Mocha Time!

A Visit to Strand

Park Street After Dark: Caps, Chaos & Boro Din!

 

With no real party plans for Christmas, we decided to do something far more adventurous—or perhaps foolhardy! After dinner, we got into the car and headed towards Park Street to witness first-hand the decorations, merriment and absolute chaos that descends upon Kolkata during Christmas and New Year.

Every year, the Government pulls out all the stops, and they take great pride in the crowds that throng Allen Park and spill across the length and breadth of Park Street to celebrate Boro Din. The pavements come alive with pop-up stalls selling everything from gifts and trinkets to food, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Park Street itself is transformed, lit up and decorated almost like Durga Puja all over again—just in a different avatar. The lights, the music, the crowds and the general sense of celebration make it feel as though the entire city has decided to converge on this one stretch of road.

And yes, we were mad. Brave. Perhaps even a little silly to voluntarily seek out this adventure!

But having made it this far, we decided to embrace the spirit of the evening. We stopped by one of the hawkers and bought ourselves a couple of those wonderfully tacky Christmas caps with flashing toony lights. Caps firmly planted on our heads, we continued our slow crawl through the festivities, looking quite ridiculous and loving every minute of it.

It took us a good half hour just to navigate the length of Park Street, as we witnessed what seemed like half of Kolkata descending upon the thoroughfare to celebrate Christmas. Cars barely moved, people were everywhere, and yet somehow there was a certain joy in all that madness.

It was chaotic. It was crowded. It was noisy. It was wonderfully Kolkata.

And as we finally made our way out of the melee, there was only one conclusion I could come to—

Totally worth it, I say!

A Cute Pasrty Place called ROUGE

New Italian Place: IL SOGNO

 

A Frog in the Spotlight!

 

It was a little past midnight when I finally got home. After parking the car, I stepped out and, as usual, had to rely on the torch on my phone to light up the path towards the staircase.

And then, something caught my eye—a tiny glint in the darkness.

I stopped and looked closer. There, sitting quietly by the side of the path, was the biggest frog I think I have ever seen! Its eye had caught the beam from my phone and was reflecting the light back at me. As I moved closer, I realised just how enormous it was—probably about the size of my palm!

I couldn't resist. Out came the phone camera, and I managed to capture a couple of photographs of this rather impressive nocturnal visitor.

Who needs a safari when you have surprises waiting right outside your front door? 🐸

Wise Owl: The Coffee Shop

Penne Alfredo (Chicken) Rs. 160

Chicken Caesar Salad Rs. 130 

Prawn Croquette Wrapped in Bacon Rs. 200

Strawberry Milk Shake Rs. 65 x 2

Wise Owl: The Coffee Shop

66/2B, THE GUEST HOUSE
66/2B, Purna Das Road, Kolkata - 700029

Tel: 033 40637038

Timings: 7:30 AM to 11:30 PM

Diwali, Crackers & Family Traditions

 

As always, Diwali was celebrated at my in-laws’ place, keeping alive a family tradition that has become something of an annual ritual. After the Lakshmi Puja, it was time for the fun to begin!

We headed out into the lawn to burst crackers, joined by the caretaker’s family. His two little girls look forward to the fireworks every year, and watching their excitement as the sky lit up with colour and sound was as much fun for us as it was for them.

This Diwali was made a little more special by the presence of my wife’s maternal grandmother. At her age, she probably travels more than the rest of us put together, shuttling between her daughters’ homes across the country—from Chennai to Mumbai and Kolkata!

With family, laughter, lights and a little bit of noise, it was yet another Diwali filled with the simple joys that make these festivals so special.

Tea For Two

Just what one needs to brighten up a dull and gloomy winter evening; tea!

My wife and I had heard of this place called Mrs. Magpie which had opened a couple of weeks ago. With a slew of tea places opening up in the recent past, the name sounded quite interesting, so we decided we had to give it a try.

The place is tucked away in one of the inner lanes of Keyatala, but once you get on to the lane, there is no way you can miss this cute little joint. Bright Pinks and pastels make for a Happy Experience once you’re inside the eatery. It’s like being inside a Pastry. You might just be inclined to take a bite at the walls.

We went for the Tea for Two, which include a pot of tea (serves 4 cups), One gingerbread man cookie with each cup, an assortment of 4 cute cup cakes, 4 scones, 6 Non-veg sandwiches (3 chicken and 3 Egg & cheese);all this for Rs. 400 (all inclusive).

Well everything is cute, but just a word of caution, if you’re expecting the meal to be overly filling, you’ll be in for a surprise. The Cuppa tea is fairly large, but everything else; the cup cakes, scones, sandwiches etc are from miniature land.

Like they say, “Good Things come in Small Packages”

Mrs Magpie

570, Lake Terrace Road Extension, Keyatala, 

Near Southern Avenue, Kolkata - 700029

Tel: 033 66064206 ext:184 | Mob: +91 9830909080

Timings: 12:00pm - 9:00 pm. Tuesdays Closed.