Hello Hoboken!

October 8, 2009

On Monday, I worked remotely from BK and then headed over to Hoboken to check into the W Hotel (where I was going to have work meetings for the next two days). I got a great room and took some great pics of the Manhattan landscape across the Hudson River.

After battling e-mails and work calls, I did a great 7-mile run along the water from Hoboken to Weehawken and back. It was great to get some miles under my legs (especially as I'm running the Nike Women's Half Marathon in a couple weeks!).

Key was also in town for the work meeting and we headed out for dinner at a nearby sushi spot called Sushi Lounge. Key and Bea on a work-expensed dinner? Wha? Trouble...
And as luck would have it, it was "Ladies Night" and I could order half-priced drinks and cold appetizers.
Key and I ordered a smattering of plates to share:
Pepper crusted tuna (seared and thinly sliced peppered tuna with tobiko, scallion and a wasabi mayonnaise).

Tar Tar (white tuna mixed with tomatoes, avocado, masago shallots and au jus of white soy, garlic, ginger and wasabi).

Kobe beef sliders (100% US Kobe with onion steamed on Brioche sliders with tomato, micro greens and garlic ginger ketchup and dried seaweed flakes).

Ai no Hime "Princess of Love" Beni Koji (red sparkling sweet sake as a dessert!).

It was great to catch up with Key and enjoy some great food. On someone elses' tab...ha!

There were all-day meetings and then a team-building event for the global group that I work with--we went go-karting! We got bussed out to Maywood, NJ to Velocity-17.



My racing team:

The go-karting was an absolute blast, it took me a while, but I finally figured out how to handle the turns at top speed without completely spinning out. Fun!

We had all day meetings on Wed and then I flew out of Newark on Wed night. Goodbye Hoboken!

Big Apple! I Heart BK!

October 4, 2009

SATURDAY

I headed out to the east coast on early Saturday morning. The trip was a work trip to New Jersey, but I went early to hang out in the Big Apple and catch up with some buds. I flew into Newark in the early evening and then headed out to Mike & Debbie's in Brooklyn, where I was going to crash for the weekend.

Mike and I headed to the East Village in Manhattan for dinner (Debbie was out of town until Sunday) and we grabbed drinks at 10 Degrees before our dinner reservation.

For dinner, we hit a tapas restaurant called Euzkadi. Serving Basque-inspired food in a small brick-walled and eclectic space.

Grilled Shrimp stuffed w/Rosemary Goat Cheese, wrapped in Serrano Ham. Very tasty, but then again, I'm sure I'd like anything wrapped in serrano ham...
Roasted Duck Meatballs in a Sofrito Duck Demi-Glace Sauce. Interestingly, these meat balls didn't taste like duck, very much like just regular meatballs.
Sauteed sliced Chorizo w/Red Onions and Port wine.
Grilled Calamari over Sauteed Leeks, Piquillo Peppers, Lemon Oil Garlic Drizzle.
An assortment of Spanish Cured Meats, served w/Olives, Mustard and Toast. This was probably the best part of the meal, fantastic cured meats. It was actually too much for us to finish (crazy! I know!).

After dinner, we headed over to the "secret" bar in the back of Double Crown Restaurant. Very packed, lots of good people watching, awesome gin drinks.

I was pretty exhausted after drinks-dinner-drinks and was psyched to hit the hay (in Mike and Debbie's awesome guest room, hooray for great apartments in Brooklyn!).

SUNDAY

On Sunday morning, I head back into Manhattan to meet up with Sarah, Blake and Sophie in Chelsea for brunch and some quality catching up. We met up and headed to Chelsea Market for some edible delights in a funky setting. The building that now houses Chelsea Market is located in the former Nabisco factory complex where the Oreo cookie was invented and produced.

We grabbed brunch at the Ronnybrook Dairy counter, where I had a pretty awesome tuna salad sandwich.

From Chelsea Market, we headed to check out the new "Highline". The Highline is the former elevated freight railroad along the lower west side of Manhattan, which has now been reinvented as a green public space.

It was awesome to catch up with Sarah, Blake and Sophie. I'm looking forward to meeting the new little addition to this adorable family in a few months or so.

I headed back to Brooklyn to meet up with Mike to check out the street festival just steps from his door, the Atlantic Antic.












Hooray! Debbie's back in town!:

Double Hooray! I got to hang out with Karim!:
For dinner, we headed just a block away to Smith Street to Apartment 138.

I ordered their baby back ribs with the mac n' cheese side, tasty, but far too much food to eat in one sitting so I got two meals out of one!
Disgustingly cute newlyweds, but very great to hang out with both Mike and Debbie. Thanks for letting me crash in your awesome BK pad!

I heart BK!