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Monthly Archives: May 2019
- Adventures in Austin: Emmer & Rye
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on May 29, 2019
  
  A few weekends ago, former ADA Jared Mogil and I were in Austin, Texas for a wedding. As our Saturday evening did not have any wedding festivities, we decided to head out to Rainey Street to explore the city. What is really neat about this area of town is that all of the bars and restaurants are built in former houses. Most of the bars have fantastic outdoor spaces, and there you can find a fantastic restaurant: Emmer & Rye.
  
  What makes Emmer & Rye so unique is that nearly every ingredient is sourced from within 100 miles of the restaurant, everything they can make in house they do. Their cocktail list is creative, and they have a plethora of natural and organic wines. The menu focuses on small plates, but several times during your dinner service a cart comes around with dim sum-like offerings. Our first selections from the cart were oysters and tartar.
  
  For our first course, we had the red snapper (that’s what is nestled below the cucumbers) and the King Trumpet Mushrooms. Although the snapper was very delicious, I think the mushrooms might have been my favorite dish of the evening. They were robust with a miso flavor that added a great tangy umami flavor to the dish.
  
  Eaten before it could be photographed, we also had their homemade bread and butter from the dim sum cart. The service the entire meal was impeccable, we received detailed descriptions of the food and its origins along with insightful recommendations. For our next course, we had the ravioli stuffed with ricotta, potato, turnip and topped lamb’s quarter. This dish was rich and flavorful. On the right is the pork loin, which was also delicious.
  
  For dessert, we went with the chocolate mousse. But this wasn’t just a normal chocolate mousse…the first layer was popped sorghum. Like corn, this grain can be popped to create an edible topping. There was also a layer of egg white ice cream and mole. This made for a fascinating mixture of sweet and savory for dessert.
  
  As the menu at Emmer & Rye is always changing, I would highly recommend making a reservation here if you are in Austin. Both their menu and philosophy are ambitious and make for a delicious meal.
  
  Posted in Restaurants, Review, Travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Austin, restaurant, Review, Texas
- Adventures in Iceland: Part III
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on May 22, 2019
  
  On the third day of our Icelandic adventure, we returned to Jökulsárlón glacial lake in order to see it in the bright sunlight.
  
  With brighter light, the blue color of the iceberg glaciers is even more stunning.
  
  With global warming, the start of the glaciers can be seen receding more and more every year.
  
  After our second visit to the lake, we began our journey back to Reykjavik, which was about a five hour drive. The scenery is breathtaking. There were plenty of places to pull of the road for pictures.
  
  Here is another place we had to circle back for so I could take a picture!
  
  It wouldn’t be a day in Iceland without a waterfall!
  
  After checking into our Reykjavik hotel (The Swan House, which I very much recommend. Nice, clean spacious rooms), we explored the city. My favorite stop was the Lebowski Bar, themed after the Cohen Brothers movie. Packed with American kitsch decor and bowling memorabilia, they have an extensive menu of White Russians (aka Caucasians). I had one topped with Cocopuff cereal! If you are a fan of the movie, you have to make a stop at the Lebowski bar.
  
  Posted in Adventures, Iceland, Travel | 0 Comments
- Restaurant Review: Po’Mi
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on May 15, 2019
  
  One of the great things about living in Brooklyn is all of the new, exciting restaurants that open. A few weeks ago, I went to try Po’Mi, a new sandwich shop in Bed-Stuy. They have two distinct sandwich menus, “Po’ Style” (Po Boys) and “Mi Style” (Bahn Mi)…hence the name Po’Mi! I recommend going with a friend so that you can swap halves and try one of each. This has been on my “I want to go to there” list for quite awhile, so former ADA Jared Mogil and I ambled there on a bright spring morning after spin class at the Monster Cycle (another place I highly recommend).
  
  From the Mi side, we tried the Citrus Grilled Shrimp. This had sweet chili along with a coconut crunch. It was delicious, fresh, and flavorful! On the other side of the menu, we had the Slow Smoked Pork Butt. This was rich and meaty. I personally preferred the shrimp…but I want to go back to try more! I highly recommend stopping by Po’Mi for one of their delicious sandwiches.
  
  Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Brooklyn, food, restaurant, Review
- Adventures in Iceland: Part II
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on May 8, 2019
  
  Our first stop as we continued down the southern coast was the Reynisfjara black sand beach. Formed from volcanic eruptions, this black sand beach stretches for many miles. The sea stacks that you see jutting up from the ocean were actually once part of Reynisfjall Mountain.
  
  What also makes this beach unique is the columnar joints, called Garðar. These were formed when the lava from a volcanic eruption cools quickly. The rocks start to form these unique shapes.
  
  A short distance from the black sand beach is the Reyniskirkja church. Constructed in 1934, this church is not only popular for weddings but also an evacuation spot because of its high position.
  
  As former ADA Jared Mogil and I drove further down the coast, we stopped at several points to take pictures of the otherworldly landscape. It is no wonder that Iceland is a popular destination for filming movies and TV. On the right is the moss covered lava field of Eldhraun, formed from the 1783 eruption.
  
  Our next major site seeing stop was the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon.
  
  The uphill hike along the stream had plenty of places to take pictures.
  
  Of course, it ended in a waterfall!
  
  After the hike, we stopped for a quick lunch and an Icelandic beer. In the past few years, their craft brewing scene has really taken off.
  
  One of the best parts about driving on our own instead of taking a tour bus through Iceland was that we would stop whenever we wanted. Of course, we had to stop to sell hello to these Icelandic horses. Brought from Norway centuries ago, these horses are pony-sized, semi-wild friendly horse.
  
  Another off the beaten path stop was the Skeiðará Bridge monument. This was once a bridge over the lava fields, part of the very Ring Road we were traveling. In 1996, a volcanic eruption melted parts of the Skeiðarárjökull glacier. Although the bridge had been constructed to withstand flooding, it was no match for the giant icebergs that came floating its way. Now all that is left are these two twisted girders, which have been left as a monument to the power of nature. The glaciers can be seen in the horizon.
  
  The lava fields provide a stark contrast to the glacial mountains behind them.
  
  Late in the afternoon, the skies began to darken. One of our final stops was to the Diamond Beach. The icebergs that are swept out to sea from the Jökulsárlón glacier are broken apart by the rough waves. They then wash ashore, creating the look of diamonds strewn across the black sands.
  
  Across Route 1 is the source of these “diamonds” the Jökulsárlón glacial lake, an entire lagoon filled with floating icebergs from the ancient glacier. We even saw seals playing in the water around the icebergs. Their blue tint gave the landscape an unnatural glow.
  
  That night we stayed at the Fosshotel Vatnajökull , just outside the coastal city of Hofn. A fishing town, Hofn is famous for its lobster…and lobster rolls! We found the Hafnarbudin restaurant located near the water, and it did not disappoint. The fresh, crispy fried Icelandic lobster was delicious, and unlike many restaurants in Iceland, it was very affordable.
  
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments
- Adventures in Iceland: Part I
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on May 1, 2019
  
  Taking advantage of super cheap airfare on (the now defunct) WOW air and a long holiday weekend, we spent a few days this past October in beautiful Iceland! A quick six hour jaunt from JFK, and we landed in Reykjavik, grabbed our rental car, and hit the road.
  
  Driving down the south coast of Iceland, the landscape is incredibly striking. There are plenty of places to pull off the famed Ring Road to snap photos. Our first night would be spent in the town of Vik, so essentially we were road tripping and stopping at various sites along the way.
  
  First up was the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. You will see the word “foss” a lot in Iceland as it means waterfall.
  
  Aside from being a natural wonder, what makes Seljalandsfoss unique is that the hiking trail wraps around the back of the waterfall. So yes, (should out to my Jungle Cruise fans)…you can see the backside of water!
  
  As we ventured farther from Reykjavik, the terrain started to change. Occasionally, we would pass a small town.
  
  Next stop on the south coast tour, the Skogafoss waterfall (seeing a pattern here?). The amazing thing about Iceland is that each stop and each site seemed to top the one before. You could get really close to the falls by walking up the black sand beach.
  
  Because of the mist the waterfall generates, you can almost always see at least one, and sometimes a double, rainbow.
  
  Although October doesn’t have the endless days that summer in Iceland does, we still had plenty of day light to squeeze in another site before checking into our hotel in Vik. The Solheimajokull is the outlet glacier of the inland Mýrdalsjökull icecap. Unfortunatly because of global warming, it is easy to see how far the glacier has recessed over the past few years. There are also glacier climbing tours available, but we passed on those. The blue glow of the floating ice pieces were really neat to see.
  
  We spent the night in the town of Vik at the Hotel Kria. The hotel was very nice with a breakfast included in the price (take advantage of these, food is very expensive in Iceland!). For dinner, we headed to the Smidjan Brugghaus, Vik’s very own brew pub. Although we had fairly generic pub food, it was great to try a variety of craft Icelandic beers. Next week…we head further down the south coast.
  
  Posted in Adventures, Travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Europe, Iceland, Nature, Ring Road, Travel, Waterfalls
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