Filming in Fairfield

Lights! Camera! ACTION!

DJ's parents, Manny and Hirut were ready for their close-ups as we filmed family messages to show Ato Goshu's mother in Ethiopia. Since filming can take a lot of energy, DJ manned the grill and fired up some delicious steak. The Grillmaster's skills were complemented nicely by his mom's awesome broccoli salad, BBQ baked beans, and cherry/pineapple dessert.



A fun time was had by all as we tried to capture the beauty of Fairfield in short video clips. We'll keep you posted on when the blooper reel is released. :)

Zengo = BEST Cucumber Mojito EVER

Earlier this week, we celebrated Mel's LAST DAY OF SCHOOL (WOOOOOO!) by checking out the newest restaurant in DJ's neighborhood - Zengo, a Latin-Asian fusion place.

We have been curious about this restaurant because we had seen the progress of its construction, but were never sure when it actually opened because the windows are covered by heavy curtains. We weren't sure why they were trying to keep it so mysterious. lol But once inside, we were quite impressed by the ambiance. Very "Pirates of the Caribbean" with the iron chandeliers, plush seats, and candles on rafters.

We started off by sharing some drinks and appetizers: sake sangria (tasty and light - like cranberry juice!), mojito, beef sushi (absolutely delightful!) and chicken lettuce wraps (nice Thai peanut flavor).


We were still a bit peckish so we decided to share some ceviche - very light and flavorful!


By that point, we were in major relaxation mode and Liz stopped by on her way home. While she tried the sushi we recommended, DJ tried a beef entree. The serving was a nice size, but he found the meat to be a bit too chewy. Meanwhile, Mel tried a cucumber mojito and WOW - honestly the best any of us had ever tasted. Apparently, it's supposed to be Zengo's signature drink, and we can see why.


too chewy for the price :-/

Final verdict? We'll definitely go back for drinks (especially the cucumber mojito) and appetizers, but we're not sure we'd commit to a full entree. Looks like Zengo is better for happy hour snacking.

California Whirlwind Weekend! - Rob and Emily's Wedding

We headed to Bakersfield, California for Rob and Emily's wedding (woo!), and got to have lots of great meals along the way.

Shockingly, the first great meal was at.... Newark Airport?!?! We would like to alert the world to the fact that the Continental Airlines Terminal has the BEST NEW SUSHI PLACE! Who would have thought? Our server was extremely personable and kept bringing over free samples of yummy dishes. It was the best pre-flight meal either of us have ever had - fresh and light rather than pre-packaged and deep-fried. :)



Once we landed in Los Angeles, we had the pleasure of meeting up with DJ's Uncle Lakew, Uncle Belete, and cousin David. We went to Little Ethiopia and enjoyed a fabulous meal at Messob.


The tej was SOOOO authentic - not filtered at all. Almost as good as DJ's Aunt Abiti's. And the sambosas? GIGANTIC AND YUMMY!

After our brief stint in LA, we drove up to Bakersfield for the wedding. We got there nice and early, and since the wedding wasn't until late evening we grabbed some tasty lunch where we were staying - The Padre Hotel. DJ went for the trout and Mel tried the chicken salad - we were both surprised by how good our meals were! This hotel restaurant is definitely one to check out if ever in the area.



California = some darn good eatin'!

Park Avenue Summer

Today was a great day for a meal splurge! We knew in advance that today would be particularly stressful for each of us at work, so we planned a fun dinner at Park Avenue Summer so that no matter what happened throughout the day we would have an awesome dinner to look forward to. Fortunately, the meal wound up being to celebrate our successes rather than console each other. Woo hoo! :)

The meal began with the coolest palate-cleansers: cubes of yellow watermelon with a dollop of spicy sauce on top. The surprising mix of sweet and savory really made our eyes pop!


Then we decided to share a Summer Crudo of fresh salmon and watermelon cubes with avocado. It was so good, we wiped the plate clean with bits of the awesome corn roll and cheddar biscuit from the bread basket.


Then DJ decided to try the filet mignon with blueberry barbecue sauce (phenomenal!) and Mel went with the tried and true chicken with summer peaches (superb!).

Park Avenue Summer = 2 thumbs up!

Memorial Day Weekend

WOW, was this weekend a blast!!!

First stop: Connecticut!
DJ's parents invited Mel's parents over for an amazing feast of traditional Ethiopian food. Mel's parents had never tried it before, and after tasting such savory dishes we're pretty sure they're hooked. :) Many thanks to our wonderful hosts!


The day was also a nice chance to enjoy great conversation and catch up with Hana, Manny, Hirut, and a close family friend. Through conversation we discovered that on Sunday she would be attending an event in Harlem featuring Yohannes Gebregeorgis - the man who founded Ethiopia Reads! Mel almost fell out of her chair. So, after hanging out for a bit with Manny and Hirut (French Toast Chefs extraordinaire!) ...


Next stop: Harlem!
We met up with W and her friend Phoebe to hear Yohannes speak. His story was quite riveting and he seemed like a very genuine person. Mel would have been happy just to shake his hand, but thanks to the fact that it was a very small gathering everyone was actually able to speak with him for some time and get his contact information! Plans were made to meet with him when we're in Addis! What better way to celebrate such a window of opportunity than a fabulous dinner uptown complete with a delicious apple tart. :)



Last stop: Central Park!
It wouldn't be Memorial Day without a picnic in the park. So Manny and Hirut came into the city and we all met up with Gigi, Deena, Vicky, Antoine, and Lula in Central Park for a picnic. People brought so much food - hummus, quiche, cheese, bread, cookies, fruit, the list goes on! We really could have eaten for days. lol A great way to wrap up a fabulous weekend!