Girls Weekend on Nantucket

On a warm summer weekend in June, I joined three of my book club friends for a girls-only weekend on Nantucket, where we stayed at my friend M.Y.’s husband’s family’s property. We did a whole lot of….nothing. It was fabulous. Walks through the ritzy neighborhoods were followed by lounging on the beach, followed by wine and cheese back at the house.

To get to Nantucket fast, take the Hy-line high-speed ferry from Hyannis. For a large group, purchase a pack of commuter discount tickets – we saved about ten dollars per person.

Where to Eat
Breakfast:
Nantucket Bake Shop
79 Orange Street
(508) 228-2797 / +1 (800) 440-2253
Get there early for super-fresh homemade donuts. The powder-coated jelly donuts are to die for!

Brunch:
Black-Eyed Susan’s
10 India St
(508) 325-0308
Their sourdough French toast with Jack Daniels orange butter is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Lunch & Dinner:
Brotherhood of Thieves
23 Broad Street
(508) 228-2551
Try the grilled chicken sandwich on focaccia with pesto, artichokes, and mozzarella.

Late-Night Snack:
The Juice Bar
(508) 228-5799
Yummy homemade ice cream in buttery waffle cones.

Where to Shop
Nantucket Bookworks
25 Broad Street
Tel: (508) 228-4000
This adorable bookstore next to Brotherhood of Thieves is open late and has a cozy, cottage feel, with both new and used books as well as cards and gifts.

Manor House Antique Co-op
31 ½ Centre Street
(508) 228-4335
Nantucket is filled with antique shops and we didn’t pop in to many, but my friend M.Y. has this shop on her list of favorites (and she loves antiques so I trust her judgment). The store is jam packed with one person’s trash and another’s treasure. Don’t even think about walking in there with a large handbag or backpack unless you’re prepared to pay for what you break.

Parchment
11 Washington St.
(508) 228-4110
For adorable and quirky invitations, cards, and gifts don’t miss this little shop where items are arranged by color.

Skirtin’ Around
42 Straight Wharf
(508) 325-0022
You can’t miss this women’s boutique since it’s the first you’ll pass on the right as you get off the high-speed ferry. Though the clothes and accessories are sold in other boutiques around the country, the Nantucket shop is exclusively Skirtin’ Around. I couldn’t help but be attracted to the bright, bold colors in the window that are reminiscent of Lily Pulitzer but definitely more modern.

Foodie Fridays: Chicken Shawarma

If I can only find a smaller jar of tahini sauce, I plan to cook up this recipe for Chicken Shawarma from the July issue of Cooking Light. The Middle Eastern flavors seem like they will be delicious, and a good way to use the left over pita pockets that have been pushed to the back of the fridge (but still good!). Note that tahini sauce is like peanut butter, but made of sesame seeds. I found it in the international food aisle of the grocery store in my suburban Boston hometown (in the Greek foods section), but suspect I could find more size options at a store in a more culturally diverse neighborhood - or even at Trader Joe's.

Ingredients
Chicken:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 16 (3-inch) strips

Sauce:
1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt (such as Fage)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Remaining ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 (6-inch) pitas
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
8 (1/4-inch-thick) tomato slices

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
3. To prepare sauce, combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients (through 1 garlic clove), stirring with a whisk.
4. Thread 2 chicken strips onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done.
5. Place pitas on grill rack; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup lettuce and 2 tomato slices. Top each serving with 4 chicken pieces; drizzle each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 45 minutes

Strip House NYC Restaurant Review AMAZING

Mr. Wandering Albatross took me to New York City for a suprise trip to celebrate our anniversary. He planned it out very carefully as always and we went to see Avenue Q on Broadway which was excellent and ate at Strip House - New York which was phenomenal!!!

The restaurant is located near Union Square which is just a short trip from Times Square. The outside is relatively unassuming but the food is so unbelievably good. The ambiance is interesting as it is decorated with old pin up girl pictures, nothing too risque by today's standards but I'm sure they caused a stir back in the early 1900's when they were taken.


Photo by Shanna Ravindra - http://nymag.com

We started with their Lobster Bisque - out of this world. And for our main course we ordered one of the specials for the day, Bone In Rib Eye for Two, which is the second best beef I've ever eaten and that's saying a lot. (The best is in Argentina) For sides we had their famous black truffle creamed spinach which I could have made a whole meal out of and goose fat potatoes which were great!


Photo by Shanna Ravindra - http://nymag.com

We had to change our reservation twice because we were stuck in traffic and they were very accommodating. And then we were still late and they still held a table for us. Then we only had an hour to eat before the show and they got it all in with such remarkable service that we never felt rushed but we were never waiting either.

All in all the food was great, the ambiance was great, the service was outstanding, and the price was not bad considering, less than what we expected. If you like steak and are in NYC and don't eat here then you're seriously missing out.

Dining at Hotel Stary, Krakow

After a day of meetings in Krakow, my local colleagues treated me to dinner at Hotel Stary, right near the main market square. "Stary" means "old" in Polish, and the hotel is housed in a building likely erected in the 15th century. The hotel opened in 2006 and the interior blends modern style with the building's ancient architecture.

We took the glass elevator up to the roof to begin our visit with wine on the highest terrace (I counted three terraces in total), with a lovely view of the square (see photo on left). We then headed down to the restaurant for a formal dinner. The bread basket was one of the best I've experienced, with a great variety of breads and breadsticks to sample while we waited. Complimentary polenta with what I think was chicken livers (or some other tiny organ, surprisingly tasty) was delivered before the main course. The three of us all ordered the veal in marjoram sauce with pureed vegetables, which was extremely tender and delicious. Prior to dessert, complimentary chocolates were served. My dessert was an amazing chocolate creation with honey sauce and cumin ice cream. Yes, cumin ice cream - sounds weird but tasted very good.

What little I saw of the hotel (mainly the lobby) was a good sign that the rooms and other amenities are probably pretty cool. The hotel boasts two indoor swimming pools, sauna & steam room, gym with classes like Pilates yoga, and more. Not to mention, the location is a great starting point for wandering Krakow's quaint streets and seeing the historic sites.

My overall rating of the Hotel Stary for food, restaurant service, and view: fabulous!

More photos of the hotel, and the very cool rooms, can be found on Expedia. Rates start at 195EUR per night for a single room.

Hotel Stary

Szczepanska 5
Krakow, 31-011

http://www.stary.hotel.com.pl/

Foodie Fridays: Greek Lamb Pilaf

When I travel for business, the best parts of the trips are always the meals. I've become a more adventurous eater over the past few years, and have tried such interesting dishes as roasted springbok in South Africa, salted fish in Russia, and some fried animal part in Mexico that my friend refused to give me details on (smart - I probably wouldn't have eaten it, otherwise!).

Going forward, Fridays will be dedicated to recipes from around the world that I (or Wandering Albatross and Voyageuse) have either tried or want to try. For those of us lacking in culinary skills, it will be a chance to put something other than pizza on the table on a Friday night, and serve as a reminder of a tasty meal had on vacation or as inspiration for our next trip.

I subscribe to Cooking Light magazine, and tried this yummy recipe for Greek lamb pilaf from the June issue. I'm not much of a cook, but it's a very easy one-pot dish that tasted nearly as good as leftovers the next day. My local grocery store was all out of ground lamb, so I substituted lean ground beef instead.

2 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)

3/4 cup chopped carrot (about 1 carrot)

3 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 pound lean ground lamb

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 1 tomato)

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add first 4 ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring to crumble lamb. Stir in rice and cinnamon; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in chopped tomato, 3 tablespoons parsley, mint, lemon juice, and salt. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

Enjoy!