Holiday Weekend Recap

My oh my, what a weekend! Going back to work today was a real struggle...not least because of staying up a little too late after the fireworks, enjoying the beautiful summer night.

On Friday night, I got to experience a gorgeous space-the Liberty Hotel. I felt a little weird about the whole concept of it being a converted prison, but I will admit it was gorgeous-and the cocktails were delicious. They have several bars and restaurants there, and I would definitely enjoy experiencing some more of them. It's also the kind of place that seems like it would be perfect in the winter for a staycation...making note of that for the future!

On Saturday, Michelle and I finally made it to Five Horses Tavern so she could get her sour beer. I opted for another tasty cocktail to go with my falafel sandwich and jalapeno cheddar mashed potatoes (yeah, some eclectic combinations happening there), while Michelle had a special with her beer-a hot dog with mac&cheese! If I ate meat, you know I would have been all over that...
We attempted to go to Spoke, but didn't feel like waiting, so opted for ice cream at J.P. Licks instead. We're grown-ass ladies and can do what we want! :)

Sunday I made it to yet another new restaurant for dinner, Machu Picchu, after a productive morning of barre, church, and errands. It is an excellent Peruvian establishment-I had never had that cuisine before and definitely enjoyed it. We then meandered over to Brass Union for another beer...I hadn't been since my girls' night before I moved to Boston, and their patio was a lovely place to enjoy the evening!

Monday I was dead tired, so Michelle's and my plan to lay by the pool, drink some wine, and make empanadas was absolutely perfect. I may have swung by Blackbird Doughnuts on my way back from my friend Molly's for some patriotic treats...

And finally, the actual 4th of July! Naturally I went to barre in the morning before another day of eating and drinking. Dad had a flight out of Boston in the evening, so he came in early and we went to lunch at City Tap House, where they were having a BeerBQ competition-both the brews and BBQ were in it. Of course I could only partake in half, but I think it's safe to say Dad enjoyed 100% of it! The salad and tapenade I ordered off the standard menu were excellent as well.

I also had to make a point to embrace the upgrade to a childhood treat-a bomb pop frozen cocktail! A little sweet for my taste (which I think I could have guessed) but oh so fun. It's so nice to have Dad so close by that we can have a (fairly) spontaneous lunch like that-thanks, Dad!

I made plans with some friends to watch the fireworks from a restaurant in Charlestown, Blackmoor, which boasted views from their patio and dining room. I wouldn't say it was the best view, but the food and drinks were good and the service was fantastic-they were so very kind as I changed the reservation 3 times within a few hours! Suffice to say if I ever want to go back, I don't think the reservation can be under my name...whoops. I did make sure to leave a solid tip at least-I hate to be that person! Plus, we didn't have to deal with crowds at all which I definitely appreciated.

All in all, a fantastic long weekend...but thank goodness the upcoming weekend is only 2 days away! Hope you all had as much fun (and maybe more rest) than I did!

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

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

Eating Elsewhere: Washington D.C.

As always, a significant part of my trip revolved around eating and drinking delicious things with my friends.

On Friday night, Hanna, Matt, and I went to Bar Charley (which in my mind I kept calling Charley's-you can take the girl out of Ann Arbor, but you can't take the Ann Arbor out of the girl!) for fancy drinks and small plates. The cheese board and brussels sprouts were amazing-but unless you're obsessed with olives, don't order them too! They do in fact come with the cheese board-a fact we were not clear on when ordering, ha.

Hannah and I went to breakfast on Saturday at The Diner...delicious food, not so delicious service. This can certainly be attributed in part to some extremely pushy customers-we debated enacting the karma ourselves but decided the universe could take care of it. I've definitely been missing Southern food and the biscuit it came with hit the spot.

After seeing the cherry blossoms-and every tourist in D.C.-we were in serious need of refreshment. The boozy milkshakes at Ted's Bulletin were simply perfection. I want to try every flavor! And the soft pretzels with pub cheese were an excellent accompaniment.

Sunday's brunch at the Fainting Goat definitely blew Saturday's out of the water for both food and service, though maybe that's the unlimited Bloody Marys talking. Hannah described it as an Emma-type place, meaning artful presentation, attractive decor, and a nice selection of brunch cocktails. It might not have been the most appealing to Max, her boyfriend, but he was very accommodating. I loved the goat cheese skillet dip and avocado toast (basic bitch alert!), and definitely appreciated the bartender allowing us to retain our seats at the bar-and continuing to supply our Bloody Mary and mimosa refills-past the two hour limit.

We did have to get some coffee after that-and a peanut butter chocolate cookie for brunch dessert-at the Wydown.

D.C. is also home to some great chains-Cava please come to Boston ASAP! I loved getting to go to Le Pain Quotidien again (and with great company in Jen, a friend from a cappella in Ann Arbor). In conclusion-I need to return immediately!

xoxoxo
Emma

Snow Daze

These snow days-resulting in a 4 day weekend-couldn't have come at a better time. I've noticed myself feeling more tired and frustrated (it's concentrated at work, but spilling over everywhere honestly), so was just saying on Tuesday that I really needed to take a day off. I'm not 100% sure of what is causing this, though I've got some ideas of contributing factors. I can't change all of them-I have to keep reminding myself that I can't make people see things my way, and sometimes trying to will just make things worse-but there are some that I'm working on.

The commute is taking its toll, so I'm apartment hunting. I've been missing my friends-it's hard to make new ones when you work till 8pm and commute almost 2 hours each way-so I'm trying to book a trip each month to visit them in their various cities, and encouraging them to come out this way as well. I'm definitely holding stress in my body, so I'm sticking to my Bar Method routine as much as possible and adding in yoga and running where I can. I'm celebrating as many things as I possibly can. I find solace and relief in cooking and baking, so I'm trying out new recipes on myself, my dad, and my coworkers. I might also be doing a little too much shopping...but if that's my worst vice right now I'm not going to beat myself up over it. At least I'm definitely getting some good deals!

when even your sticky socks are trying to pep you up...not pictured: the pom-poms on the back!

Wow, that got more serious than I'd been intending. But you know what? I'm going to leave it. I personally love to read blogs that are real, and not just all sweetness and light...though I think it's time for some of that!

The first snow day I did not leave the house other than to walk Binker-she was loving the snow! I had stocked up on Girl Scout cookies on the way home from work Wednesday in preparation, and may have opened up both boxes...and only changed from pajamas to other pajamas. I got a lot of little tasks done, but definitely still count it as a perfect lazy day.

The second snow day resulted in a trip to PVDonuts...despite our kind neighbor snow-blowing the sidewalk and much of the drive, doing the rest + walking Binker in the snow = feeling like I earned it! This was the first time I was able to walk right in and was able to order after waiting for just one person-though since I'm only one person and these are best when they're fresh, I only got two flavors: churro Nutella and Providence cream (their take on the Boston cream, made with coffee milk cream filling). Holy moly are they delicious. Every month I think I have a new favorite!

Triss and Binker are also pretty happy about our long ladies' weekend...lots of snuggles and play time!

Hope everyone has had a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend!

xoxoxo
Emma