Hard to believe it’s almost May. Sometimes you must fall before you can fly, stumble before you can shine. Life can get crazy. Don’t let it pass you by without soaking it in and finding moments to enjoy each day, no matter how crappy some of those days can get.
So much has happened in the last few months that I need to hit rewind for a minute and take it back to when I found my groove here. January was fun but definitely an adjustment period. February is when things started falling into place and Brooklyn really started to feel like home. That month started off with a bang. Ironically, my horoscope said that February 2 was going to be a great day for me and it would set the month off on the right track, and it most certainly did.
My girl that lives in the area suggested Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst on a Friday night and what a treat it was. They are known for their Sicilian pizza, which was good but I also enjoyed the raspberry ice champagne cocktails they gave us complimentary; those little balls of mozzarella and prosciutto; the eggplant ragu as my entree; and of course, the vino (obvi). My girl’s chicken marsala looked tasty as well.
Feb 3, 2017
The waiters were all Italian boys with thick Brooklyn accents which made my first dining experience there even more pleasurable. I was feeling sassy and my girl only encouraged my wine muscles. At the end of our meal, I slipped the waiter my number in the bill (along with a very generous tip), handed the check to him and said ‘This is for you’ with my sly, totally unsubtle smile. SMH. As I walked out patting myself on the back for having the balls to do that, my friend wanted to confirm what just happened, so upon me exiting the building she went back in and asked our waiter if he was single…and of course he wasn’t. Oops! Note to future ‘feeling fine on wine’ self: Not all good looking waiters are single. But it made for a great laugh (still does) and an awesome first time at Spumoni. I obviously needed to drown my sorrows after that (just kidding, we couldn’t stop laughing), so we hit Cebu after dinner for some cocktails at the back bar. Cool little spot that I want to check out again.
The following Friday night I got a chance to check out Westlight, located in the brand new William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg. What a view from this place! My friends that live in Harlem snagged us a table by the window and it was incredible. The food, albeit expensive, was delicious. We sampled a bunch of small plates and ordered two bottles of champagne. The view alone makes it worth every penny, even though the outdoor deck wasn’t open but we still had a great view through the windows. One of the things I love the most about Brooklyn are the fantastic views you get of Manhattan. Living in Manhattan has its perks, but seeing how grand it is from the BK point of view is pretty fantastic.
Feb 10, 2017
Then we headed to the Brooklyn Bowl, my first time there. We drank vodka like it was going out of style, danced our asses off to the band and then an epic DJ dance party, made lots of new friends, and ended the night by laughing in my bed about what a kick ass time we had.
Who Run the World? GIRLS <3
The next day my girl Lauren and I decided to take a walking tour of the hood. Winter Storm Stella had just dropped a foot of ice and snow on NYC, but that wasn’t stopping us from exploring. It actually made it even more of an adventure. We suited up in our most fashionable snow gear and took a walk through Prospect Park, which was a snow covered, wine wonderland (we brought some Pinot G in to-go coffee cups to keep us warm, naturally).
Feb 11, 2017
Walking out of the park and seeing Grand Army Plaza always makes for a great photo shoot.
Talking and taking in the sights and sounds around us, we couldn’t help but overhear an argument a couple was having . The female seemed rather upset, hands in the air and raising her voice at him as we approached, so we figured this would be good and slowed our roll down so we could listen in. As the male’s head hung low, and we anticipated the accusation of cheating or other scandalous actions to begin spewing from her mouth, she looks him in the eye and yells ‘I just can’t take it anymore. WHEN are you going to stop…with the TICKLING?!’ We could barely contain our laughter as we scurried away. Who knew tickling could be such an issue in relationships these days?
Lauren and I strolled for hours that day, and we had so much fun. We stopped at the wine store that delivers, then at Henri on 5th for some fried goodness (that honey dipping sauce was everything) and cocktails while we chatted with the pretty bartender.
Capped off a super fun day with dinner at Nostra, an Italian BYO, one of few in the area. I highly recommend the Grilled Mozzarella with truffles for an appetizer.
Yes, grilled. With truffles.
That weekend was exactly what I needed. Best friends, great food, dance parties, non-stop laughs and exploring the hood. I realized a defining moment for me was when Stella hit on February 9 and I was by myself in a snowstorm for the first time. I went out to shovel that morning only to find my front door was stuck shut since the wind had piled the snow up and then the ice came on top of it, with an old metal door – bad combination. After 15 minutes of figuring out how the F I was going to get the door open (options being considered were climbing out the window, removing the glass from the door or call the fire department), I was grateful that my next door neighbor heard me banging on the door as I tried desperately to get it open, and came and shoveled me out! It was so nice of him to do that and made me happy to know I had such kind neighbors.
Then it was on to shoveling which I had to do three times before it was all said and done. Then I looked at my car in the street, with snow and ice completely covering the tires from the plows that came through, and decided to let it go in the hopes it would melt. Of course, it was freezing cold the next three days so when I finally went to dig out, not much had melted and the ice made it even more difficult. It took me 45 min of blood, sweat and blisters but I shoveled that car out by myself. When I finally felt my tires moving and realized I did it, I felt like I won the Olympics. It may have been a small feat for most but the fact that I accomplished it on my own made me feel that I could do anything I put my mind to. I talked to my dad right after and he was so proud of me, so that made it even more inspiring. After all, every little girl wants to make their dad proud.
That day in February when I dug my car out from Stella’s ice and snowy wrath is the day I got my groove back. Proud. Accomplished. Fired Up. Thirsty for more and smiling because my adventures in Brooklyn had only just begun.
XoX,
Avril