Last Weekend Recap and My Sister is Engaged!!!!

First things first, my older sister Liz got engaged last week!!!! I can't properly explain my excitement through words and am just so so so happy for her and her fiancee Marvin. They both deserve nothing but the best and I cannot wait for all of the wedding planning to ensue! Weeee!!

Me and Tom were planning to go to NY this weekend for Liz's 30th birthday party, so it was perfect timing to also celebrate the engagement. We left bright and early on Saturday morning and drove to Brooklyn where my sister lives. The trip took us about 4 hours and was pretty easy (at least for me, because I was in a Dramamine coma). I brought breakfast with me -- homemade muesli with granola, flax seeds and apples!

Liz had reserved a room at Palo Santo for her birthday brunch and invited a bunch of family and friends to join. Palo Santo is a small Latin American/Caribbean (according to Yelp) restaurant in Park Slope and had the perfect space for a private party. I absolutely loved the look and decor in the restaurant, and after reading about it on their website, I love it even more:

"Reclaimed material and architectural salvage were used for much of the building's renovation, with original details like the century-old wooden doors that hang in the restaurant entranceway. Multiple instillations by local artists are showcased throughout the interior and exterior design. Intricate subway-like mosaics serve as a back drop for the open kitchen.

The building’s rooftop is home to a small scale urban farm where vegetables are grown and organic waste is composted. Fresh herbs and evergreens grow in the small back garden where customers dine when the weather is warm."

I had no clue abut the garden...so cool!

At the party the staff served unlimited mimosas, sangria, beer and a few other drinks. I stuck to sangria most of the time -- it was fabulous! We spent the first hour or so drinking, mingling and of course, admiring Liz's gorgeous engagement ring.

(Love these photos!)

For food, everyone picked an entree and then we shared rice & beans and a chayote salad family style. I ordered the slow cooked pork and it was sooo good. We all loved the rice & beans too -- the rice was slightly sweet and so fluffy. We definitely tried to coerce the waitress into getting us the recipe!

After brunch the whole family went over to the Public House for more celebrations. Tom may have even gotten my dad to take a tequila shot! We spent a few hours hanging out, drinking, and snapping photos before calling it a night.

And what better way to end a day of drinking than with some New York pizza? When we got back to Liz and Marvin's apartment we ordered two pies and some garlic knots. I can't remember the last time I had a real piece of pizza (probably a few months ago?) and it was fantastic. We were all wiped out from the day, but some of us more than others, particularly those who fell asleep on the hardwood floor or were eating cheesecake out of the fridge with their hands :)

In the morning I went out for my 6 mile long run, then we got ready for another brunch! We went to Rose Water Restaurant just a few blocks from their apartment. We had about a 45 minute wait, but it was well worth it! I'm so jealous of all of New York's food and drink specials -- Boston really needs to step up it's game! Brunch at Rose Water was price fixed at $16 and included an entree and a special (non-alcoholic) drink. For my drink I ordered the apple ginger agua fresca (delicious) and for my entree I ordered the day's special: a prosciutto, fried egg, caramelized onion and swiss cheese sandwich with a side of pimento fries. We also ordered a side of bacon for the table.

I thought it was pretty funny that Marvin and I both ordered the special sandwich, and Liz and Tom both ordered the fish cake with poached eggs and quinoa salad.

Judging by all of our clean plates, I'm pretty sure we REALLY enjoyed the meal. My sandwich was amazing. My only complaint was that the bread was a little too crispy on top so the roof of my mouth hurt a bit for the rest of the day.

After brunch we walked around for a little while, then packed up our stuff to head home. I'm SO glad I got to spend my sister's 30th birthday with her AND celebrate her engagement with my family. It was short, but such a fantastic weekend!

CONGRATULATIONS LIZ AND MARVIN!!!!!

And just for fun...