Pizza Tour of NEPA! (North Eastern Pennsylvania Area)

25 Sep

Gwendy here! Sorry this post took longer to get to all of you! This post is from me and boyfriend Mark who is from NEPA, aka North Eastern Pennsylvania Area. Every time I have gone up to visit, I hear of another great place to eat pizza there. So Mark and I decided it was time to find out which are the best and most interesting pizzas of the area. While it was tricky to get every place on the very long list we compiled, we felt we got a good amount of the most popular of the region’s best pizza:

Our List:

Revello’s
Colorusso’s (Thanks to Jared Kozemko)
Sabatini’s (Thanks to Katie Sciandra)
Victory Pig (Thanks to Mama Kleeb)
Antonio’s (Thanks to Daria and Joe)
Tony’s (Thanks to Felicia)
New Town Cafe (Thanks to Nat and Amy)

Check out all the pizza!

Wow! Besides being extremely full after trying 8 different kinds of pizza, I felt it would help to get everyone’s thoughts too so between bits of pizza, and sips of wine or beer, everyone filled out the survey form we made which ranked the pizza based on cheese, sauce, bread/crust, and an overall rating with a comments box.

We take our competitions serious- a survey for each pizza you tried

Some of my favorite comments included the following:

-Revello’s: Spongy crust and cheese sticks to the roof of your mouth!
-Colarusso (white): Grilled cheese?
-Tony’s: Spicy Sauce but good pizza
-Antonio’s: Not bad but pretty generic
-Revello’s: Good! but kinda weird!

And the last comment below which happens to also be the pizza with the best rating and thus winner of our pizza tour…

And the winner IS....SABATINI'S!

SABATINI’S!

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Master Cleanse Experience v. Challenge

1 Aug

Gwendy here with another slightly personal post, so if you have a weak stomach, read on with caution (though I promise, as uninviting as that warning sounds, you do want to read on).

Growing up with a slower metabolism and as my doctor once put it, “the intestinal track of a 60 year old lady”, I was very intrigued about the master cleanse, as well as any other forms of cleaning my colon and being healthier. Yes, Lo and I both know that our love for sweets and alocohol means we need to take care of ourselves even more. However, this is going against our very nature of what we do – eat and drink! And 2 whole weeks without either!

My boyfriend, Mark, had done this cleanse once before and agreed to go for it again with me. I am typing to you now during day 1 of The Master Cleanse, but I will tell you about the entire cleanse and write from each day about what I am experiencing, so you really get the most honest and straightforward picture of my adventure with this major health craze.

Day 1: Today and every day for the next 16 days, we start with a salt-water flush of 1 liter water and sea salt (half a tablespoon per cup)
Since chugging a liter of salt water is hard enough, putting the water into a smaller cup like a beer- bong party sized cup is much easier (3 cups = a liter) and then 1/2 tablespoon of salt per cup.
I felt heavy and felt like my chest would possibly cave in, but I also started deliriously laughing! This is already getting extremely interesting. It took an hour and a half for the salt water to flush through my system (unlike Mark who is a better water drinker,and who went almost right away). I was advised to drink extra water, since I don’t normally drink enough h20 (bad Gwendy) Supposedly, this would keep my body from trying to retain what I had just chugged.
Mark claims this will get easier but I am slightly skeptical of that! Salt water does not taste good nor is it fun to chug  – unless you can convince yourself that it’s beer and really feel like you are getting that college sensation back.

Still on Day 1: Today we will only have raw foods, specifically fruits and vegetables.

Oh, how this day sounded so much easier than it was!  After a delicious orange I was full and exhausted from the flush. I shared a great fresh squeezed juice with Mark and was full till dinner time, when we went to this amazing raw organic vegan restaurant called Rockin Raw in Brooklyn. Everything tasted amazing! Bread with sunflower butter (and mind you, the bread is made all out of grains and nuts). We had their milkshakes, mine was lavender vanilla honey. Simply delicious! We also had their BBQ Eggplant wrap and fake crab cakes which were both amazing but slightly spicy.

**However, hours – literally hours – later I start to get the sweats, like a post-hangover kind of sweat, and I go completely white and unfortunately lose this fantastic meal to the American toilet. I was so disappointed. After talking to friends that have done the cleanse before, we came up with a few theories on why this happened. 1- I believe something was spicy and I didn’t handle it well. 2-I simply over-ate, after not eating as much that first day as I normally would. 3- Apparently sometimes when we are so used to all the chemically enhanced, processed food, raw just isn’t going to go down well – weird, right?

Day 2: Juices and broths only. This was kind of awesome and relatively easy. I say “relatively” because my body was still craving caffeine and sugar, and thus slight headaches all day long which finally subsided after a laxative tea for dessert- chocolate smooth move! Ha, awesome! I knew some how we’d get chocolate into this!

Day 3: O.J only – this was terrific! My head didn’t hurt! Instead of store-bought, processed o.j., we squeezed fresh orange juice into water, which was great.If I felt hungry I took a sip, when my head hurt for a minute, I took a sip. Mark has convinced me not to take my daily allergy medicine, Claritin-D. For those with allergies, you know this is a rather big decision because it means looking and feeling like you have a major head cold v. just allergies, BUT, by Day 3 without allergy medicine, I feel fine! I sneezed and then realized I just sneezed once instead of the usual 1,000+ times in a row followed by noisy snot! Terrific!

What is needed for the Mix!

Day 4: The cleanse begins! So I wasn’t completely prepared for the taste of 1 freshly squeezed lemon, 2 tablespoons of grade b maple syrup, and a splash of cayenne pepper. It wasn’t too spicy (thank goodness, because I am somewhat of a wimp when it comes to things that are tooo spicy), but it wasn’t delicious as I hoped it would be with all that maple syrup. It is a funky lemonade that I wouldn’t drink otherwise.
[So, this shall be my life for the next 10 days, until I can finally start doing days 1-3 in reverse and Mark and I can begin weaning ourselves back to actual food. I have already started a ridiculous list of all the delicious foods I plan to eat once I can.]

Food I plan to eat after cleanse:
-Grilled cheese with only amazing cheeses & avocado (full fat deliciousness).
-Some new flavor of Ben & Jerry’s (What a Cluster, Late Night Snack and my all time favorite, Creme Brulee).
-Some delicious seafood/ceviche.
-A visit to the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck -Salty Pimp, here I’m coming for you!
-Some delicious Thai or Chinese…probably both!
-A visit to 16 Handles Frozen Yogurt in LES.

Does anyone notice I seem to have a pattern for food I crave?

Day 5-Day 12: Cleanse away- every day!
Day 8: HALF WAY DONE! Feeling great! Went to Mark’s sister Maria’s 21st birthday celebration was today — now this was a struggle. I felt no actual hunger the entire visit, but being around food — seeing it, smelling it — was the hard part! It did make me stop and think for a few minutes about how many of the things we do are solely connected to food. A birthday must have cake. Movies must have popcorn. Days that end in Y must have ice cream. Umm, okay, maybe that’s just me.

Day 11: I decided to be a completely crazy person and watch Julie and Julia during this! Bad idea? Probably. Really cute movie? I thought so!

Day 13:
If you are still with me and reading this then you know I made it! The last three days were a piece of cake! Day 14: only o.j again, Day 15: juice and broths, and then finally: raw foods! As a true lady, I won’t divulge my weight but I can tell you, I lost 7.4 lbs by day 9, and now at the end day 16, I have lost a total of 14 lbs! It is true that I will gain most (and potentially all) of it back but I am glad I know what was hiding in my colon, and that I was more than able to accomplish this goal. If you do decide to try this yourself, I recommend this link for further details and advice, but of course talking to your doctor directly is always the best idea. http://themastercleanse.org/

1st raw food- half an avocado!

Now, any advice on where to have my 1st delicious meal?

And thanks for reading!

Definitely DO Dumont Burger

26 May

Gwendy: We’ve got to check out Dumont Burger!
Lo: But aren’t you sort of, somewhat, a vegetarian?
Gwendy: They have fried pickles with dipping sauces!
Lo: Fried? Dipping sauces? Plural? Count me in!

And this is how the decison to go to Dumont Burger began. It’s a small spot on Bedford Avenue and South 1st in Williamsburg, an easy walk from the L train. With a great selection of beers (Gwendy’s favorite: Ommegang Rare Vos) and delicious food, it’s the perfect spot if you want to spend an afternoon or evening relaxing with a beer, noshing on some tasty snacks and catching up with your favorite friends.


We opted to try the turkey burger, which honestly was the juciest, moistest, most flavorful turkey burger we’ve ever tasted in our lives. Whatever magical, secret seasonings they put in it (crack, perhaps?), it works. The meat is just as good, if not better, than that of many beef burgers, it’s stacked high with toppings and delicious sauce, and served on a super buttery, slightly toasted brioche-style bun. Delicious with a cold beer (or after a night of carousing and too much beer), this burger is just as scrumptious at any time of day, without any kind of hunger-inducing, taste bud-enhancing liquids of any kind.

As you all know by now, Gwendy can’t turn down sweets and Lo can’t turn down alcohol (though it should be noted that Gwendy outdrank her on this occasion). What could be a better combination of our two favorite things than a boozy milkshake?!

It seems too good to be true, but this magical combination of creamy ice cream, yummy flavorings and yes, booze, does exist at Dumont Burger. They have a selection of these amazing creations that include the White Russian, Pumpkin Pie and Toasted Almond. We decided on the Toasted Almond, which is a vanilla ice cream base spiked with vodka, Amaretto and speckled throughout with crunchy toasted almonds – absolutely amazing!

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Country Comes to the City

6 May

Martha’s Country Bakery in Astoria, Queens is like a little down home haven in the middle of the big city.

Cute and cozy.

Always packed full of people, walking into Martha’s feels like walking into your favorite aunt’s kitchen…if your aunt had a friendly bunch of aproned staffers, a coffee bar and every imaginable kind of dessert hidden away somewhere, that is. It’s a tight squeeze — the narrow space doesn’t have room for more than a few tables — but Martha’s dining room always seems warm and full of sunlight, even in the midst of dreary, dreadful New York winters. And in the summer, the bakery takes over every inch of space available, putting more tables outside than in.

But what we’re really here to talk about is the food, of course. Whether you love sweets a little or a lot (or, like Gwendy, A LOT), you’ll find something here that’s sure to satisfy. Your biggest problem is really what to try first. The long stretch of counter displaying rows upon rows of cakes, cupcakes, gelato, pies, cookies and more can be a little overwhelming at first glance, and there’s bound to be at least one or two delectable-looking items that make you turn to the nearest waiter and say, “What is that?” with a mix of utter amazement and anticipation in your voice. So what’s our suggestion? Why, bring a group of friends and sample as many sweets as you can in one sitting! Obviously.

While we had a tough time deciding, Gwendy and I eventually settled on the mini lemon meringue tart and a chocolate peanut butter cupcake (we were clearly going for as much variety as possible in only two orders). Our verdict: sugary perfection. Many bakeries have one or two specialties that outshine their other offerings, but not so at Martha’s. The tart’s custard was tart, intensely lemony and smooth, the meringue soft and marshmallowy with just a little crunch on the outside (and the crust, of course, was divine). The cupcake was fluffy and chocolaty, and the rich peanut butter frosting (which, by the way, was as tall as the actual cake part of the cupcake)  was speckled with creamy little bites of chocolate-peanut butter candies.

A chocolate cupcake with rich, candy-studded peanut butter frosting.

A luscious lemon meringue tart.

Martha’s Country Bakery was, in a word, heavenly. It’s not the place to go if you’re desperate to squeeze into last summer’s teeny bikini, but if want a calm, comforting and sweet respite from the stress of the city, stop by you must.

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The Museum of the Moving Image: the place to be for a modern pop-culture vulture

16 Mar

Now forever known between Gwendy and I as the MOMI (or “moooomi,” because yes, pronouncing it with a long, drawn-out ‘o’ sound is necessary — we’re silly like that), the Museum of the Moving Image is one of the borough of Queens’s hidden gems.

Out front on a gorgeous Sunday evening after a fabulous day.

The Museum of the Moving Image had been closed until recently, due to a major reconstruction project to enhance the museum — and it was worth the wait. The Museum’s beautiful white entrance and spacious modern lay-out with rotating electric art on the wall immediately intrigues you and makes you curious about what else you will find inside.

For an admission fee of only $10 for adults (or $7.50 for students) you can spend the whole day walking and playing with the many interactive parts of the museum. We certainly did just that; Gwendy and her boyfriend spent as much time as they could playing with every exhibit the museum had to offer, and a friend of Lo’s had to be forced away from a hologram-like exhibit that used the viewer’s body image and movements so that a group of kids could finally have a turn.

The Museum of the Moving Image has an appreciation of the art, history, technique and technology of film, television, and digital media. The variety of works contained in such a small space is truly astounding. We got to see many collections (a personal fave was memorabilia from Silence of the Lambs, one of Gwendy’s favorite movies), access to moving-image related artifacts, screenings of significant films and other moving-image works, exhibitions of artifacts, artworks, and many interactive experiences. Upcoming screenings and special events include The Vanishing Flame (Sunday, March 20 at 1pm), a screening and live event with local New York filmmaker Vincent Giordano, and a screening of Providence (Saturday, March 19 at 7:30pm), director Alain Resnais’s first English language film.

Some highlights included:
-The collection of arcade games, including Pong, that we were able to play. Depending on how old you are you might feel some of these games are ancient, but for our generation (Gwendy and I are both 80s babies), seeing the Sega Genesis that was encased in glass was a little weird. Gwendy’s brother has one covered in dust in the attic, and viewing something in a museum that her bro still owns made her feel a bit older than she actually is.
-Full-size Yoda used in The Star Wars Trilogy.
-Towards the end of the second floor is a Stop Motion Table where you can make your own animated story with different backgrounds and cut-out shapes to include. They let you email the finished product to yourself, but due to the high number of people using it, there is some wait…we’re still patiently waiting.

Lo and I came to the museum with some friends, which is ideal on any adventure but FYI: talk in advance about how long you want to stay or be prepared to split up. Museum visits always depend on your friend’s interest level. Gwendy’s boyfriend is an uber-nerd and thus it took awhile for us to get through everything. : )

Another FYI: whether you’re familiar with Astoria or not, it’s worth planning your day to spend some extra time in MOMI’s neighborhood. Once you pay your entrance fee, you’re into the MOMI for the whole day and can come and go as you please, so consider taking a break between screenings to check out some of the great local food in the area. While Gwendy & her bf were enjoying their uber-nerdiness, Lo & friends decided to head across the street to the 5 Napkin Burger (a chain, yes, which I don’t normally advocate for, but they have great happy hour specials, including super cheap veggie sliders which are absolutely delish). If you’re in the mood for something less run-of-the-mill, head to the cozy local favorite Rest-au-Rant on 35th Avenue at 30th Street, which often hosts local musicians for nights of live music and has great tapas and small plates to share.

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February is for (Chocolate) Lovers

14 Feb

February 1st marked the beginning of City Bakery’s 19th annual Hot Cocoa Festival. This event’s been getting big buzz in local mags and all over the web, and it’s for good reason. Food fanatics at The Feast and other go-to spots for foodies in need of the latest info have already written in praise of it. Basically, you need to go.

The fest continues until the end of the month (check City Bakery’s website or our lovely photo section for the menu). A special cocoa is featured nearly every day until the end of February, so whether you like your chocolate plain and dark or full of spice and fruity flavor, you will definitely find something delicious at City Bakery this month.

 

The fest kicked off with Banana Peel Hot Cocoa (which is one of the few flavors that will pop up on the menu again later this month, so don’t worry if you missed it! You can still give it a try another day). To be honest, if this flavor hadn’t been featured on the very first day of the fest, I probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to try it — I like bananas, but I don’t love them, and many of the upcoming flavors (um, hi…Creamy Stout? Spicy Fig?!) sounded a lot more interesting. Since it was the first day, though, Gwendy and I made the trip, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Sweet (but not fake, candy sweet) and the banana flavor was just strong enough to stand out against the deep, rich chocolate flavor the cocoa. I mean, this stuff is old-fashioned drinking chocolate — basically like drinking a bar of dark chocolate (in other words, heavenly) — so any flavor has to be pretty well-balanced to complement that intensity without being lost completely.

Have you managed to get to City Bakery yet to try any of their delectably creative concoctions? We’d love to know which were your faves, or which you still can’t wait to try! Leave us a comment and let us know if you’ve fallen as much in love with this fest as the two of us.

Gwendy’s recommendations to try: Ode to the Polar bear , February 15th  (can you guess what flavor it is?).
Lo’s recommendation to try: Beer Hot Chocolate/ Spicy Fig February 24th/25th (I mean, really…I’m obsessed with figs, and you really can’t beat beer and chocolate in one bev, can you?).

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Double Trouble Big Doggie Love

27 Jan

I’m not sure how it happens, but Lo and I get to meet the raddest people in NYC, especially ones with awesome dogs!

At a football watching party (Go Packers! We want to stay on their good side…) known as Bro’s Bar, we got to meet two awesome ladies, each with an awesome dog! Football, homemade beer, pizza, and doggies to play with! If only the NY Giants made it to the play-offs, it would have been the perfect afternoon (but a girl can’t have everything, I guess).

It didn't take much on our part to get some love from this pup.

Big digs the butt rub.

1st we were introduced to Mimi and her chubby, funny English bull dog, appropriately named BIG. Big is 5 years old and has to follow a strict diet — he only eats dog food, because otherwise has explosive diarrhea — poor big baby! Despite his digestive issues, he still likes to remove the tops of plastic water bottles to play with and rip up cardboard boxes. We had a great time with Big. This fat/phat pet was super friendly, and immediately snuggled up to both of us for a good rub.

Look at that face!

2nd, Sarah introduced us to Cash, a 6-year-old English bull terrier and Big’s best doggy buddy. Unlike his friend though, he eats almost anything (he especially loves chicken bones) and though he is kinda lazy, he will walk or do things just to get to food. He likes hiking, food (clearly), and running. Cash unfortunately has Addison’s disease, a disorder which means that his body can’t make its own adrenaline, so he needs frequent injections and lots of special care  — but of course this “Spuds MacKenzie” look alike is worth it!

This sweetie couldn't quite keep up with the energetic Big.

FYI: If you are looking to adopt a pet, here are two great sites for both dogs with special needs and shelter dogs that need awesome homes. Like the lovable Cash, they may need some extra care, but these guys are more than worth it. If you’re looking for a loyal and affectionate furry friend, these are some great places to go.
http://www.petswithdisabilities.org/adopt.html
http://www.barcshelter.org/

This Sunday will be the second to last football extravaganza before the beloved Super Bowl! We are hoping for Packers to be the team to make it (sorry, Jets)! Yes, for girls we’ve learned a lot from friends, older brothers, and boyfriends about the sport and not just rooting for the cutest mascot!

*Note: Lo would like to point out that she is from the Midwest and a diehard college football follower…she enjoys watching a good game with the boys, but doesn’t need one to teach her how the game is played, thank you.

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