Four & Twenty Blackbirds: Did someone say pie?

Four & Twenty Blackbirds
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On our way to the Rockaways, we stopped by Four & Twenty Blackbirds, whose pies made their debut nationwide when Whoopi brought them to share on the Jimmy Fallon show. 

Opened in 2010 by two sisters, Four & Twenty Blackbirds is renown for homemade pies that are made from scratch every day using seasonal ingredients. The menu changes frequently which simply means I have an excuse for repeat visits.

Figuring there would be a mass of people waiting outside, we were pleasantly surprised to see no line since we dropped by mid-afternoon after lunchtime. 

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How I won a free trip to Jamaica - Part 2

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Ok, let’s run it again from the chorus: “Everything little thing I do...pow pow, never seems enough for you….5-6-turn, 7-8, pause. You don’t wanna…”

With a Grand Prize of a Jamaica trip on the line, JKP, Brad and I were focused. It was a late Saturday afternoon and we were blasting NSync’s “It’s Gonna Be May” at full volume in my basement gym. After watching the NSync YouTube video, we broke down the choreography the best we could and ran it a few times. Luckily, the gym was empty and nobody walked in on us. After our last run-through, we looked in the mirror, caught our breath and laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. We would soon find out if it was good enough for 1st place.

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Rockaway The Last Days of Summer

Rockaway Beach
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f you don’t know Julia B, you should. She gave me the heads up on one of my favorite ramen spots, Bassanova, when it first opened, and is always in the know for underground concerts with an up and coming band or an art exhibit that nobody knows of yet. When I got the invite for her birthday party in the Rockaways, an area I haven’t explored yet, I was thrilled. Accompanying me on this adventure was a group that is always willing to travel for food:  Julia Z, Polina, and Davis.

After a 40 minute train ride on the A, we made our way to the Rockaway Beach Surf Club to say hi to the birthday girl.

 

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How I won a free trip to Jamaica - Part 1

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"Yeah mon! Welcome to Jamaica, would you like a cold bottle of Red Stripe and some plantains?" yelled the bartender above the clanging of steel drums and blasting of trumpet.

We were in NYC, 1500 miles away from Jamaica in the middle of a loft once owned by Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 80’s.

Just minutes ago, after ducking into a non-descript entrance and walking down a dimly lit hall, we found ourselves in the middle of a reggae dance party. 

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Alpha Donuts - Old School Charm

Alpha Donuts
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A glazed doughnut serves as the litmus test of any doughnut shop's worth. Don't get me wrong, I love doughnuts with fillings, toppings, different glazes and even fancy riffs like the Cronut, but sometimes you just gotta have a glazed. 

At least this was our thinking as Sammy and I stopped by Alpha Doughnuts in Sunnyside. We were running late for our Korean dinner so I stood outside as Sammy ran in and got two glazed to go. We ate them on the run, the heft of the doughnuts leaving a smattering of grease spots on the paper bag with each hurried step.

My expectation of this being a random appetizer before kalbi was quickly blown away.

I stopped in my tracks. "Oh my God," I murmured as my eyes rolled back.

"I know," Sammy said. "I've been telling you about these doughnuts for 2 years. NOW do you believe me?!"

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