Pad Thai, sandwiches, soups and more at Noodles & Company in Burlington

FINALLY, a place in Burlington that my coworkers and I can agree on for lunch.  Most of the time, someone wants to be healthy and get a salad, someone else gets a wrap and myself of course, always wants Asian food.  We usually end up at Fresh City in Woburn or grabbing lunch on our own and bringing it back to the office.

Noodles & Company Burlington

Cambodian Wedding Reception at Pailin

My friends Angel and Bryan had their Cambodian wedding reception at Pailin in Lowell.  The restaurant is probably the most popular place to host a banquet in the Cambodian community.  So popular, that we are also attending two additional weddings at Pailin this year.

The restaurant has a nice Cambodian charm that is visible throughout the venue.  Apsara artwork is displayed on the walls.  The detailed crown molding and chair rail is painted in gold resembling temples and structures in the motherland.  The beautiful chandeliers add a touch of elegance to the dining room.

Del Frisco's Grille Grand Opening Weekend

If you've been keeping up with my blog, you would know that Del Frisco's in Boston is my FAVORITE steak house as well as my FAVORITE overall restaurant in Boston.  The Mo and I had dinner there on our "mini moon" and celebrate our anniversary there.  I'm also fortunate to have been extended many  invites to business dinners held at the waterfront location, during the holiday season where I can drink fancy wine by the glass-full.

I could not be more thrilled that the "Classic American Steakhouse" would be coming to Burlington. My boss, who is quite the food and wine connoisseur had to talk me down a couple notches, "Now, you know it's not the ACTUAL steakhouse like Boston right? It's the grille version, which is a little bit different."

"Really? Well, I hope they have the filet, actually they BETTER have the filet!"  I exclaimed.  I made dinner reservations for opening day via opentable and studied the menu.  Yes, they did have the filet for lunch and dinner!

Wishing lanterns and fireworks post Bar Harbor Wedding

And the fun continues!

After stuffing our face with filet, lobster and cake and dancing to N'SYNC, the party continued at the beachfront house the newlyweds rented for their guests.  Upon arrival, friends and family were treated to more drinks, hot dogs and burgers along with the staple sides.

The house was beautifully situated on beach nearby Bar Harbor.

A Romantic Oceanfront Bar Harbor Wedding Ceremony

I assume most of you are pretty familiar with this awesome couple (Angel & Bryan) after reading the Great Gatsby bridal shower post, their Cambodian blessing and praying ceremony post and their Cambodian wedding processional post.  (Fret not, I will do a post on their Cambodian reception at Pailin sometime this weekend.) 

I was honored to be invited to their intimate wedding in Bar Harbor Maine and asked to be a reader in their ceremony.  The nuptials took place at the beautiful Bar Harbor Inn, a top notch hotel and spa directly on the waterfront.

The ceremony took place on the beautifully landscaped lawn overlooking Frenchman Bay.  The bride feared it would rain on her wedding day but the sun was shining and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Boston North BYOB Girl's Night Out at Pinot's Palette

PINOT'S PALETTE

"Paint.  Drink.. Have Fun."

We sure did paint, drink and had lots of fun at the kick off of my friend Amsi's bachelorette party.

Pinot's Palette is a franchise "Paint Night" establishment with different locations throughout the country.  I learned about the new venture via Groupon and contacted the business directly to see if they would accommodate our "Girl's Night Out."  Reshma, the owner replied almost immediately and was able to accommodate us.  

She kindly allowed us to choose the painting for our specific Thursday night, 2 hr class that we reserved for.  We went with the "Heart in the Sand" painting because it's relevant to the couple's upcoming nuptials on the coast of Maine.  

The regular price of the classes ranges between $ 35.00- $40.00 per painter but we paid the same price offered on Groupon for $25.00 per person.  Each participant was able to make their own reservations using a special coupon code online.  This was extremely helpful as we didn't have to chase people down for money.

Pho, rice plates, calamari & fresh rolls at Pho 88 in Lowell

Pho 88 in Drumhill is a bit more upscale than your average "Run of the mill" Vietnamese restaurants in town.  It's situated in a strip plaza on Westford Street on the Chelmsford border, a stone's throw away.  Parking is a bit tough because it shares the same lot with an Indian restaurant, Priya, a salon, a pizza place and a few other small businesses.

Pho 88 1270 Westford St. Lowell, MA