A Birreria Birthday Celebration

An afternoon nap and mani+pedi were exactly what I needed after the Queens half marathon to get a second wind for Bo’s birthday celebration!  His friend Michael gave him a wonderful card with this hilarious pin, “Another Year Sexier” which Bo wore all night long!IMG_3513 (640x478)

Last night, 13 of our closest friends came together to celebrate Bo’s 27th birthday at Birreria. Birreria is the rooftop restaurant at Eataly. They have been trying to classify it as a beer garden but after three visits, I really don’t think you can call it that. While they have a wonderful and extensive beer selection the atmosphere and food is definitely a step above your typical beer garden.

Two weeks ago I called and made reservations, since they only accept them 2 weeks in advance for groups of 12 or less. Our friend Liz called and made reservation for a smaller table, requesting it to be near the group of 12. This allowed us the flexibility to have up to 18 people join for the celebration.

The best thing about bringing all our friends together is that by now most of them have met and spent time together during either our Marathon Party, Tacky Christmas Party, Ski Weekend, or Derby Party!

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IMG_3515 (640x478) IMG_3516 (640x478) IMG_3517 (640x478) IMG_3518 (640x478)Each table started with a round of drinks and appetizers as everyone caught up on life and the Summer adventures. Luckily, they had my favorite Blue point Summer Ale back on the menu last night which I enjoyed along with our table’s order of pretzel bread and cheese platter. You must order their pretzel bread if it’s on the menu; salty and doughy goodness. IMG_3520 (478x640) IMG_3521 (640x478) The rest of the table shared the salumi affettati misti platter which features a selection of all salumi.

IMG_3522 (640x478)I didn’t have the chance to take pictures of other people’s entrees but I ordered the Insalata Cotta Cruda which was once again a perfect summer meal. Filled with wax beans, potatoes, and other mixed vegetables it is light and filling.

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Overall everyone was very pleased with their entrees including the pesce con verdure miste, pollo con pesto di olive verdii, bistecca con salsa verde, and sausage. 

Birreria was the perfect location for a birthday dinner with a large group! Our waitress was very accommodating throughout the evening. Furthermore, our tables were adjacent to each other so we were able to play musical chairs all night, socializing with each table.

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IMG_3525 (640x478) IMG_3526 (640x478) IMG_3527 (640x478)After dinner we headed over to Society Billiards for a few rounds of pool. We were looking for a relaxed atmosphere where we could have some fun, continue the laughs, and hang out. Their website describes it perfectly:

Society Billiards and Bar, in the shadow of the Flatiron, takes care to bring pool’s greatest traditions and welcomes a rich future for the game. Our friendly staff are all players as well and are dedicated to the reintroduction of a pool hall in the heart of this historic district of Manhattan.

IMG_3528 (640x478) IMG_3529 (640x478) IMG_3532 (478x640) It was a wonderful night celebrated with great friends. We missed those who couldn’t make it but were lucky to have both New York an Philadelphia friends up for the night.

A fun Saturday means that today is a relaxing recovery day. I’ve already enjoyed 30 minutes of gentle yoga and foam rolling followed by a homemade brunch.

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Question: What is your favorite summer drink?

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Restaurant Review: Joe’s Stone Crab

Happy Independence Day! We’re currently in flight, our way back from a wonderful weekend in Miami with our friends! In case you missed it, we had a blast exploring South Beach including some spa time, sailing, boardwalk run, and discovering local cuisine.

Joe’s is a Miami institution. For 98 years it has been the restaurant of choice for celebrities, tourists, foodies, and locals alike. Known for the best stone crabs in the country and wonderful service, it truly is a dining experience.

IMG_2882 (640x478)To this day, Joe’s Stone Crab doesn’t accept reservations. Therefore, they make sure that the wait is part of the experience. A large mahogany bar greets thirsty patrons while relaxing jazz plays in the background.  We loved the jazz and the fact that even though it was packed with patient patrons, you could still hear each other speak in the crowded bar area. IMG_2890 (640x478)

IMG_2885 (640x478)  Our group started with a round of cocktails, including vodka Diet Cokes and vodka martinis.

IMG_2881 (478x640) True to their word, our wait was around 30 minutes which flew by due to great conversation and people watching. You truly see all types at Joe’s ranging from bachelorette parties, locals, and people who are still dressed in their Hawaiian print bathing suits and t-shirts.

We were escorted through the front dining room towards their second dining area, each of which were huge. Both rooms were filled with tables covered in green and white check tablecloths.

Luckily we were with another couple who liked to experiment and was open to sharing all dishes across the table.  We elected to stage the meal in 4 courses.  A raw bar course, an appetizer course, an entree course, and dessert. We rarely order dessert at restaurants but one of their signatures items is their famous Joe’s Key Lime Pie!

Shrimp cocktails don’t usually excite us, but Michael was craving shrimp. We were surprised that Joe’s was able to elevate something as simple as shrimp cocktail by cooking and presenting the shrimp perfectly. These were some of the best shrimp we’ve ever had; firm, cold, and juicy!

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Next we enjoyed a half dozen Blue Pointe oysters, fresh from their raw bar.

IMG_2929 (640x478) (640x478)It turns out that the appetizer we chose to share was large enough to feed an army. When the waiter brought the popcorn lobster appetizer to our table, each of our jaws dropped. This platter was filled to the brim with popcorn sized lobster bits, deep fried in cornmeal goodness.

Certainly a vacation delicacy, these little morsels were divine and perfectly accompanied with Joe’s signature honey mustard and blue cheese sauces. It was so delicious and the light batter didn’t overpower the tender lobster tail chunks.

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Our stomachs full and mouths happy, we asked the waiter to give us a break before our next course just so we could find room for the famous crab.

Thirty minutes later, we were presented with five gorgeous stone crabs claws. This was the perfect amount of crab for four people who were already feeling full. They were delicious and tender a always, especially the knuckle meat. I’d also like to note that since it isn’t currently stone crab season, these were “fresh frozen” crab claw. We were nervous at first but they were delicious and you would never know they weren’t fresh.

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Last but not least, was the famous key lime pie. While I am not a key lime pie expert, I am a graham cracker crust lover and this was amazing. The pie filling was creamy and thick but not too tart, the crust was buttery and the perfect thickness, and the cream was homemade. They even share their recipe, which I’m looking forward to making for our next picnic or dinner party!

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Thank you Joe’s Stone Crab for a dinner that lived up to our expectations while not being too touristy or over the top!

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Tap Tap Restaurant: A Taste of Haitian Food

Good morning from Miami. Unfortunately, it’s overcast out right now but we’re not going to let that keep us from having lots of fun and relaxation this weekend! IMG_0028 (640x480)

Last night, we decided to try a local and relaxed restaurant versus going to one of the many New York imports such as Sushi Samba, BLT Steak, Bond Street, Gotham Steak or Nobu.  Luckily, Bo discovered Tap Tap during his Zagat search and we were able to make reservations for 9:30 last night. 

IMG_0721 (640x478) Tap Tap, a Haitian restaurant which receives wonderful Zagat reviews, is known for being a cultural experience that’s more than a meal. From the outside, the restaurant is no more than a concrete building with a small front porch.

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But, once you walk through the door you are greeted by bright. vibrant murals, painted tables, and friendly service.

IMG_0722 (640x478) IMG_0723 (640x478) We were quickly seated and greeted with two menus, a drink menu and dinner menu. IMG_0720 (640x478)The drink menu took priority, but unfortunately for our crowd it was primarily rum based. Bo ordered their mojito while the rest of us stuck to basic cocktails.

taptapmojito2 (450x338)Bo’s mojito was delicious, even for someone who doesn’t like rum, though a little sweeter than most mojitos.

Due to our hunger level, we quickly ordered a few appetizers which were recommended by our kind waiter.

Plat Fritay: Platter of fried akra, sweet potatoes, pork, and plantains with ti malice and watercress sauce. 

IMG_0724 (640x478)This appetizer platter was the perfect size for our our group of four people and was a great sampling

IMG_0726 (640x478)Our next appetizer, Lanbi Pike Nan Ji Sitwon, was a marinated conch salad. It was typically Caribbean but unfortunately the conch was overpowered by the bonnet peppers which made it VERY spicy. If it had been just a bit milder our group would have enjoyed it far more.

We shared each of our main courses family style, each person choosing one main dish that they wanted to try, and then placing them in the middle of the table. Everything on the menu, especially the grilled entrees and seafood, sounded amazing but I’m glad we controlled ourselves and only chose four.

IMG_0727 (640x478) My favorite dish was the Pwason Neg, or grouper in lime sauce. The grouper was flavorful, perfectly cooked, and when paired with the avocado it had the perfect texture profile.

IMG_0730 (640x478) The rice and black beans were featured with each main course so there was plenty for sharing. I was surprised that the black beans were not actual whole black beans but instead a sauce for the rice.

The table’s favorite dish was Griyo, the lightly fried and marinated Berkshire pork chunks.

After trying the pork on the appetizer platter we knew we had to have more, which made this entree an easy choice. I loved the spicier black bean rice that was served with the pork versus the plain white rice.

Our other entrees weren’t as memorable but still quite flavorful.

IMG_0729 (640x478)The Lanbi Boukannen, charcoal grilled marinated Turks & Caicos conch was chewy but flavorful, exactly what you’d expect of conch. It was refreshing to enjoy it grilled versus fried, as you typically find it in many restaurants. It’s chewiness made it a bit polarizing at our table but I would easily enjoy the conch, pork, and grouper any day of the week!

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Last but not least was the Kribish Kreyol o Koyoke, the shrimp in Creole sauce. I felt this was underwhelming due in part to portion size and lack of creativity. It was quite literally a side dish sized bowl filled with four shrimp and Creole sauce. However, Bo and Michael really liked the Creole was more flavorful than expected and a perfect when paired with the rice.

Including six cocktails and tip, this dinner was $180 which isn’t bad considering all  the food we were able to sample and the wonderful atmosphere and service. The combination of fun music, bright decor, and delicious food left each of us stuffed, happy, and wanting to return soon!

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