Weekend of Brunches

It was a pretty chill weekend with good friends and good food.

On Saturday Michele came into the city for a quick visit from Philly.  We met up with her and Nicole at Josie's for a hearty organic brunch.  

Mel tried the chicken salad (the chicken was absolutely delectable), 

 and DJ and Michele went for classic eggs.  Yum!

Then on Sunday we met up with Manny and Hirut pre-wedding dress fitting.  Liz joined us for a fun lunch at Bryant Park Grill - the restaurant in Bryant Park that we surprisingly had yet to try.  Overall the food was tasty, but nothing to write home about for the price.  What made the bill worth it was being able to sit outside and have a full view of Bryant Park passersby.  We could even hear the jubilant Pride Parade in the distance!

Mel's lamb sliders (the best dish by far)

DJ's tuna salad (not enough tuna)

Liz's ravioli (very rich)

By the time we got home, we felt super relaxed and calmed by the beautiful weather.  So we decided to swing by Purple Yam for scoops of our fav homemade ice cream: purple yam, mango, and banana rum.  Delicious!! (Although they give really big scoops, so we know for next time that we should only get two.  lol)

Father's Day in Kensington

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

DJ had to be on-call (near a phone and computer) for a big launch at work, so we figured a great compromise would be to have the local Bernardin crew over to our place for a Father's Day lunch.  (We hope to celebrate with the Haile-Mariam fam next week when a phone and computer don't have to be close at hand!)

Since the summer heat is upon us, we wanted to keep the menu light and refreshing.  So...

DJ concocted a powerful rum punch; Mel made some azefa and thai ginger salmon with roasted carrots;

 

and Elim was nice enough to bring the always-crowd-pleasing tofu pockets and Chinese pastries (that we raved about when we had tilapia at their place a few weeks ago)!

(You can tell an artist made these tofu pockets.  This presentation could hang on canvas in a museum!)

 

Dessert was fruit salad from Fresh Direct (wonderfully sweet) and delicious melon sponge cake that Dave and Elim brought from Chinatown.  In all, it was a tasty, relaxed afternoon luncheon to celebrate Mr. B!  

Ceviche on a Lazy Saturday

DJ had been craving ceviche since the last time we had ceviche with Luis and Amber at this awesome place in Elizabeth called Rocky's.   So finally on a lazy Saturday afternoon we were able to head back to Jersey for no other reason than getting that delicious fish.  Kathy had been intrigued by our raves about it, so she decided to join us.  And once again, Rocky's did not disappoint!  

After feasting on ceviche and a bit of chicken, we stopped by to say hello to Amber and the Bean before they headed off to a baby shower.

  Apparently the Bean has a future in rock 'n' roll:

We ended the day back in Brooklyn in Red Hook for a browse through Ikea and the new Fairway.  After curbing quite a few impulse purchase urges, we left with just what we went looking for (plus a lot of fruit from Fairway) and a new appreciation for the view from the Red Hook piers. 

Belleville in Park Slope

Our new goal for the summer is to try a new restaurant in our borough every weekend.  This week we were in the mood for French, and found Belleville Bistro in Park Slope.  This place is so quaint, Mel felt like we had arrived in Paris as soon as we walked through the door.  They pride themselves on creating a decor that mirrors a weathered French bistro, and they did a great job!  The staff was also quite friendly and not too in-your-face, which was nice since we got caught up talking for quite a while.

As for the food, we started out with summer wine cocktails (delightfully refreshing) and olives (one of DJ's fave treats) which were tasty.  But they gave us a LOT, so we took some home.

Then we moved on to our main course.  DJ went for the rib eye, aged 28 days, which was enjoyable.

Mel was torn between Coquilles St. Jacques or coq au vin.  In the end, she opted for the coq au vin to get a sense of how it should taste since she might try making it one of these days.  The sauce and mushrooms were savory and not too salty - thumbs up!  And as luck would have it, the table next to us wound up getting the Coquilles St. Jacques so we got a peek.  It looks like a nice light meal, so we'll remember it for next time.

We satisfied our sweet teeth with a bit of flourless chocolate almond cake.  In a word: HEAVEN!

Overall, we would definitely return to this adorable bistro - especially when we want to feel a bit Parisian.  :)

Ava's Christening!

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the family headed over to Elizabeth, New Jersey for Ava's christening!  The ceremony was absolutely lovely and special.  Ava had her own crew of paparazzi snapping away.

 

Afterward, Amber and Luis had arranged for a fabulous outdoor reception at Number 10 Bar and Grill right down the block from their house.  It was absolutely perfect!  The outdoor space allowed for a relaxing breeze, and it was covered by a trellis of cloth and vines to block the overhead sun.  As a result, we felt so at home and comfortable that we didn't move for hours!  And the owners were so nice, they didn't make us feel rushed at all.  Which is good, because we went back for seconds and thirds of the delicious buffet: steak, chicken, seafood, pasta, paella, and addictive sangria.

All in all, it was an awesome family day for our favorite new addition - Ava Bean!

Applewood in Park Slope

On a quiet Sunday afternoon, we decided to take a long walk around Park Slope for some fresh air.  We got hungry for brunch and happened upon a cute little restaurant named Applewood.  

It's actually on a side street, being a converted brownstone.  There are a couple of tables in what would have been the front yard, and then you enter into the cutest little bistro of a seating area.  The decor is super cozy, and the service is prompt and friendly.  They make their own soda, and all their food is organic and hormone free.   So we both enjoyed a delicious omelet with delightfully cheesy grits and fresh homemade soda.  We will definitely go back!

Afterward we continued our walk, and had to laugh when we noticed this place:

 Looks like Toto is in for a trip to his restaurant in Brooklyn!  We'll keep you posted.  :)

Happy Birthday, Kathy!

Kathy's birthday is quite soon, and we went out to Babouche in Park Slope to celebrate with flair!

Babouche is actually a restaurant that Kathy, Dave, Elim, Amber, and Mel had happened upon years ago while wandering in the neighborhood.  So it was fitting that the same crew (along with DJ) could be reunited there to toast a birthday.

We started off with a sampling of wonderful Moroccan appetizers: mussels (perfection), tuna tartar (taste explosion), and hummus (among the best we've ever had).

Then:

Kathy went for the pastry specialty (a mix of savory chicken and sweet apple)...

Dave savored the Chilean sea bass...

Amber enjoyed the vegetable couscous (presented beautifully)

and Mel and DJ tried the calamari salad because the waitress said it was "to die for."  Yum!

 During the meal, we were quite amused by the fabulous live belly dancing.  So cool!

 And that wasn't the only amusement of the evening!  Over the course of the meal, it was revealed that Kathy had never had a hookah before.  Well, that had to be rectified!  So we asked for a table in the back and enjoyed a nicely concocted apple/cherry/mint hookah.  Suh-weeeeeet.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATH!