Teacup of Trendy: Foodie Review

Restaurant: The Pit

For this little ditty I thought I'd make note of a really good restaurant in the south. We first went to Raleigh, NC two years ago for my boyfriend's godson's birthday. This was our first time in Raleigh, NC and we were trying to find a good place to try BBQ. So what does anyone do when they are in a new town? Check out the Man vs. Food and the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dive websites for dining choices of course!

In fact, it was so good, I went back again this year when I was in Raleigh, NC.

The restaurant is tucked away in the southern part of the city on Davies Street. When you first arrive you have the option of valet parking or finding metered parking on the street. The first time we went we parked on the side of the street in a metered spot, the second time we did valet. Either way it is pretty easy to find parking at this restaurant.

When you walk in the decor and atmosphere are really one of a kind. It is upscale classy mixed with warm colors and down-home cooking. You have the option of hanging out in the bar, or sitting in the dining area. A neat feature of their restaurant is their wine cellar in the middle of the restaurant that you can look through to view their selections. It looks very high tech, but I'm sure it involves a step ladder.

All of the staff that I have encountered are very friendly, and knowledgeable about the area. Our server was very attentive, and gave us just enough space that she didn't feel like she hovering (which is one of my biggest pet peeves). Each time that I went we were able to be seated immediately, didn't have a wait. I imagine on the weekends the wait time is pretty long, but it is well worth it to enjoy the food.


The first time I went we shared a plate of fried green tomatoes, which did not disappoint. For my main course I enjoyed the chopped pit turkey with sides of mac n cheese and sweet potato fries. I do like my carbs. This was probably some of the best BBQ I have had in a long time.

The second time I visited we shared the pumpkin skillet cornbread. If you go, please order this, it is delicious. For the entree I got the fried chicken with sweet potato fries and mac n cheese. These two sides were so good I had to get them twice. The fried chicken was so fresh, and the skin was very crispy. Both dishes I have ordered from here were not rushed, and tasted as if thought was put into them.

Most of the time when we go to new cities I like to try new restaurants, but we will be going back here again. This is a restaurant that provides a new experience each time you go!

Rating: FULL CUP OF TEA

Teacup of Fun - #6b Food Fight!

I think my favorite thing about Livingsocial or Groupon is that they always have a great list of fun things to do. I wish I could buy them all up, but I do have to be picky. That is where I stumbled upon this little gem... Tomato Bash. This is a giant tomato food fight at the Frederick Fairgrounds where you literally turn yourself into a giant ketchup packet.

My boyfriend and I got tickets to this event, and I found out that a few of my high school friends were going. Super fun time full speed ahead!

We got there a few hours before the event started to enjoy the pre-fight festivities. I'm pretty sure we could have just walked in without paying as no one was regulating the gate, but I am glad I could contribute to the tomato purchase for the day. There was a DJ playing music, a costume costume (and there were some pretty hilarious costumes), a beer garden, and of course a foam machine. It rained the entire time we were there, and luckily it stopped right before the fight started.

We got into the arena a few minutes after the tomato fight began and it seemed like all of the tomatoes were already gone. It was basically scooping up chunks of tomato or tomato sauce and throwing it at people near you. Because the tarps on the ground were so slippery they were turned into a slip n slide. I tried going down them a few times but ended up doing a belly flop the first time, and then only slide a few feet the second time losing my shoes in the process.

This was an awesome event, and I was able to check something off my bucket list... participate in a giant food fight!

Teacup of Fun - #7 Paddle boating

When coming up with an idea of June, I originally planned to donate blood. When I arrived at the Red Cross I went through my pre-screening assessment, and turned out my iron count was too low! Feeling disappointed that my plan did not work out, I headed to Target to buy iron pills. I hope to try again later this year, but what can I do on such short notice?

I am blessed to have a supportive boyfriend who not only inspires me through my tasks, but also has great ideas. He says to me, hey you haven't been paddle boating before... so that is what we did!

There is a local park near our apartment that has a lake. We headed down to the dock to purchase a rental for a half hour, and were handed our life jackets. I won't sugar coat it, I was quite scared. After my boyfriend climbed in the boat I stood on the dock shaking my head and saying it was a terrible idea! After some encouraging, and one of the staff members promising there was no way we would tip over I finally climbed in.

We paddled around the lake for about a half an hour, and it wasn't until about 20 minutes into the ride I finally felt at ease. It was fun to see the park from a different angle, and it was quite relaxing. Well, relaxing after I calmed down. There was a lot of why aren't you controlling the rudder, you're aiming for that canoe, there is a fisherman there watch out!

We had enough time to paddle from one end of the lake back to the dock. I am glad that we did it at the park where there was not a lot of traffic and no motor boats. I could not imagine doing that at the Inner Harbor, or a busier park. It was just us and a few other paddle boats out on the water. I would be interested in doing it again, but maybe in a bigger boat!

Teacup of Trendy: Foodie Review

Restaurant: Galway Irish Bay Irish Pub

I’ll admit, the draw for going here was definitely the fact that it was Diners, Drive-Ins and, Dives. And I will say it did not disappoint!

Parking is always a challenge when going to Annapolis as it is all metered street parking or garage. I am starting to get bitter in my old age about having to parallel park or pay for parking. Why should I have to pay to go to your restaurant when I am already paying for the food? That’s my old lady rant for the moment.

The inside of the pub reminds me of being in Ireland. It is old wood, with an old world feel. The restaurant is divided into sections as you walk in. If you go to the left you are in the dining room, when you go to the right you are in the bar. We opted for bar seating. Mainly because I thought it would be more relaxed with great ambiance.

We crammed into a booth and marveled at the different options. The friends I was with ordered some traditional Irish ales and ciders, and I took the dive to drink a Guinness. We started off with some oysters (which were yummy) and the Killarney Cabbage Wraps.  The wraps were so tasty, and something I had not seen anywhere else. It was corned beef and potato wrapped in cabbages leaves, drizzled with a mustard sauce. I would go back again just to eat these. For my main course I ordered the fish and chips. A few of my friends had been there before and were raving about this dish. Again, did not disappoint! If I ever get a craving for fish and chips I will drive us back down to Annapolis for their food.  Everything tasted fresh, not frozen, and had a lot of heart in their traditional Irish

fare.

Overall, I would highly suggest checking this place out. It has a fun and upbeat atmosphere, and the staff were super friendly. I am hoping to make it back again soon to check out some of the other menu options, as I went straight for the fish and chips. If any of the other lunch or dinner options tasted like what I got, they’ll have a repeat customer for life out of me!

Rating: FULL Teacup

Teacup of Fun - #8 Animal Adventures!

This post is a tad delayed as I have been away for over a week. I wanted to write about my June new challenge/fun before leaving for Maine, but best laid plans...

I bought tickets for a special event at the Baltimore Zoo called Breakfast with the Chimps. I have been eyeing up these events for years now always wanting to go, but never just picking a date. My boyfriend loves monkeys so I thought this would be the perfect breakfast to go to (even though I would have preferred the elephants haha!)

This was the greatest experience at the zoo! We arrived before the zoo opened and took the shuttle to the top of the gate. Zoo staff personally escorted us to the Monkey House where tables were set up next to the glass where we would have a great view of the monkeys. As everyone was seated they opened the exhibit and all of the monkeys ran out giving us an up close view of them! We enjoyed a breakfast buffet and watched them eat their breakfast and play in their enclosure. After hearing about the chimps and asking our own questions, we were led out onto the walking path next to the open air enclosure. Kids and adults were able to make enrichment treats to give out to the chimps. We all waited patiently next to the glass and then the chimps filed out one by one into the large play area. This was interesting to watch, and we were able to take great photos as we were the only guests within the park!

After the park opened we got to wander around the rest of the zoo and enjoy the nice weather. I thought this would be a perfect time to continue to do other activities I always wished to do, but never did. I jumped a board a camel and took a five minute ride. We also waited patiently three times to feed the giraffes who never came to our side of the fence. I did appreciate that if the giraffes were not on the feeding side of the fence the zoo staff would not sell you the stalk. Sadly we did not get to feed the giraffes, but standing their watching them was a lot of fun! Hopefully the next time we venture to the zoo I'll get to do that one last thing there, and feed them.

Additionally, this did not happen in June, but since this seems to be animal based post and it applies... I held a baby gator in March when we were in Florida! I thought I would throw this in there as I debated for about 5 minutes whether to hold it or not, and ultimately got too excited not to!

Teacup of Kindness - Randomness #18-16

Almost halfway there! As it is the end of June, I am excited that I've stayed on track with my random acts of kindness. I must admit, it is hard to come up with ideas that don't revolve around money and/or will actually make a small difference.

This month I surrounded my acts around picking up after other people. What an interesting concept, it was almost like playing "mom" to people around me!

#18 - Store pick up - As I walked around stores in my travels the month of June I made sure to put things back. If I saw a cucumber in the cereal aisle, I walked back to the produce area. If I saw a movie in the shoe department, I walked the movie back. Even though the stores staff people to tidy up each night after everyone leaves, I figured it would help that one person get out a few minutes faster at the end of their shift. Plus, it just makes the stores look nicer. I actually find it annoying when I'm shopping and I see things drastically out of place (more so at the people then the staff of the store).

#17- Store pick up part 2 - Whenever I was in the parking lot I would make sure to return the carts to their proper area. I actually had an elderly man watch me rather confused as I pushed two carts from my parking spot at Michael's to the front door of the store, only to return to my car. Why did I do this? So that they don't crash into other cars, or clutter up the parking lot as people are trying to find parking. Again, I'm sure they have staff that periodically come out to check the parking lots for carts. But I'm sure coming out and finding that the carts where they were suppose to be allowed them to return to their job, and it spared someone from getting a nice dent in their car from a runaway cart.

#16- Trash pick up - As I walked from my car, around the neighborhood, to lunch, or anywhere for that matter I made sure I picked up trash that was in my path. Usually it was only one or two pieces as I went, but every little bit helps. Baltimore County/City had a trash clean up project where they asked every person to pick up one piece of trash a day. Just think how clean our streets would be if everyone did this. The other day I picked up an Arizona Tea can that was covered in ants, and quickly ran it to the dumpster. May not have been the smartest thing I've ever done, but guess what, no one else would have probably done this.

Yesterday as I was driving to the grocery store I saw a man walking down our street with a trash bag and a stick. He was walking up and down the road collecting trash. It made me smile knowing someone else is trying to make his neighborhood a cleaner place, and inspired me to do more. I think I will continue to pick up trash as I go about my days as it is something everyone should do on a daily basis. Just becasue you didn't put it there, doesn't mean it's not your responsibility to throw it away. Every little bit helps!

Teacup of Trendy : Movie Review of THE KINGS OF SUMMER

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. If you get a chance to see this film, GO! 

Some well known faces that appear in the film are Nick Offerman (you may know him as Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec) who plays Frank a sarcastic, uninvolved father of Joe (Nick Robinson). And  there is Megan Mullaly (Will and Grace) as Mrs. Kennan an overbearing mother of Joe's best friend Patrick (Grabriel Basso) The film stars Joe who is having a hard time adjusting to his life in general. His father has started dating a new woman, his sister lives far away with her boyfriend, he gets picked on at school, and generally it appears he just feels smothered by his life.

Parallel to Joe's life is his best friend Patrick who IS actually smothered by his life. His overbearing parents micromanage his life, and ask trivial questions all throughout the film like oh you eat your burger first before eating your fries? The poor boy has started to get hives over the attention! Both boys in the film you can easily tell are trying to find their place in life amongst their chaotic living conditions, and come to terms with growing up. What better way to escape from your home life, but to build a house in the middle of the woods!

After a late night party in the woods, Joe finds himself with Biaggio, the school nerd from what you can tell. At first I was like who is the actor playing Biaggio and why does he look so familiar? OH it is Rico from Hannah Montana! What a different and serious role for him. He definitely came out of his shell and showed a completely different side to his range of acting. He was more of the odd sidekick who kept the boys on their toes during the film, while showing extreme loyalty to his new found friends. One of the comical parts of the film was when Patrick asks Joe where Briaggio came from, and Joe says I don't know but I'm scared to ask him to leave!

After Briaggio and Joe find the woods in the film, this is when the film really takes off. The three boys start building their home in the woods that is paired with a great montage of scenes and music. As a participant in their wild ride, you really start to feel a connection with the boys and their need to escape away from their lives. After they have finished building their home in the woods, they decide upon a night to finally leave their parents. It is pouring rain and you think this is where they discover they can't make this happen. But behold, when they wake from their sleep it is a brightly sunny day! They spend the next four weeks living in the woods from the stolen goods and money they got from their parents. Again, another great montage of hanging out in the woods, bonding, and obstacles they overcome tell the story of their time together. The artistry of the scenes really brings you into the film as you enjoy running through the fields, jumping off of rocks, and hiking through the woods with these boys.

There is a twist to this story. A love interest of course. Before Joe leaves you are introduced to Kelly (Erin Moriarty) who Joe has a crush on. She is why he ventured out of his house to the party that night, and she is why he leaves the confines of the woods to go talk to her. Joe invites Kelly and her friends back to their house in the woods for a night of partying and drinking. He day dreams about their time together, and how he vanquishes Frank when he tries to come between him and Kelly. Once at the party, you realize that Kelly has other plans. I do not like to do spoiler alerts, but things do not go the way Joe plans. Even though Joe does not want to be like his father, he finds himself acting like Frank and drives his friends away after an angry outburst. Joe now alone in the woods, slowly starts to realize that you can not push everyone away that you care for and still expect to be happy. You do need to rely on others for help and support.

At the end of the film you find yourself thinking, how are they going to rap this up? How are they going to bring everyone back together after living for four weeks in the woods? Kelly not wanting to lose her friendship with Joe,  tells Frank where Joe has been hiding after Patrick and Briaggio return home. Frank has been relying on Joe's sister Heather (Alison Brie) for emotional support, and has come to terms with his bully-ing behavior after a sarcastic outburst towards Heather and her boyfriend. Kelly leads Frank to the woods, and finds Joe in a duel between him and a poisonous snake. In an effort to not sound cheesy, you'll have to see the film to figure out how this situation ends.

This was one of the most refreshing, well crafted, and lighthearted films that I have seen in a while. My biggest gripe with the entertainment industry lately is how unoriginal films have been lately. This was a saving grace for me that there is still some great filmmakers out there that can pull you in emotionally to the characters, and leave you laughing and smiling through a plot line.

Rating: FULL Teacup