As I alluded to in my review about Bungalow Bar ( https://bit.ly/2zOcdRH ), I love a good meal at a steakhouse.   I have spent the last year or more really trying to teach myself to cook and if you follow my #dinneralaDonna on social media you will see that I am mostly successful. But my downfall is steak. No matter the kind I buy or technique I use, it never ever compares to those meals I have seared in my memory from steakhouses I have visited.  One of top steakhouse experiences I have had has unquestionably taken place at 22 Bowen’s ( https://bit.ly/2RhHOlv ).  The second happened at Butcher & Banker.  Before we get to the dining details, we have to talk about the space. The restaurant resides within a former bank vault!!  When this restaurant opened last year it was the first time in thirty-seven years anyone from the public has stood inside this vault.  The kitchen is located through the exit of the vault....

I bought the tickets for my mother, as a birthday present.  That it what I told myself and anyone who asked.  I had ZERO interest in see this musical.  Sure I have heard the hit songs that would be featured a million times and could probably sing them in my sleep. But the only reason I was going was as my mother’s co-pilot. Well, that and it was a based on a true story, which I happen to love ( https://bit.ly/2njoQgo ).   It took about five-seconds of me sitting in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to realize how pleasantly surprised I was about to be. As of late biographical stories are trendy on Broadway. I saw one of the first; “Million Dollar Quartet” in 2010 ( https://bit.ly/2O1TCdy ) and was hooked. Then there was the story of the Shirelles told via “Baby, Its You” ( https://bit.ly/2IwcATv ), another great true story. Most recently (before the musical I am reviewing here) was “Beautiful, The Carole King Musical” ( https://bit....

Well, my mother’s birthday month is officially over.  However, the reviews about all the places we went to for a celebration are going to continue.  One of the restaurants that were included during her birthday-plooza was Bungalow Bar in Rockaway Beach, Queens.  I grew up a stones throw away from Rockaway so anytime I was wanting to lay out on the sun, near water that was questionably clean, I went to nearby Riis Park in the Rockaways.  When Super Storm Sandy hit in 2012 this area was one that suffered severe damage. In fact, it is only begun making a strong comeback in recent months. Now I am hearing about so many places I want to check out. Since beach season is winding down I knew I had to at least squeeze Bungalow Bar in before it was too late. Thrown in my mother’s birthday and it was a perfect storm of timing. Speaking of storms the afternoon I headed towards the beach it looked like a storm was a brewing. Thankfully it...