It was my only golden weekend this rotation, and what better way to spend it than to pig out in NYC? Our first stop was the Peking Duck House, a chic little restaurant smack in the middle of dirty, bustling Mott St. in Chinatown. Here, even the fancy decor and stylishly-suited waitors were no match for the artery-bursting flavor of duck skin roasted to a light, almost airy, texture as we sunk our teeth into it. On Saturday, we went to Tomoe Sushi, where we savored the buttery blend of texture and flavor oozing from the eye-popping hunks of fresh sashimi. With the exception of the Bluefin toro, which I must admit was a splurge, the $19 sashimi combo was definitely a steal. Although we were still exhaling salmon when evening rolled around, we returned to the West Village for dinner at the Strip House. For half the price of Peter Luger, the plump, juicy ribeye steaks here, cooked to a true medium-rare perfection, gave our taste buds a titillating experience comparable to what establishments with a similar name may offer. The last stop of our journey took us back to Chinatown. At Super Taste Restaurant, we cramped ourselves into the corridor-like interior of the noodle bar to slurp up hand-pulled noodles in plastic and stainless-steel bowls. The dining etiquette here is not for the faint of heart as we watched old men chucking beef bones straight onto the table. But for 4 bucks a pop, what can you really ask for? Ultimately, our weekend was not without drama. While we were glad to have finally ordered our wedding bands, our return trip was fraught with pain (literally). By evening, Melody had vomited 3 times, and I was shivering under the sheets with a fever of 102. Though it’s hard trying to attribute all this to a single source, or maybe it was just too much meat for one weekend, it was definitely an experience I would not hesitate to relive.