Eating Elsewhere: Madison

I had a quick trip to Madison to celebrate with my friend Caroline for her wedding shower and bachelorette-but still managed to fit in an impressive amount of food! Not quite as crazy as when Dad and I went to Denver, but still...

Her shower wasn't until the afternoon on Saturday, and I was staying with my good friends Erica and Erik, so the three of us decided to have some fun before. In the morning, Erica told me she knew the best doughnut place in Madison, so of course we had to go there. She wasn't wrong! Dough Baby Bakery is sooo delicious and I need to go back to try more flavors. Perhaps when I'm there for the wedding? We had the blueberry, mint lemonade, and chocolate almond toffee flavors-I think the blueberry was the winner for both of us. It was such a clear and strong flavor, and a little different from what is usually available.

Of course we stopped by Colectivo Coffee as well-one of my fave coffee places in Madison.

For lunch we joined up with Erik and went to a delicious restaurant, Alchemy, that I had actually been to during Lucas' graduation weekend. The stuffed grilled cheese sandwich and seasonal salad were killer.

Caroline's bachelorette began at her and Patrick (her fiancee)'s favorite cocktail bar, Graft-which also has fantastic food. It's heavy on the seafood and meat, so I could only enjoy some of it, but what I had was great. The jasmine rice salad in particular was delicious-enjoyed by vegetarians and meat eaters alike! Everyone else seemed to especially enjoy the scallops as well, and the brussels sprouts were great.

The next day I went to brunch with Erica-the rest of the bachelorette party (Caroline included) seemed in no shape to enjoy delicious food, ha.

We walked over to Heritage Tavern, yet another great restaurant in the Capitol area. I can never turn down a breakfast sandwich, and this one was particularly well done. I like to assess brunch restaurants on their potatoes and Heritage didn't disappoint-they essentially made potato pancakes.

One is not allowed to go to Madison and not consume cheese curds at least once-Erica, Erik, and I decided to hit up the classic Old-Fashioned in the afternoon for said treat and a drink before I went to the airport.

Now, to plan out where I'll eat this weekend when I return...any hot tips?

xoxoxo
Emma

It's Donut Day!

chocolate banana-and balloons!

You may have gathered that I like donuts...like, really like them. I think it's the fluffy yet chewy texture and creative flavor combinations that have been showing up more and more-plus, New England is just really into them! If you need a recommendation of where to celebrate for Providence, Boston, or Greensboro, look no further...

lemon-raspberry-coconut and chocolate-peanut-coconut

I'll get Greensboro out of the way first-I've only had donuts once there, but they were awesome. Duck Donuts is a design-your-own, freshly baked model that reminded me of how good cake donuts can be when done right!

I have had some pretty fantastic donuts in Boston. At the Union Square Farmer's Market, I picked up a lemon honey one from Mariposa Bakery-I love how they throw the donut hole on top!

sea salted bourbon caramel, maple bacon, vietnamese coffee, and brown butter hazelnut crunch

Union Square Donuts might be the best known, and they definitely have some delicious flavors. The brown butter hazelnut crunch was particularly excellent.

Blackbird Doughnuts is my go-to, possibly because they are too conveniently located between barre and work...I have yet to try the ice cream sandwich or cake, but they are happening at some point!

For classic flavors, a much better deal, and 24/7 service, Doughboy Donuts and Deli is awesome. I am also a fan of all their different iced coffee flavors!

And of course when in Providence, you know my weakness is PVDonuts!

There's definitely more places on my list to try...Knead, Allie's, and Kane's all come to mind!

Who wants to go on a donut date?? 

xoxoxo

Emma

Eat Local: Oberlin

Y'all, I had literally the best vegetables ever at Oberlin. The whole meal was amazing-and my fellow diners definitely enjoyed the seafood just as much. I couldn't tell you what all they had, but I will torture you with what we all loved.

I'm very glad we stuck to our plan of always ordering a cheese board, because this one with cheeses from Cato Corner Farm was killer.

The freshly baked sourdough with roasted garlic, slow roasted carrots, roasted sweet potato, and grilled asparagus dishes were also all fantastic. I love the tapas style and getting to try so many different dishes!

Side note for my wine people: they give great recommendations. I love a dry rose, but when it's too sweet I can't drink it-the first one they suggested was perfect (if only I could remember the name of it!)

There were about 2 vegetarian dishes we didn't try...I definitely want to go back for those! I'm sure as the seasons are changing they will be introducing new ones as well, and I am just as certain that I will be back.

xoxoxo

Emma

Eating Elsewhere: Greensboro (Part 1)

I'm pretty sure I've said it before, but I tend to plan a big part of my trips around delicious food-and North Carolina was no different! Now, being vegetarian, I can't enjoy the BBQ or seafood, but that doesn't mean I have to miss out on all the Southern cuisine! Every time I go I have to be sure to have some cheese grits and a biscuit...and preferably as many seasonal veggies as possible, especially since they are a little ahead in their growing season! And guys, I really ate so much that I had to split this into multiple posts, otherwise it would have been unreasonably long. I'm a little ridiculous.
I was very happy I decided to take an ungodly early flight (5:30am) so we could get right down to the business of eating everything in sight. After getting a pedicure (desperately needed for this Northern gal!) we stopped by Duck Donuts, a donut shop in which you get to design your own! They fry the donut fresh to order and top it with whatever you request...I went for lemon icing, raspberry drizzle, and coconut, while Mom had chocolate icing with peanuts and coconut. I usually strongly prefer raised donuts, but these have totally won me over.

That evening, we stopped by the Bearded Goat for a little pre-dinner cocktail. While I love the classic copper Moscow Mule mug, I definitely enjoyed it being served in the cutest Deep Eddy tin!

For dinner we went to a restaurant I always enjoy-Crafted: Art of the Taco. I ventured outside my usual to try the taco salad and pimento mac&cheese, which was 100% the right choice. I could eat this salad forever.

On Saturday, after exploring Old Salem, Mom and I went into Winston-Salem for some treats. We attempted to go to Small Batch Beer Co, but it was just too crowded-and maybe I'm getting old, but also definitely too loud, ha! So we headed straight over to Foothills, where we enjoyed an excellent Carolina strawberry blonde ale. We definitely could have found some delicious food there, but Mom already had a plan in mind for that...

We attempted Small Batch again, but to no avail-next time! We then drove over to Cin Cin Burger Bar, a speakeasy-style restaurant and bar. We were told it would be quite a wait for a table, but we knew how to pass the time!

Luckily, as we were sipping on our cocktails, some people seated at the bar were called for their table so we just parked ourselves right there. Mom was insistent on the Gorgonzola fries-and she was right! I considered trying to add some "real food" but wasn't hungry enough for that and crazy boozy milkshakes...so we know what won. The intense stomachaches were totally worth it.

Now I'm craving all these foods...whoops. Happy Friday, y'all!

xoxoxo
Emma

Eat Local: Celestial Cafe

I came across an Instagram post featuring Celestial Cafe and saved it for a day when I might have more time...most nights I get home just in time to have a cup of tea (or glass of wine) before bed. Dad and I made the "trip" to go to dinner there and it was absolutely worth it! I love their focus on supporting local farms and therefore incorporating seasonal ingredients.

Dad started with the citrus pesto calamari, while I had the dish which inspired the trip, the sweet potato wonton. Oh my were they delicious!

The seasonal menu was so appealing that even Dad opted for a vegetarian main, the RI mushroom, kale, and onion risotto. I had a dish with similar ingredients, the gnocchi veggie aglio e olio, but an entirely different presentation. Both were delicious and satisfying-I so appreciate it when restaurants serve a reasonable portion! I do enjoy my leftovers, but many things just do not keep as well and I hate to waste food, especially when it's this delicious.

As always, I am very much looking forward to going back! There are a number of dishes I just can't wait to try...plus, we were too full for dessert and that is not ok! :)

xoxoxo
Emma

Eating Elsewhere: Pittsurgh

Naturally when I visited my friends in Pittsburgh, good food was a major priority. We made it to a number of excellent places, and even when I couldn't enjoy the food as much as I would have liked (Sunday morning...oops), the service was fantastic.

Alexa and I started with an amazing vegan brunch on Saturday morning at B52. We shared the avocado toast (of course!) and had to have our coffee, especially after my delayed flight the night before. I then ate waaay too much of this dish, the kofta tofu scramble. It was perfectly savory and spicy-I need to find a way to recreate it! Alexa definitely enjoyed her seitan shwarma as well-it looked delish but I didn't manage to get a photo of it before it was devoured, ha.

Later in the day, we took a break from our busy sightseeing schedule to have a casual beer before Beerfest (the beginning of the end, perhaps?) at Roundabout Brewery. It was small but lovely-and the beer selection was excellent! It doesn't look like much from the outside, but don't let that fool you. 

Dinner at Umami was excellent-I was able to have ramen! Few places have vegetarian ramen that is also fairly authentic so I don't often have an opportunity to enjoy it. While I don't think as a vegetarian I got a full perspective on the menu, my taste of it was delicious. 

For my last meal in Pittsburgh, we headed to Apteka, a vegetarian Central/East European restaurant. Again, all truly fantastic dishes-I had the kluski slaski, while Alexa went classic with pierogi and Jack had the salatka zimova. We of course had to sample each others dishes, and I'd have trouble saying which was the favorite!

We visited a couple other places, including the excellent coffee shop next door to the apartment, Espresso a Mano and the French bakery La Gourmandine, both of which were very much enjoyed.

When visiting friends and family it is always a tough decision whether to go back to old favorites or try new places-I usually go for a mixture of both. And I'm always open to recommendations!

xoxoxo
Emma

Magazine Meals: Potatoes and Greens

I love trying out new recipes, and thankfully Dad is always game. I'm getting spoiled here-it's going to be hard to stay motivated when I move out and am only cooking for myself! In the meantime, I'm enjoying making my way through many of the recipes I've saved from Real Simple, Bon Appetite, cookbooks, and other resources.

Dad always loves a hearty meal, and in the winter I definitely want to hibernate with comfort food. In this vein, I opted for Southern Living's recipe for twice-baked green potatoes. My goodness they were delicious-and reheated impressively well. When done in the oven, the skins stayed crispy-key to enjoying a baked potato! Adding greens (I went for kale, my go-to) made it feel very slightly healthier and added some needed texture and flavor.

We (ok, I) felt it needed an accompaniment of something light, crunchy, and (more) green. Bon Appetit's broccoli and brussels sprouts slaw fit the bill perfectly. I left out the anchovy, of course (vegetarian here!), and actually the olives as well-I am not a fan of the green ones, though put a dish of kalamata olives in front of me and they will be gone in a flash.

I must admit, however, by the time I finished off all the leftovers I was ready for something new-anyone who wants to come for dinner sometime just let me know! I love having guinea pigs-I mean guests :)

xoxoxo
Emma

Eat Local: Eli's Kitchen

Last week, my dad and I made the trip to Eli's Kitchen in Warren, RI. It's only about 25 minutes away, but in Rhode Island that may as well be an hour to most people. I'm trying not to get caught in that way of thinking, and maintain my Midwest belief that it's an easy drive, but I'm getting a little lazy! I've been wanting to go to Eli's for months now and just not made it a priority...and am now kicking myself! It was amazing, from the service to the drinks to the food. It was completely satisfying for both of us, having creative and classic dishes that appeal to vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. I only managed photos of my food, but rest assured, Dad devoured the clam chowder and shepherd's pie. The servers were all fantastic, and it was very fun to get to watch Eli and the other cooks prepare everything. They even tolerated-with good humor-my dad's attempt to convince everyone to join his martial arts school, the Way of the Dragon.

I had the cajun sweet potato melt, and while I had the option for dressed greens (and very much enjoyed the bite I stole from Dad), I decided to go full sweet potato by having the fries with curry salt and mango ketchup. Definitely the right choice. Accompanied by a Moscow Mule (made with a local ginger beer by Yacht Club), it was the perfect meal.

We don't often get dessert, as both of us would rather have cheese than sugar, but we couldn't resist one of the specials: a dark chocolate bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Eli was kind enough to recommend serving the sauce on the side, as I'm still (years later, ha) recovering from college whiskey-related traumas. However, I did add a very small amount to what I had and it was delicious! Of course, Dad was very happy to have the rest of it on his.

I definitely plan to go back soon...most likely for brunch, but I've got to have dinner there again too! If anyone is interested in joining me, and therefore giving me an excuse to go...just let me know :) I wish I could go for the Fat Tuesday dinner, but alas, I'll be working until my usual time of 8pm-in Boston. I'll just have to make it up with some paczki...

xoxoxo
Emma