New York City

The beach bums are back from our mini vacation, a weekend in New York City for a friend's wedding! We traded in shorts and t shirts for dresses and suits (when is the last time I saw T in one of those?!)

My grungy flip flops suddenly
became killer heels!
(My feet still are not happy!)

We didn't have enough time to do too many touristy things, but we did have time to EAT! Our first night, Thursday, we went to a Russian restaurant -the Firebird- in the theater district that was recommended by some friends. We started with cold beet soup (I make borscht frequently, but this was different), a selection of cheeses with candied plums, and a plate of pickled herring and eggs. A passionfruit sorbet followed, then the entrees: T had venison with raspberry sauce, and I had a tea smoked duck breast. The duck was the best I've ever had, and I really enjoyed the venison, too. Never had it before, and assumed it was gamey, but not at all! Dessert was port wine and chocolate truffles, then off to check out Times Square!

This was my first time in NYC, and Times Square was a bit overwhelming. You could actually feel all the heat coming off the many, many lights!

Friday, I had to try some New York Pizza, so we headed to Famous Ray's in the Village. Pretty tasty, a close second to my favorite Chicago style pizza. Later we had hot dogs from Papaya Dogs...when was the last time I ate anything out that only cost $1.50?!

Friday evening we headed to Brooklyn to catch up with other wedding guests, but first we had dinner at the Black Mountain Wine House- I had caught a review on the Travel Channel and it looked really good. It was fantastic. The menu is all small plates, and each cost $10. We tried a plate of salamis with olives and apples, a warm beet/potato/goat cheese tart, a selection of cheeses, and a macaroni and cheese dish made with Gruyere, mushrooms, and truffle oil. Wow. Spent a few hours enjoying the cozy atmosphere, good food and good wine. Highly recommended!

Saturday lunch was burgers and fries from Five Brothers -greasy heaven-, and the wedding was in the evening. The chicken served for dinner was suspiciously -but deliciously- moist. I would love to know how it was prepared.

Sunday morning we were on our way back to the island! It was a great weekend, and a nice sampling of sit down food and street food. Of course, vacation fund is now empty, but it did get a nice boost beforehand by sticking to our budget ($15/day) for the last few months. If I go under budget I put the remainder in vacation fund. Time to start over! So, back to island food for dinner, tonight is avocado tacos with black beans and rice ($5.63). Hope everyone has a great week!