Beauty and the Beef in B-Burg

Elim is part of an art exhibit at Figureworks in Williamsburg, and she invited us all to the opening.  When we saw where it was on the map, we realized it would be a perfect night to check out a notoriously amazing spot:  St. Anselm.

From the same owners of our beloved Fette Sau, St. Anselm is known for its rustic decor (lots of wood and brick) and mouth-watering steak.  We heard it's nearly impossible to get a table so we went as early as possible and thankfully were seated right away.  The bar and grill area are in the center of the dining room, so it was cool to be able to watch the chefs in action!

We read a lot of reviews before we visited, so we knew exactly what we wanted to try:

the Grilled Tomato and Burrata

(PHENOMENAL!  the warmth of the roasted tomato paired with the chill of the velvety cheese were heavenly; Mel kept saying "I could eat this all day!")

the Bourbon Brined Pork Chop

(so juicy!  we could definitely detect the bourbon in every bite)

the Butchers Steak with garlic butter

(the meat was so tender, we almost thought it might melt in our mouths)

 and

the Pan-Fried Mashed Potatoes with truffle oil

(we wish all mashed potatoes were made like this!)

 

For dessert, we thought the homemade vanilla ice cream with pork cracklins sounded intriguing.  After a few bites, DJ wasn't a huge fan of the cracklins (he didn't enjoy the crusty pork taste), but Mel couldn't get enough!  It reminded her of extra salty Rice Krispies.  

Overall, we really loved St. Anselm.  We felt at home from the moment we walked in.  And that feeling was multiplied when (if you can believe this) we looked up and saw Sean and Nilda enjoying a date night just a few tables away!  Nothing says "Awesome Neighborhood Spot" like running into fabulous friends.  :)  St. Anselm, we shall return!

Fette Sau and Tao - Mother's Day Weekend

HOORAY FOR MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND!!

We headed out to LI on Saturday to celebrate with Toots.  And as luck would have it, Amber and Ava were able to join us!  So we had a wonderful day hanging out in the backyard, soaking up Ava's adorable energy, and feasting on some take-out Fette Sau.  Such a great day!

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Then on Sunday, the Haile-Mariams came down from CT for an afternoon in the city.  There was a request for Asian cuisine and nice ambience, so DJ suggested Tao in Midtown.  It fit the bill perfectly!  Really great decor, delicious menu selections, and great service.  Capped off with a brief walk by the Central Park perimeter, it was a lovely day with family.

 Kung Pao chicken

 deliciously tender and juicy fish; we were all impressed

 salmon sashimi

 mochi!

 banana pudding

mommy-to-be!!

Bozu with Bernardins

Dave and Elim invited us out to dinner to celebrate our nuptials!  Knowing how much we love sushi, they suggested Bozu in Williamsburg - voted the best sushi in New York.
Worthy of the title?  YES!

Before you even take a bite of food, the design of the place creates a cool experience: dim lighting, plank wood, exposed brick, and a wrap-around bar where you can sit to watch all the action if you choose.  

The menu is quite extensive, with a wide variety of sushi rolls, sushi bombs (balls of rice with the fish on top), and hot entrees.  We decided to dine family style so we could sample as much as possible.  What a feast!!

 hot sake, kept warm in a special pot of boiling water complete with thermometer

 miso soup

 tako balls and tuna tartar

 Ryoan

 BBQ eel, spicy tuna, and dragon rolls

 Overall, this place is AMAZING.  We will definitely keep going back until we've sampled everything on the menu.  Any future visitors to NY, be prepared for us to take you here.  :)

Chillin' with the Conde Crew

We had a marathon Sunday of lazy chillin' out with Victoria, Ladell, and Brandon: a.k.a. the Conde Crew.

We started out at Fette Sau for some BBQ (the pork belly was much better this time, and the cocktail of the day was a fabulous mix of bourbon, ginger beer and lime!).  With full tummies, we meandered around Williamsburg until we came to one of Brandon's favorite haunts: Spike Hill.  We chilled out there for a while, and talk of Williamsburg made Victoria remember The Meatball Shop and its delicious menu.  After speculating how close-by it could be, a Smartphone search led us to discover that it was indeed down the block.  

On to Stop #3 of the day where Vic had a bit of meatballs, DJ and Mel shared an ice cream sandwich, and everyone sampled the cocktails (which were EXCELLENT!). It's a really cool place, and the ordering process is fun: marking laminated menus with combos of your choice.

We will definitely come back here when in the mood for some comfort food!

On to some more meandering around Williamsburg and a stop at a random bar for another drink and more chatting.  Fast forward a few hours and we realize it might be nice to watch the sun go down near the bridge.  On to Stop #5 of the day: Bubby's!  Once again, we wound up sitting for so long that we lost track of time until Mel realized she was hungry.  So we snacked on some of their delicious side dishes (their mac & cheese is delightful) before calling it a day - quite full and quite happy.  :) 

Hooray for a day of Brooklyn wandering!

We Feel the Love!: Bridal Shower and Man Party

DJ and Mel are seriously feeling the love after this weekend.  On November 19th (exactly 3 months before our wedding), we celebrated at Mel's Bridal Shower and DJ's Man Party!!

Mel's Bridal Shower was held at one of our favorite places:  The Farm on Adderley (where we had brunch after getting engaged!).  It was truly one of the most memorable days of Mel's life.  So many friends and family came to celebrate (including Michele all the way from Philly and Diana all the way from Boston!); she felt so joyful and loved she thought she might explode!  

Pearl (a.k.a. Mom, a.k.a. Mrs. B, a.k.a. Toots), Amber, and Ibee worked magic to create a day filled with fun games, touching speeches, candy giveaways, and a lovely slideshow.  They make quite the planning team!

They even had others get in on the surprises.
Uncle Stan arranged for beautiful flower centerpieces,


Guy (a.k.a. Dad, a.k.a. Mr. B, a.k.a. Toto) built an awesome "Wishing Well" for kitchen gifts...


and DJ's Aunt Abby (all the way in California) created special Ethiopian bookmarks for the goodie bags!

the mother of the groom  :)

And The Farm did not disappoint with the food.  Guests had a choice of a tuna salad sandwich, a Farm burger, or a tomato mozzarella omelet, along with home fries, salad, and chocolate brioche (quite the crowd-pleaser) on the side.

This bridal shower was a dream come true!

Meanwhile, DJ went off with Uncle Stan, Guy (Dad/Mr.B/Toto), and Manny to have a Man Party at Fette Sau - one of the top rated BBQ places in New York.  They had a great time joking about "man stuff" and chowing down on some serious meat.  But we needn't say more: the pictures are worth a thousand words.  :)

Much love and thanks to all our family and friends who worked so hard to make it a special day for both of us!!