Geronimo in New Haven, Connecticut

Over the weekend, I drove down to Connecticut to see some of my closest girlfriends from college. The five us stayed at our other friend, Tara's, new house Saturday night. It was so lovely catching up with them (I hadn't seen one of them in 3-4 years), drinking tequila, and just relaxing.

Upon our arrival at Tara's house, she greeted us with a variety of goodies, including a killer cheese plate and several tarts.

Later on in the afternoon, we went to visit Quinnipiac University, where we all went to school. Since we graduated, our school has built two more campuses, and has made a slew of other changes on its main campus (yes, I realize where my student loan money's going). Then, we stopped at Side Street - our old stomping grounds - for some drinks and appetizers before going back to Tara's to pretty ourselves for dinner.

In college, we always went out into New Haven to go dancing on bars, get wasted, and hope to not vomit on the shuttle ride back to campus (T.M.I.?). But, last weekend, we realized times have changed. Tara made us reservations at a restaurant called Geronimo in New Haven, and we actually went into the city to eat dinner.

Geronimo - which is named after the infamous Apache rebel whose current resting place is rumored to be somewhere on the Yale University campus - is a tequila bar and Southwest grill with a fun, lively atmosphere (they also have outdoor seating at the front of the restaurant, which would be even better during the spring/summer). It was a little chilly when we visited, so we opted to sit inside.

We kicked off our meal with two pitchers of margaritas to share amongst the table (pitchers cost $36; a single margarita costs $9. We basically got two margaritas for free by ordering the pitcher!). We ordered the Geronimo Margarita and the Passion Fruit Margarita (this might have a different name on their restaurant menu, F.Y.I.). (Also, please excuse the photos - I took all pictures with my iPhone).

Both margaritas were excellent, but I especially loved the Geronimo Margarita. It was basically a "regular" margarita, but it was made with obviously good quality tequila and fresh lime juice (no overly sugary sour mix here!).

While we sipped our margaritas, we enjoyed some complimentary bread and Tableside Guacamole ($15).

Our bread basket came with another kind of bread, too, but I didn't sample any until there was only cornbread left. I only tried a few bites of it, but it was wonderfully sweet with a hint of spice from the jalapenos studded throughout. The guacamole was also fantastic - incredibly fresh and packed with flavor, and the accompanying chips were sturdy and salty. Not sure if this was worth $15, but...it was a special occasion, after all.

For my entree, I went with the Portobello and Poblano Tacos ($10).

I seriously could have just eaten the portobello and poblanos by themselves with a fork (and I did, after all three of my soft tortillas were gone). I loved the combination of the meaty portobellos with the poblanos, and everything was very well-seasoned. My plate also came with radishes and pico de gallo for garnishes, which were welcome flavors and textures.

Overall, we had a fantastic meal at Geronimo. The lively atmosphere was perfect for us now-older folk on a Saturday night, while still not being too loud for us to enjoy each other's conversation. The food was also very well done (as were the margaritas). I would definitely go back to Geronimo the next time I'm in the area...especially once it's warmer, so I can enjoy their outdoor seating.

When was the last time you visited your "old stomping grounds"?

Mohegan Sun BrewFest

This past weekend, Z and I enjoyed a trip to Mohegan Sun for their first ever Sun BrewFest. Z won two tickets to all three sessions of the event plus an overnight Saturday stay via a retweet contest held by @BostonTweet.

It was a relaxing, fun weekend (and we also didn’t gamble any more than $20. Phew!). 

Because it was Mohegan’s first brewfest, it was clear a few kinks still need to be worked out (one example: the Uncas Ballroom, where the event was held, was huge…but only a small amount of space was used for vendors and lines). The brewfest was still a great way to discover new-to-us beers, though, including quite a few Connecticut-based breweries (Thomas Hooker’s Chocolate Truffle Stout was a favorite).

After trying a number of beers, we met some of my Quinnipiac friends for dinner at SolToro Tequila Grill (I highly recommend their Mushrooms and Spinach Enchiladas, $14). Then, we hit the casino…and later, one of the dance clubs. It was a blast!

The next morning, we overslept…and almost had to pay for that hotel room. Luckily, we were able to dodge that bullet and enjoyed brunch at Todd English’s Tuscany (the only place in Mohegan that serves breakfast/brunch past 12). I ordered a Frittata-Style Omelette ($10) with caramelized onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and goat cheese. The omelette came with well-seasoned potatoes (albeit a bit greasy) and my choice of toast (I went with the English muffin). 

Despite the abundance of goat cheese on my omelette, this breakfast definitely hit the spot (and it was able to kill the slight beer hangover we were both feeling).

We had a blast at Mohegan. Thanks again to @BostonTweet and Mohegan Sun for running the giveaway that made this all happen!

Have you ever won a Twitter contest before? If yes, what did you win? I won a Betty Crocker gift bag once!

Unapologetically Unimpressive

I used to go to Side Street Grille for the free, stale, buttery popcorn…and the free buffalo wings (which, by the way, most likely led to my eventual vegetarianism, given the mass quantities I ate).

I also used to go for the $2 beers (during happy hour), the quirky menu, and the perfectly dive-y atmosphere.

But last weekend, I went to Side Street Grille with some college friends for lunch – a real, adult, sit-down meal - that I actually paid money for. Oh, how times have changed.

Located in Hamden, Connecticut – about 10 minutes outside of New Haven – Side Street Grille is one of the few bars/restaurants located within walking distance of Quinnipiac University, my alma mater. I used to frequent this establishment at least once per week during my college days, so it was fun to go back and see what has changed. Or, in this case, what hasn’t. The place is still a dive – but clean and safe enough to be enjoyed by families and college kids alike. They’re also still serving up complimentary popcorn (which is still wonderfully stale and buttery, mind you). And while the menu has changed slightly, it’s still pretty much the same. The only big change this time around is that I only had one beer, and I paid full price for an actual meal there.

For my entrée, I ended up going with one of their specials that day: a tomato, arugula and mozzarella sandwich on ciabatta bread, served with fries and a pickle (sandwiches range from $9.99-$10.99).

Now that my palate has matured a little bit since college, I could tell that not much on this plate was fresh – meaning, the fries were clearly pre-frozen, and the bread was a little too chewy. However, realizing this gave me some comfort, knowing that the soon-to-be QU alumns would get to experience Side Street Grille for what it is: unimpressive, and unapologetic for it. I can’t wait to go back the next time I’m in Hamden.

Do you have a favorite dive bar/restaurant?

Weekend Getaway in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

This weekend, Z and I visited a bunch of my college friends at my friends’ parents’ beach house in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. I spent a lot of time relaxing – and seeing nothing but this:

My friend, Bryan, also bought a raft meant for four to six people (and a couple hundred beers).

The weekend was chocked full of friends, drinks, sun, sand and fun – not to mention a whole lot of food. My friends Bryan and Lisa went over the top, and served the group homemade chili, pulled chicken, pasta salad, veggie burgers and more.

Our friend Tanya even brought fresh bagels from New Jersey as well as vegetables from her parents’ garden.

After all of our good times and eats at the beach house, Z and I slowly made our way back to Boston Sunday morning. We knew we needed a substantial breakfast, so we could start working on the house when we got back, so when we stumbled upon Turtle Café, we immediately parked and went in.

Turtle Café was a narrow, diner-style breakfast joint that was bustling on this Sunday morning. We decided to take our food to go, and Z ordered a frittata with goat cheese, caramelized onions, and spinach, while I went with the make-your-own-omelette, which comes with your choice of four fillings. I opted for the spinach, mushrooms, cheddar cheese and onions (my plate also came with home fries and wheat toast - toast not pictured).

Despite the fact that we ate these meals with plastic cutlery in the car, this was by far the best breakfast from a restaurant either of us have had in a long, long time. Both dishes were well seasoned and packed with flavor and fresh ingredients. We were both beyond impressed.

After a stressful few weeks, it was really wonderful to just relax on the beach, cocktail in hand, reminiscing with some of the best people in my life. It's weekends like these that bring me back down to earth and remind me what life is all about.

What did you do this weekend?