Search Results for: food

Foodie Spots to Eat at in DC

July 28, 2021

While in DC on this last trip, we spent a full week there working during the day and eating our way through the city at night. While staying in the Logan Circle area of the city, we found so many amazing foodie spots to eat at in DC during our stay! We ate at some many great spots but overall, the following foodies spots were definitely our favorites for various reasons and well worth going back to if you’re in the DC area.

Barcelona Wine Bar

We love Spanish food and when we find a good Spanish place, we stick with it. This Barcelona Wine Bar in the Logan Circle neighborhood had delicious Spanish food, lovely Sangria and a cool ambience. We also ate at Jose Andres’ Jaleo while in DC and while I wanted to be blown away, it wasn’t nearly as good as Barcelona Wine Bar for both food and ambience.

Le Diplomate

This famous restaurant in the Logan Circle area was a couple blocks from our apartment and we managed to snag a 2:30 lunch reservation our first day in town to try it out. Needless to say, it did not disappoint and was probably our best meal of the entire trip. I had their roast chicken and it was to die for. Also, the ambience here is so wonderful – modern French bistro at its finest.

On our last day of the trip, Nick’s brother flew in to meet us before we headed out to a family wedding and we stopped here for drinks and appetizers on their outside patio. We had no issue grabbing a table around 4pm for drinks outside so if you’re in the area, don’t hesitate to stop here and try it out – it was delicious!

Lupo Verde

This little Italian spot, also in Logan Circle, was also a couple blocks from our apartment and we had a fantastic lunch here. Their al fresco patio is gorgeous with hanging plants and cute bistro tables and it was the perfect ambience to go with delicious food.

Milk Bar

The famous Milk Bar has a location in Logan Circle and we couldn’t help but try it out. We’ve had some of their stuff before but never their flagship Cereal Milk ice cream. I wasn’t completely sold on the hype but it was a fun foodie spot to enjoy, especially to cool off in the Summer.

Levain Bakery

In Georgetown, DC’s location of the famous Levain Bakery sits on the famous strip through the neighborhood. We grabbed two of their famous cookies after dinner one night and enjoyed them on the 40 minute walk back to Logan Circle.

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Finding Your Garden Style – Part 2 : Growing Food

April 23, 2021

As Part 2 to my post from last week, Plant and Flower Choices, today we’re talking about growing food! Once of my favorite things about having a garden is being able to grow fresh food that I can cook with and it’s literally grown in my back yard. From herbs to fruit to lettuce and tomatoes, I’m a major fan of growing my own food in the Summer and here’s all you need to know about finding your garden style as it relates to growing food.

Step 1 : What do you like?

Think about what types of food you like to eat and then see if you can grow it! I have found my favorites over the years that I work with a lot, but also food that grows well in my zone and in my location in my backyard. Some of this is just trial and error but starting with what you like to eat is the best way to get going. For me, I like to have a combination of herbs, lettuces and then some fruits and vegetables going during the Summer so I have a variety of items to choose from my garden.

Some of my favorite food to grow in my garden:

Blueberries
Strawberries
Lettuce
Kale
Arugula
Chives
Tomatoes
Mint (I prefer the Orange Mint variety)
Thyme
Oregano
Cilantro
Basil
Parsley
Dill
Rosemary
Spinach
Apples

Terra Cotta Pots

Terra Cotta Pots | Herb Name Stakes (similar) | Herb Wall Pot Holders

Tall Planter

Antique Watering Can (similar)

Step 2 : Where should each plant go?

Some of this is trial and error, but plant each plant in a space that meets the requirements for sun, shade and water that it will need to succeed. I find that my herbs prefer less direct sun and work well in smaller pots than say my strawberries that thrive in sun and larger pots. In my zone, I usually keep my strawberries and herbs in pots, with my tomatoes, lettuces, spinach and chives in my raised beds. That has worked well for me but some of it really is just trying different things and see what works best with each season.

Step 3 : Location, Location, Location

The final step is to keep an eye on your plants and flowers and see what they need. Does it seem a little stunted and it’s not growing? Maybe it needs more sun. Is it dense with water all the time, maybe it needs a dryer location. Watch your plants and see how they do, you’ll know quickly if they are happy and thriving or not and then you can make adjustments to make them happier in a new spot somewhere else.

See Part 1 of This Series on Plants and Flower Choices

3 Day Itinerary for a Las Vegas Foodie Weekend

February 7, 2020

For years when we’ve gone to Las Vegas for one reason or another, Nick and I always remark how much we’d like to do eventually do a Las Vegas foodie weekend there, just hopping from one great restaurant to another. And we finally worked that exact trip into our schedule this year with a trip in January where all we did was basically eat! Las Vegas has a huge abundance of amazing restaurants from high-caliber chefs and it’s an amazing place to go if you love to eat amazing food. One note for your foodie weekend – be sure to make reservations for all of you larger meals as most of these spots fill up fast!

We made our trip into a long weekend as we wanted to take advantage of several nights there for dinner out. We also divided our meals into more mid-range style lunches to higher-end dinners. I will say straight away, we knew we were going to eat and had saved money specifically for that part of the trip, so we did end up spending a decent amount on our meals while there. You could for sure do a less expensive trip like this, but we chose to splurge while there because we’ve wanted to do it for a long time. Another note on budgeting for this trip, we ended up spending about $1,000 for our 3 days there, not including our hotel and flights which we booked on points. When we were considering doing this trip this year, we specifically decided to do this Las Vegas foodie weekend plus our upcoming National Parks road trip through Utah in March instead of doing one large Europe trip this Spring. We’ll end up spending about the same amount of money between both US trips as we would have going to Europe like we usually do, so we factored that in from the beginning.

So, with all that said, here’s how to do a 3-day itinerary for a Las Vegas foodie weekend!

Day 1

Arrive into Las Vegas and head to your hotel. If you’re staying on The Strip like we did, grab a taxi at the airport and the fare should be a flat amount right around $30. We used to always stay at the Luxor and the last few trips, our go to has been the Vdara, which is connected to the Bellagio but doesn’t have a casino, which is kind of nice to get away from it all. Just be sure you arrive in time for dinner on Day 1!

Dinner at Giada at the Cromwell – I’d recommend starting with the Arugula salad followed by the Scallops for dinner. Oh and don’t skimp on the delicious bread to start, complete with incredible pesto and fried capers!

Day 2

For your first full day in Las Vegas, if you’ve never been, use this as a day to explore The Strip. Most the hotels connect to each other so you can go from one to the other pretty easily. Be prepared to walk a lot!

Brunch at Mesa Grill at Caesar’s Palace – I’ve eaten at Mesa Grill twice, once in New York City and once in Las Vegas and I will be honest and say that my meal in NYC was way better than our meal in Vegas. However, it was a pretty good brunch and if you’re a fan of Bobby Flay (I am!), it’s fun going here. The complimentary muffin basket is excellent and I ordered the steak tortilla breakfast which was basically like a breakfast steak taco and every bite was really good. The scrambled eggs were truly the best I’ve ever had and the maple glazed bacon was divine, overall, I’d say it was a really solid spot for a fun brunch.

Spend your afternoon either napping or exploring! We did a little gambling and then headed back to the hotel for a nice long restful afternoon.

Dinner at Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace – You have to do at least one buffet while in Vegas as they are such a “Vegas thing.” There are lots of cheap ones still around but if you want to go a little higher-end, the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s is well worth it. For $65 per person, you’ll have endless amounts of roasted meats, shrimp cocktails, crab legs and an endless dessert buffet bar. There is everything from Southern American food to Asian classics to sushi here and you truly can eat to heart’s content.

Day 3

After a very full eating Day 2, we chose to grab a Starbucks coffee and just relax in our room on our second full day in Las Vegas. You could also head out and explore if you want!

Lunch at China Poblano at The Cosmopolitan – We’ve eaten here before and were really excited to go back. This spot in The Cosmopolitan by José Andres is incredible and both times we’ve been, the food has been amazing. I’d recommend starting with the table side guacamole, followed by the Chorizo con Papas Sopes, 18 Monk noodles, Xiaolongbao and fried Brussel Sprouts.

Take your last day in Las Vegas to spend some time gambling in the afternoon. We walked over to the Paris Hotel and Casino right across the street from The Cosmopolitan after lunch. It’s a little cheaper in terms of tables than the Bellagio and Caesar’s. Nick played Craps for a bit and left with a nice little amount of winnings. Just don’t gamble more than you can afford! You don’t want to walk away loosing a whole bunch; it’s about the fun of it and not how much you can try to loose.

Dinner at Mizumi at the Wynn – We knew going into this trip that this would be our splurge meal. Both of our other dinners ran about $100-$150 for the two of us and we knew that we’d spend more on this meal so we went into it knowing we wanted it to be special. We picked Mizumi for a few reasons. First, we’ve never been down to the Wynn Hotel on past trips and were excited to see it. Second, Nick’s not a big red-meat eater so we didn’t want to do a high end steak house for this meal. And third, we wanted something really different and really unique to Vegas for our splurge meal. Mizumi meets that criteria with its bright red dining room and eclectic menu. If you go early, you’ll most likely get a great table right next to the glass windows looking out over a pond and waterfall and it really is beautiful. We ordered the Edamame with Truffle Salt (it was divine!), the Wagyu Dumplings (really good but really rich), the fried Brussel sprouts (good, but pretty standard), the Robata platter (their mixed assortment of grilled meats, fish and vegetables – it was really good to try, not sure I’d order again), and sushi. Now truly, the sushi was incredible and if I went back in the future, I’d probably go and just order a bunch of sushi here. I got salmon and scallop nigiri. Nick got Tuna nigiri and it was all incredible. The winner over everything here though, the cocktail. I got the Pear Cosmopolitan and went through two of them during our dinner (considering I don’t usually drink cocktails or more than one glass at wine at dinner, you know it must have been amazing!). The almond milk rice pudding for dessert was also delightful. For a splurge dinner and something really unique to Las Vegas, Mizumi is the place to go!

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How to Eat the Best Food Around the World, Without the Lines

January 23, 2019

Food is often a large part of why we travel. Tasting local flavors and having dinners at famous restaurants is all part of the allure for food for me when exploring. Certain places have certain foods or restaurants that you just have to try while there. The problem? Many times that involves waiting in lines, sometimes very long lines. I’m not a line person and will pretty much do whatever I can to avoid the wait, so here are my best tips for how to eat the best food around the world without the lines!

Make a Reservation

For big cities, this is a must. When we visit New York or London and want to eat a nice restaurant or a famous spot, we always make reservations. And sometimes, for certain places, reservations must be made months in advance. For example, we’ll be in New York in March and I already have it on my calendar in the next couple weeks to make our dinner reservations as they open 60 days in advance. You’ll get to eat at some of the most delicious restaurants in the world if you can plan ahead and make reservations!

Go to Breakfast places in the Afternoon

I love the beignets at Cafe due Monde in New Orleans but if you go in the morning (when everyone is eating beignets and coffee), you’ll probably experience a long line and a short wait for tables. But, if you go in the mid afternoon, everyone is out exploring New Orleans and you’ll most likely have the whole place to yourself without a wait. I employ this trick often when we travel of going to places most people want to go in the morning, but instead going in the afternoon when it’s quiet and you won’t have to wait.

Eat Dinner Early

Another way to eat at some of the best spots in the world is to eat dinner early right when the restaurant opens instead of waiting until the time when everyone is having dinner. This is especially great when you’re jet lagged and off schedule anyways. Show up at whatever restaurant you want at 4:30 or 5 when they open and you’ll probably have a better chance of getting in.

Leverage your Blog

A few years ago in Barcelona, Nick had watched a show about the famous restaurant Tickets there and really wanted to go. Tickets is notorious for being very hard to get into and often has a months’ long waiting list. On a whim, I sent an email to the restaurant asking if I could visit and review my experience for my blog. One day, a few weeks later, I got on email with a reservation for the two of us. It’s worth leveraging your blog if you have one to see if you can get in to some place because you never know what they’ll say!

The Best Food to Eat in New Orleans

November 5, 2018

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Southern food and my trips to this region of the USA always include mandatory stops for specific types of foods that I can’t really get easily in the Western part of the country. And while Southern Fried Chicken is a staple of mine when traveling through the South, New Orleans has its own lineup of food specific to the NOLA region of the South. You’ll find a Cajun influence in Louisiana that you don’t get in the other Southern States and offers a very unique menu of food on offer. So now to make us all hungry for an amazing Southern meal, if you’re in Louisiana, don’t miss all the amazing offerings of the area and here is the best food to eat in New Orleans!

Red Beans and Rice

This comfort-food dish is a staple in Louisiana and it will not disappoint.

Andouille Sausage

With a specific flavor and texture that just makes you think of NOLA, try a dish with andouille sausage.

Gumbo

Ahh gumbo. It’s basically a gravy filled with delicious meat and seafood and vegetables and made into a soup.

Shrimp and Grits

Maybe my favorite thing ever, I’ll never pass up shrimp and grits if it’s on the menu. Grits are a staple of Southern food, but try them with Gulf shrimp while in NOLA and you won’t be disappointed.

Beignets

Ok, I may or may not have traveled back to New Orleans just for the beignets. Seriously. Whether you’re eating them with heaps of powdered sugar at Cafe du Monde or lighter versions at other places throughout New Orleans, they are delicious regardless. Little clouds of Heaven if you ask me…

Fried Chicken

This list wouldn’t be complete without the Southern Staple of Fried Chicken. There is just something about how it tastes in the American South that can’t quite be replicated out West. And add a nice buttermilk biscuit on the side and I’m good to go!

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