Zebb’s

We were feelin’ a night out yesterday since we’d been in all day. Well, that’s not true–I did my usual Saturday morning routine of: eating a huge breakfast, hitting up Wegmans around 8 a.m. (before it gets busy), then swimming at the gym and returning home at 11, and Andrew was at the office from 10-3–but when it was pushing 4 p.m. and both of us were still in sweats, we needed a change!

We headed out for a visit at the in-laws’ before stopping at Taste for coffee (decaf for me), then running some errands at the Verizon store (clear display covers for my phone–post coming soon to show you my new case!) and shovels at Lowe’s. You know, because we live in Buffalo now and it snows here…a lot. We’ve gotten by so far this year on a metal dirt shovel and we’ve been lucky to have a mild winter. (I think God is smiling on us transplants since we don’t have a garage for our cars–NOT fun.)

Anyway, we ended up at Zebb’s, a sport-bar-like place I drive by all the time and that Andrew frequented a bit in high school.

It’s a bar and grill and they’re known for their burgers. They also have entree’s, wings (of course) and sandwiches.

We asked to sit in the bar area and were seating long before some who had arrived before us. We also had some of the best service I’ve had in awhile, if not ever. Colin was awesome.

We both ended up with Blue Moons (the pint for me, the tall for Andrew) and a sample of Sam Adam’s Cherry Wheat because, well, I wouldn’t be ‘me’ if I didn’t have a sample of something. The cherry wheat was good, but not as good as a Blue Moon.

We got wings as an appetizer. I swear, since moving here, I’ve eaten more wings in these few months than I ever have before in my life. This is, of course, both good and bad. Good for my sense of ‘culture’ and assimilation into my new surroundings; bad for my hips. And thighs. And arteries.

I saw the “ZebbOriginalWings” and immediately wanted them, but the bleu cheese turned Andrew off, of course. Awesome Colin said we could split an order and I eagerly anticipated their arrival.

And yes, they were everything I hoped for, and more. They had enough “buffalo” flavor to fulfill that ubiquitous ‘wing taste,’ but with a kick of something more. Not spicy, just really flavorful. The bleu cheese wasn’t a dominant flavor, and Andrew was brave enough to give it a try. We just might be ordering those next time…we both ended up saving the sauce to dip our fries!

Andrew had ordered a medium on the spicy-scale when we thought we were sharing, but Colin got the impression Andrew wanted a bit more heat than me, so he went ahead and bumped Andrew’s up to HOT… Talk about great service! Andrew enjoyed his wings, but they were no Pasquale’s.

Hockey is KING here, in case you didn’t know, and a tournament was on TV. Really, all sports are pretty big here–the Bills Stadium is just a mile or so from Zebb’s–and watching football and hockey is very much a part of life here in Buffalo. Guess I’m going to have to get a t-shirt…

Zebb’s is known for their burgers and topping bar (think Fuddrucker’s), and I’m a junkie for anything a restaurant is “known for,” so I went with the smallest burger and added cheese. I mean, doesn’t cheese just make it? A burger without cheese, to me, isn’t worth eating.

Speaking of eating… I was good and only ate two of my wings in order to save room (and calories!) for my burger and fries. But the angelic behavior ended there; I DEMOLISHED my burger and fries, with mayo, no less! I must have been hungry. And honestly, the burger wasn’t THAT good. Definitely not good enough to eat it all. Next time, I’ll stick to wings and fries 🙂

Meanwhile, it was snowing outside:

When we entered, there wasn’t really any snow on the ground. By the time we left, it was blizzarding enough for us to have to drive slowly and there was about an inch or so on the ground. It may sound odd, but I love that about living here–I love that you can go see a movie and come out to a completely different scene than when you entered. (This, I’m sure, will get old after awhile. But for now, it makes me smile.)

We’re going out, again, tonight to meet friends at Pearl Street (yay!), which might just mean more indulgent food for yours truly… Good thing I did a tempo run this morning before church!

Bravin’ the weather

I finally ran outside this morning.

We got a dusting of snow overnight, so I was a little anxious about my footing. I think it’s going to take a season if running in the snow to really get used to it.
I was excited to wear my newest piece of running gear, my Under Armor tights.

Last time I ran outside, my poor legs were still cold in the shower after (boy is that a weird feeling–warm water on cold legs!),so I announced to Andrew that maybe some thicker running pants were in order. You know, since we live in Buffalo now.

Look! New laces!

These trail runners came with long, thin, round laces and they didn’t stay tied very well, so I used this as an opportunity to brighten them up. LOVE the result!

And man am I glad I had I had those shoes! For about half my run I was on snow-covered sidewalk, which felt a little like running in sand, so I was thankful for a little traction. I can’t imagine running in my regular shoes…I would have been sliding all over the place! That, and the slush would all but destroy them in a few short runs, so I’m really happy I ended up with these.

Verdict on the tights: my legs were definitely a bit warmer, during and after the run, but it also wasn’t completely frigid outside. I think a colder morning will have to determine their “cold gear” abilities, but I’m happy for an additional pair regardless.

Happy winter running, all!

yup, it’s winter out there

For awhile now, I’ve been hearing a lot on the radio and from other people about what a mild winter it’s been so far. And it really has been–we’ve barely had any snow and we’ve had a few upper-40’s days–which has made me a bit sad.

Well, I am sad no more! Pretty much since my return home from Ohio last week, it’s been pretty white around here.

I think we’re in the “constant snow” part of winter here… It seems like almost every day the weather calls for snow, or cold enough temps to keep it around. It’s not usually more than a couple inches, but it piles up and piles up and then we get hammered. I’m excited, although a little anxious about Andrew’s lack of driveway-clearing motivation. So far this year, I get the brownie points for shoveling, not him!

I also broke in my new trail running shoes I got for snowy runs. While they do have some arch support, they aren’t as “motion-controlling” as my other shoes (Saucony Hurricanes) and I could tell right away when I started running. Because they’re trail shoes, they have a bit more support on the balls of my feet. For most of the run the roads were pretty clear, but there were a couple spots in which I was glad I had them on! Also note the wool socks–they definitely make a difference in keeping my feet warm. Thanks Nicole! Now I just need to find somewhere to buy them that doesn’t charge $14 per pair…

I really bundled-up; I wore three layers on top and two pairs of gloves (my MO now) and a hat and was QUITE toasty, except for my legs! I have running tights, but neither of them are very thick, so I might have to be on the lookout for a more heavy-duty pair. Speaking of heavy-duty pants, I need some for the gym! I’m an early bird (5:30 a.m.!) and man, is it COLD and WINDY out there sometimes! I’ve been wearing the same pair of wind pants EVERY DAY to the gym (don’t worry; I was them weekly) and they’re from college and not that warm. HELP!

Forecast calls for more snow tonight–yippee! Except that with our tandem driveway, I have to take the outermost vehicle to the gym in the morning, which isn’t always the Pilot. Andrew cautioned me about driving the truck in the snow but I took it this morning anyway. Thankfully, the roads were fine, but I wouldn’t want to be driving it while it was actually snowing. I’m counting the days until we have a REAL driveway (and hopefully an attached garage)!