Brunch at a bowling alley? “It can’t be interesting”- I thought. I like bowling but besides having a burger, sandwich or finger food, I haven’t known bowling alleys to be places of culinary interest.  I arranged to meet four girlfriends to catch up on our lives at Pinstripes  Georgetown early on a Sunday morning.  Figured this will be unique way to indulge in one of the favorite Washingtonian pastimes: Sunday brunch!

The Scene:  Upon entering Pinstripes Georgetown, I spotted an open kitchen and a chocolate fountain. The bistro and bar area were close by the entrance and the Bocce and bowling alley were in the back through a corridor not directly visible. The brunch spread was inviting and I was starving. The open kitchen displayed crates of fruits and vegetables, pizzas were being baked in a large oven, and omelet and waffles stations were ready to serve. As my party was complete, we headed to the bowling alley where we were made aware we only had an hour to bowl and eat and were not going to be able to go back to the bistro for brunch. None of us had anything to eat before arriving, yet, we decided to bowl first and brunch after. Mimosas asked the waiter?

“Not on an empty stomach”- exclaimed my friend Christine, the wise voice of the group…. I settled for juice.

The Bowling: The place is nicely set up and not dark. Although we started off with low energy, our shared joie de vivre rose above. Between striking and comical bowling poses, commenting about the food we were yet to eat, giving each other tips about bowling, keeping track of the clock and laughs, we really had a blast! There were several families with children bowling and some had small kids who ventured to the front of the lanes and whose parents thought it was cute, taking their time to move their kids out-of-the-way but hey, it was Sunday morning, something you would consider when going in matinée hour. We were very relaxed and took it all in.

Dining Traveler Tips: The bowling alley offers couches facing each other and a table between them for every two lanes. This is great setup for a group to share. If you have brunch at the lanes, you do have to walk out of the alley to the restaurant section, not a major walk but something to consider. You could reserve lanes to bowl for two hours and brunch in that area, but if you are bowling for one hour only, it may be best to separate the activities.

The Food:  As the clock gets closer to zero usually you wish you had more time to bowl but we were excited to head to brunch. Since we changed the setup of our reservation, we had to wait to be seated. At this time there were more people in the restaurant. We were told we had to wait 30 minutes for a table in the bistro so we asked to be seated at a booth in the bar area which was equally close to the brunch buffet. We all quickly dispersed to the buffet tables and my first stop was the omelet station which had bowls of ingredients ready to create the perfect omelet. I paired my omelet with salmon then went back for servings of pasta salad and halves of baked potatoes with cheese. The spread of the buffet was varied and suitable for any tastes which included bacon, sausages but also prime rib, fries, pasta, medley of vegetables and salads. I indulged in dessert:  mini waffle with banana and Nutella with a small strawberry on top, strawberries dipped in chocolate sauce and a brownie. I enjoyed that we did not have to wait long at every station. The flow was pretty good. We were certainly glad we bowled before eating as we felt more relaxed. If it would have been sunny and warm, it would’ve been a great opportunity to continue our Sunday outing onto the patio.

The Verdict: Overall the food was great. the mac & cheese was not popular in our group but the salmon, the rib, baked potatoes, omelets and dessert really sealed the brunch experience. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Tips: Decide whether you wish to bowl and brunch at the lanes or do each separately and in what order and reserve accordingly. While the staff was accommodating, one can’t always expect last-minute changes will always work out. If you end up eating in the bar area ask for the booth in the corner to the left of the bar which can accommodate five comfortably.

I am always looking for different experiences and bowling & brunch is an excellent occasion to spend a Sunday with friends or family. I will definitely be returning.

As it was printed on the coasters, Pinstripes Georgetown was “Strikingly Good“.

Ana

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Ana’s Pocono Mountains Ski Weekend

Day 1: The only people in my family who are into winter sports are my 11 year old niece, Abigail, her father Jose, my brother-in-law, and myself. The three of us jumped into a Jeep Wrangler on Friday noon to start our Pocono Mountain Ski Weekend. We did catch more traffic as usual due to the snowstorm the week prior.  In about 4 hours we arrived at the Split Rock Resort where we checked into our fully equipped suite with a kitchen, small dining table, living room, a small balcony and a huge whirlpool in the bathroom!

After unpacking we drove back to the main complex to explore the amenities of the Split Rock Resort. The main attraction is H2Oooohh!, the indoor water park  with slides, hot tubs, a wave pool, swimming pool and you can try your balancing skills on a water board. The water park is for sure fun for the whole family.

We had dinner at the SRG -Split Rock Grill which is  inside the main complex. We started with their BBQ Buffalo wings as appetizers – really good! Jose and I had their Mapled Glazed Salmon Fillet as main entree and it was just the right size dish, a bit sweet, but contrasted with the taste of potatoes made a good balance. Abigail had the All American Burger which was a pretty big burger.

After dinner we stayed in the main complex as entertainment was underway with a turtle race. Small live turtles were placed in the middle of a large round shaped cloth by Turtle Jockeys (really, not making that up!) and people cheered for the turtle they bet on that try to be the first one to go beyond the edge of the cloth. The winner took resort money good for use in amenities in the complex. I have to say that the most entertaining part was when the turtles were placed to race to be the last one to leave the round shaped cloth. I swear, a few of those turtles that raced to leave the circle just stood in the middle with the neck up waiting for the other to make a move. It was certainly different and I am not sure what to think about it.

Day 2:  Our Pocono Mountain ski weekend officially begins… We drove to the hotel’s main complex. Their breakfast buffet offered scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, fruit, pastries and freshly made omelets, mini pancakes and waffles. I think the omelet station was the best and certainly a good way to start a day filled of winter sports.  The restaurant is very spacious but could use some color on the walls.

Jack Frost Mountain ski area lets skiers and snowboarders start right at the top of the mountain as they arrive in the resort which is different than other ski resorts where your starting point is at the bottom of the mountain. It was a nice a sunny day but still windy cold. The process of getting the gear is simple: skiers grab their boots on their own and head on to the ski station to request their skis. Snowboarders head on to a different station to request their boot size and the boards. Abigail and Jose are skiers but this time they wanted to try snowboarding and signed up for discovery lessons. I have snowboarded before and during the first half of the day I explored the trails on my own. The green and blue trails were really busy with people exhibiting different skill levels, especially the green which was surprising to me since those with more experience tend to hit the blue, red or black slopes. But I have to say that the green slope was steep in certain parts and it was a pretty good run. The lifts chairs were two seaters and frankly not suitable for the number of people lining up to go back to the top of the mountain.

I stopped by the ski school area and Abigail looked like she was tired of dragging the board as she went up the small hill to try to board down again. The ski school offers the Snow Monsters program for children under 9 years only and they learn in a separate area than the rest. It is amazing to see children ski down a slope with no poles or board with absolute ease. I wish I would have learned when I was younger but then again I lived in the tropics then so that was impossible.

It was time for lunch and the lodge was packed. The line was long to order hamburgers so I headed for pizza. A slice and a large fountain soda cost me $9! It was so warm in the lodge I just went outside and found a bench in the sun. I later found Abigail and Jose and managed to grab a table as a large family with 5 small children was leaving – all skiers.  A father and son who joined our table,  shared their snowboarding experiences and knowledge of the ski area. Jack Frost Mountain and Big Boulder are sister ski areas and while they preferred Jack Frost they did think that Big Boulder is easier since it is less crowed.

After lunch we headed back to the slopes. Abigail and Jose enjoyed the lessons they had in the morning and were really eager to take on the slopes a few times. Abigail opted for throwing herself on the snow as she felt she could not control her speed. Jose simply continued until he would fall.  In general they did great for the first time and with just one lesson.  After three hours or so on the slopes we called it a day.  A few falls here and there can really test your muscles.  A dip in the pool was enticing at this point.

Before heading back to the resort we decided to go snow tubing, a first time really. It is a short walk from the skiing area. We picked up the tubes and lined up to go up. A staff member hooks the lead attached to the tube to pull people up. I literally just dropped down on the tube which was not a good idea as I felt the hard snowy ground. I thought it was going to be cushioned.

I did get anxious as we were getting closer to our turn to slide down. We decided to go together and Jose was going to film as we snow tubed down the mountain. As I prepared to go down, I told myself I was not doing it again. Abigail and I screamed a lot but I still went for a second round. This time, I went down by myself and my tube swirled around at high speed.

Back at the Split Rock Resort, we took the shuttle from the Willowbrook to the main complex to go to the pool and dinner afterwards. The shuttle runs a regular schedule but guests can always call outside those hours for pick-up. Abigail enjoyed the pool as she made friends to hang out with. After dinner we checked out the bowling alley and it was a reasonable space but quite busy. The recommendation is to reserve ahead of time. In this side of the complex is the bowling alley, the arcade and along another corridor is the movie theater. The movie theater features family movies and aims to keep up with the latest releases.

Split Rock’s main complex is large but the halls that connect the main areas from the water park, the Galleria with the other areas of entertainment are long and bare. I understand that the resort is under new management and is addressing improvements.

Day 3: After breakfast we drove out to Lake Harmony which is only 3 minute drive from the main complex. There were people ice fishing on the frozen lake and Jose suggested to head out to them but I only managed to walk on it for about 10 steps from the shore. It was a beautiful sight, though, with the forest trees, the houses along the lake and white all around.

The area looks inviting and I can imagine that it may get quite lively in the spring and summer. Outside of the Split Rock Resort you can find small restaurants and the area offers summer activities such as hiking, canoeing and BMX biking on the mountain trails.

My verdict: We definitely enjoyed our Pocono Mountain Ski Weekend and think it is worth exploring it both in the winter and in the spring/summer (check out Jessica’s summer farm to table experience at Pocono Mountains).   The Split Rock Resort is more geared towards families who prefer the option of a resort filled with activities within its grounds for children of all ages. Couples or groups of friends seeking to do some winter activities can take advantage of the large suites as they are close to the ski areas. I do like Jack Frost Mountain as a ski /snowboarding destination and the four drive from the Washington, DC area is worth it.

Share with us your favorite winter sport activity and destination.

For more information on the amenities Split Rock Resort offers check out their website:

Split Rock Resort

Jack Frost Mountain

Pocono Mountains Tourism Board

Disclaimer:  Pocono Tourism facilitated our Pocono Mountains Ski Weekend, but as always, opinions are our own.. 

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