Weekend Blowout!

Hands down, this past weekend was one of the best this year! We had 2 of my bridesmaids and their husbands come visit us - slumber party style. Literally - since we have a loft we would all get in our beds/sofa bed/air mattress and then proceed to talk to each other until we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer. We jammed a lot of sightseeing and food into 36 hours. Our legs and stomachs are still recouping today. But it sure was worth the weight gain and the leg pain!

Friday, I cooked lasagna and ate in the apartment. But then decided we needed to get some fresh air and walked a few blocks to Terroir Wine Bar which is a great little neighborhood place we go to on occasion.

Saturday morning we woke to Hubby playing "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys which of course got us all in the mood to get our game face on and tackle the city. That is exactly what we did! We walked through TriBeCa then SoHo and finally made it over to the Lower East Side to our destination brunch location -Essex. It was my first time eating at Essex and I now know why it is known for being one of the best in the city. Delicious and affordable!!
After a long relaxing brunch we jumped on the subway and made our way to Midtown and did some shopping while the guys hung out up by the park. We of course joined them in the park and decided to play with a rabid raccoon.
We talked it out and came to agreement that it might not be the smartest idea to continue playing with this little guy. So we moved on to Time Square. We had a first-timer with us and so this was a must see. The temperature dropped significantly so we headed back to the apartment and revived by some hot showers. And then headed back out to the West Village for dinner to a little understated Italian restaurant named, Bar Pitti. (We were introduced to this spot by our small group leaders - we are lucky enough to come here Sunday nights after small group) The food is wonderful and real Italian. (You might also spot a celebrity or two) Since it's a great local place -there was an hour wait (even at 9PM) So we headed to the Blind Tiger for a drink next to the fireplace until it was time to eat (at 10PM) At 11:30 we were scooted out because there were still a few people waiting to eat. We were all so excited about our great food that we walked down Bleecker St and played some darts at Bleecker St Bar. Finally, came home to have another slumber party.

Yesterday, we woke up and made breakfast at the apartment and then walked all around Ground Zero and then hit up the Young Designers Market for some jewels. Then walked back down through Chinatown and got to the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked across and attempted to eat at Grimaldi's but of course there was a line and we had 4 people who had to catch a flight. So we instead ate at another pizza spot right around the corner and under the bridge. It also was great! By the time we finished our late lunch/early dinner it was time to pack up and say good-bye.

It was a fantastic weekend and can't wait to do it again - when its warm! Thanks for coming!!!