Les Merais

I know it sounds pathetic, but at 21, I am a rather boring person. Most nights you can find me at home (when I'm not at college that is) catching up on missed television shows. Due to this lack of extrovertisim, my high school friends and I have hardly had the time to catch up and just enjoy ourselves. Thankfully, last Thursday, we had an opportunity to change that. My very good friend is getting married quite soon and so we thought we would throw her a bit of a bachlorette party before she said adios to her single life for good. In high school, we were a clique of seven girls; not all of us were best friends with one another per say, but together we were part of one whole. One of the seven got married this past winter and now is living out of state (in New Jersey of all places) and was unable to join, but for the rest of us, it was like old times. The six of us squeezed into my friend's beemer and we headed off to a night in the city. We went to Les Merias, a steakhouse in the Broadway area. Four of the group ordered steaks, and one chose fish. As a non-meat eater, I chose a spicy peanut udon noodle salad and a fries. And most of importantly, I ordered a glass of wine, my first in such an establishment. The wine was a tad overpriced, but according to my friends the slightly buzzed me was a lot of fun to be around. As mentioned before, I am a bit of an introvert, a little self-conscious in social settings to be honest, so the free feeling the wine gave was nice. It allowed me to open up and enjoy myself. The pasta was good; I liked the peanut sauce and they threw in some peanuts and scallions to give it a crunch. The fries were amazing; just crunchy enough and not at all mushy. For dessert we all shared molten chocolate cakes, which I have never seen any restaurant go wrong with. After our meal, we took a walk around the city. Although it was nearing midnight, the city was washed in light from the electronic billboards flanking Times Square. Of course, the streets were flooded with people. We escaped the throngs and found a serene fountain to sit by. We spent an hour reminiscing and feeling a mixture of nostalgia and happiness. I had befriended the bride-to-be when were just 10 and it seemed crazy that 11 years had already passed. The night was an extremely enjoyable one although it made me regret that we had not done similar excursions sooner and more often when we had the chance, no special occasions needed.

The Boardwalk down by Coney Island

Back in elementary school, going to Astroland and the beach was a last day of school tradition, but I have not returned to the boardwalk since- until today. The surroundings were surprisingly familiar and it brought back a wave of nostalgia for those carefree days. The beach was not as visually arresting as those of Miami and California, which I more often frequent, but the mood was more serene. The beach was filled with people sunbathing and playing ball; the boardwalk was littered with people sitting on the benches or walking their dogs, but it was very quiet. It seemed as though the casual conversation I had going with my sister and mother was disrupting the peace. Overall it was a nice experience and I mentally made plans to soon return. The only drawback? Way too many old men strolling down the walkway sans shirts, exposing their unattractive beer bellies to the public. 

Basil Pizza and Wine Bar

Our first stop on our tourist tour was Crown Heights, mere minutes from our home. We had heard of a cool upscale pizzeria located there that we really wanted to try out. As major foodies (obsessed with Top Chef, the Dining section of The NY Times, and a dozen shows on the food network) we had heard a lot about the trend of making average food, such as burgers and pizza, upscale; but as people who only ate kosher, we had never tried it. However, with the opening of Basil, we finally had the opportunity to do so. So, this past Thursday, with our mother in tow, we decided to gave it a try.The decor and crowd was trendy and hip, and sort of Williamsburg-esque. The hostess was lovely and friendly and eager to please, although the waiters were quite spacey. For instance, we kept waiting for our drinks that never came as the waitress neglected to tell us that our beverage of choice was no longer available. Then, after a bit too much waiting, when our pizza finally arrived, it failed to be accompanied with plates until we requested them. However, the pizza itself, a Margareta with pesto, was divine. The tomato slices added a bit of needed sweetness and coolness to the hot cheese and sauce. Every last slice was polished off. My mother's watercress salad was another example of brilliant flavor combinations. It contained pears cut so thinly they were practically a carpaccio which added a nice subtle fruitiness to the blue cheese and watercress. Toasted almonds brought a welcome crunch. My gnocchi gratin, the first gratin I ever ate by the way, was small portioned but extremely creamy. Diving in beneath the Parmesan crust to find the little gnocchi pieces was like a treasure hunt. My sister's wild mushroom risotto was more mushroom than risotto, but still very good. For dessert I ordered the trio of creme burlee, while the annoying waiter tried to coax me to order his favorite, the trio of sorbet and answered all of my burlee questions with answers that started "well the sorbet is.." Nevertheless, as someone who generally only likes traditional flavors and has never tried a chocolate creme brulee, it was a welcome surprise. All in all, it was a pleasurable way to start the summer, however, next time I think I'll go with the basil french fries that seems to be their speciality.