TAKE TWO.

This past Sunday happened to be the Puerto Rican festival in Manhattan. Which somehow made "escaping" to Newark for the Portuguese festival seem a little bit more enticing.

The day had already started off on a bad note because getting to Newark involves the PATH train - which just so happens to also be my MOST UNFAVORITE MODE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. It took us nearly an hour and a half to get to Newark...and when we got there we were greeted by hoards of slow-moving, half-naked, drunk amblers on the streets. WELCOME TO NEW JERSEY. Okay, so if you can get over the fact that lots of random people will be brushing all up on you, grabbing you, and whispering in your ear...then you might start to be able to loosen up and have a little fun.


Especially if you immediately begin sipping sangria - which basically covered the streets of Newark and was stored in huge tubs. Not so appetizing.


But when it is being handed out by girls like this...I guess most people don't mind.


Ate some food. Drank some sangria and caipirinhas. And danced a whole lot.


After suffering another PATH train ride back to the city, we stopped by Ditch Plains for dinner. I have been wanting to go to Ditch Plains to try their lobster roll for the past few months. But guess what dish they ran out of by the time we got there. THE LOBSTER ROLL. UARHSJENGH I was extremely ticked off but there were so many other things on the menu that I soon forgot why I was mad in the first place. For those of you who are carnivores, try their famous Ditch Dog - which is two hotdogs in a bun topped with a heaping pile of macaroni and cheese.


Oh. Good god. Little (expensive) pot of macaroni and cheese. Look at that gooey cheesiness. Loved the subtle flavors and breaking through that crispy, slightly burnt top layer.


I also ordered the fish tacos which LOOKED really appealing, but actually tasted extremely bland. Even the sauce was pretty much flavorless. Give me a little kick, anything. This was kind of an ongoing theme at the restaurant. When they initially set down your food, you are dumbfounded in amazement. But the flavor fails to match the presentation.



For dessert was the smores (yummmmmerrrzzz) and red velvet cupcake (also yummmerrzz - although the cupcake professors I was dining with all happened to dislike the cupcake).


In order to make up for my not having satisfied my lobster roll craving YESTERDAY, I decided to go to Mary's Fish Camp today!! Some of you might have heard of my previous romp to Mary's BITCH Camp...but today the host (same host as last time) was actually quite pleasant and we were seated within 30 minutes.


Began with the P.E.I. mussels with fennel and coriander. So delicious we couldn't help but sop up the remainder of the sauce with our bread.


And VOILAAAAAA the famous LOBSTER ROLL!!!!!!!! OMG it was so good, I wanted another one immediately after I was finished. This has got to be one of the best lobster rolls I have had in the city (I still think I love Ed's the best). I liked the fact that they didn't use celery, which I don't think enhances the flavor of lobster. The whole roll had an overall sweet taste, the bread was perfect, great chunks of lobster, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I just wish it was the size of a Subway foot-long.