.