Choice Eats

Last week, Matt and I went to the Village Voice's annual event, Choice Eats, where we were able to try dishes from 70+ restaurants, imbibe ourselves with lots of beer, and enjoy some sweet treats too. It was so much fun and we stuffed ourselves silly!

By far, the best dish we tried that night was the beef brisket at Mable's Smokehouse in Williamsburg. The meat was so juicy, tender and full of flavor. I absolutely want to go there now that I know how great they are at smoking meat. 

Some of my other favorite dishes were:

• Black pork curry at Banana Leaf - great flavor from the spices and a nice kick of heat
• Mackerel crudo at Littleneck - refreshing bite of fish, complemented with the herb oil and sesame seeds
• S'mores ice cream at OddFellows Ice Cream Co. - chunks of chocolate and graham cracker mixed throughout, bringing me back to my Girl Scout days by the campfire

I found a great beer, Five Hop ESB, by MOA Brewing Company based in New Zealand. The beer was so smooth, bordering on a bit creamy, and had a subtle honey flavor. I must have gone back at least half a dozen times to get a refill. Luckily, I can find the beer at Whole Foods so I'll be heading there soon!

After having experienced this all-you-can-eat glutton fest, I can't wait for their next event, Choice Streets. Choice Streets is a gathering of food trucks on the Intrepid - how does it get any better than that?! I really hope I'll be able to make it as I have a work trip right around the same time. I highly recommend that you all go and enjoy yourselves because it's bound to be a really fun time!

One Year!

When I was blogging earlier this evening, I didn't even realize it was my blog's one year anniversary!! I've certainly had my ups and downs with blogging regularly, but it's been so much fun! I can't wait for another year. Thank you so much to all of my readers - I would be doing this for nothing if it weren't for all of you :) 

What better way to celebrate then with a picture of a delicious Rocky Road ice cream cone?

Pizza Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Wow, it's been way too long since my last post, but I think life is going to start slowing down so I can focus on my blog again! I've been studying for a work-related exam and planning my sister's bachelorette party so unfortunately, my blog got away from me. I just passed my exam (woo!) and had a great weekend in Nashville celebrating with a bunch of awesome girls. Don't worry, I'm back now!

It's definitely time to start eating healthier and working out because I haven't been so mindful of it the last two months. Matt found some healthy recipes to make this week, including the one I made tonight, pizza stuffed zucchini boats! While the name may not sound healthy, the ingredients are all pretty good for you. Ground turkey, marinara sauce - which Matt made part of it himself - and of course, zucchini!

I wasn't thinking so clearly when I started making the recipe and thought 8 ounces of ground turkey is the same thing as a pound. Sadly, not so much, but I think it was better having some extra so I could really fill the boats up. I piled them as high as I could without everything spilling out. Topped with some mozzarella and voila, the perfect veggie and meat meal!

The zucchini was perfectly tender, easy to cut through with each bite. Of course, as I tried to eat my first bite, I dropped it on the couch and my pants, but that's par for the course. I've come to learn that I'm a very clumsy eater. Enjoy these fun boats - easy to cook and eat - well, for most people anyways!

New Discoveries

Living in New York, there are so many amazing places to go, sites to see and food to eat. Because of this, I want to start sharing some of the new discoveries I've made recently. Here's to exploring everything NYC has to offer!

• Jacob's Pickles - beer, biscuits and pickles...I can't wait to try this place out!
• Finally finding the Morimoto Soba Ale at Peculier Pub - I've been wanting to try this beer for so long and it was well worth the wait
• The seasonal pickle plate at The Pickle Shack - I kind of really love pickles
• This ice cream race I'm considering doing over Memorial Day weekend - am I ready for my first 10K?!
• This awesome giraffe iPhone case (pic below) at C Wonder - I need this in my life

What do you love about NYC?? Tell me the great places you've discovered around the city!