I was lucky enough to have my parents visit a couple weekends ago over the Labor Day holiday. They planned on touring around the city for a few days then driving up to Connecticut to visit my dad's family. As per usual, our days were heavily focused around eating and drinking, but we also tried to slip in a few cultural outings along the way.
My dad is always on a mission to find a good pastrami sandwich when he is in the city. Kurt suggested Eisenberg's Sandwich which has been in NYC forever. Luckily, it isn't too far from my office, so I was able to meet them there for lunch one day.
I was instantly won over when we were presented with a complimentary plate of pickles at our table. My dad got his pastrami sandwich while my mom tried a BLT.
I am unable to resist a Cuban sandwich when I spot it on a menu. This one was good but definitely a meat overload which made me feel pretty heavy the rest of the day. Eisenberg's certainly doesn't serve "diet food".
One evening we went to a wine tasting fundraiser for Architecture for Humanity New York. We had an excellent host/teacher who served us some delicious wines and told us all about their history and where they come from and what foods they are best paired with. I don't think I've ever met someone so energetic about wine. It was pretty interesting. Best of all, all the wines we tried were under $20 a bottle so we bought a couple of our favorites to take home...well, maybe they didn't even make it that far. We decided to have Greek food for dinner at Athena Mediterranean, one of the few BYO restaurants we've found in Brooklyn, and tested our new wine pairing knowledge.
The only thing my parents really had on their agenda while in the city was to venture up to the Bronx Zoo. Luckily I got Friday off, so I was able to join them. You can scan through these pictures pretty quickly. I am my mother's daughter and took way too many animal pictures!
We spent a lot of time hanging out with the snakes and other reptiles.
Yawn!
Mini-gator
Monitor lizard
Butterflies
Giraffes and ostriches
Flamingos
Monkey (or lemurs...I wasn't taking close notes)
Lazy tigers
Grizzly bears. They were eyeing us a little too intently for my comfort.
Camel rides. Sadly, I didn't get to take a turn :(
The zoo was fun! If you go, just be prepared to deal with lots of screaming children and strollers. An entirely different kind of wild animal! :)
After the zoo, we met up with my cousin Ashley who has just started her freshman year at Hunter College. I can't imagine going to college in NYC. I was overwhelmed moving here at 22. I can't imagine doing it at 17 or 18. Such an exciting change! I hope she enjoys it!
Once we came back to Brooklyn, my parents and I met up with Kurt for a pre-dinner glass of wine at Black Mountain Wine House. Like this through the window shot? One glass of wine and I fancy myself quite the photo stylist :)
Kurt and I have been wanting to try out Monte's on Carroll Street. They claim to be the oldest Italian restaurant in Brooklyn and recently remodeled. It seemed like the perfect place to take my parents for a nice meal.
Kurt and I are slightly obsessed with sitting outside when the weather is nice, so we had them seat us in the rear of restaurant at a picnic table. Next time I want to try inside because the restaurant seemed to have a fun vibe. It's off the beaten path, so I doubt it ever gets crowded or busy.
We had way too much delicious food. Meat and cheese plates, bread, pastas, pizza, wine...all so good! We even had my dad try grappa! I definitely give Monte's the stamp of approval and can't wait to go back.
After a few fun days in the city, my parents and I drove up to Connecticut. I got to spend a little time with my grandmother and other relatives.
It was nice to spend a little time up there but then I had to rush back to NYC for a certain somebody's birthday party :) Here we are in New London, a cute little coastal Connecticut town, where I caught the train back to Penn Station.
Great to see you, Mom and Dad! Thanks for the fun times and delicious meals. Can't wait to see you again soon!
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