{Restaurant Review} Capers & Lemons

Capers & Lemons = YUMMY!

FOOD: Contemporary Italian {everything from our appetizer to our dessert...yes, we were very bad...was delicious}.
DRINK: Nice bar but a tad on the small side. There was a nice lounge adjacent to it, which is where we waited for our table after getting drinks.
COST: We had drinks, app, salad, dinner, and split a dessert for $100. Not over-the-top expensive but maybe a little pricier than other date night spots.
ATMOSPHERE: NICE. Upscale casual with contemporary/modern design/decor and an inviting and cozy atmosphere.
LOCATION: Wilmington, Delaware. It took us about 35 minutes to get there {same as Philly} but off the beaten trail a little {seemed to be back in an industrial park or something of the sort}.

**The pic above is from Capers & Lemon's webpage and is a neat bottle display you see when you walk into the restaurant.
**I'm finding it harder and harder to make time for blog posts. My New Year's resolution {reading for pleasure} has been taking the place of all my other guilty pleasures {aka facebook, blogging & pinterest....okay, I'm still pinning but the others have taken a backseat ;-}
**GREAT weekend -- that extra day off is KEY! Hope yours was wonderful, too!

{Restaurant Review} Treno

I love going out to dinner and especially enjoy trying new restaurants. Collingswood, New Jersey has become one of my favorite spots to dine out in the past few years. Between date nights, girls' dinners, bridal & baby showers, and lunch outtings, I've visited a lot of the eateries this town has to offer. Treno has been on my list, and I finally had the opportunity to try it last week with some of my cousins. THUMBS UP -- will hopefully be taking my husband back very soon!

FOOD :: Pasta, pizza & wine {I would recommend their brick oven personal pizzas. They offer a lot of gourmet pizza selections and the portion is generous -- I had plenty to eat while at Treno and took a little doggie bag home too}.
DRINK :: Nice wine selection and reasonably priced
COST :: Reasonable -- you can enjoy a nice meal and glass{es} of wine without breaking the bank
ATMOSPHERE :: LOVED -- the patio offers trendy, outdoor seating with huge slider windows, ceiling fans, lots of candlelight, a beautiful bar, live entertainment, and protection from the elements.
LOCATION :: Westmont, New Jersey {on Haddon Avenue -- between Collingswood & Haddonfield}


**This would be a fun double date spot, too! Maybe this fall...

{Restaurant Review} Buddakan

Buddakan has been on my list of restaurants I've been dying to try forever. We finally made it there last weekend. It was a beautiful summer night in the city, and I LOVED everything about this restaurant. It's a great date night spot.

FOOD :: Contemporary Asian cuisine -- one of the BEST meals I've had!
ATMOSPHERE :: Hip and trendy with a huge statue of Buddha that sits center stage & dimly lit with tons of soft light from candles -- like I said, GREAT date night spot! {I felt like Carrie, Samantha, Charolette and Miranda could walk through the doors at any minute ;-}
DRINKS :: YUM -- the martini menu is excellent
COST :: Let me just say this isn't a place we will be able to frequent -- it's for special occasions. Definitely be prepared to spend in the triple digits
LOCATION :: Old City -- Philadelphia, PA


We splurged and ordered dessert on top of everything else. Bo told the waiter it was my birthday, so they brought out our dessert with a sparkler -- LOVE!

**AMADA is next on my list!
**I have been getting up at 6am every morning to have my coffee and a little quiet time before my boyfriend wakes up. I watch the news, catch up on emails, create blog posts, read, etc. All of a sudden, now that I'm on summer vacation, Dean's been waking up before 6 {I hear him as I type this}. There goes that plan -- ha!

{Restaurant Review} The POP Shop

We visited the good ole Pop Shop this weekend, and I HIGHLY recommend this super fun restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner! The menu is one of the most incredible I've seen -- so many creative choices. They completely cater to children and now that I am a mother and have a little one, this is something I appreciate A LOT! SUCH A FUN PLACE FOR THE KIDS!

FOOD :: DELISH & CLEVER -- ALL OF IT! {They have a nice children's menu too}
ATMOSPHERE :: LOVE {a fun retro 50's diner feel complete with a counter with round spinny stools and an ice cream sundae/soda shop -- oooOooo love it all!}
BYOB :: YES
COST :: Average
LOCATION :: Collingswood, NJ {I think I need to branch out a little ;-}

**This restaurant is rather noisy, which could be a downside if you're visiting sans children.**

I just wrapped up a Pop Shop inspired project, which is how we ended up there for lunch on Saturday. We loved it so much that we're taking my mom & dad back for breakfast one weekend in the near future. **I also noticed while I was there that they have a fabulous party room, separate from the restaurant but right around the corner. What a cool venue for an event -- children's birthday party, shower, etc, etc, etc!**

Happy Monday -- it's almost March!

{Restaurant Review} Blackbird

Once a month, some teacher friends and I meet out for a girls' night dinner. And each month one of us is responsible for choosing the restaurant, making the reservations, etc. So Blackbird it was last night! My month is May....hmmm....still not sure where I'm going to take my girls....suggestions???

Here's my take on Blackbird ::

FOOD :: Yummy but not blown away {Not a large menu either and I like choices when dining out}
DRINKS :: BYOB {HUGE fan!}
ATMOSPHERE :: Loved! {Having recently moved to a new location right on Haddon Avenue, the new & improved Blackbird is small, warm and intimate}
COST :: Not over or under priced ~ pretty much what I expected
LOCATION :: Collingswood, NJ {LOVE!}

TTTTGGGGIIIIFFFF!!!!! I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend to close out February....some much needed downtime is calling my name ;-}

{Restaurant Review} Vintage

I am so thankful for my parents - without them, Bo and I would get out even less than we already do! They very generously came over on Friday night so that we could escape for a little date night and then meet up with friends for some drinks. The place? Vintage, a very hip wine bar and bistro in center city Philadelphia. Check out that A.M.A.Z.I.N.G brick wall!


Vintage is located on 13th street between Walnut and Chestnut {also right next to El Vez, one of Steven Starr's FAB restaurants....another very fun place to eat if you like Mexican}.

In my humble opinion...

FOOD :: Thumbs up {Not a large menu but we had some really YUMMY burgers & fries}
DRINKS :: Thumbs up {Extensive wine menu & I even had a very good cosmo too}
LOCATION :: Thumbs up & down {It's so fun to eat in the city BUT parking is always a nightmare}
ATMOSPHERE :: Thumbs up {Did I already mention the brick wall?! There was also a small, intimate feel to this restaurant {dim lights, lots of candles}, not to mention some pretty amazing decor.}
COST :: Thumbs up {For a night out in the city, it was pretty reasonable.}

Check it out if you're ever in that neck of the woods!

Next up? We've been dying to get to Budakhan and/or Amada. Hopefully in the near future!

{Restaurant Review} IL Fiore

Last night I had a girls' night at IL Fiore, a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant in Collingswood, NJ. Here are my thoughts:

FOOD :: Thumbs Up! {Lots of homemade selections...I had a fresh apricot & asiago salad, the spinach gnocchi and a ricotta filled cannoli for dessert ~ all delish. My fav? The warm, crusty bread served before dinner with an olive oil/balsalmic vinegar dipping mix!}.
ATMOSPHERE :: So So {I'm big on this, BUT I was there with a group of 8 girls, so we created our own atmosphere}!
COST :: Thumbs Up! {Very reasonable....I think the most expensive dish was $15 and it was BYOB}.
CONVENIENCE :: So so {Parking is a little tricky, especially on weekends, but Collingswood is an adorable little town, so a bit of a walk through town is actually enjoyable. MAKE RESERVATIONS...I've seen lines of people waiting to get in on a Saturday night even in the winter}.

Overall, I really liked this restaurant, and I know my husband would love it, so we definitely need to make a second trip. The waiters were phenominal....very attentive and accommodating and even 100% Italian {thick accents and all}!


Teacher friends enjoying some great company!

TGIF!

{Restaurant Review} Arugula

My husband and I love trying new and interesting restaurants on our date nights, which unfortunately are few and far between these days ;-} When we do get the chance to go out for the evening, we try to eat at one of the places on our "restaurant hit list." Since we're checking these places out, I thought it might be fun to add some restaurant reviews to my blog just in case I have some readers that are fellow foodies.

Arugula has been on our list for a while and last weekend we finally got there. I loved my meal....filet gorgonzola & banana fosters bread pudding for dessert....YUM! Food - positive. BYOB - positive. Fun, funky decor - positive. City-like vibe without having to cross the bridge - positive. Crowded, reservations recommended - negative. A little on the pricey side - negative.

Overall, I give this restaurant two thumbs up and am heading back next week for a girls night out. I hesitate to say too much because sometimes the expectations are not met when there is too much of a build up. So, you'll just have to try it out for yourselves {if you live in South Jersey}! Let me know what you think!

NEXT UP: Il Fiore in Collingswood....I've heard FABULOUS things about this restaurant!