DC Eats: BlackJack

I am not a huge seafood person but I made my way upstairs to BlackJack on 14th street NW. I just discovered they are apart of the same restaurant group as Pearl Dive which is where I originally thought I was going. The two places are slightly different.

I had the pleasure of going for a friends birthday celebration. I love how the booths are set up. You feel like you are in your own little area and you can actually hear each other. Very cool set up. I took a look at drinks and food and decided to go for the Moscow Mule which I have been curious about for years. Come to find out, it’s the same as a Dark & Stormy but with vodka. Where have I been and why wasn’t I on that drink before? 

 I ordered for my main dish a shrimp dish. I can not find it on any online menus so here goes my description, nice sized seasoned shrimp on the top of a piece of toasted bread. Licks lips in desperation for it again! It was delicious. I got a side of the french fries which comes with three sauces; cayenne aioli, dive aioli, and ketchup. Very tasty fries and it comes with a great amount. 

 I would like to go back just for these dishes but I also saw some other things I would like to try next time as well. All my seafood lovers should check this place out. 

NY Eats: Yatenga French Bistro & Bar

So for my last day in NY, I was determined to try one last restaurant and make it to a happy hour. Yatenga French Bistro & Bar was a must check out. They have an awesome happy hour from 4pm to 8pm. I usually don’t go for white wine but the white wine I tried was amazing.  

 They started us out with bread and olive oil which was so good. The bread was fresh and warm. 

 The main dish was huge. We went for the Chef Special Gambas which comes with shrimp, macaroni, bechamel, parmesan cheese, spinach, mushroom, ham, and garlic sauce. The chef knew my best friend and I were newbies to the spot so they brought it out on two different plates. It was so much food and they didn’t skimp on the shrimp. Lol! Very good and very fresh food. 

 I also tried their frozen margarita which was soooo good. I thought I was tired once I made it to my bus to head back to DC but it had me pass out at soon as I sat on the bus. Lol!

NY Eats: La Bodega 47

While in NY for vacation, my best friend and I decided to do something spontaneous. We decided to walk around Harlem and eat somewhere we’ve never eaten before. We actually walked into La Bodega 47 and walked back out. We were looking for a weekend Happy Hour and that was super tough to find. We walked to one more spot and decided La Bodega 47 was going to be the winning spot.   When you walk in, it’s a huge velvet curtain keeping you anticipating on what’s inside. I thought that made this spot really cute and intimate. We looked over the menu and saw various dishes that sounded great. 

I ended up going for the Sunday Supper which includes 1 small plate, 1 larger plate, and a 1/2 carafe sangria or rum punch for $27. I went for the Sangria. My small plate was bodega mac and cheese which was made with Canadian aged cheddar, blue and pecorino.  I want to go back to NY just for this. I love mac and cheese!The larger plate for me was the basil curry chicken which is made with cocunut, mild green curry, basil, and jasmine rice. This was good but if I paid for this as a solo dish for $15, I would tell you it wasn’t worth it. It was still flavorful but I’ve had better. 

 My best friend got the turkey burger which he got with cheese, bacon, and onion. It looked so good and the bacon strips on it looked amazing. They did not hold back on the bacon. Lol.

Also this bar apparently has over 130 varieties in rum.  I love the atmosphere and we had a really cool bartender. I would definitely go back.  

Wedding Guest Outfit Interpretation

Wedding Guest Outfit Interpretation by frankyj featuring gold shoes

Haute Hippie white shirt / Cluny brown skirt / J/Slides gold shoes / Accessorize beaded purse / Cara gold jewelry / Jules Smith stud earrings / Smashbox matte lipstick

Beach Party Wear

Beach Party Wear by frankyj featuring a black ruffle swimsuit

River Island summer cover up, $52 / Doris Streich ruffle swimwear / Hurley one piece swimsuit / Phase Eight cotton beach cover up, $58 / Black halter top / Topshop black ruffle swimsuit, $54 / White House Black Market evening sandals / Windsor Smith platform wedge sandals / Tommy Hilfiger wedge heel sandals

Spring is Finally Peeking

Spring is Finally Peeking by frankyj featuring Topshop

Miss Selfridge crop top / Chicnova Fashion slim fit coat / Topshop activewear pants / Soles sole footwear, $98 / MARC BY MARC JACOBS black purse / Michael kors earrings / Bling Jewelry sterling silver jewelry / Manic Panic lips makeup

 

Starting on Sunday, we got a glimpse of what Spring has in store. We are in for warmer weather and I’m excited. I can finally retire my coat for the season. What are you all looking forward to in the Spring?