cocktails – lifeofacitygal

The Barbados Edition

Barbados provided the best weather, the most beautiful scenic views, perfect sunsets and pure relaxation. Everything a woman could ever ask for from a vacation. I visited here with a dear friend who just so happens to be a native and proved to be the best tour guide for this Caribbean gem. Before visiting, I did not have many recommendations on places to go or see; I left it all in her hands and she outdid herself for sure.

We visited Oistins on that Friday night and had a blast hearing the live music, enjoying performances from locals and the best of all, having the local favorites, flying fish and the macaroni pie for dinner. Anyone that knows me would know how much I love food and Barbados did not disappoint. Let me not forget to mention the $5 homemade rum punches. Oh what a delight. The spices in it were so dominant yet not overpowering. Rum punch became a must for each day of the trip 🙂

Let’s discuss the food. I had the pleasure of visiting the Crane Resort in St. Philip and a country club, the Apes Hill Club in St. James for brunch. Both places offered the best experience one could ask for while enjoying a meal. At Crane, you could get the best ocean view and almost instantly gain calmness from the sounds of the Atlantic ocean waves; pure serenity. At Apes Hill, you could dine right outside and overlook the island of Barbados. For the Bajan dishes, we visited a number of places including Fisherman’s Pub in Speightstown, Marina Bar & Restaurant in the heart of downtown Bridgetown, The Beach House in Holetown and the infamous Chefette. We had dishes like the beef stew, macaroni pie, jerk chicken wings, chicken roti and fish cakes just to name a few. To say these places were good would be an understatement. Everything was cooked to perfection. I made sure to try as much Bajan cuisine as possible. The only thing I didn’t recall having was a Bajan dessert but I did have the rum raisin ice cream one day which was a nice refreshing treat. Also when I left to head back to the states, I grabbed a rum cake made by Tortuga. Now this by far has to be the best cake I’ve had and they definitely didn’t take it light with the infused rum.

While visiting places foreign to me, I love to see things regarding the culture or history. We visited Cherry Tree Hill, which provides a beautiful snapshot of the entire island of Barbados. I was able to have a fresh coconut with a splash of rum thanks to the locals and even snag handmade jewelry pieces and souvenirs to bring back home with me. The next place we visited was the Animal Flower Cave in Saint Lucy. Unfortunately, the cave was closed due to high tide but to see the landscape of the cave and have lunch by the ocean worked just fine for me. We traveled to Bathsheba in the parish St. Joseph and enjoyed the scenic views here as well. The drive itself to some of these places created wonderful memories for me. The small narrow dirt roads which often had cattle alongside them, or wild monkeys that peeped out here and there or mongoose that scurried across the roads from time to time made the ride an experience as well. Once you get along the coast, I instantly became mesmerized by the crystal blue waters. The joys of being a passenger includes getting tons of pics and asking for frequent stop requests to capture just a piece of the beauty you witnessed in that moment.

The best feature of Barbados to me would have to be the beaches. I was obsessed with the idea of seeing the sunset and my friend decided to make a trip to the beach to go a swim and have rum cocktails afterwards to wait for the sunset. Brilliant plan my friend and what a sight to see. Simply beautiful and breathtaking. We visited Mullins beach but there are so many others and while driving along the roads there are many public access areas designated for their beaches. We often take things for granted but I literally tried to appreciate every detail involved with this vacation. The beauty of this island is indescribable and I would definitely love to visit here again. Until next time Barbados…

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Kristalbelli

When restaurant week is upon us, it’a only right to take part in at least one of the restaurants offering a nice lunch or 3-course dinner for $29 or $42, respectively. I decided to try Kristalbelli. Perfect for yet another catch up dinner. Kristalbelli is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and serves very authentic Korean dishes. I love the prix fixe menu because you do normally get some pretty good options for a 3-course meal.

My friend and I decided to order different things for the appetizer, entree and dessert so we could essentially try various things. For the appetizers, we went with the crispy salmon and japchae. The crispy salmon was the favorite for the table which is salmon sashimi with crispy sushi rice. The japchae consisted of stir fried glass noodles with beef and seasonal vegetables. For the entree, I decided to try the wagyu marinated short ribs, a recommendation and highly praised dish from the waiter. To actually experience the grilling at the table, my friend went with the black tiger shrimp. You cannot come to this Korean spot and not have an entree cooked right before your eyes on the crystal Buddha belly. The entrees were complimented with a handful of sides including a fresh salad, Korean potato salad and a boiled egg to name a few. My favorite was the salad because it was so refreshing and added a nice touch to my short ribs. I was highly impressed with the short ribs. Talk about amazing! That was definitely a great recommendation.

For the dessert, we had the popcorn ice cream and apple rose. OMG both were delicious! I never even thought of having caramelized popcorn over vanilla ice cream. To balance the sweetness, there was salt sprinkled on the top as well. The apple rose was a nice pastry filled with caramelized apples and cinnamon, served with mascarpone ice cream. I am so glad I finally made it here. The food was great and you really get to enjoy traditional Korean dishes served right here in New York. I’ve always loved the diversity in cuisine in New York. To top it off, there’s a nice lounge right upstairs called Juga. I highly recommend stopping by this little hidden gem for a drink and some nice tunes. Check out pictures below from my Kristalbelli experience.

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LA Edition: Part 3

LA is a place known for many notable things. Hollywood, celeb sightings, production and die-hard Lakers fans to name a few. Whenever I travel, I’m always in search of the best food and LA does a good job of providing new places to try. Being a foodie at heart, I will always fit in a nice dinner, new dessert place or quick bite to go. While in LA for the Thanksgiving holiday, I was able to add some new places to my growing list of favorite food spots. I also came to find out a lot of places are open extremely late or, even better, 24 hours! One of those 24-hour places happens to be Birdie’s in DTLA. I made it by here to try some of their delicious donuts. Another place, famously shown in a John Singleton classic film ‘Baby Boy’, called Lucy’s is also open all day and night and the food here is definitely comforting when its late night.

On this trip, I was actually able to spend a lot of time in Los Angeles. I didn’t even make it to Santa Monica this time around or Malibu and both are 2 of my favorite hangouts, particularly for the beaches. I did stop by Venice beach, because its only right that you do and had cocktails at Wabi Sabi on Abbot Kinney. This is also one of my favorite areas and I made a point to enjoy at least an hour or so in the area. I saw the Farmer’s Market in the Grove on a ton of vlogs so I definitely made a stop there. The Farmers Market seems like a good place to visit when you’re indecisive about what you want to eat because the market offers a variety of food and different types of cuisine. I think I grabbed tacos and a horchata to hold me until we made it to the infamous In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out is a must try if you never had this before. The menu is so simple and apparently, the way to go, is animal style for your fries. Never disappoints. I also went to another market, Grand Central, located in DTLA solely to try the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich from Eggslut. Eggslut is a pretty popular sandwich joint, so much, that another one has opened in Venice. The line was pretty long at the time I went but it was definitely worth the wait. To go with this, I went to G&B coffee for a nice cup of coffee and later found out this is one of the most popular coffee shops in LA, according to Time Out magazine.

BOA Steakhouse was the choice for the LA finale dinner. I normally do at least one nice restaurant when vacating here so why not spend it in West Hollywood for that evening? We started with the blue colossal crab cocktail. As the entrée, I went with their rib eye and added both mac and cheese and creamed spinach with crispy shallots. Wayyyyyy too much food to indulge in at once but I couldn’t resist. Everything sounded so good. Not to forget the cocktail I had for the evening too. I cannot recall the name of it but it was a great choice! To say the least, LA never ceases to amaze me. The vibe is enough to fall in love with but when you start adding all of the other great things like picture perfect sunsets, countless beaches and warm weather all year; it’s just a place you never want to leave. Check out pics of some of the food I was able to enjoy while there. Until next time LA….

http://www.eggslut.com (Grand Central Market 317 S Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90013)

http://www.gandbcoffee.com (Grand Central Market 317 S Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90013)

http://www.loteriagrill.com (The Original Farmers Market 6333 W 3rd St Los Angles, CA 90036)

http://www.rockandbrews.com (143 Main St El Segundo, CA 90245)

http://www.birdiesla.com (314 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015)

http://www.in-n-out.com (7009 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028)

Clover Club

Sometimes you just want to go out and grab a good drink. Clover Club has been on my list of places to try for quite some time and I finally made it. Located near Cobble Hill on Smith Street, this is a stellar cocktail bar that must be visited if you’re in the area. The dim setting and overall ambiance is great. Very relaxing and inviting to have nice conversation over some of their many fancy concoctions. Although we only came for drinks, I’d been eyeing a few food items I wanted to try as well. I went with the deviled eggs and the mac and cheese. With the deviled eggs, you received four all topped with something different. Toppings included were crispy bacon croutons, smoked paprika and garlic bread crumbs, smoked trout and mushrooms duxelles. All were delectable and almost made me order another round but I remembered I had the mac and cheese to indulge in as well. The mac and cheese was cooked with several cheeses and also included bacon. Anytime there’s bacon involved, I’m overjoyed. I’ll have to re-visit to try the fried oysters and the bread pudding. I wish I could of tried everything all at once but this gives me a reason to definitely come back.

As for the drinks, there’s a huge selection categorized perfectly for an indecisive person like myself. Some of the categories were punches, tiki, beat the heat and brain freeze just to name a few. Clover Club was definitely a hit for me and it worked even better that it’s right in Brooklyn. Be sure to check them out if you’re ever on Smith Street and looking for a nice cocktail bar. Check out more pics below.

Taco Tuesday

Atlanta is definitely becoming the home of new and unforgettable places to dine. Bartaco, located on Marietta St, undeniably left a lasting impression on me. I am always looking for the new hot spots when I visit home and was so glad my friend recommended this place to grab dinner and catch up over drinks. The ambiance here is very relaxed and inviting for a nice girls out. We sat directly near the outside dining area; close enough to catch the summer breeze. Before I even placed my order, I knew I would love it solely based on the vibe the restaurant gave upon entering and taking a seat.

There’s a nice selection of food as well but not too overwhelming when it becomes too hard to choose what you want. We all know that feeling. From various tacos, rice bowls, quesadillas and salads; all of which sounded very appetizing. We ordered guacamole for the table which was amazingly fresh and tasty. I went with the duck and fried oyster tacos. Great is an understatement! I also tried their rendition of Mexican corn which was a great addition to my meal. Just enough chipotle-like mayo, cotija cheese and spices added to provide the perfect combination of flavors. If I hadn’t taken small samples of everyone else’s food, I probably would of double backed on the fried oyster taco. The oysters were cooked to perfection. Some of the girls ordered rice bowls with toppings of their choice and other taco selections. The cocktails were quite refreshing as well.

It felt like a beach should be in near sight or accessible to allow for a stroll after drinks. Upon reading the story about the restaurant, the beach and coastal vibes were mentioned in the description and this place definitely gives off those vibes. Very chilled and relaxing environment. It was perfect for our girls night out and I will definitely be back. Their upscale street food is definitely worth a try. Check out more pics below and pay them a visit if you’re in the Atlanta area.

A Trip to Cuba

For one of my girls day/night out, we decided to check out the cutest little Cuban tapas restaurant named Havana Social. Be warned it is a few blocks from subway transportation in NYC but definitely worth the walk if you’re not cabbing it! Okay, now that I’ve given that disclaimer, let’s talk food. My friend suggested this place for dinner and we did not leave disappointed. We went on a Sunday around 5pm and were delighted to see they had a price-fixe menu with pretty good selections. You could choose from about 4 or 5 entrees along with either an appetizer or dessert. I decided to start with their empanadas; this came with 3 which included spinach, beef and chicken. OMG!! What a way to start off a meal. We also ordered guacamole for the table (which is a must these days I’m figuring). As for my entree, I went with the chipotle pork chop; infused with chipotle and honey and served with plantains and beans. This was so flavorful and really exceeded my expectations. Towards the end of the meal, I was definitely stuffed but refused to leave any food behind as it was too good to not eat everything. As for drinks, we all went in on a pitcher of their infamous coconut mojito. Seeing that I am not a huge fan of mojitos, if I ordered it, it must be a hit.

Overall, the dining experience was great at Havana Social. In fact, right before you leave, they give you a complimentary shot too. This is much needed after you get your bill and realize you probably went over budget for a typical day/night out. Don’t worry. It’s worth it! More pics below.

Let’s get social

When anyone asks where’s a good place to go for dinner, Stanton Social is always one of my recommendations. This tapas style restaurant lounge never disappoints. The menu does often change so you may not be able to try exactly what I have had the pleasure of having but the executive chef creates great dishes throughout the year. Recently I was able to enjoy the seared scallops with lobster ravioli garnished with tomatoes and a light cream sauce. I also tried the beef and broccoli which consisted of braised beef atop a rice cake with a broccoli cream base and the special Social mac and cheese which craftily included Italian sausage. Since moving to New York, I have tried a number of restaurants and this one remains my favorite. Please do yourself a favor and get here soon!