Chickichanga Living It Up in Astoria

This morning I had a delicious Acai, strawberry, and banana smoothie at a little place called Rios Mania. It's a cafe on 28th avenue between 37 and 38 street and they play Brazilian pop music, which I very much enjoyed.
I am a huge fan of smoothies, but have had a hard time finding a place that makes them in the consistency I like. This place made them creamy and you tasted every fruit. Rios Mania also had what looked like delicious lunch crepes and healthy breakfast options, such as granola, fr… Continue

There seems to be at least one French bistro on every block in Manhattan. In Astoria, they are very few and far between. I have always been a big fan of French bistro staples- moules frites, hanger steak, a well-done croque monsieur. So, when I was walking down 30th avenue and saw all my favorites listed on a menu at Bistro Les Minots, I had to stop in! Let me say that all those French bistros in Manhattan have nothing on this p… Continue

I just got back from a wonderful day of wine-tasting in Long Island with some friends. We fortunately had a designated driver, which I'm sure sucked for him, but it was great for us, because we were able to drink-up a storm. (Thanks d.d!)

Our friends picked us up at 9:30 this morning and we started the 2 hour drive. An hour in we were starving! So, we stopped at a small deli for some sandwiches. I treated myself to a root beer and cookies too. I know it was a one day trip, but in my head it cou… Continue

Yesterday I went to Long Beach with a group of friends. The day was perfect- sunny, blue skies, a nice breeze. We laid out for most of the day, with a few occasional dips in the water. During one of those dips, our friend James said he thought he'd cut his foot, but continued body-surfing. When he got out of the water though, that cut made itself known. His foot started gushing blood from the huge gash on his toe! His girlfriend, Emily, took him to the lifeguard's stand, who said that James had… Continue