Most of the other 2012 goals I/we set are coming along:
- Monthly Date Night: Matt and I have had two lovely date nights in January and February, and already have the next one planned.
- Bucket List: We have managed to cross a few things off of our bucket list.
- Study Time: I have made my study time more productive. There is still room for improvement, but I am moving in the right direction.
- Increase One Weekend Run: I am actually coming off of a minor running sprain/strain, so this goal is delayed a bit. Now the plan is to have a 6-mile run as part of my weekend routine by April.
- Picture Project: Sadly, there is no movement on this goal, but hoping I can work on this in the next week and a half that I have off between semesters. (Yes, I know that a week and half off sounds like a long time, but I am actually already studying for the next semester - yes, studying. My professor has sent out multiple reading and homework assignments to prepare us for the next semester. UGH!)
Here are the highlights of what Matt and I have been up to over the past several weeks.
Central Park Zoo
Matt and I both had MLK day off, so we chose to explore the Central Park Zoo. Obviously, it is kind of small for a zoo, but still had all of the requisite zoo residents - animals, birds, reptiles...
Zoo Entrance
I think these bats were probably annoyed by everyone using their flash to take pictures ;)
Sea Lions - They were doing all kinds of cool tricks, but never when I had my camera ready
Does he make you want a Coca-Cola? ;)
Are we back in college?
After the zoo, we walked around the city trying to find someplace interesting to pop in and came across Lillie's. Just walking inside, we liked it because it reminded us of a lot of the old, traditional pubs in London. The decor and atmosphere is very old world, opulent yet somehow inviting and cozy. The beer selection was very decent and the service was great. For some reason, Matt and I succumbed to the bar tender's suggestion to have a shot (even though neither of us have had a shot in several years). We decided on Patron Silver, one of my old favorites, and slugged them back like we were college kids - it was a fun time ;)
Inside Lillie's - cool decor/ambiance
Crazy kids ;)
Robert Earl Keen in NYC!
I always love experiencing a little bit of Texas in NYC, so was thrilled when I learned that Robert Earl Keen was coming to town. Matt, our lovely friend Noelle and I attended the concert and had an awesome time. It was a sold-out crowd, and most everyone in the audience sung along with REK's songs. There were several cowboy hats spotted, and lots of college paraphernalia representing different schools. It was great to see so many Texans enjoying good, Texas music in the middle of NYC :)
January Date Night
Lucky for us, Restaurant Week coincided with our January date night, so we got to go to Mesa Grill, one of Bobby Flay's restaurants. As I have mentioned a couple of times in my blog posts, I heart Bobby Flay! I was so excited to finally get to go to one of his proper restaurants. I have to say the decor and ambiance left a lot to be desired, but when your food is so freakin' good, I guess it doesn't matter :) And, the food was so freakin' good!! I very much look forward to trying another one of Bobby Flay's restaurants.
Matt's appetizer - Sophie's Chopped Salad
My appetizer: Shrimp Cake (soooo good - I totally won on the apps ;))
Matt's entree: Mango & Spice-Crusted Tuna Steak
My entree: Sixteen Spice Rubbed Chicken (I won again - sooo good! The sweet potatoes were pretty awesome, too.)
NJ NETS Game
At the end of January, we ventured across the Hudson to attend a New Jersey NETS game. One of our bucket list items is to attend one of game of every major sports team in NY. I know New Jersey is not NY, but it is close and we got a Groupon deal :). It actually ended up being lots of fun. The seats were great, and the stadium is really, really nice. We had a fun time, and would go back again (if we got another Groupon deal ;)).
Can someone tell me why the NETS mascot is a wolf??
Valentine's Festivities
Our Valentine's celebration doubled as our February date night. Like last Valentine's, we went to dinner and then stayed the night at a hotel. It seems a little much for Valentine's, but we have discovered that when we come home after a nice dinner, we change into PJs, pull out our lap tops and turn on the TV... not very romantic. So, on Valentine's we have been doing dinner+hotel just to make it a little extra special. So far, it has been very successful :) Our dinner was at Oceana, a place we have passed many times and always wanted to try. We were not dissappointed. The ambiance was very swanky and romantic. The service was superb, and we loved everything from the amuse-bouche to the dessert. It was a great experience.
(Please excuse the date stamp on the below pics. Didn't know I had turned it on... oops)
Oceana - swanky, romantic atmosphere
Amuse-bouche of Lobster & Carrot Bisque
Matt's appetizer: Razor Clam Ceviche
My appetizer: Octopus & Artichoke Salad
My entree: Roast Cod
Matt's entree: Broiled Mahi Mahi (both were delicious, but Matt won the entrees)
Dessert: Pink Champagne Cake (they gave us a recipe card, which I am going to try at home!)
We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel on E. 48th. It was a lovely hotel. The best part, or two best parts, was that we enjoyed the mini-bar's half bottle of pinot noir in bed (which is an extravagance all in itself) without having to worry about spilling, washing glasses, etc. AND, the breakfast buffet was awesome. A great spread (way more than your usual continental breakfast - If I had thought to take my camera to breakfast, you would be impressed, too! :)), delicious food and the service was quite impressive for a buffet set up.
We spent the rest of our day exploring the East Side, as we don't usually get over there. We had a lunch at the Lexington Brass, where we split a delicious, juicy burger while enjoying the Brass's special ale. Then we ventured over to Bierhaus, where we sipped on some Hofbraus while we watched the Mavs lose to the Knicks. :(
Other Fun, New Places We Love
In the last few weeks, we have happened upon several places that we absolutely LOVE.
After our January date night at Mesa Grill, we were in a spontaneous mood and stopped by a nearby wine bar, The Cellar @ Beecher's Homemade Cheese. Beecher's is a cheese shop by day, with a basement-level wine bar/restaurant at night. We really just happened upon this place, and so glad we did. The decor was reminiscent of Texas-style, with big, cushiony seats in cow-hides and leather patterns. The vibe was great. And, our waitress was very diplomatic in suggesting a "very accessible" bottle of wine for us to try, which we loved. Definitely going back!
Our very accessible (and delightful!) wine :)
On the very last day of January, our friend Trish came into town, and we all went to dinner at Blue Water Grill. Again, we got to take advantage of Restaurant Week, and I really, really appreciate Restaurant Week or else we probably would not have been able to try this place out (plus the many others). It was wonderful! All of us were extremely delighted with our apps, entrees, desserts and wine choices. Plus, the waiter was very entertaining (and very flirty with Trish ;), and the ambiance was lively but not too loud. I highly recommend this place for a nice dinner in NYC.
There is this wine bar, Barcibo Enoteca, that we pass every time we go to the movies and we always say we want to try it. So, we did! (On a side note, we seem to be having a lot of success with wine bars lately - love it!) Not only was the cheap half-bottle of Chianti very decent, the food was delicious, and the ambiance was just right. I know I keep saying this about every place I've mentioned on this post, but we have had a very successful run lately :)
Anyways... I hope everyone is doing well. I hope you all enjoyed reading this long post ;) AND, I really hope to be blogging with you all again in a week!
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