Off to Sagamore Hill

After a series of crazy events, we finally got Gentry off to Philadelphia to meet Grandma. She'll spend the rest of her senior trip with my mom. My mom takes each granddaughter to Pennsylvania after they graduate.

It was quite interesting getting her off as our plans changed frequently. The rental car place did not have any cars in Manhattan so we took a cab to La Guardia because they were suppose to have cars at the airport. Wrong! But we only waited about 15 minutes and received an upgrade to a Jeep Cherokee. (Note to self: Cars are probably not available in NYC when you make reservation.)

Finally, we were on our way down Long Island. Our first stop was Sagamore Hill, Theodore Roosevelt's home. Before he married, TR bought 155 acres atop the hill overlooking Oyster Bay. After he & Edith were married, they moved into the huge house. TR's requirements for the house was it be big enough for a large family...lots of kids.



We toured the grounds and saw their pet cementery where several dogs and horses were buried. As we visited rooms in his home, I was pleasantly surprised to see books in almost every room. From my readings, TR read about 5 books a week. There is even an article he wrote called, "The Books That I Read And When and How I Do My Reading, by Theodore Roosevelt". He sounds like my kind of person. We discovered that his Gun Room has more books than any other room in the house.

Bar Americain

Steve suggested eating at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants. We discovered one a half block from our hotel. It was so cool. Upscale, classy and an absolutely wonderful experience. The waiter suggested a cabernet blend which was robust and full of flavor that lingers. I need to find the name of it so we can enjoy it later.

The basket of bread includes a corn fritter, roll and baguet - all warm from the oven! Yummy!


Gentry said her chicken was the most tender chicken she has ever eaten. We all enjoyed some of her potato chips with bleu cheese dip. Steve had duck with wild rice. Again, it was tender and moist. I had cheese grits with shrimp, bacon and green onions which was great!

We splurged and had dessert. Gentry ordered a Praline Chocolate Cake which was super, super rich! Steve ordered Bourbon Filled Cream Eclairs. I enjoyed both of them. What a fantastic meal to end our trip

Gallagher's Steak House

After resting in our hotel and waiting for the rain to quit, we walked down the street to Gallaghers Steak House.

Gallagher's was the creation of Helen Gallagher, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer who billed Gallagher's as "the speakeasy that served steaks," when she opened it in 1927. Then when Prohibition came to an end six years later, the resourceful Mrs. Gallagher repositioned Gallagher's as "the steakhouse that served drinks."

Now in its 71st year, Gallagher's is truly a steakhouse to be reckoned with. Step inside and see the rows of U.S.D.A. prime beef dry-aging in the windowed 36F cooler. The grand circular bar will catch your eye along with the dark, wood-paneled walls lined with portraits of sport and movie stars.

The steaks were "to die for". Plus, the portions were huge so we took our leftovers so Steve could enjoy them for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. I had Lobster & Shrimp Bisque that had an interesting spice of nutmeg or pumpkin. I couldn't quite tell, but it was delicious.

Zinfandel Merlot

I didn’t like this as much as the Zinfandel because it was a bit stark or too much spice. Usually I think of Merlot as fruitier wine, but this one isn’t it. I will say that giving it time to breathe allows the flavors to blend.

Zinfandel Chardonnay

I like this cool chardonnay because it has a blend of fruit and buttery oak. The buttery flavor is mild and does not overtake the wine.

Barefoot wines were on sale for 4.99 so I bought one of each. We tried Zinfandel first and it had a good fruit flavor with some notes of cherry & raspberry.

Barefoot Zinfandel

Immense wine with inviting flavors of ripe cherry & wild raspberry. Aromas of vanilla and spice complement the lingering finish. Perfect with beef, red sauce, pastas, hearty soups and mild cheeses. Zinfully delicious.

Our First Meal Back Home

The moving van delivered all our belongings yesterday…yea! Tonight we had a wine that I bought at World Market. It was actually good for a cheap wine and great with an informal meal.

XS Red 2005

California Cabernet Sauvignon

Fruit forward robust red with blackberry and toasty oak. Delicious with your favorite pizza, pasta or BBQ. As the bottle says, “Sometimes a little XS is a good thing.”