Chobani Chow Time!

I’m back from the 2012 Healthy Living Summit in Boston! And so concludes my four weekends in a row away from home (though I’m going back to Boston this weekend on a day trip…I can’t seem to sit still). I will be posting about HLS itself soon, but firstly I wanted to recap my favorite part of the weekend: a tasting dinner I was invited to by my favorite Greek yogurt producer, Chobani! It was heartwarming to hear all my blends at HLS saying how excited they were to see me attend the dinner, and read about it afterwards, because they knew and event like this was just so ME. We may have just met in person, but my blends know Cait Plus Ate!

The dinner was held at EVOO, a classy and creative American restaurant in the same Cambridge neighborhood as our hotel. My invite promised a custom dinner complete with Chobani incorporated somehow into each course, made by their Chef Peter McCarthy.

Other bloggers, members of the Chobani community team, and I dined in a private room set up with two tables like the one above. I was pretty hungry upon my arrival, but luckily some of my favorite apps were already out for noshing.

Crusty bread and wonderful CHEESES.

Candied nuts and pickled veggies, including the good old standby, PICKLES.

I ordered a glass of red wine to pair with my cheeses of COURSE, and one of my seatmates, the beautiful Brittany (I’ll forgive her for being a Gator), got a glass of a tasty Muscat (you can read her recap of the event here...her pics put mine to shame!)

I adore her new short haircut! She’s from the same town my grandma lives in and I travel there each December, so we’re hanging out this year for sure.

My first app plate, and I noshed on more cheese and bread between courses! Red wine brings out my cheese cravings!

I was seated at a table with some pretty awesome ladies, including Rachel Wilkerson, who I  have always wanted to meet! I love her snappy style of writing and she is the definition of #sorrynotsorry to me (it’s even on her header). I was also happy to have more time to talk to Lauren, whose blog I’ve been reading for a couple years now, since I’d only briefly met her the day before.

Lauren and I – I have the pencil skirt version of her H&M dress!

Theodora made frequent visits to our table, and Ashley was kind enough to share her seat!

My other seatmate, Meghann, was kind enough to let me try a sip of her Jalepeno Margarita. Mmm! I hope she doesn’t hate me after using this photo!

Ashley, Courtney, and Lauren!

I had been a bit worried that Chobani with every course would be TOO much Greek yogurt for one meal, but the printed menus placed at each setting were immediately reassuring to me. I could see that the only thing I might get too much of during this meal would be delicious, local cuisine!

We were welcomed to the dinner by members of the Chobani community team, and were shown the cute “icebreaker cards” placed on the tables – not that we chatty bloggers needed them!

I still enjoyed checking out the questions Chobani had come up with. If you could be any flavor of Chobani, what would it be?

Meghann ponders the answer to this pressing question…

I had to restrain myself from filling up on bread and cheese, but it was worth it once I saw the first course – heirloom tomatoes, yogurt gelee, spearmint, basil, EVOO, and coarse salt.

The yogurt gelee was so beyond interesting! It reminded me of the Greek yogurt version of Jello – a really fun texture. The olive oil was so perfect with the tomatoes and basil. OMG, that basil! So freaking delicious – fresh from Eva’s Garden in South Dartmouth, MA. And the tomatoes were grown in CT – represent! I appreciate the effort put into listing out the source of each ingredient on the menu. Also enjoyed having some veg power incorporated into the meal!

What a beautiful dish! The second course certainly boasted the best presentation of any of the others. Pictured above is the lobster-vanilla yogurt succotash. May sound strange, but the subtle touch of vanilla was simply perfect and tasted so very natural. Nothing like an artificially flavored vanilla dessert, but REAL vanilla from the bean. It paired perfectly with the sweet local corn from Kimball Farm in Westford, MA. They also provided the zuchinni, which was so fun to eat thanks to the fact that it was spiralized! I was inspired to have a little more fun with my lobster friend.

At least any lipstick I left on him wouldn’t show up (if I wore lipstick).

Oh yeah…the lobster! How have I not commented on it yet? Well the meat was fresh and plump. Captain Marden certainly knows how to catch a good sea crustacean.

Before this dinner, I told anyone who would listen that what I was REALLY hoping for was an entree that would incorporate some kind of Greek-style cucumber yogurt sauce, perhaps over some salmon. What I received was even better – the third course consisted of seared yogurt and spice sous vide lamb loin with crisp eggplant and raita.

By then I’d ordered a second glass of wine, a boozy (in a tasty way) 2009 Zinfandel by Edmeades in Mendocino County, CA.

Most assuredly my favorite course of the event. Though the lamb was not as medium rare as the wonderful version I had recently at Millwright’s, the middle was still a nice pinkish-red hue. The sauce was so very amazing and everything I’d hoped for, but I’m pretty sure I most enjoyed the fried eggplant, coated in a grease-less breading that didn’t overpower the veggie’s taste.

While waiting on dessert, we learned more from Chobani about the company’s appreciation for the networks of bloggers (pat on the back) that they’ve built since starting just five years ago. Can you believe that in that short period of time, they ended up getting as far as sponsorship of the OLYMPICS?! In fact, Chobani only started incorporating traditional marketing methods (commercials, magazine ads) into their advertising plan a year ago. It’s not often that you come across a business that utilizes new media marketing to that great of an extent for that long.

At this point I was pretty full (I wasn’t even able to finish the second or third courses…too much cheese! :-P) but I of course found room to polish off about half of the dessert, a nectarine-basil crisp with frozen berry yogurt (the chef used Chobani Strawberry). The crispy topping was sooo warm; I love trying desserts with contrasting temperature components because they only make the experience of eating them that much more of a tastebud party (cheeseball). The frozen yogurt melted into the crisp and the warm nectarines beneath it until I didn’t know which ingredient began where, but that didn’t really matter. What mattered was that I stopped when I was just the right amount of satisfied, proved to myself that I can still attend these kinds of events and stay in control, and ENJOYED myself.

So fantastic to meet and hang out with Heather. She is so fun and I could listen to her NOLA accent all the live long day.

I’m so glad Chef Peter McCarthy had a chance to come into the dining room so we all could thank him for a job well done and compliment his cooking skills! He said the restaurant already uses yogurt in some of its dishes, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to include it in each course, but that some concepts had still been new to him. I couldn’t tell at all!

We mixed and mingled for a bit longer, then caught cabs back to the hotel. After all, it was 10PM, AKA my bed time.

Jazz hands, Theodora! Jazz hands!

Thank you to Chobani for getting us together for this event, and thanks to Chef McCarthy and the rest of the EVOO staff for a fantastic meal!

What’s your fave way to eat Greek yogurt (if you do)?

Which dish would you have most liked to try?

Have you ever used Greek yogurt in a unique way? Tell me about it!

Barcelona Patio Party!

This post has been a long time coming!!! You may remember the BBQ & Vino Party I recapped earlier in the summer, which took place at one of my favorite CT restaurants, Barcelona Wine Bar. The restaurant group owns establishments in several locations, including West Hartford (also home to its latest venture, bartaco). I love the fact that at all locations, monthly events take place about the appreciation and creation of creative, local tapas.

On July 30, Barcelona West Hartford hosted a Patio Party all about summer fare. Chef Jason Welch, who prepared that fantastic pig roast dinner I wrote about last month, once again outdid himself and provided a group of CT locals with a generously priced (only $25!) tasting menu, and performed cooking demos for each course.

Quite the selection for just $25, right?! And all of my favorite things! Veggies…seafood…steak…feta…

Jason welcomes his guests.

I didn’t know much about Jason’s work experience even after the BBQ & Vino event, so I was glad he kicked off the proceedings with more about himself and his backstory as a chef. He grew up nearby in Farmington, CT and later, even spent time cooking at a legendary NYC restaurant, Gotham.

RIP that dress, it got ruined in the wash after this event 🙁

In the above photo I’m holding the first course, a watermelon martini (watermelon puree, Hangar lime vodka, lime juice) and watermelon & cucumber salad (watermelon, cukes, feta, mint, Pedro Ximenz Sherry Vinegar).  The martini was okay, but I am just so picky with how sweet my drinks are…AKA I like them best as old man drinks; I was disappointed that I couldn’t taste more of the cayenne pepper dash that was thrown in there. However I have plenty of girlfriends that would’ve gone mad for that martini. I more so enjoyed the watermelon cucumber salad. Watermelon and cucumber with feta has been done before, but I’ve never tasted a version with the sherry vinegar (which can be found at Whole Foods). The perfect unique touch to a summer favorite.

Jason took the time throughout the Patio Party to make sure every guest got a good view during each demo. He brought around the above bowl of the marinade for the striped bass ceviche, which contained peppers, red onion, cilanto, and citrus (those last two are always my favorite parts of ceviche). The bass itself was purchased from a local farmer’s market that very morning!

Meg…try not to freak out.

While not the best ceviche I’ve ever had, because I prefer mine a bit chunkier and with a “medley” of seafood, I still adored Jason’s version. The marinade in particular was fantastic. To go with our food, Jeff (are you really that surprised that he went to this event with me?) and I took the suggestions of our great waiter Derek and ordered two different sweeter white wines to share – a German Riesling (2010 Riesling, Max Ferd. Richter, Zeppelin) and a French Vouvray (2010 Chenin Blanc, Bourillon Dorléans). Both were wonderful, but I adored the Vouvray because of its less sweet flavor profile. So refreshing on a summer night and perfect as a seafood pairing.

Cheers!

White wine and ceviche (remains), ain’t nothin’ better in the summertime 🙂

The next course was dynamite – don’t be fooled by its veggie description. The roasted sweet corn & fennel was tossed with Manchego cheese, as well as a heavenly, out-of-this-world cilantro-lime BUTTER! Now I normally eat my corn plain, right off the cob. But I also can’t deny that when it’s coated in fancy cheese and shmancy butter, it’s pretty damn delightful.

The “red stuff” is an essential in Spanish cooking, similar to paprika, called pimenton.

Jason continued to give us a small demo for each course, while the plates for us were made back in the kitchen. He also passed around a list for us to write down our emails so we could get the recipes later.

As I mentioned in my Millwright’s review, I adore swordfish, and the next course met my excited expectations! It was topped with a fennel-orange vinaigrette (I love how much Jason incorporated fennel into the menu, since its local supply was so fresh and bountiful at that time). I have paired pineapple and mango salsas with swordfish before, but never orange! A new fruit/fish combo for me that I really enjoyed.

Jeff took this photo for me while I was in the bathroom!

To go with our next course, we ordered some fantastic red wines that all tasted, I must admit, delightfully boozy 😉 Jeff went with a recommendation I’d gotten from my a friend who bartends at Barcelona, Anna. He agreed that the Cesca Vicent was a) wonderful and b) very me. Both true! Evan and I each got a glass of Malbec.

Around this time things started getting a little more silly 😛

Oh hey!

Everyone must do this on his or her way to the bathroom.

Had to pass the time while waiting for the last course…

You think this is weird?

…well yeah, it just got weirder. FACE JUGGLER #creepy

…which consisted of skirt steak, garlic spinach, sweet potato fries, and chimichurri sauce.

Holy crap! The meat was not as underdone as I usually like (I like it moo-ing) but that’s fine because the sweet potato fries were INCREDIBLE. Often thick sweet potato fries are too limp but Jason’s recipe? So fantastic – thick fries that still had a body to them. The spinach tasted so fresh…I just know that it was local. I love when no telling is needed to have confidence in where a food came from. Plenty of garlic on that spinach for my tastebuds too. They can never get enough!

One of my favorite outdoor patios ever. I feel like I take this same photo at the end of every Barcelona event.

The crowd was even surprised with dessert! It wasn’t listed on the menu, but I was pleasantly surprised to get another chance to indulge in Barcelona’s homemade churros with chocolate sauce. To go with them, Jeff and I ordered one of our new favorite wines – sherry. Just like port, I love me some old-man style sherry.

Just looking at that photo makes me crave a dessert and dessert wine combo while I’m in MA this weekend for the Healthy Living Summit…yup that’s right more recaps are coming your way next week! I am making the most of my summer and that is OK! And amazing 🙂

My bartender friend Anna and I – she is a West Hartford expert!

So thank you Chef Jason, Derek, Anna, and the rest of Barcelona’s talented staff (including Exec Chef Adam Greenberg) for hosting an affordable evening to remember of local summery foods, delicious drinks, and silly photos on your beautiful patio!

Barcelona West Hartford is closed in August for renovations,  but check out bartaco in the mean time!

Which of these dishes would you want to try most?

What’s your favorite part of summer nights?

Am I the only fan of sherry out there?!

My Very Own BlogHer Food ’12

Finally we have come to my last recap of my 8/2-8/5 weekend in NYC for BlogHer ’12. I saved the best for last (obviously…would you expect anything less from me?) and you can catch up below:

You know me. I’m all about the restaurants. I like to experience new places through food (among other fun activities, but eating/drinking tend to take priority :-D). So how could I go to NYC and not try as many restaurants as humanly possible?! Folks, prepare to get hungry. I may not have been able to make it to BlogHer Food this year, but I turned BlogHer ’12 into my own BlogHer Food.

Josie’s East:

I had my first ever blogger meetup (with Katie and Danielle) at the Westside location of Josie’s, which was recommended to me via Twitter back in the fall by Web Girl Kathleen of the Elvis Duran Show. After falling in love, I knew I had to go back to try more fresh, healthy food and drink from their menu.

Enjoyed a glass of pinot grigio throughout the meal (quite a generous pour), and a couple pieces of bread (including cornbread) with homemade HUMMUS!

My long-time friend (we go back to middle school…and dates to homecoming freshman year of high school) Hong met me at Josie’s Eastside location for dinner in between working his crazy banker’s hours. It was wonderful to see him again!

Grilled Gulf Yellowfin tuna with wok sauteed julienne veggies, baby bok choy, shitake mushrooms, and a miso-wasabi sauce. Also had unpictured side of pinto beans.

Hong got a salad with the same tuna and we both appreciated the way the chef had gotten the outside to be crispy and the inside to be that lovely shade of rare-red. I ended up being too full to finish my side of Josie’s pinto beans, which I ordered last time and adored, but I of course cleaned my plate of all seafood and veggies.

So Hong clearly hates me, but what are ya gonna do?

Newbie Breakfast & Fika:

I was concerned that Friday morning’s BlogHer Newbie Breakfast would be a donut-and-muffin fest. While there were no egg whites or turkey bacon present (breakfast items I enjoy both because they make me feel good and energized, and because they don’t have too much of that darn guilt associated with them), I was still able to put together a nice plate for myself…once said plates were finally replenished (chunks of time passed during which several essentials, like plates and fruit, ran out).

Photo taken while awaiting my plate 😛

Eggs, fruit, mini croissant, and potatoes. I’ll admit the croissant had me anxious but I finished almost all of it, and cleared out everything else!

Since I’m a coffee snob and former cafe manager (and currently am cafe obsessed), I of course turned my nose up at the Hilton‘s provided coffee and took a quick walk from the hotel to a spot recommended to me by New York blogger Meg of Harmonious Belly during a brunch we met at last fall. Coincidentally, Hong had also mentioned it at dinner the night before and called the cafe, Fika, a “very Caitlin” place. Sold, and such a short distance from the hotel too!

I went with my usual black coffee and wasn’t disappointed; each sip was savored during my sessions that morning. I do wish the staff had been more friendly and appreciative of my enthusiasm over visiting their shop, but hey, it’s New York on a Friday morning. Most of the patrons were regulars and seemed to just wanna get to work and get the day over with.

The small space allocated to most NYC cafes served Fika’s atmosphere well.

I like that they drink stoppers. Never seen anyone else aside from Starbucks have those. Interesting that theirs are green too.

FreeFoods NYC:

The line for Friday’s conference lunch and keynote with Martha Stewart was ridonkulous, and I was starving. Wait in line with a rumbling tummy for most likely only-OK conference food? It didn’t take me too long to decide to take matters into my own hands. With Yelp‘s help, I found FreeFoods NYC, a nearby mostly-take-out spot with a Whole Foods-like salad bar of epic, creative proportions.

This is what $18 looks like.

Deciding between any of the pay-by-the-weight bar’s options was NOT happening, so I picked up a little bit of it all. My favorite was a small slice of raw/vegan pizza on a spelt crust. I felt very New York as I sat in the cafe eating my salad and working on my summer school paper on my laptop.

Agave NYC:

I’d already mentioned that after our Well and Good Physique 57 event, we had margaritas and Southwestern fare at Agave NYC in the Village.

We were starvin’ Marvins after that workout and Sabrina had the fab idea to order two of these bad boys for the table. GUAC ME.

Watching blogger reactions to food being served never gets old. Despite what Cat appears to think.

I had my usual indecision anxiety over this margarita menu…

How to solve such a problem? Order two drinks. 

Agave Nectar (tequila, fresh lime juice, agave) on the rocks, extra salt. My all-time favorite kind of marg.

I honestly can’t decide which was my favorite. Both were very Caitlin AKA not at all sweet.

Cucumber Uno! margarita made with cuke, basil, fresh lime. Oops, sucked down half of it before I remembered to take a pic.

I’m not vegan, but damn do I love vegan food, and that love seems to grow with each vegan dish I put into my body. Again, a fantastic menu of many choices had me indecisive, but I ended up selecting the vegan tacos (tempeh with both wild & tame mushrooms) served with black beans, pico, and plenty more guac.

I polished off everything. The tempeh’s texture was amazing and I love the restaurant’s choice to use corn tortillas. Excellent black beans (made even more excellent when I dipped the leftover blue corn chips into them) and I welcomed the fresh pico and guac.

Hello, plate as big as my head.

Of course there had to be an eyebrow-raising photo taken.

What a meal. I’d go back to Agave again in a heartbeat. Too many dishes I haven’t had yet. And my two margaritas had me feeling fine enough to not go into a TOTAL and COMPLETE panic when my phone died before I could even get to the subway station after leaving dinner. #fail

Zibetto Espresso Bar & Conference Lunching:

I used my Yelp app to scout out another cafe just a couple of blocks from the hotel for Saturday morning’s caffeination. Natasha confirmed for me that my choice, Zibetto Espresso Bar, wouldn’t disappoint. I walked in and felt I was truly in Europe! The barista wore a bow tie and the shop was laid out as a long rectangle with standing room only for those who wanted to stay and sip espresso out of tiny mugs on saucers. Zibetto is certainly not a cozy study cafe, but it is one that will transport its patrons farther than they ever thought they’d go when they left their homes on a given day, that’s for sure.

The menu’s and cup’s simplicity really fit well.

No coffee to be found here…just espresso. The barista was jovial and glad to help me decide on a simple Americano. No dairy or sweetener needed! I enjoyed the espresso’s pure taste and wish it’d lasted longer. Another NYC cafe win!

Wish I’d ordered a bigger size!

Thankfully Saturday’s lunch line at the conference was practically non-existent. I’m not sure what made the difference…were more stations set up? Were there just more Friday-only attendees? I was actually quite impressed by the food offerings, and also thought it was pretty funny that almost every tray of watermelon & feta salad set out was almost completely depleted of watermelon, but had plenty of feta cubes remaining.

Clockwise from top left: BBQ chicken sandwich, watermelon/feta salad, wheatberry salad, curried seafood sandwich, fruit tarts.

I didn’t finish all my sandwich buns (they were just blah to me – sandwiches always are made with too much bread at these kinds of events!) but gobbled up everything else. Man I loved those fruit tarts! So fancy shmancy!

Super psyched! These tarts were so yummy!

Plunge at Hotel Gansevoort, The Standard Plaza, and 5 Ninth:

My most fun foodie experience of the trip spread itself across three spots in the Meatpacking District on Saturday evening. Hong and I love feeling like classy New Yorkers, so we met up at a special destination he’d suggested, the Plunge Rooftop Bar & Lounge at the Hotel Gansevoort. During my commute there, I found out via tweets that Kim Kardashian lived at that hotel with Kris Humphries on “Kourtney and Kim Take New York”. YES, that got me excited. #sorrynotsorry

View from our hightop.

We miraculously found an open hightop table with a gorgeous view immediately after grabbing drinks at the bar – #jadorelavie, my friends!

Bliss.

See that drink? That’s a Manhattan. It cost $18. When in Rome, my friends. Or when in Meatpacking?

Whaaat?!

What a beauty. Oh, the view is OK too.

How could I not drink at least one Manhattan while in Manhattan?! How could I not drink it while on a rooftop bar being sooo New York?! Yes I’m aware that I’m a tourist. I’m as far from authentic Carrie Bradshaw as it gets. But at least the bartender was heavy-handed with the bourbon in my expensive drink. I probably only finished about…$15 of it though? It was so strong that I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy a cocktail at our next location if I’d sucked down all $18-worth 😛

Which is prettier Meg, the view or what’s on my plate?

I decided to be a responsible foodie/drinkie and order an app to go with my alcohol. Plunge had some really cool and unique items on its menu! I obviously went with the funkiest dish I saw – the BBQ eel sushi. This was my first time having eel. Jeff has raved about it for awhile now and I’m glad I finally got the opportunity to try it. I will be ordering it again!

See the avocaaaado?

We walked around to check out our many, many dinner options and decided on The Standard Plaza, which met all the Caitlin Criteria (interesting drinks, unique dishes I’ve never tried before, outdoor seating…you know the drill…I am so high maintenance). The menu consisted of small tapas-style plates, many of which contain seafood! The decor was also quite beautiful.

For drinks we got the Rose Sangria (Hong) and the Cava Fresca (me). Mine was vodka muddled with berries and mint, topped with cava. Loved that ever-so-slight fizz.

Oops Hong, way to order the girlier drink 😉

This is the only way I can get Hong to look like he enjoys being in photos/likes being near me…feed him drinks.

SELFIE STATUS!

Unfortunately by the time our food came it was way too dark to take any photos that wouldn’t be a) impossible to make out or b) ugly due to flash. So I opted to go camera-less for the meal itself, and that was actually quite enjoyable.

We ordered three tapas, then realized that four would be way better. The online menu doesn’t have them all but does include these two that we ordered, both of which were fantastic seafood sensations:

  • Pez Espada – grilled swordfish, summer squash, peas, castel vetrano olivada
  • Gambas – grilled sweet shrimp, chorizo, zucchini, meyer lemon

My usual dessert craving – a delectable sweet something paired with a not-sparkling dessert wine – struck hardcore. We decided to search for a third restaurant for course three, because like I said at the beginning of this post, when in NYC I wanted to experience as much as possible.

Awkwardly posed in a beautiful indoor/outdoor patio. I felt like I was in a Shakespearean play!

After sitting down at one restaurant and immediately getting right back up and leaving once I saw they no longer had any port or sherry (poor, baffled waiter…and Hong), we found a whimsical spot called Five 9th and continued the trend of dining al fresco. Hong and I narrowed down our choice to one of my favorite cakes…coconut! And I got my tawny port. Maybe I’m a grandpa, not a grandma, after all 🙂

THIS IS HAPPENING.

The cake itself was a bit dry but the heavenly icing made up for that. I think  Hong let me eat more than my share of this and for that I am grateful 😉 I’m so glad I got to spend a second evening with him absorbing and experiencing the magic and energy of NYC!

I’m sure now you can definitely see why I was so proud of myself for handling the weekend well. I surely went outside of my comfort zone with drinks and eats, but I also know that I missed out on nothing. I’m someone who enjoys the experience of a meal, and exploring a foodie city in that manner was completely appropriate, despite what my pesky brain was trying to tell me. I can look back at all these photos and the fun I had and feel grateful and fulfilled. I can excitedly share all of this with you and not let the guilty voice be triggered into action by doing so. I think that a major factor in helping me to lose myself in all these moments and take risks was the inspiration I felt being around all the bloggers that were teaching me or have more to teach me about myself and what I am capable of. Not only did BlogHer inspire me to be a better blogger, but it inspired me to appreciate all I have accomplished and allow myself to feel my passions – even if that passion is for dessert wine and coconut cake.

Have you ever been to NYC and if so, what is the best dining experience you’ve ever had there?

Have you ever eaten meals at a conference of any kind? How were they?

What is the most you have ever paid for a cocktail? Was it worth it?

Millwright’s: At Your Service

I adore farm-to-table style cuisine, and was so very excited to hear that a new restaurant, Millwright’s, was opening in the same Connecticut town as my workplace. After I discovered the identity of the chef opening the establishment, I knew I had to try it out ASAP! Chef Tyler Anderson was a winner on Food Network’s “Chopped”, and I sampled his creative PB&J bites at the Taste of the Nation: New Haven. He cooked at the Copper Beech Inn restaurant Brasserie Pip, a spot too far from me to have allowed time for a visit yet (it’s on my ever-growing list of places to hit), but a glance at that menu and my too-brief experience in New Haven told me I was sure to be impressed by the creativity Tyler was bound to bring to the Millwright’s menu. He and the rest of the courteous staff were kind enough to host my friend Chris and I for a well-rounded tasting of that menu’s offerings – and more. 

Millwright’s is housed in Simsbury, CT’s Hop Brook Mill. Upon my arrival I spent a little bit of time “searching” the grounds for the old mill’s waterfall, but didn’t have any luck seeing it (I certainly could hear it!)

Where for art thou, waterfall?

Good thing I had no problem seeing the waterfall from my perfectly-located table. Chris and I also had another dining buddy – a beautiful heron that had been, according to our waitresses, hanging out by the waterfall all day!

Can you see him?

Breathtaking.

Millwright’s could easily coast along on its beautiful outdoor views, but that would be too easy. The rustic, charming interior matches the restaurant’s woodsy surroundings and barn-red exterior perfectly! I felt right at home the moment I walked through the door and saw the shelf stocked with mason jars of “preserves” and old cookbooks next to the hostess stand.

The dim lighting at the entrance builds the perfect amount of suspense, then brightens into a dining room filled with natural light coming from the floor-to-ceiling windows you see on the left in the photo below.

All open bottles that need to stay chilled are kept on this beautifully decorated table, which serves as a convenient central location for the servers.

Our table for two. I was so pleased to see it already set up the way I prefer to dine with just one other person – side by side instead of across from each other. Optimal for sharing sips and bites!

Chris and I were given cocktail/beer menus and the wine list, which is housed in a binder. Don’t be too intimidated though…not only does the menu contain notes from the sommelier and maitre d’  Brent Bushong, but wines by the glass are also conveniently arranged on one page and wines by the bottle are grouped by taste, not by region or type (something I always prefer, because patrons are going to TASTE the wine, yes?) The cocktails caught my eye immediately – I am a cocktail connoisseur (self-declared, so you just have my word to take on that one) and those with simple yet unique ingredient lists are the very types that Chris, the head bartender, is creating at Millwright’s daily.

Chris (my dining partner, not bartender…this could get confusing!) and I decided to let Chef Tyler and his maître d’, Brent, take the reins for the evening. Between the two of them, Chris and I were served a fantastic assortment of dishes with drink pairings. Before we received anything, we got the below assortment of glasses, an occurrence which clearly both excited and astounded me.

Flute…wine glass…BUBBLE glass?!

First up…no courses. Now we still got food, but these THREE dishes were palate cleansers, all paired with a French Pommerey Blanc de Blancs Champagne.

I’m not usually much for champagne, but both Chris and I enjoyed how mild this glass was in terms of fizziness. Also, we appreciated the fact that it wasn’t too sweet at all. The flavor complemented each palate cleanser, as opposed to taking away from it.

This probably goes without saying for anyone who just looked at the above photo, but the tomato gazpacho shooter with crème fraiche was made differently from any other gazpacho I’ve had thanks to the addition of a blackberry (meant to be flicked into the glass before “shooting”) and a flower!

Ready to flick it in!

An outstanding flavor combo! I never would have expected fruit (or a flower…) to go with gazpacho!

Chris post-gazpacho-shot.

Next up Chris and I classily cleansed our palates with two New England oysters from East Beach in MA (Millwright’s goes as local as possible on all ingredients) and rhubarb mignonette.

I am not the biggest oyster fan – for some reason, every shooter I’ve EVER tried tastes like all salty shell to me! However, I could tell from my oyster’s taste that it was of high quality; my best descriptive word I can come up with is “pure”. Definitely fresh, definitely local.

Not your normal shooter.

How wonderful is the presentation with the granite slab?!

The third and last palate cleanser was my favorite. Best for last…third time’s the charm…which cliché should I insert here? Doesn’t really matter, because I think a description of the dish will do it justice: foie gras torchon on Boston brown bread, paired with a stone fruit jam.

Again with the amazing presentation! I wish I’d had more “bites” of the foie gras and brown bread, and it was painful to eat both in one mouthful, but I had to do so because I knew they were meant to be paired! I also dipped the combo into the jam – so heavenly. I’m a sucker for any app involving a pate and fruity jam.

Time for course one! Fluke tartare with buttermilk, pickled blueberries, puffed wild rice, and shiso. Brent asked us to guess what the fruit was on this dish and I am bummed that I never gave him my  guess, because I totally suspected blueberries! Not sure if he would believe me now.

By this time, the sun had almost set and the waterfall outside the window had been illuminated.

The fluke was paired appropriately, though unexpectedly, with a chilled Japanese sake called Junmai Genshu. I am a huge advocate of sake drinking (though not as much when it is room temperature or warm) and can definitely see myself seeking out a bottle of this stuff and keeping it in the fridge at home to pair with an appropriate dinner. If you ever see that sake on the menu at any restaurant, I highly recommend ordering a glass – or you could just go to Millwright’s, since you know it’s there!

The cocktail pairing is in the shooter glass in the upper right.

I swear when the second course (pictured above) came out, I let out a “squeal” of delight. Ask Chris…he’d probably agree that that’s what I sounded like. All day leading up to my visit I had been hoping I’d be served a cut of fantastic fish, but also knew I wanted Millwright’s to choose the best of their best for my tasting, so I held back on asking for a grilled seafood dish. Brent and Tyler read my mind! The above pictured grilled swordfish melted in my mouth and the white bean puree to its left tasted like hummus on steroids. The cubanelle peppers and green olives on the puree were the perfect complements, and I crafted as many “complete” bites (with everything ingredient) as possible because all the flavors just tasted as if they were born to be experienced together.

Chris sandwich!

Thankfully Chris and I got to try one of bartender Chris’s amazing cocktails…and get a photo with the mixologist himself. His take on the Hemingway (white rum, cherry, and citrus) had me doubtful at first because I wondered if it’d taste too sweet…I shouldn’t have doubted him for a second and don’t think I ever will again! I enjoyed sipping on the classic beverage’s frothy top as well as the way the rum’s flavor still shone through, but was cut down the perfect amount by the cherry, whose sweetness was balanced nicely by the citrus. Sounds complicated, but with just a few simple ingredients combined using the ideal ratios, Chris created a cocktail that tasted timeless. I’m so very excited to order another when I go visit the Millwright’s Tavern in the building’s bottom floor (after it opens Monday, 9/4!)

Course three and me 😉

I’d never heard of or tasted a dish like course three’s before…that is what I love about innovative, creative eateries like Millwright’s! The white wine in my glass above is a French Domaine Desvignes Chablis, a wonderful Chardonnay possessing the perfect level of dryness to balance the moist veal sweetbreads with zucchini-three-ways, absinthe froth, almonds, and mint (pictured below).

I pulled a faux paus and thought the almonds were peanuts – oops! Either way, I appreciated the creativity it took for Chef Tyler to add nuts to a veal dish. I’m also a HUGE zucchini fan, so the not one, not two, but THREE ways it was displayed (and tasted) certainly played up to the veggie lover in me. I can’t really describe the taste of the foam in a way that would do it justice, but suffice to say that taste as well as the texture played up next to the flavorful veal very nicely. Oh man…the veal. It melted in my mouth, it really did! It’s rich flavor reminded me of one of my favorite meats ever, duck.

Chris isn’t quite sure what to make of his “bubble glass”.

Our table’s third and final shape of wine glass was filled next with Vina Alarba Garnacha (one of my favorite red grapes) from Calatayud, Spain. I’m jokingly calling the shape a “bubble”…in reality, the large wine glass used to house our fourth course’s wine is of the Burgundy/Grand Cru/Pinot/Nebbiolo variety and is shaped in that way to give the “big, closed red wine…maximum exposure to air”. The website linked in the previous sentence also admits that the glasses are that big to give a “note of drama”…at least they’re being honest!

Course number four!

Would you believe me if I said the above pictured medium-rare lamb loin with roast eggplant yogurt, confit tomatoes, and grilled fennel was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten? No? Well then you must not know me very well, because I love meat that’s practically bleeding. I love anything Mediterannean-tasting, like yogurt sauce and eggplant. I love juicy, local tomatoes. And I love fennel. So really, Chef Tyler put together a dish that was the perfect storm of Caitlin, and created a total J’adore La Vie moment for me.

Fellow foodie and ideal dining partner, Chris!

Chris and I had just one request for Brent and Tyler – dessert. Consider it done. Not only did dessert, a honey semifredo chocolate sorbet with chantilly cream and toasted almonds, blow us away, but it was paired with one of my most favorite alcoholic libations ever…DESSERT WINE (the non-sparkling kind).

The Equifera Vidal Icewine from Niagara, NY was another beverage I’m so glad Brent picked out for us, because I can see myself buying it and keeping it on hand at home to have after dinner. The perfect almost-syrup consistency that went well with every single component of the dessert, including that HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOW perched at the top.

Bread after dessert #sorrynotsorry

I like to experience the bread of every restaurant I visit. We were not brought any in the beginning of the meal, so once we finished dessert, I (hesitantly) asked one of our waitresses to bring out a couple of rolls with butter for Chris and I to sample. To me, bread says a lot about a restaurant because it can cover a wide spectrum, from the very worst (stale, served with cold/hard-as-rock butter, falls apart when you try to spread that butter on that staleness) to some of the best I’ve ever had (like the wheat sourdough with soft pastrami butter at J. Gilbert’s). I’m pleased to report that Millwright’s is in that best-end of the spectrum! I was quite psyched when our waitress didn’t call it bread…she called it “biscuits”. They had a sweet edge to them and the butter (doesn’t it look like a candle in the photo above?!) contained HONEY and SEA SALT. Ahh contrasting flavors FTW!

My kind of palate cleanser.

There’s nothing like sandwiching biscuits between two courses involving chocolate, oui? The last dish we were served, homemade chocolates, was certainly my kind of palate cleanser.

Brent (in the fancy suit), Chef Tyler and his team, me, and Chris.

After our meal, Chris and I were lucky enough to get a tour of the kitchen, the work-in-progress Tavern, and the wine “cellar”. It meant a lot to me that I was able to personally thank Tyler and his team for providing such a fabulous experience for Chris and I. I had already profusely thanked Brent throughout the meal with each course. He is the best maitre d’ I have ever encountered – just constantly ready to cater to every Millwright’s guest and make sure he or she enjoys the experience as much as possible. He even made up a custom menu for me to take home so that I would not have to worry about writing down all I was eating. I was able to just concentrate on tasting – and be in the moment!

Check the upper right hand corner…I died.

Millwright’s uses an iPad to keep inventory in the room where they keep all their wine and spirits. I also spotted my faves, Onyx Moonshine!

The coffee (served in a French press!) Brent has selected for Millwright’s is roasted in RI and is only kept for use as coffee (the beverage) for a week. After that, the beans are still used, but in cooking. A restaurant that takes its caffeine seriously is one that I will, in turn, take seriously!

The members of the waitstaff at Millwright’s were just as hospitable as Brent. I truly felt comfortable making any (reasonable) request of them. They even had left us the sweetest card when I came back from our kitchen tour!

This hangs in my cubicle at work now. The cafe they mention, Peaberry’s, is the local cafe I frequent each morning before work.

The card…the customized menu…I can’t get over the personalized service Chris and I received at Millwright’s last Wednesday night. I could even tell that Brent had read my blog! That’s the reason behind my decision to title this post the way I did. Millwright’s has the ability to make every single customer feel special, which is what every single one of them deserves. If you are looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion, or treat yourself to a meal that can also be called an experience, I recommend you visit Millwright’s as soon as possible. Like their Facebook page too…I’ve seen them give out fan-only specials!

Aww..the boys!

Thank you so very much to Tyler and his kitchen team, Brent, Chris (the bartender), Mariah, Amandalee, Rachel, and everyone else who made the evening unforgettable for Chris and I. I cannot wait for the Tavern’s 9/4/12 opening, and will be back then and many times after!

Have you ever had a dining experience that made you feel truly special?

Which dish would you have wanted to try the most? Which drink?

Do you have any experience with pre- and/or post-meal palate cleansers? Tell me about them!

Teachings of BlogHer ’12

Have you seen my other recaps of my weekend in NYC for BlogHer 2012? You can catch up by reading the following posts:

Selfies frequently result in mirror image photos #sorrynotsorry

I worked out, ate, and tried/received some pretty sweet products while away last weekend for the BlogHer conference. And while those are all activities I love to do, the information I knew I’d receive was the reason I signed up the moment tickets when on sale  in the first place. As soon as the BlogHer webpage had an agenda published, I was there, taking notes on which sessions I wanted to attend…and realizing I’d have some tough choices to make!

Taking notes during the great session on Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram.

Saturday’s first session Leveraging Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram was really helpful in regards to the first two social media channels and pretty basic (for me) in regards to Instagram. The only thing new I learned about Instagram was how to change contrast, remove frames, and blur photos (sorry to all you Insta-experts but I didn’t know where those buttons were!), but I got important take-aways regarding Pinterest and Google+.

Ready to learn Friday morning at the newbie breakfast, unique New York cafe (Fika) coffee in hand.

I honestly only got my Pinterest account after hearing from Kelly Olexa (Fitfluential CEO) and other Ambassadors how essential having one was to both branding opportunities and building a blog. I was never interested in Pinterest in the first place and still have trouble finding motivation to put time into my it. What’s great about BlogHer is the tips not only give the knowledge I need, but the motivation required to take that knowledge and put it into action:

  • You don’t need a mass amount of followers to make Pinterest work for you. Find your niche audience, and pin content that niche will enjoy. If you’re one of the few pinning content a small audience wants, they will flock to you. Don’t “follow all” for others either. Just choose a few of their boards that interest you most.
  • Think of Pinterest as a place for visual tweets. Utilize the hashtags (but less can be more, don’t use all 500 characters) and make it easy for people to pin your material with “Pin It” embedded buttons. But don’t tweet everything you pin (obnoxious).
  • Pins should be visual, not valuable. Put the value on your site…that way followers see the pin, and are tempted to go there! Make sure at least a couple of your board’s are related to your blog’s content, but beyond that it’s good to pin other content – shows followers the “real you”.
  • When you re-pin, check to make sure the ORIGINAL content source is where the pin links to. If it’s not, find the original content and pin that. Also, be sure to add in your own description, don’t just use the one that “comes with” the re-pin.
  • Make your images watermarked (I don’t like this…I don’t plan to do it #sorrynotsorry), a max of 600 pixels wide (and square images are preferred to rectangles), and choose a “catchy” image that represents a board’s content as board cover.
  • Don’t just pin your own content – repin others’ and comment, too. Repins and likes build the community you’re aiming for.

I got to hang out with my friend Natasha (met her at #fitblognyc) on Friday at the conference. It was so great to see her again!

I’m not even linking you all to my Google+ page because it’s essentially just…nothing. This session gave me the tools I need to implement to make my page great. And the overarching message here was that my blog NEEDS a Google+ page and it needs to be great, because no one likes Google more than Google. The better a blogger is at using Google+ to its full potential, the more Google will embrace your blog and it’ll show up in searches more often. Your author rank will shoot through the roof if your Google+ profile has these three fields filled out: Other Profiles, Contributor To, and Links. Google+ should be looked at as a digital publishing platform extension for your blog, and if you post publicly (beyond just your circles), your blog’s content gets huge exposure. I learned that I need to:

  1. Follow people producing content similar to mine, add them to circles, and +1 their content. Just like Pinterest, it has to be a built community.
  2. Share your content – one share per blog post is a good rule.

#RBKFITBLOG Crossfit notebook ready for notes – water by my side as always!

Saturday’s How to Price and Value Your Services panel called to me immediately. Like Kelly Olexa always tells us – never be afraid to show brands you KNOW your worth. I would like to know it…I know I’m worth something, but how much? How can I convince people my blog can be my business if I don’t know exactly what I’m talking about, or what I’m selling? I got so much confidence and inspiration out of this panel. I got that final CLICK in my brain that said, “Caitlin, get off your ass, GET SELF-HOSTED.” So I’ve already gotten that ball rolling. I hope to tell you all that I’ve become self-hosted a max of two months from now. That’s the deadline I’m setting for myself.

The members of the Brand-Blogger Connection panel.

I discovered tools that will help me build my media kit, like TweetReach and HashTracking. The Google Analytics I will be able to use once self-hosted are going to be HUGE in terms of providing quantifiable data – right now I’m short on that, and in marketing and advertising, it’s all about the numbers. The panel taught us that marketing and advertising departments are more cut-and-dry to work with – if they pay you for your services, you better give them that ROI. PR departments are a bit fuzzier – they can’t pay you, but the long-term relationship developed between PR department and blogger often leads to a paying relationship between advertising department and blogger. The biggest message from one panelist that stood out to me was her quote “I never write for free”. What?! I do that every day. She also said “I will not do a post on your press release.” What?! I’ve done that before! The way I look at it, no relationship is “not worth my time” if it could potentially lead to great opportunity down the road. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it – but I think usually, I hold back in asking for what I think know I deserve because I’m scared, not because I think writing for free is fun. The confidence I got out of this session to put myself out  is truly priceless and I can’t wait to implement it into my action plan.

The lunch crowd watches Katie Couric’s interview.

Though it wasn’t a panel session, the keynote with Katie Couric during Saturday’s lunch was captivating – not just because of what Katie had to say, but because of the unity and energy I felt with the other conference attendees as we banded together in admiration of the same woman. I had forgotten what Katie has been through with her husband’s death from cancer and appreciate that she is starting a new daytime talk show that will give her the freedom she wants to cover a wider range of news – both the “fluff” and the “hard stuff”. After all the hard work she’s put into the news industry, she deserves to be doing what she wants!

Meghann and Gina live-tweet the Katie Couric keynote.

I was grateful to have Fitfluential Ambassadors to attend sessions and eat lunch with during the conference, especially since I’d made the trip to New York by myself!

Gina and I during Saturday’s lunch. Why are my hands placed so awkwardly over each other?!

Oh yeah…I went to NYC for this conference by myself. To me, the biggest takeaways I got from BlogHer ’12 are that I decided to go and registered on my own. I found a room to stay in with three other women I didn’t know. I wanted to learn how to be a better blogger and meet other women who love what I love so badly, that I didn’t even hesitate to get on the train Thursday afternoon by myself and chug (come on, had to use that verb) toward the Big Apple.

Insert cheesy, typical tourist photo of Grand Central here.

Yes, I was scared to be away from my “usual” eats that are comfortable to me mentally. Yes, I was concerned to have no high-intensity cardio on my agenda. And yes, I did anticipate being up past 11pm most nights.

All smiles on Thursday, waiting for the train to leave Union Station in New Haven.

But  my appreciation for the opportunity available to me was stronger than my fear and anxiety. Not once before leaving did I consider backing out. Not once while in the city did I think I shouldn’t have come. Not once on the train ride home did I listen to my mind when a little voice said, “It wasn’t worth it to come on this trip. You should feel guilty.” Instead I spoke back, and I said, “You are amazing. You went to New York City, to a conference mostly of people you don’t know, by yourself. You pushed your comfort zone’s limits because doing so would make you happy.”

Nothin’ like feeling artsy while waiting for a train.

As you can tell from this wildly wordy (hehe) post, I absorbed a crapload (to put it bluntly) of information at BlogHer. But the most valuable lesson I learned comes down to four words: “I can do it.”

Have you ever attended an informative conference? Did you see any interesting speakers there?

Do you have any more tips for me on any of the topics I covered here?

Have you ever taken a trip alone? Were you nervous to do so?

BlogHer ’12 Sponsor Silliness and Swag

Here goes my third recap post of my BlogHer ’12 NYC weekend…the sponsors at the conference itself, which took place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If you missed my last two recaps of my Physique 57, YogaWorks, and Chobani SoHo experiences, you can still go back and read them!

If I could sum up the BlogHer conference in a few nouns they’d be…information, inspiration, and sponsors. I know that a conference is meant to be a teaching tool, and BlogHer certainly served as that. However, you really can’t go to a blogging conference without expecting (and hoping for!) some fun sponsor action. After all, who doesn’t like swag?

Laid out the haul on Sunday night when I got home.

Yeek, I need to settle down and stop going out-of-chronological-order in my recaps 😛 when I left my house on Thursday, I thought I had a lot of baggage.

Completely posed self-timer pic…

That is, until I ended up hauling these babies from taxi to train, and then from train to car. My shoulders fell off.

Damn you, swag. Yet I love you.

Room Awesome

I arrived and check-in at the New York Hilton was seamless, though elevator travel throughout the conference (it should not take 15 minutes to find an open elevator!) was not. My room was OK…the bathroom was a bit dingy, the humidity was kinda out of control, but what are you gonna do? I got an amazing deal and didn’t have to do anything to organize it all. I’m eternally grateful to “Room Awesome”‘s planner, Stephanie of The Froggy and the Mouse. What a sweetheart…all of my roomies were actually (Melissa of Growing Up Geeky and Linette of The Kid’s Fun Review).

Stephanie, a fellow planner/organizer!

Expo Hall Experience

I unfortunately arrived too late to see Obama give the opening address to BlogHer participants, but badge pickup went super quickly (thanks to BlogHer for offering an affordable student rate!) and after a much needed post-travel shower, I made my way to the first conference party (apparently these are a BIG part of BlogHer, but I had no idea until a month beforehand and never ended up attending any others), Evening at the Expo. Essentially just the same Expo Hall that was open the entire conference…WITH WINE!

You mean these tickets I got with my badge buy WINE?!

I visited eons of sponsor booths throughout the conference’s three days, though Friday and Saturday had no wine (le bummer). My favorite sponsor experiences were those with people in silly costumes and/or the opportunity to dress up in silly costumes myself.

Me and the Dole banana!

One row back…another banana, this one from Jamba Juice!

Wendy of CT Bloggers would only be in photos in which she was “disguised”! So she was kind enough to pose with me at the Wholly Guacamole booth 🙂

If you like it then you shoulda #PutAWheelOnIt at the Gorton’s Seafood booth! Bummed I never made it back to try some samples.

The folks at TMobile must’ve thought taking the above photo would be a pain for me because they gave me a massage afterward to say thank you. I mean, that’s awesome, but I would’ve done it for “free” 😛

Oh yes, I’ve got milk. Wait, not really! But I do have these milkmen.

This guy was supposed to be a Smith Brother. I called him Abe Lincoln. Promoting the upcoming Spielberg biopic?! No? Oh.

I find it hilarious that Danny DeVito voiced the Lorax and literally has the same exact build as him/it.

Plenty of Perks

Fun photos were not the only activities available to bloggers at sponsor booths and suites. Since I listened to some T-Mobile reps’ shpeals on the latest apps (and put on a feather boa), I received the treat of one of my first massages…and I went to a very special place, I have to say. It was just pure heaven. Too bad I’m too cheap to ever purchase another massage, ha!

Starbucks gave private demos of their new home espresso beverage machine, Verismo, to small groups of bloggers. My demo guy was fabulous! I wasn’t a fan of the drinks produced by the Verismo machine, because I drink my coffee black. Just way too much milk (and 2%, which has a rich taste I’m not used to) and not enough espresso. Still, the machine did create some incredibly frothy, aromatic milk out of a powdered K-cup style insert. I think these machines will be really popular among those who prefer espresso beverages to coffee…think of it as the Keurig for the espresso drinker.

The Verismo brewed this beverage for us!

The perk of the Starbucks suite was the $5 gift card I received on my way out. I don’t go to Starbucks a lot anymore but when I have no local cafe options, they are definitely my go-to over Dunkin Donuts, so I know I will use this. They also have more convenient hours than many local cafes.

Me and my sample, my new friend, and the Verismo.

Bailey’s Creamers reps were passing out mini cupcakes…I selected red velvet, Ginawent with s’mores.

Love the tower 🙂

Didn’t sample any of their products since I don’t like sweet drinks OR creamers, but I did sample some coffee-colored OPI nail polishes in the form of a complimentary manicure– already much needed!

My manicurist was so sweet and we chatted the whole time!

She was a bit baffled by my request for a “disco nail” but did a wonderful job! I’m now a disco nail addict.

I have no clue why Bankrupting America (a non-profit with a mission to distribute easy to understand, creative educational materials about our nation’s economy, something we definitely need more of) was serving Skinnygirl‘s original and peach margarita flavors.I think they wanted to attract people to their booth. Shameless free-drink-if-you-talk-to-us, but I’ll take it. As in, I’ll take a peach on the rocks, please.

I made friends (aka was a Chatty Kathy with) the Bankrupting America rep and asked her to pose with the drink server (he was in a James Bond costume, I’m pretty sure).

And CouponCabin.com clearly knew who they were dealing with when they gave me this shirt…

Coupon Caitlin FTW!

T-Mobile also gave me cake pops and Terra chips. They really spoiled me! I spent about 5 minutes searching through the cake pops trying to decipher which was a red velvet, then gave up. I have yet to eat the one I selected but when I do I’ll update you all as to what flavor I got (because you’re riveted).

These were later devoured during a session. Shared with Theodora and Ashley, who immediately asked where they could get some too.

Plethora of Products

Meg, are you liking the alliteration this post is pumping out?! I talked to a boatload of brands, and a few of them stood out to me.

Monthly subscription services for food samples are usually above my budget, though they do offer tasty and high-quality products. From what I saw, Love with Food offers the same quality for an excellent price point – $10 a month! I hope to do a full review on the blog soon! Even better…for each box bought, they donate a meal to a hungry child. The website’s product page features beautiful photographs and SO many treats I want to try.

I already know I’d like to try the dried sweet corn and the cute whale tail shaped chips!

Dannon had the sweetest rep, Janelle, working at their booth. Maybe I just thought that because she recognized me instantly and said she loves my blog?! 😛 They also put up with me when I frantically ran to them before my writing clinic session, sputtering that I was staaaaarving, and could they spare a snack? Why yes they could!

Light ‘n Fit Vanilla used to be a daily snack for me in college. Now the line is too sweet for my tastebuds and also tastes less real than I’m used to…but in this situation, the Light ‘n Fit Greek variety held me over til lunch and did its job. I also sampled the Oikos Blueberry – yummy, but again too sweet for me. I picked up a coupon so I can get one of the plain tubs though!

Imagining I’m eating the yogurt with its rep John Stamos…

The Michael Angelo’s reps let me try some of their prepared meals and I really enjoyed talking with them (and eating their Italian food with red wine, duh).

Their products are made with natural ingredients, many of them are very light (unlike most pre-prepared foods), and were created with the influence of Michael’s mother, Sara’s, recipes.

The eggplant parm (left) and lasagna (right) were amazing and tasted homemade.

I got a coupon for a free item and asked my mom to add it to her grocery list asap!

Of course I needed a photo of me eating.

Someone left a giant box of Popchips outside her hotel room and declared that they were first-come, first-serve. I got served…with a snack for the train ride home on Sunday (and brain fuel for my paper).

They were SO GOOD. I try not to count calories but I have to admit the fact that the whole bag was only 100 immediately caught my attention.

The Dole booth was super elaborate, complete with a tiki hut and fruit carvers. And that banana you saw earlier.

I felt smug that my shoe choice at the Expo Hall party on Thursday night was a perfect match for their booth.

That is a bowl of banana USB drive keychains.

I obviously took one home. I doubt I’ll ever use it as anything other than a keychain but come on, it’s a banana, and now my keys are #Fitfluential with one keychain each for #EAT, #MOVE, and #ENJOY. I just need a #SLEEP keychain!

Reebok sneaker, Dole banana, and a Life is Good keychain (hiding).

Wait, Dole makes food?! Just kidding. I pounded these Pineapple Real Fruit Bites before Saturday morning’s Physique 57 class. They made for good fuel and I had a great workout, and again the calorie-noticer (not counter…trying not to!) in me liked the 90 calorie serving size. However, these still have more artificial ingredients than I am used to (though there is some real pineapple in there) and I’ve seen recipes for similar products on sites like Lean Green Bean. If anything, enjoying the Real Fruit Bites has inspired me to make my own, more natural version at home.

Finally, I got to test out the Bowflex CoreBody Reformer, which looked pretty silly to me until I stepped up onto it and felt my core engage as I struggled to balance. And to think the Olympic gymnasts do flips on beams a million times higher and a zillion times thinner?! The helpful rep also showed me the book of exercises it comes with – soooo many, and much of them I never would have thought of on my own!

Not exactly workout attire!

It’s really portable too and can be packed up and carried on one’s back with a strap. CoreBody workout DVDs are also available to pair with your reformer. An ideal piece of home workout equipment for someone living in a small apartment or working with a tiny workout space!

Best For Last

I met a very special someone at the Coupon Cabin booth…as Fitfluential’s Community Manager Robin Elton put it, inception happened at BlogHer 2012.

Kate Plus 8, meet Cait Plus Ate! Kate Gosselin officially knows of this blog’s existence, loves the name, and is actually really cool and chill to talk to. WOO HOO!

I didn’t even find out Kate Gosselin would be appearing at BlogHer on Friday until the night before while waiting to get into the Evening at the Expo Hall. Another brush with fate! I never imagined that when Rachel gave me the idea for my blog’s name, one day I’d actually be TELLING Kate Plus 8 about it!

Would you have been as down as I was to take silly photos at the sponsor booths?

Do any of the products I tried or perks I received strike your fancy? I had to find a creative way to ask that question!

Have you ever gotten the chance to do something you truly NEVER thought you’d get to do?

YogaWorks and Chobani SoHo

In case you missed it, check out my first recap of my BlogHer 2012 weekend in NYC, published yesterday – Physique 57 and girl time with some Fitfluential Ambassadors at Agave NYC!

Another workout-and-food pairing to share with you all today from this past weekend’s trip to NYC for the BlogHer conference! And really, what two things go together better than moving and eating? NYC resident and fellow Fitfluential Ambassador Meredith of Dare You To… (her blog has a great concept, check it out) tweeted me about meeting up while I was in town at literally the EXACT same moment I was going to tweet her about the same. Talk about being on the same blend wavelength! We made plans to spend Sunday morning together before I headed back home to CT.

Photo courtesy of Meredith, because I looked beyond awkward in my pic of us.

I proposed using the free class cards to YogaWorks that we’d received at #fitblognyc. They were recently expired, but the manager of the YogaWorks Westside studio, Laura Henry, was kind enough to let Meredith and I come in to use anyway! I selected Pilates Fusion 1 with instructor Lindsay Ashmun, partially because I enjoy pilates and partially because it was the earliest class offered on a Sunday morning (9am start time) and I am a grandma who likes being up early.

Of course Meredith and I showed up (I was late…I apparently think that 65th Street reads 56th Street) in the same Sweaty Bands headband from our Fitness Magazine Meet & Tweet swag. I wore my Reebok crops for the second day in a row #sorrynotsorry and was totally envious of Meredith’s ADORABLE Zella workout top. After seeing hers and the top Heather got at the Zella Day of Movement at Nordstrom, I think I need to head to my local Nordstrom Rack ASAP so I can get in on the Zella action.

It’s probably just me being a tourist, but I was super in-awe of the digital lockers in the locker room! I just set up a code, put my belongings inside, and used it again to get them out after our class. I felt like I was in some sort of Charlie’s Angels movie, entering a secret passcode to access whatever top-level secure item I might have been in search of. Yes I am a nerd.

I’ve never taken a pilates class that utilized equipment other than a mat, and was intrigued when we used the same blue bands we used in Physique 57, the above pictured foam rollers, a contraption I’m going to call a thigh ring, and a couple of yoga blocks.

Showing off the band and thigh ring…did I mention I’m a nerd?

The class itself was a bit disappointing. I felt bored during some of it because though I have not done a lot of pilates recently, I did do a great deal of it during my senior year at Uconn and I think my accumulated experience kept me from feeling challenged. That being said, there were a couple points during the class that definitely felt like tests of strength (especially the back work on the floor – swimmers NEVER get easier for me). The class may have been a bit too easy for me, but everyone is different. Lindsay’s class was a level one and I definitely think that she kept it there – an instructor who teaches a beginner’s class at a level above beginner is not thinking of her clients, who likely are showing up expecting a basic level workout. YogaWorks offered a level one Pilates Fusion class, and they delivered! Next time, I will make sure to select a class more fitting to my level.

I adore the company’s green and purple color scheme (the Barney lover in me?) and the lamps in this waiting area felt so calming and zen.

I did enjoy using the blue band – such a great way to switch up resistance training, and so easy to modify to fit each class participant’s level. I was not a fan of the foam roller at all though. I felt like it hindered my movements when we were using it during the ab and back work on the floor. Maybe I wasn’t using it correctly?! Since I am not a runner and do not have any injuries that tend to flare up on me (knock on wood), I’ve never found a need for the foam roller and am not experienced with it. I know that many bloggers out there are in love with them and would probably have appreciated using it in the class more than I did!

Despite the fact that I selected the wrong class to try, I have to say that the YogaWorks studio was gorgeous and the instructor, Lindsay, was incredibly skilled and taught an appropriate level of class to her clients. Thank you Laura and YogaWorks for hosting Meredith and I!

I made it! MECCA!!! 😛

Once I heard Chobani was opening a store in SoHo, I vowed to make a stop there while I was in town for BlogHer. Goal accomplished! Meredith and I took the subway downtown and decided to turn our visit into a sampling lunch of four Chobani signature creations. You guys know I’m all about sampler platters and trying as many different varieties of food/drink as possible at all times, so this was the perfect plan for our visit! And you know what made it even more perfect? Coupon Caitlin got to use coupons for both Meredith and I to get two free signature creations – thanks Chobani for handing them out at the Physique 57 event! I have more to use for next time I’m in town too!

Bloggers love Chobani!

I loved the Dark Chocolate + Pistachio creation I’d tried Friday at the WellAndGoodNYC Physique 57 event so much that I opted to get it again. Yup, that’s how you KNOW I love something – if I pass up something new to have it again! It’s pictured at top in the photo below, and the other three creations we tried, in a clockwise direction, are:

  • Fig + Walnut: dried Turkish figs, clover honey, walnuts
  • Plain + Cucumber: cucumber, sea salt, mint, EVOO, served with pita chips
  • Toasted Coconut + Pineapple: pineapple, toasted coconut, Turkish hazelnuts, light agave nectar

HOLY CRAP. They were all SO GOOD. This was an amazing lunch and the best part is that all of these combos can be re-created at home! The Fig + Walnut was just too fabulous, I loooove figs and Meredith has been “obsessed” with them (her words not mine) lately too. I informed her she needs to find a restaurant that serves figs on a pizza ASAP…preferably with gorgonzola cheese involved. My favorite by far was the Plain + Cucumber, not a surprise since I’m such a savory/salty food addict. I’m pretty sure I ate all the pita chips, oops! The mixture reminded me of my beloved Greek specialty, tzatziki sauce. The EVOO really added an extra special richness to the mixture. Finally, the Toasted Coconut + Pineapple was enjoyed by Meredith and I more than we both had anticipated. She and I agreed that the coconut being toasted (and not just shaved in its “snowy” form) enhanced the creation and gave that satisfying crunch that makes any yogurt mess better.

Photo courtesy of Meredith. Each signature creation looks like this when it’s served, and the little glass bowls are either re-used by Chobani in the store or are yours to take home!

Lucky Meredith even got to go to an event the very next day (AKA last night) at Chobani SoHo to sample any of the creations she hadn’t tried yet. Definitely jealous of her status as a New Yorker and her access to a never-ending list of restaurants! I had such a wonderful time hanging out with her – of course we never ran out of topics to chat about. I even found myself having to reel myself in off of tangents (that I’d wandered to 10-15 minutes before) to get back to original points I was (trying) to make. It’s OK, we covered a lot more that way 😉

My workout and lunch with Meredith on Sunday were the perfect way to end my trip to NYC. After I got back to my hotel and grabbed my bags ($14 to hold them downstairs for me, seriously Hilton?), I hightailed it to the train station, where I arrived at the perfect moment to catch the train to New Haven.

But I’m going out of order here. My next post will recap ALL conference-related activities from the entire weekend (Thursday-Saturday). Get ready!!!

Have you ever taken a fitness class that ended up being at a level that was too low for you? How did it turn out? 

Are there any restaurants on your must-visit list that are at a place you’d need to travel far to get to? Have you ever gotten to visit one of those? Another for me was Pure Food & Wine!

Tell me YOUR own Chobani signature creation that you make at home…or any yogurt mess!

Physique 57 and Agave in NYC

I’M BACK from an amazing, fun, informative, delicious, burning, sweaty, faaaabulous weekend in New York City for BlogHer 2012! I took the train from New Haven on Thursday afternoon and spent my first nice, long weekend in NYC (and am now convinced there’s no other way to do it…see ya, stressful day or one-night trips). I got home last night with so many memories, informative tidbits, freebies, and photos that I felt like both my mind and bags were going to explode – in a positive way. I’m so excited to recap and share everything with you guys, but as I learned Saturday in an intimate small-group writing session called Tightening Your Prose, most blog posts are too long. SO I am going to be using about four posts to recap my BlogHer 2012 NYC weekend. I wanted to start with my favorite part of it all, because that makes sense, oui?

Rocking my #RBKFITBLOG Reebok top and #fitblognyc Sophia Kashuk bag + Sweaty Bands headband!

I was invited by Physique 57 and Well and Good NYC (a cool site that delivers the latest in NYC health and wellness) to join other healthy living bloggers, including Fitfluential Ambassadors, for a Physique 57 class with the workout’s co-founder, Tanya Becker! I’ve heard nothing but love for Physique 57 from some of my favorite celebrities (KELLY RIPA) as well as friends, and was so pumped to get the chance to not only try the workout, but learn from Tanya herself.

Gina and I

I took the subway over to the SoHo studio location with Gina of Running to the Kitchen, who was also staying at the Hilton New York (where BlogHer was held). She is a fellow FitFluential Ambassador and though we had not met before that day, we had plenty to chat about and I enjoyed hanging out with her! Her food photos and recipes are TO DIE FOR. Go check them out!

Wanna look at the camera, Caitlin?

Upon arrival, I received a complimentary bottle of Chobani water (I adore the packaging and 10% of proceeds from this water’s sales benefit the Shepherd’s Gift Foundation) and a pair of the signature Physique 57 black socks. All the classes take place in blue carpeted rooms like the one pictured below, so these particular socks are essential to a successful workout because they have special padding on the bottom to keep your feet from sliding about.

Left to right – Well and Good NYC co-founder Melisse Gelula, Tanya Becker, Natasha (Social Media for Physique 57), and Tanya’s amazing assistant and instructor-in-training.

Each student’s “set-up” includes a set of weights for upper body, a thick square mat, a band, a ball, and a longer/thinner mat (which comes out later).

Ready to go! Smiling because I’m not yet BURNING.

The class went in the following order: quick cardio warm-up, series of upper-body weights (lighter weights, MANY reps), lower body barre and floor work intervals, abs, stretching. But it’s really SO much more than that! I couldn’t get over what an effective workout this was. I love variety and I love unique. Physique 57 is both of those! The movements we did on the barre and floor were some that I recognized and had experienced with from pilates, but some were exercises I’d never seen or done– but will CERTAINLY be doing again, given what a burn they ignited in my quads, calves, abs, and glutes.

Gina, Melisse, Ashley, Theodora, me, and Meghann showing off our Physique 57 socks!

Tanya was such an amazing instructor. It’s hard to believe she recently had TWINS! I feel so lucky to have been able to learn from her, especially since I hear her classes at the NYC studios are impossible to get into. I also adored the Lululemon top she and Theodora were both rockin’.

Me and Tanya!

Also jealous of Theodora’s sparkly headband!

My fave photo – group shot of the class attendees and Tanya! I WOULD wear my Fossil watch during a workout.

We were also treated to samples of two signature creations from the first and only Chobani cafe,located in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, as well as coupons for free full-size creations if we visited the store (which I promptly did yesterday…but that’s another post).

Bloggers gathering to give Chobani its photoshoot moment.

The two creations I tried were Pistachio + Chocolate (dark chocolate, clover honey, Turkish pistachios, orange, fresh mint) and Blueberry + Power (blueberries, walnuts, chia and hemp seeds, light agave nectar).

Blueberry + Power on top, Pistachio + Chocolate on bottom.

I really liked both of them, but the Pistachio + Chocolate stood out to me because of its unique flavor combos! The pistachios gave a satisfying crunch and I’m already a big fan of dark chocolate in plain Chobani. And can you believe this was my first time having chia seeds?!I know, I’m an unconventional blogger 😛 the truth is I wasn’t a huge fan, they just seemed kind of there (except when they got in my teeth, which made them kind of an inconvenience). I do know they have a lot of nutritional benefits though! I think the Blueberry + Power didn’t stick in my mind as much because I often do similar Greek yogurt combos at home, so it wasn’t different.

Selfie with the chia.

Gaga for Greek 😉

THANK YOU to Physique 57 and Well and Good NYC for having us bloggers to the event! I’m so glad I got the chance to come while I was in town for BlogHer ’12. In fact, I loved Physique 57 so much that I went back the very next morning to use one of the two free classes I received at the Fitness Magazine Meet & Tweet!

I was lucky to have another fantastic instructor, Lindi, for my second class. Her energy was incredible and I enjoyed the fact that a Mixed class was available because I had Intermediate modifications shown to me to use, but I couldn’t do them in every case, so I reverted back to the Beginner modifications when needed.

Another Reebok outfit from #RBKFITBLOG, of course! Had to get the Physique 57 socks in the photo too!

I will so miss doing Physique 57 at the studios, but I did receive copies of The Physique 57 Solution Book and the Classic 57 Full-Body Workout DVD at the Well and Good NYC event. I plan to do the DVD and review it with a comparison of it and the studio experience. I already flipped through the book and am really interested in the exercises explained inside – in fact, my dad (who just did his first yoga DVD a few weeks ago, YAY Dad!) is excited to use the book and give them a shot too! It’s like having a Physique 57 encyclopedia in my home! Best part of all? My second free class doesn’t expire until the end of January – oh yup, I’ll be back.

I got my silly on with the Physique 57 mural. She adorns each studio’s wall and is called Gorgeous. Well, I was feeling pretty Gorgeous myself after my second Physique 57 class in 24 hours – or at least my butt certainly was – so I strutted my stuff with her before I departed the 57th Street studio. Who rocks the pose best?

Back to Friday’s class with Tanya…afterward, I was psyched to not be the one picking the restaurant for once, and joined the Fitfluential ladies at a Southwestern spot Ashley chose called Agave.

We were seated outdoors (FAVORITE) at a brown paper covered table in a quaint, serene corner. Patterned pillows lined its benches and I had to snap a Instagram photo of the beautiful scene.

The company I dined with and the conversations held were even more beautiful. I felt at home and at peace the entire time as I chatted with and learned from this group of inspiring women.

One of the funniest and most real bloggers I know, Cat. I feel so lucky to have been able to see her while in town! She has the most interesting life ever. And is a genius in the kitchen.

Where bloggers are around, cameras and phones are found 😉 Cat doesn’t look impressed.

Spending time with a bunch of girls who are interested in the exact same things as me is my ideal way to spend a Friday night! There is never enough time to say what I want to say!

Rockin’ a second round of margs with Theodora.

Loved meeting and sitting next to Erika of A Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss. Her transformation is inspiring and she has an amazing energy! She also let me try a sip of her spicy margarita – a friend indeed 😛

It blows my mind how much we bloggers can learn from each other! I can’t wait until all of us can meet again. Thank you for a fabulous  night out, ladies!

Gina, Meghann, Sabrina, Ashley, Theodora, me, Erika, and Cat!

Want to see more pics from the event? Check out the photo gallery posted on Well And Good NYC!

Have you ever heard of or tried Physique 57, either at a studio or with a DVD?

Do you have any Chobani signature creations that you like to make at home?

Have you ever gotten to hang out with “blends”, and if so, did you have a thousand things to talk about? I’m gonna guess yes.

Fashion Friday – Mikarose WINNER!

A big congrats to the winner of the Mikarose giveaway for a $50 gift certificate! The winner is….Paige!

Ooh la la is right! Congrats Paige – I have given your info to Mikarose!

Alright, so that’s it for this Fashion Friday. I know…what?! Well, I’m at BlogHer ’12 right now in NYC have an absolute BLAST. I still need to share my Baltimore adventures, J. Timothy’s meetup recap, Barcelona Patio Party review, and now THIS weekend with you guys. Man, am I too blessed to be stressed or what?! I’m off to write this week’s Oatmeal Toppings and then headed to my first blogucational session of the day, The Brand-Blogger Connection, with my friend Natasha. We are going to see Martha Stewart deliver the keynote speech at lunch today! Oh, and Kate Gosselin herself (yup, Kate Plus 8) is in the Expo Hall booth today from 11-1pm and 3-5pm, so needless to say I’ve made it the day’s goal to get a picture of Cait Plus Ate with Kate Plus 8. WISH ME LUCK!

Keep an eye on my Twitter and Instagram all weekend for my #BlogHer12 exploits! Some funny pics have already gone up….

At the Gorton’s Seafood booth…if you like it then you shoulda #PutAWheelOnIt?

Meet Caitlin

I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!

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Design Credit

My header was originally designed by Mai Le and later tweaked by Chris Roggi to match this theme, which he helped me customize. He also moved me over to self-hosting! Both can be contacted through their sites for design & development work!

Disclaimer

I am not an RD and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. This blog is a way to write about my life. Any views I express are mine alone, based on what works for me, and should never be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan. In addition, this blog and its content are in no way affiliated with Kate Gosselin, “Kate Plus 8”, TLC, or any related affiliates.

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