It is so weird being back home. From the moment we stepped off the airplane in Newark Airport (which used to be my second home), my stress level went up slightly. It was a stressful time before leaving for Vancouver, so I'm working on disassociating that feeling with the location.
Anyway, it has been really great seeing old faces! We had a blast with our college friends in Philly, forgetting how good a greasy cheesesteak is at 1:00am. Melvin went out with the guys on Friday night and I with the gals on Saturday night. Julian had a few play dates, so all were very happy.
Our restaurant of choice on Saturday was Koozeedoo, which features Portuguese fare in the Northern Liberties neighborhood. Having been to Portugal twice (Lisbon & Sintra), it definitely brought me back. The food was excellent and is shared family style, so we dined on Duck with Baked Rice (excellent-good call by my friend Beverly), Seafood Feijoada (tasty, but I prefer Brazilian Feijoada - if you are ever in Brazil there is a huge Feijoada buffet at the Sofitel Hotel Rio de Janeiro every Saturday that is to die for), Potato Croquettes (also tasty, but the Spaniards do it better), Steak with Fried Potatoes & Fried Egg (excellent - so glad we got 2 orders of this!), Shrimp with Hot Sauce (yummy, yum, yum and it had major kick) and finally, Bread Soup with Mushrooms, Cheese & Poached Egg (could've done without...gimme the mushrooms and hold everything else). For dessert, I got the traditional egg custard, which was just good. I was really hoping for a traditional Pasteis de Nata, but I guess there's nothing like the original in Lisbon. If you ever find yourself in Lisbon, make your way to Antiga Confeitaria de Belem, which is located by the waterfront in Belem. They let you take those bad boys on the airplane, so I brought back a dozen (not to share) and it was just heaven. There is also a place in Newark, NJ (Teixeira Bakery) that sells them and they are a good fix, since Lisbon is not a hop, skip, jump away.
Last night, we went to Ephendi with our Rockland friends and had a wonderful time. Ephendi (New City, NY) is the sister restaurant of Turkois Grille (Airmont, NY) and features Turkish cuisine, which is amazing. We each had our own plate and I have to say that this place does not have a bad dish on the menu. The food is so fresh, whether it's the fish, kebobs (lamb, chicken, etc) or appetizers. The main dishes are served with a bulgar pilaf in tomato sauce that is just to die for. It was definitely a great night with good food and friends.
Okay, must get ready for the day. We have been shopping like crazy because sales tax in Vancouver is 12%, so need to stock up on kids clothes while we are here. We also got the kids' Halloween costumes - Thomas the Train for Julian and a Hot Pink Ladybug for the little one. I'm going to need a vacation from this vacation for sure.
