Cositas Ricas

Nov20

I don’t have a lot to say about Colombia restaurant Cositas Ricas (located in Greenville SC) but that is one of my favorite places to buy empanadas de pollo (chicken empanadas). It seems that every Latin American country has their version of an empanada. An empanada is a dough or pastry with a yummy filling. Some are sweet and some are savory. The sweet empanadas have fruit or jam in them. The savory empanadas have meat fillings. I like them all.

When it comes to meat fillings, Cositas Ricas does a good job by heavily seasoning the chicken and adding bits of potato to the filling. I don’t know if this is the authentic Colombian way to make empanadas or a Latin fusion because Greenville is home to Hispanics from many different Latin countries.

It does not really matter because the result is delectable goodness. I usually call ahead and order at least 5. Last time I went, I think these cost $1 each but I did not really pay attention to the price. I am usually ordering a lot of other things off of their menu so it is hard to keep up with how much each item costs.

This post is all about a moment I was having where I wished I was eating an empanada de pollo for lunch today. Next time I am in Greenville, I will have to make a stop and place my order.

Buffalo Grill

Nov20

Buffalo Grill – Main Street, Greenwood SC

Last summer Buffalo Grill opened. They serve wings, burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries. It took me a while to go because I heard they were pricey. Plus, I have another spot that I go and was not interested in trying the competition.

That being said, my friend suggested Buffalo Grill and I decided I did not have a better suggestion and we went. With regards to the cost of the sandwiches, it was not as expensive as I thought. You can expect to pay $7-10 for the sandwiches without fries. Fries are about $3 but the serving sizes are big enough to feed 2 people (maybe even 3 depending on how hungry everyone is). I ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich and it was a big fried piece of meat generously doused in buffalo sauce. The flavor was good and "hot" was not too spicy. And the "buffalo fries" were covered in the same buffalo sauce. A simple concept but I was wondering why no one else has thought of it!

The atmosphere and feel of the restaurant was what I expected. It has an open layout with televisions tuned to the sport’s networks. Servers greeted us with a smile as soon as we walked it. It did take considerable time for us to get our food. That is because they make everything to order. I only mention that because if you are going there for lunch, be prepared to get back to work a little late. Other than that, it was a good meal and I will be back.

Helmsley Park Lane Hotel – NYC hotel review

Oct29

I had to go to a meeting in Downtown Manhattan, blocks away from Times Square. I waited until the last minute to get my room so most hotels were already booked. I ended up at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel in a $500/night room. The per night rate cost more than my roundtrip plane ticket.
The room was big similar to a suite in a regular hotel. It had a bedroom with a separate living area (room for a sofa, coffee table, computer desk, and TV) and kitchenette. Aside from the great views of the city, I did not feel as though I got my money’s worth with this room. I guess I was paying for location.

For the most part, I was comfortable. However, the main thing that bothered me was the thermostat in the room. It was September but a little colder than I would have liked. I turned on the heat. The fan was blowing but the air was cool and not getting any hotter. I called room service and they said that the heat is not turned on until October.

What? Five hundred a night and I cannot get any heat?
I would have settled for a space heater at this point. I was so chilly. They did offer to send me some extra blankets, which I accepted.
After that, the room lost a little bit of its luster.
I do not have the personal budget to pay that kind of money per night considering there was not anything spectacular about the room or the services the hotel provided. If I ever stay here again, it would be because of business reasons and nothing else was available.

Already Home is more of a lust story

Oct29


Already Home (Sons of Chance) is a very short story about Hutch and Trina. They had a crush on each other for years but did not act on it. They are two very busy people who seem to want to make the relationship work, but in the end I do not know if they would really make it. I think my hesitant attitude is because there is not much character development in this story. I am okay with short love stories, but there has to be something substantial there in lieu of the chapters of history and build up. That was something this story did not have. There is definitely potential, but it was not as strong as I think it could have been. Since this a Harlequin Blaze story, there is a little heat but it is not as steamy as some other books that I have read.

The ending did not give me the “happy ever after” feeling. I felt it was a hookup between friends who found each other mutually attractive. And that cause the story to lose some of its romance for me.

Since Already Home (Sons of Chance) was free at the time I purchased it, I cannot complain too much. Plus it was mildly entertaining. It is worth a couple of dollars, you want to buy it. Just realize that this story is realistic with a dose of cautious optimism.

Sonic NY Style Hot Dog

Sep24

I was so hard up for a NY hot dog that I tried the Sonic premium NY style hot dog. I ordered it with mustard, sauerkraut, peppers and onions. Truthfully, it was not too bad. I would not say "GREAT!" but it was okay.

All the flavors were muted. For example, the sauerkraut tasted washed out. Some of the vinegary flavor was there but it was weak. I think that might have been deliberate since this is a fast food chain restaurant.

Overall: this was better than a hot dog from a gas station, but not better or equal to a true NY HOT DOG. I give them an "E" for effort though 😉