Gut Bustin' Weekend

I'm a big fan of eating healthy during the week and then indulging in moderation on the weekends.  Weekends (or one's days off) are meant for pure enjoyment and I do my best to appease my cravings.

Adam dragged my ass via bike to the Rockaways and I figured that after 24 miles of bike riding on Saturday I might as well eat whatever the hell I wanted.  I earned it!!

Sadly, my first meal at a really cute Greek diner, Teddy's, 7 miles into our journey could not be documented.  I was on the verge of heat stroke and couldn't find the energy to take photos of our breakfast.  I definitely recommend a stop at Teddy's if your in the mood for some good, classic diner fare. We split an order of scrambled eggs with rye toast and home fries, which were cooked perfectly.  The potatoes were really tasty with a bit of crunch.  We also shared the homemade challah french toast which was out of this world!  I was able to recuperate and continue on our epic journey to Fort Tilden.

This beach ROCKS!

We also shared some deliciously crappy beach food at the snack bar in Riis Park.  For a whopping $23, we got two Corona tall boys (classy, I know), one hotdog, chicken fingers and some crappy french fries.  Although it was totally frozen food that was deep fried in old grease, there was something very satisfying about sitting at a beach, downing cold beer and eating crappy food.

Btw, as far as the beach is concerned - its fantastic.  Clean with fun waves to jump around in.  The sand is so fine and white, really a lovely beach to hit up.  Be careful of the rip current cause people can drown here!!

While we were in the Rockaways, we figured it was a good idea to eat some seafood for dinner.  Adam wanted to check out the Rockaway Seafood Company since he's worked on their ads at his newspaper for awhile now and they're really great to work with.

We had to wait about 15 minutes, but it was a pleasant wait at the bar with a nice cold beer.  The decor was really cute with a bit of a beach theme with lovely wood everywhere.  It was a mixed crowd of young and old with everyone enjoying delicious seafood!  

Our server was fantastic, offering his thoughts on a number of entrees.  He was attentive but not overly so.

Adam and I started with the California Green Salad since we wanted something fresh and tasty. 
The salad came with Candied Pecans, Fried Goat Cheese (which we asked for on the side), Roasted Pears, Honey Dijon Vinaigrette ($10).  It was heavenly!!
Although it was a really simple salad, the big, fresh leafy greens with the vinaigrette and candied pecans went together so well it was hard to stop eating!

Adam said if I could eat cheese, this would be the one I'd fall in love with.  Sweet, creamy with a bit of crunch from the fried bread crumbs.  He enjoyed it so much I was tempted to try it.  But the idea of going boom-boom in a nice seafood restaurant and then a 2 hour ride home prevented me from doing so.


For entrees, Adam ordered the Crab Stuffed Fillet of Sole, which came with green beans and rice, smothered in a lemon caper beurre blanc ($23).  I was shocked to learn that Adam never had stuffed filet of sole, one of my all time fave dishes when I was growing up.  (I was a weird child, don't ask)  I almost ordered this myself, but Adam knows by now I always order the best dish so stole this from me!  Alas, I warned him I was planning on eating from his plate if he didn't share.

It was a HUGE portion that neither of us could finish.  I don't even think Adam touched the rice and sort of nibbles the green beans.  It was a might meal and well worth the $23 price tag.  The stuffing was really delicious with lots of seasoning and crab meat.  You could definitely taste the fresh crab... always an issue in some places.  The fish itself was light and perfectly cooked.


I really liked the lemon caper and thought it greatly enhanced the lovely flavor of the fish.  It was a really good stuffed filet of sole - I don't recall having tried a better version of this in a long, long time.

As for my dish, I ordered one of the specials, which our server was very enthusiastic about!  It was called Angry Shrimp ($22) and it was really good.

The shrimp had a spicy rub and were grilled to perfection.  They were placed on a giant mound of creamy, delicious garlic mashed potatoes.  The grilled asparagus were cooked perfectly, blackened a bit on the ends from being grilled on charcoal!


The sauce was similar to Adam's lemon caper but mine also had bits of basil and a hit of broth.  It was good and rich, adding a tartness to the shrimp and a bit of tang to the mashed potatoes.  This entree was far too much for me to handle.  Adam took one or two of my shrimp and I'm could barely finished eating the rest of mine.  I guess we shouldn't have ordered the salad, oh well!


The meal was a little pricey after we ordered another round of beers and some coffees - but who cares after having such a magnificent day!  I would come back here in a heartbeat for some more fresh seafood!

flickr: joeymanley

On Sunday, I hit up Coney Island with my oldest friend Edmund and of course I needed the breakfast of champions - a Nathan's Hotdog.  I only ate ONE hotdog, but this photo (which I found on flickr) give you an idea of how amazingly delicious they are.  I like mine with a little mustard and ketchup.

Then we walked along the beach until we found a patch of sand that was clean enough to sit on and without screaming children running about.  Kind of hard to do on a Sunday here... plus this beach is kind of gross.  I don't swim here, ever, since its one of the dirtiest beaches in NYC (I don't have a report to prove this, but believe me its gross).

After basking in the sun for a while, we ventured to an old outpost of ours from way back when - Roll N Roaster.  My fellow Brooklynites, and other cool people, are familiar with this Sheespheads Bay gem. 

I've been coming here since my family moved to Sheepshead Bay in 1987.  Gosh that makes me feel old.  It literally hasn't changed except for the prices, which they claim have stayed the same for years. 

I always order the roast beef sandwich with extra gravy and gravy on the side.  It's a hot sandwich and the gravy is AMAZING!  It is one of the most magical sandwiches you could ever eat - trust me!



I also order their fabulous fresh brewed iced tea (sweetened) to help wash down one of my most favorite things in the whole world. 

If you're interested in sides, try the onion rings, which are great, as well as the mashed potatoes w/ gravy. 

Ed and I went for the chicken tenders instead as a side.  Their sweet/sour sauce rocks my world, so it was a serious win w/ my sandwich.  Needless to say I didn't eat for the rest of the day.  My bikini could barely handle the gut I was rockin'.  Aren't I sexy?

I'll be eating healthy for the rest of the week to make up for this gut bustin' weekend, but it was SO worth it!