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Lauren's Journal

lauren
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09/17/2009 10:45 #49793

Mode
Category: food
Something got ahold of (e:fellyconnelly) last night and she brought me home flowers, wine, and took me out for dinner. We decided to go to Mode. Why, I don't know, but that's what we did.


We got a bottle of Relax, Riesling from Germany and it was mighty tasty. What was even tastier was the cheese board appetizer that had brie, pecan encrusted goat cheese and gouda on it, accompanied by some strawberries, apples and bread. Oh my god, I love cheese. I ordered the pan-seared scallops on corn puree with chipotle sauce. I was honestly a little nervous about the whole corn puree thing. Didn't sound very appetizing to me, but I love scallops so I went for it. turns out that corn puree is mighty tasty and goes well with scallops. Who knew. And the chipotle sauce was faint, but that was fine with me. The scallops were perfecto. I love scallops in general, but these were fantasically cooked and coupled with the sauce and puree, they were just divine. Mmmmmm. Felly got some kind of fancy meat and potatoes which they called frittes. It looked pretty, but the meat was a little tough and the frittes, aka french fries, were awesome for about five minutes, then got kinda cold and not so amazing.

We had never been to Mode before. I have to say that, while I understand the whole ambiance thing, because of the tinted windows we initially thought they were closed. You can't see in and have no idea what kind of place you are entering until you are already there. However, it was really nice inside. the dining room is pretty small and we got stuck sitting next to the rich ladies wine and dine night, which was annoying and entertaining all at the same time. But, it's still pretty nice inside. Our waitress was really awesome. Very friendly and personable and everything a waitress should be.

Overall I think Mode was pretty great. We spent a little over one hundred for the whole thing, which isn't too bad. It's definitely not something we can afford to do all the time, but I wasn't disappointed in what we got for the money. I would recommend Mode, with the precaution that it's a little pricey, but if you are looking to get fancy and have some good eats, go for it.
ladycroft - 09/19/09 14:51
relax is one of my favorite riesling wines!
lilho - 09/18/09 10:09
that's cute, you have a nice lady.
tinypliny - 09/17/09 15:26
Wow, that's too pricey...


  • For me. :)
joshua - 09/17/09 15:24
I used to bring my ex-girlfriend there a few years back... although at the time it was Le Metro. I really loved it there - they used to have free jazz on Saturdays at 11:30pm and we'd go down, eat appetizers and drink wine.

08/20/2009 19:03 #49582

Hmm...
Where is everybody lately? I posted on 8/17 and my post is still on the sidebar? Is it that it's too fricken hot to update or is everyone getting up off their behinds and enjoying summer Buffalo style?

Speaking of the weather...what the eff? Where did this come from? Now don't get me wrong, I prefer heat to cold any day, but I am sitting up in this second story apartment with few windows to speak of and papers all over that prevent the use of fans and I am down right miserable. I feel like taking a shower every five minutes. My forearms are constantly stuck to the computer desk and I am certain that I am sweating more than my water glass that has a small ocean forming around the bottom.

I have plans to go to Fantasy Island on Tuesday. Watch, thunderstorms all day long.

My thesis is due in EIGHT days. AAAAHHHHHHHHH. I am calm.

Felly and I have been packing a little every night, but I know that there are all those things that we can't pack until the very end because we use them on a daily basis...those things will kill us.

We did, however get rid of two garbage bags full of clothes and gave them to Amvets. Felt good to get rid of things...even though I am a hoarder who attaches sentimental value to inanimate objects, every now and then I get the urge to purge...eww...that sounded gross. but yeah, its good.

Alright. Just thought I would post a bunch of random nonsense and I think I successfully did that. Hope to see some of you out tomorrow night!
paul - 08/23/09 14:32
There actually have been a lot more journals since you wrote, the thing is in this verison of estrip you only show up in the list, once, instead of once for each journal. In th new version each entry shows up, making the list move faster. That is whenever I am done with it.
metalpeter - 08/23/09 14:05
Well you are still in the top 10 or 15 and it is a few days later. Bye the way does anyone know where (e:tinypliny) is I was hoping she would have some pictures of the fair or her Ice Cream adventure up she was going to go on the next day but I don't even see any comments. Maybe she is caught in the web of (e:theecarey)'s spider?

08/17/2009 10:46 #49556

Good Story/New Place
so...(e:fellyconnelly) and I went to see a place yesterday on Delaware, just south of Hertel. There was also another very nice couple who came to see the apartment at the same time. We walked into the place and it was HUGE and very nice. We quickly decided that we wanted it and afterwards, it was clear that the other couple wanted it as well. We stood outside with the landlord and chatted as he tried to figure out who he would rent it to. turned out they had a boxer mix that, according to the landlord, looked like a pit bull, so they were instantly like, "oh we will get rid of him"...so the landlord was like, ok.. well, what if I tell you that I am a member of ______. I won't put the exact name down because I know how searchable this is, but let's just say it's a caffeinated beverage that isn't coffee which is thrown into the water in protest of government interventions and taxes. Yeah. I just googled this guy and he's pretty anti-Obama, anti-healthcare reform, anti-"socialism" etc etc. So there's that.

what happened was, he decided that he was gonna flip a coin to decide who got to rent this place. They male of the other couple kept saying "ladies first" and I guess because we had two ladies and they only had one, I said "heads". Coin flips up into the air and lands heads up on the landlords hand. YES! We got the place!! Very exciting considering we were getting pretty scared that we had two weeks to find a place....

I can overlook the whole right-wing activist thing...I certainly won't ever get in a conversation about politics with him, thats for damn sure. But, for a HUGE bedroom with a bay window, a brand new kitchen, a dining room, giant living room with (non working) fireplace and a second bedroom...I don't care who the landlord is, as long as he treats me with respect, which I think this guy certainly will.

So, at the end of this month Felly and I will no longer be living on the elmwood strip, or even in Elmwood village for that matter. I am a little sad about that for sure. I love it here and am going to miss it. I am not especially looking forward to living on a four lane road across from Big Lots, but I do have a back yard and a quick walk to Hertel for a little culture and nightlife, so all will be well. Plus, winters coming and I generally stay in for most of that nonsense anyway :)
metalpeter - 08/17/09 19:56
First of Congrats on the new place. Now here is the thing did he Google You two? If he did what did he Find? The answer to both his looking you up and you looking up him is both "IT DOES NOT MATTER". What matters to him is will you be a good renter and to you it is will he be a good landlord. Those two things can be guessed at by things in the past. But Political views are of no interest. Oh and bye the way using someones views as a way to not rent something to someone would be illegal anyways not sure if that is true the other way around. I just hope he is a great landlord.
zobar - 08/17/09 17:16
Welcome to NoBu [OK, North Buffalo never really fit in with the DUMBO kids, but I guess it's worth a try]. There are a number of nice restaurants on the Hertel strip but the general clientele is a bit geezer-nouveau around here. It's not a long drive to Elmwood and Allentown, and you're more convenient to Kenmore and Amherst, where nothing ever happens but the ambience & service are always good.

Keep up with the rent and chill with the loud parties and you won't have to deal with your landlord on any more than a professional basis. And if he gets all up in your grille about something you could just explain that the way he feels about the government and [taxes/handguns/dijon mustard*] is pretty much the same way you feel about him and [none of your damn business].

I hope he's not the kind of guy who starts a conversation with 'I don't have anything against [a group of people]. Some of my tenants are [certain people] and they're the most [backhanded compliment] people I know - It's just that [this is mostly where I stop paying attention, but sometimes I like to see how many long-division problems I can do in my head** before they stop talking and ask if I'm feeling alright].'

- Z

_______________
  • :::link:::
  • None, because I'm not very good at long division.
chico - 08/17/09 16:52
Good luck in the new digs!!
mrmike - 08/17/09 15:05
Congrats, hope it's a happy home, glad you guys are sticking around and whatnot, even if you moving to "Hstrip.com"
jason - 08/17/09 12:39
Congrats on your new place! My landlord and I aren't on the same page politically, but it's never been an issue. Every now and then she'll say she's working towards X thing or Y thing and I'll say "Oh, that's nice." It would only annoy me if she couldn't shut up about it. Hopefully you have a similar good working relationship with your landlord.
matthew - 08/17/09 12:02
Congrats on the new place! I hope you guys are happy there. And I wouldn't worry too much about not seeing eye to eye with the landlord as long as they're lording the land.

08/12/2009 08:35 #49513

Happy Birthday Fellly!
She never reads this anymore, but what the hell.

anyways, we had a successful trip down to Westchester/NYC/Queens/New Paltz. Spent about 5 hours in the museum of natural history! you can see pics on facebook. :)

My thesis is due on t-minus 16 days and only 19 days to find an apt. and move.

Hmm. apt. How long is too long to wait for the right one? All I really want is an upper with a balcony that has off street parking and is pet friendly. Not too much to ask right? But we just haven't really found anything yet and I am getting worried that I am holding out for a place that will never come. I guess I will wait maybe 5 more days or so and see if anything pops up and if not...I will have to make some compromise.

On the job front...when felly and I were still planning on moving to the city, I told my job that I was leaving and have decided that I am still going to leave in hopes of finding a full time job that will give me some resume experience...I don't know if this is the best idea either. Will I be able to find a job? who knows...let's hope for the best.

Oh...and for (e:metalpeter) and anyone else who is interested, Elmwood Regal had finally gotten the 3D projectors!! Going to take one of my kids to see G-Force in 3D today.
dimartiste - 08/14/09 14:34
Have you check Craig's List? That's where most of the landlord's I know put up pictures of their rental property.
bridgette - 08/13/09 11:29
yeah I've been looking for a place, too for a few months now- can't seem to find what we want. Plus we're having a real hard time with two cats. just hang in here, stay patient and when the perfect place comes you'll know it by how smoothly the process goes!
metalpeter - 08/12/09 19:52
Hope the Movie was good. Thanks for the Info. There are a couple 3D Movies I want to see that aren't out yet.

In terms of the Apt. Hunt good luck. The Pet friendly part is tough enough not to mention one has some kind of porch or an upstairs balcony.

I would think that going down to own Paycheck around the same time as a move is insane. I'm not saying you can't do it, but I can't imagine it.

Well I wish you 3 (yes I counted Ralphie , sorry can't remember if that is the only pet) the best of luck it sounds like there is a lot going on.

07/24/2009 18:32 #49369

thesis and such
Category: school
to begin, I am in the last 5 week countdown of my thesis completion. needless to say i am a little stressed...although it could be worse. i am trying to take a different attitude with the whole thing cause my lack of work over the last five or so months is a good indicator that whatever it was i have been doing wasn't working.

in other news
felly and i aren't leaving buffalo. we decided that we simply aren't ready to move yet. financially speaking, we don't have enough saved to be comfortable in making the leap and neither of us had found jobs when we made this decision. Emotionally speaking we just aren't ready and honestly, i think neither of us are sure that westchester/nyc is where we would go when we do decide to move. i think we certainly will be moving out of buffalo in 6-9 months, but not september, that's for sure.

we are, however, still moving out of our current place cause we told our landlords that we were and our downstairs neighbor already has her sights on our apt. im a little nervous about moving because we have it pretty good here, but i am on the look out for a pet friendly apt with a second floor balcony that doesn't have a bug problem and... oh yeah, good heat and hot water. i hate being cold. at first i thought we could move a little more north, but the truth is, i like down here in ye olde elmwood village. i could even do allentown or depending on the area, a couple blocks to the east or west of elmwood. maybe i am too picky. probably.

oh and

BATTLE AT BUFFALO
SATURDAY JULY 25 - - TOMORROW
7:oo ISH $5 cash at the door gets you hours of fun and excitement
910 Main Street above Hyatts Art Store just south of Allen
come one come all bring your friends

peace out.
chico - 07/24/09 21:23
(e:Lauren) ... if you're willing to wait a short-ish time and willing to edge out of Allentown just into the lower West Side, I have a lead on a dog-friendly apartment, 3rd-floor walk-up, spacious one-bedroom with personality, with a 12x12 wooden balcony that overlooks downtown/West Side with a stunning view of City Hall, easy walk to Allen, with off-street parking, reasonable heating costs ($170ish in dead of winter), SUPER cheap, it comes available November 1. Let me know ASAP. -(e:Chico)