The Best Things I’ve Ate This Summer So Far

I think you already know by now that I always look forward to the summer because it’s the time of the year where I have more flexibility, have more time to go out and enjoy food with my family, boyfriend, and friends, and an opportunity to try restaurants and places on my list.

Since summer is half over, I’d like to share with you some of the tasty drinks and dishes that I’ve experienced and enjoy during the summer so far:

soup

This Lobster Bisque from Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston, MA is lobster heaven! It’s by far the BEST lobster bisque I have had! It’s bright, warm, and inviting and has rich lobster flavors and juices.

baked crumb topping

During my Memorial Day weekend trip to Boston, I also visited Quincy Market and this one spot called Boston Chowda Co. I saw that they had Maine Lobster Pie which was filled with their Rockport lobster bisque and topped with their seasoned Ritz Cracker crumbs. The pie was absolutely wonderful and delicious! It was extremely creamy and the lobster meat was full of flavor! Who would have thought a savory pie could taste so amazing?

fruit floating on top of a clear, carbonated drink in a glass

I am a sangria lover! Last month, my boyfriend and I went to our friend’s birthday dinner which was at a Portuguese restaurant and they had White Sangria, so of course I had to have it. It was actually very light and refreshing, but didn’t have strong aromas like a red sangria does.

a pink smoothie

Since my internship is close to 42nd street in the city, I’ve been making a lot of visits to Jamba Juice for their freshly made smoothies. My favorite one so far is the Gotta Guava smoothie which contains guava juice blend, frozen peaches and strawberries, and sherbet with pineapple ice. It is super refreshing especially on a hot day and full of tropical goodness!

prosciutto on toast

I came to Piccoli Trattoria with my boyfriend and friends for a double date dinner and an item we ordered that I found absolutely divine was the Proscuitto E Peccorino which is fig jam, Proscuitto de Parma, and Gorgonzola cheese on a toasted rustic bread. It’s super tasty with a mix of salt and sweetness from the fig jam and Proscuitto. I really enjoyed this appetizer and it’s possibly one of the best ones I’ve had so far.

Korean meat and vegetables in broth

I’ve also visited a new ramen spot in Brooklyn Heights with my boyfriend and two other friends as well. I’ve tried Tonkotsu Ramen in a lot of ramen restaurants, but so far my favorite one is from the new ramen restaurant: Kogane Ramen. I really enjoyed this particular bowl of ramen because it had the right amount of fattiness and pork bone based broth. The noodles were straight and cooked al dente. I took my time eating this ramen so I was able to enjoy and savor every taste and texture in this bowl.

ravioli in sauceMy boyfriend and I celebrated our 5.5 year anniversary at one of my favorite restaurants, one that I’ve spoken previously about on The Buzz: Mussels & More.  One dish that we tried was the Lobster Ravioli which I absolutely enjoyed! They were quite big and they were truly delicious and the sauce went extremely well with the toasted bread that they gave us on the side.

I guess it’s pretty apparent that so far this summer, most of my favorite dishes are seafood and lobster related. I enjoy seafood very much except for oysters and scallop (for personal reasons). I’m excited for the food places I am planning to visit for the rest of this summer and to see what they offer.

What are some dishes or drinks you’ve enjoyed or tried this summer?

Tips for the Successful Blogger

a cartoon man talking to his computer

Image by: martin.canchola

When building a blog, there are numerous aspects to consider when writing each post. In my last post, I shared tips for audience engagement but this week’s post, I want to discuss the writing aspect a tad more and how to be a successful blogger. Ultimately, it takes time to become a successful writer but these tips are designed to help you achieve your goals not only as a writer but as a blogger.

You must begin building relationships with fellow bloggers, this will enable you to have an open-mind to how others write and what they choose to write about to appeal their readers. This can be more explicitly used with the use of social media by sharing blogging posts and not only understanding how others write in the respected theme that they have chosen to write about but others who write about an array of other topics as it can help you become a better writer by having a broader perspective in blogging.

Formatting is especially important when writing a blog post as it can easily attract more readers if done correctly. This can consist of bullet points when naming an unofficial list or numbering as well as putting certain text in bold font in your post so it shows the significance of it in the post’s entirety. Add images to your post to better enhance the theme of the post. The use of appropriate images allows for your written words to be better supported by way of an image that helps to break up long texts by photographs to encourage readers to read the entire post instead of only skimming through or reading half of it because it became monotonous or too lengthy.

Finally, as a fellow blogger, I suggest that you have fun with every post that you write no matter how serious or funny, each post reaches someone in a way you may have never expected so just be yourself, be original, and don’t forget to enjoy yourself.

Blogology 101: Blogging about hot topics

As bloggers we often stick to our theme or genre when we write but occasionally our genre crosses paths with a hot topic or current events issue. Now you can either refrain from acknowledging it at all or you can add your commentary to the situation using your blog. However when you blog about a sensitive or hot button issue you need to go about it in a diplomatic and respectful way, you never want to come off as ignorant, bashing or uneducated. Here are some things to keep in mind when writing about something that’s heavily debated.

 

  1. Eliminate bias or harsh criticism from the tone of your writing

It’s easy to get carried away or passionate when you write about something, especially something close to you. It’s crucial however, that you don’t let that leak into your writing because readers will either be turned off or overwhelmed by your opinion being thrown at them. Let your feelings be known but do it passively.

  1. Acknowledge that your opinion is not the only one

It’s only natural to have an opinion about something but a good writer can acknowledge their own point of view as well as the views of others without bashing or belittling them. Instead try viewing the topic through multiple lenses so your readers get an even palate and your audience is wider.

  1. Facts, facts, facts

The worst thing you can do is fudge information or twist the information from its source. It’s always best to use multiple sources and wait a day or two so the validity of the information can be verified over. If readers feel like they’ve been given bad information they’ll be less likely to return to your blog.

 

Whenever we write our personal style and touches shine through, that’s what makes our blogs unique, but it’s important that you fine-tune that so that your blog attracts a vast and diverse audience. You’re more likely to get better feedback and a wider following when people from multiple avenues like and share your work. Also remember being able to see multiple angles of something makes you more of an asset to a company who might want to hire you as a writer.

 

Why I Love Diners

My boyfriend once said to me, “When it’s our turn to get marry, I’ll make sure to tell everyone that I’ve never been to so many diners until I’ve met you.” Honestly. I don’t know when my affinity for diners began, but I’ve been going to diners for the last six years and I have no complaints except for when the food and the service lacks good quality.

The sad fact about diners is that a lot are closing down or have closed down, leaving us hungry customers with limited choices in diners. For now, I’d like to share with you my three favorite diners and why I love diners in general:

Coachhouse diner dishes

My boyfriend and I frequent Coach House Diner when we’re in New Jersey and want to go to a restaurant/diner that is affordable and delicious. I like this diner a lot because it feels like a diner, but than it doesn’t. They do have booths, counter tops, diner-like food and beverages, and they are opened 24/7. However, they also have a restaurant vibe to it because they have an exclusive section that’s a bar, it’s fairly spacious and comfortable, and they have daily specials for dinner and special soups that you wouldn’t find at other diners. They also have a salad bar for you to customize your own salad and always have a delightful,freshly baked bread basket for you. I highly recommend this diner if you’re in New Jersey!

brownstone pancake factory menu

Another diner I really and truly love is Brownstone Pancake Factory. They have two locations – Jersey City and Edgewater which I have been to both, but my ultimate choice and favorite one is Jersey City. I have been to the one in Jersey City both on weekdays and on Saturdays and there’s always a little wait, but hell it’s worth it. Brownstone Pancake Factory offers diner like dishes, but their main focus is brunch and pancakes. This is my go-to diner for brunch in New Jersey.

I found out about this place through Food Network, Yelp, and because a friend told me a restaurant, but I thought it was Brownstone Pancake Factory, but I was mistaken. One factor that separates Brownstone Pancake Factory form any other brunch place we’ve been to is they have these insane, monster-like pancake wraps which is what Guy Fieri tried on his show: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

vegan dishes

Another one of my favorite diners is a local spot in my neighborhood: Vegas Diner. It’s also dear to my heart because it’s the place that my boyfriend and I had our first official date on Christmas Eve of 2010 (yes I remember it so clearly). This diner definitely has history in Bensonhurst and definitely a very family friendly diner. The food here is delicious and I always leave this diner as I do with most diners completely full. Unfortunately, I’ve heard recently that this diner may have been bought out or will be facing a conversion, so looks like my boyfriend and I may have to make a visit soon.

More reasons why I like diners are that: there’s always something for everyone at a diner and opened either late or 24/7 and it just feels very homey, comfortable, and I never leave diners starving again. I have been to my share of bad diners and bad service/food at diners, but that’s a whole different story.

Do you like diners? What’s your favorite diner that you’ve been to?

Ethics-in-Blogging

I believe that the most important quality of blogging is to be genuine and honest. But being honest isn’t always easy.  Advertising is growing vigorously and online media has given it that boost it needs to flourish. Bloggers are bombarded with offers of free products in exchange for them giving a review on their webpage.  How can viewers be sure of the integrity of the blogger and the content?  Bloggers have to be mindful of obligations that could influence their content and exercise caution even if it means that they have to refuse products or services.  It is far better not to align creator content with advertisements but if there is an agreement, then bloggers should be prepared to offer full disclosure.

It is a blogger’s duty to uphold the truth even if that means admitting a mistake. The best way for bloggers to guard against inaccuracies is to be clear between what is an opinion and what a fact. But as with each technology, blogging has its affordances and constraints. With blogging sites being so easy to setup, it is important for each blogger to design their webpage with integrity and responsibility.

Although bloggers enjoy the fact that they can build relationships with their readers, which involves making it easy for them to connect and share information, I think what most people like is that sense of uncensored freedom that blogging affords. Without a standardized code of ethics, the casual style of writing is often misused and misguided. I believe that responsible bloggers have an obligation to their readers to show that they can be trusted.  Depending on both content and context, the public have a right to reliable information.

I believe that the most important quality of blogging is to be genuine and honest.  But being honest isn’t always easy.  Advertising is growing vigorously and online media has given it that boost it needs to flourish. Bloggers are bombarded with offers of free products in exchange for them giving a review on their webpage.  How can viewers be sure of the integrity of the blogger and the content?  Bloggers have to be mindful of obligations that could influence their content and exercise caution even if it means that they have to refuse products or services.  It is far better not to align creator content with advertisements but if there is an agreement, then bloggers should be prepared to offer full disclosure.

The best way for bloggers to guard against inaccuracies is to be clear between what is an opinion and what a fact.

Pros and Cons of Blogging

A blog is information or conversation that is published online. Having been blogging since about 2010/2011, doing my beauty/hair blogs, as well as reading the blogs of others, I noticed some great things and some wow factors. Therefore, I have comprised my first list about the pros and cons of Blogging.

PROS

  1. There is a market for everyone: What ever you think about, hope to be, or have an interest in, can be the topic of your blog. There will be several other people who will be interested in that information as well. If you google cleaning with lemons, thousands (made up figure) of blogs and individuals asking the questions will pop up.
  2. Easy to start: All you have to do is go on Wix, Blogger, WordPress, Facebook, or have your own site and start writting. There are several free and paid avenues to start from. I started with Blogger and WordPress before publishing my own site and adding a blog to it. All were free.
  3. It is a great marketing tool: If you have a product or service you wish to spread to the masses, just blog about it. You can post video, reviews, comments and more. Share it on social media, advertise on craigslist, and/or post links and ads to your blog or the blogs of others.
  4. You can make an additional income: Speaking of advertising for other blogs, you can use the your blog to get paid and advertise for other blogs, services and products. You can get paid or get free products to review products and share it on your blog. For example, I was sent a hair product to review for my beauty blog.

CONS

  1. People have freedom: With freedom comes responsibility, or one would hope. Some people post Lies, degrading things and disgusting things. Either way, because there are no limitations, they have that freedom.
  2. It can be hard knowing who or what is credible: With the freedom to post, people try their best to decieve others. They may have fake facts, fake logos to make you think its a known site, and other ways of deception. Make sure before you take ideas you do your research.
  3. Without a following you can be your only subscriber: For sometime it may seem like you are the only one reading your post. You maybe, just share it and market your blog. You can become an affiliate of another company also and get paid, which I spoke about in previous post. You will eventually get some people to comment or follow you.
  4. Self-ran: You have to put in the work on your own, unless, of course, its a team of bloggers like THE BUZZ.

For help with your blog, advertising, or more email me at amonib.biz@gmail.com


QUESTION TO THE AUDIENCE: What do you think are pros and cons of blogging. ?

The Importance of Audience Engagement

a series of words that describe what blogging is

Image by: Kristina B

When I think of the array of topics that I have talked about in my blog posts, I am faced with the question of “why was it relevant?”. I have many reasons for each of the concepts of my posts as well as why I have chosen to write about such topics that I feel would appeal to each of my readers. Obviously, I hope that each of my posts are relatable as each of my posts are about food themed topics, I encourage all to read my posts whether if you enjoy baking, are learning how to bake, or simply interested in baking topics. But there is more to blogging than just wanting to be relatable because being relatable is more than just an incorporation of this concept but almost a science of putting yourself in the minds of your readers. By becoming the reader, you must be a number of readers, in my case, it would mostly be two very different types of readers ……. the bakers and the non-bakers as well as everyone in between that measurement of readers. But the truth is no matter how relatable your blog is it will not appeal to everyone because each person simply has their own basis of what they are willing to read and what is not as important for them to gain interest from.

First, you must create a target audience, this will enable you to fully understand what you are trying to share information about and who you are trying to reach with your posts so that you will be able to evoke that in your writing. These posts may even motivate your audience of readers to want to learn more about that specific topic or it may help them with personal events in their life. And, there is always room for your target audience to expand depending on the topic, it can be of interest for many while others may not be but that is purely up for the writer to decide what their readers want to hear based on past posts and the number of views/comments for the most popular ones.

Second, the topics that are discussed should entail newsworthy subjects that will either impact the reader to want to continue reading to gain more knowledge on this topic and also have the possibility of liking your way of writing, in terms of the way you evoke ideas which creates opportunities for them to be interested in your other posts.

a keyboard that spells the word blog

Image by: Daryl Lau

Third, headlines can purely influence a reader’s decision to read the entire post or to just keep scrolling through. Ultimately, the choice of words that are selected to be used in the headline of a post may be a determining factor for readers to decide whether or not they will continue to read the post. The headline should set the tone for the entire post but should add some excitement that will persuade and encourage readers to want to read the post.

Fourth, topic tagging is an important part of blogging because it helps the readers know what the topic of the post is about because they choose to read it in its entirety. This only gives the key words that are used in the post or to describe the topic of the post. It not only helps the readers to have a common knowledge of the subject being described but helps the writer to stay on topic to reach their target audience.

And finally, ask questions in your post to encourage comments. With the addition of comments, it allows for the conversation to further continue by understanding the readers’ opinions. Comments are hard to obtain, some may not read your post all the way to the end which eliminates the option of commenting while others may not feel obligated to comment on your post. But comments are helpful, it lets writers know that readers are listening and opens doors that show that the post is not one-sided because even the readers get a chance to share their thoughts.

Comment below with your thoughts on audience engagement and what else is needed to make a blog post interesting to readers.

Blogology 101- Be Relatable

On any given day you can probably find at least a dozen blogs being advertised and shared on your timeline. How many of those blogs do you actually click on? Now how many do you actually read through to the end?

In today’s day and age just about anyone can start a blog but not just anyone can have a good blog. In order to have a successful blog with a regular audience and following, there are several key points to remember but todays point is being relatable. Have you ever read something and three lines in rolled your eyes and said, “This is ridiculous” and closed the tab? Why was that? Probably because whoever wrote it wrote the blog post either without actual experience on the matter or wrote it completely lopsided and bias. So it’s important to remember a few things when writing a relatable piece,

  1. Transparency – Nobody likes smoke and mirrors so if you’re going to write about a life experience or something that’s happened to you, be honest. If there are key elements of the story you’re missing or can’t share it’s probably best to skip writing about it because your readers will find those cheese holes in the story right away and it’ll probably deter them from reading the rest of the piece and possibly anything else you post. If there’s a life lesson that you want to share but don’t want to get into the nitty-gritty then try your best to zoom in on that one aspect, why it’s important and how it’s able to stand on its own.

 

  1. Don’t be bias– Even though the experience you’re sharing is yours and yours alone you need to be mindful of the fact that the way things played out for you may not be the same for everyone. In fact nobody will see the same two scenarios the same so in order to be successful blogger it’s always better to keep an open mind. Even if you feel super strongly about something try and convey it in a way that says you believe what you believe but you’re aware and respectful of other people’s views.

 

  1. Knowledge– When you’re writing about a current event or something that’s going on in the world make sure you confirm your sources. Check the validity of the information against other sources and use neutral sources that people are less likely to disregard or dislike. For example don’t always use the same source, use several that back up the information you’ve found or have. Building an audiences trust is crucial in getting them to share your work and keep coming back to read it.

All in all people have to feel that they’re reading something that increases their knowledge, helps them through a hard time and isn’t trying to shove something down their throats. In the age of technology more and more people turn to blogs or other online forums for advice before their buy things, before they visit places and when they need advice. If you want to have a blog that pops remember your audience will be diverse so you should be too.

Neptune Oyster – The Longest Wait For Food

During Memorial Day weekend, my boyfriend, our two friends, and I did a weekend trip in Boston, MA. I did a search on restaurants in Boston on Yelp and Neptune Oyster was at the top of the list. I didn’t read any reviews, but I should have because nothing prepared me for what happened at Neptune Oyster.

Our friend told us Neptune Oyster has a 4.5 star rating on Yelp with over 3000+ reviews which is tremendous. We arrived on the street of Neptune Oyster at 3:30PM on a Saturday and made a reservation which we found out would be a 4 hour wait, so we had to return back at 7:30PM. After 2-4 hours of sight seeing, walking, and sitting at a cafe, we returned back to Neptune Oyster at 7:15PM and found out our wait time has extended to 8-8:30PM,so altogether nearly a 5 hour wait. We got a call around 8-8:15PM, but when we arrived we still had to wait for a seat.

The restaurant is very dark, dim, tight and small inside. The staff here are very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We started off with appetizers:

seafood dishes

The Fried Ipswich Clams came with a tartar sauce and was market price: $21.00 which isn’t expensive at all. The fried clams were fried to perfection, juicy and full of clam deliciousness inside. I liked the tartar sauce a lot because it was rich. We also had Razor Clams which I thought was excellent and delicious. My boyfriend and our friends also ordered oysters from the raw bar and I ordered a shrimp cocktail since I am not a fan of cooked or raw oysters at all.

soup

We got two bowls of the Wellfleet Clam Chowder, one bowl per couple. The clam chowder is a popular menu item, but honestly I thought it was alright. It’s definitely very filling because there’s a lot of cream and chunks of potatoes. There’s a good amount of clams in the chowder, but I just felt it was okay, not the best.

a seafood sandwich with fries and ketchup

Another popular menu item at Neptune Oyster is their Maine Lobster Roll  – toasted roll, available hot with butter or cold with mayo (available without roll). We both ordered it hot, but little did we know that it wasn’t the best route.

The lobster and roll were both submerged with so much butter that it was too overwhelming. However, the lobster was delicious and so were the fries. The butter did make my boyfriend feel slightly sick, so he wasn’t able to finish his half of the lobster roll.
All in all, I feel the five hour wait was definitely too much and an experience I never want to experience again at any restaurant. Was the five hour wait really, really worth it? I feel like it wasn’t because the food wasn’t five stars in my opinion, maybe 3.5. Would I return? No, because a five hour wait is crazy and it can definitely drive a person hangry. I’ve definitely had better seafood dishes before without having to wait so long.
What was the longest wait you’ve ever experienced at a restaurant? Was the wait worth it?

a highway exit sign that says "DREAM JOB NEXT EXIT"

Image Credit

As I proceed to prepare for a new job, I had to take a look at my resume in its current form. Big problem! My resume is designed for a totally different profession and needs a total makeover. A career change is never easy and the problem is where to start. This can be a challenge but not impossible. So, if you’re facing this, or even if you’re just starting out, here’s where to start:

  • Don’t start with your resume. The very first thing to do is to carefully look at the job that you intend to do. Don’t just look at one but look at several. What are the specific skills required? Your resume should be designed for the skills of the job and reflect every job detail.
  • Only then should you consider your experience. Of course, it may not exactly be the same but your experience should match the skills needed for the job. For example, a job in communications requires social media maintenance. Well you may not have this on the job but you can start your own social media postings. Create a blog or start posting regularly on social sites. The main goal is make your resume fulfil the job skills.

So if you’re like me and changed careers or if your degree isn’t relevant to the job you are applying for, don’t worry. Many people start out in one field and then change or get a degree in one field and end up doing something quite different.

It’s all about skills and experience.

Remember: Plan ahead to get ahead!