Street Food, Central Park, NYC

I love New York City and Central Park is it's heart! There is nothing better than NYC street food and I am so thankful I got to treat my kids to it and have them eat it in the Park.
I love my falafel!
























Baby really got his city fix too. He climbed every rock that the Park had. He adored all the people watching. For us Mainers, getting a sneak peak at spring is the most special part.

My beloved SP had a lamb Gyro and was very happy.

Lily Thai, Brooklyn, NY

An evening of Thai food  at Lily Thai for our last night in Brooklyn.
It was also  another reminder  that I needed to make pickled veggies at home!

Beware of the scotch bonnets in the Mango salad. It's good but they're super hot!

I love my chicken satay!
You know it is a good meal when it ends looking like this!

Best Pizza, Brooklyn NY

 
I'm not sure if it really is the BEST pizza in Brooklyn, but I can say that the pizza with the pickled veggies was SO good. It has inspired me to make my own julienne pickled veggies at home! Another thing I am sure of is how LARGE these pizzas actually are. Here is a man hand for perspective.

And a little girl arm for perspective on the pepperoni pizza!

 Mainers seriously have no idea what NYC pizza is really like. They are missing out!

It's truly a learning opportunity to know that you are lucky if one slice fits on a plate and that there is a way to eat pizza correctly! Thanks SP for modeling!

Anniversary Dinner at the Oxford House

Once again a lovely evening with Frond!
We each ate off the salad and appetizer lists so there was plenty to taste and share and fill up on.
I started with the Bacon Deviled eggs!

The one thing that really stood out to me on the menu, and something I have been desperate to try, was this angelic version of a watermelon and feta salad. The small dice of both parts, with a light dash of maple syrup was amazing! Perfection and a definite re-do in my own kitchen, because this makes me rethink my dislike of watermelon!

Pair this with their deep fried cheese curds, served with a fresh chunk marinara, and my taste buds were in heaven. Such an awesome harvest meal.

The most lovely taste, and largest risk for me as a picky eater, was this delicious tuna salsa.
 This is also something I want to recreate in my own kitchen. So wonderful and tasty and healthy! It was even garnished with a slice of deep fried avocado! It was so neat to eat it!




























Frond had the crispy duck appetizer (The Hoison braised pulled duck) and a fried zucchini dish.

Dog Watch Cafe, Stonington CT

Back to my roots, a nice lunch on the water in Stonington Burough at The Dog Watch Cafe. 

This beautifully presented dish was actually an appetizer. Perfect for little ole' me at lunch time.  This was the southwestern chicken egg rolls. It was yummy and had the perfect amount of kick to it!

Grace, Portland Maine

Every spring a wonderful thing arrives in our bank account that allows us to have a wonderful expensive dinner out. We call it our tax return dinner, and this year we found a wonderful place to splurge! Grace, in Portland Maine.

We started with drinks at the uniquely built center bar.  I had the yummy Holier Than Thou (HOLIER THAN THOU/ St. Germaine/ Grapefruit Juice/ Sparkling Wine) 




























and Shane had his usual Old Fashioned.  I really wish I got a picture of the bar - but there are some photos on their website at THIS link.  Grace really is a one of a kind and is built to resemble the symbol of the Trinity seen in the window below and various places throughout Grace.























Once comfortably ensconced at our nook of a seat,  we perused the generous yet somewhat complex menu with  another round of yummy cocktails and warm bread with molasses butter. Yes - soft molasses butter - it was genius and addictive.

 

The decisions for what to eat were easy for me (not a big meat eater) but more difficult for Frond.

I had the shaved asparagus salad which I will recreate at home at some point, followed by the sweet potato and ricotta gnocchi.

 YUM!

And no dinner would be complete with out a sampling of cheeses and the charcuterie plate. If I could go back and do it again I would have ordered more cheeses!

Ever since Frond drooled over a Anthony Bourdaine show serving bone marrow, I have wanted him to be able to order it. Grace was the first place we encountered it and I urged him to order it - he was not disappointed!

 Frond then had a bluefish dish with some of the yummiest most amazing sauce made out of blackened lime (a method of dehydrating) and other amazing ingredients.



















The meal would not have been complete without a helping of their local beets and goat cheese, but it did end up being almost too much. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs!

 
















We sure did clean the plates though! We can not wait to go back again! This time we will sit in the open seating area and eat nothing but local cheese and the charcuterie plates!

Highly recommend having a party here.

Magic Lantern Pub

Went out for some cribbage and beers and got a surprise Stanley Cup Playoff viewing.
 Front row seats!