La Estacion

Another restaurant we wanted to try while in Puerto Rico was La Estacion. Everyone wrote really glowing reviews about the restaurant and the owners are originally from New York (or at least lived here for a long time) and decided to move to Puerto Rico to open up the restaurant. The restaurant is very close to the resort – we actually could have walked – but we left kind of late and didn’t want to risk walking on the dark roads at night. The restaurant used to be a gas station and was converted into a restaurant (you can kind of see the gas station charm when you walk in):

They collect all kinds of pig memorabilia and have it all over the dining room – a good sign to point you in the right direction of what to order! We started out with the shrimp skewers with avocado and fried plantains:

And the spicy chicken wings:

Both were really good! The shrimp was so large and fresh – larger than any of the shrimp I’ve ever had in the states! Ken really loved the chicken wings, too – they were dipped and coated in a hot sauce that was also a little tangy – we were discussing the merits of both the wing and the drumstick (I’m a fan of the drumstick because there’s more meat!) I was telling Ken how we had Bon Chon for lunch at work earlier in the week and one of my coworkers said that he preferred the wings because there was more skin, but I was never a fan of the skin in the first place and I thought it was too difficult to get to the meat with wings. Ken liked both but gave me all the drumsticks since I thought the wings were too complicated.

Ken ordered the spare ribs for his entree – they are presented on a huge piece of wood that’s larger than a cutting board:

And I ordered the red snapper (caught earlier in the day) with fresh mango and papaya salad, arepas, and a side of rice and beans:

We were talking about how I always order a little better than Ken (his words, not mine!) and this meal was no different; the snapper was light, fresh and tasted so good with the fresh salsa. I’m not a huge fan of sweet salsas but this one wasn’t too sweet (although the mango was really ripe). The arepas were more like fried pieces of dough that were just a little sweet and very delicious and the rice and beans threw me off because I thought the rice was supposed to be orange/yellowish (pardon my ignorance – Ken said Cuban style is more yellow, Puerto Rican is still white). The ribs were too heavy, especially for the temperature in the restaurant, so we didn’t even get close to finishing the dish.

For dessert, we ordered the banana dumpling with vanilla ice cream:

Ken was more of a fan than I was, but the vanilla ice cream was pretty good!

We were talking about what huge fans we are of pina coladas – we ordered so many while we were at the resort and ordered some at dinner as well. They didn’t have a full bar on Sunday night because it was actually election night and Puerto Rico banned alcohol on election nights because they don’t want anyone getting into fights. Our waiter was explaining this to us and also said that most restaurants don’t even open until 9pm that Sunday (because that’s when the election is officially over and when people can start drinking!) Luckily, they had pre-mixed the pina coladas so we could order some. Yum!

Stingray Cafe

Before we left for Puerto Rico, I read review after review that knocked the resort’s food. I was really hesitant to dine at any restaurant inside the El Conquistador Resort but on Saturday night, we were too tired to go out for dinner. Actually, I ended up taking a nap around 8pm and then woke up around 10:30 with an empty stomach. We decided it would be too late to find something open and instead made a quick reservation at The Stingray Cafe on the resort.

The kitchen was still open when we arrived (luckily) and we sat down immediately and started with some warm bread:

I love it when they give you two very small pieces of bread but two huge chunks of butter. Me waiting for salads:

We shared an order of the pear and gorgonzola salad with spinach:

The pears were a little too sweet and the skin was still on them, which I didn’t enjoy. Not a huge fan of the pears but the rest of the salad was very good and dressed with a light vinaigrette.

For my main course, I ordered the sea bass with a light vinaigrette and fried yucca:

The yucca plant is used a lot in Puerto Rican cooking and it was prepared really well; they mash the yucca, form it into a ball, and then mash it and fry it.

Ken ordered the filet with truffled mashed potatoes:

After sleeping and playing in the water park and being on the beach all day, eating a nice piece of steak was exactly what we both needed! The mashed potatoes were super decadent with the truffle oil and were so good and filling. Exactly the type of food you should enjoy on vacation.

For dessert, we shared the chocolate souffle:

I wasn’t a fan of the souffle because I thought it was a little too dry but Ken enjoyed it (we just needed a little chocolate for the day!) The Stingray Cafe was very accommodating and their prices are similar to prices for New York dinners; we spent around $150 after drinks, tax, and tip, which I thought was very reasonable for the food we ate. It’s funny that we flew all the way to Puerto Rico to eat the type of food we eat in New York, but it was so nice to unplug and just relax for a few days.

Pasion por el Fogon

On Friday night after our round of golf, Ken and I decided to venture off the resort for dinner. I read a bunch of reviews before we left and they said the number one restaurant in Fajardo was Pasion por el Fogon. We asked the concierge to make a reservation for us and took the resort taxi to the restaurant, which is very close (about a 7 minute cab ride):

The restaurant had a lot of locals (and regulars) and I’m glad we made a reservation; even though it’s the off-season in Puerto Rico, there were a lot of people dining around 8pm on a Friday night!

I started with the red snapper ceviche:

It had lots of lemon and cilantro, two of my favorite flavors, and had a very fresh taste to it. The ceviche was really meaty and the server told us that everything they serve is caught the same morning.

Ken ordered the house soup, which was a bit on the salty side and only had cilantro and a few chopped veggies:

For our main course, Ken and I both ordered different types of mofongo, Puerto Rico’s specialty:

The dish consists of fried plantains that are mashed with garlic and seasoning and then served with a different type of protein. I got another order of the red snapper and Ken ordered the chicken mofongo. Both dishes tasted exactly the same (except the protein) and the sauce was very good but really strong. Also, we should have only ordered one mofongo because it was so large neither of us could finish! Their sangria’s were also really great – very fruity but not too sweet. Me and Ken after a gigantic dinner:

A very fun and delicious dinner – definitely a great restaurant to visit while we were on vacation!

Puerto Rico!

Last Thursday, Ken and I were talking about how stressed out we were this summer; wedding planning, work, and the general stress of city life were starting to take their toll on us. We spoke about it on the phone in the morning and by noon, Ken had booked us first class tickets to Puerto Rico for the weekend! Luckily my boss was okay with me taking Friday and Monday off on such short notice! I left work and got a manicure and then ran home to start packing!

The flight is really short and we took a direct flight in the morning from JFK. I was hoping we would have good weather while we were down there; it’s supposedly hurricane season right now (in August), but when I spoke to a person on the flight, she said that September and October are the rainy seasons and we’d be okay going in August. The island is very large – we stayed in Fajardo, on the western side of the island. Puerto Rico from the plane, right before we landed:

The weather was really beautiful and cooperated the majority of the weekend we were there. We unpacked our bags and went straight to the golf course (Ken packed both sets of clubs in one bag because I don’t have a travel bag!):

It started raining for a bit on Friday (and that’s about the time I decided it was time to just sit in the golf cart and stop playing), but Ken is such a trooper and was the only one on the course:

We had so much fun in Puerto Rico – we stayed at the El Conquistador Resort and only left for two meals. The rest of the time was spent on their private island:

With the beautiful blue water:

In the lazy river and on the water slides at their water park, and in the spa! We also spent way too much time looking at this creepy lion:

More photos of the restaurants we visited soon!

Top Five Wedding Dress Workouts

Wedding planning hasn’t gotten stressful yet – probably because we have the biggest component picked (the venue). Now it’s time to get into shape before buying my wedding gown. I canceled my membership to the New York Health and Racquet Club because I never went – instead, I’m trying to do different classes to get into wedding-dress shape. My favorite classes:

1. Core Fusion at Exhale Spa

There are lots of classes available during the day (if you can sneak out for lunch) or before/after work. I’ve only visited two studios – Gramercy and Soho – and I definitely recommend the Gramercy studio. There are lots of mirrors so you can watch yourself and the studio is also new and very clean. The class involves lots of small movements and by the end of class, I’m always so sore I don’t know why I signed up for more classes!

2. Aerial Yoga at Sacred Sounds Yoga

I’ve only done one type of yoga at Sacred Sounds – Aerial yoga – and it is SUPER fun with lots of stretching. The aerial yoga classes are during convenient times after work and on the weekends and it’s definitely a fun class to experience. I felt really great after my first class because I had eaten beforehand and the second time I went, I felt so lightheaded that I had to sit out for part of the class because I didn’t have a snack before going upside-down.

3. Dance Cardio at Body by Simone

I just started attending this class and it is absolutely awesome. You dance and jump and twirl for a solid forty minutes and I always feel so amazing after going to the class. They don’t have too many classes right now because it’s summertime, but they’re adding a ton of classes after Labor day. I’ve heard that it’s similar to Tracy Anderson Method (which I haven’t done), but this class is so fun and it’s definitely worth the trek over to 26th and 11th avenue.

4. Classes at Model Fit

The trainer, Justin, is the trainer for the Victoria’s Secret models. Is that enough to sell you on taking one of their classes? I haven’t taken a class yet but I’ve heard that they are life changing!

5. Boot Camp at Work Train Fight

The teacher is a boxer and you go through different types of drills during the hour long class. It’s located at the same place that I do personal training and the teacher/owner is always pushing you to do your best. Definitely a fun and intense workout!

How are you getting fit for your wedding day? Any suggestions on other classes to take?