Like this:
Aka The Weekend I Stuffed My Face With Food. Aka The Weekend Where I Waited in Every Line Imaginable.
How have you been? This one might be long so I’m going to get started right away!
The Hubs and I had the BEST weekend planned! The forecast was calling for hot and sunny weather and I knew we had to make the most of it!
We started out Saturday morning heading to one of our favorite annual events: The Big Apple BBQ. Now, normally I’m all about eating healthy and working out but I don’t believe life is worth living if you can’t enjoy it a little from time to time. This event is one of those enjoy-yourself-events. Nothing here is healthy!
The Big Apple BBQ is essentially a huge block party that shuts down several streets surrounding Madison Square Park. Pitmasters from around the country fly into NYC with their big BBQ pits to cook up their best stuff and serve it to thousands of hungry New Yorkers.
Although I generally stick with veggies, chicken, pasta and ground turkey, I do love a little meat from time to time and there was certainly an abundance of it at the Big Apple BBQ!
Brisket, whole hog, pulled pork. sausage, ribs…every type of barbecued meat you can imagine was there for the taking. I am positive this is honestly one of the Hubs’ favorite events the whole year. Some of the more famous pitmasters have extremely long lines with people lining up for ages just to get a taste of their meat. We always buy fastpasses to jump the line a bit, but even with those passes, some of the more famous pitmasters still get massive lines!
My favorite part of the event is the fried pie. I didn’t think pie could get any more unhealthy than it already is but it is so incredibly amazing. It is also the only dessert being offered at Big Apple BBQ, so you can imagine how busy this vendor gets. We waited in line for about two hours to get this pie! I kid you not! The line was an entire block long and moved slower than a turtle!
So worth it in my opinion. The pie is in an empanda like casing except lighter and more crumbly and the inside is a delicious pie filling. I had the cherry and it was beyond delicious. I kind of want some right now just typing this. I joked that we should have bought the rest of them and started selling them for $10 a piece–I could be rich right now!
It was such a beautiful afternoon to stuff our faces on the grass of Madison Square Park with live music playing on the stage. I can’t remember the last time I just lied on a blanket and stared up at the blue sky!
After spending a day at the BBQ, Pete and I headed home to get spruced up because we had tickets to the New York City Ballet’s production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream on Saturday night. I think Lincoln Center is one of the most gorgeous places in NYC. When we arrived at dusk there was symphonic music playing in the courtyard as people gathered to attend various performances including the ballet, opera and others or to just relax by the fountain.
I couldn’t take any photos during the performance, which was so hard because I absolutely loved every second of this performance and the costumes and theater were so ornate and beautiful! I took ballet lessons for about 20 years and was in a dance company in college, so this performance really brought me back to my dancing days. Dancers are such talented artists and I think they don’t get enough recognition for their talent. If you are in NYC, go see the NYCB! (Note- these photos are from NYCB’s website)
I LOVED the performance!
Sunday morning started bright and early with a tennis game at 8am!
Don’t worry, we decided to cancel out our healthy tennis game with another round of stuffing our faces in Brooklyn at Smorgasburg!
Smorgasburg is another annual favorite of ours. It is essentially a huge market of food vendors with amazing food! There are really high standards for the vendors to participate in Smorgasburg and those standards are completely evident in the quality of food.
Previously the event has held in Williamsburg but this year the organizers switched it to Brooklyn Bridge Park. I love BBP because it is huge, full of great amenities and on the water with great views but it is also extremely crowded! I think I waited in line for about half an hour to use the restrooms.
It was so worth it though because the food was incredibly delicious! The Hubs waited on line for about a half hour for a Ramen Burger. This was by far the most popular item at the market.
It’s basically a burger but instead of a bun there are two ramen noodle patties. The burger comes with some amazing Asian sauces and the burger just melts in your mouth.
I went south of the border with a cemita. It’s a Mexican sandwich made with cheese, avocado, picked onion, tomato, lettuce, your choice of meat (mine was chipotle chicken), mayo and black beans. Holy guacamole! It was so delicious! Spicy and filing. I loved it!
The photo above is of a sambora, which is kind of like non-alcoholic sangria and the best drink ever!
It was almost 90 degrees in the park and the Hubs and I were practically melting after our lunch so I had to check out my favorite cool treat– People’s Pops!
They have all these really interesting flavors. I got the Strawberry Lemongrass and it totally hit the spot!
Afer stuffing our faces for the second time in 24 hours, we decided we should walk off our lunch a bit. There was so much to see!
Beach volleyball in the middle of Brooklyn anyone? How crazy is is that they actually have sand in the middle of the city!?
That wasn’t the only sand around either. There is a “beach” in Brooklyn Bridge Park where people can lay in the land, go Stand Up Paddleboarding and kayaking. To be clear, there is no way I would touch the East River with a ten foot poll. I think if even the slighest bit got on my body, I would admit myself to the hospital to be tested for every type of disease and washed down completely. I know of at least one dead body that was found in that water in the past 6 months. Eeeeew!
The views from Brooklyn Bridge Park are pretty amazing and it is one of the best places to go to get some great photos of the city!
There are also cool art installments located throughout the park like this one.
Can you tell what it is?
It’s part of the Statute of Liberty! It’s the sleeve to her dress. It’s one of the replacement parts.
trying to cram in all our chores before bed!
Readers, what did you do this weekend? Are you a BBQ fan? What’s your favorite part of your local park?
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Kim
June 8, 2014Wow – some truly incredible food!!
You look gorgeous all dressed up for the Ballet!!
I love the way you balanced all the food. And, I think it’s so cool that you take full advantage of the city you live in!
FitBritt
June 11, 2014Thanks Kim! I am making a real effort this summer to get out and do as much as possible before I am confined to the house for months! ๐
Polly @ Tasty Food Project
June 9, 2014I love food festivals and block parties! I’ve never tried a ramen burger before but I think I’ve seen on the Food Network before. Glad you had such a wonderful weekend!
FitBritt
June 11, 2014It seems to be a big trend because the line was so long! I liked it a lot. It was much greasier than how I would normally like a burger though!
Paige@FitNotFad
June 9, 2014WOW I’m freaking out here about all of that delicious food. FRIED PIE?!?! I can’t. Looks like the perfect weekend!
FitBritt
June 11, 2014Oh my gosh, Paige, if anyone every says the word “fried pie” to you–tell them you need to have it immediately. So so so good!
Karen - Fit in France
June 9, 2014Wow, fantastic weekend ! I love the ballet and I would also say YES to a giant BBQ !
FitBritt
June 11, 2014I was so happy to go to the ballet. It has been way too long!
Kimberly (Manifest Yourself)
June 9, 2014So your weekend looks fabulous + I love BBQ too.
This past weekend I headed to the Be Well Philly fitness conference and I am still sore from all of the workouts. BUT it was a lot of fun. ๐
FitBritt
June 11, 2014I saw your photos on Instagram and it looked like so much fun!!
Nellie @ Brooklyn Active Mama
June 9, 2014The food looks so good! Every year I say I am going to go to this event then something else comes up! A Ramen burger?! omg.
You look gorgeous!! The production sounds so great! ๐
FitBritt
June 11, 2014Oh my gosh! You should totally go to Smorgasburg! It’s on every Sunday from April until November. And Brooklyn Bridge Park is just fabulous for kids!
Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness
June 9, 2014Whew, you did have quite the weekend! I have so many things to comment on! 1.) I’ve never had fried pie but I agree that cherry pie sounds like a good splurge right about now. 2.) I love gourmet kind of ice pops like the one you had! Actually I love ice pops in general and just bought a box last week. It’s such a nice light treat during summer! 3.) I’m laughing at your comment about swimming in the East River. My family has a shore house that sits on the Hudson River and I feel the exact same way about it! Whenever we go jet skiing I pray that I won’t fly off into the water and into the mucky water haha and 4.) I love your little belly!!
Carla
June 10, 2014What a wonderful weekend! I LOVE BBQ so I can see why splurging there would be awesome. I’ve never been to a ballet but I think I’d enjoy it. It looks beautiful. The Ramen burger is interesting. I don’t eat burgers but it does have Ramen on it. hmmm…..
I never was able to play tennis.
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
June 10, 2014the cemitas at smorgasburg might be one of the best things I have ever eaten! It appears in my dreams from time to time. Your weekend would be my ideal weekend in NYC too! Activity and eating, my two fav things ๐
Kristina Walters @ Kris On Fitness
June 10, 2014That was an amazing weekend! I’m glad I was eating lunch while reading it! LOL! I love pulled pork and ribs! The cemitas looks like something I would like to try.
Lisa @ Lulus Big Adventure
June 10, 2014Mmm so much food. Amazing. And eating food that maybe isn’t quite as nutritious as your regular diet isn’t unhealthy! Room for all kinds of foods in life ๐ By the way, your dress is beautiful!
catherine gacad
June 12, 2014amazing weekend for sure! i love the nyc block parties. and lincoln center really is spectacular. i saw a ballet a few years ago (paul mccartney), but forget the name.