Weekend commuting: Alicia's Birthday Soiree

I don’t mind coming into the city on the weekend. And some events are worth it. Like friends’ birthday parties. And Saturday, I made the trek in to attend Alicia’s (pronounced uh-LEE-see-uh) birthday party. She must have juice, because we had the whole back section of PS450 to ourselves. Like 8 tables. Plenty of space to stretch out, relax, converse, dance and (of course) order food.

Dave pulled out the menu and asked what I thought we should get. He suggested we get the barbecue chicken pizza, buffalo chicken bites or macaroni and cheese bites. I looked at him and simply replies, “Yes.” So we ordered all three.


We weren’t expecting culinary greatness. Just deliciousness in various combinations of cheese, dough, chicken and deep fried goodness. And that’s just what we got. I think my favorite was the pizza. It was actually flatbread pizza with grilled barbecued chicken breast meat. The meat was juicy and the sauce was tasty. Dan was killing those deep fried mac and cheese bites. It was the perfect energy boost to dance the night away.


I told Alicia I could tell she was having a good time. When she asked how did I know I told her because she was keeping up with me! It’s the only way. Happy birthday, Alicia!

Breakfast with my new dad: the food

I got a call last night from my soon to be father-in-law asking if I wanted to join him for breakfast. How could I say no to that! We decided to go to Le Peep in Edison, NJ, one of my favorite breakfast spots. I didn't realize until I Googled them to add the link to this post that there are Le Peep locations throughout the US. The food is so good, it feels like a family-owned spot, not a chain.

I decided to order my favorite item on the menu: the zapata frittata. It's more of a casserole with scrambled eggs, chorizo, and jalapeno salsa topped with melted cheese, a generous dollop of sour cream and green onions. They also give you their "peasant potatoes" (aka homefries) and an English muffin.

In case you wanted to look for it, I didn't see this item on the online menu. Maybe it's a creation of the Edison, NJ location. Yet another reason to love them. Each location has the autonomy to create it's own dishes and personality. Perhaps that is also part of the reason why they are so good.

It should go without saying that it was delicious. It was a breakfast that warms your stomach and your soul. Ok, that was corny. But you know what I mean. The atmosphere is just so comfortable. When we went to pay, I asked the cashier to take a picture of my "new" dad and I and before I could even give her the camera, she exclaimed, "I love taking pictures!" this is just the epitome of a neighborhood spot.

One last thing - I mentioned that I was here for breakfast with my "new" dad. You can read about that experience and see the picture the cashier took over at TanyaandEddie.com.

Free Food Friday

One of the highlights of any work day is free food! And today I got a whole lot of it. It started as soon as I got in. Jane gave me some curry that her parents made, along with kimchee, pickled jalapenos and some dried anchovy mixture. Delicious!


But that was just the "breakfast appetizer." Friday is Breakfast Club, and Rebecca (aka DJ Becky Bop) brought Essa Bagels. Poppy seed!


One free meal is good. Two is great. But three? That's unheard of. But it went down today. Leftover salad and some wraps kept me in the office and money in my pocket for lunch. It wasn't the best lunch ever, but it was free! So I'm not complaining!






In my book a Free Food Friday is a good Friday!

Am I fat? Is this why?

People are constantly sending me the site This is why you're fat. The comment is usually something like, "I figured you would appreciate this..." or "As soon as I saw this, I thought of you..."

Are people trying to tell me something? Have I put on some pounds since we last hung out? Do you think I need to drop a few pounds? I'm only about 15 pounds heavier now then I was when I was in high school. Most people gain that their first semester in college! That was 10 years ago for me. Whatever...

So back to This is why you're fat. I've known about the site for a while. But in general, I wouldn't eat 95% of the stuff on the site. But I would eat this one...

Dinner for her man

My fiancee is a great cook. It's one of the ways that she snagged me to begin with.

We had dinner the other day before her trip to Vegas for her bachelorette party. She told me she was going to do something with ground turkey. But to my surprise, I instead was treated to panko crusted salmon, rubbed with lemon, garlic and ginger. On the side were yucca home fries and collard greens.

This meal was further confirmation of one of the aspects of marriage that I'm looking forward to most: my future wife's cooking. Meals like this would be a fitting ending to any day.

A Favorite Lunch: Chicharrones!

Fried chicken is delicious!

That is a seemingly obvious statement. But I was reminded of its profound truth when I treated myself recently to lunch at Margon. There were many dishes to choose from, but I opted for the cut up pieces of deep fried chicken, or chicharrones de pollo. Crispy and juicy. Just like I remembered from when I used to work two blocks away. Now, I'm all the way on the east side, just far enough to be inconvenient. It makes the occasional all the more enjoyable.