Friday, October 9, 2015
A day in Rhinebeck, New York
Rhinebeck,
New York
This
is a harder review for me to do as I was disappointed in what I found after
reading reviews in various travel sites, that it’s the "new Hamptons
north."
I
am not sure how it would be for living there, or having a weekend home, I can
only imagine. However for this writer,
it was not what I hoped for. It’s a very
lovely manicured small town, about 2 hours north of New York City, in the Hudson
Valley. There are views of the Catskill
Mountains.
I
would suggest that Reinebeck is an excellent stop on the way to or from another
destination, such as Hyde Park. The town
itself has charming lovely little shops with clothes that you can't really wear
once back in The City; they all have the crafty feel, or tailored look that you
find in Berkshire or Vermont shops. It’s
not the NY look at all. I confess I
bought a scarf.
There
were old homes with interesting architecture and plenty of historic home tours,
and also lots of historical sites to visit and vistas. But every old town has
these, so if it’s not your thing, it won't make you happy to be
here.
We
had lunch in "the oldest tavern in the US, at the Beekman Arms. We sat in the atrium, yes it was lovely once
again, and the waiter was lovely too. The shops were all lovely and everyone
working in the shops were upbeat and lovely as well.
By
the time we left I was sick of lovely and wanted to be back to reality in
NYC.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
STEVE AND COOKIES ON THE BAY
We
drove about 20 minutes from Atlantic City to this very personable restaurant. I
loved it immediately, its large but intimate, They have an upper dining room
with a view of the bay, and then another dining room that is warm and cozy with
a fire place, also a bar area with tall booths so you can sit and relax and have
that " we are here alone" feeling. There was an excellent piano player in the
bar area, playing all the greats of the 40's 50's and 60's, this was very
enjoyable. The menu is basically America with a flair. I found it a drop hard
to find what I wanted, but because they are so accommodating they made my fish
"plain naked" as I like. In general the menu is all recognizable food, but with
an interesting twist. All the products are fresh and locally grown.
I was impressed that Cookie stopped at each table to chat and make sure we were happy, the wait staff were all more than pleasant and welcoming. The wine list was excellent. It was a really nice change from the usual AC crowd . This was more of an upscale local crowd or people that are repeats as its their comfort zone, for a place they like to dine in when they want to escape Atlantic City. It has a bit of New England charm. The people were dressed nicely for going out to dinner, and there was a dress code, I would say at least business casual. Dessert choices were wonderful, and prices were higher than most local places, but certainly not NYC prices, I am going back for sure, Beware of a parking situation, I recommend going on the later side.
I was impressed that Cookie stopped at each table to chat and make sure we were happy, the wait staff were all more than pleasant and welcoming. The wine list was excellent. It was a really nice change from the usual AC crowd . This was more of an upscale local crowd or people that are repeats as its their comfort zone, for a place they like to dine in when they want to escape Atlantic City. It has a bit of New England charm. The people were dressed nicely for going out to dinner, and there was a dress code, I would say at least business casual. Dessert choices were wonderful, and prices were higher than most local places, but certainly not NYC prices, I am going back for sure, Beware of a parking situation, I recommend going on the later side.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
TRATTORIA
L'incontro
21-76
31st Street
Astoria,
Queens, New York
1-718-721-3532
Absolutely
a must do and worth going over the bridge for if you live in Manhattan. The
restaurant is traditional looking but warm and cozy feeling, with lovely art
work and Italian background music as well. On most Wednesday nights, Mary is in
the smaller side room playing Italian love songs, while you are sipping wine and
feasting on divine dishes.
I
have never heard of a list of specials of the evening that is so long, and each
dish is prepared from scratch with the finest ingredients from either local
farmers or special imports. The Owner/Chef Rocco Sacramone is a true food artist, each dish is
presented beautifully and made
lovingly.
Even for starters they present you with a sundried
tomato puree with great flat bread for dipping, they keep bringing it to you as
it goes down so smooth and easy. The salads are great and the mista salad I
love is loaded with interesting olives. The choices of fishes is unlimited, as
are the various pasta dishes and meats. As an example one dish they pride
themselves on is
Mezza
Luna, which is a half moon shaped ravioli filled with mascarpone cheese and
pesto with added asparagus, brandy and a walnut sauce. It gets better, trust
me. You can also eat light, with simple grilled fish, or a flatbread
pizza.
The
prices are more than fair and its a total dining experience. Vinnie the GM is
wonderful and really knows his customers and just so warm and friendly. There is
also free valet parking as well. Also very close to the N & Q trains. Don't
miss this dining
experience...
Friday, January 14, 2011
Convivium Osteria
68 Fifth Avenue ( Park Slope) Brooklyn, NY
718-857-1833
www.convivium-osteria.com
An absolute gem, that is popular among the Brooklyn crowd that knows food, and appreciates an authentic setting with excellent service. Convivium is on the verge of becoming not such a secret. Although it has been around for quite awhile, I feel it’s ready for the Manhattan critics.
It has a Mediterranean influence with a strong accent on Portuguese and some Italian. The owner is from Laos, Portugal in the Algarve region, where they really know how to prepare fish and shrimp. The beef is of the highest quality. Everything is prepared to perfection. Definitely take a look at the menu. The grilled prawn appetizer was amazing; you rarely see shrimp so large. The whole sea bass was perfect. Whatever you order here is succulent and divine.
The wines are outstanding. The setting is so old world Portugal that you may have to remind yourself that you are still in Brooklyn. It has a sweet charm and can be very romantic as well.
As you enter this restaurant you immediately have the feel of the farmhouse setting somewhere in Portugal, or is it Spain or is it Umbria?? Then there is a wonderful wine cellar to dine in as well. Also there is a Garden Room.
Attention to detail, from the furnishings to the very fresh fish, meats and veggies is always the standard at Convivium.
At tip to remember is that they only take cash or AMEX. Try this place for sure and let me know your thoughts. Of course the bathroom was perfect...
718-857-1833
www.convivium-osteria.com
An absolute gem, that is popular among the Brooklyn crowd that knows food, and appreciates an authentic setting with excellent service. Convivium is on the verge of becoming not such a secret. Although it has been around for quite awhile, I feel it’s ready for the Manhattan critics.
It has a Mediterranean influence with a strong accent on Portuguese and some Italian. The owner is from Laos, Portugal in the Algarve region, where they really know how to prepare fish and shrimp. The beef is of the highest quality. Everything is prepared to perfection. Definitely take a look at the menu. The grilled prawn appetizer was amazing; you rarely see shrimp so large. The whole sea bass was perfect. Whatever you order here is succulent and divine.
The wines are outstanding. The setting is so old world Portugal that you may have to remind yourself that you are still in Brooklyn. It has a sweet charm and can be very romantic as well.
As you enter this restaurant you immediately have the feel of the farmhouse setting somewhere in Portugal, or is it Spain or is it Umbria?? Then there is a wonderful wine cellar to dine in as well. Also there is a Garden Room.
Attention to detail, from the furnishings to the very fresh fish, meats and veggies is always the standard at Convivium.
At tip to remember is that they only take cash or AMEX. Try this place for sure and let me know your thoughts. Of course the bathroom was perfect...
Friday, December 17, 2010
A Restaurant Experience
Punta Dura Italian Restaurant
41-15 34th Street (off Steinway)
Astoria, Queens, NY 11103
718-721-2137
R/V/G train
http://www.puntadura.com/
This restaurant is a true step back into time into a far away land. They do have Italian food, but the feel is very Eastern European, as the owners are Croatian and the crowd is very mixed from all over Eastern Europe. A sort of secret about this place, is that it was used in The Sopranos as the scene for the restaurant Nuovo Vesuvio, and when you walk in you feel like you have been here before.
The food is excellent and fresh and a drop pricey for Astoria, but don't let that stop you, as it’s just a fun feeling to be a part of this place. At 10 PM on both Friday and Saturday nights they have live international music, and everyone dances to music from every country. It really reminds me of our trips to Croatia, Italy, Germany and Poland and much more.
The waiters are formal, and the service is excellent. It has the feel of "old world" and definitely not Manhattan. I felt like a fly on the wall seeing how other people enjoy the simple pleasures of life; good food, good wine, seeing friends, and making new friends and dancing and dancing. Around midnight yet another group comes in, a bit younger and more dancing. I admit this place is not for everyone, but I know we'll be regulars. as it brought back lots of fond memories of both trips abroad and times gone by.
41-15 34th Street (off Steinway)
Astoria, Queens, NY 11103
718-721-2137
R/V/G train
http://www.puntadura.com/
This restaurant is a true step back into time into a far away land. They do have Italian food, but the feel is very Eastern European, as the owners are Croatian and the crowd is very mixed from all over Eastern Europe. A sort of secret about this place, is that it was used in The Sopranos as the scene for the restaurant Nuovo Vesuvio, and when you walk in you feel like you have been here before.
The food is excellent and fresh and a drop pricey for Astoria, but don't let that stop you, as it’s just a fun feeling to be a part of this place. At 10 PM on both Friday and Saturday nights they have live international music, and everyone dances to music from every country. It really reminds me of our trips to Croatia, Italy, Germany and Poland and much more.
The waiters are formal, and the service is excellent. It has the feel of "old world" and definitely not Manhattan. I felt like a fly on the wall seeing how other people enjoy the simple pleasures of life; good food, good wine, seeing friends, and making new friends and dancing and dancing. Around midnight yet another group comes in, a bit younger and more dancing. I admit this place is not for everyone, but I know we'll be regulars. as it brought back lots of fond memories of both trips abroad and times gone by.
American Museum of Natural History in NYC
The American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West @81st Street
New York, New York
This museum is a wonderful way to spend a cold winter's afternoon, especially with a young child. There is so much to see and do that I recommend going in small steps. Don’t try to cover the entire place in one visit. I can't tell you about every exhibit, but I must say that the BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT, is really a lot of fun and so interesting. As you walk into this tropical paradise, you see the most beautiful array of every color a butterfly can be. They land on your head, on your fingertips and whirl around so nicely. They are amazing to study, and they don't bite!
A trip thru the Safari Animals is fun as well, as the backdrop on the various animals gives the feel of being on the plains of Africa. As always, the DINOSAURS make a huge impression, especially on little children. You just can never start too young, or too soon to make this wonderful museum feel like a second home to all that continue to visit.
HINT: There is a coat check for $2.00 per person. On the lower level there is a cafeteria, but to be honest, the food is much overpriced and not too good; I would suggest bringing a sandwich and just buying drinks there, especially if you are with children. As an example, the chicken fingers for a child were about $10 and the fries were extra, a plain lettuce and tomato salad was about $9.
Have fun and share your stories with me...
Central Park West @81st Street
New York, New York
This museum is a wonderful way to spend a cold winter's afternoon, especially with a young child. There is so much to see and do that I recommend going in small steps. Don’t try to cover the entire place in one visit. I can't tell you about every exhibit, but I must say that the BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT, is really a lot of fun and so interesting. As you walk into this tropical paradise, you see the most beautiful array of every color a butterfly can be. They land on your head, on your fingertips and whirl around so nicely. They are amazing to study, and they don't bite!
A trip thru the Safari Animals is fun as well, as the backdrop on the various animals gives the feel of being on the plains of Africa. As always, the DINOSAURS make a huge impression, especially on little children. You just can never start too young, or too soon to make this wonderful museum feel like a second home to all that continue to visit.
HINT: There is a coat check for $2.00 per person. On the lower level there is a cafeteria, but to be honest, the food is much overpriced and not too good; I would suggest bringing a sandwich and just buying drinks there, especially if you are with children. As an example, the chicken fingers for a child were about $10 and the fries were extra, a plain lettuce and tomato salad was about $9.
Have fun and share your stories with me...
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