Nerding Out at a Taping of "The Big Bang Theory"

Pumpkin spice, cozy sweaters, and good TV are three of the things I love about fall. And since all of the new shows are finally in full swing, I thought it'd be fun to share our adventure of visiting the set of "The Big Bang Theory" during a recent trip to Los Angeles.

We went to a taping of the CBS sitcom thanks to an amazing hookup from my sister's fabulous mother-in-law who has worked on the series since the beginning -- she's a stand-in and extra, so it's always a fun game to see if we can spot her as we watch the show! (Note: anyone can get tickets to the show through this site, although it can be difficult to score them since it's so popular.)

I've never been to a sitcom taping so didn't really know what to expect. When we got there, a DJ was spinning some music and the show's warm-up guy was already getting the crowd screaming with excitement. Earlier, someone had likened the taping to a party, and that's exactly what it felt like.

  Before the cast came out, we watched the never-before-seen previous episode so we'd be caught up with the plot for the one they were taping. Then, the stars were introduced and came out like the rockstars they are (spotlight, fun music, and lots of cheers from the crowd.)

Do You Believe In Magic?

 

The first magic trick I can remember witnessing was in my grandpa's living room. He swiftly put his hand behind my curly blonde hair and grabbed a shiny quarter from my ear. Eyes wide and jaw dropped, I demanded, "How'd you do that?!" He explained to me it was magic and left it at that. A part of me still really wanted to know the explanation, but another part of me was satisfied with the answer. Magic. It sounded pretty enchanting.

Since then, I've loved magic tricks. So, when I heard about magician Steve Cohen's standing show "Chamber Magic" at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC, I knew we'd have to pay a visit. Christopher's parents came into town this weekend for his birthday, and we thought, what better a way to celebrate?

The evening takes place in one of the grand suites in the luxury hotel. The room--decked out in classic mahogany furniture, lavish gold hues, and a sparkly chandelier--holds about 50 people. The audience dons cocktail attire, and Steve, who's been doing this particular show for 16 years, is wearing a dapper three-piece suit. He makes a point to thank the audience for dressing up.

In-action shot at Chamber Magic. Photo by @scotttokar #leica #chambermagic #millionairesmagician #stevecohen #nycmagic #waldorfnyc

A photo posted by Steve Cohen (@chambermagic) on Nov 4, 2015 at 4:57am PST

He explains that he got his start with magic by watching his great uncle do tricks, and that this intimate setting is kind of a tribute to that. He invites those who can't see to the front of the room to watch him do some card tricks--you know, just to make sure he's not trying anything funny. We all watch with focused eyes as he manages to guess one of the cards in an audience member's hand. And he does it every time--without fail, no matter how much the cards have been shuffled by different people. 

A Trip to the TABASCO Factory!

There are some things I would never put together. For example, me and running--that's a no. Also, jalapenos and ice cream. ??? But I had the latter during a recent trip to the TABASCO Factory in Avery Island, Louisiana, and I was surprised how yummy it was!

For just a dollar toll to get onto the island, you can try it for yourself and also see how the hot sauce is made. During our tour, we got to see the factory where the world-famous bottles were being filled, capped, labeled and checked for quality. The shipment we were watching was going to France (au revoir, little bottles!)

Remember those wine barrels we saw in Bordeaux that were used for a couple of years and then sold to whiskey producers? Well, there's a chance they could be used for making TABASCO, too. After the Jack Daniels team is done with their barrels, they're sold to this factory and are used to age a mash of pickled peppers and salt.

Weekend Adventures: Hiking In the English Countryside

On Sunday, Christopher and I met up with his sweet coworker and her husband. The two of them are serious hikers and wanted to show us a side of Oxford you can really only get to by car. So, we drove to the little village of Ardington to begin our five mile walk through the English countryside. Here are some pictures from our adventure!

This is a house that actually belongs to someone. Or perhaps the vacation home of Jay Gatsby.

Just hanging with a bronze statue honoring a horse that won "Best In Show" one year.

Oxford wildlife

The trail

#TBT: 6 Never-Before-Seen Pics From Our Year Abroad, Plus The Story Behind Them

In honor of Throwback Thursday, I thought it'd be fun to share a few pics that never made it onto the blog this year but are still some of my favorites. Check them out below, along with the story behind them:

Bangkok, Thailand

Our friend David took this pic during a dinner cruise in Bangkok. Besides David being one of the most amazing photographers I know (and he does this just as a hobby, BTW), I love this picture because it was taken right after Christopher tried his first shrimp as an adult. He used to be the pickiest of eaters but his palate has matured a lot recently. I like to think the Thailand trip changed him for the better. In fact, as someone who used to oppose fish, he's even requested salmon for dinner a few times this year.

Stuttgart, Germany

When we visited my college friends Elise and Truett in Stuttgart, Germany, we also got to hang out with their three adorable little boys. On our last day there, we woke up to the first snowfall of the season. The whole town was covered in a blanket of white, so we went into the forest and played in it, obviously. I was not prepared with my flimsy little tennis shoes, so needless to say, we had a lot of fun slipping and sliding on those hills.

Bordeaux, France

This is me and my mother-in-law inside a fancy wine cellar at Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte during our trip to Bordeaux. We were just casually enjoying a tasting when the person working there hit a magic button that made the floor open up, revealing a glittery staircase that led us to a room stocked with vintage wine and this really cool wall (I'm not making this up, although, yes, I realize it sounds like a dream).

A Harry Potter Fan's Guide to Oxford

I often feel like I'm walking around Hogwarts when I'm in Oxford. That's because not only are some of the scenes in Harry Potter inspired by the city, they've also been filmed here. My friends Laura and Molly came to visit last weekend, and we tailored a chunk of our famous Pennell-guided walking tour to Laura's love for HP. For those of you who are fans and are planning a trip to Oxford, be sure to add these sights to your list, too!

Christ Church College
The famous Hogwarts main staircase and landing used in The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets:

And the Dining Hall was the inspiration for Hogwarts' Great Hall. Fun fact: they couldn't film the scenes in here because it could only fit three rows of tables, but they needed four because of the number of houses in the story:

The Divinity School
This intricate room built in 1448 was used as the Hogwarts infirmary in four films. It's also the place Professor McGonnagal taught students to dance in The Goblet of Fire:

Video: Our Trip to Italy

As I said last week, thank you all again for making us go to Italy (the best crowdsourcing outcome ever, I'd say!) It was such an amazing trip. Our bellies are still full (you'd think that would stop us from making homemade pizza tonight, but it didn't...) and I still want to say "grazie" every time someone does something for me, but other than that, we're pretty much back to normal. Although, the memories will last a lifetime.

I wanted to do something a little different for this trip recap, something that would make you feel even more a part of our trip since you guys helped us plan it. Here's a video I put together of the highlights of Venice and Florence. Hope you enjoy!

A Definitive Ranking of the Gelato I Had in Italy

We just got back from our anniversary trip, the one you guys helped us plan. I can't thank you enough for choosing Italy! It was perfect--our best trip in Europe this year! I'll do a bigger recap post next week, but in the meantime here's a little (literal?) taste of what we did: GELATO! After our first meal in Venice, we grabbed gelato and decided that we should taste all the flavors over the course of the trip. We ended up with a grand total of 14, and by the last day, I had fulfilled my gelato quota for the year. But every bite was oh-so-good. Here's how each one ranked in my book:

1. Mint Chocolate - First one in Italy, it's obviously going to be my favorite.

That's pure happiness right there.

 2. Tiramisu - One of my favorite Italian desserts made into gelato? Yes, please!

3. Coffee - Did I mention this year I finally started drinking coffee? And now, I'm getting desserts made out of it! Seriously, you wouldn't even recognize me anymore...

4. Pistachio - This one was a little grainier than the others, but I loved it! Reminded me of a grittier version of my favorite childhood pudding.

5. Triple Chocolate - Chocolate times three?!? Yum!


6. Caramel - Sometimes I think caramel is too sweet, but this was smooth and rich.

A Visit to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin

What do you do when you have a four-day weekend and you live in England? Jet off to Ireland, of course! Well, at least that's what we did... It's still crazy to me how cheap and fast flights are over here. We flew from London to Dublin in just one hour! Seriously, it used to take me longer to get from my neighborhood in Brooklyn to the Upper East Side.

The trip was amazing. But the absolute highlight was our visit to the Guinness Storehouse on Easter Sunday. I've always heard that pints of Guinness tasted different in Ireland, and I can now confirm that. (And it's not just at the Storehouse itself--we pretty much had a Guinness at every pub we went to while we were over there, and they were all equally amazing.)

The Storehouse is a destination in itself. We arrived around 1 and didn't leave until 5 (we probably would have stayed longer, but we had an early dinner and music pub crawl planned.) The first part of the experience involves learning about the history of the company which was started in 1759 by Arthur Guinness. Fun fact: That year, he signed a 9,000 year lease at £45 annually! If only my ancestors would have done that with a New York City apartment...

After agreeing that Arthur was a genius in his real-estate decisions, we walked around learning how they make the beer. There are fun hi-def presentations and exhibitions to show you what each step is. I like to think we're now experts in barley, hops, water, and yeast when it comes to brewing a Guinness.

Standing in front of the water display. The water in Guinness comes from springs in the Wicklow Mountains... in case you wanted to know.

Oh, I forgot to mention: the entire seven-story place is built around the world's largest pint glass (which if filled, would hold 14.3 million pints of Guinness.) We continued making our way up and came across the advertising section. I've always thought the old-timey ads for Guinness are just the cutest. So cute in fact, that we bought a tin version of one for our kitchen (and honestly, it'll probably be the only advertisement I'll ever willingly put in my home.)

An adorable display near the advertising section

We then got to my personal favorite part of the experience: learning how to pour the perfect pint. As we stood in line, I casually read the instructions on the wall:

Step 1. Take a cool, clean, dry Guinness glass.
Step 2. Hold the glass under the tap at a 45 degree angle.
Step 3. Pull the handle forward until it is horizontal and fill the glass to between 15mm and 20mm (about ¾”) from the top. Never put the tap spout into the Guinness.
Step 4. Leave the surge to settle (approx 119.5 secs).
Step 5. Top up the glass by pushing the tap handle backwards until the head is just proud of the glass. Do not let the stout overflow, and never use a spatula to level the head.

When we got up to the "class," our instructor asked for a volunteer. Seriously, there were like 20 seconds of silence among the group so I decided to raise my hand (I never volunteer for things like this, but I figured since I read up on the assignment, nothing could go wrong, right?)

Straight A student right there! ;)

5 Things I Didn't Know About Wine Until I Went to Bordeaux

As much as I drink wine, you'd think I'd be an expert by now. My girlfriends and I have a wine club back in NYC where we do blind tastings, have field trips to local wineries, and invite guest speakers to come talk to us (we're so fancy, ya'll!) But there's still so much I don't know.

During our trip to France a couple of weeks ago with Christopher's parents, we stayed a few days in Bordeaux and visited something like ten wineries (although who really knows? I lost count after the third tasting…) While the wine was delicious, my favorite part about each visit was learning more about it.

So, I thought I'd share some of my favorite takeaways (I wrote them down during the tours so I wouldn't forget because, you know… wine.)

1. The barrels are everything.

All of the barrels we saw in Bordeaux were made from French oak that comes directly from a nearby forest. The average age of each tree used is 200 years old. One barrel costs around $600 to make--they're the biggest expense for the chateau each year. They only use them for two to three years, and then sell them at a super-reduced rate to other companies like whiskey producers. Makes you appreciate that "oaky" taste even more, huh?

2. Winemakers are messy… but creative.

Many of the barrels we saw were red in the middle, and it turns out it's because they paint them with wine to mask the spills they make when topping up (the process of adding more wine to the barrel to prevent oxidation). Eighty-nine percent of Bordeaux wine is red, and with 300 bottles in each barrel, there are bound to be some colorful spills.

3. The winemakers are at the mercy of the weather.

2013 was a bad, bad year for Bordeaux wines due to constant rain and hail storms--the worst conditions in over two decades, apparently. The winemakers in Bordeaux want to produce only the highest quality wine, even if that means they have to throw out 60 percent of their harvest. Unfortunately that means that some of them went out of business in 2013 because of Mother Nature.

Seeing Normandy Through My Great Aunt's Eyes

I recently got a very special package in the mail from my dad's cousin Edith. It was a copy of my Great Aunt's Polly's diary from when she was an army nurse in World War II. I sat down one rainy afternoon and read the entire thing in one sitting. I felt like I was meeting my soul sister/ spirit animal/ whatever you want to call it through her writing and given a unique and personalized glimpse of history, always more exciting than reading about it in a textbook.

The timing couldn't have been any more perfect either--Christopher and I were headed to Normandy with his parents so it would be even more impactful for me to walk where she walked and see the things she talked about. Well, we just got back from our trip, and I thought I'd rather have her words describe where we were, even though the images show a much different time:

"We stopped moving before daylight, after which we eased into our position among the thousands of ships standing off shore. Multiply the largest and most varied regatta you have ever seen by many times and you will have a fair picture of that water off the Normandy Beach. There was much wreckage. The bit of beach we could see was littered with it."

Omaha Beach, present day

"By the middle of the next day most of our wards were full and the business of repair well established. I walked through a ward and was appalled at the complete and thorough mangling. It shocks one's faith in humanity to see such destruction, and to realize that it is the result of brilliant, creative minds."

A collection of medical tools used in WWII seen at the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église

The Angoville au Plain Church was used as a makeshift hospital. Blood stains still remain on the pews as a reminder.

"We were having to patch the tents which were torn by flak. That peninsula positively bristled with anti-aircraft guns and they put on a show for us every night. We usually stayed outside the tents and watched during an attack. For some reason the noise sounds so much closer than the tracers looked, so it was considerably easier on the nerves to watch."

Photo of medical tents at the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église

"We passed great dumps of wreckage, our own as well as enemy vehicles. We saw many glider frames and other wrecked planes.... The size of the guns and the number of them were most impressive.... It was a menacing sight."

Standing in front of a German bunker, present day

Weekend Adventures Part 2: The Old Operating Theatre

For someone who shudders at the thought of blood and can't stand talking about anything medical, I think it's pretty ironic that I ended up marrying a surgeon. When we read before bed (because yes, we're old), I'll be engaged in something by Judy Blume while he's engrossed in something called The History of Blood and Guts (probably not the exact title but I swear it was something like that last week…) Often times he'll interrupt my reading with, "Do you know how they used to [insert something medical here]?" And the answer usually causes a vile reaction on my end.

So, naturally, when I told him I was taking him to London to celebrate his birthday last weekend, his only request was that we go to the Old Operating Theatre. All I know about this place is that it's where they used to do surgery without anesthetics (so, ew), but everyone knows you can't say no to the birthday boy.

After our walk around Portobello Market, we headed near the London Bridge to check it out. It's one of the oldest in Europe and is housed in the Herb Garret of St. Thomas Church. It used to be part of the old St. Thomas Hospital.

Visitors have to enter a super narrow spiral staircase that seems like it's never ending, especially when you're surrounded by people in front of and behind you and you're claustrophobic. I wondered if that's how patients had to enter and exit the building (because coming out of surgery and having to do this would be pretty uncomfortable), but there was another entrance that they went through thank goodness.

Can you sense my excitement?

The first room you entered once you made it into the museum was the roof of the church, and it smelled delicious since it was filled with herbs. The space was used by St. Thomas' Apothecary to store and cure herbs.

Spotted: A skeleton surrounded by herbs

This display of an old amputation set kind of made me want to faint at first, but then I just became super thankful that medicine has come such a long way since then. This was before they even knew what germs were so doctors would do operations without gloves and with dirty hands. Could you even imagine?!

The set contains: 1 saw, 2 spare blades, 2 forceps, tweezers, bone shears, 5 amputation knives, 0 anesthetics

Weekend Adventures Part 1: Portobello Market

A few weeks ago, I met my friend Lauren in London, and she took me to her old stomping grounds in Notting Hill. It was later in the day, and unfortunately we had just missed all the action of Portobello Market. "You have to come back and experience it," she told me.

So that's what I did on Saturday! Christopher and I boarded the Oxford Tube and headed to London bright and early (I mean, 9ish) to experience the bustling street market for ourselves.

The market stretches for about two miles on Portobello Road which is in the heart of Notting Hill. On Saturdays, street vendors set up shop and the crowds swarm the displays of antiques, new goods, and delicious food. I used to go to work in Times Square every day and can say that there were more people on this one street than the Crossroads of the World (except for on New Years Eve... that's just ridiculous.)

I spy Christopher in the crowd.

We went in with the goal of buying an antique tea pot to take back to the States with us. We've been trying to buy something from everywhere we go, but are quite possibly the worst shoppers ever and have only bought one official keepsake from our travels so far: a painting in Paris. We failed yet again and did not leave with a tea pot this time. But there were a lot of really great ones all over the market (another reason why I'm embarrassed we're so bad at this...)

So many choices!

This antique doll house was one of my favorites things I saw all day. I secretly wanted to play with it all day but Christopher wanted to keep going, and also I'm 30. Sigh...

Which room would you choose?

Then we came across some old-timey cameras--they were cool, but not Instagram friendly.

Say cheese!

New York, I Love (and Miss!) You...

When you live in New York, being away from the city for even just a long vacation leaves you feeling antsy and out of your element. You mean to tell me not every place in the world has cab drivers who tell you the meaning of life and all-you-can-drink brunch? It's been over seven months since I had to blatantly ignore the Mariachi band on the subway during my commute to work (anytime but morning guys… come on!) or wait in a line that wrapped all the way around the block at Trader Joe's (sometimes you just gotta stock up…), but quite frankly, I miss it.

Here are some other things about NYC that have me a little homesick for the best city in the world:

1. Dunkin' Donuts -- This one goes out especially to the adorable worker who always greeted me with a smile before work, had my iced coffee order ready without even asking me before I got to the checkout, and sometimes threw a free donut at me. I miss her so much! <3

2. Street Performers -- From the breakdancing teens who create a crowd so big you have to walk out of your way (I'd be annoyed if Michael Jackson wasn't blasting from the boom box…) to the jazz player outside your office providing some fun background noise for your afternoon project, there's culture everywhere you turn.

3. Five Dumplings For a Dollar -- Enough said…

Weekend Adventures: Stuttgart, Germany

When I was younger, my grandpa would write me letters, and parts of them would be in German--just for fun. I'm sure he would have been excited to hear about this next trip if he were still alive today. On Friday, we took an hour and 15 minute flight from London Heathrow to Stuttgart, Germany to visit my friends Elise and Truett, who I know from working on the college yearbook. They're doing something similar to us, but they've been living abroad for a little longer. We're so lucky to have had this experience with them (and finally meet their three adorable little boys!)

The day started as soon as we touched down at the Stuttgart airport at 11:30 am. We headed to their house for a yummy lunch of goulash (this isn't the exact recipe, but one I found that looks pretty good.) Then, we headed to the Porshe Museum where Christopher deepened his desire for one (I told him if he started saving right now, he might be able to get one during his mid-life crisis down the road….)

We also checked out a German grocery store. I don't know why, but I'm obsessed with looking at the different foods and brands at supermarkets around the world. I had a little tour guide to show me around the store (and we were on a mission to find the candy aisle, obvs.)

His compass brought us right to the chocolate.

That night, we went to a cute restaurant and ate Flammkuchen, which is a German-style pizza! I went big and ordered one with sausage and sauerkraut (when in Germany…) It was delicious. We also ordered a pitcher of German beer. Here, they clink the bottom of their glasses, look everyone in the eyes, and say, "Prost!" when toasting.

I wonder how the Germans would say, "Go Bulldogs!"?

The next day, we left the kids at home with a babysitter and visited the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. It was something no one "wants" to see but something that should be done. Our tour guide put it into perspective: while we're never going to understand why or how someone could do this, it's our responsibility to educate ourselves so that we can prevent it from happening again. She said that after the camp was liberated in April of 1945, the US armed forces made all of the residents in the town of Dachau pay a visit the camp to see what was really going on. The stories and images were extremely emotional and impactful. There are no words for a lot of the things we heard and saw.

The Results Are In! Looks Like We're Going To....

Thanks to all of you who helped us choose our anniversary trip destination in last week's poll. We had over 60 votes, and it looks like we have a winner:

View image | gettyimages.com

We're looking forward to Italy! It came in first place with 24 votes. Greece followed closely behind with 17. Iceland came in third with 13, and Dubai got 6. We also got two write-ins, one suggesting Ireland and the other suggesting Lafayette, Louisiana (Dad, was that you? :P)

So, now comes the fun part of planning. Actually, I take that back-- I hate planning. I wish we could just crowdsource the whole trip, but that would require me doing even more research. Instead, if you've got any recommendations of where to go or what to do, please share in the comments below! Basically, my only requirement is that we eat carbs for every meal, which shouldn't be a problem hopefully.

Of course, we're still planning on going to Greece, Dubai, and Iceland at some point in our lives (and yes, Dad, I'm coming to see you soon, too!)

Crowdsourcing Fun: Help Us Plan Our Anniversary Trip!

After months of debating where we should celebrate our first wedding anniversary, Christopher and I are at a standstill. Every day, we change our mind. One minute, we fantasize about drinking wine and eating delicious pasta in Italy, the next, we see ourselves sipping on cocktails while lounging on the beach somewhere exotic like Dubai. It's gotten to the point that we want to just relinquish our power to decide and instead put it in your hands :)

And that's what we're going to do today. Will you help us choose where to go in April? Here's where we're thinking (but of course if you feel passionate about someplace else not on the list, please let us know!)

Italy
What we love about this idea: Pasta, bread, wine, romance.

Greece
What we love about this idea: Islands, scenic landscapes, gyros, warmth.

View image | gettyimages.com

The Coolest Thing We Did In Barcelona

I first heard about EatWith while interviewing a travel blogger for a freelance story I was working on (it'll be published soon--I'll share when it is!). The concept's so cool--it's like an Airbnb for meals--so I decided to try it out on our trip to Barcelona. Basically, you go to the site, enter the name of the city you're traveling to, and you'll find a list of locals offering to cook for you in their home. The fee is small compared to the experience you get. There are even some listings that feature meals with Michelin starred chefs for less than $100.

One of the highest rated hosts in Barcelona was Marta, who runs a very famous paella cooking class out of her apartment. We decided to opt for that one and are so happy we did (although I'm sure the others would have been great too!)

I was kind of nervous right before we arrived--going to a stranger's house can be a little creepy, but the guy who told me about this ensured it would be safe and said to just embrace it. At the elevator, we met a friendly-looking girl our age who asked if we were going to the class too. And when we arrived, we discovered a whole group of travelers around our age getting to know each other on the terrace.

There was a couple from California who brought their adorable 6-month old girl. I loved their spirit and attitude. It's like, "yeah, we just had a baby but that won't stop us from having fun." I've got to remember that down the road…. Then there was another couple from the States who knew each other through their brother and sister who had just gotten married. Three people were on solo trips. How awesome to go on an adventure by yourself?! And one guy brought his parents. We'll get back to him in a second….

Marta began the class by telling us a little about herself. She's originally from Barcelona and moved to San Francisco to teach and ended up loving it so much she stayed there for 20 years. When she moved back to Barcelona, she was teaching a vegetarian cooking class when someone asked her if she could teach them how to make paella, thus launching her career as the queen of paella, Spain's national dish.  The one we were making that day was composed of rice, vegetables, broth, meat and seafood (so a little bit of everything, really….)

Then, she gave us all a task. I cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces, and Christopher cut the cuttlefish (which is a big deal because he's not a big fish fan--although, we're definitely changing that one cooking class at a time.)

Weekend Adventures: Barcelona

I think I've found one of my new favorite cities! This past weekend, Christopher and I jetted off to Barcelona to experience delicious food, beautiful architecture, and the amazing Spanish culture.

First stop: our hotel. We found a great deal at H10 Urquinaona Plaza, a modern hotel located in the heart of Barcelona. We were in walking distance to pretty much every stop on our trip, but also right across the street from the metro when we were too tired to walk back. They greeted us with champagne upon arrival (yes, please!), and we centered ourselves and planned our first day on the terrace overlooking the city.

Christopher enjoying the bubbly on the hotel terrace

Our next stop was the Sagrada Familia, the Roman Catholic church designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudí. It's so massive that they started building it in 1882 and it's not set to be completed until 2026. This was one of the most amazing places I've ever seen.

This is the view when you look up while inside the Sagrada Familia. Pretty awesome!

After a brief siesta at the hotel (hey, when in Rome Barcelona, right?), we ventured into the neighborhood of La Barceloneta (near the beach) and found a cute little tapas restaurant called Jai-Ca which was packed with locals, so we figured it had to be authentic. We perched ourselves up on stools at the bar and enjoyed three whole hours of small plates and vermouth. It was probably one of the best meals/dates we've ever had, and it only cost around $40 for the whole night. Highly recommended!

Mmmm… tapas. Delicios!