So I had the day off today. Typical of the restaurant industry, I get days off on Hump day, while everyone else is doing the daily grind, and then when everyone else is enjoy their Brunchs I am helping them enjoy it. I decided to start writing a mini travel article. My dream job would be to travel around the world with my boyfriend and write about our adventures. (Hint Hint: If anyone wants to pay for that, just let me know...I will write about just about anything...Please...anyone..?)
Okay, since I don't see that happening anytime soon I decided to write about my local city. I already write about the great restaurants that can be found so I decided to just write about a couple things that I do in the city when I have a day off and no one else does...yes, i always do the coffee with my normal working friends but I have to think of other things to do besides sitting at home and watching tv (if I did that all the time, it would take away the fun of doing that when I am home sick!).
So please find two things I like to do below and I will try to keep adding on:
Things to do when you have nothing to do?
1. One sure fire thing to do any time of the week is to find a local farmers market and go crazy, whether just people watching or buying great produce and random jewlery that you tend to find there, a Farmer's market is a great way to spend some quality alone time. Eastern market is open everyday and is one of my favorites. Just walking around, grabbing a cup of great, organic coffee at any of the multiple places in the area is a great way to spend some quality “me” time. I love the inside part of the market. All the great natural cheeses, homemade pastas, and the best chicken salad of all time can be found in there. "Drooling Alert!" I like to go in the mornings, have a cup of coffee and depending on the weather sit outside (almost all the coffee shops have tables outside), and walk around the area. Pro or Con (you decide)?: You won't find the same crowds as a Saturday or Sunday but you will have less options and booths.
2. For the exercise buffs, nothing beats the Mount Vernon Trail. At 18 miles long, it has enough acreage for even the most long distance runners (and cyclists). But even if you end up huffing and puffing after 3 miles (like me) it still is a great trail. It has the most amazing views of the city, allows you to enjoy the best weather DC has to offer (when available) and you can get your daily exercise. Get off the metro at Rosslyn and head towards Key Bridge. Right before you get to key bridge you will see a sign for the Mount Vernon trail. Take the trail south. It runs along the Potomac river. Lots of cuties (wink wink) along the way and a great way to release some stress, pass the time, and work off that margarita you probably didn’t need last night. What I have do is take the trail to about Arlington Cemetery (you will know you get there when you hit the first large bridge (Memorial Bridge)). I tend to cross unsafely, running for my life across the 2- two lane highways and then walk up to the Arlington Cemetery metro station and ride the rest of the way home. My favorite parts of the trail include: Theodore Roosevelt Island, (a great place to do some trail running), and the amazing views of the Washington Monuments and the Lincoln Memorial and steps.
Another place to start the trail would be to start at Crystal City. The trail starts at the huge water fountain on 15th street and crystal drive (just look for the hummer limos and the quinceaneros chicas y los hombres wearing nicer dresses than my wedding dress will probably be). A 1.5 miles into the trail you will hit Gravely Point, otherwise none as “Airport Park.” You can keep going and at about 3 miles you will see the memorial for the Navy men and women who were lost at Sea. A great memorial with amazing views and nice benches where if you have a backpack and you can stop and read a book, or if your like me, just relax and bring your heart back to a normal speed.
To be continued…I apolgize for not writing often but I work too much and no longer have a normal social life (as can be seen from this post) and can't write my blog at work anymore...duh, the reason most people start one anyways!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
I am doing my best!
Hi All,
I know I suck recently. But i have been so busy!! i can't believe all the crazy things that have happened in my life.
First off, the new job (which I guess isn't so new anymore). I have been promoted from Coordinator whatever...to Private Dining Sales Manager and a Manager of the restaurant! YAY!! Not only that, I don't want to give too much away but we won an award at the James Beard Foundation which is amazing!! For those of you who don't watch Top Chef, this is like winning an Oscar but for restaurants. So it is amazing that I am now the official Private Dining Manager for a James Beard award winning restaurant.
So mostly I have been working very very hard, to adjust to my new position and as those of you can imagine, the restaurant hours are crazy and busy and I have barely seen anyone, let along blog.
Not only that I have taken a step towards my future. Ole Miss and I decided to get off our lazy butts and take a GMAT class, so we can ace our GMAT test probably at the end of the summer (but we will see). The class is once a week for six weeks, for THREE FUCKING HOURS oh..and Fifteen minutes...and not only that it is from 6:30 -945pm....which is quite tiring. BUT IT IS A GREAT CLASS!!
Please check this company out, it is called Test-Ease LLC...yes like the sweaty male body part we all have to touch at one point in our lives :( UGH! , but seriously, Ole Miss and I were a little worried wondering if we had just given some person with a funny sense of humour our $500 so he could go to Mexico, but no, the class is great and they do all sorts of other types of studying help, and it is the cheapest tutoring around and our teacher Jay is awesome! I highly recommend it, especially if you don't mind a cuss word or two (considering every math problem he describes always ends with the words, "this one is so fucked up but here is how you solve it") hahah!
Places I have been recently: (a little quick restaurant review time)
Brasserie Beck: A much more sophisticated version of "Brickskellers". A belgium restautant with a great beer list that contains dozens upon dozens of amazing belgium beers (as a belgium beer lover this was my kind of place). Ten and I went on a date night, just the two of us and got a bunch of beers and some frites, or french fries with an awesome trio of yummy mayos (just like the europeans). It was a little pricey, it ended up being like 50 bucks for the two of us for beers and fries, and Ten asked me if next time we can go somewhere cheaper...hmm...I think after 4 years he is getting cheap on me. :)
We also went to New York City back to my good old favorite: Yuca Bar. YUM! Cambouri and I died over heaping plates of huevos rancheros and Ten joined us this time and swooned over his bananna pancakes.
My family and I went to Bread bar at Tabla, which was great. It was indian american fusion food. The chicken tikka melts in your mouth as did the baby octopus, and while I was too hung over from the 4th to enjoy any of their amazing drinks, my parents and younger sister did not hold back and they were all wasted by the end of the meal...so typical :)
We saw Spring Awakening. It is the musical that won the tony award for best musical last year...it was good...if you don't mind sex on stage, lots of really young people talking about sex, while you are sitting next to your parents, your younger sister and your boyfriends....akward comes to mind....
It was good, and i am a prude or anything but it was slightly awkward and I felt like it was trying to be Rent, and being a fanatical Rent Lover I guess it was okay.
So that's it for now, I will try and get back in the blog world as soon as possible. I am just so super busy.
I hope life it good for us all and I promise when I get more time to keep you as updated as possible, but I have been catching up with all my old favorites I just don't have as much time anymore since I am not sitting at a desk.
I know I suck recently. But i have been so busy!! i can't believe all the crazy things that have happened in my life.
First off, the new job (which I guess isn't so new anymore). I have been promoted from Coordinator whatever...to Private Dining Sales Manager and a Manager of the restaurant! YAY!! Not only that, I don't want to give too much away but we won an award at the James Beard Foundation which is amazing!! For those of you who don't watch Top Chef, this is like winning an Oscar but for restaurants. So it is amazing that I am now the official Private Dining Manager for a James Beard award winning restaurant.
So mostly I have been working very very hard, to adjust to my new position and as those of you can imagine, the restaurant hours are crazy and busy and I have barely seen anyone, let along blog.
Not only that I have taken a step towards my future. Ole Miss and I decided to get off our lazy butts and take a GMAT class, so we can ace our GMAT test probably at the end of the summer (but we will see). The class is once a week for six weeks, for THREE FUCKING HOURS oh..and Fifteen minutes...and not only that it is from 6:30 -945pm....which is quite tiring. BUT IT IS A GREAT CLASS!!
Please check this company out, it is called Test-Ease LLC...yes like the sweaty male body part we all have to touch at one point in our lives :( UGH! , but seriously, Ole Miss and I were a little worried wondering if we had just given some person with a funny sense of humour our $500 so he could go to Mexico, but no, the class is great and they do all sorts of other types of studying help, and it is the cheapest tutoring around and our teacher Jay is awesome! I highly recommend it, especially if you don't mind a cuss word or two (considering every math problem he describes always ends with the words, "this one is so fucked up but here is how you solve it") hahah!
Places I have been recently: (a little quick restaurant review time)
Brasserie Beck: A much more sophisticated version of "Brickskellers". A belgium restautant with a great beer list that contains dozens upon dozens of amazing belgium beers (as a belgium beer lover this was my kind of place). Ten and I went on a date night, just the two of us and got a bunch of beers and some frites, or french fries with an awesome trio of yummy mayos (just like the europeans). It was a little pricey, it ended up being like 50 bucks for the two of us for beers and fries, and Ten asked me if next time we can go somewhere cheaper...hmm...I think after 4 years he is getting cheap on me. :)
We also went to New York City back to my good old favorite: Yuca Bar. YUM! Cambouri and I died over heaping plates of huevos rancheros and Ten joined us this time and swooned over his bananna pancakes.
My family and I went to Bread bar at Tabla, which was great. It was indian american fusion food. The chicken tikka melts in your mouth as did the baby octopus, and while I was too hung over from the 4th to enjoy any of their amazing drinks, my parents and younger sister did not hold back and they were all wasted by the end of the meal...so typical :)
We saw Spring Awakening. It is the musical that won the tony award for best musical last year...it was good...if you don't mind sex on stage, lots of really young people talking about sex, while you are sitting next to your parents, your younger sister and your boyfriends....akward comes to mind....
It was good, and i am a prude or anything but it was slightly awkward and I felt like it was trying to be Rent, and being a fanatical Rent Lover I guess it was okay.
So that's it for now, I will try and get back in the blog world as soon as possible. I am just so super busy.
I hope life it good for us all and I promise when I get more time to keep you as updated as possible, but I have been catching up with all my old favorites I just don't have as much time anymore since I am not sitting at a desk.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Put on your sunday best and head to Brunch at Red Rock Pizzeria
Afternoon fellow twentysomethings,
I have found the holy grail of brunchs. (ok, not better than Yuca Bar in NY but just as good!)
Please put on your sunday best, (not required but oh so much fun!) your cutest new spring sandal wedges (flaunt it if you got it) and head up the yellow/green line to columbia heights. While for most people, columbia heights is a place to be avoided at all costs, unless you live there and then I am sooo sorry, I have found on reason to make the trek: Red Rock Pizzeria. Located on the corner of 11th and Park sits the cutest, red brick townhouse. A sunsoaked patio is filled with young, hip twenty somethings celebrating the amazing seventy degree weather and the sun that has finally decided to grace DC with her presence. The best part about brunch was the $9 Bottomless Mimosas. Jennifer, and I arrived at prime bunching hour (1:15pm) to be pleasantly surprised that our wait amounted to about 5 minutes, much shorter than the host has thought. We found the most perfect table, totally in the sun (which we later started to regret) and started ordering. About 4 mimosa's into the day, my eggs over-easy, smoothered in marinara sauce with two perfectly toasted artisan bread arrived. Jennifer had the Pizza omelet that was cooked to perfection, if I may say so myself as resident egg master and chef. Ole Miss arrived about an (6 mimosa's later = 1 hour later) and she ordered she ordered the marguerita pizza (and by she ordered, I mostly mean Jennifer and I, in our slightly tipsy state, made her order) which we all three quickly devoured. We also ordered the bruschetta about (8 mimosa's later). All in all it was a great afternoon of chatting, gossiping, and spilling our inner-most secrets (it's funny how 8 mimosa's will find you spilling those secrets you swore you would never tell a sole). We finally left around 4:45pm. The waiter had cut us off (jokingly of course, however, after the second table that arrived after us and left before us, commented about how surprised that three such small girls could drink and eat so much, i think the waiter decided it might be time to end the day), however the bartender returned twice to refill our glasses while the waiter was looking the other direction. It was a great afternoon and I highly suggest walking the 4 blocks into columbia heights to find this amazing brunch place, and even just for the pizza which was great. Just to let you know at $25 dollars each (including tip and tax) I think it was an excellent way to spend my Sunday.
I have found the holy grail of brunchs. (ok, not better than Yuca Bar in NY but just as good!)
Please put on your sunday best, (not required but oh so much fun!) your cutest new spring sandal wedges (flaunt it if you got it) and head up the yellow/green line to columbia heights. While for most people, columbia heights is a place to be avoided at all costs, unless you live there and then I am sooo sorry, I have found on reason to make the trek: Red Rock Pizzeria. Located on the corner of 11th and Park sits the cutest, red brick townhouse. A sunsoaked patio is filled with young, hip twenty somethings celebrating the amazing seventy degree weather and the sun that has finally decided to grace DC with her presence. The best part about brunch was the $9 Bottomless Mimosas. Jennifer, and I arrived at prime bunching hour (1:15pm) to be pleasantly surprised that our wait amounted to about 5 minutes, much shorter than the host has thought. We found the most perfect table, totally in the sun (which we later started to regret) and started ordering. About 4 mimosa's into the day, my eggs over-easy, smoothered in marinara sauce with two perfectly toasted artisan bread arrived. Jennifer had the Pizza omelet that was cooked to perfection, if I may say so myself as resident egg master and chef. Ole Miss arrived about an (6 mimosa's later = 1 hour later) and she ordered she ordered the marguerita pizza (and by she ordered, I mostly mean Jennifer and I, in our slightly tipsy state, made her order) which we all three quickly devoured. We also ordered the bruschetta about (8 mimosa's later). All in all it was a great afternoon of chatting, gossiping, and spilling our inner-most secrets (it's funny how 8 mimosa's will find you spilling those secrets you swore you would never tell a sole). We finally left around 4:45pm. The waiter had cut us off (jokingly of course, however, after the second table that arrived after us and left before us, commented about how surprised that three such small girls could drink and eat so much, i think the waiter decided it might be time to end the day), however the bartender returned twice to refill our glasses while the waiter was looking the other direction. It was a great afternoon and I highly suggest walking the 4 blocks into columbia heights to find this amazing brunch place, and even just for the pizza which was great. Just to let you know at $25 dollars each (including tip and tax) I think it was an excellent way to spend my Sunday.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
My life as a Restauranteur
Currently, it is 61 degrees inside my restaurant in the private dining room. Outside however, it is a glorious 81degrees and sunny...hmm...I dont think i bargained for this. And did I mention it is a SATURDAY. Okay, despite the occasional Saturdays that I need to come in for a couple of hours my new job has turned out to be pretty amazing. The GM of the restaurant is nice, the French Chef is hot and is a lot of fun most of the time when he isn't yelling at the staff and his kitchen help, and the servers have slowly gotten over the "Who is this 12 year old who just waltzed in here off the street and started telling me what to do" attitude. I am starting to find my niche in this place. Things I have done since I started working here have included, "Taste of the Nation," "Rammy" award nominations, The French Wine Society's meeting. All events where I have gotten to taste really good wine, eat delicious food, and oh, right, I guess you could call it work. I have traveled to New York for Passover, eaten Brunch at my favorite place in the lower east side called Yuca Bar (PLEASE PLEASE I beg you to take the 5 hour bus ride, simply to have their Huevos Rancheros, which is eggs over easy, ontop of a black bean quesadilla, delicious guacamole, sour cream, and salsa! Can I just say, the BBQ (Black Bean Quesadilla) melts in your mouth, the eggs appetizingly slurp their way across the plate covering every bite in gooey egginess, and the sour cream and guacamole make licking your plate clean an absolute must, as Cambouri proved to me when we were there...Yes, I had to pull the plate away from her before she actually stuck her tongue on the plate,( I work ina restaurant, I know where plates have been :) ) . I jet setted my way to Sacramento to visit Ten's family, where his half sister just had the most perfect baby boy who was 6 weeks old. He little sneezes, spit-ups, and gurgling made the 5 hour and 30 min (each way) plane ride worth every minute. His parents are absolutly the nicest people, always welcoming my East Coast ways and manners into their house, and actually have started allowing Ten and I to sleep in the same room. After dinner the first night, his mom, during a tipsy moment came to help me set the trundle beds up, (two twin beds in the guest room). She was telling me how happy she was that we had come to visit and as she pushed the twin beds together she looked at me and said one of the most cringe worthy things a potential mother-in-law could say, "There, now you too can be next to each other." Ugh, my face turned bright red, as I embarreslying nodded, excuse myself and ran into Ten's sister's room to hide, before I was forced to have "The Talk". Besides a few awkward moments, it was a wonderful weekend, and it was an unbearable reminder of the type of weather we were missing while living in the frozen tundra of Washington D.C.
Places I have visited recently, um, actually not too many since I have been so busy traveling ( I have just been recapping the past 2 weekends). Tomorrow I have plans for a girl's brunch tomorrow. Mostly that means bottomless mimosa's and bloodymary's at whatever place we can under $10 dollars...hmm...make the 15 since I probably don't want to know what type of champagne is used in the ten dollar one. I think it will be, Ole Miss, Me, my friend Jennifer (she currently is leaving my parents house as a renter, reminder my parents have moved out so not as wierd), and maybe my childhood friend Welsh. My other friend, ND (she has been really disappointed that everytime I write my blog I never talk about stuff i do with her, and she may make me change her name but for now, ND will work), has her parents in town so she won't be able to come :( She is actually going to be eating dinner with her parents at my new restaurant, I hope everything is delicious and I would highly recommend it if it wouldn't give away my identity, but it comes highly recommended by the Washington Post as one of the best new restaurants in the city, so I guess that is a hint.
I guess that is an update. I am finding it increasingly important to make good friends and keep them. Having moved so much between colleges and after college it is really hard to keep friends. I hate to talk on the phone which makes keeping in touch with friends all across the country very difficult and totally unsatisfying. Ole Miss and I have become really close, and as someone who knows how to have good girl friends (being the southern belle that she is) I have been taking pointers from her and trying to follow her lead when it comes to being friends with girls and how to handle all the situations that arise, like break-ups, boy troubles, and making sure to spend enough time away from Ten and with my girlfriends (even though I have to say, I am pretty good at that, not perfect, but better than most, and I probably should not take any credit for that, because it is usually Ten telling me, "I need guy time, if I have to listen to you endlessly prattle on about your job, your friends, and gossip I might kill myself. I need some beer, bbq's, and babes" (he is joking about the babes thing, but I get the hint).
So Hope everyone's has been doing well. I will let you know where I end up for brunch. Hopefully some really cool place on U St or Adam's morgan. Let me know if you have suggestions.
Places I have visited recently, um, actually not too many since I have been so busy traveling ( I have just been recapping the past 2 weekends). Tomorrow I have plans for a girl's brunch tomorrow. Mostly that means bottomless mimosa's and bloodymary's at whatever place we can under $10 dollars...hmm...make the 15 since I probably don't want to know what type of champagne is used in the ten dollar one. I think it will be, Ole Miss, Me, my friend Jennifer (she currently is leaving my parents house as a renter, reminder my parents have moved out so not as wierd), and maybe my childhood friend Welsh. My other friend, ND (she has been really disappointed that everytime I write my blog I never talk about stuff i do with her, and she may make me change her name but for now, ND will work), has her parents in town so she won't be able to come :( She is actually going to be eating dinner with her parents at my new restaurant, I hope everything is delicious and I would highly recommend it if it wouldn't give away my identity, but it comes highly recommended by the Washington Post as one of the best new restaurants in the city, so I guess that is a hint.
I guess that is an update. I am finding it increasingly important to make good friends and keep them. Having moved so much between colleges and after college it is really hard to keep friends. I hate to talk on the phone which makes keeping in touch with friends all across the country very difficult and totally unsatisfying. Ole Miss and I have become really close, and as someone who knows how to have good girl friends (being the southern belle that she is) I have been taking pointers from her and trying to follow her lead when it comes to being friends with girls and how to handle all the situations that arise, like break-ups, boy troubles, and making sure to spend enough time away from Ten and with my girlfriends (even though I have to say, I am pretty good at that, not perfect, but better than most, and I probably should not take any credit for that, because it is usually Ten telling me, "I need guy time, if I have to listen to you endlessly prattle on about your job, your friends, and gossip I might kill myself. I need some beer, bbq's, and babes" (he is joking about the babes thing, but I get the hint).
So Hope everyone's has been doing well. I will let you know where I end up for brunch. Hopefully some really cool place on U St or Adam's morgan. Let me know if you have suggestions.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
I'm BACK!
Dear Readers,
I am back from my haitus. I apologize for the recent silence i have been very very busy...so let's get to it...
My life as I know it is very different then it was last time I updated. Things that have happened include:
I went to Miami
I went to the hottest new nightloung called the Florida Lounge at the Delano Hotel.
I met Eva Longoria there. (ok, well I didnt meet her but I did get to attend her birthday party...okay, it's not exactly how it sounds, I happened to be at the club she was celebrating her birthday at but I did get to sing her happy birthday, well not just me, but you get it :)
I met the Mayor of Miami at the Delano also, and I did actually meet her. My friend from high school is a photographer for Ocean Drive Magazine (kinda the society pages of Miami) and so knows everyone, every hot place and can get into every hot place.
Miami was amazing!! I was visiting London. Since you last saw her in this blog, she has broken up with her boyfriend (which is a good thing in her eyes), she has won Employee of the Year (at L'Oreal!!) and is still one of the most awesome and amazing friends I have. She is amazingly sweet and fun and I extended my stay longer just to spend a little bit more time with her, and maybe in the MIami Sun :)
I have also started my new job at the Restaurant! YAYA!!! SO excited!
So since I started here, the restaurant has been nominated by the James Beard Foundation (if you dont know what that is I suggest you watch a little Top Chef) as Best New Restaurant in Country. Now, it hasnt won yet, but we will : )
My title is kinda vague, basically I am a manager/program coordinator. I do a wide vareity of things but I love it!!! I love my new job, i love my new bosses and i love my new french chef :) Everyone was right, he is cuter than my other one, nicer, and his accent is just soooo adorable, you just want to pinch his cheeks. I already have a nickname as well, The chef refers to me as "Sweetcakes". Apparently that is a french cutesy name. I dont care he can call me whatever he likes :)
Ten and I had our anniversary...we didnt do anything except go on a very nice run to see the DC sites, and then make dinner but it was perfect for me. It was one of those really nice days we have just had in DC where it was 70 degrees. Ten and I really enjoy our runs and it was just so perfect to be finally outside enjoying the weather, enjoying the beautiful DC sites and just spending time together. I dont know exactly how many years we have been together but we are guessing around 4. So we have decided that it would be our 4 year anniversary.
Places i have been lately that I suggest going are....hmmm...I actually dont think I have gotten out lately... I am going to Poste I think today for drinks, we may end up at Zengos, but now that I am located in Penn Quarter for work I think it is time to start trying out the bars and happy hours here.
I love Clydes! I highly suggest going there for a drink if you ever get a chance. Look for the Bartender Earl, he is a fabulous bartender and very nice. I love going into bars and asking the bartenders to make me whatever they want and he is a great sport and makes me awesome drinks :) (Bartenders hate me, but I still love it, how else am I supposed to try new drinks).
I suggest Rocket Bar, if you are looking for a fun laid back bar that is not too crowd. I have gone there with a few friends and the many televisions keep the sports crazed occupied (ie: Ten) and the billiards tables, and darts provides fun for all ages. As well, it is nice to just hang around and catch up with your friends.
Another suggestion:McCormick and Schmicks for their happy hour of course is amazing. It's like 2.95 for like the greatest appetizers and they don't skimp on size! you can get a full half pound burger and fries. I would also highly suggest their buffalo wings...
Something I learned last weekend: I learned that if you go to Eastern Market at around 3:45 great deals can be found. I was a little late heading to the market but as it is one of my favorite things to do on Saturdays, especially now that it is strawberry season I decided to risk it. When I got there everything was being sold at next to nothing. I bough 3 baskets of strawberries for 2 dollars, 1 bin of red potatoes, and 1 bin of cherry tomatoes for dollar each. It was great! The only problem was I missed the deli place I love in the market itself, since it was closed by the time I got there. If you are looking for a great activity in DC I would highly suggest Eastern Market.
Another place as a DC local that I love, is the Waterfront. If you get off the metro at L'Enfant Plaza and head down to the water (past the Mayflower hotel, ( i forgot what street it is) you can buy fresh fish, shrimp, maryland crabs, oysters, clams anything!! all fresh off the boats. They are actually boats that you buy from. The expereince is great, find the best deal, order steamed crabs hand your cash down to the guy on the boat and he packs a brown paper bag full of fresh maryland crabs, or hands you a plate of fresh shucked oysters. Their clam chowder is delicious as well. My favorite past time is to pick up crabs, shrimp etc. and find a nice spot on the grassy hill across the way and settle in for a great lunch or dinner. You could also take it down to the monuments and go see the cherry blossoms since tis the season.
So, I guess for now, thank you for your patience and hope everyone is doing well.
If anyone has suggestions for great happy hours, drinks, or dinner places in Penn Quarter or Chinatown, let me know!
I am back from my haitus. I apologize for the recent silence i have been very very busy...so let's get to it...
My life as I know it is very different then it was last time I updated. Things that have happened include:
I went to Miami
I went to the hottest new nightloung called the Florida Lounge at the Delano Hotel.
I met Eva Longoria there. (ok, well I didnt meet her but I did get to attend her birthday party...okay, it's not exactly how it sounds, I happened to be at the club she was celebrating her birthday at but I did get to sing her happy birthday, well not just me, but you get it :)
I met the Mayor of Miami at the Delano also, and I did actually meet her. My friend from high school is a photographer for Ocean Drive Magazine (kinda the society pages of Miami) and so knows everyone, every hot place and can get into every hot place.
Miami was amazing!! I was visiting London. Since you last saw her in this blog, she has broken up with her boyfriend (which is a good thing in her eyes), she has won Employee of the Year (at L'Oreal!!) and is still one of the most awesome and amazing friends I have. She is amazingly sweet and fun and I extended my stay longer just to spend a little bit more time with her, and maybe in the MIami Sun :)
I have also started my new job at the Restaurant! YAYA!!! SO excited!
So since I started here, the restaurant has been nominated by the James Beard Foundation (if you dont know what that is I suggest you watch a little Top Chef) as Best New Restaurant in Country. Now, it hasnt won yet, but we will : )
My title is kinda vague, basically I am a manager/program coordinator. I do a wide vareity of things but I love it!!! I love my new job, i love my new bosses and i love my new french chef :) Everyone was right, he is cuter than my other one, nicer, and his accent is just soooo adorable, you just want to pinch his cheeks. I already have a nickname as well, The chef refers to me as "Sweetcakes". Apparently that is a french cutesy name. I dont care he can call me whatever he likes :)
Ten and I had our anniversary...we didnt do anything except go on a very nice run to see the DC sites, and then make dinner but it was perfect for me. It was one of those really nice days we have just had in DC where it was 70 degrees. Ten and I really enjoy our runs and it was just so perfect to be finally outside enjoying the weather, enjoying the beautiful DC sites and just spending time together. I dont know exactly how many years we have been together but we are guessing around 4. So we have decided that it would be our 4 year anniversary.
Places i have been lately that I suggest going are....hmmm...I actually dont think I have gotten out lately... I am going to Poste I think today for drinks, we may end up at Zengos, but now that I am located in Penn Quarter for work I think it is time to start trying out the bars and happy hours here.
I love Clydes! I highly suggest going there for a drink if you ever get a chance. Look for the Bartender Earl, he is a fabulous bartender and very nice. I love going into bars and asking the bartenders to make me whatever they want and he is a great sport and makes me awesome drinks :) (Bartenders hate me, but I still love it, how else am I supposed to try new drinks).
I suggest Rocket Bar, if you are looking for a fun laid back bar that is not too crowd. I have gone there with a few friends and the many televisions keep the sports crazed occupied (ie: Ten) and the billiards tables, and darts provides fun for all ages. As well, it is nice to just hang around and catch up with your friends.
Another suggestion:McCormick and Schmicks for their happy hour of course is amazing. It's like 2.95 for like the greatest appetizers and they don't skimp on size! you can get a full half pound burger and fries. I would also highly suggest their buffalo wings...
Something I learned last weekend: I learned that if you go to Eastern Market at around 3:45 great deals can be found. I was a little late heading to the market but as it is one of my favorite things to do on Saturdays, especially now that it is strawberry season I decided to risk it. When I got there everything was being sold at next to nothing. I bough 3 baskets of strawberries for 2 dollars, 1 bin of red potatoes, and 1 bin of cherry tomatoes for dollar each. It was great! The only problem was I missed the deli place I love in the market itself, since it was closed by the time I got there. If you are looking for a great activity in DC I would highly suggest Eastern Market.
Another place as a DC local that I love, is the Waterfront. If you get off the metro at L'Enfant Plaza and head down to the water (past the Mayflower hotel, ( i forgot what street it is) you can buy fresh fish, shrimp, maryland crabs, oysters, clams anything!! all fresh off the boats. They are actually boats that you buy from. The expereince is great, find the best deal, order steamed crabs hand your cash down to the guy on the boat and he packs a brown paper bag full of fresh maryland crabs, or hands you a plate of fresh shucked oysters. Their clam chowder is delicious as well. My favorite past time is to pick up crabs, shrimp etc. and find a nice spot on the grassy hill across the way and settle in for a great lunch or dinner. You could also take it down to the monuments and go see the cherry blossoms since tis the season.
So, I guess for now, thank you for your patience and hope everyone is doing well.
If anyone has suggestions for great happy hours, drinks, or dinner places in Penn Quarter or Chinatown, let me know!
Friday, March 7, 2008
When I say Sake, you say BOMB!
Good Morning!! I apologize for the lack for blogging I have been doing lately! I love all the comments I have been getting and I wish I could have been updating more lately. As you all know, I have been going through a personal mini crisis with my job and basically what to do in my life.
So here’s a little recap:
Everything started when the hotel I was working for was bought. As a reminder I worked for 2 hotels, and only 1 of them was bought. This brought a lot of inner turmoil among all employees. Our little family was being torn apart and these big scary new people were coming into rule over us….It was awful to say the least, there was a lot of crying, mental breakdowns over my demotion to Secretary (unofficial but accurate). There also was a denial of the promotion I have been going to work each day for. The hope that all my hard work had been noticed and I would soon be an employee in the restaurant in the hotel, my one and only reason for staying with one hotel over the other. In the words of the GM, “I don’t see why the restaurant needs you, and unless the position is 90% admin work, I wont approve such a promotion because it isn’t necessary.” With that one little sentences, caviar and champagne dreams floated themselves out the window. That disappointment lead to multiple other changes, all leading up to: I HAVE OFFICIALLY PUT IN MY TWO WEEKS!! I DID IT LAST FRIDAY!!
So I know enquiring minds want to know, what has this 23 year old Food and Beverage extraordinaire decided to persue? (I might be using the word extraordinaire rather loosely considering it has been over a year and I still can’t pronounce the word “Sommelier”- which for those of you don’t know means “Wine Guy”) I was hired by the restaurant, not in my dream position (but then again who actually gets their dream position at 23?) but doing something rather less glamorous. I will be working at the other restaurant owned by the same Chef, which was just voted number 10 best new innovative restaurants in the country by New York Times. I will be doing data entry…that’s right, data entry… and if I am lucky I will get to still help with any big events that the restaurant at the hotel does, and I will still get to learn about the restaurant industry. As much as that sounds boring, and awful, and may I say BORING again…there are a few upsides to the position. I won’t just be doing any data entry, I will be inputting the ALL IMPORTANT AND SECRETIVE Recipes into the new computer system. I will also become GURU to said computer system and be working with the Exec Chef to teach him and all other Managers how to use it. Other upsides include: Working directly with the Exec chef, who I have been told by numerous people that if I love the Exec Chef at the Hotel Restaurant (WHICH I DO DODODODODODO!!! I have written about him previously, just think “Sexy, French Accent who Yells at me all the time, but I don’t care because his sexy mouth can say anything he wants to me because I pretty much don’t understand anything he says anyways”) I AM GOING TO LOVE THE EXEC CHEF AT NEW RESTAURANT. Apparently, he is French (God yes!) his accent is thicker (Even BETTER) and he doesn’t yell as much (hm, I don’t care really, it is kinda hot when French men get all hot and bothered over fruit salads and the perfect consommé ).
So I will be starting forth in this new endeavor in about two weeks. I of course, will keep updates on my progress. And let you know how truly hot the new chef is (Ten can’t be too jealous, I really only like them for their accents).
In other news, Ten’s birthday just passed!! It was really wonderful! He is 24! AWW!! That sounds soo old, I know we are young but still. It sounds older!
Due to my lack of funds, I decided to throw Ten a birthday party at my apartment, not just any birthday party but a SAKE BOMB party!!
I invited all his friends over, brewed SAKE (well, not technically brewed it myself but I did heat it up because that is the best way to drink Sake) and made everyone bring over tons and tons of Saporro!! I also cooked Edamame because Sake isn’t anything without Edamame with it.
It was a lot of fun! In case you don’t know what Sake Bombs are, it is when you take a shot of hot Sake, balance it on two chopsticks over a glass of beer. Everyone proceeds to chant, our versions included, “Sake, Sake, Sake, Sake, Sake, Sake BOMB!” or “When I say Sake you say bomb, Sake, Bomb, Sake, BOMB!” or we even sang happy birthday to Ten and ended it with a BOMB! And when you say BOMB you slam your hands on the table and the shot glass falls in, and you must drink the whole glass, SAKE and Beer as fast as you can.
It is great fun, however, 6 Sake Bombs, and 2 shots later, I might have had a little too much to drink (especially for the 98 pounds of me). I don’t remember the end of the night…I was told that I put on pajamas and then started doing a crazy crab walk (which in my hazy state I slightly remember doing that, but I think I was actually trying to do the dance that Cameron Diaz does at the top of the Hill in the beginning of the movie, “The Sweetest Thing”. What? Don’t remember that move? Not surprised, but apparently it had a big impact on me.
Flashforward: 6am in the morning, I wake up freezing on the 2-seater in my living room, clutching a velvet pillow for warmth…that’s odd considering I went to sleep in my own bed, or so I remember…
Flashforward: 9 am, the marathon throwing up begins. I not only throw up every 10 mins, I throw up every ounce of water, tiny bites of bread I tried to force down, and basically was reduced to dry heaving and standing Butt straight up in the air, head forced down to the toilet to get anything else possible out of my system because my stomach decided it still wasn’t done. Highlight of my morning was when Ten was using the bathroom for the 2 secs he needed to pee, and of course my stomach decides, “Hey you, bonehead, I need to throw up…” FUCK, (excuse my language) I go running down the hall searching for somewhere to throw up.. sink is filled with dishes, trash is overflowing with beer bottles, cups, and food, my trashcan from the night before is filled with Ten’s puke (he also did not make it through the night with projectile heaving), so I frantically grab a plastic bag from the storage closet, place it over the recycling bin in case of holes in the bottom, and proceed to throw up, in a plastic bag, over 5 tons of used beer bottles in the storage closet. Ten, must have heard the frantic commotion I made because he came out, and was like "are you ok," I am heaving up whatever is left in my stomach as I am waving my arms at him to “GET THE F- OUT!!! YOU CANT SEE ME LIKE THIS!!”
Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day in bed, I didn’t stop throwing up till 3pm, where I finally found a spot on my bed where I finally felt slightly less sick, and proceed to stay in that position, refusing to move no matter the pins and needles of the weird neck position and leg position I was in, and slept till 6 pm. I woke up and proceed to have a few teaspoons of soup which stayed down and back to sleep around 9pm for another work day…
Lets just say, NOT MY GREATEST DAY IN THE WORLD….
So here’s a little recap:
Everything started when the hotel I was working for was bought. As a reminder I worked for 2 hotels, and only 1 of them was bought. This brought a lot of inner turmoil among all employees. Our little family was being torn apart and these big scary new people were coming into rule over us….It was awful to say the least, there was a lot of crying, mental breakdowns over my demotion to Secretary (unofficial but accurate). There also was a denial of the promotion I have been going to work each day for. The hope that all my hard work had been noticed and I would soon be an employee in the restaurant in the hotel, my one and only reason for staying with one hotel over the other. In the words of the GM, “I don’t see why the restaurant needs you, and unless the position is 90% admin work, I wont approve such a promotion because it isn’t necessary.” With that one little sentences, caviar and champagne dreams floated themselves out the window. That disappointment lead to multiple other changes, all leading up to: I HAVE OFFICIALLY PUT IN MY TWO WEEKS!! I DID IT LAST FRIDAY!!
So I know enquiring minds want to know, what has this 23 year old Food and Beverage extraordinaire decided to persue? (I might be using the word extraordinaire rather loosely considering it has been over a year and I still can’t pronounce the word “Sommelier”- which for those of you don’t know means “Wine Guy”) I was hired by the restaurant, not in my dream position (but then again who actually gets their dream position at 23?) but doing something rather less glamorous. I will be working at the other restaurant owned by the same Chef, which was just voted number 10 best new innovative restaurants in the country by New York Times. I will be doing data entry…that’s right, data entry… and if I am lucky I will get to still help with any big events that the restaurant at the hotel does, and I will still get to learn about the restaurant industry. As much as that sounds boring, and awful, and may I say BORING again…there are a few upsides to the position. I won’t just be doing any data entry, I will be inputting the ALL IMPORTANT AND SECRETIVE Recipes into the new computer system. I will also become GURU to said computer system and be working with the Exec Chef to teach him and all other Managers how to use it. Other upsides include: Working directly with the Exec chef, who I have been told by numerous people that if I love the Exec Chef at the Hotel Restaurant (WHICH I DO DODODODODODO!!! I have written about him previously, just think “Sexy, French Accent who Yells at me all the time, but I don’t care because his sexy mouth can say anything he wants to me because I pretty much don’t understand anything he says anyways”) I AM GOING TO LOVE THE EXEC CHEF AT NEW RESTAURANT. Apparently, he is French (God yes!) his accent is thicker (Even BETTER) and he doesn’t yell as much (hm, I don’t care really, it is kinda hot when French men get all hot and bothered over fruit salads and the perfect consommé ).
So I will be starting forth in this new endeavor in about two weeks. I of course, will keep updates on my progress. And let you know how truly hot the new chef is (Ten can’t be too jealous, I really only like them for their accents).
In other news, Ten’s birthday just passed!! It was really wonderful! He is 24! AWW!! That sounds soo old, I know we are young but still. It sounds older!
Due to my lack of funds, I decided to throw Ten a birthday party at my apartment, not just any birthday party but a SAKE BOMB party!!
I invited all his friends over, brewed SAKE (well, not technically brewed it myself but I did heat it up because that is the best way to drink Sake) and made everyone bring over tons and tons of Saporro!! I also cooked Edamame because Sake isn’t anything without Edamame with it.
It was a lot of fun! In case you don’t know what Sake Bombs are, it is when you take a shot of hot Sake, balance it on two chopsticks over a glass of beer. Everyone proceeds to chant, our versions included, “Sake, Sake, Sake, Sake, Sake, Sake BOMB!” or “When I say Sake you say bomb, Sake, Bomb, Sake, BOMB!” or we even sang happy birthday to Ten and ended it with a BOMB! And when you say BOMB you slam your hands on the table and the shot glass falls in, and you must drink the whole glass, SAKE and Beer as fast as you can.
It is great fun, however, 6 Sake Bombs, and 2 shots later, I might have had a little too much to drink (especially for the 98 pounds of me). I don’t remember the end of the night…I was told that I put on pajamas and then started doing a crazy crab walk (which in my hazy state I slightly remember doing that, but I think I was actually trying to do the dance that Cameron Diaz does at the top of the Hill in the beginning of the movie, “The Sweetest Thing”. What? Don’t remember that move? Not surprised, but apparently it had a big impact on me.
Flashforward: 6am in the morning, I wake up freezing on the 2-seater in my living room, clutching a velvet pillow for warmth…that’s odd considering I went to sleep in my own bed, or so I remember…
Flashforward: 9 am, the marathon throwing up begins. I not only throw up every 10 mins, I throw up every ounce of water, tiny bites of bread I tried to force down, and basically was reduced to dry heaving and standing Butt straight up in the air, head forced down to the toilet to get anything else possible out of my system because my stomach decided it still wasn’t done. Highlight of my morning was when Ten was using the bathroom for the 2 secs he needed to pee, and of course my stomach decides, “Hey you, bonehead, I need to throw up…” FUCK, (excuse my language) I go running down the hall searching for somewhere to throw up.. sink is filled with dishes, trash is overflowing with beer bottles, cups, and food, my trashcan from the night before is filled with Ten’s puke (he also did not make it through the night with projectile heaving), so I frantically grab a plastic bag from the storage closet, place it over the recycling bin in case of holes in the bottom, and proceed to throw up, in a plastic bag, over 5 tons of used beer bottles in the storage closet. Ten, must have heard the frantic commotion I made because he came out, and was like "are you ok," I am heaving up whatever is left in my stomach as I am waving my arms at him to “GET THE F- OUT!!! YOU CANT SEE ME LIKE THIS!!”
Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day in bed, I didn’t stop throwing up till 3pm, where I finally found a spot on my bed where I finally felt slightly less sick, and proceed to stay in that position, refusing to move no matter the pins and needles of the weird neck position and leg position I was in, and slept till 6 pm. I woke up and proceed to have a few teaspoons of soup which stayed down and back to sleep around 9pm for another work day…
Lets just say, NOT MY GREATEST DAY IN THE WORLD….
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Bar Review Edition _ "Rumors"
“Rumors” Review – 1900 M St. NW
I spent last Saturday, forcing myself past a very large man, pushing through a very small door, and trekking through a path that “magically appeared” as a pushed myself like a jigsaw puzzle piece fitting myself through the crowd to the bar where I very quickly needed a drink. Is it just me or is DC expanding? I, once again, spent my Saturday evening at a crowded popular DC bar, called Rumors. It is located at 1900 M St. near Farragut Square and Dupont Circle. If this bar had been located in like Iowa, Indiana, even some remote spot in DC like say Crystal City (J I live there so don’t get mad) I would have loved the bar. The problem was the amount of people in the place could have fit in the new Nationals Stadium! It was maxed out!! Maybe it’s just me, but when I go to a bar I enjoy having room to dance and breathe, I don’t like when dancing is mandatory because the people are so close next to you that everyone sort of has to sway with the crowd. I’ve got moves people!! How am I supposed to break it down, with all those people cramping my style?! It is also frustrating when Cambouri comes all the way from New York to go out for the evening and she spent half of it in line waiting for people to leave the bar because it was at capacity at around 11:00pm. I even pleaded with the bouncer if he would let my gorgeous, BALLERINA friend into the bar, because 1. she is hot, 2. she was by herself, and 3. SHE WAS COLD! He just stood there and grunted negatively…ugh, I hate bouncers like that, there should be an unspoken rule that girls should not have to stand in line by themselves. So my conclusion, it would be a lot of fun if it was reasonably packed and didn’t cost $5 dollars to get into an overcrowded dance floor that they tried to call a bar. I would suggest going early and leaving early. Personally, I like having room to enjoy myself and when a place is that overcrowded it’s just not fun anymore.
In other news, HR pulled me aside today. Basically, she told me in a closed door meeting that it doesn’t look like the position I want will be available for at least 6 months or more…soo…..Tonight’s Mission If I can Stomach it: Plan my life….
Option 1: New Job
Option 2: Stay, but they will incorporate a training program with all the information I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN to HELP ME on my career path….further details still to come
So…I have a lot of soul searching to do. WISH ME LUCK!
I spent last Saturday, forcing myself past a very large man, pushing through a very small door, and trekking through a path that “magically appeared” as a pushed myself like a jigsaw puzzle piece fitting myself through the crowd to the bar where I very quickly needed a drink. Is it just me or is DC expanding? I, once again, spent my Saturday evening at a crowded popular DC bar, called Rumors. It is located at 1900 M St. near Farragut Square and Dupont Circle. If this bar had been located in like Iowa, Indiana, even some remote spot in DC like say Crystal City (J I live there so don’t get mad) I would have loved the bar. The problem was the amount of people in the place could have fit in the new Nationals Stadium! It was maxed out!! Maybe it’s just me, but when I go to a bar I enjoy having room to dance and breathe, I don’t like when dancing is mandatory because the people are so close next to you that everyone sort of has to sway with the crowd. I’ve got moves people!! How am I supposed to break it down, with all those people cramping my style?! It is also frustrating when Cambouri comes all the way from New York to go out for the evening and she spent half of it in line waiting for people to leave the bar because it was at capacity at around 11:00pm. I even pleaded with the bouncer if he would let my gorgeous, BALLERINA friend into the bar, because 1. she is hot, 2. she was by herself, and 3. SHE WAS COLD! He just stood there and grunted negatively…ugh, I hate bouncers like that, there should be an unspoken rule that girls should not have to stand in line by themselves. So my conclusion, it would be a lot of fun if it was reasonably packed and didn’t cost $5 dollars to get into an overcrowded dance floor that they tried to call a bar. I would suggest going early and leaving early. Personally, I like having room to enjoy myself and when a place is that overcrowded it’s just not fun anymore.
In other news, HR pulled me aside today. Basically, she told me in a closed door meeting that it doesn’t look like the position I want will be available for at least 6 months or more…soo…..Tonight’s Mission If I can Stomach it: Plan my life….
Option 1: New Job
Option 2: Stay, but they will incorporate a training program with all the information I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN to HELP ME on my career path….further details still to come
So…I have a lot of soul searching to do. WISH ME LUCK!
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