Local Adventures- A New York City Kind of Day

While strolling through NYC one day,
in the very merry month of May,
I was taken by surprise,
by a pair of rogueish eyes (my boyfriend’s),
in a moment my poor heart was stole away.

More and more, I come to explore this great city in which I live. More and more I fall head-over-heels in love. This past Saturday, my boyfriend and I marched on in the pursuit of adventure. Join us, will you?

The day began with a trip to see Banana Shpeel, a Cirque de Soleil Production, at the Beacon Theartre

If you know me in real life, or follow me on twitter, you will know that I go ga-ga for frozen yogurt. Naturally the boyfriend and I made a stop at Red Mango, to partake in some frozen deliciousness.

Post fro-yo indulgence, we wandered a bit to explore the surrounding area. Not much later, we arrived at Buddakan for dinner.

Dinner, as you know was legendary. Too full to even think about making the trek back home, we instead wandered into the magical place that is the Chelsea Market. From lobster to gelato, the market has it all.

The Chelsea Market building was established in a space that used to belong to The New York Biscuit Company back at the turn of the 20th century. Now, the eclectically decorated space holds all kinds of delights for both the eyes and the tastebuds.

Photographer Dave Mead's work graces the walls of the Market. The Magnificent Specimens of quirky, mustached and bearded men's portraits thoroughly amaze and amuse onlookers.

My boyfriend and I just had to pose with that big, faux 'stache.

The scents coming from Amy's Bread held us in its thrall. We couldn't eat again, but that doesn't mean we didn't take some fresh baked doughy goodness home.

And finally, we refreshed ourselves with delicious fruit bars from People's Pops. The fresh fruit that goes into these frozen bars of goodness are grown by local farmers. I enjoyed a yogurt, pear, and maple syrup bar. Nom

I think we both learned that day that there is so much waiting to be explored in this great city of mine. When was the last time you went on a local adventure?

Of Magical Meals and Buddakan NYC

There are two things of which I am absolutely certain. The first being that my name is Adina, the second being that I consider myself extremely lucky to have been born and raised in a city so rich with culture, opportunities, and gourmet food haunts that would make any connoisseur weep with joy. In this post, allow me to weave a tale of culinary delights of the Pan-Asian variety, come to life at Chelsea’s very own gem- Buddakan.

Having found myself in the city with my one-and-only, we embarked on a journey downtown to experience what can only go down in the record books as a legendary meal.

Upon entering the restaurant, one cannot help but be sucked into the lively atmosphere, thrumming with the pulse of the city. On this particular early Saturday evening, we admired some of the city’s most beautiful people just hanging out by the grand bar while sipping on designer cocktails and catching up with their favorites. My boyfriend and I checked in and were immediately led through the happening bar area on the first floor to the much quieter, more intimate sub-level. As we settled into the cushy seats in the beautiful, dimly lit dining area, we knew we were in for something special.

Our waiter, Tony warmly greeted us, and then proceeded to explain the restaurant’s culinary philosophy and influences. Perusing the menu, we were presented with more options than our hungry selves could handle. With Tony as our guide, we made several selections that were subsequently brought out not only quickly, but perfectly pleasing in the visual sense. Clearly, this is food meant to engage all the senses, even as the flavors so expertly put together made our palates sing.

Drinks
Sake for him, and a “Lush” for me, which was a blend of sake, gin, lychee, and rosemary. I have never had that combination before, but I rather did like it.

Appetizers:

Steamed Savory Vegetable Dumplings

With delicate wrappers and perfectly seasoned, crisp diced vegetables, these dumplings were perfection.

Sea Bass Roll, wrapped in Napa cabbage and topped with julienned ginger

Complimenting our dumplings, the cabbage wrapped sea bass roll was both tender and delectable. The julienned ginger slaw gracing the top gave the dish a bit of a zing.

Entrees

Charred Filet of Beef with Wonton Crisps and Mustard Sauce

Now I am not one to partake in red meat, but my boyfriend is most certainly a fan. As a trained chef, he has tasted the finest cuts of beef from Kobe to Filet Mignon. For him to be wowed by a filet says a lot, and wowed he was as he closed his eyes and savored the perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked fillet.

Dungeness Crab Stick Rice with x.o Sauce

There are no words for how insanely good this stick rice was. It was presented in an empty crab shell, with large chunks of Dungeness crab throughout.

Glazed Alaskan Black Cod with Eggplant and Black Bean Relish

The perfect portion of buttery, flaky fish had a deliciously sweet sear to it. The relish was OMG good.

Unfortunately, we were both so stuffed post-meal that we didn’t have any rooms in our distended abdomens for dessert. Ah, to have eyes bigger than one’s stomach.

All in all, Buddakan afforded us two foodies (one of us being a chef, no less!) with the most exceptional meal we can both remember having. With a chic and sexy atmosphere, vittles that are out-of-this-world delicious, and a staff that is so friendly and attentive that you want to instantly be-friend them all, Buddakan is a huge restaurant WIN.

If you are an out-of-towner looking for an amazing culinary experience, or a native who hasn’t yet been, you simply have to go to Buddakan, the end.

*This amazing meal at Buddakan was sponsored by Pantene.

Epic Dining Destinations- Country Pancake House in Ridgewood New Jersey

Ladies and Gents of the blogosphere, I have discovered gourmet gold in the unlikeliest of places: New Jersey. The story goes a little something like this:

Boyfriend (BF) comes over to spend some quality time with his still ailing girlfriend (GF)
BF and GF ponder their Saturday afternoon entertainment possibilities
GF reminds BF about that special they saw on the Travel Channel about restaurants they need to visit
GF convinces BF that Saturday is a good day for pancakes
and away they go

It was a Saturday afternoon like any other, in which my boyfriend and I explored the state next door. A trip to the mall left me with two gorgeous new Chanel Rouge Coco's (more on that in a bit), a few new items of clothing (shhh, don't tell), and a monster appetite for something delicious.Our appetites led me (and him) to the Country Pancake House in Ridgewood NJ, a culinary house of epic proportions (and portions).

 

Read on, take the jump!

Daily Dose of Yum- Gourmet Flavored Popcorn from Popcornopolis

Nom Nom Nom

I know what you are thinking, and yes, that is me eating pasta. Anywho, welcome to my first food post!

Now I am by no means gourmet certified, but I do consider myself to be a big time foodie. I love to cook, I love to watch the Food Network (yay, it's back!), but most of all, I love to snack. I will almost always eat small portions at dinner in order to save room to snack later.

Now I go through phases where I fixate on one particular snackfood in particular. Allow me to introduce my newest obsession, gourmet flavored popcorn from Popcornopolis.

Born in California, this popcorn company has been popping up (hehe) lately at my local Costco. Packaged in adorable little cones, these treats are delicious whether you go with the sweet or the savory options. With more flavors than dollars in my wallet, Popcornopolis definitely brings the yum.

I have stocked up on nearly 20 bags of this yummy goodness, in 9 of the flavors offered. My favorites thus far have been Cheddar and Cinnamon Bun, though I can honestly say that there is no bad flavor. If you don't see me for a couple of days, it's probably because I am in a popcorn induced coma.

What's your favorite snack?

Viva La Montreal! Home, Home Again Part 3, The Food, The Sites, The Scene

This dinner was the most amazing meal I have had in a while. A seafood feast with lobster, mussels, scallops, and shrimp. Definitely ended the trip with a bang

At the Basilique de Marie-Reine-Du-Monde. My boyfriend thought it would be funny to stick me up in one of the statue nooks. His idea, I swear!

What? That gilded dragon was scary!

Scaling the fountains of Old Montreal

The Cirque De Soleil tents, this show was Ova

Old Port
Statue of Maisonneuve, outside of Le Basilique de Notre Dame

Yummy Chicken Teriyaki Dish at a fantastic Asian Restaurant

Enjoying my cheeseless flamm with grilled chicken, tomato, mushroom and onion at Le 3 Brasseurs


I hope you enjoyed all my Montreal photos! Let me know if you like these types of posts so I can do more of them! ;)