Photolog 2021: Day 276 of 365

My friend Viv finally had her wedding reception today! It was supposed to be held last May but it had to be postponed due to obvious reasons. Technically, she and her husband already signed their marriage certificate this past spring, but they wanted to wait until we were allowed to have indoor gatherings of more than 10 people to have the reception. Because what's the point of putting in so much money for a fancy wedding reception at The Eglinton Grand when you can't have all your friends and family there?

The Celebration of Vivian and Daniel
And I'm glad she waited. I was seated with my friend Amanda and her husband, of course, and a couple of our old MAC colleagues, so we just had a grand ol' reunion, spending a couple hours catching up and reminiscing over dinner. Of course, the food was absolutely delicious. I don't drink and thus can't take advantage of the open bar, so for me, the most important part of a wedding reception is the food. And The Eglinton Grand did not disappoint.

Smoked Salmon with Fingerling Potato Salad, Frisée, Pickled Onions, and Mustard Dressing
Lobster Ravioli in Mornay Sauce
Portobellini Filet Mignon with Portobello Mushrooms and Truffle-Infused Jus
Tiramisu
Cheesecake with Chocolate Shortbread Crust and Brûlée Caramel Syrup
Smoked salmon with fingerling potato salad and frisée to start, followed by creamy lobster ravioli, my choice of portobellini filet mignon with portobello mushrooms and truffle-infused jus as my main, and two desserts: tiramisu and cheesecake. They did also have plates of fresh fruit and other pastries (mini macarons, mini tarts, and mini biscotti) as snacks later on in the night, as well as a late night food bar that was serving mushroom risotto. (Y'all, we were WELL-FED.)

Cupcakes by DaanGo Cake Lab(Clockwise from left: HK Milk Tea, Strawberry Pocky, and Black Sesame)
Of course, there was dancing, which I don't generally partake in, but then the DJ played BTS and I was like, "WHAAAAT!" and obviously had to get up for that. Viv came up to me later on and said, "I specifically requested BTS' 'Boy with Luv' and 'Butter' for you so you could get hyped up!" (This is why we've been friends for so long. I love this girl.) The night ended with eating wedding cupcakes (in lieu of wedding cake) made by DaanGo Cake Lab (Viv had asked for a cake shop recommendation last year, so I suggested DaanGo, which is my fave). There were three choices: black sesame, HK milk tea, and strawberry Pocky. Viv brought all three for me ("Why bother choosing when you can have all of them?"), so I shared them with Amanda. And best part, Viv gave me a box of them to take home, so I have dessert for the next couple days, too!

I've known Viv for almost a decade, since she was 19, and it's been a pleasure watching her grow up into this incredible woman and finally get married to the boyfriend she'd been dating since high school. Congratulations to one of my dearest and oldest friends!

The Eglinton Grand

400 Eglinton Ave. W.

Toronto, ON M5N 1A2

(416) 485-5900

A Wedding Weekend in Bucks County

My brother's wedding was on Saturday, so we made a long weekend out of it.

1740 House
A view of the Delaware River from my balcony
Random wood-carved rooster statue
We flew into Philadelphia on Friday morning and drove an hour to get into New Hope, Pennsylvania. My brother booked us rooms at 1740 House for the first night. (I stayed in South Room 7, if you wanna take a glimpse of what it looks like.) It's a proper country inn with rustic decor (like the above rooster statue) and antique furniture, totally surrounded by nature. Each room has a balcony, from which you get a stunning view of the Delaware River, and it's honestly the most peaceful place I have ever stayed at. It is old, but clean, cozy, and charming. Most importantly, the bathroom is spacious with a proper bathtub and shower (it's an old building, but there are no plumbing problems here), and the king-sized bed is blissfully comfortable. Can't remember the last time I had a sleep that good.
The Logan Burger at Logan Inn
My brother picked us up for lunch at Logan Inn. It was a beautiful day so we sat on their patio, which has proper wicker furniture like a chic, ultra-comfy backyard. The service was slow, inattentive, and quite forgettable, but the food totally made up for it. I ordered the Logan Burger, which consists of a thick, juicy local angus beef patty and Bobolink farm cheddar with lettuce, thick-cut tomato, pickles, and red onion on a fluffy brioche bun. It was honestly one of best burgers I've had in a long time, and I totally wasn't expecting it. Pricey at $18, but actually worth it.
Scallopine di Pollo at Trattoria Rosa Bianca
After a two-hour nap back at 1740 House, we drove over to Trattoria Rosa Bianca for my brother and Seon's rehearsal dinner. The restaurant is warm, elegant, cozy, and multi-level so that we got an entire floor to our 18-person party. There were platters of salad, calamari fritti, and bruschetta to share, and then I ordered the chicken scallopine as my main. The chicken was a little dry, but the sauce was excellent and the mushrooms were flavourful; it's essentially chicken marsala except using chicken medallions rather than cutlets. There were platters of desserts but I passed on the cakes and ate three cannoli because they were just too damn good. What is noteworthy about Trattoria Rosa Bianca is that they don't keep freezers — they order their meat, fish, and veggies fresh daily to make all their dishes. And I can appreciate that kind of commitment to quality. 
Holly Hedge Estates
Chinese tea ceremony
On Saturday morning, we checked out of 1740 House and checked into our room at Holly Hedge Estate, where the wedding was being held (it's actually a 2017 Pick for Best of Weddings on The Knot). We settled into our suite and then I spent the rest of the morning walking around the grounds and drinking copious amounts of coffee before doing the makeup for the moms and then my own hair and makeup. Then it was time for family photos before the outdoor ceremony at 5:00. My brother and Seon requested no photos be taken during the ceremony so we have to wait for the official ones from the photographer, but it was lovely —  my brother looked dapper, Seon looked stunning in her white gown, and the vows were heartfelt and beautifully written. (I may have teared up a bit.) It was followed by the cocktail reception, where I didn't drink but did scarf down some super-tasty hors d'oeuvres (including roasted tenderloin canapes with horseradish cream sauce, crab cakes with roasted pepper aioli, and baby lamb chops!). And then it was time for the tea ceremony. It was short and sweet, and Seon's dress was absolutely stunning (and matched the bottoms of her Louboutins perfectly).

Mother & son dance / Father & daughter dance
My dinner selection: Filet mignon with wild mushroom demi glaze
The wedding reception started at 7:00; the parents walked in, the wedding party walked in, and then Chris and Seon walked in. They had their first dance, then everyone's speeches and toasts followed (my dad's speech was unexpectedly eloquent and sentimental — he literally had people crying by the end of it), then came the son/mother and daughter/father dances, and then came the food (!). It started off with a pear and mixed greens salad with walnuts, and followed by the main courses, of which I had selected the filet mignon with wild mushroom demi glaze (because if steak is on the menu, it will be mine). The dinner finished off with coffee and assorted Italian desserts (more cannoli!). I gotta say, and with no bias at all: the food was absolutely divine, especially for a wedding. Wedding food always sounds really good on paper but not so much in execution, but everyone commented on how good the food was here. Props to Holly Hedge's chefs for doing such a superb job.

Cutting the wedding cake
Bouquet toss
This might have been the first wedding I've been to where the dance floor was packed. Like it was a club or some shit. (My brother's friend, apparently a pretty famous DJ, flew in from the West coast just to DJ their wedding.) What can I say, my brother's friends know how to party. People took a break from dancing for the cutting of the wedding cake, which had two flavour palates in three tiers: vanilla and carrot cake. The vanilla was standard, but the carrot cake was phenomenal. Moist and flavourful, dotted with walnuts, and layered with proper cream cheese frosting. I wish I could've brought some home. Anyway, the night continued with tons of photos taken at the selfie station, some serious dancing to EDM (definitely requested by my brother and Seon and their friends), and people getting totally trashed. So, mission accomplished.

Breakfast at Holly Hedge
Since I don't drink, I headed back to my suite at the end of the reception while the newlyweds and 40 or so of their closest friends took a rented shuttle bus to a local bar to get more trashed. As a result, I could wake up early to take advantage of the breakfast part of the B&B (the inn operates as a full bed and breakfast with full service breakfast each weekend), and ordered a Western omelette with crispy bacon, home fries, and toast. It really makes me wonder why I haven't stayed at a B&B before, 'cause it's pretty fucking awesome.

Crème brûlée French toast at Caleb's American Kitchen
After breakfast, we had an hour to finish packing, grab another coffee, check out, and load our luggage into the car. My brother and Seon planned a brunch for the immediate families and their wedding party at a local restaurant called Caleb's American Kitchen, so we made our way over there for 11:30. Now, I understand that Sunday brunch is a busy time, especially in such a small town, but there was still a 20-minute wait for our table despite our reservation, and the service was almost comically slow. It took our server ten minutes to bring our coffees, and then we had to wait 45 minutes for our food. Don't know if it's small town efficiency (or lack thereof), but having to wait 45 minutes for your food at any restaurant is ridiculous. We actually had to ask her to bring takeout boxes with our food in case we didn't have time to finish it — we had to leave by 1:00 to drive to the Philadelphia airport, and it was already 12:45. Its only redemption lies in the food, which is actually excellent. I figured I had a savoury breakfast already, so this was dessert. (Only on vacation can I have two breakfasts.) I ordered the crème brûlée French toast with crème Anglaise because I've never heard of crème brûlée French toast before, and it was magnificent. Crispy edges, coated with delicately burnt sugar crystals, the most plush, perfectly spongy crumb to soak up the delightfully syrupy custard... It's incredible. If we hadn't had a flight to catch, I would say that it's absolutely worth the wait. Funnily enough, we finished our food in about eight minutes. So, we actually left the restaurant right on time.
Despite a few hiccups, I had a most spectacular weekend. I really wish it didn't have to end. In fact, I'm feeling kind of wistful that it's over. But I'm so, so happy for my brother and my new sister-in-law, who are on their first honeymoon as I write this.

1740 House 3690 River Road Lumberville, PA 18933 (215) 297-5661
Logan Inn 10 W Ferry Street New Hope, PA 18938 (215) 862-2300
Trattoria Rosa Bianca 94 S Main Street Yardley, PA 19067 (267) 392-5738
Holly Hedge Estate 6987 Upper York Road New Hope, PA 18938 (215) 862-3136
Caleb's American Kitchen 5738 Lower York Road New Hope, PA 18938 (215) 794-8588

Weekend In Niagara Falls: Part I

Shawn and I went to his cousin's wedding last night at The Hilton Hotel in Niagara Falls, and it was beautiful.

Red rose centerpieces

A wedding favour of rum cake (a popular dessert in Guyana)

First course of dinner: Mixed winter greens with shaved apple and dried cranberries in a cranberry vinaigrette

Second course of dinner: Chilled Gulf martini shrimp cocktail

Main course of dinner: Double roasted prime rib of beef au jus and fingerling potatoes served with beans and baby carrots

Dessert: Chocolate and raspberry tartufo and fresh berries with brandy snap tulip bowl and raspberry coulis

Everyone on the dance floor

I don't really know Shawn's cousin or any of his extended family, nor do I dance, so for me, the best part was the dinner. And the dinner was phenomenal. Seriously, even the salad was ridiculously good. By far the best free meal I've ever eaten. Had I known wedding receptions could have such good food, I would've attended way more.