Eat Local: Rooftop at the Providence G

It's been a while since one of these posts! I had to get this one up pretty promptly, though, so y'all can take advantage of the excellent deal and deliciousness of Providence Restaurant Week. There's a number of participating restaurants doing 3-course $16.95 for lunch or $29.95/$34.95 for dinner-some of them even two-for-one deals!

I went down to Providence for the day on Monday with the express goals of doing almost nothing and eating delicious food-mission accomplished, ha! Rici, Dad, and I decided to try out a new place for dinner, Rooftop at the Providence G. None of us had eaten there before, but the menu looked great and we could make a reservation online (a not infrequent deciding factor for me).

We all opted for cocktails-the Fig Fusion, St. Goose, and East Ghost RI, then made our selections from the Restaurant Week menu. They also had their full menu available.

Dad and I both started with the black truffle cauliflower soup, while Rici ordered the fried artichokes. The soup was probably my favorite thing all night-but was super rich. The artichokes were a pretty sizable serving, so we all tried-and enjoyed-them and Rici still had some to take home with her, ha.

We got three different main dishes. Naturally I got the vegetarian one, beet root gnocchi, while Rici got a wood oven roasted chicken and Dad went for the grilled rare tuna. They were all beautifully presented and delicious!

We finished with dessert-something I rarely order out, so it is a special treat during restaurant week. Again, we all made different selections and got to taste each others-I had the lavender creme brûlée, Rici had the flourless chocolate cake, and Dad enjoyed the berry mousse. While they were all tasty, we agreed that the chocolate cake could have been improved by heating it before serving and the creme brûlée was a little too sweet for my taste, though the flavors were great.

The space is quite lovely, though a little chilly-as it literally is a rooftop with a glass roof over it for the winter! They have some cafe tables, a bar, and lounge seating. There was also live music, which we definitely enjoyed! It seems this is a regular thing there, so it would also be a great location just for drinks.

I would highly recommend checking the Rooftop-and I know I can't wait to go back in the summer when you truly are outside!

xoxoxo
Emma

Madison Wedding Weekend!

I was lucky to return to Madison so soon after my last trip there-this time to celebrate Caroline and Patrick's wedding! I didn't take a lot of photos there, as there's no way I could compete with the real photographer, but trust me when I say it was beautiful.

I arrived early Saturday morning-and when I say early, I mean 8:30am and nobody else was awake. Thankfully the hotel was able to give me an early check-in, so I swung by Tailgate Coffee (also a clothing shop!) and Dough Baby Bakery to pick up my favorite treats and chill in the room for a bit. I don't nap, unfortunately, so I was going to have to power through from my 3:00am wakeup.

I took a stroll up the street to find a card for the wedding-I knew I'd be able to find a cool one in one of the little shops that line the way to the Capitol. I am now obsessed with Madison Modern Market-but managed not to buy anything other than the card! I was very proud :)

A bunch of us Michigania people, plus Erica and Erik, met up at the alumni bar to watch as much of the game as we could before the welcome dinner. Michigan has not been playing up to expectations, but it's always fun to watch with my people.

I headed back to the hotel to meet up with Leslie and Michael (and snuggle their sweet dog Harley!), then headed over to the welcome party with them at a local park. It was super hot out, but still a good time! We eventually had to make our way to some air-conditioning, so of course went to our favorite piano bar, the Ivory Room, with the rest of the Michigania gang.

The wedding was Sunday afternoon, so Leslie, Michael, and I spent our morning walking around the UW campus area with Harley. We picked up more doughnuts (of course!) and nitro cold brew coffee from Colectivo before strolling over to the UW Memorial Terrace. My brother Lucas met up with us there (he happened to be in town for another wedding the same weekend!) to partake in the doughnuts as our brunch appetizer.

We then drove over to Everly, where we had a delicious-and super trendy-brunch. The matcha latté and summer salad were both gorgeous and delicious. If I lived in Madison, I have a feeling I would end up there a lot-I want everything on the menu!

Finally it was time to get ready for the wedding-which of course involved some sparkling wine! I must say, Leslie and Michael are one of my favorite couples to third-wheel, ha. We took an Uber over to Monona Terrace with Sheila, Cat, and Sam and did our best to stay in the shade until it was time to be seated. A gorgeous view, but boy was it hot-about 90 degrees! After the gorgeous ceremony, we had some drinks and nibbles, and of course our mini photo shoot. Who could pass up these lake views?

The reception was inside and so much fun. As always, I danced the night away, barely taking a break. I may be a terrible dancer, but I like to think that I make everyone comfortable to get on the floor! Caroline and Patrick did a great job of making sure they talked to everybody-and danced with them too!

My flight back wasn't until Monday evening, so I got to walk around Madison some more in the morning, and even meet Erica for lunch! We swung by the food carts then headed back to the UW Terrace to enjoy our food with a view. We even finally managed to get a picture in the chair-an oversized version of the ones all over the Terrace and a classic photo op.

After lunch I wandered some more, got my cheese curd and New Glarus fix at the Tipsy Cow, hit up Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, and eventually made my way to the airport. Of course this was the time my flight was delayed, but I made it home and even to work the next day. A weekend well worth it-congratulations, Caroline and Patrick! It was an honor to share in your special day.

xoxoxo
Emma

Eating Elsewhere: Denver (Part 1)

Boy oh boy does Denver have good food! Tons of breweries apparently also means tons of excellent "new American" as well...prepare to drool and/or plan your next trip.

After Dad's and my late arrival on Friday, Lucas took us directly to an excellent coffee shop and bar, Hudson Hill, conveniently right by his house. I was almost too tired to enjoy it, but their cocktails were absolutely worth staying up for (till what felt like 4am!).

Of course we finished the night with a slice...I never get tired of white pizza!

The next morning we hit up Lucas' go-to spot for visitors, Jelly Cafe, to fuel up for our "nature walk". We had a light appetizer of all their donut bites (OMG the spicy Thai peanut was ridiculous). I followed this with some breakfast sliders and breakfast potatoes, all of which was great. My standard for judging breakfast/brunch spots is the potatoes so I get them nearly every time...that's a good excuse, right?

Thankfully our outdoor adventures allowed us to work up enough of an appetite to enjoy a late lunch at the Post Brewing Co. (closer to Boulder to allow us to meet up with some more family). I think if you eat meat, specifically fried chicken, it might be more exciting...though my chile relleno and Post Dark Bloody were quite tasty, and the biscuits are to die for!

When we eventually made our way back to Denver, we made a pit stop at Little Man Ice Cream. We waited for about half an hour, which is apparently not long on a summer day! It was 100% worth it-I loved both the salted maple pecan and Earl Grey tea & cookies flavors I got, and who doesn't enjoy a freshly baked waffle cone??

After dropping the car off at home and walking around for a while, we finally thought we could consume some more food & drink. We had to hit up the classic tiki bar Adrift-I wish I could've gotten better pictures, as the decor and presentation were on point, but the lighting was not conducive to it at all. I don't think Lucas minded (he doesn't exactly love my obsession with photographing my food and drink) but I gave it my best shot! The exterior shot turned out much better...

We ended up eating dinner finally (very late) at a lovely little Mediterranean restaurant, Gozo, where we obviously started with the burrata. Without fail my one complaint is not allowing it to come to room temperature. It was definitely high quality cheese, and the accompaniments were excellent, but the flavor of the burrata itself comes through so much more when it is not cold.

The brussels sprout salad, however, I had absolutely no complaints about-I was in desperate need of protein and greens so it hit the spot. Dad's risotto was also delicious-I feel totally inspired to incorporate eggplant into mine in the future now.

Stay tuned for Day 2!

xoxoxo
Emma

Eat Local: Metacom Kitchen

Oh my goodness, y'all-you need to try this restaurant.
Dad and I drove down to Metacom Kitchen for dinner a couple weeks ago-have I mentioned how grateful I am he's always up to try a new restaurant? It was totally worth it. Even the bread and butter they served at the start was excellent. Our server, too, was great-she was charming and chatty without being invasive, and knowledgeable about the food and atmosphere.

We started with the burrata for 2-the accoutrements with which it was served just made it even better. My only slight critique there would be to allow the cheese to come to room temperature, which is tricky in a restaurant setting.

They didn't have any vegetarian entrees listed on the menu, but that didn't stop the chef creating a delicious pasta dish for me. I could have put together a satisfying and yummy meal from the small plates, but I was excited to see what they would come up with-and it was definitely the right choice. Black pepper fettucine (made in-house) with mushrooms, peas, pea shoots, and shallots...mmmmmm. Dad's lamb pasta dish hit the spot for him, and we both enjoyed our drinks-an IPA from Woburn, MA for him and a French rose for me.

We don't often get dessert, but I'm so glad we did this time! He couldn't pass up the espresso martini (especially since we had a going-away party to attend after) and the coffee panna cotta lived up to my very high expectations.

Now, just let me know if you need a dinner date! 

xoxoxo

Emma

TACOPOCALYPSE IS HERE

Run for cover!

JK...but I am about to make you pretty upset you missed it. So maybe I should hide?

It had all my favorite things...tacos, rosé, cold brew, doughnuts, good beer, and lots more on a perfectly summery day. It was a good thing Elly had a time constraint, otherwise I could have eaten probably 4x what I should have! Regardless of that, we definitely lived our best lives for the hour we were there.

Fried cauliflower tacos from Compliments Food Co. were a hit with both of us-I definitely plan to recreate these for a Taco Tuesday!

Bon Me didn't disappoint with a tofu taco (and some meat one for Elly, ha)! Of course I had to add some sriracha, but that is no reflection on a lack of flavor-it was delicious.

There was a beer/bar tent set up with a good selection of brews, but I had to try out the wine in a can. It was a tough choice between rosé and sparkling, but I had to go pink here. Also excellent!

Elly and I, being who we are, had to make a stop at both Blackbird Doughnuts and the fun sign on our way out. Cold brew coconut for her, chocolate old-fashioned for me. Always so yummy!

Please, if you know of any taco-themed events-send them my way! I clearly have a slight obsession...

xoxoxo
Emma

Father's Day Festivities

I got to actually spend Father's Day with my dad for the first time in years-we were trying to figure it out, and I'm 99.9% certain it's been since high school! Dad requested that we go down to Newport, RI for the day as he has been wanting to explore it for years and somehow has never made it, ha.

I mean, of course we started the day with Providence Bagel-I had to get the rainbow bagel since they brought it back for Pride, and it was great with honey walnut cream cheese. Dad loved the Federal Hill sandwich, with egg, mozzarella, mushroom, roasted red pepper, and pesto-I definitely need to try it at some point.

It was a pretty dreary day (until we got back to Providence at the end of the day, of course), so we missed out on some views going into Newport (as well as along the coast full of mansions), but we found plenty to do! We started at the Museum of Newport History, which was small but informative!

We then made our way to the Touro Synagogue, the oldest one in the United States. Our guide was so knowledgeable, and I really appreciated that he acknowledged (once asked) the complexity of the affluent families who built and attended it and where their wealth came from-including slavery or profits linked to it.

After walking up to view the cemetery, we decided we needed a brunch break, so we decided on White Horse Tavern, America's oldest tavern (are you sensing a theme?). While the food was quite good-and the cocktail I had was fantastic-Dad and I decided the most accurate word for our dining experience was "confusing". Our server seemed nice enough, but wasn't exactly a good listener-thankfully Dad likes blue cheese far more than I do! I will also give him credit for taking a good photo, ha. We were seated on in the corner next to the server stand despite the room being empty almost the entire time we were dining. I will definitely recommend the cheese board and the Trading Post though!

Fortified by our omelets, we walked down to the water, but there wasn't much to see given all the fog. We decided on one last stop-possibly the one I was most looking forward to-the Redwood Library and Atheneum. It is-you guessed it-the oldest library building in the USA, and absolutely gorgeous. I love that it is still a functioning lending library while maintaining its history. I definitely could have hung out there for a while!

As I mentioned, we drove by the Newport Mansions-they are crazy! I can't imagine not only owning but caring for one of those. However, I wouldn't mind trying...anybody want to introduce me to some of the private owners? ;) We couldn't see much of the ocean but the waves crashing were gorgeous. I didn't even take a photo-I knew I couldn't do them justice. 

All in all, definitely a good day! There's still more to see, so I would certainly make the trip down again-though I'd like a little sunshine this time, please!

xoxoxo

Emma