Get Toasted at Proper Bagel
I graduated from Belmont University in 20 (cough cough) and I continue to be amazed by the number of restaurants and boutiques that pop up in the area. While I was in school, our options were limited, VERY limited.
Hypnotized by Hugh Baby's
Burgers. It's one thing that Nashville does not have a shortage of. From the classics like Gabby's Burgers and Fries, Paradise Park and Burger Up to the newcomers like Jack Brown's and Hopdoddy, it's hard to go wrong. However, Nashvillians are as opinionated about their burgers as Chicagoans are about their pizza.
Fork Yeah! Little Goat Diner
Why is it so hard to find a decent brunch place on a Friday? Is it because most of the general population is supposed to be working? Work schmerk. After all, a girl has gotta eat!
Globetrotting Gastronomic World Tour @ Next Restaurant
For those of you who have been following Blonde Voyage Nashville, you know that I have season tickets to Next Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. It's probably the one thing that I get asked about the most as people have a difficult time ascertaining the whole "season tickets to a restaurant" concept. To be quite honest, it's been an experience for which I am incredibly grateful.
The Finest Formaggio at Masseria Lamapecora
If someone asked what your favorite food was, what would be your answer? Pizza? Steak? All things Italian? When your fondness for food is as great as mine, it can certainly be a tough question. However, there is one thing that I can never get enough of, cheese!
Evo Ristorante : Alberobello, Italy
Who would have thought that wandering could work up such an appetite! Um, this girl! Fortunately, we had reservations at one of Alberobello's best restaurants, Evo.
Loco for Locanda Marinelli
After spending the day tasting an array of Proseccos from Adami and Col Vetoraz, I was starving. Perhaps, borderline hangry. Oriana, our driver in Prosecco, recommended this lovely inn, Locanda Marinelli, for lunch. Nestled in the hills of Treviso Prealps, Locanda Marinelli is a must for anyone visiting the Prosecco region.
Tasty Takeaways from Music City Food +Wine
The fifth annual Music City Food +Wine festival was held this past weekend at Bicentennial Park and it did not disappoint. In an effort to keep up with the ever-evolving culinary scene in the Music City, festival programming was expanded to include a Friday Night Grand Taste highlighting more of our local chefs and restaurateurs. One noticeable change this year was the ratio of booze to food.
Brunch So Hard: Public House Bar and Kitchen
While working my way through the various brunches in Nashville (is that list ever long), I stumbled upon Public House Bar and Kitchen. This was not my first time at the Urban Cowboy outpost. I have spent many a night sipping bourbon cocktails at their bar or curled up by their fire pit, but it was my first food encounter.
Pursuit of the Perfect Pizza: Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder
When you hear Chicago what comes to mind? Da Bears? The Bean in Millennium Park? The terribly long line that forms at Garrett's Popcorn? Maybe it's the World Series Champions, the Chicago Cubbies.
Cocktailing In East Nashville
Weekends. Do you exist anymore? I am beginning to wonder. If I remember correctly, a weekend was defined by the time I closed out of PowerPoint and shut my computer down on Friday afternoon until it was booted back up on Monday morning. This time was typically used for leisurely activities: checking out movies, shopping, and cocktailing with my friends.
Le Bernardin: Where Seafood is the Star
Le Bernardin is one of the premier gourmand destinations for seafood lovers. Opened by Gilbert Le Coze and his sister Maguy Le Coze as Les Moines de St. Bernardin in 1972, the brother/sister team decided to transport this culinary excellence to New York City and reopened as Le Bernardin in 1986.
NYC Nosh: Modern Mexican @Cosme
Wandering around New York City will certainly work up an appetite. For someone who relishes Mexican cuisine as much as I do, I would have been remiss not to visit Cosme. Located in the Flatiron district, Cosme is the brainchild of world renown chef Enrique Olvera who is also the creative mastermind behind Pujol, located in Mexico, and Atla, located in New York City.
San Francisco: Home Cafe
Visiting San Francisco meant one thing, checking out Home Cafe. Haven't heard it of? Well, stay tuned my friends. I am about to give you run down.
Why I paid $900 to dine at Saison
Acquiring Michelin stars has been a hobby of mine for quite some time, albeit a costly one for both my wallet and my waistline. In the midst of planning my annual trip to San Francisco, I decided it was a great time to add a few Michelin stars to my list seeing as the Bay Area now has as many three star restaurants as New York City.
D.C. Dining: Lupo Verde Brunch
Brunch. It's a social institution and there's arguably no better way to start your weekend. What do you look for when making your brunch selection? Champagne and Caviar service? Amazing eggs benny? What about that extra crispy Benton's bacon?
D.C. Dining: Rose's Luxury
Lately, it seems as if I am developing a habit of standing in lengthy lines for dinner. First Street XO and now Rose's Luxury. The question that is always asked: "was it worth it?" You'll have to read and find out!
D.C. Dining: minibar by José Andrés
I just returned from a weekend of wandering around Washington D.C. and I can't wait to share my dining adventures! Washington D.C. is not necessarily a place that is on my radar but one of my dearest girlfriends moved there for graduate school so of course, I had to visit! There's nothing better than enjoying sensational food with your best friends.
Madrid Musings: Mercado de San Miguel
One of my favorite "foodie" experiences during my trip to Madrid was visiting the Mercado de San Miguel. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I went each day while I was there. The market reminded me of the West Side Market in Cleveland, but with serious Spanish flair. There are a variety of vendors (over 30, I believe) serving different tapas dishes, meats, sherry, and seafood. I didn't even know where to begin, so I just started wandering.
Madrid Musings: El Club Allard
Everyone has a story but I find the story of a chef to be particularly interesting. After reading several articles on El Club Allard, I knew I had to meet Chef Maria Marte. Her display of tenacity and perseverance is one for all to admire.
Anchoring itself in the historic May Hosiery Mills building, Pastis Nashville didn’t just open; it arrived in Nashville with a wink and a chilled martini.