A Great Deal of Fun!

Times are hard out there but that doesn’t mean you can’t still go out and have fun without spending too much. Common Ground, located at 206 Avenue A (bet. 12th St. & 13th St.), is the perfect place to unwind with friends in this economy. Their Happy Hour specials are fantastic! On weekdays from 4pm-8pm, they offer $2 pints of Yuengling and Miller Lite, as well as $5 Cosmos and Apple Martinis. Not only that, but all of their appetizers are buy one get one free during Happy Hour!

I went to Common Ground with my happy hour group last night and had a blast! In addition to the bar and some table seating, there are areas for larger groups to sit and mingle. What adds to the experience are the many board games available for anyone to play. How fun is that?! We ended up having some exciting rounds of Jenga and some of us divided into teams to play some of the board games such as Sorry! and Trivial Pursuit. There were many other games available so I would love to go back to enjoy them on another night. Between the $2 beers and the entertaining games, we were all very happy with our evening.

One should not go to Common Ground without enjoying some of their food offerings either. The buy one, get one happy hour deal on appetizers is not to be missed! Their menu was designed by Executive Chef Carolynn Spence so there a lot of delicious options to chose from. I tried the “famous shrimp dip” and cheddar Panini and it was quite tasty!

Weekdays are not the only times you can get a deal. Common Ground also has weekend specials from 12pm to 7pm where you can order $3 Drafts, $4 Well Drinks, and $4 Bloody Marys. So definitely bring some friends and get your game on!

Check out all the details on Common Ground at www.commongroundnyc.com.

When You Can't Travel - Dine Instead!

This past Wednesday I took my first trip to Brazil... well at least my taste buds certainly did! Favela Grill, located at 33-18 28th Avenue in Astoria, is an excellent way to get first-rate Brazilian food when you are not able to travel there in person. The space is divided into a lounge and bar section which then leads to a separate, larger dining area. It is a warm, inviting space and because Mardi Gras was coming up, the tables were decorated with sequined mask centerpieces which added a fun flair to each table. It is details like that which can really enhance a dining experience.

Having never had Brazilian food before, the entire menu was full of tasty new dishes for me to try. While tempted to order one of the varieties of Salgados (a homemade Brazilian style pastry), I ended up sampling a few delicious bites of the Isca de Peixe appetizer (strips of fried white fish with a dipping sauce) that a friend had offered up since the portion was so abundant. When I saw my entree in front of me, I knew I had made the right choice. I was presented with portions of a fried tilapia fillet covered in a house special shrimp sauce that was accompanied by a serving of mashed potatoes and white rice. It was the perfect mixture of tastes all on one plate and I savoured each bite! Since I was with a large group it was fun to see what everyone else had ordered too. Everyone seemed to enjoy their dinner choices as much as I had. I will definitely be coming back to Favela for more tastes of Brazil as I am eager to try some of the other menu items I missed out on this time around. Although, I think the house special shrimp sauce was so good, it will be hard to order a different entree!

Favela Grill is open 7 days a week from 12pm to 11pm. I was excited to hear that on weekends they have live Brazilian music (reservations strongly recommended). If you are lucky enough to go there for lunch, they offer daily specials. You can view their menu and more details on their website: http://www.favelagrill.com/.

Don't Let Winter Pass You By!

As I eagerly await my next ski trip, I am still on the look out for other fun winter activities to sign up for. There are so many options out there that I thought I would share some links for anyone who would also like to get out and enjoy the snow before the season ends.

Check out ZogSports for ski trips. They have both day trips and weekend trips offered. I enjoyed my ski day with them so much that I signed up for another one. All the details are at http://www.zogsports.com/.

Outdoor Bound is a great company for anyone who wants to really get out there and be active. Some of the activities they offer include snow shoeing, cross country skiing, even ice climbing! I have enjoyed my hiking experiences with them and look forward to trying more of their events in the future. Check out their event calendar at http://www.outdoorbound.com/.

For those singles out there who want to enjoy an activity with the prospect of meeting someone new, head to Meet Market Adventures. They host a variety of indoor and outdoor activities so there is something for everyone. Some of their activities are even co-hosted with Outdoor Bound. I recently went Snow Tubing with them and it was a lot of fun! Their website is http://www.meetmarketadventures.com/.

I hope these links will help you find something fun to sign up for! You can read about my experiences with all of these companies in some of my past entries which will help you know what to expect.

Ready for Some Football?!

Whether you are a big football fan or not, there is still plenty of fun to be had on Super Bowl Sunday. Even though NY didn't make it to the game this year, I am still planning to watch and partake in the festivities. I always love how watching the Super Bowl gives people a reason to come together with the added bonus of indulging in many delicious snacks and beverages. Whether you are actually rooting for a team or just waiting for the commercials, I hope everyone has a fun day today!