Riverpark (New York City)

See here for The Best Outdoor Dining Spots Across The Country (via AOL City’s Best)

Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, my Husband and all the men who carry around photos where their money used to be!

Shop Local!

The Montgomery Friends Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday through Mid-October, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the outer parking lot of the Village Shopper, Route 206 just north of Route 518 in Montgomery Township. Look for the wooden shed! We are in the same shopping center as PTS and Village Shoes – directly across the street from the Montgomery Cinema.

Lenape Swim Club

What to do the Friday after school is out? Well, I for one am not going to stay in the house and go insane. The Lenape Swim Club (off of 518) is hosting a no cost Open House for members and non members on Friday, June 24th from 12-8pm. I will be there checking out the scene. For Lenape Swim Club rates please visit their site here: lenapeswimclub.com. In talking with two families about the Swim Club it sounds like a great place to join. The families get along well and the kids have a blast. My only hesitation is that my Summer Swim Club budget is -$25.00 so I don’t know about scrounging up the $700+ needed for first time members.

“Blues Wit You”
By The Pimps of Joytime
JANXTA FUNK! Available July 26 (pre-order here)
Wonderwheel Recordings
thepimpsofjoytime.com

Tusk Restaurant - image from Tusk homepage

The opening was a slow, even glacial paced process. That lot was a construction scene for the better part of 2 years I would say. “Coming Soon” signs went up around late Winter and the web site launched a little over a month ago. I know all this because Montgomery families have been diligently watching the restaurant developments. Local moms kept each other abreast of all updates. One early rumor was that the restaurant would be a Chinese restaurant and many of us joked that we hoped to be able to dine there SOMETIME this year. There aren’t very many family-friendly restaurants in the area besides Tigers Tale or (gulp) Friendly’s so a little variety is very welcome in this neck of the woods.

The four of us went to TUSK for an early dinner on a Friday. That weekend there was complimentary valet parking. The hostess staff was young and friendly. The bar was buzzing with patrons. The main dining hall is cavernous. I usually prefer more intimate spaces although the outdoor dining looked to be cozy enough. Our waitress’ name was Nicky and she was very friendly and attentive. The decor is tasteful. You can tell no expense was spared. A lot of attention is paid to detail, especially in the well appointed bathrooms that are located downstairs.

TUSK is a fusion restaurant, with offerings from Southwestern, Thai, French and Americana cuisines (as far as I can tell). We were given bread with a butter that tasted like it was mixed with sun dried tomatoes and started our meal off with a chicken wing appetizer. It was tasty enough. They were out of the potstickers that night, they sound like something I will definitely be doubling back to. The tables are a little on the small side, so it became a little difficult to negotiate enough space for the menus, drinks and plates. Thankfully, the busboys were always right there to clear more space. My husband and I had salads as our main dish. I had the “Chipotle Salad” and my husband had the “Watermelon Salad”. They were both VERY good. The children (ages 6 and 9) had a Cheeseburger and the Fish and Chips from the children’s menu, respectively. They both said they were “OK”. They are usually more enthusiastic than that about food so I’ll have to take them on their word. For dessert we ordered the Bread Pudding and the Apple Crisp. The Bread Pudding was exactly the way I like it – a little on the dry side, but the Apple Crisp was just OK.

In all, we will definitely return, although most likely without the children since it seems like a much better Parent’s Night Out spot than a regular family joint. Thanks for finally opening!

You can find the MENU here