Limelight Marketplace

People who has lived in New York in the past 20 years have to know about the notorious "The Limelight".
A Gothic Revival Brownstone Church built in 1840's was converted to a night club in the 1990's.
The night club was synonymous with drugs, shut down by the police, changed owner, and closed again.
I never made it to the club, but I did check out the new Limelight Marketplace that just opened this summer.

The gourmet food shops definitely are the main attractions here.

Even though the interior was hip and trendy, you could still see it's religious past.

How dreamy was this?

House of Worship -- if shopping is your religion.

So, I guess this is an angel then?

Another reminder of its past.

When I visited a few months back, portions of the Marketplace was still under construction. 
Because of it's architectural design, it could feel like going through a maze.navigating the place.
But it definitely enhance the whole experience of shopping in a church. 

Meson Asturia -- Spanish restaurant in Jackson Heights

Our wedding anniversary was on a school night,
and the night before I just went to "One if by Land, Two if by sea" for dinner.
So, we decided to go local and check out Meson Asturia in our neighborhood.


For me, Spanish cuisine can do no wrong.
I especially love these old school Spanish restaurants.


Morcilla asturiana -- Blood Sausage
I tried blood sausage many times before and was never a fan of its flavor and texture. 
However, I actually liked this one! 
It did not have the chewy texture that I was scared of, 
and it was prepared with a lot seasoning that made the sausage quite flavorful. 
(code: the seasoning covered the gamy blood taste nicely)


Seafood & Lobster Paella 
One of my all-time favorite Spanish dish. 
H thought that the rice was one of the best he had ever tried. 


Pargo asado o frito -- Broiled red snapper
The fish was okay, perhaps the fried one would taste better. 
The pathetic vegetable side looked like it just came right out of a can, not very appetizing.


Flan -- Classic Spanish dessert
We were originally shocked when the waiter presented the dessert. 
The color just threw us off and of course, the child-like whip cream presentation totally did not help. 
However, we were pleasantly surprised! 
The flan had an interesting citrusy icing on top, 
and the rest of the flan was creamy and milky that tasted like creme brulee. 



Meson Asturia has its own charm.
The servers are attentive and the ambiance was unpretentious.
The restaurant also has live flamenco performance on Saturday night.
It is definitely a great neighborhood restaurant that I will be glad to return.