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Happy Friday! I survived my first couple of days at the new job! It’s a new position for me, so there’s a learning curve. It’s been an adjustment since I get home a little later and it’s a longer commute. My son was nominated for Order of the Arrow for Boy Scouts but needed more night of outdoor tent camping to qualify. His troop went cabin camping this past weekend but Friday night he slept outside in 24 degree weather to complete his tent camping requirement. I texted him first thing in the morning to see if he made it through the night and he did. He said it was bad and he didn’t get much sleep, but he survived. I was so proud of him for doing such a hard thing. And then he got to sleep in the cabin on Saturday night.
My kids have the day off of school for a Superintendent’s Conference Day. As of now, our weekend is wide open, which is super rare! We have lots of house stuff that needs to get done….but I hope to get out for a little bit. Here are five from this week:
1.Flowers – My last day of work my colleagues hosted a breakfast in my honor. I also got these flowers and a small rose bush plant.
2. New Job – This past Tuesday I started my new position at a new school district. I was welcomed there with a breakfast as well! I am slowly learning all there is to know about the position, but so far, so good!
3. Eating- I saw Turkey Hill had a mystery ice cream flavor and I had to get it. I usually only buy ice cream, not frozen dairy desserts. But this was an exception. I submitted my guess and I’m curious to find out what the actual flavor is.
While my son was camping this weekend we took our daughter to the Palisade Center mall to get a dress for a Sweet Sixteen party she has coming up. After shopping we had lunch at Blue Alehouse, our first time visiting this restaurant. We ended up ordering a bunch of appetizers as our meal and our favorite were these Mac and Cheese Bites. They were really good!
Monday I was out running errands and got a falafel sandwich from Go to Greek.
4. Reading – This week I finished Burn The Place by Iliana Regan. She’s a self-taught chef with restaurants in Chicago and this is her memoir. It’s this month’s pick for a local foodie book club that I’m in. Otherwise, I hadn’t even heard of this book.
6. Watching – This past weekend was a movie bonanza! A former colleague (it feels so weird to say that!) had a Funko pop on her desk of Michael Bolton and Samir on her desk. She said it was from the movie Office Space and asked if I had seen it. I didn’t think I had so I found it on the Roku channel and watched it Friday night. I realized I had seen it, but just didn’t remember since it was so long ago!
Saturday I watched CODA on Apple+. This is an Oscar nominated movie about a hearing girl who lives with her deaf parents and brother. This was an emotional watch but was really good.
Sunday night we had a family movie night and had dinner together while we watched Encanto. It was a good movie and it was even nicer having us all together watching it.
My husband and I also started watching The Dropout on Hulu. We’ve been fascinated with this Elizabeth Holmes story and listened to the podcast.
7. Listening – in the first episode of The Dropout the song “I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)” by Alabama plays. I had never heard this song before and now I’m playing it all the time!
Thank you to Visit Rochester for hosting NY Foodie Family. As always, all opinions are our own.
Located in the north west region of New York state, Rochester is approximately a 5 hour drive from Westchester County or a one hour flight from NYC. We recently enjoyed a winter weekend in Rochester and can say there’s plenty to do! Even though it’s the fourth largest city in the state, Rochester has different neighborhoods that give it a small-town feel. Be sure to check out our Instagram page to see lots more pictures from our visit!
WHERE TO STAY:
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester University & Medical Center (30 Celebration Drive, Rochester, NY 14620). As the name suggests, this hotel is located next to the Medical Center and Rochester University. Almost all major attractions are less than a 15 minute drive away. Located in College Town, there are many restaurants and shops within walking distance.
The rooms are typical for a mainstream hotel and either have a King bed or 2 Queens. There are a couple of one bedroom suites that have a King bed and a small separate living room area with a pullout couch. Our room had two queen beds with a mini fridge, microwave and Keurig. The hotel has a pool and fitness center onsite. If you like Italian food, Grappa restaurant is located on the hotel ground floor. Parking at the hotel is free, even though you’re technically in the middle of a large city.
WHAT TO DO IN ROCHESTER:
Winters in Rochester can be cold and snowy. If you are not a fan of either, don’t despair! The city is full of fun indoor and outdoor places that are worth visiting in the winter.
The George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum. It is located on George Eastman’s estate and visitors can tour both the museum and his mansion. Eastman invented the Kodak camera, helping to make photography more accessible to the public. The museum collection has more than 400,000 photographs and photography-related objects. There are always three photography exhibits on display in the museum and currently you can view Joshua Rashaad McFadden: I Believe I’ll Run On (through June 19, 2022), James Tylor: From an Untouched Landscape (through June 5, 2022) and Selections from the Collection. There are also digitized films from the George Eastman collection playing in the Multipurpose Hall (through March 27, 2022) and an exhibit of George Eastman in 1922 in the historic mansion.
From mid-February to the beginning of March, Dutch Connection takes place. Eastman loved flowers and, during this annual event, the mansion is decorated with the kinds of flowers that he enjoyed. The colorful display includes different varieties of tulips, daffodils, hyacinth and more.
There are not many cities that have a waterfall running through its center. This 96-foot waterfall is one of three that spills from the Genesee River. The pedestrian bridge, Pont de Rennes bridge, provides the perfect viewing platform of the falls and makes it easy for cyclists and pedestrians to access different parts of the city.
Mendon Ponds Park Wild Wings Bird of Prey Facility and Nature Center Fairy Trail and Birdsong Trail 27 Pond Road Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
Mendon Ponds Park is Monroe County’s largest park, consisting of 2,500 acres. Rochester gets a lot of snow in the winter and you can take advantage of it at this park. There are two designated sledding hills, more than 20 miles of groomed cross country skiing trails and snowshoe rentals. These are available for $5/an hour at the Wild Wings, Inc. shop. Every visit to Rochester should include a stop at the Wild Wings, Inc. Bird of Prey Facility and Nature Center. Meet rescued animals and birds of prey that, due to a variety of injuries, would not be able to survive out in the wild.
Make sure you leave time for a walk down the Fairy Trail! Look high and low for two dozen fairy houses, located both up on tree branches and down on tree stumps. They are colorful, inspirational and add a bit of whimsy and fun to the great outdoors!
Bring a bag of birdseed with you (or buy a bag for $1 and support the Wild Wings, Inc. facility) and head to Birdsong Trail. The birds, including black-capped chickadees, nuthatches and titmice, will fly down and eat the birdseed right out of your hand! This was such an unexpected and fun experience!
If you happen to visit in January, you can experience the park’s annual Winterfest, an all-day festival filled with fun activities and learning opportunities.
The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) is the University of Rochester’s art museum. The MAG holds a collection of over 12,000 objects in their permanent collection. They also host many temporary exhibitions, concerts and family-friendly programs.
The collection spans over 5,000 years and you can see everything from an Egyptian mummy and Greek pottery to works by Monet, Cezanne and they even have a Kusama. There is a small sculpture park on the grounds of the museum worth checking out as well.
Current temporary exhibits include Kota Ezawa’s National Anthem (through August 14, 2022) and Chitra Ganesh: Sultana’s Dream (through June 5, 2022).
Radio Social is a great attraction to visit with teens. This entertainment venue has 34 bowling lanes, indoor games including shuffleboard and ping pong, and video games. There are two eateries: Ophira, a sit-down Middle Eastern restaurant located at the entrance of the space, and Shortwave, a counter-service-only snack bar. There are also two bar areas.
Every bowling lane has either a high top table with stools or sofas. Food can be ordered and delivered right to your lane. We visited on a Saturday evening and the place was hopping! This is a popular place for locals to celebrate birthdays, as there were several taking place during our visit. Lanes are rented by the hour and start at $39.95. Friday and Saturdays have a higher rate of $45.95/hour. If you want to rent a lane during your visit, I highly recommend making a reservation since, as I mentioned, this is a very popular venue!
We had dinner while we bowled and were impressed with the food we tried here. We enjoyed the “Just” brick oven pizza with tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil and the veggie burger, made with black beans, poblano and feta. The seasonal veggie, olive oil and fresh herb hummus served with cucumber and pita was tasty as well. My son enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger which is topped with a tomato shallot jam and aged cheddar. The curly fries are served with a black garlic mayo and spicy ketchup for dipping. This is not your typical bowling alley food!
The Rochester Museum and Science Center is a great museum for kids of all ages. Their current temporary exhibition is Expedition: Dinosaur, which is on display through May 1, 2022. The RMSC holds three floors of hands-on science with exhibits on energy, sound, illumination, Native Peoples of the Americas, and lots more! I personally found the Fight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad and Objectively Racist: How Objects and Images Perpetuate Racism particularly enlightening. While the museum was filled with younger kids, I enjoyed that my older teens were knowledgeable about the science behind many of the exhibits, as they have or are learning about the concepts.
The Strasenburgh Planetarium, adjacent to the museum has three different shows, including its newest, “Dinosaurs at Dusk”. This approximately 45 minute show compliments the museum’s current Dinosaur exhibit. Young dinosaur fans will enjoy seeing this movie on a big screen. Please note: it’s a movie about a father and daughter who travel through time to see dinosaurs. It is not a planetarium show focused on stars and space.
If you have young kids, the Strong Museum of Play is a must-visit when in Rochester. This is a one-of-a-kind museum with 100,000 square feet of interactive exhibits focused on toys and play. Kids can visit Sesame Street, shop at the Wegman’s Super Kids Market, visit the Toy Hall of Fame and more. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a temporary exhibit through April 24, 2022.
Our family had fun in Pinball Playfields, where we got to play all kinds of different pinball machines. Pinball games and video games cost 25 cents per play. While there is plenty to see and do with a general admission, there are also attractions available for an additional cost. These include the butterfly garden, the Skyline climb, a train ride and a ride on the carousel.
Be warned, we visited during the winter break when schools were closed. Even though we arrived early, it was packed! In our opinion, children between the ages of 4 and 10 will likely have the most fun and enjoyment at this museum.
Visit Colleges
Having two teenagers, we’ve recently been visiting colleges on our travels. Rochester is home to several colleges including the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The University of Rochester is minutes away from the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester/University & Medical Center. We took a drive through the campus to get a cursory glimpse of the school. However, you can schedule a visit to Rochester around an official college visit and tour.
WHERE TO EAT IN ROCHESTER:
A visit to Rochester is not complete without sampling it’s most iconic dish, the garbage plate. Trademarked by the historic restaurant where it originated called Nick Tahou Hots in 1992, almost every restaurant offers some variation. Garbage plate traditionally begin with a layer of either French fries or home fries, and either macaroni salad or baked beans. This layer is then topped with a protein which often is either hot dogs or hamburgers. However, some restaurants offer ground meat, sausage, chicken or even fried fish.
A city like Rochester is full of restaurants. From burgers and fast food to vegan restaurants and fine dining, there is something for everyone. You can dine at a different restaurant every day and still not visit them all. Below are the restaurants that we visited and can recommend.
The Genesee Brew House was established in 2012. However, the brewery itself dates back to 1878. The Brew House sits adjacent to the Genesee River and from the balcony or rooftop, offers spectacular views of High Falls. The first floor of the Brew House has a gift shop, a collection of brewery memorabilia and the Pilot Brewery.
The second floor of the brewery has a large bar and both indoor and outdoor seating. Whenever we are at a brewery, my husband has to sample a flight! The brewery had 14 brews on tap for him to choose from. We also enjoyed dinner here. The menu has some interesting items like Buffalo Chicken Pierogis and Potato Chip Tenders appetizers. My son enjoyed the ChicKing sandwich, which he devoured. However, my daughter and husband are vegetarians and I’m a pescatarian.
The three of us shared Bavarian pretzels, the Blush Beer Raviolis and a Goat Cheese Burger, minus the bacon. We were impressed that we could order any of their three burgers and substitute an Impossible burger for the beef patty. Although the menu had a limited selection of items that we could eat, everything we ordered was really good!
Jines is a family-owned restaurant that has been operating since 1971. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We visited for breakfast and were impressed with their offerings. They have an extensive omelette menu and serve eight variations of eggs Benedict!
The Wild Mushroom and Crumbled Blue Cheese was delicious, as was the Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and Tomato Omelette. My kids enjoyed the Belgian waffle with strawberries and the bagel with lox and cream cheese. If eggs aren’t your thing, Jines serves a variety of different waffles and pancakes, cereal, pastries, bagels and more.
Open Face George Eastman House 900 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14607
If you are visiting the George Eastman House, I recommend stopping by Open Face, the museum’s onsite café for lunch or a snack. The restaurant offers a variety of beverages, including a Tea Pharmacy that serves 18 different varieties. We were impressed with the selection of sandwiches on the menu and liked that there is an option to do a tasting and sample two different sandwich halves. We sampled three sandwiches, the Toasted Brie (with warm apricot preserves and tart cherry butter), the open-faced Corn Mash and the Chickpea, and can highly recommend all three! Many of the sandwiches are vegetarian and can be made vegan for an additional charge.
The Red Fern 283 Oxford Street Rochester, NY 14607
The Red Fern is located in the Neighborhood of the Arts. It is a 100% vegan restaurant and bakery and also has gluten-free and allergy-friendly food options. As vegetarians, and former vegans, we love being able to go into a restaurant and know that we can order anything on the menu. And they have a dessert case filled with vegan treats! The restaurant and dining space is small, so I highly recommend making reservations or ordering takeout. We ended up doing takeout on our visit since the dining room wait list was long!
We had to try the Compost Plate, The Red Fern’s version of the Garbage Plate, that I described above. Their version has a layer of macaroni salad and sweet potatoes topped with a spicy ‘meat’ sauce and choice of protein (we chose Italian ‘sausage’) and served with field greens and focaccia toast. It may not look appetizing, but this was one of my favorite dishes! We also shared a Steak Bomb sandwich and ABLT sandwich. We couldn’t leave without sampling a dessert and tried the cherry chocolate brownie.
The Rochester Public Market has been a city staple since 1905. It operates every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, all year long. We arrived at the market on a Saturday morning around 8:15 AM to get some breakfast. It was snowing and freezing cold when we arrived. While there are many food options at the Market, we started at the closest to our parked car. The Flour City Bread Company uses only organic grains and flours in their bread. Their selection is vast and, besides bread, they sell bagels, pretzels, hamburger or hotdog rolls, croissants, granola, danish and more. We chose to share a pretzel, chocolate croissant, potato focaccia and blueberry cronut. It was very difficult deciding on what to get and everything we tried was so good!
We then went next door to Best Coffee at The Market for some hot beverages. The kids enjoyed hot cocoas while I had a regular coffee and my husband ordered an Americano. This place was packed at 8:30 AM! They roast their coffee beans onsite, which is done right inside the entrance. You can also buy bags of their roasted beans.
Despite the frigid cold weather, there were many outdoor vendors set up. Most were farms selling produce. However, we also saw syrup, eggs and other goods being sold. There was also one food vendor braving the cold, selling empanadas, burritos and other Mexican dishes from inside a small food cart.
We made a stop at Juan and Maria’s Empanadas. This family business is housed in an indoor/ outdoor pavilion and has been operating for 21 years! We shared a cheese empanada and a vegetable breakfast empanada. They were both so good! Don’t forget to grab some sauces to enjoy with your empanadas. The Spanish mayo and the green & gold sauces were our favorite.
After warming up with our empanadas, we went into the indoor public market in building B. Here, vendors are selling everything from produce and seafood to freshly pressed juices, baked items and vegan food items. You can spend hours at this market, enjoying a meal and snacks and shopping from the vendors.
Simply Crepes has three locations in the upstate New York area. The restaurant serves separate breakfast and lunch/dinner menus. We visited for breakfast and ordered a mix of sweet and savory items. Since it’s part of the restaurant’s name, of course we had to sample the crepes! I ordered savory with the Vegetarian Scramble Crepe, while my daughter ordered the Nutella Fruit Crepe. Nutella, fresh strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream are served inside the crepe, along with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. Yes, she had ice cream for breakfast!
My husband went with the Rumchata Banana French Toast (French toast with burnt sugar custard, bananas and Rumchata caramel) and my son ordered the Maple Sausage Stackers (two crepes piled with scrambled eggs, maple sausage, cheddar and topped with an apple wood bacon cream). The restaurant serves a lot more than crepes and it is all amazing!
There is so much to see, eat and do on a winter weekend in Rochester. This is only a sampling of some of the fun and delicious bites you can enjoy in this great city in New York. As you plan your next winter weekend getaway, consider visiting Rochester!
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While my January was a great reading month, I can’t say the same about February. Sadly, all but one of the five books I read were just okay, 3 star ratings. My reading has slowed down heading into March. I’ve been busy writing and blogging and I’ve been finding more calm in working on my paint-by-number and listening to podcasts, than reading. And I’m totally okay with that! Here are my February reads that I’m sharing with Steph and Jana’s monthly Show Us Your Books linkup.
3 Stars
I Know You by Claire McGowan (Suspense/Thriller, October 2021) Rachel finds a body in the woods on her morning walk. Instead of calling for help, she runs back home. Twenty years ago, her name was Casey and she was a nanny for a family in LA. They were brutally murdered and she was the prime suspect and spent time in prison. Now out and trying to start a new life for herself, she wonders if someone is setting her up. Overall, I found this to be just an okay read. I’ve only read one other book by this author and wasn’t wowed, so I’ll likely pass on reading any of her other stuff.
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan (Contemporary Romance, February 2014) Anna works in a chocolate factory. After an accident she ends up moving to Paris to work at a chocolatier that her hospital roommate, Claire, knows. The story alternates between Claire’s past and the present, focusing on her relationship with the chocolatier. This was a light read that includes recipes. This was the first book pick of the local Foodie Book club that I joined. We all agreed that overall it was an okay read.
My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle (Suspense/Thriller, December 2021) Jade is happily married to her husband Cam, chef and restaurant owner. They have two young kids and Jade thinks all is good. Until she is confronted by a masked man in her garage who holds her and the kids ransom. If her husband doesn’t come up with over $700,000 by the end of the day……..I think that I need to take a break from the suspense and thriller genre for a little while. I have been very disappointed with the last several that I’ve read, including this one.
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins (Suspense/Thriller, January 2022) Lux’s boyfriend Nico is hired to sail two college-aged girls to Meroe Island in the South Pacific and she is invited to tag along. When they arrive at the island they discover another boat there and the four become friends with the other couple. The I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs but this book just wasn’t all that
5 Stars
Know My Name by Chanel Miller (Nonfiction/Memoir, September 2019) Chanel Miller was sexually assaulted by Stanford student, Brock Miller. This book tells her story of the events of that night and the psychological and emotional effects that resulted. This book was emotional to read. It had me in tears but also got me so angry. It is ridiculous what women who have been sexually assaulted have to go through to get justice.
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Hello weekend! Today is bittersweet, as it was the last day at my former job. I am starting a new job on Tuesday working at a different school district. This week was filled with goodbye lunches and a “surprise” last day breakfast. I am going to miss my colleagues so much! However, I am ready for a change. My son is camping with his Boy Scout troop this weekend. I will be taking my daughter dress shopping for a Sweet 16 that she’s going to in a couple of weeks. Here are five from this week:
1. Eating- Over the weekend we finally visited Rossi and Sons deli in Poughkeepsie. This is a very popular deli up in Poughkeepsie and I had to try it! My husband, daughter and I split The Kitchn and this Quattro Falso sandwich which had crispy eggplant, herb roasted ricotta, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, balsamic glaze and herb pesto. This was my fave!
2. Reading – Last weekend I finished Know My Name by Chanel Miller. This is a nonfiction book that had me both crying at what Chanel went through and outraged at our judicial system. I highly recommend this book.
4. Watching – Friday nights are usually pizza and popcorn movie nights. Last week we watched Cruella. I’m trying to watch the Oscar nominated movies and Cruella is nominated for best costume design and best makeup and hairstyling. I had no idea what the movie was about before watching it. I’m curious as to what audience the movie was made for. It’s rated PG-13 so it’s not a kid’s movie but I’m not sure how many adults are running to see the origin story of this character. Overall, it was an okay movie which had some great music.
We also watched House of Gucci which I wasn’t a huge fan of. It is also nominated for an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling as well. It has a great cast. However, I lost interest in the movie about halfway through.
5. Destressing – This week has been full of mixed emotions. The war between Ukraine and Russia, NY state lifting the mask mandate for schools, my last week of work….I ordered a paint-by-number during the pandemic that took over 3 months to arrive. When it finally arrived I had lost interest and left it in its packaging. When my daughter was quarantined to her room with COVID, she started it, but barely painted anything. I’ve been painting it for about an hour every day. I sit and paint while I listen to podcasts and find it very calming. I’ll post a picture of the finished painting.
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Hello Friday! I am enjoying a day off from work since we got hit with another snow storm. The kids had the week off for winter recess and we spent this past weekend up in Rochester exploring the city. A big blog post and lots of Instagram posts will be coming soon! Here are five from this week:
1. Eating- we had so much tasty food up in Rochester. This vegetarian crepe from Simply Crepes was so good!
As were these empanadas from Juan and Maria’s at the Rochester Public Market. But seriously, everything we ate on our trip was delicious!
2. Reading – I haven’t had much reading time but did manage to finish one book this week. I read My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle. I need to take a break from mystery/suspense books. I’ve been reading a lot of them and just haven’t been wowed.
3. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners was this Spicy Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka. This was really easy to prepare and was very good! Half Baked Harvest recipes don’t disappoint!
4. Watching – My husband and I started watching Reacher on Amazon since we need a new show to watch together. I’ve never read the books but I hear the show follows them fairly well. I just wasn’t into the show so now my husband is watching it on his own.
I finished Cheer on Netflix. It’s a show that I don’t have to put all my attention on, so I’ll write while watching. I’m also caught up on Abbott Elementary on Hulu. This is a fun comedy!
5. Vegan Dinner – Last night my husband and I went to The Bit for a special 4-course vegan dinner. Although we are no longer following a strict vegan diet (I’m now pescatarian and my husband and daughter are vegetarians) it’s so nice to see more restaurants offering vegan options.
ICYMI this week on the blog:
Wednesday I posted about the recently opened LOOK Dine-In Cinemas in Dobbs Ferry.
NY Foodie Family was invited to the VIP Ribbon Cutting Event at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas. As always, all opinions are our own.
Dinner and a movie just got elevated to another level at the recently opened LOOK Dine-In Cinemas! The movie theater had its grand opening earlier this month and is now welcoming guests. The newly-opened Dobbs Ferry location is the company’s tenth theater and the first in New York.
The Experience
Visitors to LOOK Dine-In Cinemas have the opportunity to enjoy an elevated movie experience.
Guests can preorder movie tickets online and select the seats of their choice or use the ticket kiosks in the lobby. The theaters open 20 to 30 minutes before show time so visitors can get comfortable and order any food and drinks prior to the movie starting.
The Theater:
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas has eight theaters that can seat between 60-100 guests. The front section of the theater has chaise lounges that seat two. These are great if you prefer to lay down and snuggle up with your date. There is a row of seats behind the chaise lounges that do not recline but offer a generously sized and cushioned seating space. The remainder of the theater has rows of black recliner seats.
Each seat has a QR code that guests scan on their phones to access the menu. Each unique code is cleverly programmed with the seat number, so servers know your order and where to deliver your food.
The Food:
Now let’s talk about the food! The theater has an expansive food menu with something for everyone. For those that want a classic movie experience, you can order the traditional popcorn, candy and nachos. However, you can also enjoy a full meal, with menu offerings of appetizers, mains and desserts.
The night of our visit my husband and I shared a Sausage + Mushroom Pizza, minus the sausage. Taking items out and adding items on is so easy with the online ordering system.
We also shared the Southwest Chicken Salad. I love that menu items are clearly customizable with the menu buttons, so as a vegetarian, I could enjoy the salad without the chicken.
The pizza was better than I was expecting at a movie theater, but I probably wouldn’t order it again because the menu has so many other choices. I’m looking forward to trying out a bunch of other dishes on future visits, like the Impossible Sliders and Coconut Shrimp. However, the Southwest Chicken Salad was really tasty! I loved the combination of ingredients and the Chipotle Cilantro dressing really complemented it all. I will definitely reorder this salad!
The Drinks:
There is currently one bar area, pictured here, where guests can enjoy drinks before or after their movie. It is a full-service bar serving beer, wine, and cocktails. Eventually, they will be opening the larger bar and lounge area near the entrance of the theater.
The drink menu includes signature cocktails like the Blue Revenge, which has Tito’s Vodka, Cruzan Rum, and sweet and sour mix, garnished with a lemon wheel.
If you are looking for an elevated dinner and movie experience, I recommend visiting LOOK Dine-In Cinemas. This is a fun, new entertainment option in lower Westchester County!
Special Promos:
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas has several special promotions including:
$5 tickets all day on Tuesdays.
The first show of the day, every day, has a discounted ticket price of $5.
The Details:
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas 1 Hamilton Street Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 website
Parking: There is free parking in the lot in front of the theater.
Hours: Open daily – showtimes vary with movie
Movie Tickets: $15.50/adult ticket, $12.50/children and senior tickets
Food: Prices vary depending on food choice. Pizza and a soda or a salad and a soda costs around $25.
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Happy Friday! This afternoon we are headed up to Rochester for the weekend. I’m looking forward to sharing more about this city in upcoming blog posts! This week flew by, like most do. Here are five from this week:
1. Super Bowl – I am not a football fan. However, this year our office had a Super Bowl pool. I bought two boxes and wanted to watch the game to see if I won. Since we don’t have cable, we bought Peacock for the month so we could watch. For dinner we made a bunch of appetizers to eat while we watched the game. The best part was definitely the half time show!
2. Valentine’s Day – We celebrates a very low-key Valentine’s Day. We ordered sushi for dinner and I bought a fruit topped cheesecake for dessert.
2. Reading – I finished Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. It’s her newest suspense/thriller book. I enjoyed her previous book, The Wife Upstairs, but this one was just an okay read for me.
3. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners were these Vegan Tofu Katsu Bowls. They were fairly easy to put together and my daughter helped me make them, which made the time go by even quicker.
4. Watching – Last week my husband and I saw Spider-Man No Way Home on the big screen. LOOK Dine-In Cinemas just opened in Dobbs Ferry and we were invited to the ribbon cutting event. It’s a great theatre where you can enjoy dinner and a show. I’m posting the full write up on the blog next week.
I also watched Marry Me on Peacock this week. It was a cheesy romantic comedy but was fun to watch on Valentine’s Day.
5. Eating – My husband is finishing doing our closet remodel. We needed a few pieces from IKEA that were only available at the New Haven, CT location. It was our quickest IKEA store visit ever! Since we drove so far to get there, we figured we would get lunch in the area. We found an Ethiopian restaurant, Lalibela. Our local Ethiopian restaurant in Mount Kisco recently closed so it was so nice to get to have Ethiopian food! If you’ve never had Ethiopian food before, you use the injera (a spongy, sour flatbread) to scoop up the food. There are no utensils.
I saw an ice cream shop, Milkcraft, that looked interesting when we were driving around looking for parking. We stopped in and shared a strawberry with aged balsamic ice cream in a bubble cone.
6. Puzzle – Over the weekend I finished this Wizard of Oz puzzle. I’ve been working on it for awhile and was glad to finally get it done.
Over the past couple of years, my husband and I have become hiking fans. I personally prefer hikes that lead to a waterfall or a scenic view. But when winter comes, I usually become a homebody since I dislike the cold. For several years snowshoeing has been on my winter bucket list. I figured it was like hiking, but in the snow. And it’s a good activity to get me outside in the winter. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much snow this winter. I also didn’t want to invest in a pair of snowshoes to potentially discover that I don’t enjoy it. After the most recent snow storm, my husband and I finally went snowshoeing at Fahnestock Winter Park.
Fahnestock Winter Park is located on part of a New York State Park (Clarence Fahnestock Park) in Carmel, NY. It is open only in the winter and has approximately 12 miles of groomed cross country skiing trails, three snowshoeing trails and a small sledding hill. With a small café onsite as well, it makes a perfect place for a winter weekend visit.
We arrived at 11 AM and had to wait to park. If you have your own skis or snowshoes you pay the trail fee at the parking booth. If you are renting equipment you pay the rental fee and trail fee at the rental office. While the parking lot is large, the park gets a lot of visitors. Especially the day after a decent snowfall! Once we parked we put on our snow pants and hats and headed to the rental lodge.
Although the rental office is busy, they have a process in place that moves the line quickly. There is a rental form that you can complete with the available pens while you wait on the line. Once you make it to the register you pay and get your day pass. Then another employee grabs your rental equipment. There are several benches in the room and most people leave their boots or shoes under the benches while they ski.
The snowshoes easily attach to your own boots or footwear. The heel swivels from the snowshoe frame, making it easy to walk. This was our first time using snowshoes and we found them fairly easy to walk in.
Fahnestock Winter Park has three snowshoe trails: an easy, moderate (Ojugwan Path – orange) and more difficult (Appalachian Way -blue). We opted to try Ojuwan Path, since it was close to the rental office.
This snowshoe trail is marked for easy navigating. It only got a little confusing when we discovered we had to climb the stairs adjacent to the sledding hill to continue the trail. This section of the trail was the most challenging, since it was uphill. Overall, there were no “wow” sights to be seen on this snowshoe trail, but everything looked beautiful covered in snow.
Although the Ojuwan Path crosses Route 301 and then proceeds around the campground, we opted to end our hike early. We stopped at Route 301 and walked through the park entrance back to the rental lodge.
If you are hungry, there is a cafe onsite that sells a few lunch items, plus muffins and baked goods, chips and beverages. There are tables outside the cafe where you can sit and eat.
Snowshoeing takes a little getting used to but has a quick learning curve. If you’ve never been snowshoeing, Fahnestock Winter Park is a great place to go since they offer rentals at a reasonable price. Our next adventure will be trying cross country skiing at the park, since they have rentals and several trails.
The Details: Fahnestock Winter Park 1570 Route 301 Carmel, NY 1050 website
Open: Operating schedule is weather dependent. When there is snow the park is open daily 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Rates: **The Empire Pass and Golden Park Pass are not accepted at this park Trail Pass for skiing and snowshoeing: $12/adults, $10/seniors (62+ and kids under 17) Sledding Pass: $3/person Ski Rentals: $18/adult, $15/junior (under 17) Snowshoe Rentals: adults – $15/day or $7/hour, juniors (under 17) $14/day or $7/hour Sledding Tube Rentals: $4/hour Baby Sled Rental: $20/day or $7/hour
Tips:
*Arrive early! The park gets busy, especially after fresh snow fall. *There are bathrooms and changing areas. *There is a café onsite that sells snacks, hot cocoa and chili.
A vegetarian and pescatarian walk into a Brazilian steakhouse. You’re probably thinking this is some kind of joke…..but it’s real. Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse opened recently on January 8 at the Palisades Center Mall in Nyack and NY Foodie Family made a trip. This is their only New York location, with two other restaurants in Philadelphia.
We skipped the parade of various cuts of meat served tableside. We came for the Market Table, the restaurant’s hot and cold salad bar. For $27.95/person, you can have endless visits to the different salads and sides. If you don’t know already, I’m a fan of a good buffet. I’m not in it for the unlimited food. I simply enjoy being able to taste a variety of dishes.
Before we committed to eating at the restaurant, my husband and I asked to check out the Market Table. For a vegetarian (my husband) and a pescatarian (me), we concluded that there were enough options for us to eat. The cold section had a variety of vegetables, salads, cheese and fruit.
The hot section included Brazilian cheese bread, plantains, rice and mashed potatoes. There were several meat dishes on the hot table including ribs, chicken wings, a meat lasagna and pieces of fried fish. Unfortunately, none of the dishes at Market Table were labeled, which made it difficult to know what we were eating.
If you’ve never been to a Brazilian Steakhouse before, one of the big draws is the rodizio: the endless meats brought tableside. Each guest has a token at their setting with a green and red colored side. If the green side is up meat servers will stop at your table to offer you what they are serving. If they see a red token, they know not to come to the table. For carnivores, Picanha Brazilian Steak House has plenty of meats to try. Depending on your visit, there is filet mignon, leg of lamb, beef ribs, pork, Brazilian pork sausage, chicken, lamb chops, ribeye and more! You will feast until you are full.
For wine drinkers, Picanha has a glass-enclosed wine cellar. If cocktails are more your thing, they have a menu of handcrafted cocktails.
The fruit at the Market Table was the perfect sweet ending to our meal. Baked desserts are not included in the price of the all-you-can-eat dinner and we were so full that we didn’t order dessert. The menu includes treats like cheesecake, a molten chocolate cake and tres leches.
We visited during the second week of the restaurant’s opening. There are some minor kinks that need to be worked out – one batch of white rice was undercooked and crunchy. But the next batch that came out was cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes were on the salty side. And our waiter never came to fill our water glasses. These minor glitches can easily be fixed. Since the departure of Texas de Brazil, Rockland County needed a good Brazilian steakhouse. Picanha is a welcome addition to the area.
The Details: Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse website Palisades Center Mall 1584 Palisades Center Drive B112 West Nyack, NY (845) 608-2403
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How is January already over?! The first month of 2022 flew by so quickly. I surprised myself by reading 7 books this month. They were all great books that I would recommend and include two of my favorite authors, Colleen Hoover and Jodi Picoult. I even had my first 5 star read of the year. Here are my January reads that I’m sharing with Steph and Jana’s monthly book link up.
4stars:
Heart Bonesby Colleen Hoover (Contemporary Romance, August 2020) Beyah has grown up poor and basically raised herself, since her mother is always high on drugs. She is spending the summer with her father, a man she hardly knows, and his new wife and stepdaughter at their summer house on the Texas shore. There she meets Samson, a rich boy she has nothing in common with. As the two become closer, they realize that they have more in common than they think. But they agree that they will only have a summer romance and then he will answer all of Beyah’s questions that he has left unanswered. But the truth comes out sooner than he anticipates and both their lives are changed. If you’ve never read a Colleen Hoover book, I high recommend giving one of her books a try. This was another great book of hers.
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (Contemporary Romance, April 2018) Ella Durran has a Rhodes scholarship and is spending a year studying in Oxford. She has a rough first encounter with Jamie Davenport, whom she soon discovers is her English Literature professor. The two start a romance but then Ella discovers Jamie has a secret, which will ultimately affect her future plans. I read this book not knowing much about it and honestly, didn’t have high expectations. But I was surprised at how enjoyable I found it to be.
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin (Contemporary Fiction, June 2021) Lenni is seventeen and living in the terminal ward of a hospital. She ends up meeting 83 year-old Margot at an art class. The two become fast friends and decide to embark on an art project where they paint events for each year of their lives, creating 100 pieces in total. As they paint the pieces, we learn more about each of them and their lives. This was such a great book about friendship and love.
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (Contemporary Fiction, August 2021) Aleisha works at the local library. Mukesh is a widower and begins to visit the library in hopes of connecting with his granddaughter through her love of books. When he asks for a book recommendation, Aleisha gives him books off a reading list that she finds left inside a book. The two end up reading through the books together, forming a friendship in the process. I had never heard of this book but am reading through some of the goodreads Choice Awards 2021 nominees and this one was a fiction nominee. While I haven’t read all of the books on the list, it was fun to read a book about books and book lovers.
Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner (Historical Fiction, February 2015) Two sisters, Emmy and Julia Downtree, are evacauted during the bombings in London during WWII. When Emmy returns to London with Julia for an appointment she doesn’t want to miss, the two end up separated and their lives are transformed. The book is told between present day and 1940’s England. If you’re a fan of WWII historical fiction, like me, I recommend this book.
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult (Contemporary Fiction, November 2021) Diana O’Toole works at Sotheby’s. Her boyfriend Finn is a surgical resident at a NYC hospital. They are planning a vacation to the Galapagos but then COVID hits and Finn is needed at work. He tells Diana to go on the trip without him since the trip is nonrefundable. While in the Galapagos she befriends a teen girl and becomes close with the girl’s father. While on the trip, Diana starts thinking about her life choices. It was weird reading a book about COVID while still living through COVID. For some people, the hospital scenes in this book may be too difficult to read. However, Picoult is an excellent storyteller and this book is another example of her well researched work.
5 stars:
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover (Contemporary Romance, January 2022) After a tragic accident, Kenna spends five years in prison. When she is released from prison she returns to the town where the accident took place, in hopes of reuniting with her daughter. However, her daughter’s grandparents will do everything to keep the two apart. Can Kenna be forgiven for a mistake that happened many years ago? Or will she have to leave town without her daughter? Hoover tells a good story and this one did not disappoint. It is very rare nowadays for me to be able to read a book in two days. But I couldn’t put this one down. I haven’t cried while reading a book in awhile but this one had me grabbing the tissue box.
