NYC: Sanfords for Brunch

For my brunch girlies, if you have not been to Sanfords in Astoria yet take this as a sign to go soon!

Their website states they serve New American comfort fare, which basically means comfort food to me. I went for Sunday brunch and everything we ordered did not disappoint. The entrees were HUGE and the appetizers were a good size for sharing too!

On the brunch menu, they did have an option of upgrading your drinks for their boozy brunch service, which meant you get two alcoholic drinks for $10. Their cocktail list looked so yummy so I opted out of that and instead went with a Paloma inspired drink.

Here are my tips if you plan on heading there for brunch: make a reservation to avoid a wait and go before or after brunch rush (i.e. avoid 11:30 am - 1:30 pm).

The restaurant is located off the N, W trains making it an easy spot to travel to by train (or car for that instance).

Let me know if you’ve been or plan on going!

Post has been updated to include Reel*

NYC: 5 Queens Bars to Support

New York City is slowly starting to open up. The streets aren’t filled with its usual hustle and bustle but the locals are slowly starting to reemerge. It’s bittersweet to be “allowed” back outside and back to our routines. Personally, I still have reservations about these phases and want to do as much as possible to support the local businesses in my borough. One of the ways I plan to continue to support my favorite spots is through to-go cocktails.

It’s turn into a somewhat ritual, where someone in our pod will collect orders, head out to the bar of choice, and the others organize appetizers for Happy Hour. It’s not as rambunctious as I remember them previously being but it’s still fun to break up the WFH day with friends and drinks.

If you’re in Queens, or wanting to take a trip, here are the 5 bars you need to check out:

As always, please call ahead to make sure they’re open. Times are weird!

Let me know if you ended up checking any of these out or if there are some names I should add to the list.

My Favorite Fall Drink - the Blood Orange Margarita!

Happy September friends! I'm sad to see summer go so quickly but I'm so excited for all-things-fall which include comfort food from pizza places open late and cocktails with a sweet kick. I'm partnering with Agavero Orange Liqueur to share a super easy margarita you'll want to add this to your "Must Try" Pinterest board.

margarita mix

Because this margarita is so easy to whip up in a flash and uses the least amount of ingredients, it's my go-to for spontaneous get-togethers or for dinner parties. The sweet concoction is always a crowd-pleaser and the spicy rim can be customized (or removed entirely) to one's liking.

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The Recipe vv

Blood Orange Marg!

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Now, don't let the name "Blood Orange Margarita" fool you. We won't be squeezing blood oranges until the sun comes up. Instead, we'll be relying on Agavero Orange Liqueur to fool our taste buds into thinking we did. Agavero Orange is a blend of 100% blue agave tequila, infused with the essence of oranges and pure agave nectar. Basically, the perfect addition and complement to any margarita recipe.

You'll Need Per Glass
- 2 oz Gran Centenario Tequila Plata
- .5 oz Agavero Orange Liqueur
- 3 oz pomegranate juice
- lime juice (use 1/2 of a lime)

Use sliced oranges for garnishing!

** Feel free to add a splash of soda water if you find this too sweet!

For the Rim
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chili powder
- mix both in a small bowl
- rub the rim of glass with a lime wedge
- dredge in the chili-salt mix

** Feel free to skip this step!

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What I like to do is grab my metal shaker, feel it halfway with ice and add in all the liquid ingredients. Cover it up and shake my little heart out. Or, for at least half a minute. 

Afterwards, I set the shaker to the side and prep my glasses with the spicy rim. Life hack, it's a lot easier to pour the rim mix into a flat plate and then dredge your glasses through it. After that, fill the glasses with ice.

Once the glasses are ready, pour in the tasty margarita (using the strainer) and serve with an orange slice.

Now, the most important step - enjoy the drink! 

To learn more about Agavero Orange Liqueur and try out a few other cocktails - head to their website here! Let me know if anything piques your interest :).

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This post is intended for my 21+ readers. Please remember to drink responsibly!