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What I Tasted Wednesday (Food & Wine Edition)

May 16, 2012 By Laura

So. Much. Food.

Atlanta’s Food & Wine Festival may be pricey, but you definitely get your money’s worth.  3 days of education followed by tasting tents.

What’s more is that the restaurants rotate – so all 3 days of tasting are different!  Gluttony ensued.  Seriously – I still had a food baby until this morning.

Corinne, Adam from UVA Imports, and me

It’s only natural that I do a final (maybe… there’s so much to share!) recap of the festival for What I Ate Wednesday this week.

Though it might be shorter to write a “what I didn’t eat” post. 😉

 

Check out my eats below; then click here to hope on over to our host – Jenn @ Peas and Crayons – to see the tasty treats everyone else in blog-land has been noshing on lately.


 

Tasting Tents, Day 1:

Clockwise, from the top left:

  • Delta wine tasting and a bacon brownie
  • Balcones whiskey samples (from an amazing Texas distillery – new favorite!)
  • Paco’s Tacos from Charlotte, NC – their Ghost Pepper Salsa almost made me cry
  • High Cotton from Greenville, SC brought a delicious chilled English pea soup with citrus-cured smoked salmon and almond brittle
  • Harvest on Main from Blue Ridge, GA impressed me with the ramp biscuit they served alongside Applewood smoked BBQ

Clockwise, from the top left:

  • Gelato from Honeysuckle Gelato (ok, ok… I had these every day – my favorite was the Peanut Butter Banana)
  • Honeycomb and apples from Savannah Bee Company
  • My favorite beer – Eschaton from Wild Heaven Craft Beers (aged in Pinot Noir barrels, the grape notes are de-vine);
  • Veggie cookies from my friends at Cookie Underground (that Spicy Sweet Potato is not to miss).

Tasting Tents, Day 2:

I woke up still full after the tents and the Pig Out dinner… but I powered through like a fat kid champ.

Clockwise, from the top left:

  • Canoe was up first with scallops over an edamame corn salad (the first scallop I have ever liked!)
  • I wish I could remember whose this was – the tuna tartar was perfect with that sauce and foam
  • Crook’s Corner from Chapel Hill, NC surprised me with a schnitzel with a perfectly crisp yet cheesy crust; the tamale wasn’t the best I’ve had, but certainly the prettiest
  • The star of the day – a terrine smorgasbord from Kevin Outzs and The Spotted Trotter (this alone made a temporary return to meat-eating worth it).

Update: I found Kevin’s list of the 7 terrines served on their site: (1) ChiChili Pork Belly with Calabrian Pancetta; (2) Rabbit and Pork Belly with Lardo and Pistachios with Aspic Blanc d’Apple; (3) Leek with Rabbit and Pork Belly & Black & Pink Pepper Creme; (4) Pork Belly with Mayhaw and Mayhaw Aspic; (5) Pork Belly and Rabbit with Apple and Fresh Sage; (6) Pork Belly Champagne Wrapped in Coppa; and (7) Cheeky Belly ~ Beef Cheek with Pork Belly and Rabbit Liver. #2 was my fav – nom.

Tasting Tents, Day 3:

By now I had slowed down a lot.  Mom and I went together for Mother’s Day… the thought of food was almost too much to take so I did a tasting of her tastes.  In fact, I didn’t take a single picture until we were half way through.

Clockwise, from the top left

  • Sliders from Bocado (this place serves the best burger in ATL)
  • Some sort of ham deliciousness served with socca (I’ve never seen that out of a Southern cook before!)
  • Bistro AIX from Jacksonville, FL offered a Moroccan spice-rubbed pork shoulder with harissa-marinated watermelon salad and crispy pappadam (this may sound weird, but that flavorful cracker was one of the best things I ate that day)
  • A rare find – white wine that I loved
  • Crispy pig ears from The Spotted Trotter (really good, but I was too freaked out to take more than a bite).

And…

…scene:

***

And that, my friends, is how you become impregnated with a 3 day food baby.

Would you have tried the crispy pig’s ear?

Has anyone else had a 3 day food baby?  Moderation who?!

Filed Under: Restaurants, Wine Tagged With: Bocado, Cookie Underground, Food & Wine Festival, restaurants, The Spotted Trotter, whiskey, WIAW, Wild Heaven

Four Eyes and 6 Wines

July 23, 2011 By Laura

How much can you fit into one day?

Apparently I decided to try and find out yesterday.

I ran a new route and even with the (somewhat unexpected) hills and kept a good pace.  My legs felt really stong after a Thursday rest day.

Stats:

  • Distance – 6 miles
  • Time – 48:06 mins
  • Pace – 8:01

My legs did feel a bit heavy at mile 5, but that didn’t prevent me from sprinting to make a cross walk and then running up and down my street to get the last quarter mile (had to make an even 6!).

Recovery smoothie time.  Thursday’s smoothie list reminded me of a old favorite – mocha banana.  It was just as delicious as I remembered.

Mocha = Smoothie in a Mug

I worked from home in the morning, but took a moment to make a crust (to be filled in a few mins this morning).

Any guesses as to what it’s getting filled with?

I also took a moment to learn a very import lesson about why you should wear a shirt while baking.

Due to an eye appointment, I took a lunch break from Excel.

I’m loving my new doc, Dr. Reena Gupta, at Ansley Eye Care!  She fixed me up with an updated prescription and new glasses to replace my old (5+ years?!) pair.  She get extra rockstar points for being at work just 1 month after having a baby!

Which is better?  1?  2?  Or 3?

They arrive next week!


Starbucks has become my home-away-from-home during this crazy work period.

I tried one of their new lunch boxes – the Chipotle Chicken Wraps.

Verdict: Not bad.  It was <400 calories and had 26g of protein.  The sauce was delish and I loved that it came with a piece of dark chocolate.  The tortilla could have been more fresh, but for a boxed lunch it was fine.

After chowing down, I found a new ring in the fiery pits of Excel hell  more working from Starbucks ensued.

No matter – because then I got to celebrate the weekend with an Italian wine tasting!  Perrine does a great job with these at her shop – complete with an awesome cheese spread.

She even brings in the wine makers.  There is nothing cooler than talking to the Italian wine maker while sipping on his wine…

…except when you get that Italian grower to autograph your newly-acquired bottle of his signature wine.

Corinne and I will be visiting Alessandro Bocci and enjoying the wines at Perazzeta in Italia. 🙂

The icing on this day’s cake was sharing one of those bottles over (another) delicious dinner at Bocado.

That beet salad with farro, avocado, hazelnuts, and oranges is seriously addicting.  If you’re in ATL, don’t miss it!

And that, my friends, is how you fill up a Friday.

***

You guys were cracking me up about the peanuts and coke yesterday.  I kind of want to try it…

What are you doing this weekend?  

Is anyone running a race?  I’m missing it after a couple weeks off!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Fitness, Restaurants, Running, Smoothies, Wine Tagged With: Bocado, dinner, lunch, Perrine's Wine, restaurants, running, Starbucks, wine

Weekend Stars

June 27, 2011 By Laura

Every once in a while, the stars align just right…

 

and a perfect Saturday is born.

This Saturday began with the 21st Annual Pride Run at the park across from my condo.

There was a special buzz in the air following the news that New York joined a growing number of states extending the basic right of  marriage to all of its citizens.

I’ve run this race 3x so far and it continues to be one of my favorites.  The course is great, it’s well-organized, the runners are friendly, and it gets strong crowd support.  Even the police blocking off the streets cheer the runners on!

This year’s race solidified the event’s place in my heart… it marks the first time I placed in the Top 3 Females Overall!

I earned 3rd place overall and 1st in my division!!!

Stats:

  • Distance – 3.14 miles
  • Time – 23:41 mins
  • Pace – 7:45 mins

 

I have NO idea where that came from, but OMG I was thrilled!!!

 

Post-race I walked across the park for some raw milk (I know it’s controversial… but it does have benefits and it tastes like a milkshake!), farm eggs, and peaches.  There is nothing more delicious than local, fresh food.

 

The afternoon was filled with softball and some quick pre-reunion weight lifting.

At the reunion I saw some people I was looking forward to reconnecting with, which was nice.  Overall… I don’t know what I expected, but was just ok.  High school seems like a lifetime ago, and it wasn’t the best of times for me.

 

In true foodie fashion, dinner was the best part of the night.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

A small group of old classmates (we are now good friends) – myself, Mallory (my BFF), Greg (her husband), and Laura (another friend) – all met for a pre-reunion dinner at Bocado (887 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-815-1399).

Thank god because the only food they served at the event was a cold tray of chicken nuggets.

 

Bocado has been on my “to try” list for far too long.  Several have contended that they serve the best burger in Atlanta; however, the other menus items are the real standouts.

 

My jalapeno-infused tequila cucumber martini was light and clean tasting.  The flavors were perfectly balanced – a great start to dinner on this hot day.

We enjoyed our drinks with a cheese plate made up of:

  • Purple Haze (goat, California)
  • Humboldt (goat, California)
  • Ewephoria (sheep, Holland)
The Ewephoria took the prize as the favorite, and the best named.

 

Our cheeses were served with radishes, cranberries, honey, and perfect crusty bread slices.  I say perfect because often toasted bread is so saturated in olive oil or butter that it becomes a chewy, greasy mess.  These slices were brushed with just enough olive oil to compliment the flavors.

For dinner Laura and I ordered small plates to share.

These were the best Fried Green Tomatoes I have EVER had.  Normally I’m not a huge fan due the the soggy, greasy nature of the dish.

The chef’s interpretation of the dish did not suffer from this affliction.  The tomatoes were cut into spears and battered in corn meal, leaving them crisp and relatively light.  They were served over a bed of greens and radishes with hot sauce and a buttermilk herb dressing.

Our Beet Salad was served in a bowl with farro, orange segments, fennel, toasted hazelnuts, avocado, and goat cheese.  The flavors played together quite well.

Toasted hazelnuts added a dimension to the more typical beet-orange-goat cheese combo.  I especially enjoyed the different textures – the crunch of the nuts with the slightly chewy farro and creamy avocado and goat cheese.

 

The Burrata was the one dish that I wasn’t impressed with.  The eggplant caponata on top was great, but the burrata itself was a bit too rubbery.  It was the only dish we didn’t finish.  However, it was served with a kalamata olive country toast that was delicious.

Our waiter highly recommended the Summer Squash Salad.  As advertised, it was very good.  My only complaint is the heavy hand on the olive oil.  The squash was delicious and the cherry tomatoes were some of the best I’ve had this season.

Mallory and Greg both ordered the infamous burger.  It was quite good.  As good as Holeman & Finch?  My vote is YES… but it’s very close.

The burger is served with house-made herbed french fries and a side of a buttermilk herb sauce.  I’m not a HUGE french fry eater and I could have eaten an entire plate of these.

For dessert we chose a Banana Bread Cake layered with chocolate ganache and cinnamon icing.

We hated it.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Several other bloggers have begun posting recaps of the previous week’s workouts.  I love the idea – if for no other selfish reason than to have a reference for myself to look back at.

Workout Recap (6/20-26)

  • Monday – 4 mile run, 84 push-ups
  • Tuesday – P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups
  • Wednesday – Triceps/Chest, 3.5 mile run
  • Thursday – 4.5 mile run, 84 push-ups
  • Friday – P90X Ab Ripper X, 15 mile bike ride, 84 push-ups
  • Saturday – 5K, softball, 30 mins upper body weights, 84 push-ups
  • Sunday – Softball, P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups

***

I never was a cornflake girl…

Was high school a good experience for you?

Do you like when bloggers post workout recaps?


Filed Under: Core, Fitness, Products, Recap, Restaurants, Running, Softball, Weights Tagged With: Bocado, dinner, marriage equality, P90X, race, restaurants, running

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