Easy Weekend

July 30, 2012 By Laura

There’s not much I’d rather do than see live music.

The weekend began Friday at 6pm when my friend picked me for the Brandi Carlile concert. I adore Brandi, but I was especially excited to get to see her play at on of my favorite venues – Chastain Park. Chastain is an outdoor amphitheater in Atlanta. You can buy a table for 6 and bring dinner to enjoy during the show. People get really in to it – they have tablecloths, candles, and flowers to decorate their tables. We were a little more low-key, but I did bring my special protein-filled dinner.

It was a great show. Brandi played a good mix of new and old. she did a cover of Johnny Cash’s Sunday Morning Coming Down, introducing it by saying that she felt is was an appropriate song because she no long drinks tequila and she no longer eats Chick-fli-a (the song references a hangover and fried chicken). My favorite part was her cover of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Saturday was another concert! This time I trekked to Tennessee to see the Indigo Girls play with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. I have a friend that lives in Chattanooga, so she got the tickets for us and chose an excellent place for dinner – Easy Bistro and Bar.

I was really impressed with the restaurant! We decided to spit a couple of appetizers and a main dish.

We began with the Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad. After a hot walk to the restaurant, the light salad hit the spot. It included a few types of heirlooms and cucumelon. I’d never heard of cucmelon before, but t was fantastic! It was topped with shaved pecorino cheese and basil live oil.

We also enjoyed a rich Crawfish and Artichoke Dip with toasted flatbread. It’s been years since I’ve had a cheesy artichoke dip. The cream cheese-based dish was very, very rich… and it was just as good as I’d remembered.

The entrée was the highlight of the meal – swordfish. It had just been added to the menu that morning, so it was incredibly fresh. The meaty fish was grilled, which gave it a great char taste. It was plated atop a summer squash salad and simply garnished with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and Marcona almonds.

We walked to the Tivoli Theatre where the Indigo Girls were performing with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. It was such a neat show! The theatre itself was beautiful; it reminded me a lot of The Fox Theatre in Atlanta. The Indigo Girls are known for their acoustic, singer-songwriter tunes, and to hear those redone with the string and horns behind them… it gave me chills more than once.

Did you think it was strange we didn’t have dessert with dinner? I mean, it WAS cheat day.

Don’t worry. I didn’t get possessed by aliens; we were just in a hurry to get to the show. Post-show we hit local for-yo shop, Top It Off. The Red Velvet, Double Chocolate, and Peanut Butter flavors were all just as good as they sound… but the show-stopper was the Salted Caramel Pretzel. I’ll be dreaming of that stuff for weeks.

This is my friend’s yogurt. We have a friendly wager that her bowl would get more likes on Instagram than mine would. She won… and since I’m a good sport I’m posting the pic of her pretty cup ‘o yogurt.

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Last week was a good week for workouts. I felt especially focused at the gym. We all know that you need to concentrate on the body part you are working out… but sometimes my mind wanders. My goal last week was to be more focused, and I think it paid off. Especially on back day… I was SORE after that one.

Leg day on Tuesday was fantastic with my trainer. I was able to squat more than ever! Leg day by myself on Saturday left something to be desired… I find it much harder to max out on legs alone. I know it’s mental…

Workout Recap (7/24 – 7/29):

Monday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
Tuesday – Legs (with trainer), 2.5 mile walk
Wednesday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
Thursday – Shoulders/Glutes, 1 mile walk
Friday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
Saturday – Legs, 150 push-ups
Sunday – *rest day* … easy 4 mile walk

***

The icing on the cake of the weekend was not having to wake up to an alarm Sunday. I stayed in bed until 10, and it was glorious.

What was the last concert you went to?

Do you find certain body parts harder to work out on your own?

Lure Me Into the Weekend

July 23, 2012 By Laura

Like I ever need any luring into the weekend…

However, I was excited for the events of this past weekend. I’ve recapped the best parts below, including purple basil, watermelon salad, my BFF’s baby’s 1st birthday (remember when he was born?), and dinner at the latest #ATL seafood hot spot.

First I want to take a moment to express my condolences to the people of Aurora, CO. It is beyond me how anyone could do such an evil thing. Furthermore, I don’t understand why it’s legal to buy those guns. I know some people consider shooting to be a hobby, but we as a society have proven to ourselves over and over that assault rifles bring nothing but harm.

On to brighter things…

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1. Purple Basil

I found this delicious herb at my local Saturday farmer’s market:

Purple Basil is not quite as sweet as the green variety, and a bit heartier. Much closer to a romaine lettuce leaf in texture. I loved it on a P28 Protein Bagel with some Greek yogurt and an heirloom tomato (also from the market). served with a side of these Indian Roasted Chickpeas – an old recipe, but one I return to often!

2. Baby Jackson Turned 1

My nest friend’s little boy, Jackson, had his 1st birthday this weekend. I’m sure he won’t remember any of it, but we have a fantastic time celebrating with him! Doesn’t he look just like his daddy (pic below)?

We had a some tasty eats compliments of the baby’s grandmother. I brought a new take on this cotija-watermelon salad that I made for his mamma’s baby shower a little over a year ago.

This new twist contained:

Watermelon
Cucumber
Blueberries
Jalapeno
Feta cheese
Mint
Fresh lime juice
Light drizzle of olive oil
Pepper

Of course there was cake. Ever the gentleman, Jackson wasn’t about to face-plant into that baby cake ~~like his Aunt Laura would have~~.

3. Dinner at Lure

My friend Keith and I headed to the latest restaurant concept by Fifth Group (an Atlanta restaurant group), Lure. This group is one of the best in Atlanta, due largely in part to their staff. The serve and attention to detail is always top-notch, and Lure upholds that tradition.

We began the meal with a couple of small plates:

The seared scallop crudo with sugar snap peas and horseradish was a huge win. I can’t recall ever having a more fresh piece of seafood. The slightly sweet, crisp snap peas was the perfect light pairing with the scallop, and the dollops of horseradish gave a nice kick to the dish. This was my favorite dish of the night – love at first bite.

The next dish was a plate of French Horn mushrooms with baba ghannouj, chickpeas, and a parsley salad. I loved the mushrooms, and the bright lemon juice the dressed the parsley. I found the baba ghannouj to be a bit salty (I’m sensitive to salt, so you may think it’s perfect).

For round two, we ordered one more small plate and a main. We were absorbed in conversation, so we didn’t notice our second dishes were taking a while to come out. That didn’t stop a manager from coming out to apologize and off us free soup! I didn’t get a pic of the Tom Yum Shrimp Bisque, but we very much appreciated the gesture.

Our entrees did arrive, and they were beautiful:

The small plate we chose was grilled octopus & pork lettuce wraps with basil, cilantro, red onion, rice noodles, and spicy Vietnamese sauce. I loved the heat in the sauce. The octopus was good, not too chewy… but I barely remember the pork.

My main was a sautéed black grouper served atop silver queen corn, curry, yogurt sauce, and a spicy lime pickle. I was surprised at how well the strong flavors worked with the flaky fish. It was perfectly executed. The spice from the curry was excellent with the sweetness of the worn and the slightly sour citrus of the lime pickle. It didn’t top the scallops, but it was close!

We were comfortably full… but it was my cheat day… how could I pass up dessert? After polling everyone via Instagram, I selected the guava and coconut bread pudding.

This deliciousness was served with a creme anglaise and toasted hazelnuts. We loved the bread – a brioche from the famed H&F Bread Co. The toasted hazelnuts we like the icing on this cake. Ever the texture lover, I enjoyed their nutty crunch with the chewy toasted coconut that coated the soft bread pudding. It was also the perfect size and sweet-level. Just enough to hit the spot without regrets.

Overall, this 5-day old restaurant impressed me. As I said, the service was perfect. The food was solid as well; it has a distinct “Fifth-Group” feel. In comparison to The Optimist (the other new Atlanta seafood restaurant I wrote up last week), it is different. The Optimist is more “farm-to-table” seafood; it uses few ingredients and allows the main ingredient to speak for itself. Lure focuses more on spices and offers many dishes with of an “ethic” twist. Both good in their own way.

Side note: Lure’s wine list is much better, another signature of this restaurant group.

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I didn’t just eat my way through the entire weekend! I stuck to my workout plan and was very good about getting in my 7 meals after admitted last Wednesday to not being excited about eating anything. This week’s workouts were pretty exciting to me – I’m starting to notice bigger gains in my arms. I was able to do preacher curls with an EZ curl bar that I couldn’t think about curling a month ago!

The real boost happened Saturday at the farmer’s market. I was walking around, eating free samples (it was cheat day!), and one of the women working looked at me and said “flex.” I said “excuse me?” and she repeated herself. I thought she was kidding, but she was serious! I blushed hard… but obliged. LOL! It made my day. Thank you, free sample lady. 🙂

Workout Recap (7/16- 7/23):

Monday – Back/Triceps, calf raises
Tuesday – Shoulders/Glutes, 2 mile walk
Wednesday – Chest/Biceps, calf raises, 1 mile walk
Thursday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk
Friday – Back/Triceps, calf raises, 100 push-ups, 2 mile walk
Saturday – Shoulders/Glutes, 3 mile walk
Sunday – *rest day* … easy 3 mile walk

***

I also cooked a lot this weekend. I cannot wait to share some new recipes this week, including one reader request! 🙂

What was the best part of your weekend?

What new item have you tried recently? Have you ever had purple basil?

The Optimist

July 16, 2012 By Laura

Birthday dinners are key.

Every year I think long and hard about what restaurant to try on my birthday. It’s a big deal! You have to start out the next year of your life with a happy stomach. It sets the stage for the next year’s eats!

This year I was excited to try out a new concept by Chef Ford Fry (of JCT Kitchen and No. 246 fame). The Optimist (914 Howell Mill Rd,. Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-477-6260) opened just a couple of months ago. After being reviewed by some of the pissiest critics in Atlanta, I have not seen a bad write-up. My mom, baby sister, best friend, and her husband all came out to celebrate and eat.

Mom, me and Baby Sis

Despite having a broken air conditioner (sorry about my butt sweat on the seat…), the kitchen cranked out some phenomenal food.

To start they bring out what are the BEST dinner rolls I’ve ever eaten. I normally wouldn’t rave about bread, but these was exceptional. The fluffy, light rolls were just the right amount of sweet to complement the flaked salt sprinkled on top. I wish Blais should serve these at The Spence.

We also ordered East and West coast oysters (I did not partake, but am told they were delish), tempura-fried long beans with a buttermilk dill sauce, and corn hushpuppies.

The beans were good, especially with the dill sauce. My best friend’s husband even tried one. He doesn’t eat vegetables, but gave these a thumbs up. More proof that anything fried is delicious.

The hushpuppies were the favorite of the night. Done “beignet-style,” these were not your mamma’s heavy puppies. They doughnut-like balls of sweet, corn-filled bread were sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with a side of sweet creamy butter. The butter proved to be totally unnecessary; these puppies stand alone in their perfection as they melt your mouth.

One (minor) complaint – if you don’t eat shell-fish and aren’t a huge fan of fried, there aren’t many starter options beyond a salad. I’d love to see a couple, lighter easy-to-share items.

Choosing a main dish was difficult for me. The entrees read like a fine list of food porn. Eventually I selected the Alaskan Halibut. The fish was possibly the best quality I’ve experienced. It was earthy and almost meaty, complimented flawlessly by hen of the woods mushrooms and the rich red wine bordelaise sauce.

Mom selected the trout served with marcona almonds and greens. It was an excellent dish; much lighter in flavor than the halibut, but offered a nice contrast of flavors between the flaky fish and the crunch of the almonds.

My friends both selected the skirt steak with romesco sauce and beef jus. At a seafood restaurant. I silently judged them until I tried a little bite. That steak could rival some of the better steak houses in town. Sadly, my pics didn’t turn out from this point on due to lighting and laziness.

Sides are not included with the entrees. We ordered an heirloom tomato salad, roasted beets with apple, and lightly roasted carrots with ginger vinaigrette. Each was alight and refreshing, allowing the farm-fresh flavors to shine. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you could easily create a satisfying veggie plate from the side selections on the menu.

The desserts were surprisingly good as well. We were treated to a peach cobbler with a rich side of beer cream sauce and a graham cake that was soaked in a fantastic syrupy sauce and topped with a toasted layer of house-made marshmallow creme. I’d eat bother again. And again. Little did I know that I had a bigger surprise coming…

My mom and baby sis had baked my grandmother’s carrot cake, then cut out circles of it to form a 29! It was delicious. Despite having lapped up ~~too~~ much of the other 2 desserts, I manages to eat my share of this carrot cake. This is a special cake in my family. It’s the cake that my dad requested every year for his birthday. I had an extra few bites for him. 🙂

We left the restaurant comfortably stuffed and a bit sweaty from the sauna A/C-less dining room.

Me, Greg, and Mallory

Our poor server was sweet, but painfully new. And sweaty. Service was spotty – cocktails were slow, I had to ask for water on multiple occasions, and we were nearly done with our entrees before she managed to bring out the bottle of wine Mom brought.

While mildly annoying, the service issue won’t stop me from returning. The new girl will learn, and the food was so good I wasn’t irked enough to complain. I have a new go-to spot in Atlanta.

This has nothing to do with food, but I have to share. On the way home I paused to take a picture of a parked car:

This dude’s friends are awesome.

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My birthday weekend started out with a session with my trainer. After he killed my legs, I had a deep tissue massage, which I credit for my ability to wear heels to dinner. It was exactly how I wanted to spend the day. Figure competition training is hard, but rewarding. This week I realized that I’m able to increase the weight I left in my solo sessions, and that my arms are coming along!

I look forward to my daily trek to the gym… in part because I never know what fun sights I’ll see…

Workout Recap (7/9- 7/15):

Monday – Chest/Biceps
Tuesday – Legs (w/ trainer), 1.65 mile walk
Wednesday – Back/Triceps, 1.5 mile walk
Thursday – Shoulders/Glutes
Friday – Chest/Biceps, 2 mile walk
Saturday – Legs
Sunday – 2 softball games, 100 push-ups

***

Thank you all so, so much for your kind words on Friday’s post. I LOVED hearing about all of the goals you WILL accomplish. If you haven’t already, click here to check out the post and enter to win The Simply Bar sample pack in my birthday giveaway. 🙂

Is food an important part of celebrations in your family? Any cake-traditions?

What is the craziest thing you have seen in the gym?

Eating with a Top Chef

July 9, 2012 By Laura

OK, maybe not with…

I did eat AT Richard Blais’ new Atlanta restaurant, The Spence. ~~God bless cheat day~~. Chef Blais was the runner-up in season 4 of Top Chef, and then went on to win Top Chef All-Star season 8. He’s famous for his use of molecular gastronomy and ambitious flavor combinations.

His fearless approach to food was evident throughout The Spence’s menu:

Even the Parker rolls were presented with pizzaz (good thing, because I’ve always found their taste to be blah).

Dinner Rolls with a schemer of butter sprinkled with sea salt

For my appetizer, I couldn’t resist the gazpacho. It was listed on the menu as “Canned Soup of Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho.” I’d take this over Campbell’s any day. It was served atop radishes, smoky-toasted croutons, and what I think was a horseradish granita.

The presentation alone was worth the choice:

My friend and dining mate, Kathleen, chose the beet salad. It was a mix of roasted and raw beets, blue cheese, soft-boiled egg, and wasabi. The textures were perfection, though I could have gone for more heat… but you guys know how I am about fire.

On the to main event. I need to preface this by saying there are dishes the menu that were much more ambitious that what we ordered. The menu needs some explanation and – oddly enough – our server wasn’t recommending the more unusual items, even when asked. Did she not trust our pedestrian palates?

If I go back, I’m throwing caution to the wind and ordering the pork belly. It is brought to the table under a glass dome of rich smoke and unleashed for your viewing (and smelling) pleasure. The people next to us were over-the-moon about this dish. ~~It smelled so good I almost jumped into the guy’s lap when they removed his lid.~~

I selected the Cobia (a mild white fish). It was cooked to perfection – done sous-vide and finished on the grill to give it a nice crust. It was topped with a salsa of kaffir lime, pineapple, capers, and crisp green beans. Even better was the pine nut cream – it was like dinner-appropriate nutty whipped cream.

Kathleen ordered the Spatchcock chicken with asparagus and sea beans. The chicken itself was ho-hum (again, we should have ordered better), but the sea beans and a peanut dust served alongside the chicken were fantastic.

Last but not least: dessert. I had been looking forward to the carrot cake and peas, but it wasn’t available that evening (they change the menu weekly).

No matter, one bite into my selection and I forget the cake. I chose the Burnt Banana Ice Cream served with chocolate mousse mixed with lightly candied peanuts and drizzled with caramel. I could have licked the plate. The ice cream was just as good as it sounds, and the mousse was thick yet not too sweet. The well-balanced dessert that left me feeling satisfied rather than gluttonous.

Kathleen was craving cheesecake. She ordered what was listed on the menu as “Ricotta Cheesecake, Blackberry, and Graham.” This looked NOTHING like a cheesecake, but was impressive, nonetheless. It was incredibly light and was easily the most creative cheesecake interpretation I’ve seen.

The bill was presented with an old-fashioned key resembling the restaurant’s logo. I wonder how long before all of those are stolen?

It was quite pricey, but you will leave with a smile on your face once you eat the gift from the kitchen – a tiny creme-filled spiced cookie sandwich.

You’ll leave with an even bigger smile if you ~~man-up~~ boldly interrupt Chef in the middle of dinner service for a quick photo-op. In all seriousness he was very gracious, stopping to chat with several tables and patiently posing for photographs.

He asked if I was a “good blogger or a bad blogger.”

I think I’m good… I’m certainly not mean. ~~Most of the time.~~

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I almost forgot the workout recap time! Figure competition training is still ON and I am loving it. It is taking a massive amount of discipline, but I know the reward will be well-worth it. Ever try doing barbell squats with a heinous sunburn on your shoulders? I don’t recommend it.

I think there are a few noticeable changes in muscle-size. Or at lease that what my mom and my BFF tell me.

Workout Recap (7/2- 7/8):

Monday – Back/Triceps, 2 mile walk
Tuesday – Shoulders/Glutes (w/ trainer), 3 mile walk
Wednesday – Chest/Biceps, 3 mile walk, jet-skiing
Thursday – Legs, 2 mile walk
Friday – Back/Triceps
Saturday – Shoulders/Glutes, 2 mi walk
Sunday – 15 min bike ride, 2 softball games

***

Thanks to everyone for their positive thoughts, comments, messages, and tweets after Friday’s post. It was a tough day, but you all put a smile on my face. 🙂

Have you ever eaten at a “celebrity” chef’s restaurant? Did it live up to expectations?

What was the best thing you ate this weekend?

Chilean Cooking School + WIAW

June 20, 2012 By Laura

It took several days, but we located Chilean food.

As I said in my first recap post, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of Chilean food in Chile.

Determined food-lovers, my travel mates and I did mange to find some more “authentic” eats after making our way to the Chilean coastal towns of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.

For What I Ate Wednesday this week, I am jumping ahead in our travel story to share some tasty Chilean treats with you. The highlight was an amazing cooking class with the fabulous Boris. This may not be true snacking, but I eat more snacks than meals when traveling so I can try EVERYTHING.

Check out my Chilean eats below; then click here to hop on to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see what the rest of the blog world else ate Wednesday!

Breakfast:

We stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast in a neighborhood that was right in between Valpo and Vina. It was built in 1934, and has since been restored to a fabulous accommodation. Doesn’t this looks like a Crate & Barrel magazine?

Casa Olga provided us breakfast each morning. We were served strawberry yogurt, pears, passion fruit, bananas, kiwi, cereal, toast, jam, ham and cheese (I passed on this – too much for breakfast!), coffee, and – best of all – freshly squeezed orange juice.

Here is the view we enjoyed every morning:

Their dog, Shay, wanted a seat at the table too!

Funny side note: when I asked for water at breakfast, they asked if I drank too much… they are not accustomed to drinking water in Chile!

Lunch:

This is the experience I have been most excited to share with you guys!

Katherine had to leave early, so Julia and I kept ourselves entertained by taking a Chilean cooking class. The company, Chilean Cuisine, offers hands-on cooking classes in Valparaiso. Our charismatic Chilean instructor, Boris, took us to the kitchen to choose the menu before escorting us to the local market to purchase the ingredients.

Much to my surprise, Boris had found my blog via my email signature and read up on it in advance! He even read the “About Me” section and learned that I do NOT like white potatoes.

“Today we are NOT going to eat potatoes” was written on the board. How cool is that?

Boris lead us through a cookbook to help us choose the menu. We decided on making cheese empanadas, Chilean pebre (salsa), hake fish terrine with avocado carpaccio, pumpkin and cranberry bean stew… and green chili and basil pisco sours. 🙂

First up, the market. In the rain. I don’t take public transportation often (Atlanta isn’t conducive to that)… and I especially don’t take it in the rain. However, Boris kept us so entertained and energized that I hardly minded! He also hung our wet jackets and shoes by the fire place to dry while we cooked – thank you, Boris!

Left to right, clockwise: Boris with a fish head, the market, Calabaza pumpkin, Calabaza trash (it was everywhere!), fruit stand, a massive bucket of CHIA, eggs for sale, drying my jacket, and thawing our feet

Back at the kitchen, we began to prepare the ~~meal~~ feast.

A few fun highlights:

See my socks in the first pic? Those were borrowed from the owner, Martin, because our shoes were soaked and it was too cold to cook barefoot. Thank you again, Martin!
I love empanadas. I cannot wait to try some fun combos here at home, and to try them baked. Boris wasn’t amused when I started adding ingredients to the cheese… but the chilis and some cumin were really good additions!
We used a lot of merkén. Merkén is a unique spice blend native to Chile consisting of dried and smoked red chilies (ají cacho de cabra or goat’s horn), toasted coriander seeds, cumin and salt. I loved it and brought home a couple of bags!
The fish terrine was cooked like a poor man’s sous vide. We wrapped the fish mixture (fish, onions, bread crumbs, egg, spices) in plastic wrap and placed it in simmering water for ~10 minutes. Very cool method – I can’t wait to try it with other items.
I was in charge of seasoning the stew. You all know how I love heat… I added so much merkén that is made Boris tear up… I thought it was perfecto. 🙂
Boris surprised me with beets – he saw me admiring them at the market and snuck them into our bag. They were wonderful simply boiled with olive oil and salt.

We took a ton of this food to-go to share with our Navy officer-friends. We were told it was a nice break from ship food. 🙂

Clockwise, Left to Right: Boris (a classically trained dancer) teaching us a dance while shaking chili-basil piscos, raising a glass to surviving the dance, Julia rolling out empanada dough, empanada pre-fry, frying empanadas, the final product (plus some sopapillas), eating our delicious empanada (topped with salsa), fish terrine (pre-slicing), terrines and avocado salad, salsa and beets, pumpkin bean stew (one of the most delicious things I ate on this trip), taking a bite, mas vino, Boris with dessert, dessert – lucuma ice cream with meringue.

Dinner:

I lied. The Chilean food ends here. For dinner we met up with the Navy boys for a final farewell. Dinner was at an Italian Place called Pasta e Vino. This was the #1 spot recommended to us – by travelers and Chileans alike!

It was quite good! Those Chileans know their Italian food.

Clockwise, Left to Right: Restaurant window, beautiful candle in the window, the dining room, menu, wine of the evening – a big 2007 Chilean red blend, amuse – pumpkin soup, bruschetta topped with prosciutto, bell pepper filled with goat cheese and prawn and wrapped in phyllo, my entrée: the eggplant gnocchi in goat cheese sauce with toasted almonds, Captain’s entrée: pumpkin ravioli with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese (my favorite of the night), Julia’s entrée: spinach fettuccine with ham and walnut (spelled “wall nut” on the English menu) in a cheese sauce, XO’s entrée: fettuccine with ham in a white wine-lemon sauce with parmesan crisps, apple crumble with chocolate ice cream and caramel, panna cotta topped with a berry compote, sambuca en fuego x2.

Snacks:

Like I said, we basically snacked our way through the entire trip. My favorites?

Banana Split Gelato

Never enough empanadas!

***

Are you beginning to understand why I had to do a juice cleanse when we returned? 🙂 One more recap to go – the tour of the US Navy ship!!!

Have you ever taken a cooking class in another country?

Do you prefer to stay at hotels or bed & breakfasts when you travel?

Chilean Wine with the US Navy

June 19, 2012 By Laura

This is where the trip got really interesting.

Having had our fill of Santiago, we decided to make our way to Vina del Mar on the Chilean coast. I found a wine guide that would pick us up in Santiago at our hotel, take us to 3 vineyards and lunch, and then drop us at our Bed and Breakfast in Vina.

Al Rameriz is a sommelier (one who studies wine) from Chile that basically grew up in New York City. It was such a relief to find someone who spoke English well. Most Chileans do not and our espanol es mal! Al was quite knowledgeable and has had some incredible life experiences at his young age. If you’re ever in Chile, check him out here.

Al, Me, and Julia

Al and Eduardo, the driver, took us to the Casablanca Valley. We visited 3 wineries: Emiliana, William Cole, and Casas del Bosque.

Me, Julia, and Katherine

The Casablanca Valley is a cooler climate, making it better for white wines. This is where a lot of the more well-known Chilean wine come from, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. that’s all well and good, but I’m in it for the big reds! We made sure to have a sampling of Carménère everywhere we went. I won’t bore you with all the details of everything, but here were my highlights:

Emiliana

I should preface this by saying that Chile is not Italy. In Italy, they have tons of small wineries and you often do a tasting with winemaker or a member of their family (like these tastings we did with the winemaker and their winemaker’s mother in Barolo last year). At Emiliana the tasting guide was Brazilian and it was his second day on the job. If you ever go to Chile, it is worth the money for a knowledgeable wine tour (such as Al).

Here we tasted a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. I likes the Sauvignon Blanc better, but it’s a matter of taste. Crisp, citrus-y young whites are my favorite. the lighter and greener the wine it is in color, the younger the wine.

Our favorites were the reds. Their blend, Coyam (pictured on the far right above), was a hit throughout the trip. We ordered it whenever we saw it in a restaurant! The blend was 41% Syrah, 29% Carménère, 20% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Mourvedre, 1% Petit Verdot. Normally I’d say that’s too much, but the berries and black fruits on the palate were fabulous. It was a good structure and soft tannins. It was a fun, complex wine that was wonderful to taste.

Tip of the day: Always snack while wine tasting!

William Cole

This was my favorite winery. William Cole founded the winery in 1999, right as the valley was being established. The funny part about the story is that Mr. Cole is an American! He’s from Denver, Colorado, but married to a Chilean woman. The symbol on his wine bottles is the Columbine, Colorado’s state flower.

The wines we tasted were from his Columbine Special Reserve line. They were: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and a Carménère. The 2011 Sauvignon Blanc was quite green in color with grapefruit and pepper on the nose. The minerals and acidity were prevalent, but this young white we well balanced with a pleasingly long finish. The Pinot was good,nut the tannis were a little sweet for my palate.

Predictably, my favorite was the Carménère. It had a deep, rich garnet color and was the most complex wine we tasted this day. The nose was filled with tobacco and vanilla, with just a hint of cocoa. In the mouth this wine is layered with dark berries and some oak.

A bottle may have found it’s way into my suitcase. 🙂

It was at this winery that we heard two guys walk in speaking with Southern accents. We struck up a conversation and learned we were all from the Southeast. That is how we met a couple of Navy men that would make our trip 100x more fun. The guys were the top two officers on a US Navy ship parked in Valpariaso. We immediately hit it off, and even exchanged contact information with the thought of meeting up in Valpo. I didn’t think we’d ever see them again, but I was proven wrong! More on that after lunch and the rest of wine tour…

Macerado

At this point it was past time for lunch. Al and Eduardo took us to this adorable restaurant called Macerado. It’s in an beautiful old house on a farm, so most of their food is quite literally locally sourced. If you’re ever in the Casablanca Valley, I highly recommend it.

We shared a huge salad with hearts of palm, olives, and avocado, as well as a grilled fish served with a baked pepper, parsley and abalone sauce and Parmesan husked wheat stew. It was fantastic.

This may not look like much for the 3 of us to share, but they bring out a TON of bread and salsa before meals here. We learned quickly to share entrees if we were going to enjoy the carbs!

Al ordered a rabbit dish that was cooked in an apricot gravy and served with a baked vegetable salad (basically ratatouille) with sesame with fresh thyme. It too was scrumptious (thanks for the taste, Al!).

Casas del Bosque

Unfortunately this was not our favorite winery. It was the most commercial and the wine tasted… more processed, I suppose is the right word. There weren’t the layers and complexity present as with the previous wineries.

They did do one neat thing – on the table there were glasses filled with red and green peppers and coffee. Smelling one of those prior to tasting the appropriate wine further bring out the flavor of the juice.

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The day’s fun had just started to begin. We bid our adieus to Al and Eduardo, successfully checked into the B&B, and checked our email. The Navy officers had actually emailed us! We were to be picked up by their driver at 9:30p. Impressive, no? We got showered, watched some TV (they had E! in English!), and waited. And waited. And waited. They finally showed at 10:30p. It turned out the restaurant was much further than anticipated and yada, yada, yada…

Any annoyance I felt dissipated when the driver turned on the lights and sirens to rush us to the restaurant. I wish I could do that every time I’m starving!

Santa Brasa

Before you get the wrong idea… my 2 friends are married, and one of the officers is married. No inappropriate shenanigans was had with the Navy officers. We were glad to find some other Americans to hang with and I think they were glad to have someone off the ship (i.e. not an 18 year old kid) to talk to. And we would have NEVER gotten in the car with strangers had they not been US Naval officers.

Dinner was at a very nice steak house called Santa Brasa in Concón, which is right outside of Valpariaso. At this point it is nearly 11p and we are starving. Thankfully, Micheal (the XO officer) had empanadas waiting for us.

That was followed by the most gigantic pieces of steak I’ve ever seen (we ordered family-style). It came out smoking! It also came out with a couple of (unpictured) bottles of Carménère.

Its been a loooong time since I’ve had a steak on my plate. It will probably be a long time before I do it again… but OMG this was a good one. Well worth the interesting tummy issues the next day.

I tried to balance it out with a spinach salad and roasted asparagus with mushrooms. Followed by a few french fries.

The 5 of us shut down the restaurant, but we weren’t tired… bring on the casino! ~~(Note to self: you are too old to stay out this late.)~~

To be continued…

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I hope I’m not boring you guys too much with all the recaps. There is just so much to share! 🙂

Have you ever had such random things happen on a trip? Do tell!

Are you a red or a white wine fan?

Argentina… errr… Chile!

June 18, 2012 By Laura

What do you do when you get booted off of a flight to Buenos Aires just before takeoff?

Those of you who caught this post already know. You get on the next flight out… which happened to be Santiago, Chile!

We landed in the morning feeling a little tired, but excited. The first order of business was to find coffee and wi-fi so we could locate a hotel and form a plan.

Thanks to the Internet and a very nice Chilean man in the airport restaurant we booked a hotel in a nice neighborhood called Providencia and were on our way in just a couple of hours.

The first order of business was lunch. Naturally we ended up at a French cafe. I was craving greens and enjoyed a massive salad topped with egg, asparagus, broccoli, avocado, and olives. We also enjoyed a glass of wine to mark the ~~first of many~~ beginning of vacation.

We sampled an empananda. This is once of the most famous South American foods, and one of the most tasty. It’s basically a pocket of dough filled with cheese and other items (often ham) that is either fried or baked.

More exploring/getting lost ensured before we found these gorgeous fountains.

And then we found wine.

And then we found dinner in a cute plaza called Patio Bellavista. It was a Peruvian restaurant called Barandiaran. Go figure.

The dinner was quite good. That highlight was a shared ceviche dish that was wonderful. I NEVER thought I’d eat seafood, let alone ceviche; however, I loved the sea bass! Shrimp is still a bit much for me.

The next day we found parks! A really cool sculpture park called Parque Las Esculturas:

Followed by an even better park that was filled with exercise equipment! I busted ~~my ass~~ a move on the elliptical.

I should mention that these were all found on a walk that must have been close to 10 miles. By the time we reached our original lunch destination in the Bellavista neighborhood we were starving. Annnnnd… we discovered the restaurant no longer existed. We did the only thing left to do: ate a greasy lunch at a trashy college dive.

Sometimes you need to be local. However, when you order guacamole and it’s served with Doritos, you wish you were a little less local.

That was followed up with a “traditional” dish of fries topped with onions, sausage, and fried eggs. I can’t lie… I didn’t hate it.

Doesn’t that first yolk look like a heart?

Post-lunch we really needed to walk more. There is a giant mountain/hill called Cerro San Cristobal that holds one of the most popular tourist destinations in Santiago: the sanctuary of the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepción. It contains a 14 meter statue of Mary. We hopped a funicular (a train built in 1925) to get to the top and visit Mary.

View of Santiago from the funicular

The view from Mary, looking down on the outdoor sanctuary and Santiago

The traveling trio with the Andes in the background

Random sight of the day: dude wearing a UGA sweatshirt. He wasn’t American.

Come se dice “Go Dawgs” en espanol?

Santiago was an interesting experience; however, we were ready to move on after 2 days. I hate to say it… but it’s a pretty dirty, crowded (7.5 million people) city.

One odd food note – when we sought out traditional “Chiliean” food, we were often directed to other cuisines such as French and Peruvian. It seems like Chile is sort of like America in that they take foods from other cultures and modify. It was good, but a shock having travelled more extensively in Europe.

Sadly, there are no workouts to recap this Monday. Instead I’ll recap my recovery from the trip:

Step 1: Green smoothie bowl

Step 2: Mani/Pedi

Step 3: Arden’s Garden “Love Your Liver” 3-day juice cleanse (this was amazing – no joke)

Icing on the cake: A special delivery of Greek yogurt from Chobani! Nothing but goodness. Thank you, Chobani. I love you much.

My concierge now loves Chobani, too. I tipped him with a yogurt, and he’s a convert. 🙂

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Check back tomorrow for some excellent wine and a run in with US Navy officers.

Have you ever been to South America? Was it what you expected?

Doritos with guacamole… any thoughts?

Habit Formed

June 4, 2012 By Laura

Hiking is habit-forming.

Ever since the awesome hike in Boulder at the Blend Retreat, I cannot get enough!

This weekend I took off for North GA to a place called Tallulah Gorge with Heather, Kirk, Lindsay, and Nancy.

The gorge is a 2 mile long, 1000 ft deep canyon about 90 miles north of Atlanta. They even have a suspension bridge and a sliding rock!

Photo Credit: Heather/Kirk

After the crazy hike to the bottom (think lots of sliding down rocks on my butt), we were wishing we’d thought to bring swimsuits so we could use the rock waterslide!

Next time it’s on.

See the bottom right pic in the collage above? That’s a snake skin. Snakes are the only downside to hiking…

One 4 mile round trip and about a million stairs later, we were STARVING. Like good bloggers, we already had a lunch spot picked out. By we I mean Heather. Anytime she picks a place you know it’s going to be good. Grapes & Beans ~~(not to be confused with frank and beans)~~ in Clayton, GA was no exception.

Small town cafes can be surprisingly good! They had a gorgeous patio where we ate while listening to jazz music. As an appetizer we shared a delicious curry hummus (hummus + curry = win). For my entree I had a portobello pita sandwich with mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, and herb-garlic tofu dressing.

Yes, the dressing was as good as it sounds.

Wednesday I leave for Argentina. Exercise there will consist of mostly sight-seeing/walking/jogging. I love my weight though, so these next few days I’m going to squeeze in some good strength training workouts.

This past week I had a decent week of workouts on top of the hike, so I treated myself to a rest day Saturday. I’m beginning to appreciate their value, and so is my body.

Workout Recap (5/28- 6/3):

Monday – 4 mile run/walk, Back, 100 push-ups
Tuesday – Personal trainer (full body), 5 mile run/walk with Carol
Wednesday – Bis/Back with plyo, 3 mile walk, 100 push-ups
Thursday – Shoulders with plyo, 3 mile run/walk 100 push-ups
Friday – 3 mile run, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
Saturday – REST
Sunday – 4 mile hike, 100 push-ups

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Having worked 60+ hours in the past week, I’m so ready for vaca that it almost hurts.

Are you afraid of snakes?

Do you take rest days regularly? Have you found them beneficial? I need encouragement.