Blogger Brunch at Bar 10

· May 9, 2013 ·

I love blogging for a lot of reasons.

Sometimes, I have the opportunity to try new products before they hit the shelves.

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Other times, I have the opportunity to attend events and meet lots of new friends.

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But my favorite reason by far is, meeting new friends WHILE trying out a new product/service/restaurant/menu!

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Last weekend I was invited to attend a blogger brunch held at Bar 10 in the Westin Copley Hotel.

Bar 10 recently launched their new brunch menu and invited 15 nearby bloggers to test it out. Needless to say, I was excited to be one of them!

I was excited about attending this event because brunch is one of those things that I love, but I rarely have. I almost always lean towards the breakfast side of things, but what can I say, I like options!

Speaking of options, check out the fabulous menu!

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 Before we chose our meal option from the menu, the staff sent out a complimentary champagne shot with berries and pineapple.

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It’s almost like they read my mind! Bubbly cocktails are definitely my favorite kind. Pair it up with some fresh fruit and you’ve got yourself a match made in heaven. It was a perfect way to kick-start the day.

I had a hard time choosing what to order for my main meal, so I decided to “create my own omelette”.

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My omelette was prepared with egg whites, cheese, tomatoes, ham, spinach and was paired with a side of potato hash.

It totally hit the spot, and was the perfect mid-day meal. It left me feeling full, but not overly stuffed. I am also happy that I stuck with a healthy option. The mini belgium waffles were totally calling my name, but I had a feeling I’d feel sluggish afterwards. All about planning people!

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The staff at Bar 10 even sent out a few extra dishes that no one had ordered for us to sample. Among the choices was the burger topped with a poached egg and scrambled eggs with a side of steak.

Unfortunately I don’t eat red meat, so I did not sample these two plates, but it was still super nice of them to do! Plus I was so full, I’m not sure I had any room left for anything else anyway!

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A huge thank you to Jen Doorman, the Boston Bachelorette for setting up this brunch and to the fabulous staff from Bar 10!  

Everything we ate was truly delicious and the staff were some of the most hospitable people I’ve met. I’m glad I got to spend time with some old and new friends, while enjoying a fantastic meal.

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Thanks again Bar 10!

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What do you prefer, breakfast, lunch or brunch?

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NYC at Christmastime–Kleinfeld’s & More

· December 6, 2012 ·

Happy Thursday Friends!

One more day until the weekend!

Dinner

Last night’s dinner was one of my favorites.

A chicken burger stuffed with blue cheese, a cauliflower and broccoli frittata, beet salad and a mixed green salad.

NYC- Day 2

Where were we? Oh yes, Day 2 in NYC! Here is part 1 in case you missed it.

We woke up on Sunday morning feeling refreshed, energized and ready to tackle a day full of bridal appointments and shopping!

We stopped for some coffee at a local coffee shop before walking a few blocks over to Kleinfeld’s. Yes, the REAL Kleinfeld’s AS IN THE ONE ON T.V!

My cousin made a 10 o’clock appointment to browse through some headpieces and accessories to add to the dress that she already purchased. Although we did not end up purchasing a headpiece for her at Kleinfeld’s, the experience was fantastic and unlike any other bridal shop I have been to.

The store is absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and appears just like it does on T.V. I was expecting it to look smaller, but was surprised and pleased to see how big the store is inside.

 I have worked at a few bridal shops part-time throughout my life, and let me tell you I have never such different, unique and gorgeous dresses as I have at Kleinfeld’s.

The photo’s do not do any of the dresses justice. The detail and overall design of all of them is absolutely breathtaking.

We left Kleinfeld’s with a few hours gap before out next bridal appointment. What to do in NYC during Christmastime with a few hours to kill? Hmmmm…..SHOP, maybe?!

We galevanted through the streets of NYC browsing through Loehmann’s, T.J Maxx, Marshalls and various little jewelery shops.

Visiting al of the little costume jewelery shops was quite a fun experience. I scored a few of these cross style bracelets and cross earings!

After heading to another bridal appointment, where Toni did find her headpiece (yay!!) we headed back to the hotel for some R&R before dinner.

Beauty & Essex

We had 8:30 reservations at Beauty & Essex, located on the lower east side. I was a little nervous when we the cab driver dropped us off at what looked like a broken down Pawn shop, but when we walked in the atmosphere completely changed.

The decor was very old-fashioned and antique, yet trendy at the same time. There is a large spiral staircase in the entrance as well as a beautiful antique chandelier.

The food was incredible, but want to know what was even better than the food?  The fact they serve you champagne in the BATHROOM!  Yes, the bathroom! There is a girl waiting for you once ou have finished, standing behind a small bar ready to serve you the cutest class of pink champagne. Definitely a great marketing technique if you ask me ;-) .

We ordered several appetizers to share, my favorite of which was the “Jewls on Toast” with whipped ricotta and sweet eggplant. We also ordered the Lobster Tacos and Wild Mushroom Pizette which were incredible.

For my main course I ordered the Grilled Salmon with sherry vinegar glaze, pearl couscous, red chard & celery root puree. Amazing as expected.

Shortly after dinner we went upstairs to the Beauty & Essex lounge where we ordered a few cocktails (espresso martini for me!) and listened to the spectacular DJ.

It was a great girls night filled with lots of fun, food and family! I would definitely recommend Beauty & Essex to anyone traveling to NYC. If you want to enjoy great food, delicious drinks in a fun and trendy atmosphere this is your kind of place!

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What is your favorite style for a wedding dress?  I’d have to go with mermaid, but theres just something about the ball-gown that I just love!

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Strega on the Waterfront

· November 19, 2012 ·

Gooooood Morning!

How’s everyone doing on this fine morning? Good? That’s Great!

Although today is a Monday, for some reason it just doesn’t feel like one (which is a good thing!) I only have to work one full day this week, so that could be is definitely why my week already feels shorter. It’s hard for me to believe that Thanksgiving is this Thursday. This month has seriously flown by, wasn’t it JUST Halloween?

I do love the fact that my weekends this month have been jam-packed, but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t excited for some pure down time this week/weekend. Don’t get me wrong, going out is a blast, and I love it, but sometimes some good old rest and relaxation is just what the body needs!

Speaking of going out, and jam-packed weekends, this weekend involved just that. On Saturday night I got together with my cousin (who is getting married in May!) and most of her bridesmaids. I was very excited not only to see all the girls, but also because we were dining at Strega on the Waterfront. I’d never been to Strega, but had heard wonderful things.

Prior to sitting down for our 8:30 reservation, we decided to get a drink at the bar. Getting the bartenders attention due to the massive amounts of people was quite a struggle, but it was worth the wait. My espresso martini was incredible, not too sweet and not too strong, perfection!

Shortly after standing at the bar for about 15 minutes, we were seated at our table, which comfortably accommodated all 13 of us. We started off with some champagne, which was sent to us by the groom himself (how sweet!)

We ordered a few appetizers for the table, my favorite of which was the prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Buffalo mozzarella is one of my favorite types of cheeses. When I went to Italy, I think I ate it every single day, but that shouldn’t be a shock considering that dairy is my favorite food group!

Throughout the night there was lots of chatting, laughing and toasting.

For my main course I ordered the “Calibrisella” (not pictured).

It tasted great, but since our dinner wasn’t served until past 10:30p.m, I could not bring myself to finish the whole dish. Or maybe it’s because I filled up on appetizers? That tends to be a bad habit of mine…

For dessert we had an assorted tray of cakes and cannoli’s. I always have room for dessert, so naturally I had a few bites of the tiramisu, and cheesecake (also not pictured, due to the Iphone battery dying on me).

Time really does fly when you are having a good time. When we got up to leave, I looked at my watch and noticed that it was almost midnight! Holy cow, no wonder why I was starting to yawn.

Overall it was a great night spent in great company. It really is a beautiful thing when family and friends come together as one, especially with everyone’s hectic schedules.

I can’t wait for many more gatherings with this great group of girls, especially the bachelorette party this April. Fun in the sun! Yay :)

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Have you ever been in a wedding? What were some fun things you did prior to the main festivity? 

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U.S Open Recap #2

· September 6, 2012 ·

Hello everyone!

How is everyone doing on this fine Thursday morning? Tonight is Fashion’s Night Out, so needless to say I am pumped to be attending and participating in it this year!

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In case you’ve never heard of it, Fashion’s Night Out is a huge bash with featured events in over 18 countries, with more that 4,500 fashion events taking place in the United States alone!

Tonight in Boston, several events will be taking place around Newbury St and the Copley Square area. It’s sure to be a fun night, so if you live in or around Boston, I highly suggest you stop on by!

U.S Open Recap Part 2

Here is recap #1 in case you missed it! So where did we leave off? Oh yes!

We woke up around 8:30 a.m in order to make sure that we had enough time to eat breakfast, and make our way to the open. The concierge suggested that we take the subway to Queens, considering it would be easy, fast and cheap. Works for me!

Since we did not know what the food situation would be at the event we decided to stop at the Europa Cafe, for a quick bite to eat, before boarding the subway. This place was perfect because it was only a block from the hotel, had fast service and lots of options.

I could not decide between an omelette or oatmeal, so I did what any logical person would do in this situation and that is order both! :)  I went with an egg white omelette filled with spinach and swiss cheese, alongside my small oatmeal with bananas, walnuts and dried fruit. Both options were delicious, and kept me pretty full all day.

After breakfast, we made our way to the subway. Taking the subway was actually much easier, faster and more comfortable than I thought it would be. I won’t hide the fact that subways aren’t exactly my favorite places to be.

For one thing I have a hard time navigating them (probably because I never take them), I can’t help but be grossed out by all the germ invested poles, seats and railings, I am horrified about getting on the wrong train and never being able to find my way back EVER and oh ya, I absolutely hate when the carts randomly stop in between two concrete walls and don’t move for more than 4 seconds! Am I the only person that is this paranoid? It’s ok if you say yes.

Luckily the train ride was pretty quick (about 30 min), and felt even faster since we had some entertainment for a few stops!

Seriously, these guys were pretty good! I don’t think I’ve ever seen this on a train in Boston. Have you seen entertainment on the subway where you are from? 

We got off at the Mets-Willits-Point stop, and followed everyone in their tennis gear to the tournament location. Luckily the main grounds are only a short walk away from the train stop, and thank God because boy was it HOT on Saturday.

Once we got passed the ticket line, I met up with one of my best friends; Linzee. I haven’t seen her in a few months, so it was great to reconnect at such an awesome event. She is currently attending medical school in the area (wooo!) so it worked out perfectly.

For the rest of the day the 3 of us hopped from match to match and got to see quite a few big names.

Since it was mega hot out, it was nice to watch a few games here and there, and then head back to the main grounds where there was shade, and cold drinks.

We left the tournament grounds around 5 p.m in order to get back in time to shower, relax a little and then head out for dinner. Let me tell you, a hot day at the U.S Open is quite tiring, but nothing a nice shower and a little wine can’t fix ;-)

We made reservations at STK, a well-known steakhouse in the Meatpacking district of New York. We arrived a little early for our 9 p.m reservation, so that we could walk around the boardwalk before grabbing a cocktail on the roof deck.

We were promptly seated at 9 p.m at a nice table on the roof deck. It was a BEAUTIFUL night, so I was thrilled not to have to whip out my emergency cardigan that I always have stashed in my purse ;-)

The food, drinks and service were all fabulous. No photos of the food because it was wayyy to dark, and we all know how food looks with the flash on. No bueno!

Overall, it was an exciting and fun first day in NYC! Final recap coming you way soon :)

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What is your main source of transportation? Car, train, walking etc..?

 

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Sugar Magnolia

· July 13, 2012 ·

Hi all! I’ve got a fabulous restaurant review coming your way, but first here is a photo of me and my nut job, best friend of a dog! :)

I know I’am biased, but isn’t he just so freaking adorable?! Just look at that head tilt!  Anyways, onto some mouthwatering breakfast talk!

Sugar Magnolia

Yesterday my mom, my brother and I decided to checkout this (new to us) breakfast restaurant called Sugar Magnolia. Let me just say that I am very particular when I go out for breakfast. I rarely do it because A) I am too attached to yogurt to not have it almost every morning and B) The thought of a greasy, or somewhat greasy meal first thing in the morning grosses me out.

When ordering breakfast at a restaurant I am quite predictable. I typically get an egg white omelette with spinach, feta cheese and dry wheat toast, or 3 scrambled egg whites with the same fix-ins.  I’m not sure why, but I’ve never really been much of a pancake or waffle person in the morning. I think it is because my mom close to never prepared breakfast for us when we were younger. She was and still is a fabulous cook, but the last thing she ever wanted to do was pick up a frying pan first thing in the morning (can’t say I blame her too much!) We always either had cereal, yogurt, toast or something similar that did not include much time or effort.

I was a little skeptic about dining here because I recently had a bad breakfast dining experience somewhere else. The other restaurant prepared my omelette with as much grease as humanly possible which left me feeling sick, and vowing to just stick to yogurt for breakfast for the rest of my life! Well, I got convinced to tag along for the ride to Sugar Magnolia, and let’s just say I’m glad I did!

It was probably one of the best, if not the best breakfast I have EVER had at a restaurant. Not only was my omelette light, airy, non-greasy and cooked to perfection, but everyone else’s dishes were fantastic too!

What’s nice about Sugar Magnolia is that they offer typical breakfast options with their own flare. For example my brother ordered a veggie omelette, but also ordered an Almond Joy pancake on the side. Holy YUM! An Almond Joy pancake? Why didn’t I think of that?!

The pancakes are HUGE, meaning one was definitely enough for one person. My mom also ordered a Buttermilk pancake and commented on how light, airy and tasty it was. She said she felt like it tasted baked, which would explain the airiness. Not sure if that’s true or not, but the bottom line is that everything was top-notch.

As we were patiently waiting for our food to arrive, I also took a glance at what other people had ordered. I was in awe when I saw the graham cracker coated, marshmallow and chocolate filled french toast. It looks more like a dessert than anything else, but hey it’s worth a bite or two! Wish I had gotten a picture, but I think the girl that ordered it might have felt awkward if I just randomly took a photo of her mouthwatering breakfast!

I would highly recommend Sugar Magnolia to anyone who is visiting the Gloucester, MA area. Even if you are not visiting, it’s definitely worth the drive and the wait, trust me!

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What do you usually order when you go out for breakfast?

What is the most orignal breakfast you have ever had or made?

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Classic Mexican Cuisine

· May 21, 2012 ·

Good morning everyone!

I hope your Monday is off to a great start, and that you all had a great weekend! The weather in Boston was absolutely fabulous all weekend long, so I took advantage of it and spent as much time outside as I could! I seriously cannot wait until the summer. I see lots of BBQ’s, beach days and bonfires in my future! :)

Breakfast

This mornings breakfast was the usual Chobani 0% plain yogurt with some ground flax-seed, almond halves and blueberries mixed in. Delicious as usual!

Casa Romero

On Saturday night Matteo and I dined at Casa Romero, a fabulous Mexican restaurant located in the Back Bay. I absoluty loved this place because not only was the food delicious, but it was also very quaint and homey inside. We felt like the staff treated us like family, and welcomed us into their home, not just their restaurant.

We started off with a cocktail at the bar, and were then seated in the outside terrace. It was a beautiful night, so I’m glad that were able to score a nice outdoor table.

For my main dish I ordered Sauteed Stuffed Squid in a Tomato and Chipotle Sauce. The  picture does not do this meal justice, because trust me it was amazing!

Matteo got the Filet of Sole Special served with shrimp, asparagus and mushrooms in a white sauce. Again the photo doesn’t give the meal any justice because since we ate outdoors at night the lighting was obviously not on my side!

I would highly recommend Casa Romero to anyone who wants to enjoy classic Mexican cuisine. Everything about it was great, and we enjoyed a fun night out on the town!

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Did you do anything fun this weekend?

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Mothers Day 2012

· May 14, 2012 ·

Good Morning Everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and a great Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! Today we welcome the rain to back to Boston (surprise, surprise), but hey at least the weekend was in the upper 70′s!

Breakfast

This mornings breakfast was the exact same one that I’ve been having all this week. What can I say? I am definitely a creature of habit, and the plain Chobani mixed with pineapple chunks and ground flax-seed is a winner in my book!

 Dinner at L’Andana

On Saturday night, I went to L’Andana with my family and grandparents to celebrate Mother’s Day a little early. Last time went to L’Andana it was incredibly good, so we figured this would be the perfect place to revisit. Only the best for mom, right? :)

I ordered the mixed green salad with candied walnuts to start. It tasted fantastic, and had just the right amount of Chianti vinaigrette. When I make salads at home I can never seem to put the right amount of dressing. I either put way to much, or way to little. Does that ever happen to anyone else?

Matteo started of with half portion of pasta Bolognese, which he really enjoyed. I tasted a little, and it was simple yet delicious!

For my main course I ordered the grilled salmon which was served with warm heirloom potatoes, onion salad and bacon.

It was grilled to perfection, and tasted amazing. I picked around the bacon, since I’m not a huge fan of bacon, but that did not effect the overall taste of the meal.

It was an overall great night and fun way to spend Mother’s Day. L’Andana never disappoints, and both mom and nonna (grandmother in Italian) really enjoyed themselves!

Happy Mothers Day!

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Did you do anything special for Mother’s Day?

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Dinner at L'andana

· February 13, 2012 ·

Last night Matteo and I had a fantastic dining experience at L’andana restaurant. I had never been to L’andana before,so naturally when my parents invited us out to dinner with them, I immediately accepted the offer! I had heard great things about this restaurant, so I was very excited to finally experience it myself.


Good thing we had reservations because the parking lot was packed (probably due to Valentines day weekend). Luckily they offer free valet, which was huge considering the below freezing temperatures outside. We were about 15 minutes early for our 8 o’clock reservation, so we decided to hit up the bar for a quick drink before heading over to the table. The bar has a really laid back vibe (which I loved) full of couches and chairs to relax in while sipping your drink. I decided on a prosecco (surprise, surprise) and Matteo got a dirty martini. A short while later we taken to our table promptly at 8pm.

The dining room has a Tuscan style ambiance, with high ceilings and decorative chandeliers.  It is quite dark, but all of the tables have a lit candle, which helped when reading the menu. The service was impeccable, and the waitress was able to answer any questions that we had.

  

The food was PHENOMENAL. I started off with the mixed green salad served, with candied walnuts and tossed in a citrus vinaigrette.   It was a great start to my meal because I wanted something simple yet tasty. The vinaigrette totally made the dish and I would definitely order it again! We also ordered a plate of oysters for the table, which were beautifully presented on a flat plate over a bed of ice. I don’t typically eat oysters, but my family could not stop raving about them!

  

For my main course I ordered the salmon which was cooked to PERFECTION! It was served over a bed of black lentils and root vegetables, and topped with a “cider mostarda” sauce. The flavors were absolutely mouthwatering, unlike anything I have ever tasted before. This was probably the best salmon I have ever eaten, not even kidding!

We ended the night with the warm molten chocolate cake served with a side of vanilla ice-cream (which I forgot to snap a photo of). The chill of the ice cream against the warmth of the cake was excellent. Definitely something I would love to recreate at home if I could figure out how!

Overall I LOVED this place! I would rate it my #1 favorite restaurant outside the city, in fact I’d still rate it in the top 3 even if Boston was included!  The staff was really attentive and truly cared about our dining experience. The food was delicious and the decor is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I highly recommend L’andana to anyone who wants to enjoy excellent Italian food, while receiving top-notch service. If you’re from Boston, treat yourself and go check it out, you won’t regret it!

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How are you celebrating Valentines day/weekend? 

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An Eventful Weekend

· January 30, 2012 ·

Hi guys!

How was your weekend? Mine involved lots of friends, family and of course food!

On Friday night I met up with a few of the girls who I use to work with when I worked at Sorellina Restaurant.  Sorellina is a fine dining restaurant located in the heart of Boston. I worked there all through college and I absolutely loved it! I learned a great deal, and met so many diverse people that I am proud to call my lifelong friends. Although I haven’t talked to some of them for months, I love how we are able to pick up right where we left off!

We decided to relive some of our favorite years by going back to Sorellina for dinner. I have not been there for about two years now, and am happy to say that not all that much has changed. The decor is still modern and sleek, the staff is still friendly and the food is still as delicious as ever.

It was about 9pm by the time we sat down to eat, so needless to say I was starving! We placed our orders and then proceeded to update each other on whats currently going on in our lives. While doing so, we were pleasantly surprised when our server brought over a sample of the mushroom truffle risotto for all of us to try. We didn’t order this, but since the staff is so nice they sent us over a complementary appetizer portion to taste. Boy oh boy, am I sure glad they did! The rice was thick and the truffle flavor was extremely rich. The portion size was perfect, any bigger and I might have been too full to enjoy the other courses.

Next, our server brought over the appetizers that we actually did order. I chose the beet salad because it was my all the time favorite appetizer to order when I used to work there (and I have a mild obsession with beets too!). It involved a combination of red and golden beets piled on top of Vermont goat cheese, and sprinkled with clementine vinaigrette. Those three flavors mixed together basically created a party in my mouth! YUM!

Soon after our appetizers, there was yet ANOTHER surprise! The kitchen sent us a sample of one of their newest pasta dishes; The “Cappellacci”, which are burrata filled “little hats,” served in a light tomato sauce and topped with some Parmesan cream.  I had never tasted anything like these before, the cheese would ooze out of the thick pasta as soon as I cut one open. The union of all three flavors worked really well together, and I am happy that I got to try this dish!

Even though I was quite full by this point, I still had room for my entree. I decided on the halibut which was served under a thick and buttery lobster sauce alongside some truffled cauliflower and small pieces of lobster.  The fish was light and broke apart easily. The sauce, cauliflower and small lobster pieces gave it an exquisite flavor. I finished almost all of it, and only left a few bites on my plate.

For dessert we ordered the “Ciocolato”  which is a warm molted chocolate cake served with vanilla gelato on the side. I was definitely over maximum capacity at this point, so I only had a very small bite. I have got to say that this cake is probably on of the best desserts on the planet. I know because I have had it before on multiple occasions. If you are a chocolate lover you must try this ASAP. It will change your life, but just be ready for an intense sugar high after!

Overall I had a superb weekend! I got to spend time with my girlfriends while enjoying an outstanding dinner.  I highly recommend Sorellina Restaurant to anyone who is looking for an incredible fine dining experience. The prices are a bit high, but the wonderful service, terrific food and overall experience make it all worth it!

What did you do this weekend?

What is your favorite fine dining restaurant?

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