Why I Love Diners

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Jessica

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:

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!

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.

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?

My Favorite Places to Eat in Brooklyn

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Jessica

I’m a lifelong resident of Brooklyn and every day there’s always a new place to eat or drink that’s opening up in Brooklyn and everywhere else. As a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, I would like to share with you my favorite places to eat here and why. Hope you’ll feel inspired to try these if you happen to be in Brooklyn.

There’s a lot of Japanese restaurants nearby where I live, but my favorite one is about a 10-15 minute walk and it’s called Samurai Fusion Sushi which is in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. I like going to Samurai Fusion Sushi because they have a variety of sushi rolls to pick from and they are very fresh and tasty. The restaurant isn’t very big, but it feels very calm and relaxing to eat there. The food here isn’t crazy expensive either.

One of my favorite brunch spots is Cafe Luluc (not too far from school, located in Cobble Hill). I usually come on the weekends when I want to go to Cafe Luluc and there’s always a line especially around 10AM-1PM, so brace yourself. However, the line and wait usually moves quick. I’ve only been here for brunch and their brunch is pretty good, top notch. Their pancakes are soft, fluffy, and tasty and I highly recommend it. Just an FYI, this restaurant is cash ONLY.

Prince Tea House opened its second location in Brooklyn last year and I was so excited to try it out. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. Prince Tea House isn’t a restaurant, but it is a tea house and they are best known for their teas of course, light desserts, and snacks. There’s a bit of a wait at night, but if you’re looking for a pleasant experience with tea and snacks, this is your place. I highly recommend the Lady M’s Mille Green Tea Crepe cake, it is literally layers of green tea deliciousness and perfectly moist!

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is one of the newer restaurants in Brooklyn and one of the few BBQ restaurants here in Brooklyn. I absolutely love coming here all year round. Their food is top notch especially their chili , brisket, and mac-n-cheese! I’ve also done catering from here for family dinners and food was cooked just right. Never a disappointment here.

Another favorite restaurant of mine is Mussels & More which I have briefly mentioned in past posts on The Buzz. Last year, I was on a total seafood and mussels binge. I’ve been to Mussels & More a few times and the food and service never disappoints. If you love seafood or mussels, this is the spot to check out. You don’t have go very far for good quality seafood dishes. Their mussels are excellent and come in a variety of flavors and broth.

Well that’s a few of my favorite places to eat in Brooklyn. If you have any questions regarding the places I’ve mentioned, please let me know.

What are your favorite places to eat near where you live?

How To Sew A Handbag

Posted on April 4, 2016 by AmoniB

Can you sew? Would you ever try creating your own hand bag?

There was a time where I, Amoni B, did seam-stressing and designing. I self taught myself to create handbags, purses and more. Being an activist of sustainability, I started creating bags from reusable, recycled and second hand materials. Today I’d like to teach you guys how to create your own bags. Below are two videos, for the beginner and intermediate. You can use your own materials, I sometimes even use old jeans and dresses, which can be seen HERE.

Video 1: Yankee Tote | Video 2: Motherland Scrunch Clutch

QUESTIONS TO THE AUDIENCE: Do you have a hobby, trade, or interest? What is it? | Have you ever created anything? What?

Getting Paid From Your Following

Posted on March 21, 2016 by AmoniB

Last week I spoke about How To Go Viral on social media. This weeks blog is about using your audience/following to generate income.

When I first started my YouTube and blogger site years ago I had no idea of its potential. I carelessly vlogged about my life, which of course consisted mostly of beauty and cosmetics. I began to receive numerous messages to join campaigns, promote advertisers, and review products. For many I was hesitant but I did get free products and joined blogging social sites. years later after the buzz i had dwindled I realized I could have monetized many of my videos, or obtained money from my former post. I wish I knew what I know now, I wish I was more consistent and I wish I took it more serious regardless of my situations.

Although I wont go to in-depth, here are a few ways to make money from your online presence:

1. Advertising (ie: Google Adsense): usually getting paid per click when you post about the company. You can use links or have actual ads on your site or social media page.

2. Affiliate Marketing: Companies will pay per person that visits their site or purchase products. Some sites pay based on the amount of people that follow you.

3. Selling Your Own/Service: Most people you know will either support or share, its free publicity on your own page.

Now, I know at first it may start off as chump change but when you are persistent and consistent the possibilities can make you a millionaire, as many on YouTube.

QUESTIONS TO THE AUDIENCE: Are you making money online? doing what? | Will you now consider using your following to generate income?

I blog weekly EVERY MONDAY. Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and FaceBook / FaceBook2

HOW TO GO VIRAL

Posted on March 14, 2016 by AmoniB

Today half of the population wants to go off grid and the other half wants to GO VIRAL, a phrase used to convey the act of gaining, usually quick, popularity online. Going viral can happen by mistake or on purpose. What do I mean? Sometimes users post things on social media with no intent of many people seeing it.

However, if it is controversal or identifiable enough people will start viewing or sharing the post until it spirals out if control, causing a once internet “nobody” to gain a following on and offline. On the other hand, people who yearn for attention or for people to actively follow them for whatever reason (ie: sales), will put in the hard work and even money to show up on social media feeds and gain popularity.

Here I explain HOW TO GO VIRAL:

Examples:

QUESTIONS TO THE AUDIENCE: Have you ever gone viral? How? | What do you feel about what I am saying?

NEXT: Get A Steady Income ONLINE

Brunch at Manila Social Club

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Jessica

My boyfriend, friends, and I had brunch at Manila Social Club located on Hope Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The cuisine is Filipino/French. We made reservations for noon on a Sunday and surprisingly, it wasn’t crowded at all. The restaurant was very clean, simple, cozy, and relaxing. The staff are very friendly, super nice, and laid back. Brunch is usually crazy, busy, and feels rushed, but when you come to Manila Social Club – it just feels relaxing and not rushed. It was such a wonderful experience that I didn’t want to leave.

Biscuits with Ube Butter

We were given complimentary biscuits and ube butter. These were probably the best biscuits I’ve had so far because they were fluffy and had a little sweetness to it. The ube butter complimented the biscuits very well. The ube butter was unlike anything I’ve ever had. It had a smooth and melt-in-your-mouth texture, not too sweet. I really liked this!

a glass of Tres Leches and a glass of Ube Iced Latte

Tres Leches & Ube Iced Latte

My boyfriend ordered the Tres Leches (espresso, milk, Dulce de Leche, whipped cream). This drink can be served iced or hot, but my boyfriend got it and hot. This was an interesting concoction in terms of taste and I also think it would taste a lot better if it was iced. I got the Ube Latte (ube infused with simple syrup) and it can be served iced or hot. I got it iced and it was interesting. It was a little too sweet for me even when I mixed it. I liked that Manila serves most of their drinks in cute mason jars!

Appetizers

We ordered three appetizers.The Lumpia Shanghai are Filipino egg rolls filled with duck and longanisa (sausage/chorizo). It came with two types of sauce – one was spicy and the other tasted like a fish sauce. The Lumpia Shangai were crunchy, fresh, and yummy!We also had the Longanisa Sliders which are sliders with daikon pickles and lotus chips. The Longanisa Sliders were adorable, moist, and just really delicious. Who would ever though lotus chips would or could taste so so so good? The Spam Fries is listed as a side dish under Manila’s menu, but we treated it like an appetizer. I almost always order Spam Fries at a Filipino restaurant. First off, love love love the presentation and creativity behind it. The Spam Fries weren’t salty at all. I wonder what was their secret to making some of the sodium diminish.

Mango Souffle Pancake

My boyfriend loves mango and he’s a pancake type of guy. The Mango Souffle pancake looked like a giant,fluffy cookie with chunks of mango embedded inside. I tried it and loved every bite of the pancake and there’s that Ube again, extremely yummy!

Garlic rice

My boyfriend & our friend ordered the Garlic rice as a side dish. We all felt it was a little bland and definitely not enough garlic flavor in the rice.

Roasted Vegetable Paella

One friend ordered the Roasted Vegetable Paella which looked absolutely vibrant, inviting, and hearty. The paella tasted yummy and is a good vegetarian option if you prefer something vegetarian.

My girlfriend and I ordered the French Toast Espesyal. The French Toast is deep-fried with black & blue jam, mango syrup, and macapuno ice cream (coconut). I don’t typically order sweet dishes like pancakes, waffles, or French toast for brunch, but this sounded really good. In my own opinion, I kind of regret ordering this dish because it was just too sweet for me. and very filling.

Longanisa Hash

We also ordered the Longanisa Hash as a side order too. Everything was cut into perfect bite size. The Longanisa Hash was delicious and just full of flavor.

Overall, it was a delightful experience at Manila Social Club. I definitely want to come back and try their dinner menu some time. I would most definitely come back to Manila Social Club again and it’s definitely one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in Williamsburg. There’s really something genuine about Manila Social Club!

Have you eaten at any restaurants in Williamsburg before? If so, what was your experience like?

Is That Any of Your Business?

Posted on February 8, 2016 by AmoniB

There is an uprise in new buildings and you neighbors are being scammed and removed from their homes. You are in a stable home. Is your surroundings any of your business?

It occurred to me that the younger generations aren’t as involved with their environment as they should be. I don’t mean knowing everyone in their building, knowing the name of the guy at the corner store or being at every “mix.” We…. yes I am only 24 so I sorta am considered to be apart of said generation… We need to know more about what is happening in our community as well as being more accountable for the actions of those who reside or try to take over it

Seeing my social responsibility and drive to help others, two elders of Linden Houses, on separate occasions, asked me to be apart of a few community events. Because I had a lot on my plate I declined. That was two years ago and I regret it. Now I am trying to be on my community board and help out the gentrifying east New York community. I want to save the essence of the neighborhood and keep my community looking the same and stop the several evictions, removals, scams, and making the neighborhood unaffordable. I am also looking to be part of my community board, where at lived most of my life, Brooklyn cb5.

I am telling all of you to find you local community board and to at least go to a few meetings per year. Get involved. Know what is happening, especially if it’s going to damage or enhance your current community. It may end up affecting you somehow.

Here is images from the last community meeting on public safety, rezoning, and more

QUESTION TO THE AUDIENCE: Now I ask you….. Would you take responsibility or will you ignore what is going on around you?

Stay tuned next week to read 5 steps on How to Start a Business

My Top 5 Favorite Places to Eat

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Jessica

Every foodie has at least one or two places they love to eat at frequently besides their own home. I think that growing up in New York City there’s a lot of different restaurants and foods that I’ve grown to love and deeply enjoy.

As a foodie and a person that loves trying new things and adventure, I’d like to share with you my top 5 favorite places to eat.

1. Cocoron has been one of my favorite Japanese restaurants so far. They have two locations in the Lower East Side/Chinatown section of Manhattan. Cocoron is unique and different from other Japanese restaurants because they are best known for soba noodles (Japanese name for buckwheat noodles).

I love the dip soba sets they have because it’s cute, exciting, and a do-it-yourself meal. The dip soba set includes a mini burner with a bowl of boiling broth filled with meats and scallions and a plate of soba noodles. Basically, you will dip your noodles in the boiling broth for a minute or two and then eat it.

Recommendations: Chicken meatball dip soba, Grilled duck with blueberry jam, Warm Japanese style curry soba, Coconut milk with frozen berries

2. STOUT is my go-to-sports bar and also a place to sit back and enjoy delicious foods. They also have two locations in Manhattan, but I’ve only been to the one in Midtown. I find it more enjoyable and relaxing to come during lunch time rather than dinner time. Lunch time is a laid back and not rowdy. Dinner time can get crowded, rowdy, and less enjoyable. The food here is absolutely delicious and I sometimes come here just for the Wisconsin style thin crust pizza because it’s that good!

Recommendations: Fried calamari, Wisconsin style thin crust pizza, Sweet potato fries, Stout burger

3. Cafe Luluc has become one of my favorite brunch places! I am so glad I found this gem because their brunch is amazing. I’ve been here twice so far and the service has never disappointed and the quality of the food is top notch and inexpensive. I really enjoy their Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine and how it’s accompanied with fries and a refreshing field greens salad. Cafe Luluc isn’t too far from City Tech, so if you ever find yourself wanting brunch or any type of meal, just pop in to Cafe Luluc.

Recommendations: Eggs Benedict, Mixed berry Pancakes, Mimosa, Brioche French toast

4. Ramen Misoya happens to be one of my favorite ramen restaurants. It’s located in the East Village on 2nd Avenue and just off of St. Marks Place. I like that their ramen is different from other ramen restaurants I’ve been to because their style and presentation is a lot more vibrant and warm. The service here is pretty on par, but it’s the food that’s the most up to par.

Recommendations: Miso chicken curry ramen, Kome miso ramen with cha-shu, Gyoza

5. Another favorite restaurant of mine is Maharlika. I never thought I would enjoy Filipino cuisine, but I do. It’s completely different from other Asian cuisines that I’ve tried so far. At Maharlika, I love their spam fries and kare kare (oxtails braised in peanut butter sauce w/ grilled bokchoy, roasted eggplant, & long beans). Everything here is just pure comfort food and full of deliciousness.

Recommendations: Spam fries, Lumpiang Barquillos, Kare kare, Sisig

What are some of your favorite places to eat?

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