I can’t believe Halloween is tomorrow. I feel like I breezed through October! I did start the month right with a fun date night. We ate at Paris Bar inside the Le Meridian Hotel on 57th street and attended the immersive Phantom of the Opera experience, Masquerade.
We had a blast! The food before the show was amazing and I loved the immersive experience.
On our way!So yummyCheers It’s always a good time when you have to wear a mask! Lol
Last month, we had dinner at Mokja in Astoria. The food was amazing, and I still can’t forget how cute this restaurant was.
😋 (everything was delicious)
The restaurant had a very romantic kind of vibe. There were lights and flowers everywhere.
This is in the bathroomThis is right in the entrance
Another thing I loved about the restaurant was that it had a lot of personal touches. They had bag holders at each table. They also had bowls, cups, and silverware for kids. It was so cute and made my daughter feel special.
😍bag holder
I will definitely be back. I recommend it for date nights, families, and small groups.
A few months ago, I found an Omakase hidden gem in Astoria called That Place. The restaurant has a cool speakeasy vibe, and the food is fantastic. You can choose a 14-course or 18-course dining experience. It is an amazing place for date night or a special occasion. Yelp has it listed as closed, but I’m hoping it is just for the Summer because I would love to eat there again.
Summer is here, and I’m all for it! This year, I decided to turn my bucket list into a bingo game to motivate myself and keep me present. Most of the time, I get caught up with life, so I hope this will keep me focused throughout the summer and, most importantly, have fun with my family. I’ll report back on how I’m doing.
As the clock turns 12, I wanted to celebrate and look back at 2022.
I started the new year with a challenge, the January Pantry Challenge. The idea was to cook things I already had at home to save money. I ate a lot of soup and finally ate stuff in my freezer. Some of my favs were the shrimp stir fry, red beans, sausage and rice, and dumplings.In February, I did some fun activities with my parents. We took part in a virtual chocolate tasting and a chocolate-making class. In March, I did a bit of a staycation and enjoyed the TWA hotel at JFK. It was a lot of fun. It had a fantastic 60s vibe with great food and ambiance. One of the best features is that they remade one of the planes into a cocktail bar/lounge. For Easter this year, I decorated eggs and did a few egg hunts with Maxine and my family. It was fun to make the eggs with mom, and even better to see Maxine’s face while she was looking for eggs.I don’t see my friends as often as I would like these days, but it’s always a blast when we do get to see each other. In May, we had brunch at Lucky Chengs and enjoyed a fun drag show.In June, I was a panelist for a new membership event at the New York Junior League. I have been volunteering for the league for about eight years now and I was honored to be asked to speak. Dad turned 80 in July! I wanted to throw him a huge party, but that is not my dad’s style. We had an amazing dinner at a Greek restaurant in Astoria instead. We rented out a beautiful house in the Poconos in August and had a kickass family trip. The place was amazing; it had an indoor pool, a game room, and a movie theater. We also did some hiking and saw some beautiful waterfalls, and did some canoeing as well.September was all about soaking up the last bit of beautiful weather and enjoying the parks and water sprinklers. I turned 41 this year and spent my birthday with my family in Atlantic City. We stayed at Caesar’s Palace. I haven’t been to AC in years! I gambled with my parents, and Andrew won big at the roulette table. I ate excellent food and enjoyed the beach, as the weather was nice. Andrew and I even got to have a little date night on my birthday and explored AC at night. I kicked off the holiday season by attending the New York Junior League’s Golden Tree event. It’s a holiday market where a percentage of the proceeds go to the league. The event also had a great auction where you could bid on various items, including holiday wreaths. I participated in the auction for the first time and won these two beauties. Maxine turned two in December! Last year, we kept it simple and celebrated at a buffet so this year, I wanted to go all out. I rented a small venue and we had a bouncy house, face painter and balloon artist. Of course it had to be CoComelon themed.
On this last day of August and Black Business Month, I want to shout out The Sip, a black, female-owned bimonthly wine box subscription service.
Each box contains 2-3 top champagne or sparkling wines, a tasting guide, a custom gift, and credit towards full-size bottles.
Here is the box I received.
My box had a rosé theme
I loved my box. The tasting bottles were a decent size, and I shared all of them with my husband. We made a date night out of it! All the bottles I tasted were excellent, and the guides provided were super helpful. Check The Sip out and if you are looking for $10 off, use my referral link here.
At the end of last year, I participated in Adá Supper Club’s A NIGHT IN with chef Toya Henry. Adá Supper Club showcases black and female chefs, and A NIGHT IN is an at-home dining experience that occurs quarterly.
I had a fabulous three-course meal delivered to me that included drinks and a personal message from the chef about the meal. Chef Toya’s menu focused on the similarities between her Jamaican & Bajan heritage and Indian, Vietnamese & Cambodian culinary styles.
It was a great date night for my husband and me. The food came with easy heating instructions, was rich in flavor, and everything tasted amazing. I recommend the experience to everyone. Check out Adá Supper Club’s website and join the mailing list to receive information about the next dining experience.
Earlier this month, I was invited to a birthday party at the Marcia Favrot Gazebo Restoration, located behind the Garrison Institute. It is a chill spot with views of the Hudson and has an off-the-beaten-path vibe.
The gazebo is in the back of the Garrison Institute.Pretty big space but you would have to bring all chairs and anything you would need.An amazing view
If you are in the area, looking for a relaxing spot, check it out.
Last month, Andrew and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary at Sushi on Me. It’s a small place in Jackson Heights, Queens, with a cool speakeasy vibe. We enjoyed a 15-course omakase dinner with unlimited sake 😁.
When you arrive, they have you sit down at a table while they finish setting up, and then they move you over to the sushi bar. The bar only fits nine people, and they have four dine-in time slots (5 pm, 6:30 pm, 8 pm, and 9:30 pm).
We didn’t capture it all, but here are some pics of the food.
Overall, we had a fantastic experience. The staff and chefs were incredible, and all the sushi was fresh. The main highlight for me was watching them make the sushi right in front of me. Check it out if you can!!!