What's Bruen

For those of you who missed Sunday’s parade or are just looking for an Irish pub to stop and get a Guinness at tonight, I highly recommend Molly Darcy’s on Mill Plain Road.

The pub is as Irish as they get in Connecticut, that’s for sure. But be warned: the pub is typically packed on holidays and according to one of the managers, whose family owns the restaurant, St. Patrick’s Day is tied for New Year’s Day in terms of patrons.

We're all Irish tonight!

I anticipate waiting in a long line that wraps  around the front of the building, so if you are just looking for a quick car bomb or two, this is not the place for you tonight. If you fall into this group: try the free Guinness Pub Finder iPhone or iPod Touch app.

Molly Darcy’s  has an open atmosphere, with high ceilings, a large dance floor and a giant rectangular bar that services all four sides: two different rooms and stools on the sides connecting them.

The pub opened early today, at 10 a.m., for those lucky enough to have the day off (or free to stop in for a mid-morning break). Unfortunately, I had neither. But I am looking forward to tonight’s performances which include:

• Irish step dancers
• Pipe and drums
• Bag pipers
• DJ Mix Master Mark
• Shannon Breeze

Like my family always says, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Not necessarily as Irish as me (with red hair and freckles), but drink a few pints and you will start talking like you are right off the boat.

Have fun but not too much fun — make sure to have a sober driver and be safe. And WEAR GREEN.

I was trying to come up with a recommendation of  where to take that special someone for Valentine’s Day, so I wrote down a list of restaurants I like, but most of them ended up being the ordinary weekend trip.

I personally think the best Valentine’s Day meal is one handmade by your love, but that is taking a large leap of faith that your love can cook. Luckily for mine, I can — and to my surprise, he has made a number of delicious meals himself.

But just in case you aren’t up to the task of cooking and instead want someone else to serve the two of you, so you can focus 100% on that other person, I recommend La Fortuna, on Stony Hill Brook in Bethel.

I went there for dinner and I was very impressed. The owner Michael is also the head chef, and the food is very authentic Italian. Some nights they even have a musician who plays guitar and serenades the people in the dining room.

The atmosphere is wonderful. The walls are painted like scenes in the Italian country side and the tables have small candles on fancy yellow tablecloths.

It was a great choice for a romantic meal. We had privacy and even though I I felt like we were on our own, our server was very attentive and our food came out just right (and the bread was delicious).

Most of the patrons were older, but I like to think it’s because they have taste and that younger folk aren’t aware of the quality of food. It definitely did not strike me as being expensive when I was there.

La Fortuna is located at 37 Stony Hill Road, Bethel, but you might want to get a reservation — call (203) 797-0909‎.

For those of you who are like my boyfriend, who loves to check out menus online before coming out to eat, this should satisfy you.

Cor’s Restaurant, located at 65 West Street in Danbury, is the top breakfast place that I regularly patron.

I drove by it many times before I stopped in, but I am thankful I felt impulsive enough that day to give it a shot — being a creature of habit, I tend to go to the same place.

For the most part breakfast is my favorite meal, so needless to say I was more than enthused when I discovered the plethora of options in this city upon my move to Danbury.

In the beginning, I stuck with diners, my first regular place was New Holiday Diner, since it is conveniently a short walk from Main Street. I liked that the booths were small and that the place has the traditional small diner atmosphere. Three Brothers became my next location after a friend introduced me to their massive omelets and wide variety of pancakes. Even though the place is large and they are usually very busy, the wait is never long.

But Cor’s is definitely the place for me.

It is owned and run by Monica Kaptein, a very charming woman who waits on all customers with such a pleasant and friendly demeanor I felt at home as soon as I entered.

The restaurant is uniquely decorated with photos of celebrities over the years, many of whom Monica is pictured with. (It’s named after her husband who is a photographer and for a while was focused on shooting celebrities)

Anyways, the food is great. I have never been disappointed and the egg sandwiches, which are the perfect size, hit the spot. (Often times, one leaves me still hungry but two is too much and toast or home fries is too much carbs). I recommended that we write a Sunday Chat with Monica and I am glad to say we did.

I love my friends’ reactions when I take them their for the first time. so of course I insisted going there when a co-worker and I made plans to go to brunch last Friday. Plans changed when he unfortunately got a flat tire. I began thinking of what I could eat instead, when I decided what the hell I’ll still go.

Even though I was dining alone, something I typically avoid doing in public, I was very glad I went. In fact, I felt comfortable enough to read after I ordered and during my meal, which allowed me to relax before work.

I definitely recommend Cor’s and Feb. 4 being the restaurant’s 36th anniversary, I knew I had to share my experiences there. So if you stop by, make sure to say Melissa said hello.

I heard the phrase ‘Dumpster diving’ many times, but until this morning I thought it was an exaggeration. It’s not.

As I walked toward my car this morning, I saw a man looking into my building’s Dumpster. My first reaction was ‘no, he can’t be picking through the trash.’ I then realized he wasn’t alone – there was a man actually IN the Dumpster opening up bags and picking though the contents. He handed a water bottle to his friend, who was standing in front of the Dumpster holding a trash bag containing soda cans.

My desk

I think it’s important to go green and am always looking for ways to do so. I am that obnoxious friend who yells when people throw paper in the wastebasket or discard a can in a trash barrel on the street, because a recycling bin isn’t near. The floor of my car, my trunk and even my desk are known to have a slew of cans. ( When I realized our recycling box had been thrown away at work – probably because of the never ending gathering of fruit flies – I was distraught and began criticizing my coworkers who threw their cans away, instead of bringing them home. Needless to say, that began the pileup of cans on my desk). Anyways, my point is that I always encourage people to recycle cans, it’s good for the environment and you get money back.

I always see a few people around town collecting cans in a shopping carriage, but I never realized the extent to which people go to get the nickles. In the news, we are constantly being told the economy is doing better. Gas prices dropped and although they are not as cheap as most would like, they are much better off than they were in summer 2008, for example. But I implore you to consider the homeless, job-less, average people who look the same as you and I but go INTO Dumpsters to add up those nickles. There must be more we can do to help them.

And we certainly can recycle our own cans.

Part of the reason I asked Stephanie to share her volunteer experience from last summer is because I know the earthquakes touched her in a personal way. After sharing the positives from her trip, I asked her to share her reaction to news of the devastation.

This is what she had to say:

It’s always eerie when the news is somehow personally relevant. My trip to an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with the mission team makes all the coverage of the recent earthquakes especially difficult to watch. If I hadn’t been to the affected region, I would not be able to compare the “before and after” Port-au-Princes, and see how the disheveled architecture that once comprised the “can-do, make-do” Haitian culture has crashed down so violently into utter debilitation.

Stephanie Schultz with Wislandie, one of the Haitian girls in the orphange.

I tend to be very effected by images of suffering anyway, but to see a culture that recently touched my life altered to the detriment of the peoples’ well-being makes the news largely unwatchable for me lately. However, the media often focuses on the positive that arises from negative events and I’ve loved hearing of the improbable events that have occurred in the wake of the destruction.  Hearing of a Haitian person who survived for a week under tons of cement and steel rubble with nothing to eat or drink is incredible, but it doesn’t surprise me. On my trip, I saw how tough Haitians can be. I came away from our mission trip wondering if Haitian children can feel physical pain. I saw a few kids cry emotionally when we were leaving, but they have become accustomed to conditions that we find painful — I never saw them even wince in pain. Because of my experiences with the toughness of Haitian culture, I have faith that the Haitian spirit that I saw will make the country persevere and endure this.

Occurances such as these devastating earthquakes are horrible, but they bring out the best in people, uniting them for a cause. I hope that the this tragedy has shed light on the good that humanity is capable of, and with the global attention on Haiti and the resulting money, love and prayers from around the world, Haiti may improve in the long run.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am no trend setter, but after looking at the pictures from Fashion Week in Berlin, Paris and Milan, I am more perplexed than ever.

Bubble girl

A 'creation' by Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani included in his Prive Haute Couture spring/summer 2010 fashion collection.

I remember Bubble Boy coming to theatres a number of years ago, but I think it tanked.  Call me judgemental, but it reminds me of Ziploc’s Vaccum sealed freezer bags. You put your food items in the bag and press down around the items creating an airtight area around the food.

Helmet

Created by French fashion designer Romain Kremer

Is this Romain Kremer’s idea of the sunglasses of the future? It reminds me of something from a sci-fi movie.

Am I alone in this?

Like most people, I am always trying to find new ways to stretch a dollar. Yet, when natural disasters hit it is incredibly important that we acknowledge the little we are able to contribute can add up to a lot to help others — be it donating food,  money or volunteering.

 I found a way, well heard of a way on Facebook of all places, to have a $1 donation to victims of the earthquake in Haiti turn into $2.

Here’s the secret: purchase food at Amigo’s Deli & Market on West Street.

In an effort to make a difference to help the earthquake victims, Amigos Deli employees pledge to donate all their tips from this week to the Red Cross disaster relief efforts in Haiti. Luis Reyes, the owner of the deli, said he will match the contributions!

A friend of mine picked up lunch there yesterday (it smelled delicious) and said the employees have already raised $700 — in 3 days! Let’s try and double that. I’ve heard great things about the food and now seems like more of a reason than ever to stop and have a bite!

Address: 130 West Street, Danbury;  number: (203) 778-5559

Stephanie Schultz, one of my closest friends, took a volunteer trip to Haiti at the end of July. The news of the earthquake hit close to home for her, because the area with the most destruction was where she had been. She said the region was extremely impoverished and the people had barely anything before, how will they will be able to recover from this?   

This is what she said about her trip:

When I went on the mission trip to Haiti with twelve other members of Immanuel Lutheran Church (in Danbury), I did so with certain ideas about our purpose and what we would accomplish. For the most part, I was focused on sharing from our abundance and making a difference in the lives of some very poor, misfortunate children. I was not prepared for the tremendous spiritual ministering and life lessons that I received in return.

 The Haitians are indeed very poor when compared with the blessings we enjoy. The moment you leave the airport you begin to realize how many things we take for granted in this country. Haitian roads are terrible, the streets are over-crowded and many Haitians live in shacks that barely protect from outside elements. As an American with so much, it’s easy to pity these people for the materialistic things they lack.

Downtown Haiti in July, prior to the earthquake.

On the other hand, as we met the children from the orphanage, I learned how true the phrase “it’s all relative” really is. One of the primary observations that I made about Haitian children in the pension (they call orphanages pensions because an orphanage can have negative connotations) is that they don’t complain. They race barefoot around the hundred-plus degree cement of their courtyard with no signs of discomfort.

Haitian playground

To be sure, the medical supplies and food we brought would help these people greatly. And our mission was important to give some of the people of Haiti real hope for a healthier future. But as much as we gave, much more was returned by the loving people we encountered.  They taught me a healthy perspective on what matters and that making connections with others through the love of Christ really does surpass all material blessings.