Bon Voyage!

"Well, Lizzy, on pleasure bent again. Never thought of what your poor parents will suffer in your absence."
                                                                                                           --Mr. Bennet

I know you all thought I had abandoned you forever, but here we are! Almost a year after my last update (when things were starting to look up after the disaster of 2014), I'm back and ready to lavish attention on my blog and you, my dear readers.

So what prompted this return to form? A big trip, of course! If you've read my blog over the years, then you know that I generally use it as a travel journal of sorts, chronicling my adventures all over the world. In just a few short days I'll be departing for a jam-packed tour of Asia with stops in Japan, China, and Taiwan! Many people have asked me about my itinerary and all the places we're visiting so I thought a blog post was in order.

But first, let me tell you the story of how this trip came about. Three years ago, in April 2013, Chris, Kent, and Monique and I went on a cruise to Hawaii (you can find the posts about that trip here, here, here, and here).  Most cruise companies will offer substantial benefits and/or discounts if you book a future cruise while on a current cruise. We took a look at the offerings and since none of us had ever been to Asia....we decided to go for it! Fall of 2016 seemed nice and far in the future so we booked a cruise and never looked back.

(My friends and I have a habit of booking vacations waaaaaay in the future and then when they actually arrive, we're like, "OMG this snuck up on me, I'm not ready!")

And here we are! We've had a couple changes along the way--we ended up switching itineraries somewhere back in 2015 and Kent decided to stay home to cuddle with his adorable pup, so Bayard, my boyfriend, was able to sneak right in to the group. He's a lover of all things Japanese and speaks the language so everyone is happy to have him along.

Here's the plan:

On Thursday, October 13th, Bay and I will fly to Tokyo (switching plans in Toronto) arriving on Friday, October 14th around 4PM. We'll spend the next few days sampling the pleasures of Tokyo until the afternoon of Sunday, October 16th when we board the Celebrity Millennium for a 14 night cruise that will take us to three countries!

Check it out:

My Itinerary

Day	Date	Port	Arrive	Depart	Excursions
Day   1	Sun, Oct 16	Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan		7:00PM	Show now
Day   2	Mon, Oct 17	Mt Fuji (Shimizu), Japan	7:00AM	3:00PM	Show now
Day   3	Tue, Oct 18	Kobe, Japan	11:00AM		Show now
Day   4	Wed, Oct 19	Kobe, Japan		10:00PM	Show now
Day   5	Thu, Oct 20	At Sea
Day   6	Fri, Oct 21	Nagasaki, Japan	10:00AM	8:00PM	Show now
Day   7	Sat, Oct 22	At Sea
Day   8	Sun, Oct 23	Shanghai (Baoshan), China	6:00AM	10:00PM	Show now
Day   9	Mon, Oct 24	At Sea
Day   10	Tue, Oct 25	Okinawa, Japan	7:00AM	3:00PM	Show now
Day   11	Wed, Oct 26	Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan	1:00PM		Show now
Day   12	Thu, Oct 27	Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan		6:00PM	Show now
Day   13	Fri, Oct 28	At Sea
Day   14	Sat, Oct 29	Hong Kong, China	7:00AM		Show now
Day   15	Sun, Oct 30	Hong Kong, China			Show now

We'll get off the ship on Sunday, October 30th in the morning and then spend the next few days in Hong Kong. We'll even be there over Halloween so I am excited to see if there are any interesting celebrations in the city (Hong Kong is obviously the most Western of all Chinese cities).  We'll then fly home the afternoon of Monday, November 1st and arrive home at Washington late that evening.

Whew! Good thing we have some days at sea worked into the cruise itinerary so we can have some time to actually relax!

The prep work for this trip has been a lot more intense than the international travel I've had in the past. Because of the way our itinerary is structured, we need a visa to get into China on the Shanghai leg of the tour and that required multiple trips to the Chinese Embassy visa office. And giving them my passport for four days. That part was a little sketchy, not gonna lie.

But the hard work is over and now it's time to just pack, double check the "to do" list, and try not to think of 1,000 things that could go wrong. Eeeeeek!

I'm hoping this will be more Lost in Translation than Brokedown Palace....

A Match Made in Heaven

Ever heard of Farmers, Fishers, and Bakers? It's a restaurant on the Georgetown Waterfront known for fresh ingredients and that "farm to table" style that has become a major trend in the DC food scene the past few years.

I have unfortunately not been able to try it out yet, but I am on the email listserv for the restaurant group and got word a few months ago about a special "beer and food wine pairing dinner" they were offering. It sounded intriguing, but at around $75 a pop...it seemed a bit steep. But I sent the link to some friends of mine to see if they were interested in checking it out.

*enter Jon, Lis, and Scott, stage right*

I can't remember who came up with the suggestion, but after some discussion there was a general feeling of "hey, we can do better than that." So rather than blow a lot of money one a night out, we decided to make our own beer and food pairing and have a night in.

The menu planning was key. It turns out you can find a bunch of tools online to help you prepare a beer and food night. We decided to go with five courses and many MANY types of beers. If you're going to do something, do it right.

First course: Cheese and charcuterie platter.

We went with a variety of everything here. A quick trip to Cheesetique in Del Ray set us up well for the meats and Jon provided the cheese and crackers from another shop. Our cheeses ranged from soft to hard and from mild to flavorful: we had a Honey Goat (goat), a 3 cheddar blend, a Stilton blue cheese, and an unknown sheep's milk cheese. I forgot to write down the type of sheep's cheese when taking my notes. Deal with it. On the meat side, we went with mostly Italian meats (duh): a genoa salami, mortadella, garlic salami, and my personal favorite, prusciutto.

Jon was our beer master and carefully selected beers to go with each course, and in this case, each individual cheese. The goat was paired with a Belgian Saison, while the sheep's milk went nicely with Schlafly American Brown Ale. We needed something that could stand up to the flavorful blue cheese, and it was Stone Imperial Russian Stout (2014) to the rescue! Last (but not least) was a Stochasticity Project Grapefruit Slam IPA for the cheddar.

Honestly, the cheese, meat, and beer could have been a meal all on its own. But we still have four courses to go! As George Takei would say, "Oh, myyyyyyy."

Second course: Salad.

You might think salad is boring. You would be wrong. This one was fantastic--it was a mix of spinach and arugula with tomatoes, walnuts, and dried cranberries and topped off with a bright citrus poppyseed dressing. YUM! The beer pairing for this was also very good: a Bavarian-style German beer, a Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier.

Third Course: Spam fried rice.

Scott whipped this up for us and it was delicious. You might hear Spam and think "ew" and again, you would be wrong. Sure, it's a potted meat, but if utilized correctly, Spam can be fantastic. It's saltiness went really well in this rice dish which was itself excellently paired with an American Pilsner from Wild Wolf brewery right here in Virginia.

Fourth course: Baked (not fried!) chicken wings with kale.

Did you know that you can bake chicken wings? Did you know that they come out amazingly crispy and not greasy? WELL NOW YOU DO. And if you shake on some Old Bay seasoning like Scott did, it's like a flavor explosion. There was also buffalo sauce, but for my money, I'll take the Old Bay. Oh, and can you pass the Lickinghole Creek Four Pillars Imperial IPA, please? Thanks!

Fifth Course: Chocolate.

In a move that is a surprise to nobody, I selected a bunch of different types of chocolate for our dessert. If you're going to blow the calories, do it on something you love. Hence, chocolate. I visited a bunch of different shops in the area to seek out a selection of chocolates, some filled chocolates from Max Brenner in Bethesda, chocolate caramels from Chouquette Chocolates (also in Bethesda), a large Cadbury dairy milk bar, and a chocolate bar with maple bacon from Chuao chocolatier. You can find their bars in the fancy chocolate aisle of grocery stores and in cheese and wine shops.

On the beer side of things, Jon also brought us a selection to try with all the different chocolates. We had a couple of Belgian lambics: Lindemans Gueze Cuvee Rene and Hanssens Oude Geuze Lambic Ale. And my favorite beer of the night, Chocdale Ale from the Boulevard Brewing Company's Smokestack Series in Kansas City, Missouri.

 BEST BEER EVER.

We had made it through five courses, about 10 beers (though no promises on the math there) and were stuffed to the gills. There was nothing left to do but sit back and bask in the self-reflected glow of our own pleasure and victory.

....until next time. Though I'm not sure how we can top ourselves. Perhaps...ribs?

 Our beer and meat experts!

 The aftermath.

 And of course, Max the Beagle was on hand to catch any crumbs. 

Off to the Races

I promise I will finish up my Belgium-related posts, but there is so much other stuff I need to post about and I keep putting it off...so decided I would suck it up and do things a bit out of order.

Races have figured prominently in my spring and summer. Not just running races, but also horse races! Part of the reason is a new goal I have set for myself to make sure I keep up with my running: I plan to run a 5K a month for the rest of the year. That's 7 races total from when I made this solemn vow back in June.

Well, it wasn't that solemn. It was more me sitting on my couch and thinking, "how can I make sure I keep up with my running? I know! I will make myself spend a lot of money on race registration fees so I make sure I actually put in the time for training!" So not only do I get to suffer physically, my wallet will also take a hit. Awesome.

I also reached my Spring running goal of completing my first 8K! That's five miles for those of you who can't perform instant kilometer to miles conversions in your head. If you had told me three years ago that I would be able to run five miles, I would have laughed in your face, fallen out of my chair, and then laughed some more. But the joke is on me, because I totally did it!

In fact, the day of my 8K was full of races--not only did I get up and run in the Fairfax City 8K: Race FOR THE CHILDREN along with my friend Matt who was in town, I also immediately drove out to The Plains, Virginia to see the Gold Cup, or Diet Kentucky Derby.

Me and Matt ready to pwn the 8K!

I am happy to report that both races--the humans and the horses--were an amazing success. Despite the hilly course (I hate those hills), I came in right at my goal of time of under an hour for the 8K at about 55 minutes. And all the logistics went off without a hitch. My friend Rachel who lives in Manassas graciously let me stop at her place on my way to The Plains to shower and change and I arrived at the University Row event before the horses started running.

I was really impressed by University Row. The event is sponsored and organized by colleges that have a high population of alumni in the area and for the ticket price you get access to the private race area, an open bar, all day long food buffet, and games and other activities. You never really know how these kind of things are going to go--usually you end up with crowds, long lines, weak drinks, and food that runs out after the first hour. But I am happy to report that this was not the case. The whole event was classy, the food was amazing, and the layout and quality of the food and drinks was great. I was impressed. And I got to wear a hat!

No better excuse for a hat than a horse race.

Speaking of races....I found that I was having trouble keeping myself motivated for the running after my 8K. Finishing a big goal can sometimes leave you in a bit of a funk and looking for something to keep yourself going, especially in the middle of a DC summer when you remember you live in a swamp. So I came up with a new goal! From June until the end of the year, I plan to run a 5K a month.

It's not THAT difficult a proposition-after all, three miles is a regular running distance for me now, but it will allow me to focus on lowering my time and getting closer to the elusive 10 minute mile mark. I have already run my June and July races (more on the July race below) and have my August and September races booked! I haven't decided what to do for an October race yet, but you can bet it will somehow involve zombies or some other Halloween-themed monster. Remember the first rule of the zombie apocalypse: cardio.

Getting back to July, I am just coming off a week in Los Angeles visiting my brother and his family and meeting my new baby nephew, William. I figured why run a 5K in hot and humid DC when I could do it in LA, so on Friday I ran the Redondo Beach Fourth of July race! It took place on the road that runs along the ocean and OF COURSE the weather was perfect. Not only did I make a new PR (34:50), but it was even more fun since Amanda loaded my nephews, James and William, into the stroller and walked in the race. When I had finished running, I jogged back and met them along the course and we were all able to cross the finish line together. It made it all the more special since we did it as a family--though my brother (predictably) spent the morning sleeping in and missed out. Though he would probably say that we missed out. On sleep.

How do you convince a 2 year old to sit in his stroller for an hour during a race? Trail mix, of course.

Lots of running around--literally and figuratively! If anybody has any interest in joining me for a 5K in October, November, or December just let me know. It's always more fun when you have other people to share in the torture...I mean, fun!

You'll be playing for...A BRAND NEW CAR!

An event 15 years in the making....I just bought a new car! 

Yes, this means I had to bid a fond adieu to my 1999 Toyota Corolla. This car has served me well throughout the years; from college to law school to the first seven years of my being a real honest-to-goodness adult homeowner attorney. 

You're probably wondering what happened. Well, not to get into too many details (mostly because they are embarrassing), let's just say that the Corolla incurred some minor body damage recently. Unfortunately, due to the age of the car, my insurance company was not willing to pay to make the repairs and declared the Corolla a "total loss."

*insert sad trombone noise*

I'm not one to get emotional or even sentimental about a car. My Dad said it best when he said that I view cars as appliances. That's accurate. If I am comfortable driving it, it protects me from dying in a crash, and I don't find the layout and color too offensive then I am happy. Having said that, the Corolla was a great car and there was absolutely nothing wrong with its guts. I could have driven it another 5 years for sure. So I got really upset about it being considered totaled; so wasteful and pointless. And I certainly didn't start the week thinking I would have to blow half my savings on a car or go through the hassle of actually buying one.

But now that's all in the past and I find myself the proud owner of a 2014 Hyundai Accent Hatchback!

Hyundai has apparently really been upping its game the past few years with solid craftsmanship, great safety ratings, and excellent warranties. I also got a pretty good deal, so no complaints. I'll mourn the loss of the Corolla...but I am excited about my new car!

 Driving it off the dealer lot....

And getting the keys from the salesman, Charles. I had a great experience at Pohanka Hyundai and definitely recommend them if you are looking for a new car! And a big shout out and thanks to my Dad for coming along with me and taking pics of the purchase!

Things to do in DC: Afternoon Tea in the Willard

Three things I really love:

1) Getting dressed up and feeling fancy;

2) Wearing hats; and,

3) Eating baked goods. 

I finally found the activity that combines all three. Afternoon tea! Think about it--the dress code is always fancy and the food is always delicious, adorably miniature, and sweet. And hats are not only accepted, they are frankly encouraged. 

So on a beautiful Saturday a few weeks ago, my Mother and I took to The Willard, one of DC's finest and oldest hotels, to enjoy afternoon tea at their Peacock Alley. 

It's basically The Plaza of Washington, DC.

The hotel actually has special meaning for my family; my Mother's Grandparents had their honeymoon there many many years ago. So it's always had these aura of romanticism and history for me. I've only been there once (to visit the Round Robin & Scotch bar), but I have been looking for a reason to return. What better reason than my Mom's birthday? Did I mention it was her birthday? Because it totally was. 

She was a little bit excited. 

Since it was still technically the Cherry Blossom festival, all the teas and food had a cherry theme. The food was amazing (especially the cherry and ginger scones OMG), but the service was strangely a bit off. You would think at a place as fancy as The Willard they would nail the details, but apparently all the serving staff seemed to find the concept of my seafood allergy completely perplexing. Maybe it was a language thing? But being served salmon sandwiches (twice!) was kind of a problem. 

But you know what makes up for it? MINI PASTRIES. 

Scones on the bottom, sandwiches in the middle (no crusts, of course) and desserts on the top. The scones were served alongside jam (apricot, cherry, and lemon) and Devonshire cream. Everything was fantastic. 

All in all, the Willard tea was fun and delicious, but for the pricey cost, I think there are much better places in the area to get your tea fix. And it pains me to say this, y'all. But unfortunately, reality doesn't always live up to the dream. 

However, this doesn't change the fact that it is my mission to stay as a guest in the hotel one day. This is an item for the bucket list and I am being very serious. I will walk around like I own the place, jump on the bed, and order room service. Just because I can!

 The birthday cupcake was a very nice touch though, I must say.

 Me and the birthday girl!

 Peacock Alley (basically a hallway off the main lobby. But still very nice, and note the harp player in the left corner!).

Treat Yo Self 2014

Best Day of the Year!

What, you haven't heard of a Treat Yo Self Day? Please let the nice folks over at NBC's Parks and Recreation explain the rules. It's only 24 seconds, you can spare that much time.

 

So basically, you take the day to, you know, treat yourself. You want it, you got it. For me this meant a mix of pampering and (of course) eating a bunch of things I usually deny myself. Hey, you keep Treat Yo Self in your way and I'll keep it in mine.

First stop! Haircut. I was long overdue for one, but while I usually just get a quick shampoo and trim at the place around the corner from my mom's house, this time I decided to go the whole nine yards and get a cut, blowout, and style at a nice salon.  Turns out my friend Barbara from work's (whom I was just with in Lincoln, Nebraska), husband works at a salon and is a fantastic hairdresser. Sounds like a plan.

So on my most recent benefit day (I get every other Monday off from work since I work longer hours on all the other days) I got myself an appointment in the morning at Muse Boutique Salon in Arlington. The place was pretty empty, so I waited only a few minutes while Atilla finished up with the client before me and sat back and relaxed while I got my hair washed (scalp massage!), cut, blown out, and styled. It looked pretty damn good, if I say so myself.

...and wow, I look eerily like my Mom.

Look! It's straight! That doesn't happen very often with my hair, trust me. And it even survived the windy day...well, mostly.

After getting my hair done, I headed to Shirlington for a massage. I've only had three massages before--it always feels amazing, but it seems like such a splurge. There's always other things that seem to make more practical sense to purchase, even for myself.

But anyway, this massage was too good a deal to pass up. At Nirvana Reflexology Spa in Shirlington, you can get a one hour full body massage for only $45, compared to the around $75-100 cost at other places in the DC area. You don't get a private room or the oils rubbed in to you like at other places, but there is still privacy with heavy fabric curtains separating the areas of the room and the massage is still amazing. And, if you are one of those people who has problems being naked in front of people, you get to keep your clothes on. They still use lotions on your arms and legs and it just feels really nice. I recommend it!

After my haircut and massage I was hungry! And if I was going to treat myself, I wanted something I haven't had in a really long time. Specifically, cheese. Ever since I figured out I was lactose intolerant two years ago, my cheese intake has gone down to almost zero. Unless it's goat cheese--goat cheese I can handle and it's also my favorite. But I wanted other types of cheese. So to Cheesetique for lunch I will go!

Appetizer: a glass of the house red wine (balanced, smooth, and fruity) and a cheese board with the chevre (goat cheese). Since it's the cherry blossom festival, they had mixed fresh cherries into the cheese and oh my stars it was delicious.

Next up: something I hadn't eaten in all the time I have been lactose intolerant. Macaroni and cheese. This was the Billy Goat Mac with several types of cheese (including goat and cheddar) and chicken. This was blow my mind amazing.

For dessert, I decided to leave the cheese shop behind and walk a block down the street to Cake Love. It wasn't an entirely selfish decision; I needed to order my Aunt and Stepmom's birthday cake from there (they have the same birthday and we always do a joint celebration). But while I was there....I figured why not have a cupcake? A Drumstick cupcake to be exact. Vanilla cake, salted caramel middle, vanilla buttercream frosting, and a layer of chocolate on top (with some salted peanuts).

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home and then over at a friend's playing a little D&D. All in all, I declare the first Treat Yo Self Day a total success.

Is it 2015 yet??

Good Times in the Big Apple

It's so easy to get to New York City, I don't know why more people from around here don't make the trip. It's 4-5 hours on the bus (I always use Bolt Bus, which goes direct from Union Station to Manhattan), and you can sit back, relax, and not have to worry about tolls or paying attention to the road. Maybe I'm weird, but I don't mind bus or plane trips since it gives me uninterrupted time to read, listen to music, or just nap.

Of course, as soon as I arrive in NYC, I like to hit the ground running. When you're only spending one night in the Big Apple, you need to cram in as much fun and adventure as you can, and this trip was no exception. Along with my friend from work (and fellow WM alum), Dorilyn, I spent the last two days in NYC hanging with friends, seeing two of my favorite actors, and stuffing myself with chocolate.

I've had worse weekends. And not that many that were better.

This trip came about because Dorilyn is as big a nerd as I am. When she heard that Patrick Stewart (i.e. Captain Picard) and Ian McKellen (i.e. Gandalf) were performing on Broadway together, she thought I might be interested in going up to NYC and seeing them in Waiting for Godot.

She was not wrong.

Per usual, we took the first bus up and arrived in midtown Manhattan at 10:30, leaving us the entire day for shenanigans. We met up with our friend Caroline and grabbed a quick lunch at Fresh & Co. (basically the NY version of Sweetgreens and Chop't) and made our way to the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) to take in some of their exhibitions.

I love visiting FIT when I am in New York; the exhibitions are free, include stunning fashions spanning the centuries, and don't require too large a time commitment. Basically, it's ideal for someone who wants to see something "very New York," but can't spend hours wandering in a museum.

We were particularly interested in two exhibitions, Trend-ology, about the sources and forces that alter trends in fashion, and Elegance in the Age of Crisis, an exploration of the clothing of the 1930s, the period between the Jazz Age and WWII when modern fashion was created (mostly due to the development of synthetic fibers).

From Elegance in the Age of Crisis: I'll take one of each, please. Well, except that one with the green bow. I mean, REALLY.

 From Trend-ology: perhaps camo should remain on the battlefield. 

After feasting on fashion, we headed back to Caroline's apartment, and watched Terminator 2: Judgment Day, ate some cookies, and shot the shit. You know, typical girl stuff. Running around the city is all well and good, but sometimes you just want to catch up with your friends. 

But before too long, it was time for me and Dorilyn to head out. We had dinner reservations at a fun French bistro-type place in the theater district called Marseilles. It was Restaurant Week in New York (which actually lasts for about 3 weeks) and Dorilyn took advantage of the three course prix fixe menu to get a little adventurous. I stuck with my typical roast chicken entree I try at most places, but had a bit of her sweetbreads appetizer. Surprisingly, I found it delicious. I guess eating outside your comfort zone can pay off. And of course, I couldn't turn down fancy melting chocolate cake for dessert. 

And then! It was time for the main event! We walked a few blocks to the Cort Theater and saw two fantastic English actors in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. The show was great (of course), with 

engrossing performances from Stewart and McKellen, whose ease and affection for one another was obvious. Despite being at its core a pretty depressing study of the futility and meaningless of human existence (how cheery!), the play was still very funny. Stewart and McKellen proved they were as adept with acts of physical comedy as they are with wordplay, and it was just a genuine pleasure to watch two such talented friends act alongside one another. The audience was also one of the best I have shared a theater with; their respect for the actors and play was obvious and there was no inappropriate talking, cell phone usage, or other distractions.

Their epic bromance lives on!

Did I mention the adorable dance routine they performed at the curtain call?

Right before the curtain went up....we were practically giddy with excitement.

The show let out around 10:30, but our day wasn't over yet. We headed  back to Caroline's to pick up our bags (she was kind enough to let us leave our stuff at her place) and then we journeyed over 100 blocks north to my friend Sarah's place where we were spending the night. It ended up being something of an adventure--I won't get into details, but let's just say it involved a dead cell phone battery, my not writing Sarah's phone number down before the phone died, Dori and I remembering the wrong house number, and a very kind deli-counter worker with a battery charger. Despite the hiccups, we finally got to Sarah's and settled in for a night's sleep.

We had hoped to make it to the gym in the morning, but because of a noon brunch reservation and a late opening time of the gym, it didn't work out (we were of course, DEVASTATED). Instead, we had a bit of a lie-in, grabbed some coffee at a tiny, adorable coffee shop down the street, and took the subway back to midtown to meet up with Caroline and Joe and walk to Union Square, where we also met up with a friend of Dorilyn's, Dave, who lives in Queens.

What was in Union Square? Only some place I have been trying to visit for the last couple years: Max Brenner, a restaurant that believes in "creating a new chocolate culture worldwide." Most of the items involve chocolate of some kind and other sweets. Example: sandwiches are served on rosemary waffles instead of bread and the pizza is actually a sweet pizza crust topped with chocolate and mini marshmallows. Fries are dusted with coca powder and salads come on top of a corn waffle.

So yeah. To say I was looking forward to eating there was a bit of an understatement.

The food and dessert menus are extensive and creative. Everything we had was tasty and decadent, but aide from a few standouts, it wasn't really anything too terribly special. The regular food is on par in terms of quality with your typical chain sit-down restaurant (think Ruby Tuesday, etc.) except for the unusual ingredients and construction. The desserts were all delicious, but again except for a few items, didn't really blow my mind. The real appeal of Max Brenner is the experience, the presentation, and the fun of ordering things like the Spectacular Melting Chocolate S'mores Sundae. And the indulgence of all that chocolate. The chocolate was amazing.

And now it's time for some food porn (apologies for the yellow tint in the pics, my cell phone camera isn't great at taking indoor photos):

Hands down, the best thing I had was the Italian Hot Chocolate (available in milk, dark, and white chocolate). I had the milk chocolate, and it's a very thick warm hot chocolate with added vanilla cream. Completely and utterly delicious. It's also served in a special mug called the "Hug Mug" since you have to hold it with both hands to sip.

 It really was like a warm chocolatey hug.

We were there for brunch after all, so I ordered the goat cheese and spinach omelet. The eggs were ok, as was the sugar-dusted biscuit, but the spicy breakfast potatoes and little dish of chocolate (for biscuit dipping) were the stand outs here.

And now the desserts:

The above-mentioned S'more Sundae. Chocolate peanut butter ice cream, with toasted marshmallow, fudge, graham crackers, and peanut butter sauce. Ice cream is always yummy, but I couldn't really taste any of the peanut butter. It was good, but not great.

My other favorite item: the OMG dark chocolate chunk cookie served with strawberries, whip cream, and pourable chocolate. The cookie was fantastic: warm, crispy outside, soft inside. Kind of like a brownie in consistency Yum!

Dessert #3: chocolate cherry waffles. A waffle covered in chocolate, whip cream, and what was essentially cherry pie filling. The cherry filling could have come from a can and all the other toppings basically masked the flavor of the waffle. Again, you can't call something that looks like this anything other than delicious, but still, not the best dessert ever.

 Pourable chocolate served in little beakers. So cute.

DC peeps: don't feel like your Max Brenner dreams can never come true. They opened a dessert bar in Bethesda last year that includes all the desserts on the NY menu, but not the actual food menu items. And there are also locations in Vegas and Philadelphia.

After stuffing ourselves with chocolate and sugar we needed an activity that didn't require too much physical exertion. Good thing Union Square is also home to a huge bookstore, The Strand. If you're familiar with Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, it's kind of like that. A huge, sprawling, wonderland for book lover's filled with used and new books of all kinds. I could have spent all day in there, but alas, we only had about an hour and a half. Still, we all found some books and we headed back to Midtown flush with chocolate and excited to read our new books.

Unfortunately, by that time Dori and I had to head out to catch our 5:00 bus home. There was a large snow storm headed for DC, so Dori and I were fervently hoping we would make it back before the weather hit. Turns out we didn't have anything to worry about--we got on the bus with no trouble and made it back to DC in around 4 hours with no traffic and only a little rain.

All in all? It was kind of a perfect visit.

Next excuse for a trip to NYC? Alan Cumming and Michelle Williams in Cabaret. YES, PLEASE.

 Me and Dori heading home on the bus. Until next time, New York!