One Of My Best Meals Of 2019: Pianostrada Laboratorio di Cucina
Italy, Food, Rome Catherine Courtney Italy, Food, Rome Catherine Courtney

One Of My Best Meals Of 2019: Pianostrada Laboratorio di Cucina

Keep your friends close and your friends with excellent restaurant recommendations closer. Isn’t that how the saying goes?

Earlier this year when I was creating my itinerary for Croatia and the Amalfi Coast (more to come on the blog about that) when I realized that I would have just enough time in Rome to enjoy dinner before boarding the train to Naples.

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Blonde Voyage's Guide To Dubrovnik
Croatia, Travel, Food Catherine Courtney Croatia, Travel, Food Catherine Courtney

Blonde Voyage's Guide To Dubrovnik

Can you believe that we are halfway through 2019? I’d shake my head in disbelief if I didn’t have a stack of magazines on my coffee table that said otherwise. In a day and age where we consume so much digital media, I find myself more and more enjoying the ritual of pouring a glass of wine, opening up Travel and Leisure or Bon Appétit and escaping my current reality. There’s something so satisfying about holding the pages in my hands and tearing out those articles or recipes that really speak to me.

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Elevate Your Cocktail Game At Machine
Chicago, Food Catherine Courtney Chicago, Food Catherine Courtney

Elevate Your Cocktail Game At Machine

Cocktail culture is something that not only intrigues me but is constantly evolving. Gone are the days of sipping on rum and cokes and pounding Jager-bombs, unless you still reside on a college campus or in your parent’s basement. In a world where craft cocktails are king, barflies are sipping on timeless classics like Martinis, Manhattans, and Margaritas.

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An Insider's Guide To Surviving Music City Food + Wine Festival 2019
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

An Insider's Guide To Surviving Music City Food + Wine Festival 2019

Back for its seventh year, The Music City Food and Wine Festival returns to Bicentennial Park on September 20-22, 2019. Without question, this is one of my favorite Nashville events as it shines a spotlight on the food and beverage scene in Music City. After all, there’s much more to Nashville than honky-tonks, hot chicken and hockey! This weekend-long festival is filled with culinary demonstrations, seminars, and panels along with tasting tents highlighting food, wine, spirits and beer from Music City and beyond.

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Camera Ready Captures In Tulum
Tulum, Travel Catherine Courtney Tulum, Travel Catherine Courtney

Camera Ready Captures In Tulum

Why do we take photos?

It’s a question I ask myself regularly as I pull out my iPhone. For as long as I can remember, I have loved taking photos. I still remember bringing my bulky 35MM camera with me EVERYWHERE I went. There was nothing more satisfying than finishing a roll of film and dropping it off to have it developed. I would spend hours with my friends looking at pictures, making photo albums and reliving those special moments.

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Fire To Table Simplicity At Arca
Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney

Fire To Table Simplicity At Arca

“ Where should I eat in Tulum?”

Aside from asking where to say, that’s quite possibly one of the most loaded questions a traveler can ask.

Like any food enthusiast, I put in the time and did the research. However, you know you have a problem when you have more restaurants to try than meals to eat! Of course, it’s a great problem to have and only means there are return trips in my future.

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Avoid The Dreaded Vending Machine Lunch And Order With Grubhub
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Avoid The Dreaded Vending Machine Lunch And Order With Grubhub

If you work a 9-5 job, it’s likely that you are living your best cubicle life. You know what I’m talking about. That small piece of real estate where you spend all of your time when you aren’t in meetings and attempt to accomplish work despite the ringing phones and constant chatter. And did I mention you are supposed to co-exist with your co-workers at the same time? To say cube life is challenging is the understatement of the century.

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Tulum's Secret Garden : Cenzontle
Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney

Tulum's Secret Garden : Cenzontle

Does anyone else have Type-A tendencies? Waiting in lines give you absolute anxiety, you’re overly mindful almost borderline conscientious, you loathe wasting time, days are guided by serious to-do lists and you find it hard to relax? If you’re like me, you identify with almost EVERY SINGLE ONE of these items. Some people call it perfectionism, others may categorize you as a workaholic and those who aren’t so friendly may call you damn crazy. Regardless of the label or social commentary, this is me and I’ll own it.

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It's Gonna Be May
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

It's Gonna Be May

To quote one of my favorite boy bands, N’Sync, “ It’s Going to May.”

Now that the NFL Draft, the St. Jude Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon and multiple musical acts have vacated Music City, Nashvillians can take pause, breathe deeply because May will be here before we know it.

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Place Your Bets On These Breakfast Spots In Tulum
Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney

Place Your Bets On These Breakfast Spots In Tulum

Morning Rituals. It’s something we all have but it can be nice to change it up now and then. When I’m home, I’m rolling out of bed at 5:00 a.m, caffeinating with an oat milk latte and trying to pull it together before I leave for work. Sounds dreadful, right?

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Follow Your Heart To The Kitchen Table
Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney

Follow Your Heart To The Kitchen Table

If you were to ask me where I was dining and drinking in Tulum, I would have rattled off a list of taquerias, juice bars and open-air restaurants that were on the itinerary. I never imagined that one of my top meals of 2019 would be in a restaurant nestled among the lush fronds of the jungle powered completely by solar panels.

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Blonde Voyage's Tulum Travel Guide
Tulum, Travel Catherine Courtney Tulum, Travel Catherine Courtney

Blonde Voyage's Tulum Travel Guide

Tulum is undoubtedly one of the top trending destinations in the world. It’s almost impossible to scroll through Instagram these days and NOT see one of your favorite bloggers posting about this bohemian-chic jungle town.

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Chicago Style Pizza Arrives In Music City
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Chicago Style Pizza Arrives In Music City

Chicago.

It’s a city that has captured my heart and if it weren’t for the sub-zero temperatures and harsh winters, I’d likely move there. From the varying architectural styles, the booming food scene and I can’t forget that mid-western hospitality, Chicago really has it all. My love affair with the city started years ago and I have since made subsequent trips soaking up as much of the city as I possibly can. No trip to the Windy City is complete without some Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

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Humble Table: A Night In Italy
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Humble Table: A Night In Italy

Undoubtedly social media is a key part of our culture. It was only a few days ago when social media junkies experienced one of the most painful outages in history when Facebook and Instagram were down for over 14 hours. Did you panic? I immediately thought my account was hacked and incessantly tried to change my password. When I say incessant, I mean I tried for HOURS and to no avail failed miserably.

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Exploring Nashville: Nashville Venezuela Food
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Exploring Nashville: Nashville Venezuela Food

In a city where whiskey and hot chicken dominate the food scene, it can be challenging to find diverse ethnic cuisine. Every food blogger in Nashville can rattle off their favorite taco spots, burger joints, and coffee shops, but how many can tell you where to score proper Venezuelan food in Music City?

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Exploring Nashville: Mi Colombia
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Exploring Nashville: Mi Colombia

Do you ever feel like you are on auto-pilot? Simply coasting through the day with a predictable routine and making decisions with little to no thought because they have become so automatic?

I know I am guilty of it. I get in the habit of wearing the same things, going to the same restaurants, repeating the same workouts and hanging out with the same people. No judgment, but it can make for an awfully mundane existence.

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Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors
Culture Catherine Courtney Culture Catherine Courtney

Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors

Before there was Instagram, Yayoi Kusama’s avant-garde perspective was revolutionizing the visual art world. From her vibrant paintings, playful sculptures and captivating Infinity Mirror Rooms, Kusama is by far one of the most important artists to come from Japan. Her artwork challenges the status quo and encourages us to think differently about our connection with the world and those around us.

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Nicky's Coal Fired Guest Pizza Chef Series
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Nicky's Coal Fired Guest Pizza Chef Series

While most Americans are joining gyms, Marie Kondo-ing their homes, and trying to live their “healthiest” life, I am posted up at the chef’s counter sipping wine and eating all the things. Why? Two reasons: First, life is all about balance and second, Nicky’s Coal Fired just kicked off their second annual Guest Pizza Chef Series.

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Blonde Voyage Nashville's Burger Guide
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Blonde Voyage Nashville's Burger Guide

We are barely a week into 2019 and I’m sure I am not the only one finding it hard to abide by these resolutions and intentions I set forth. Am I right? Undoubtedly, many Americans vowed to eat healthier, exercise more or even participate in the infamous “Banuary.”

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