Dreams Do Come True!!

Of ALL the people, in ALL of the world...including singers, rockstars, movie stars, sports players, etc...the person I wanted to meet most, above all else, was 

Augusten Burroughs.

And tonight, folks, that happened!!!!!!!!!

I can barely contain my excitement. Augusten is my all-time favorite author. He wrote Running With Scissors, Dry, A Wolf at the Table, Sellevision, Magical Thinking, A Christmas Story, oh and the list goes on! He inspires me to write more than any author ever. 

Every book tour he's ever had never came to the city I was living in at the time. But a few months ago, I found out he was writing another book - which means, another book tour, and now that I live in NYC, my city was first on his tour!!!!! The excitement I felt when I learned this was unmatchable. 

So tonight, I leave work & went directly to the book signing. I didn't really know what to expect or if I'd even get to catch a glimpse of him. So I showed up at the venue, Barnes and Nobles, purchased his book that came out today, and they told me because I bought the book I got to hang out in the roped off area.

This made me happy.

At 7pm he came on stage, did an amazing shpeal about life in general, then had a Q&A session with us in the audience. THEN, afterwards, he said he'd sign everyone's book!!!! It was this moment when I realized I may get to conversate with my idol. 

I waited in line for a good 45 minutes before it was my turn (worth every second). When my turn arrived, I walked onto the stage, told him he's my favorite author of all time, and miles above any other author that I enjoy reading, and he thanked me very sincerely and told me it meant a lot to him. I assumed he heard this all the time, but his gratitude was still anything but transparent. :) 

I was spontaneously prompted by curiosity to know who HIS favorite author is, so I asked. He said maybe Elizabeth Bird, maybe other people,  stumbled over it for a few more seconds, and then concluded that he couldn't think at the moment to give me a concrete answer. He laughed, and said I caught him off guard. Jokingly, I told him he could just go ahead and say himself :) he laughed and said "Gawd no! Not me!" 

What an endearing fellow. 

I then asked if we could take a picture together, and he obliged, which lead to the documentation of my best day ever :)

I can't believe I really met the man whose books inspire me to write more than anything else.

What a good day!!

#Thankful

:)

FOOD in the City

SO it's been a while since I blogged...apparently New York City has been keeping me busy! But now that we're actually all settled in, I'm hoping to find more time to drop some blogs :) Keep reading to hear about the deliciousness that is New York Ciy!

FOOD

One of my favorite things about the city, (if not THE favorite thing), is the food here. Seriously. Anything you want, any time of day... If you can think it, you can have it. I'll hit you with my top 5 spots so far!


1) 16 Handles - self-serve frozen yogurt: It's absolutely delicious and I've been there like 7 times already. Their flavors are perfect and include, but are not limited to, Chocolate, Dulce De Leche, Red Velvet, Birthday Cake, Greek Honey, Coconut, and Peanut Butter. I tend to mix all of the aforementioned flavors together for the ultimate tastebud party...you're welcome, t-buds. THEN, the toppings...oh the toppings! The freshest fruit, chocolate covered prezels,granola, sprinkles, mochi, and more! I can't even begin to give the toppings selection justice. Do yourself a favor, if you're ever in NYC, frequent this joint :)


A little scoop of heaven is pictured below:

2)Yakiniku West - Asian: This place is a real gem in the East Village if you're looking for a fun and unique dining experience. When you walk in the door, you have to take off your shoes; once barefoot, you're lead to a low-sitting table to where you can choose to sit indian style if you wish. The food choices are vast and everything is served to you raw - you cook it on the grill in front of you. My Aunt Missy drove out from Long Island to take Ale, my cousin (Nadine - she lives in Brooklyn), and I to eat here! We dined on chicken, steak, sushi, and cow tongue. Feast your eyes on this feast:

3) Del Frisco's Grille - Steakhouse: So my roommate from college who I haven't seen in 2 YEARS came to visit me!! It was such a great night. We went to Del Frisco's in Rockefeller center. She works at one in Philly, so she knows the GM who hooked.us.up!! We ate everything from lamb burger sliders, to tuna tacos, to philly cheesesteak eggrolls (yes eggrolls...so delicious!). I ordered the Tuna Salad as my entree and I would certainly recommend it. Everything about the meal was notable - including the martinis ("VIP" - pineapple infused martini..beyond refreshing and delicious!) Then DESSERT - nutella bread pudding and coconut creme pie (both pictured below) were the perfect way to finish such a meal. Great service!!

4) East Japanese - Sushi: This was one of the coolest sushi restaurants I've ever been too. The sushi comes around on a conveyer belt that loops around the tables throughout the whole restaurant. You just take off a plate when you see one you like! Tedy, Ale, Ale's sister (who was here visiting this week) and I all got our sushi fix during this meal! It was very reasonably priced with a great atmosphere!! I highly suggest it!!

5) BRUNCH: Everywhere in NYC: Since being in the city, I've grown a whole new appreciation for the art of brunch. I've always been a fan, but I've never had so many options! I LOVE Huevos Rancheros and try to get that wherever I go to brunch! There are so many different variations of it depending on the restaurant, so it's hard to get bored with it! See pictures below - 1st pic was at Turning Point right over the river in Hobokem, and the second is Huevos Rancheros form this morning's brunch at Spoon! SO GOOD!!

FYI:

The fruit should also not go unmentioned when talking about food. The fruit bowls are absolutely delicious and fresh everywhere you order them in the city. AND the fruit man on the site of the road by my apt has great produce for very cheap! I've become a frequent customer of his :) Enjoy!!