Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

We went to Olive Garden on Friday for dinner. I remember when IFC was new in the country… I took him to different restaurants so he could try various dishes out. Obviously, Olive Garden is # 1 on the list. What more can you ask for! Affordable prices, scrumptious foods, and excellent customer service!

Sampler Italiano - calamari, chicken fingers and toasted beef and pork ravioli.



Chicken and Gnocchio Soup - a creamy soup made with roasted chicken, traditional Italian dumplings and spinach.



Garden-fresh salad with Italian dressing



Pork Filettino - grilled pork tenderloin marinated in extra-virgin olive oil and rosemary. Served with Tuscan potatoes and bell peppers.



Seafood Portofino - mussels, scallops, shrimp and mushrooms with linguine in a garlic-butter wine sauce.



And since we were too full with all these food, I ordered a Black Tie Mousse Cake (rich layers of chocolate cake, dark chocolate cheesecake and creamy custard mousse) to go.



Location:
1246 Old Country Road,
Westbury NY 11590
Tel # 516.683.3377

Cold Stone Creamery

We went to Cold Stone last Sunday. I must say they’re kind of pricey for an ice cream… but definitely worth it for its great taste. It’s so creamy and yet not so sweet that you’ll definitely want to have more. IFC had a plain chocolate ice cream in a sugar cone. And I had the coffee lovers’ creation (as seen on the picture)… coffee flavored ice cream with almond in a partially chocolate coated sugar cone.



Location:
1504 Old Country Rd # 123
Westbury, NY 11590
(516) 222-4541

Churrascaria Riodizio

I noticed this blog is becoming more like a “food blog”. Well, I must admit that we don’t really go out… it’s mostly work during the week and house chores on the weekend. Besides, we really don’t have “hobbies” that you can call. IFC is fond of basketball but he can’t do that by himself not to mention that he’d rather take a rest.

Anyway, it was our 3rd wedding anniversary yesterday and as usual, we went to a restaurant for dinner. RioDizio (rotisserie) is a Brazilian restaurant offering tableside service for a fixed price.

They have a Gourmet Salad Bar which features different kinds of salad, risotto, grilled veggies, hot dishes like tilapia and chicken, beans and sausage, etc.

Then, there is the “all you can eat meat”. Professional carvers go from one table to another, serving perfectly grilled, high-end cuts of meat like beef tenderloin, beef short ribs, pork sausage, flank steak, sirloin steak, etc.

IFC really enjoyed the food but got full too soon that he didn’t even had the chance to taste everything. :)

Drinks and desserts are not included in the price though… which (I think) how most restaurants are. They’re not that expensive anyway. But I must say I didn’t really enjoy the chocolate mousse. I’m not saying it didn’t taste good but maybe I was expecting more… I mean being someone crazy on desserts it could have tasted better.

Service was excellent. Waiters including the manager were on top of things all the time. They make sure that you have everything you need. Everyone was courteous and friendly.

Overall, it is highly recommended!

Btw, I purposely didn’t take pictures of the food. I felt like I couldn’t with all those people around us. I got these pictures from google as usual.









Location:
388 Willis Avenue
Roslyn Heights, NY 11577
516.621.4646

Macy*s

We went to Macy*s in Manhattan yesterday. Finally, we finished shopping for our “balikbayan” box. I must admit I’m already tired. We’re like going out almost every week just to complete the list.

Anyway, Macy*s is a great place to shop. They have a wide selection of clothes, shoes, bag, etc. And being a store card holder entitles you to coupons which they send in the mail. There are exceptions though… brand items, cosmetics, fragrance to name a few. You just need to have a lot of patience though… with the store so big, full of people, and as mentioned earlier… great variations of many things. You'll definitely not going to regret it!



photo credit – google

Location:
151 W 34th St.
New York, NY 10001
212.695.4400

Economy in turmoil?!

The US Economy is currently experiencing a “downturn”. While many still deny that, we can’t hide the fact that a lot of businesses have already closed, many people lost their jobs, prices of commodities have gone up, and… even the stock market is shaky right now. Lehman Brothers for example has filed for bankruptcy. It’s just sad that this happened to a company which had existed for so many years (or should I say this can happen to any company big and small). Even AIG, being the biggest insurance company in the US, needed a bailout! Some say this instability might be over after the election. Maybe! Maybe not?! I’m sure everyone hopes for the best. It’s not easy worrying on what’s going to happen next. I’m just thankful we still have our jobs.



photo credits - MSN

Applebee's

We went for an oil change on Tuesday. It didn’t take that long and the service was good. The attendant was friendly and accommodating. We also decided to have dinner at Applebee’s since it was kind of late already. This restaurant, not being far from the apartment, offers steaks, ribs and the like. They also have fancy drinks… martini, strawberry colada, etc. Food tastes good though it could take longer at times especially if there are many customers. Service is not bad overall.

IFC had the Shrimp ‘N Parmesan Sirloin (9 oz. House Sirloin topped with grilled shrimp and rich Italian cheeses) with seasonal vegetables and garlic mashed potato.



I, on the other hand, had the Ultimate Trios… boneless buffalo chicken, mini bacon cheeseburger and chips spinach and artichoke dip.



Location:
61-48 188th St.
Fresh Meadows NY 11365
(718)264.1222

Sarku Japan

Sarku Japan (or Sakkio Japan) is another restaurant that you will surely go back to. Sarku offers teriyaki style dishes and they’re just so flavorsome that you can’t resist it… not to mention that they are very affordable. The “chicken teriyaki”, for instance, is usually priced at $5.79 plus tax and it already comes with rice or lo mein and vegetables. And for an additional $0.99, you can double the meat (for chicken only). Their California Maki tastes good too.





credits to www.google.com for the photos...

Location:
Food Court, Queens Center Mall

Sbarro

You can find Sbarro everywhere in the Philippines. Price is a little higher though... maybe because of the cost of living. This restaurant offers pizza and other Italian dishes. The 1st time we tried Sbarro was when we went to Rockefeller Plaza. Maybe it was just a coincidence but the pizza was hard as a rock. The lasagna tasted good in fairness though.

And since IFC is very fond of pasta, we go to different places to find what’s really best. It wouldn’t hurt if we go to another branch of Sbarro’s as well you know. We did anyway. He ordered pepperoni pizza and baked ziti. OMG! It tasted so good that I wanted more! The pizza was crunchy and fresh with the thick sauce of the ziti adding to your great satisfaction.






credits to www.google.com for the photos...

Location:
Food Court, Queens Center Mall

Queens Center Mall

Sunday was spent at the Queens Center Mall. We like going there… not only because it’s close to our apartment but because of the many stores/brands it has. In fact, we did most of our shopping there for last year’s “balikbayan” box. It was a usual busy afternoon… sizes no longer available, long lines at the registers, tables mostly occupied at the food court, etc. We only got a pair of driving shoes for IFC and his dad… a pair of loafers for Nanay (grandma)… and some clothes for IFC’s nephews.





credits to www.google.com for the photos...

Location:
9015 Queens Blvd.
Flushing NY 11373
(718)592.3900

Tanger Outlets

One thing I like in this country is the fact that when something goes on sale, it’s really on sale. And I mean big discounts which could go as far as 70% of the original price. Where can you find such a great bargain! Every store has their own way of attracting consumers… buy 1 get 1, buy 1 get 2nd 50%, one-day sale, semi-annual sale, back to school sale, etc. I still think it’s better to take advantage of the sale during holidays and… shopping has to be in outlet stores.

Anyway, we went to Tanger Outlets on 8/30 (Labor Day was actually on 9/1) for our “balikbayan” (a Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least 1 year from date of last arrival.) box. It’s actually kind of late already as we usually start on 7/4 (Independence Day). There were so many things to choose from (if I could just buy them all) that we didn’t go home till after almost 11 hours of shopping. I must admit though that the prices were not anymore as good as… maybe 4 years ago due to the economic downturn we’re experiencing right now. But despite that, you can’t stop people from compulsive shopping. I guess?!






credits to www.google.com for the photos...

Location:
1770 West Main Street
Riverhead NY 11901
(631)369.2732

Welcome and thanks for dropping by!

It’s been almost 7 years now since I arrived in the US and while I constantly blog about my day to day experiences, I thought of creating this blog which will be more précised and descriptive of how it’s really like… not only in NY but in other states too as I continue to discover what this country has to offer.