Situated along the main thoroughfare is Cucina – a modern Italian spot located in a rustic farmhouse, favored by both locals and out-of-towners. As you approach the restaurant, it’s hard not to notice the spacious wrap-around porch, beautifully decorated with twinkle lights and ivy. Inside, the rustic farmhouse vibe continues and is accented with modern touches. You’ll find a well-stocked bar and additional dining. Outside, the tables were consciously spaced apart, providing a safe yet cozy vibe. As I looked around, I noticed Cucina is a restaurant that caters to all crowds, making it family friendly, a great spot for date night, as well as birthday dinners. The wait staff was friendly, welcoming, attentive, and knowledgeable – willing to offer their own as well as customer opinions on both food and wine selections.

Now let’s talk about the part you’ve all been waiting for…the food. The menu offers a robust array of various Italian dishes, from pizza to pasta to meat entrees – all moderately priced and made with seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients. Gluten-free requests can also be accommodated. I ended up going with the caesar BLT salad, rigatoni with sausage, peas, cream and spicy tomato sauce (a dish that came highly recommended by our waitress), and chicken milanese – and let me tell you, none of it disappointed. The portions were hefty and the chef was willing to split each dish in half if you choose to share amongst the table. And I don’t know about you, but if you’re like me and enjoy a glass of wine with your meal, they have an expansive wine list with multiple red and white selections in addition to cocktails and beer. 

Overall, it’s safe to say, I left feeling very content and pleasantly full, making this dinner a great way to end an already fantastic getaway. If you’re ever around Woodstock, I highly recommend Cucina – I know I’ll definitely be making a trip back in the near future.

Click here to see Cucina’s website. Or for more Woodstock recommendations check out this post on the restaurant Silvia.

The post Cucina – A Cozy Italian Spot in the Heart of Woodstock appeared first on Flavor Standard.

What I loved

The trendy atmosphere and hip decor are some of the things I loved about Silvia’s. In my opinion, it is the only restaurant in Woodstock that offers a chic mountain/city vibe – they’ve done a great job utilizing their outdoor patio space. The decor makes you feel at ease as you sit under twinkle lights, soft, lush greenery and the sturdy tables that are consciously spaced apart. From what I could see, the inside of the restaurant looked fancier than the outdoors, but I actually preferred the slightly more casual vibe of the outdoors.

The food was good- I really enjoyed the burger. I thought it was incredible and by far my favorite item on the menu. The Caesar salad and side of Smoked Beets were also delicious. Unfortunately, I didn’t love their Korean BBQ Beef lettuce wraps or SteelHead Trout entree. For the price of the fish, I had hoped it would have had a bit more flavor.

What I did not like

I usually don’t have this complaint, but I was not very impressed by my waitress. She did not offer any recommendations when I asked and when I decided to cancel my Trout entree, she informed me it was not possible even though we ended up waiting 15 minutes anyway. Another thing that took away from my experience at Silvia were the cocktails – they were really hit or miss. The Szechuan Peppercorn & Star Anise Moscow Mule was unfortunately watered down and not very flavorful, however, they had a pineapple tequila drink (no longer on the menu) that was absolutely delicious. I didn’t end up ordering any wine so I can’t speak to their selection. 

The last thing I want to mention is the high price point. I found Silvia’s a bit too pricey.

So how would I summarize Silvia?

I think if you’re in Woodstock for a few nights, it’s a must because it is the only restaurant in town, in my opinion, that will provide a trendy fun night out vibe. That being said, I would definitely recommend the burger, Smoked Beets, and Caesar salad because they were excellent. In addition, if I went again, I think I would order wine over cocktails.

Click here to check out Silvia’s website.
If you can only choose one restaurant in Woodstock, then I would recommend Cucina. For a full review of Cucina click here.

The post Silvia in Woodstock is a Tasty Contemporary American Restaurant appeared first on Flavor Standard.

What is acai?

Acai is a berry that taste sweet and tropical. It is high in antioxidants and fiber. It also has high heart-healthy fats like omega-9 fats and calcium. When you go to a acai bowl like Bango Bowls, they usually turn it into a sort of puree/ smoothie that helps prolong the fruit’s short shelf life.

So what exactly is an acai bowl?

The restaurants will take the acai puree/ smoothie and mix it with a number of ingredients. Usually the base is granola and then the acai is put on top. What they put over that is up to you. Usually they will put some strawberries, blueberries, bananas, coconut shavings, and sometimes they will add some peanut butter or Nutella. But again, this part is up to you, which is part of the fun and adds to the experience.

What do I think?

The acai that I tasted at Bango Bowls was one of the best I’ve had to date. I think it’s fantastic for breakfast or a midday snack. I think it’s delicious, healthy and you can enjoy so many different kinds of flavors. I don’t know if it’s ideal for lunch because you might still be hungry afterwards and it is slightly expensive. In conclusion, if you are ever in Westchester and want to treat yourself to a healthy breakfast with a trendy atmosphere- you should definitely go to Bango Bowls. They also serve Poke Bowls, but I have not tried one yet. If you need to digest afterwards, check out my Pomegranate White Tea post. And as always, please remember to check out the rest of my website and my social media!

Check out my instagram for more!

[instagram-feed]

The post Acai- Bango Bowls! Westchester gets a flavorful acai restaurant. appeared first on Flavor Standard.

We all get bored of water… at least I do. If you have the same problem, I have a healthy solution! My refreshing mint lime water.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes remembering to constantly drink water can feel like a chore. I Just want to drink something with a little more flavor so I usually end up drinking a juice- or worse a soda. That’s why I started drinking this healthy alternative. Below I’ll explain what I buy and what exactly I do to end up with perfection in a glass.

When I go shopping (usually at Trader Joe’s) I will make sure to pick up eight limes and some mint. Then I will take two limes and cut them in half and squeeze the juice into a pitcher. After that I drop the limes in the pitcher.The next step is to take the mint (usually around two stems) and I’ll chop up the leaves and put them into the pitcher. Finally, you add water and mix.

There you go- you have a refreshing mint lime water. A great benefit of doing this is every time you finish drinking- you can just add more water into the pitcher. The further you get into the day and the more you refill the less flavor it will have, but it will still taste delicious. This drink is great to have on it’s own or with a salad.

Hope you all have a great Monday and please don’t forget to check out my Instagram and follow!

[instagram-feed]

The post Refreshing mint lime water- a healthy way to stay hydrated with flavor appeared first on Flavor Standard.

I love lunch. Sometimes I eat a chicken parm on a wedge. Other times I decide to save money and eat healthy. The other day I decided to put together a delicious salad with what I had in the fridge-it was quick and easy. All this salad needs is lettuce, eggs, avocado, calabrese salami, and sliced french brioche.

So let’s talk about the eggs I cooked. I am very good at cooking eggs and I am going to share my secrets. First, warm up the pan and melt some butter to make sure the eggs will not stick. Next, crack the eggs on a flat surface! It’s a trick I learned from a cooking class. If you do it on an edged surface you will have a higher percentage of having shells in your eggs. After that, I lower the fire and add salt and pepper. Once that is done, I cover the eggs. I only wait about 4 minutes and by then the egg yolk should have that white/yellow color you see in the picture, which means it’s ready.

That’s the only part of this salad that you have to focus on. After that, it’s very easy to put your salad together. I used some spring mix that I purchased from Trader Joe’s. You can use any type of lettuce- this was what I had in the fridge. On your french brioche– add some lettuce, sliced avocado, salami and the eggs. On the side, add some more lettuce. At this point add a little salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. There you go, all done!

In Conclusion this delicious salad is…

Fast, simple and to the point. I think it’s perfect if you are not in the mood to cut up a bunch of things, but want a quick filling salad. If this salad gives you a little bit of food coma, try drinking some tea to help with your digestion.

Thank you for reading and don’t forget to check out my social media pages. It’s always nice to feel the love through likes and follows

[instagram-feed]

The post Delicious salad prepared in 15 minutes or less- It’s easier than you think appeared first on Flavor Standard.

When I go to trader Joe’s there are some items on my list that I can’t leave the store without. The Organic Pomegranate White Tea is definitely on that checklist. Not only is this a very delicious tea, but it also has so many health benefits. Pomegranate is rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C, helps with digestion and acts as an anti-inflammatory. In addition, pomegranate also helps fight heart disease, lowers blood pressure, prevent illness/ fight infection and helps with sports recovery. White tea contains many of the same properties. It is high in antioxidants, helps burn fat, protects teeth from bacteria and much more.

I usually like to have this delicious tea in the morning to replace a warm cup of coffee. Sometimes when I’m feeling a bit tired and need a mid day pick-me-up I’ll drink it for the slight white tea caffeine boost. You can find it at your local Trader Joe’s store and I think you should definitely give it a shot.

Finally, if you stumbled on this post and have not checked out my home page yet- please do so! Thank you so much for reading my first blog post ever. More content will be available soon. I will talk about places I like to visit, restaurants that are worth exploring, different recipes that I like to cook, tech that is worth buying and much more.

Check out my instagram for more!

[instagram-feed]

The post This delicious tea from Trader Joe’s- is one of my go-to in the morning appeared first on Flavor Standard.