A girls night out brought me to Serafina Always for the first time. There are numerous locations around the city but I had never had the occasion to go before. But now it was my time and I was going out with two ladies who I adore for some much needed quality time. A delicious meal was just going to be an added bonus. When we sat down I did very little, scratch that. I actually did none of the ordering or deciding on what we ate at this meal. I loved having someone who had been before order a bunch of stuff we three could share without the concern I would have chosen something better.  We started with a food group that is always a crowd pleaser for me, pizza. It was the Tartufo Nero, a focaccia bread pizza made with robiola cheese, fontina, truffle cheese, truffle oil and black truffle. What I liked best about this was that the truffle oil wasn't too rich which can often be the case with truffle oil and like ingredients. The robiola cheese was a creamy, soft c

I was alway a good student in school. I always studied for tests and never ever cheated or allowed anyone to cheat off of me, I found that offensive. For that matter I never even lent anyone a pen, you should be able to come prepared.  But there was one time when I was less than diligent with my homework and I was reminded of that time during this week’s episode of The Goldbergs. That is how I chose this week’s Find Out Friday.  I was in high school probably a sophomore or a junior and I loathed Shakespeare. I didn’t understand it nor did I really want to. It seemed frustrating and even though I love to read this was a roadblock for me. My friend Kristin and I devised a system to deal with this. We took turns being responsible for a particular Shakespearean novel and then we would brief the other before an exam. But we didn't exactly read the books themselves rather we fell back on the most important resource of the day; CliffsNotes. As Adam Goldberg did in an attempt t

Do you ever just crave a good piece of pork? I do, but I am not yet a pro at cooking it. Once I am you will be sure to see it featured on my social media via #dinneralaDonna.  As my 2017/2018 will debut in two week I have been anxious to burrow through last year’s list as fast as possible. Food has become a top priority. Alas we arrive at the Pork Wars. My love of pork has become stronger over the years starting during my first visit to Memphis back in June of 2011. Since then I have been game to find the closest thing to those masterpieces in my neck of the woods.  The two barbecue joints that have been on my to do list the longest were Hill Country and Mighty Quinn. It just so happens that they are also the most recent dining experiences I have to share. I decided that it would be more interesting to review them as a comparison in the same post than as individuals. After all, when it comes to pork all I want to know is, is this the best I have ever ate?  My

On July 27, 2015 a new coffee shop opened in Glendale, Queens and I heard about it from more than one person. Neither the title nor the glimpse of the outside of this cafe will give way to the nuance that lies inside. For what lies inside was worth my trip to Queens today. My Coffee Cup seems like an ordinary cafe and they have a wide array of menu options. While the strawberry smoothie I had was tasty as was my mother’s ice cream sundae, these were not the reasons for this visit. Rather we were here to ride the teacups. Yep just like Alice in Wonderland. Or Disney World, even though I skipped that ride when I was there.  I do not know why but this restaurant has giant tea cups that appear as though they are on saucers with a table in the center that look as if you could spin them to create movement. There are a few booths for sitting inside and regular tables outside when the weather permits. But I had to sit in the teacup and was thankful that when I went

We have all heard the rumors over the years that J.Lo and her most famous asset were insured for millions of dollars. In the clip above she denies that such a thing even exists when she was on Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. Sorry Ms. Lopez but I think you throwing shade. By all reports J.Lo’s booty is insured for twenty-seven million dollars. I suppose that is not alot when you consider she changed the way the fashion world looked at women with curves. I mean without J.Lo there is no Kim Kardashian, and we all know that KK booty plays to win. I have been meaning to research this topic for a while. I know athletes and surgeons insure their body parts because if by some fault of another get injured and loose their big paychecks, they are covered. Surgeons mostly protect their hands and athletes depending on the sport their hands, legs, and maybe even their entire bodies. The price varies depending on their speciality and net worth but surgeons hands can be insured for around e

As the years have gone by I have gotten increasing amounts of suggestions from just about everyone about places I just must get to and the foods I have to try. While they are not all necessarily on my official to do list  I do keep them in the back of my mind, especially once I hear the same names over and over again. Dough Doughnuts was at the top of that list.  While I am not a huge dessert person a doughnut can usually peak my interest much more than say a cupcake.  I have sampled quite a few of the most popular names in doughnuts and I have my favorites. But I have heard time and time again that when it comes to Brooklyn and NYC, Dough is the best of the best. I was about to find out for myself.  This past weekend I took a drive by for a quick stop in to buy some dessert for a coffee clutch I was having later on that evening. The shop is a small store on the corner of the block and stands there quite unassuming. The only real problem I had getting in was the very st