Brunch, Sultanate Anniversary of Oman and Fondue!

As you may already noticed, I LOVE TO EAT. Going to new places and trying new restaurant menus make my heart and tummy happy (my waist, not so much). This weekend I did brunch twice, with my mom and my girls, yesterday (Monday) I went to an event with my mom at the Metropolitan Club and today I tried chocolate fondue for the very first time! (Yes, that’s a lot of outings, and that’s also lots of hard work at the gym)

My first stop this past weekend was LA MARINA. Since my mom arrived to New York we haven’t had time to go out and explore the city; we have been caught up with work and her ESL classes. So on Saturday afternoon we decided to take the A train uptown to Washington Heights. This predominantly Dominican neighborhood has a broad variety of restaurants and small eateries, and the food -taste and portions- never disappoint. After a 10 minutes walk to this relatively new spot by the Hudson River we were welcomed by the hostess. It was a beautiful day so we enjoy the amazing view and the calm atmosphere. We had sangria for cocktails, my mom had steak with home fries and I had Norwegian eggs benedict, both very good looking and nicely done. For dessert we enjoyed a gelato and a tres leches, the tres leches didn’t look like one but the taste was great. We had a very pleasant time and loved the views, we even had the chance to take some pictures by the water!

On Sunday, my mom went to Westchester to visit her brother and sister so I went for brunch with “The Ladies who brunch” crew. Yes, we have our own group and we get together once a month, and when we can twice hehe. We look for good food, unlimited drinks (why not?) and a great girls time! This time we went to HUDSON RIVER CAFE; I’ve been to this spot in Harlem at night, because it’s also a lounge/club. First time doing brunch here but I heard nice things, good food, great sangrias and there’s always a jazz band. They quickly accommodate our group and got our orders ready. In this place, you actually get an appetizer (I went for the salad, really good dressing!), for entree I went for the steak and eggs (I would have loved to go for Salmon and Eggs but I already had that the day before; portion of the steak is reasonable and is tender, comes with home fries and I got sunnyside eggs, mmmm!). Dessert is not included but I was really full so that was fine. I enjoyed a fun time with jazz music in the background.  Tip: if you are down for the unlimited sangrias, do not drive! They are so tasteful that without noticing it, you will be tiipsy! 😉

On Monday, my mom got invited by one of her ESL program’sclassmates to the 42nd Anniversary of the National Day of the Sultanate of Oman that took place at The Metropolitan Club. To my surprise majority of her classmates work for the UN and I got the chance to meet them. They were very nice and, although we had different backgrounds, we had the chance to share our cultures’ particularities. We also enjoyed delicious food: lobster, lamb, chicken, salad table, bread table, dessert table(SO MUCH GOOD CATERING FOOD!). The peak of the night was to see all these men and women beautifully dress in their traditional clothing (so elegant), under the beautiful roof of this emblematic venue.

Finally, today, Tuesday, I tried FONDUE, better yet, chocolate fondue at Max Brenner. This restaurant EMBRACES the chocolate culture. Almost everything in the menu has something in common: CHOCOLATE. That said, I had to come here and get to try it. I recommend you to go early, this place is in the heart of Union Square, therefore it gets very crowded. When I got there, my friends were already seated so I had the menu waiting for me and the waiter ready to take my order. I got The Best B.A.L.T, which actually surprised me because the portion was very generous and came with wafels and a special dip on the side. We left the best for the last, for dessert we ordered two different chocolate fondues (Milk and Dark chocolate) with strawberries, bananas, brownies, marshmallows and cookies on the side. Let me tell you, it’s a paradise for chocolate lovers! My favorite thing to pair up the chocolate with was strawberries, the other options can be too sweet.

So this was the recap of my weekend and the beginning of my week, as you already read there was tons of food outings and cultural exchanging. This is what I love about this city, the diversity of its inhabitants and also the multiple type of cuisines you get the chance to try!

For my waist’s sake, tomorrow I’m going to eat fruits & protein shakes and hit the gym hard -No regrets, though-. Don’t forget to get ready for Thanksgiving festivities, I’m really looking forward to spend time with my loved ones! What are your plans for this Thursday night?