Hiatus and Return!

Hi all – I know it’s been awhile since I posted.  If you follow me on Instagram though, you’ve seen that I’ve been quiet but not starving.  This past year has been a busy whirlwind – that culminated with me quitting my job in DC and moving to NYC!  Well, to Jersey City, which is right across the river and allows me more space for the four fur children. But that means a new city with new food and new adventures.  I don’t do New Year’s resolutions but I am going to try to post more here.  I think this will be easier to keep because I’m happier here, I can feel it.  I’ve always liked to eat but I never wanted to go out in DC but I’ve been in Jersey City a little over a week and I’m hardly ever in the apartment!  So much exploring and of course, eating!

Here is the view from my new neighborhood: 

Pretty amazing, right?

Well, I’ve already had my first foodie adventure, too.  There’s something very relaxing and liberating about exploring a city and going out on your own.  Last Sunday, I went to dinner and to a blues club on my own.  I went to Veselka, which once I discovered it, I started seeing it everywhere – in articles I read, in the shows I watch (OK, OK – I’m a Gossip Girl junkie – Dan Humphrey forever!).  It’s a popular Ukrainian diner right near NYU and I saw it on a list of top things to do solo in NYC.  It’s been around for 65 years and is a favorite spot of locals and college students alike.  It lived up to the hype – I ordered their potato pierogis with caramelized onions and sour cream and the chicken paprikash.  The chicken paprikash, which on its own was a formidable dish, also came with a side, so out came a plate of fries, too.Needless to say, it was perfect.  Comfort food on a cold day, after walking almost a half mile from the subway.  I sat at the counter and watched as food orders came up and listened to the employees go back and forth in Russian – I was happy to just blend in.

After all of that food, I figured my penance would be to walk another mile to Terra Blues where I had made a reservation to see some live blues music.  It’s right on Bleecker St. where other famous and popular music and comedy venues reside.  I walked in and was the first one there (my newbie tourist status was never more evident).  It was completely dark inside except for a few very soft lamps and the small candles on each table top in front of the stage.  It felt cozy and intimate.  When the performer took the stage, it was just him and a guitar, and four people, including me.  I sipped on a Pimm’s Cup in the semi-dark and listened to the music and honestly, it was a perfect moment.  I was on a date with myself.  The bar slowly filled up, but it was the most relaxed I felt in awhile.  I left around 10 p.m. and leisurely walked to the PATH station that took me back to Jersey City.  I got in 20,000 steps and 9 miles that day!