Big, Bright and Blue...

 It's was a beeeeeeeeeeautifully sunny day today, the sky was big bright and blue!

Out & About...

 Tut tut, it looks like rain!

Pies & Thighs...

You wouldn't think it to look at it, but this little place does deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious fried chicken and biscuits...

Just round the corner from the Williamsburg Bridge, at the quieter end of Williamsburg is Pies & Thighs (as seen on the Food Network apparently!).

I mistakenly thought that it was pies as in the chicken and mushroom pies you get at the fish and chip shops back at home, so I got very excited - but it meant pies as in key lime pie and cheesecakes and stuff (so Miss Turner was pleased!).

We went there for a spot of brunch with Amelia, Robyn and Kelly who was over from Arkansas, and I think she felt right at home with the food as it was all fried chicken, grits, biscuits and sausage gravy.

Abi and I couldn't quite stomach the grits or the sausage gravy, so Abi had a 'Lumberjack' - pancakes, eggs, bacon, and homefries, and I had some fried chicken and biscuits.

Biscuits, as I learnt in Arkansas mean something very different in America compared to back at home. Biscuits here are more like really buttery, flakey scones. Scones here are more like big cakey versions of our biscuits... it's all a bit confusing - but biscuits on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are delicious.

It was really busy when we arrived - we had to wait outside with about 12 other people waiting for tables, and after eating there I can see why there was such a wait. The food was delicious and it was so nice and cozy inside. 

I'd very happily go back for some more of their delicious fried chicken!

Happy Thanksgiving...

Well, Abi and I are full up and fit to burst, we've had turkey, stuffing, sausages wrapped in bacon and a couple of green things - I think they're called vegetables.

It's been a beautifully sunny day and we've had a lovely relaxing time... I can't believe this is our 3rd Thanksgiving together in this apartment and my 5th Thanksgiving in America!!!!

Time if flying by so fast! So it's lovely to take a day to stop and think about all the things we're thankful for... and we have a lot to be thankful for.

(P.S. This isn't my picture, but this is how the Empire State Building is lit up at Thanksgiving... all nice and turkey coloured!)

Pot Luck Pasties...

Yesterday we had our second annual Thanksgiving Pot Luck lunch, where everyone brings in a dish and we have a huge feast. This year was waaaaaaaay bigger than last year, I think we have about 50% more people in the studio now, so there was a LOT of food.

Abi made the most deeeeeeeelicious apple strudle cheesecake bars (I'm hoping she might make them again for actual Thanksgiving) and I made Thanksgiving Pasties (with turkey, sage, onion, sweet potato and carrots inside - I even made the pastry, with some help from Miss Turner)...

Luckily there were just enough of the cheesecake and the pasties to bring back for our tea.

Now it's time to start preparing for actual Thanksgiving!

Wreck It Ralph...

We've seen a few films over this passed week, Flight (new Denzel Washington film... very good), Skyfall (amazing!) and Wreck It Ralph. Wreck It Ralph was absolutely BRILLIANT!

It's the new Disney animation, it's all about computer games, and I can't wait to see it again. I'm not sure when it's out back home, but it's definitely worth going to see!

Buckyball...

There's a new art installation up in Madison Square Park, a fancy light installation by Leo Villareal called 'Buckyball'...

The two balls light up in allsorts of different colours, in different patterns, at different times - it's pretty mesmerising to watch.

Surrounding the light ball are 4 big wooden lounging benches, so you can lie back and watch all the lights changing... and probably fall asleep, I know I would...

Stars, Stripes, Statues & Skyscrapers...

You can see 'em all outside Grand Central!

The Blue Line...

Out & About (Cars, Cars, Cars)...

 There certainly are some lovely cars around Brooklyn!

Out & About...

From some mooching over the long weekend... 

 

How & Nosm - Bowery Mural...

There's a new mural up on the Bowery Art Wall, this time it's by How & Nosm...

Do Or Dine...

Abi and I have been wanting/meaning to go to Do Or Dine for aaaaaaaaaaaaaages, and last night we finally went.

Do Or Dine (named after Bed Stuy's motto - Do Or Die) is a unique little restaurant in Bed Stuy, it opened a year or so ago and there's been a lot of hype about it ever since. The head chef Justin recently took time away from the restaurant to enter 'The Food Network's Next Star' programme - and won!

He was the 'quirky' one on the programme, cooking things like deep fried fish skeletons (for Halloween) - and there are similar (but less gruesome sounding) things on the menu at Do Or Dine.

So, Justin's got a popular restaurant in Brooklyn, he won a TV competition which means he'll be a host on the Food Network now, he'll probably end up having a book out soon too, but he was there last night, being front of house, greeting everyone who came in, taking drinks orders and bring people their food.

From the outside, you wouldn't really know it was a restaurant - Do Or Dine took over an old bodega/deli shop in a not very nice area on Bedford Avenue (not the fancy gentrified end of Bedford Avenue, it's at our end, the Bed Stuy end), they didn't really change anything on the outside, expect spray paint the metal gate that goes down over the windows...

They've still got the old awning up and everything... which I love.

Then you walk in, through the curtain and it feels like you're in someone's living room or dining room or something, it's very cozy and relaxed, there's a disco ball in the ceiling, a lovely old bar in the back corner and a brilliant mosaic tiled floor...

I think we arrived at the perfect time - we were there at about 8pm, but by the time we left there were people waiting for tables as you can't make reservations. We were able to walk right in and get a table without any problems though.

The menu was amazing - a bit confusing - but fascinating too. Some of the descriptions were a we bit odd, listing ingredients neither of us had ever heard off (it could be seen, and probably is, a wee bit pretentious  but we didn't really mind, as long as we knew what meat we were getting we were sure it would taste delicious)...

The dish that Do Or Dine is probably most famous for is their Foie Gras Donut! Which is on both the starters and the pudding menu... we gave that a miss, despite our curiousity.

Instead, Abi had some amazing nacho dumplings (they tasted like cheese nachos but in tidy little thai dumpling parcels) and I had frogs legs (!) in a Dr. Pepper Glaze. It was the first time either of us had had frogs legs - the crispy bits were delicious, and the glaze was amazing... it does taste a lot like chicken, if chicken was a fish.

Then Abi had a delicious salmon with super crispy skin and crispy mashed potato and I had duck breast on some white beany/buckwheaty type mixture and kiwi... it was all so so delicious!

Even the drinks were good - Abi had a cocktail with a sprig of Rosemary in it, which sounded weird but tasted amazing.

We could see why there was so much hype about the place - and it was certainly popular, by the time we left every table was full and there were people at the bar. There was a great atmosphere, very relaxed and not all showy and snobby, as it could have been serving the experimental food that they do.

Apparently they do a mighty fine brunch, so I think we'll be heading back to try that out soon!

It's great that there's a restaurant like Do Or Dine in our area, I think it'll attract people away from places like Williamsburg and show them that there are other exciting areas around Brooklyn. There's still so many places and areas we've not visited yet - but if there's some delicious food to be had there, we'll go!