Indigo - All You Can Eat Crab Legs on Weds!!

For a delectable Wednesday night out, try heading to Indigo in Astoria for their All You Can Eat Crab Legs Dinner special. You get your choice of a soup or salad, pasta with garlic bread or french fries followed by all you can eat of delicious snow crab legs! All this is only $23.99!! I love it!

Their regular menu is also full of other tasty options and they offer brunch on weekend afternoons. Friday nights they have Karaoke and on Saturdays there is a live DJ. Indigo is located right off of the 30th Avenue N/W train stop and is open late. So there is lots of fun to be had even if you are not a seafood fan.

I have found out first hand that Indigo is an excellent location for private parties - they have a beautiful upstairs space with a small deck. My favorite place to sit though is in their indoor dining area which has a great atmosphere with a glass ceiling that can be open when the weather is nice. So check out Indigo - especially if you are like me and love all you can eat crab legs!!!

Their full menu and all other details are at their website: http://www.indigobarnyc.com/

White Water Rafting Adventure

Looking for an adventurous day trip? How about going White Water Rafting! I signed up to go through a joint Outdoor Bound and MMA day trip and there were about 40 of us departing from NYC. Our NY group also met up with 20 people from Philadelphia at the location so we had a pretty good number of people.

The bus ride out took about 2 hours and we went to an area in the Poconos for our day of river rafting. The rapids were said to be a class 3 and it was during a weekend dam release so there would be enough water for our trip down the river.

Once we went through basic instruction on land and were split into 6 people per raft it was time to head to the water. This ended up being a short nature hike through the woods to the place where we got our rafts. It was more of a challenge than I anticipated to carry our raft through a rocky creek path to get to our departure point. It was a relief to finally get it into the water!

This is where is got quite interesting. Since most of us didn't know anyone else on the raft, we had to get ourselves working together as a team quickly. This proved to be a bit of a challenge in the beginning for our rafting team but we finally started to get the hang of things. Even with the dam release there were lots of rocks that got in the way of a perfect trip down the river. We got stuck many times but got better and better at maneuvering our way out of the rough spots. Some of us even fell off the boat at times - myself included! - but as a team we were able to work together to get everyone back on the boat where they belonged. We also had some great guides following along to help us through all the water challenges.

Half way down we all pulled over to take a break and eat lunch. Our muscles were sore and it was nice to relax for a bit. Before we knew it, it was time to get back on the water. The good news was that the break was all we needed to really get our act together. The second part of the journey was much better than the first and we had gotten so much better at working as a team and overcoming obstacles as they came along. When we got to the end it felt like quite an accomplishment!

So, if you too would like to head out on a white water adventure, there are many ways to get out there and do it! Outdoor Bound and MMA offer great day trip options. There are also meetup groups that go on white water rafting trips so you can also sign up through them. Most of these options will meet in a central location in the city so anyone in the Tri-state area can partake in the fun! Even one of my local bars has group outings including white water rafting days so just research around your area. I am sure you will find a way to get out and enjoy the water yourself. It is definitely worth it and lots of fun!

NYC Fringe Festival - Don't Miss Out!

Looking for something to liven up the rest of your summer? The New York International Fringe Festival is the largest multi-arts festival in North America and is sure to have something to entertain you. This year's Fringe Festival started on Friday, August 8th and it continues through Sunday, August 24th, 2008. Performances will be from 2pm to Midnight on weekdays, and Noon to Midnight on weekends. There are so many events and performances to choose from, you are bound to find something new and fun to take a look at. There are art events, theater and music performances to enjoy. You can find the schedule and ticket information for all things Fringe NYC at their website: http://www.fringenyc.org/

Two Great Places - One Great Brunch Deal!

I had the pleasure of heading to Manhattan for a delicious brunch this fine Sunday. We started out at the Sunburnt Cow but it was so popular by the time we got there that there was a long wait, which lead us to Bondi Road. They are owned by the same people and both have the same fantastic brunch deal on weekends. $15 (or $20 if you choose certain selections) will get you your choice of brunch entree and unlimited drinks during your stay. The wait staff was super friendly and kept up with our drink refills throughout our dining experience.

I had the pleasure of enjoying the Great Barrier Reef Benedict entree which consisted of 2 delicious crab cakes, each topped with eggs benedict and accompanied by fries and a salad. I loved it! There were many other yummy options to choose from so I know I will be back to give them a try another time.

Both bars/restaurants have many other drink and food specials during the week too. Check them out at http://www.bondiroad.com/ and http://www.sunburntcow.com/ (Sunburnt Cow's site has the brunch menu in detail).

The Sunburnt Cow is located at 137 Avenue C and Bondi Road is at 153 Rivington Street. They are walking distance from each other so remember that if there is a long wait for brunch at one of them. And as a plus, they called and put our names down at Bondi Road when the Sunburnt Cow was too busy.

Fine Dining at a Fine Price!

For an excellent dining experience with great prices, you can head to Bistro 33 in Astoria on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for their 2 for $10 food and drink specials. A variety of salads, soup, appetizers, sushi and even drinks are all 2 for $10 on these two days. I have enjoyed a delicious sampling of dishes such as their signature Crawfish Tempura and Tuna Tataki appetizers with many a tasty sushi roll. Other items I have had a chance to indulge in on their regular menu include lobster macaroni and cheese and the crab & avocado salad. Each was a delectable treat for my tastebuds.

Bistro 33 is right on the corner of 21st Street and Ditmars Blvd. It is a block away from Astoria Park too! You have the option to enjoy dining indoors or outdoors. They also serve an excellent brunch on the weekends! Check out their menu at http://www.lilbistro33.com/.

Bistro 33 is excellent any day of the week but even more so for those on a budget every Tuesday and Wednesday. :)

It's Not Too Late to Buy Your Ticket!

Next weekend is the All Points West Music and Arts Festival. Radiohead and Jack Johnson are headlining this three day festival taking place at Liberty State Park, NJ. There will be 3 stages and and the line up has officially been scheduled. You can get all the info on who is playing when and how to get there at http://apwfestival.com/.

Liberty State Park is a great venue and the last shows I have seen there were lots of fun. I am going Saturday and have already bought my ferry ticket (it is definitely a great way to get there and you go right past the Statue of Liberty). I am a huge Radiohead fan so I can't wait! Get your tickets while you can! You don't want to miss out on this great festival!