Happy Birthday Valerina Ballerina!!

Val and I celebrated New Years in style so why not celebrate her birthday in style too! Val flew out for an extended weekend to see Philly, Princeton, and New York City! She has two great friends in NY that we were able to crash with for the weekend and take in the great sites of New York.

We started the weekend off with a smashing dinner with all of my wonderful co-worker friends in Princeton. Of course, we had to end the night with milkshakes at Cheeburger Cheeburger. They are delish to say the least, and Val had to experience them.

Friday morning, we boarded a NY bound train from Princeton. It took us all the way to Penn Station where her friend, Rafi, picked us up and escorted us to Brooklyn where we would be crashing for two days. Rafi also took us to an amazing dinner at Zaytoons, Middle Eastern cuisine. I tried lamb for the first time! Lamb shish kabobs and baba ganouj (baba ganoosh)...so good; yummy! Dinner was followed by a comedy troupe in the city.

Saturday was a BIG day for us. We had brunch at Tom's Diner (yes, the one the song's named after Do Do Doo Dit Do Do Doo Dit Doot dit doo dit doot dit doo dit). Then it was time for Times Square. We started with Toy's R Us and rode the Ferris Wheel. From there, we grabbed a snacky snack at the M&M store. Dark chocolate peanut and almond M&M's; how can one resist? We spent some time gawking and drooling at the ritzy shops that we won't be able to afford...for awhile anyway. Look at how Daniel Craig looks longingly at Val (and vice versa, naturally).

FAO Schwarz was a disappointment. Both of us had high hopes and dreams of re-enacting the Big piano dance. First of all, the piano has been removed from the floor. Next, there is a line a mile long, and that line contains 3-year olds that don't even fathom the significance of that piano. So we said no-no.

On our way to dinner, we skipped passed Central Park and a kind gentleman asked if we would like a quick carriage ride through the park. Our guide had a warm Irish accent (go Val) and pointed out famous this and thats along the way. It was worth every penny and we can't wait to go back and take in all the summer beauty of the park.

Val was proud to see signage for 30 Rock and experience wintertime Rockefeller Center with the skating rink. No skating for us; we had more exciting things in store.

Dinner at Omido, with a pre-theater special, was stellar to say the least. The restaurant is located next door to The Letterman Show. For my first course, I finally got to try mouth-watering Kobe beef! I'm such a meat eater. mmmmm. My main entre was a sushi/sashimi combination platter, and dessert finished our fantastic meal with mango pecan sorbet parfait.

One thing I absolutely wanted Val to see was Times Square at night. It's a spectacle to behold! We grabbed a few touristy shots and then headed to the theater. We scored great tickets for Wicked! Having never seen it, I was enthralled. Broadway productions will always razzledazzle me.

The entire NY excursion was a fun reminder of the family trip to the city we took awhile ago (7 years ago...wow time flies!). The city was fun and I'm glad Val was able to experience all that we did. And look at us! Two small-town girls navigating all around the big city all on our ownsome. Yay!

Winter Wonderland

I know family and friends have been enjoying the wonders of winter in WI. This week, the east coast enjoyed a little of what Mother Nature has to offer. Wednesday morning, Tracy and I woke at 5 A. M. to about 3 inches of snow and raining sleet.

Because a nice layer of ice covered everything in site, my employer called a late start for everyone! Woohoo! So, it’s not quite a snow day, but we didn’t have to be in the office until 10:30, and this was A.O.K by me!!

Philly Restaurant Week YUM!

With the help of several key people, I continue to learn about the East Coast staples. This last week, Tracy invited to me join her for Restaurant Week in Philly. Restaurant Week gives average Joes, like myself, the opportunity to try upscale restaurants at a reduced price.

Several restaurants in the city offer a three-course menu for $35. Tracy’s brother and his girlfriend made reservations for us at Susanna Foo’s, a Chinese fusion restaurant. For a little bit of food and culture, Tracy and I braved the roads with a pending blizzard upon us.

Yummmm! For my starter course, I tasted Popcorn Pork Ravioli. For my main entre, I chose a salmon of sorts paired with squash potatoes and marinated grilled vegetables. Naturally, dessert is included in this feast of feasts. It may have been the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It was a rich, fluffy chocolate cake cup and it happened to be filled with a fudgy molten lava. As if they could stop there…it was paired with vanilla bean ice cream.

Restaurant Week was a hit for this girl. I already anxiously await next year’s menu and hope to get a reservation at somewhere as tasty as Susanna Foo’s!