Saturday

I know it’s Wednesday and I’m only just getting to the weekend now, but I came down with a crazy cold/allergy attack that knocked me out until yesterday. I took a sick day on Monday and, while I often beat myself up and feel guilty about it, I’m so glad I did. I’m not 100% yet, but I think we underestimate the power of bed rest and hydration when we are sick. I hope to be up to full-speed by the weekend…fingers crossed!

Anyway, Saturday (what little there was of it) was crazy. Maria, Lauren, and I headed off to Philadelphia for the Foals concert.
If you don’t listen to Foals, please start to do so. Their music is beautiful and I was astounded at the live show.
Yannis’s voice is just as amazing in person and the whole band puts a lot of passion into the performance.
I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not saying I thought they were going to be bad, by any means. They were just that good.
We also hit up Cantina Dos Segundos, which is one of my sister’s favorite spots in Philadelphia.
I had never been, but I already want to go back. They have a variety of  margarita flavors and the food…yeah.

I may have suffered throughout the day and spent Sunday and Monday in bed, sleeping on and off,
but it was a great Saturday, and I couldn’t have asked for better people to spend it with!

It’s hard to take pics at a concert. I just want to enjoy the show.

Prohibition Taproom

Here’s a fun fact about my family. When deciding where to eat on a trip, the decision usually gets made based on what restaurants have good beers on tap (and great prices as well). That led us to the Prohibition Taproom on Sunday.
I absolutely adored the place. Even before ordering food or drinks, I fell in love with the atmosphere. It’s so simple and cozy.

I enjoyed just one beer, Furthermore Fatty Boombalatty. And it was delicious!

As for food, they have the usual bar fare, but it’s all very tasty! Their grilled cheese sandwich changes everyday, and Sunday’s was jack, bacon, arugula and pepper served with a little salad and some extremely tasty fries. Brad had a delicious kielbasa and pierogi plate that was on special. It’s such a wonderful little place with different deals and drinks on a daily basis. I really hope to make it there again soon.

Sweet Little Weekend

Wow, this one went by too fast. That’s usually what happens when I work a Saturday shift though. Without Friday night partying or date night and Saturday morning to sleep in, I sort of feel like everything is in Fast Forward without much time to chill. It didn’t help that this weekend was packed to the gills with activities. A farewell-for-now dinner with friends, work, movie theater date (We saw The Artist and it was adorable…everyone clapped at the end and it was such a great moment!), quick casino trip, Philadelphia for the car show and beer and food. I’m surprised I fit it all in under 48 hours!

Some photos I took with the iPhone/Hipstamatic:

Though I’m not ready for Monday already, hopefully it’ll be a good week. And, bonus, I have a three day weekend coming up! Very exciting.
Here’s to a great week, everyone!

Yards Brewing Company

Prepare for a beer-heavy post!

For about a month now, I’ve been planning a little day trip to Philadelphia with my dad and some of my favorite dudes. The whole reason we would be going? Beer! My dad is somewhat of a beer/microbrew connoisseur, and strange, rare brews make him really happy! I wasn’t really sure where to begin with planning, so my dad recommended Yards Brewing Company, which is a Philadelphia brewery.
Free tours, free samples…sounds good to me!

As soon as we walked into the doors, we were offered a free cup of beer. Then, once you start the tour, you’re greeted with two more samples. They were in small plastic cups, but it was potent all the same. Once the tour was over, we headed back out to the tasting room and each enjoyed a glass of Cape of Good Hope, which is a very popular seasonal brew.

It was an excellent day. After a week of rain and floods in NEPA (still praying for those affected by the floods!), we had blue skies and warm weather to enjoy the city with. There are a bunch more photos from our day trip, but I’ll share those later.

If you’re in Philadelphia and are looking for free/cheap fun, check out Yards Brewing Company!!!

The Continental

Since it was my sister Maria’s special day on Friday, she got to choose the restaurant we’d be eating dinner at post-ceremony. I couldn’t be more thrilled that she chose The Continental. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was the neatest place. The interior is done up like a retro upscale diner (and there are a couple more floors just as cool, but we didn’t really get too much of a look). We had to sit at the bar to wait for a table, as dinner hadn’t begun just yet, but I tried my very first Pimm’s Cup (mine was different than the link here, with sparkling wine as an added ingredient). Let me tell you, it won’t be my last. I’m already plotting to make my own for the next pool party.
So very tasty and refreshing.

Once we got seated at one of the cool, car seat-esque booths, we got to look at the menu. It was a bit overwhelming. That probably sounds silly, because the prices weren’t astronomical and the food wasn’t even that strange. But unfortunately, NEPA is severely lacking in originality (and tapas isn’t really a big thing here). It’s all chain restaurants, pizzerias, and Chinese food. It was really hard to decide what to get…so many different, tasty options. And when the waitress told us everything was in slightly smaller portions, for sharing, we were thrown off. But we all figured it out, and were very pleased with our meal, both in flavor and portion size.

 
My meal was bruschetta and hanger steak with red wine sauce and blue cheese (on top of delicious mashed potatoes). To die for.
The bruschetta had arugula and goat cheese on top and I will forever be craving the goat cheese. The dish was so light and tasty and satisifying, and the addition of super creamy, tangy goat cheese made it absolutely divine.

Maria’s Teriyaki Filet Mignon with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

Josh’s Jumbo Lump Crab Pad Thai

Dad’s Lobster Mac n’ Cheese

Unfortunately, I don’t eat shellfish. I had an allergic reaction as a kid and never tried again (though I want to, as my tastes change and grow). I didn’t get to try the last two meals showcased, but the pictures are enough to make me hungry. The menu is chock full of so many interesting taste fusions, I am excited to go back and try some Korean Pork Tacos, French Onion Dumplings, and maybe even the Cheesesteak Eggroll. I had a really great experience at this place. Maybe it’s because there’s not much like it where I am (and maybe that makes me sound like a total n00b), but whatever. Great drinks, cool atmosphere, fun and delicious food. Excellent experience.

Weekend

Friday was a great, but long, day. Philadelphia always puts me in a good mood. My feet get sore (I never learn to wear appropriate shoes) and I get dirty and sweaty nearly every time, but it’s always worth it. My sister is officially a college graduate, and they had a really nice ceremony. It started right on time at 2 PM, and lasted a little less than 2 hours. If you ask me, that’s a good graduation ceremony (mine was painfully long and I don’t even remember the speeches). Though it has been a couple of years since I was in that same position, it still choked me up. I’m wishing her all the best. I hope she finds a good job doing something she loves right off the bat. If I took anything away from the graduation ceremony, it’s that I still have my future ahead of me, and I deserve to be doing something I love for my life’s work.

After the ceremony, we wandered the streets for a bit until The Continental opened up. Maria has been wanting to go there the whole time she was in Philly but never got a chance. I am so glad we did…but I’ll save conversation on that for a later date. After that, I met up with my dear friend Rafter so we could head to the Yeasayer show. We lucked out on some great seats in the balcony at the Trocadero (I’d never been there before), I got buzzed on Woodchuck, and it was a great show. Yeasayer had an opening act, Hush Hush. Completely unexpected, NSFW, and sorta stole the show. The man came out with a full beard, cut off jean shorts, a blazer with a shirt and tie underneath, and his iPod as the primary music source. Then he proceeded to sing dirty songs and dance on stage, making jokes the whole time. Yes, we loved him. (And yes, Yeasayer was amazing, but that was to be expected…I love when bands are good live. Sounds silly to say, but they can let ya down sometimes)

As for the rest of the weekend, it was spent in lovely fashion. Chinese food for lunch with some dear girlfriends (one that I don’t get to see nearly enough). Dinner with family because my cousin Danny was in town. Wine on Brad’s back porch with his parents (Can I just say how nice it is to feel welcome and totally comfortable hanging out with my boyfriend’s parents sans boyfriend for more than an hour as I waited for him to finish up filming a wedding? I can’t be thankful enough that his warm personality runs in the family.). A night at the casino. The perfect pool temperature on a gorgeous clear day. Shish Kabobs. Dinner on the porch with my family.

Yes, my weekend may have been three days. But wow, if it didn’t feel like the shortest one ever. Perhaps it’s because Friday was still a day of work and things to do, just not in the usual office setting. I’m so excited to have one of my usual, casual weekends with nothing much to do. But it looks like it’ll be a while, since I work the next two Saturdays, and then I’ll be at the beach! Hey, I’m not complaining. If I were to complain about anything, it’s that the year is flying. How is it the middle of June already?

Burger Frenzy

A little more than a year ago, I spent a little weekend in Philly with my sister. I’m sad to say that that was the last overnight trip I took to Philly. Maria is graduating from college in less than 2 months…and I’m not sure I’ll get to have another great experience like this. Granted, I have plenty of reasons to head to Philadelphia, and I plan on using any of them to visit as much as possible.

Anyway, the main point of this post is that I cannot stop craving burgers! And, unfortunately, not just any burger will do. It’s tough to find great burgers. The sandwich itself has become an easily accessible food item. Drive to any fast food joint and you can purchase one by shelling out the change you find in the caverns of your car seat. Mostly they just come off as boring. But if you find a great place to eat one, the burger can become an exciting and new experience with so many options to choose from. Enter Bobby’s Burger Palace, a place I’ve only been to once but still dream about often.

Bobby’s Burger Palace is like a more evolved fast food joint. Order at the register, take your number, pick a seat, and someone brings you your food. There is a great selection of delicious burgers for a great price. To top it off, you can add potato chips (“crunchify”) to every burger…and I highly recommend you do.

The icing on the cake for me, though, is the sweet potato fries. I’m sort of picky about my fries…another food item that has been downgraded to become cheap, easy, and similar to cardboard. I need kick, flavor, good texture. Sweet potato fries are mellow in flavor, but I have yet to taste one I didn’t like. Unfortunately, it’s not something you can easily find in my area.

I don’t know when I’ll get to go to Bobby’s Burger Palace again, but I really plan on it being at some point this year.
And I need to get to Philadelphia more often…and frequently.

My Weekend in Photos

It’s funny. Work could suck all week, I could be grumpy or tired, but no matter what my weekend is always pretty great. Even if it’s simple. Or complicated. I just wish it would decide to stick around a little longer for a change…

Dinner and Get Him to the Greek with Brad on Saturday. Started off the night with a large Wildberry Banana smoothie (shared) from Sheetz. Yum.
        Roamed around Philly on Sunday. Food at Cosi, gelato at Capogiro, sore feet, beautiful (hot) weather, and an amazing show played by The Morning Benders and Broken Bells. I officially have a crush on Chris Chu. Sad I didn’t make more of an effort to meet him at the merch booth in between sets. But it was a blast regardless. Great music, great people, great summer days.