Author: Nicole Isaacs

SANCTUARY CAP CANA RESORT, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Published by Nicole Isaacs

ME~SANCTUARY CAP CANA~ON TOP OF THE CASTLE I recently stayed at the Sanctuary Cap Cana in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I’ve been all over the world and stayed at beautiful hotels, but I have to admit this might be my new favorite or definitely a close second. The grounds of this hotel were breathtaking, and everywhere you looked had stunning views. We came at a really quiet time of year and it felt like we had the resort to ourselves. Our package was all inclusive food & drink, and the restaurants on site were all great. The pool and beach were beautiful- the water was amazing. The grounds of this resort is huge, there are different areas to stay. There is a castle where the spa is located with rooms and suites with private pools. There are beautiful villas, junior suites, and regular rooms offered as well. I love this place because it feels like 5 star luxury, but reasonably priced. We stayed in the 2 bedroom Royalty Villa right over the …

MADEO, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Dinner date at Madeos! I just ate at Madeo the other night and it was such a great dinner. This old school Italian restaurant has been a “Hollywood” hot spot for years and the food is delicious. If you can get past the paparazzi outside the restaurant and the prices being on the expensive side, Madeo offers excellent Italian food with an old-school, classic vibe. CARPACCIO Filet mignon, carpaccio, served with artichokes, parmigiano cheese and rucola I am a big fan of carpaccio. This melted in your mouth and had such great flavor with the Parmesan & mushrooms. I think this is the perfect appetizer! SPAGHETTI ALL’ ARAGOSTA W/ fresh maine lobster in a tomato sauce It was a nice twist to your traditional “spaghetti bolognese”. It was good and satisfying, but didn’t blow me away. TAGLIOLINI W/ shaved black truffles I loved this. I love creamy pastas and this was a really delicious one. It was the perfect amount of “creamy”. I’m also obsessed with anything truffle so it was a win …

2013 VENDY AWARDS- BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Lobster grilled cheese, Philly cheese steak, pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, empanadas, tacos, dumplings, curry, fried anchovies………..it didn’t stop! My sister and I attended the Vendy Awards in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago-also known as “the Oscars of street food”. The Vendy Awards is a food truck competition that identifies and celebrates NYC’s best street food vendors, fundraising to support the nonprofit organization, Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center. I had a press pass and got to try all the best voted food trucks in New York City. Let’s just say I couldn’t move afterwards. I wish I had a bigger stomach to try everything but I only could fit so much in there lol. A little overwhelming for someone like me who wanted to try everything, but there was just too much. Not going to go into detail in this post about all the amazing food, I just more want to let everyone know about this awesome event. I was in food blogger heaven! Please note: I labeled each food truck with the …

RUBIROSA, NEW YORK CITY

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I was recently in New York for Fashion week and obviously had to hit up some good food while I was out there for my blog. On my lunch break my friend and I decided to head to the heart of Nolita to the Italian eatery Rubirosa. My friend was craving good Italian food and I was recommended to go to this place so we decided to give it a try. It was perfect. We had such a great lunch! FETTUCCINE ALFREDO This wasn’t on the regular menu, it was a special for that day. Our server recommended it and said it was a really good pasta. It was! It was a lighter version of your typical take on fettuccine Alfredo- the sauce wasn’t as creamy as your traditional Alfredo sauce, and the pasta had lots of vegetables in it so it tasted healthier and not as heavy. It still had great flavor and the pasta melted in your mouth. You could tell by the texture that it was all fresh, handmade …

MISTER SOFTEE, NEW YORK CITY

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I love Mister Softee! If you are a New Yorker, than you know Mister Softee. There are a bunch of trucks around the city and it’s basically just a really yummy ice cream truck! I love their simple vanilla ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles. The ice cream is so creamy, fluffy and delicious. If you are ever in New York and see a Mister Softee truck, you have to stop for a quick sweet treat 🙂 *MY SISTER GOT A CHOCOLATE CONE WITH CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES & I GOT A VANILLA CONE WITH RAINBOW SPRINKLES* To find out where the daily truck locations are in NYC, check out their website! MISTER SOFTEE http://www.mistersoftee.com/

MILK, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Beach day & MILK Shop! After a long, hot day at the beach my friends and I wanted something sweet & cold. We decided to try MILK on Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles. They have ice cream sandwiches, freshly baked cookies, and make your own cookie ice cream sandwiches! They also have regular food, but the reason the line is out the door is because of the bake shop. My friends and I went all out as you can see from the pictures below… the best was just the traditional chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich. ICE CREAM+BEACH DAY=PERFECT DAY COOKIE ASSORTMENT!!!!! CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE W/ VANILLA ICE CREAM MY FAVORITE! Chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream in the middle. The cookie itself was delicious. It tasted freshly baked. It’s traditional and classic and you can’t go wrong. MACAROON ICE CREAM SANDWICHES Mint chocolate chip, blueberry, red velvet & cookies & cream These were so fun to try! I loved all the different flavor assortments. They were all so yummy! I …

THE GORBALS, DOWNTOWN LA

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I have been curious about The Gorbals for quite some time. Located in Downtown LA in The Alexandria Hotel, this foodie hotspot has been on my radar for awhile. It’s continually brought up in conversations by other foodies and when I went to the Downtown LA ArtWalk recently, I finally decided to give it a shot. The menu is unconventional, daring & unique.Chef Ilan Hall, half Israeli and Scottish, definitely took a risk in challenging the limits of his patrons’ palates, which is why I think foodies appreciate and really like this place. I don’t think the menu is for everyone though. The food is different, and if you are a simple eater, there may be a little too much going on for you. See my reviews below… COCKTAILS It’s Bourbon Honey: 4 roses Bourbon, saffron-honey, lemon-grapefruit fizz Jalapeno Margarita: Jalapeno, Thyme, Contreau, Tequila, Lime, Agave Could have done with out. I never seem to like fancy cocktails like this. SWEET POTATO WITH SAGE BUTTER I liked this dish. I love sweet potato-they …

SUMMER 2013 DINELA WEEK!

Published by Nicole Isaacs

DineLA STARTED THIS WEEK! DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT WHAT RESTAURANTS ARE BEING FEATURED. http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week DineLA’s description: dineLA’s Restaurant Week is a 12-day dining event (July 15-26) showcasing Los Angeles as a premier dining destination, highlighting the diversity of culinary experiences LA has to offer. Locals and visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a selection of specially priced prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus from some of LA’s best restaurants.

N9NE STEAKHOUSE, LAS VEGAS

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I recently dined at N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. It is now one of my new favorite steakhouses. I’ve always heard that it was good, but I was blown away. Mastros Steakhouse has always been my favorite, but I don’t know now….N9NE definitely gave it a good run for its money. If you are looking for a nice restaurant in Vegas, you have to go to N9NE. Check out my reviews on the food below! CRAB CAKE Maryland Blue Crab, Old Bay Seasoning, Avocado Dressing, Celery Root-Apple Slaw A great crab cake! Loved the avocado dressing with it too, I’ve never had a crab cake with an avocado sauce before which made it unique. LOBSTER BISQUE Maine Lobster, Crème Fraîche, Brandy This picture doesn’t really make the soup look good lol, but it was a good lobster bisque. It was sweet, and there were nice size chunks of lobster in it. AHI TUNA TARTARE Avocado, Lime, Chipotle-Chili Oil, Crispy Sesame Crackers I love tuna tartare as an appetizer because …