Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Budapest, Hungary

The Saturday afternoon sun warmed us as we stepped onto the city streets to begin a long walk from our Pest apartment, across the Danube River, and into Buda.  Along the way we slowed our pace and secured a park bench on Margitsziget (Margaret Island) to take in the sky’s softer hues at dusk.  This Saturday was special, being Matt’s 40^th birthday, a milestone we had looked forward to celebrating abroad.

With Jeff’s considerate “Bring Back Cocktail Hour” contribution in hand, we sought out a fulfilling dinner and drinks.  As we made our way through the quieter corners of Budapest, we encountered Sörmanufaktúra Söröző, a tiny Hungarian pub.  It was no bigger than a large coat closet, but housed a quaint courtyard with outdoor seating.  We secured two local craft beers, which were happily consumed over lively conversation.  Hunger set in, so we made our way to Mandragóra Kávéház.

The restaurant's cozy atmosphere and attentive staff were comforting, but the best part of the evening was the food.  We started with an appetizer of well presented cattle liver pâté served along-side homemade brioche and greens.  The pâté was covered by a thin layer of what appeared to be cream cheese which added a smooth texture and subtle richness to an already velvety and flavorful dish.

We sought balance in our entrées by choosing one that was hearty and another that was delicate.  The exceptionally tender wild boar stew was offered with noodles which had the consistency of gnocchi.  On the lighter side, the panko crusted tilapia was flaky, and well paired with its creamy remoulade sauce and butter potatoes.

We raised our glasses of Pannonhalmi Salve, a cheerful local wine, and toasted Jeff’s generous sponsorship of a perfect birthday celebration in Budapest.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Dawn Beach, Sint Maarten

We headed to Dawn Beach as the warm sun descended towards the horizon. It was time to Bring Back Cocktail Hour thanks to the generosity of Bill and Denise who sponsored "dinner and drinks for two". Our culinary objective for the night would be a real treat, Caribbean lobster.

The enchanted evening began with healthy pours of rum which we sipped while watching the waves roll in. The scene was so beautiful, we decided to take a romantic stroll on the beach to preemptively work-off some of our impending calories.

After our stroll, we returned to the open-air restaurant. Our table was beachside, romantically candlelit, and a musician sang soothingly, accompanied by the sounds from the ocean surf.

The beautiful lobster had been split, chargrilled to perfection, and presented with red beans and rice, beignets, and a small salad; truly mouthwatering. We also ordered shrimp tacos with all the trimmings which Matt described as the best he's ever had - And Matt knows his tacos.

The evening was perfect and we send a huge thank you to Bill and Denise for making this amazingly decadent experience possible.

Up, Up and Away - Boulder, Colorado

Hot Air Balloon Ride in Boulder, COWe recently received an offer we couldn’t pass up when Gary, a friend of Matt's, called to ask if we'd like to “catch a lift” in his hot air balloon. 

Early in the morning with coffees in-hand, we headed towards a vast field near Boulder, Colorado where several people were staging their balloons.  We found Gary and his lovely wife Rachel, said our good mornings, and quickly got to work preparing for launch.

In about 30 minutes, we were ready for takeoff.  We climbed into the basket with Gary and up, up and away we went over fields, homes, and ponds.  The weather was clear and lovely, providing an incredible, panoramic bird's eye view. 

While floating in for our landing, we were fortunate to spot two playful coyotes.  Rachel, who was in hot pursuit with the SUV and trailer, arrived a few moments after we touched down.  We packed up the balloon, drove back to the original launch site and opened a celebratory bottle of New Zealand champagne. 

Thanks to Gary and Rachel, we were able to check off one more item from our bucket list.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – Minato Neighborhood, Tokyo, Japan

 Certified Kobe Beef...The Best Beef Ever!It seems only appropriate that our final Asia related blog entry pertains to the region’s amazing food, a theme we embraced and celebrated throughout our travels in this unique corner of the world.  Our decadent indulgence in certified Kobe beef, sourced from top-grade Japanese Tajima cattle, was generously sponsored as a birthday gift from Jenn’s family.

Our evening began with a relaxing walk to the Minato neighborhood of Tokyo, an area known for its internationally-acclaimed selection of restaurants.  A peaceful side-street led us to the unassuming door of Kobe Beef Kaiseki 511, a quiet and inviting venue.  A quick glance through the menu revealed a selection of multi-course dinners, each presenting Kobe beef in unique ways to highlight its tender, marbled flavors.

Jenn selected the Maeda course and Matt opted for the Hearth Baked Kobe Beef and Seafood course.  Each offering included eight reasonably sized, meticulously presented dishes.  A sample of items included:

• Consumme jelly-contained vegetables and Kobe beef
• Sakhalin surf clam rolled Kobe beef
• Butter roasted foie gras and bamboo shot with red wine sauce
• Steamed egg in a tea bowl mixed with Kobe beef
• Sea bream with champagne and wasabi sauce
• Kobe beef chirashi sushi
• Sautéed onion wrapped Kobe beef
• Hearth-baked Kobe beef steak
• A light and refreshing desert (surprisingly, not infused with juicy, beefy goodness!)

We paired the seemingly endless parade of dishes with a bottle of light-bodied and refreshing Kubota Manju saké.  With our sake glasses in hand, we offered a toast of Kanpai to Jenn’s family for making it a birthday meal that won’t soon be forgotten!

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – KL (Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia

We toasted the generosity of Colleen who used the Bring Back Cocktail Hour feature to sponsor an amazing bottle of Prosecco at Table 23, a small, contemporary restaurant in a great little neighborhood that offered both charm and character. 

After the bottle of bubbly, we moved right down the street for live, local jazz at No Tie Required.  We loved KL and want to extend our appreciation to Colleen for generously sponsoring our delicious libations for the evening.