We ate lunch at a place called Snookers. This place has indoor and outdoor seating, a big tiki bar, and an alligator pool. It touts Floribbean cuisine on the menu and pretty much delivers just that.
At one point we walked past a fudge shop. Mariela, who is not originally from the states asked "what is fudge?" This pretty much sealed the deal that we would have to go in and show her exactly what the excitement over fudge is all about. I must say, it was good but it wasn't the best I've ever had. It was a little granular and not as smooth and creamy as it should've been. I wonder if the humidity has anything to do with the consistency. Should I just seek out every fudge factory in Florida to test my hypothesis? Probably not a good idea with me being in a wedding and all in less than four weeks.
Let's just say, it did answer the question "what is fudge" in a satisfactory way, but not it didn't convey the excellence which usually would accompany the answer.
Well, I could go on and on dissecting the meals we ate but who wants to hear about that. The point is, my friends came in to town and it was a real treat to see them. We got out on Saturday night for some drinks. Penny spent her first night apart from me in her whole entire life by sleeping over her grandparents house. Aside from the fact that I worried constantly about her-picturing her running around wildly crying at 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, etc.-it was a little bit comforting to know that IF I ever decide to treat myself to a night or two without the girls, she will probably survive without me.
So here are some pics:
JH-how's this for a moody, brooding, contrived, fakely pensive, faux-candid self-pic? Go ahead, get your digs in :-P
7 comments:
You look great, Liz! And you look like you've had some much needed fun. I love the photos of Sadie and Penny, oh and I just LOVE Sadie's MTV tee. She is the coolest.
Every time I try to take a photo of myself, it comes out hideous!! I am going to try again.
All I was saying that you should do yourself of the courtesy of having someone else take your photo to do you justice! Otherwise, you look like your plotting something sinister. Or like one of those people on Big Brother (or some other dumb reality show -- ok, they're all dumb in my view) doing their daily diary.
Seriously. You look great. It was nice to see you, Penny and Sadie. We're looking forward to our next trip. Next time, we'll definitely take a day to extend our stay with you all.
JH
Sorry about the typos. I was rushed. I hate the superfluous "of" and writing "your" posessive form, when it should be "you're." I'm not too anal, am I? At least I didn't write "definately"...
Anyway, when you come to Jersey in a few weeks we definitely should check out Sabor Peru if you're (you are) game(http://saborperunj.com/contact.htm). It's quite good. We can make a reservation, and every can come along! Mariela and I may even go again in the interim to try some other menu options so I can give you better informed recommendations.
Here's the review in case you have any doubts!
Gotta get back to work, lest I get that sack!
JH
Deliciously Authentic
There aren’t too many restaurants where, as soon as I’m leaving, I’m already plotting my return trip. Sabor Peru, just two months old, is one of those places. While not everything we ate was tongue-spanking amazing, the things that were good makes this place a stand-above-the-rest favorite. And I expect even better as time goes on.
One of the things that defines a great Peruvian restaurant to me is their ceviche. There are more than 2,000 cevicherias in Lima, Peru, pretty much making the dish a national icon. So not only should a good Peruvian restaurant offer one, they’d better do it well. For me, it’s pretty much the test dish to see if a place’s ingredients are up to standard. It’s a seafood dish that has to taste not just fresh but refreshing, and has to really wake up your tastebuds.
The ceviche we ordered was shrimp, but they have several to choose from, including one that mixes fish, mussels, clams, shrimp, octopus and calamari. For roughly $15, they don’t skimp on the amount of shrimp. Most places will give you about 12 medium to large-sized shrimp, but here the plate was filled with small shrimp. That meant you could definitely share the plate and get more than a smidgen of a taste. I love spicy food but my husband doesn’t, so we asked for the spice to be somewhere in the middle, which it was. The lime, cilantro, celery, and other spices really accented the flavor of the shrimp. Of all the ceviche I have eaten in the tri-state area, this place gets top prize, no doubt. Plus, there was an ingredient - maybe cream, but I can’t be sure - that gave the lime juice-based sauce a cloudy color and not only personalized the dish, but added a sweetness that I enjoyed.
Our entrees were also delicious. Although I was tempted to try their various soups, I went with the especial saltado, which is a stir fry of beef tenderloin, chicken, and seafood. Again, it’s not like there was a bunch of chicken and very little seafood or beef. There were significant amounts of calamari, shrimp and octopus. My husband got the Peruvian-style stir-fried rice (chaufas) with seafood, chicken and beef. When the plates arrived, we realized we probably could’ve shared one plate — the servings were easily enough for two people. The green hot sauce on the table was really spicy - a wonderful addition to my plate, not that it needed help with the flavor. I just like an extra kick to my food.
The restaurant is new, so you can expect a really friendly and eager wait staff, which includes the very accommodating owner, Dave. There are 14 tables and I could see it feeling tight if the place was packed, but the energy is upbeat, so I think it would just add to the festive decor. While we were there, a table of six was celebrating a 21st birthday party and the owner bought them a bottle of wine (it’s BYOB, so they can’t sell it, but it was still a really nice thing they didn’t have to do). And even though there was another party of four, a table of three and another table of two, the waiters never seemed harried. They even offered to explain menu items if there was anything we were unfamiliar with.
If you have never had Peruvian food, this is definitely a good place for a first time. The owner told me his father owned a place in Passaic but had closed up shop. Lucky for us he came out of retirement for Sabor Peru. Go any day during the week except Monday when they’re closed. The owner recommends making reservations on weekends as they can get busy, but we went around 7:30 Sunday and had no problem getting a table.
Sabor Peru
8 Highland Cross (off Park Ave)
Rutherford
(201) 935-PERU (7378)
www.saborperunj.com
I meant "everybody" and "the sack" -- as in fired and not some random ball sack smacked in my face, for example. I'm really embarrassing myself today. Serves me right for not proofing!
JH
Hey Girl! Based on all my experience on fudge, the old-man-happy-to-sale-4-pieces-of-fudge-at-once made a pretty good fudge!!
Talking about self-hand-extended-pictures, you should see the once I take of myself! Believe me,yours is beautiful!!
Oh, it was lots of fun seeing you and your girls this weekend! And even when I deeply wish the circumstances in which we met were different, Im thankful because now we can become friends!
Looking forward to see you in NJ! But I have to go now... I really have to go... only this time I will try no to fall in the way you know where!
Kisses, Mariela
Hi Liz,
I hope you don't mind a stranger writing in now and then, but ever since your moving posts, I like to check in, to see how you are. :)
Looks like a fun time!!!! I am so glad your friends are there for you. Love the pics!
Sandy
A couple of comments to my comments. First, Jean, thank you. I'm working hard on it. It requires some exercise, some moderation, and a lot of expensive skin care products. But seriously, you and Stephanie looked like total hotties in that pic on your blog.
JH, I like the idea of random ballsacks tea-bagging you. Good use of imagery.
Mariela, I wish we had met so much sooner. I believe that life delivers us the right people at the right times. Thank God you are here now.
No name, you can leave comments any darn time you please. I admire you greatly.
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