Welcome to Portland, Maine!

So I FINALLY made it out of New York City to another East Coast city.  Super excited.  Also excited, because the city in question was Portland, Maine, the sister city of my hometown of Portland, Oregon.

The comparisons began with the plethora of Red Robbin restaurants on the drive from NYC.  Not sure if I've told you of my OBSESSION for Red Robbin but I more or less threatened all the people in the car to stop or I'd kill them.  That being said I ordered my three go-to dishes - Blue Ribbon Burger, Bottomless Clucks and Fries and a Mile-High Mud Pie - and they were just as good as I remembered.  Although the kids coloring sheet and the kids to-go cups are way less cool than they used to be.

We got in late that Friday night so it wasn't until the next day that we were able to start exploring.  We stayed at a friend's house in Cape Elizabeth and were greeted in the morning with
Scratch bagels - a local delicacy.  I've had bagels the world over and these are hands down the best bagels I have ever had.  Same friend is in Maine this weekend for a wedding and I've already put a to-go order in.  They taste like eating flavorful, crispy clouds.

After eating at least three bagels we walked down the street for an outstanding view of the famous Portland Head Lighthouse.  The pictures definitely don't do it justice.

From there we slowly made our way to Ferry Beach for some much needed tanning time.  The beach was lovely but the current was a little intimidating.  Not a relaxing swim if that's what you are looking for...

 

After a nap at the beach we wandered up the road to the Black Point Inn for some delicious, yet surprisingly cheap rose on the deck.  The service there was wonderful as they helped locate enough wicker furniture for us to sit and enjoy the sunset.

Seeing as how it was Saturday night and we hadn't really seen any of downtown Portland we decided to head into the city for dinner and drinks.  Our friend suggested Street & Company which is usually very difficult to get into.  We were told it was about an hour wait.  Not sure what happened but 15 minutes later we had barely started our cocktails at the bar when they came over to seat the four of us.  As luck would have it we even got a window table!  The place is adorable and the food was really good.  I had a salad to start which was good, the fish special in a spicy tomato salsa for my entree which was one of the best dishes I have ever had, and an unfortunately terrible blueberry lemon tart for dessert.  Stuffed but satisfied at the end.  They aren't joking about Maine seafood that I can tell you.

After dinner we wandered down the street to Amigos - I am immediately drawn to dive bars what can I say. If you walk through the bar, pass Big Buck Hunter (channeling Village Tavern), and out the back door you end up in an awesome outdoor patio with a corner bar.  There was a live band and a bunch of crazy locals dancing to the music.  So dirty, so amazing.  LOVED.

The next morning we wanted to get in some final warm Maine sunshine so we wandered to Higgin's Beach for a few hours.  It's a really quick beach that seems very family friendly because the water is much more accessible and lazy in comparison with Ferry Beach.

It was our last afternoon in Maine so we wandered back into Portland to do some final sightseeing and grab lunch.  It is a small, adorable town.  If I stay on the East Coast indefinitely this is definitely where I'm getting my second house (cuz I'll be rich obviously).

Lunch was at another Portland favorite, The Porthole, which was lively with a reggae band and a bunch of drunks fresh off a booze cruise - my kind of place.  It was super easy to find a table with seating for four although the tables don't afford for a lot of shade so be prepared for some sun.  My friend ordered the lobster (you kind of have to in Maine) and I, the allergic one, ordered the fish and chips which was still MONEY.  The crust was super flakey and the fish was piping hot and not mushy.  Sooooo good.  A perfect ending to our afternoon.

Overall I am obsessed with this place and hope to return over and over again.

Vegas... Again!

Hello again from Las Vegas, Nevada!  This trip I headed to the City of Sin for a bachelorette party.  I booked it through the company, Las Vegas Nightlife Group, who did a fantastic job.  There are a variety of packages which you can see here - we went with the Encore Premium which was about $80 per person (we obviously didn't make the brides pay so it was slightly more).  I'm also providing the name and email of the person who helped me - Kelly Malone at Kelly@lasvegasnightgroup.com.  

There were eight people going so I booked two Double Bed Resort Suites at Encore Casino.  I may choose this casino because it's got a young vibe and we wanted to go to Surrender and Encore Beach Club as part of the bachelorette.  For those of you going in large groups to Vegas I highly recommend staying at the same place as where you want to go out clubbing or gambling because the taxi situation just gets annoying for large groups.

That being said the package I went with was about $150 per person and included:

1. Three Course Meal plus one free glass of champagne at Encore Society Cafe
2. Free escorted entry into Surrender Nightclub
3. One hour of bottomless champagne at Surrender
4. Free escorted entry into Encore Beach Club
5. One hour of bottomless mimosas at Encore Beach Club

Overall it was a GREAT deal for all the above, especially because we had one guy with us which would've made getting into places a pain.   

So let's start with the rooms...  They were plenty big enough for everyone to get ready but I had been under the impression they were two queen beds not two double beds which made it a cozy fit for all of us.  One person in each room ended up opting for the couch instead which provided to be fairly comfortable.  They also helped us out a ton and gave us adjoining rooms which was nice because we could easily access each other without keycards.  

 

 After checking in and getting ready on Friday, we went to Encore Society Cafe for our three course meal.  The meal was price fixe in a sense.  

We got three appetizers which included:

A pepperoni flatbread pizza which was just crispy enough with large pieces of basil for added taste.

Shishito peppers and edamame with sea salt and yuzu dressing - The shishito peppers were delicious (they are a favorite of mine) although the edamame was a little too salty for my taste.

 

Iceberg wedges with crispy bacon, tear drop tomatoes, and blue cheese dressing.

 For my main course I had the petit filet with potato and bacon cake which was DELICIOUS  - perfectly cooked and very juicy.  

I was honestly very surprised since I usually have low expectations for both price fixe meals and meals as part of a package.  The brulee cheesecake with strawberry compote was also good although nothing unique.

 

  From there we were picked up immediately at the front of the restaurant and escorted straight into Surrender Nightclub where we were given wristbands for our free drinks.  The restaurant ran long in terms of getting us our check (additional drinks are not included) which meant that we technically had missed the free drinking hour (10:30-11:30).  However, our host was totally cool with it and just said our hour could start when we arrived which was awesome and really nice of them.

 

 

  Unfortunately the free champagne was the "Popov" of champagnes and managed to give at least one bride (it was a double bachelorette) and an assortment of bridesmaid horrible stomachaches that lasted into the next day because it was so cheap.  Most of us just went ahead and paid for other drinks rather than drink those.  The DJ was amazing though and we danced the night away until about 3am at which point my feet could no longer support my weight.  A definitely highlight of the night was one of the brides being forced to get up and pole dancing in front of the entire club with the half-naked stripper.  Awesome.

Back at the room, the lone guy bridesmaid and I were restless and far from sleepy so we ditched all the sleeping beauties and headed to KRAVE, a notorious Las Vegas gay dance club near MGM Grand.  I opted for flipflops and was glad I did because we got.our.dance.on.  Probably one of the best club nights of my life in Vegas.  I will definitely come back here.  I feel like there was a cover...maybe but it wasn't significant.  

The next morning we woke up bright and early for the second half of the bachelorette package - Encore Beach Club.  Nothing makes a bachelorette like day drinking by a pool with a DJ if you ask me.  Again we were escorted straight into the day club without a problem.  The only issue that arose is that as a "day club" instead of a "pool" there are no free lounges/chairs to use, they all require bottle service, which was a little bit of a bummer.  We found out we could get the cheapest daybed for $1000 which wasn't horrible when split across eight people but the only ones left were in the shade which wasn't worth it.  So we posted up on the walkway that crosses the two pools and just hung out there.  They have a free bag check for your stuff anyway so all you really need is some cash and a towel.

The rest of the day at Encore Beach Club was awesome.  We had a ton of fun and ended up just buying pitchers of mojitos instead of utilizing the free hour of mimosas for the most part.  I think I had a few mimosas but they tasted just as a bad as the champagne from the night before.  

After hours by the pool we headed back to the room to change for dinner at Max Brenner's in Caesar's Palace Casino.  For those headed to Max Brenner's ask for the taxi to take you to the valet entrance of the Forum Shops as that will get you closest to the restaurant for those of you wearing painful heels :-)

I have to say I went in with low expectations because living in NYC you become pretty snobby about chain restaurants.  Yet again I was pleasantly surprised.  For starters we had:

• The Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Fondue with warm chili dusted tortilla chips for scooping which was pretty good (nothing ever beats California Pizza Kitchen on this one unfortunately)
• The Black & Tan Beer Battered Vidalia Rings with Dark Chocolate Ranch Dressing were really good although I thought the dressing tasted weird.  The onion rings were big, juicy and nicely breaded.
  
• The Crispy Spice Dusted Pita Chips with creamy hummus and roasted red peppers which was REALLY good.  The roasted red peppers added the perfect sweetness to the kick of the spicy chips.

Then one can't go to Max Brenner's without indulging in a little chocolate alcoholism so we tried out the Mocha Madness made with kahlua, fresh brewed espresso, milk and dark chocolate served up and the Intoxi-Cake made with cake flavored vodka, frangelico and your choice of: white, milk or dark chocolate.

The Mocha Madness not only looked like a work of art but it tasted phenomenal.  It was icy cold and not too chocolatey.  I could've had at least three!  

The Intoxi-Cake was also good but not nearly as exciting as the Mocha Madness although it did come with marshmallows on top...

Lastly, for actual DINNER, I had the Max’s Sunday Mood Pasta with fresh tomatoes, spinach, ricotta cheese, and tomato-pesto and then I added chicken.   It was really good.  Better than your average pasta although not the best I've EVER had.

Overall I was really pleased with this dinner and would totally go to the one in NYC at some point.

The rest of the trip involving telling racy stories at our lingerie party and passing out early because everyone had early flights (yes I know how lame of us) so here-in lies the end to my latest Vegas excursion!

Weekly NYC Blog Post - 7.12.2012

So I thought I'd start off this week's blog for NYC with my first New York beach and my first NYC music festival.  From there it's more of the same.  Have at it!

Long Beach
As a native west coaster I have an impossible time understanding the eastern seaboard so I'm starting with a map of where Long Beach is in relation to Manhattan.  So here you go.

As you can see you have to cross the "short length" of Long Island to get there which takes about an hour by train.  To find train times you can use the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) website - http://lirr42.mta.info.  The trains leave fairly often in the morning but then start to only leave every hour during the late afternoon in order to get back so make sure you check the return times as well.

The trains leave from Penn Station and be sure to ask for both your train ticket AND your beach pass because it's a lot cheaper when you buy them together.  And you don't have to stand in the crazy long line once you get to the beach.  If you do wait until you get to the beach you can either go to the local store OR buy it at the entrance to the beach.  Either way you have to pay in cash so bring a $20.

The beach is actually very similar to California I thought - the sand is really fine and the ocean is cold.  The ocean looks to be a little deeper though and more murky.  But it did wonders for my hangover!  It was crazy crowded since all of Manhattan left to escape the 100 degree weather in the City.  Overall I had a GREAT time and will definitely be back.  Also if you are lucky you can hop on the express train home which takes even less time!  Make sure you are the first to the train (both ways) because the seats are first come, first serve and you DO NOT want to stand the whole time.

  Governor's Ball (Randall's Island)
So my first music festival experience in Manhattan was Governor's Ball featuring the likes of Passion Pit, Penguin Prison, Walk the Moon and more.  Thanks to my evil beer guzzling friends we missed half these bands but there was still plenty of time to put on our dancing shoes.  It was definitely VERY hot though.  I highly recommend - it was easy to get to, no waiting to get in, and easy to get back.  I'll be back next year for sure!

CHELSEA

Cafeteria
I have embarrassingly lived across the street from this place for almost a year now and just now managed to eat there (outside of mac n cheese randomly once).  I have been MISS.ING.OUT.  The restaurant itself is a little "sceney" for me but the food more than made up for it.

 Photo Credit: Cafeteria Website

The burrata with toast and heirloom tomato was one of the best I've ever had and it's a favorite dish of mine.

The California Cobb Salad with Avocado, Blue Cheese, Crisp Bacon, Corn Mixed Greens, Tomatoes, Hard Boiled Eggs, Grilled Chicken and Dijon Vinaigrette was huge, fresh and flavorful.  By the time I'd gobbled down the burrata starter I wasn't that hungry and took over half of this salad home for leftovers the next day.  It was still delicious the next day.

The Mac N Cheese with smoked gouda and bacon, for all they wax on about it, wasn't even that good.  Low point of an otherwise outstanding meal!

LOWER EAST SIDE

Via Tribunali
I walked into my friend's apartment on Friday night and we both looked at each other and said "Pizza" at the same time.  I replied back with "Good Pizza."  She said "Via Tribunali."  And she was not mistaken!  This place was very cute, romantic and perfect for an intimate evening with a close friend or a hot date.  The wine we had was some of the best I've ever tasted and the pizza was big, juicy and piping hot.  We almost ordered another one because I think it actually made me hungrier as I gulped down each piece!  Will definitely be back here again!

 Photo Credit: Via Tribunali Facebook

Below is a photo of the "DIAVOLA" pizza with pomodoro, fior di latte, salame piccante, parmigiano, and basil.

SOUTH VILLAGE

Miss Lily's
Jay Z has still failed to invite me when he comes to this place but he is so jazzed about it that I thought I'd try it out.  Usually the wait is close to an hour but we lucked out (it was pretty late on a Saturday so most people were finishing dinner not starting it) and got two seats at the bar.  The place is super funky, small and staffed by a lot of native Jamaicans so you know they know what they're doing.  Right around the time we sat down the DJ showed up and posted up at the bar next to us spinning reggae remixes of popular songs like Gotye.  So chill.
 

 Photo Credit: Sherri S on Yelp.com

For dinner we started off with the jerk grilled corn with toasted coconut which is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted.  It was almost too spicy but the coconut took off the edge.  Can't say I was particularly graceful ripping the kernel off this one.  I never thought I'd find a grilled appetizer that would compare with my jalapeno poppers.  Touche Miss Lily.

Next up where two versions of the jaquitos (three Jamaican style mini tacos).  We went with the ackee and saltfish (traditional Jamaican pairing) and the jerk chicken and avocado.  Ackee is a fruit similar to lychee and saltfish is pretty much like salted cod for those who want to save themselves a google search.  The saltfish tacos were good but a little bland after the corn.  The jerk chicken ones were even more spicy than the corn taking the night and my breath to the next level.  The orange stuff in the little glass cup you see there - HOT HOT HOT.  WATCH OUT.

And the finale - Jerk chicken, slow cooked and grilled, with a marinated cucumber salad.  It was almost too much jerk chicken following the tacos but I still tucked in.  I was already a little full (the tacos and corn and beers would be plenty if you aren't that hungry) but hey it was sitting in front of me.  I personally sneered at the knife and fork and just used my hands :-)

 The curried goat was our other entree and it was fine.  It comes in a Jamaican curry with Irish potatoes.  It's SO rich and kind of bland compared to the other dishes.

Overall I really liked the food although I probably don't need to come back.  Maybe just for beers, corn, music and sangria...


The Local
My friend and I stopped here for lunch on Sunday for something good but quick.  He remarked that it was "snobby" which apparently means small and organic with good coffee and no website haha.  Thanks to the lack of website I've posted the address - 144 Sullivan St (between Houston St & Prince St).  I ordered the Sopressata Sandwich which was simple yet delicious.  The sopressata was clearly grade A and they put plenty of meat and cheese on the sandwich.  A little dressing made it just juicy enough too. 

WEST VILLAGE

Dell Anima
I've passed this place a bunch of times but was always cowed by how expensive it was.  But when my friend managed to turn her freelance job into a full time salaried position we had to go somewhere classy to celebrate - for one drink.  So we ended up here and had some delicious wine by the glass.  The bartender was the "shit" and even filled up our glasses a second time for free since we were celebrating.  In exchange we decided to buy an hors d'oeuvres and went with the bruschetta with three types of sauce.  

The three sauces we choose were the Cannellini with preserved lemon and aleppo, the Roasted Red Pepper with smoked almond and pecorino romano and the Rapini Pesto with walnuts and pecorino romano.  The red pepper was by far the best with a hint of spice.  The pesto was up next and the cannellini was last (it was pretty bland).  The bread was fresh and perfectly toasted making it a great accompaniment to the wine.  The main menu also looked incredible but as I'd guessed very expensive... Maybe I'll be back here once I move into my cheaper apartment.

 Photo Credit: Dell Anima Website

Meme
I said I'd back and so I did.  This time it was homemade fresh mozzarella with tomato, pepper, and basil salad (decent) and the chicken kebab with marinated tomatoes and cucumber yogurt which was DELICIOUS.  Pissed I didn't order it.  That is definitely the dish I'm ordering next time.  This place continues to amaze me because no matter what dish you order it fills you up and seems light at the same time.  Incredible.

Red Farm
Lastly but certainly not least I FINALLY made it to Red Farm after all the waiting.  I would say that it is NOT worth the two hour wait walk-ins experience but because I came earlier and put our name down for 8:30pm we only had to wait about 15 minutes upon arrival.  The place itself is adorable - you feel like you are sitting inside of a country farmhouse and the food is very good but in my opinion not really worth the price.  Lastly, half the dishes I wanted to eat include oyster sauce which I'm allergic too without substitutions which was kind of a buzz kill - but I survived.

 Photo Credit: Red Farm Website

I ordered the Pan-Fried Lamb Dumplings which I thought would be more like dim sum dumplings so that was a bummer but they were still good.

The Avocado & Mango Summer Rolls were very filling and flavorful but not my favorite.  They almost tasted like sushi?

The Smoked Salmon & Eggplant 'Bruschetta' on the other hand was incredible!  They put a ton of salmon on the toast and I don't know what other herbs/spices they add but I wish I could've eaten nine more of these!  I'd come back just for them!

The Kowloon Filet Mignon Tarts were also exquisite.  Plenty of meat for a bite sized appetizer and it was juicy and soft!

And of course they'd have my all time favorite dessert - Key Lime Pie- which came with a pear sorbet that was icy deliciousness.

As I'd mentioned above I don't think this place is worth half the hype it gets but once it's not "new" anymore I recommend coming here for a nice evening out.