Weekend Review: Greveys and Bully Meetup

Hi All! I hope you had a good weekend! Justin and I had a pretty fun weekend! On Saturday, we went to Grevey's Sports Bar to watch the UK vs. Auburn basketball game.  Keith Bogans, a DeMatha grad and former UK player (and current Brooklyn Nets player) was there doing a fundraiser, in memory of his late sister who died of breast cancer. The name of the organization is Kristi's Wish and they were doing tons of stuff to raise money, such as autograph signings and raffles. They even had a Maker's Mark glass dipping table, using the Kentucky blue wax. 

A closer shot of the freshly dipped glasses...

Supposedly they even had hot browns; however, I found that out after we already ordered. It was fine because I was totally content with what we ended up getting...nachos! I love nachos and that side of jalapenos was all mine! 

On Sunday, we woke up bright and early to take Louie and Derby to the Bully Breed Meetup that was going on at the Old Towne Pet Resort. Justin and I had never been there before, so we were excited to take them to a different environment to meet some new friends!

The facility was clean, spacious, and really had a spa-like feel! They took us to the back where the "pawty" was at and even wrote their names on the window upon their arrival!

There were a bunch of cuties at the playdate like this English bulldog...

And of course Louie and Derby were constantly at the "punch bowl" (aka" the water bowl), so we had to coax them a little bit to be more social.  Overall, I would say they played well with others!

There were a bunch of cute brindle-coated frenchies...

Here's a shot of all the action indoors. I wonder if this is what parents do when they have kids on playdates? Stand around and watch, maybe? :)

After a majority of the dogs left, we decided to head outside because it wasn't as crowded. The staff was friendly and attentive, which was much appreciated because bully breeds have the tendency to be really bossy and rough!

Before we left, they gave us some goodie bags packed with water and treats. What a nice gesture! As we were walking out, we saw a kissing booth.  The boys and I had Justin snap a couple of pictures of us before we left. 

What did you do this weekend? Did you spend it with your kiddies or pets? In addition to game watching and doggie playdates, Justin and I also went out for a fabulous meal for Restaurant Week, but I'll update you on that in another post. :)

Brooklyn for the Day for the Barclay's Classic - MD vs. KY

Due to Hurricane Sandy, Justin and I were really worried about going to New York City for the Barclay's Classic. We were originally going to make it a fun Veteran's Day weekend in Brooklyn and Manhattan since Justin has never been. Instead, we opted to make it an overnight trip, to spare us from the gas shortages and additional expenses, especially since we had just returned from Europe last weekend (I promise my Europe trips posts will be up soon enough!). 

So we left on Friday morning to head up to our hotel in Park Slope, Brooklyn and while we were waiting for our hotel room to be ready, the concierge suggested we walk a couple blocks to 5th Avenue and explore the shops and restaurants on that street. As soon as we got there I saw the Chip Shop of Travel Channel's Deep Fried Paradise fame! That made our decision for lunch easy! Although we were just in London just a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist the opportunity for some deep fried goodness! Below is a picture of the fish and chips that I had. For dessert, we had the deep friend Snickers, which was delicious. 

With our hotel room ready, we barely had a few hours to get ready for the dinner reservation that lay ahead--Peter Luger Steak House! Yes, we would be eating again, which would be a common theme of this trip. Now this place needs no introduction, as it has been featured on several TV shows and is a Top Zagat's pick for several years running.

We started off with the thick-cut bacon slices, which were perfectly crisp, providing the right balance of meat and fat! Yum!

Our steak came out a perfect medium (as requested) and it was like "buddah"! The steak literally melted in your mouth, no joke! I don't know how they do it, but it was incredible! The pic below is the "Steak for Two" (with some pieces missing since I forgot to take the picture at first).

Although we were stuffed from the Chip Shop (a few hours earlier) and the huge steak, as I always say, "There's always room for dessert!" At the suggestion of our wonderful waiter, we indulged in their creamy cheesecake, complete with Peter Luger gold coins!

After our hefty meal at Peter Luger's, we caught a cab to the new Barclay's Center for the UK-Maryland Basketball game.  Because we had some time before tip-off, we decided to head over to the bar within the arena for a couple of pregame beers.  Low and behold, we run into Papa John himself, decked out in UK blue.  Justin immediately called for my camera to grab the photo op.  Papa John was happy to oblige, even though I was decked out in my Maryland red.

The game was closer than either me or Justin had predicted.  In the end, the Wildcats edged out my beloved Terps in the last minute, but the effort they put forth made for some optimism for this year's basketball season.  Justin spent most of the game "not so happy" with his team's rebounding; however, he was happy to take the win.  Here are a few shots of the game, including a shot of Digger Phelps and company during the halftime show:

 

At the suggestion of many who knew we were rolling up to Brooklyn/NY for the game, we found a nearby pizza joint to pick up some pizza slices.  After walking over 2 miles from the arena, these slices of pizza were a great idea.  We were just surprised that we were hungry, especially with all the food we ate earlier in the day, and the number of beers we drank during the game.  Starting clockwise, there is a white pizza slice, a "barbecue chicken" slice, a "lasagna" slice, and a pepperoni slice.  The "barbecue chicken" slice was more of a "General Tso's Chicken" slice; however, the slice was still pretty tasty.  The "lasagna" slice actually tasted like lasagna, but my favorites were the more traditional pizza slices we picked (i.e. the white pizza slice, and the pepperoni pizza slice.)

Unfortunately, our trip to Brooklyn/NY was only for the night.  Before we drove back to DC, we decided to indulge in one more notable food item of the area.  After searching Yelp for a nearby deli, we stumbled upon David's Brisket House.  What trip to the area would not be complete without a NY-style pastrami sandwich?  I opted for the "regular" pastrami sandwich, which was a beast of a sandwich.  The meat was great, being tender, moist, and full of flavor.  Justin got a brisket and pastrami sandwich, which towered over my own.  I don't know why Justin is squinting, but it may be the fact that he's overjoyed to finally have a real NY-style deli sandwich.  

Although our trip was for only one night, the two of us had a blast.  Even Justin enjoyed his first exposure to Brooklyn/NYC, and can't wait to visit again in the near future.  He still needs to see Times Square, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty.  In addition, there are a number of restaurants we both want to try out in Manhattan.  Anyone have any suggestions for our next trip to NYC?

Weekend Review - April Edition

Weekend Review - April Edition (aka: the month of basketball, brunch, birthdays and baseball!)

Since my individual reviews of each weekend haven't been making the blog (insert tired excuse here), I decided to wrap all the weekends in April into one giant picture-filled post. Yes, I know that April isn't over yet, but don't stop me while I am on a roll here :)

In case you've been living under a rock, you should already know that my husband's beloved 'Cats won the NCAA National Basketball Championship. During the Elite Eight and Final Four we opted to watch the games at the closest true University of Kentucky bar in the DC area, Grevey's.

Here I am posing with the UK folding chair I won during the raffle. Too bad we would later find out it was defective :( But who knows? Maybe we'll try to fix it?

Here is a shot of the owner, Kevin Grevey. He is a former UK and Washington Bullets basketball player. He's KY in DC to a "T"!



Amidst all the game watching, we managed to grab merienda (aka: afternoon snack) at Pound. They are known for their coffee (the nutella latte seen below was to die for!) but they just introduced a dinner menu. Justin and I will be having dinner there soon enough. I bought a Bloomspot coupon for a dinner and wine pairing so we could check it out!

On Easter Sunday we took part in at the famous, Georgia Browns brunch--complete with buffet, dessert bar (with a chocolate fountain!), and take home meal. Here's Justin about to dig in (sorry for the sucky lighting).

And me ready with fork in hand!

By the way, we found out that our House Hunters episode had aired the night before so while we were waiting to be seated we got recognized. :)

Justin and I also managed to catch a Nationals game while they are on their best start yet!

We have been wanting to catch the Nats play the Reds (the team Justin followed during his college years in Cincinnati) for quite sometime so we got the opportunity to see them last Friday. 

The game went into extra innings and despite all the heat we've been experiencing, the night got to be really chilly--as evidenced by our hoodies. Luckily, we were able to pull off a win! :)

Lastly, we attended my uncle's 65th Birthday Party and it was truly an event not to be missed! Justin and I didn't really know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised with each event as the night progressed.

The night started off with Mass (right in the hotel, how cool is that?) in honor of the birthday celebrant. Justin and I were didn't know that there was going to be a Mass, but it was a neat surprise because it was a wonderful and meaningful service. We were also glad because "it counted." You Catholics know what I mean. :)

Next, the evening continued with food and lots of fun entertainment!

First, there was the guitarist and the flamenco dancer....

Then, various people sang some tunes. Here's a picture of my cousin and the birthday boy himself singing the BeeGee's "How Deep is Your Love."

They even got a Julliard-trained violist to perform!

It was a fun night from beginning to end!

As evidenced by my April recap, we haven't been working on too much house stuff as of late. In April, we let our social calendars take over, but hopefully by next month we'll be getting some work around the house done! Stay tuned!

UK Basketball Can be Hazerdous to Your Health (and Home!)

Not much has to be said, but the following statement speaks for itself:

Kentucky:  72  Indiana:  73 

I'll the pictures speak for themselves...