Tag Archives: connecticut

TON of Fun at Taste of the Nation Hartford – Part 2

In case you missed it, my Taste of the Nation (Hartford) overall intro and libation recap post went up yesterday! I’m now going to move on to my two favorite parts of the event (and they’ll probably be yours too) – the food and the PEOPLE!

The Food

Some restaurants go with simple white-tablecloth-covered booths, and others go all out. Mill Restaurant Group (responsible for one of my favorite cocktail spots, Market Grille in Manchester) was at the all-out end of the display spectrum!

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MRG’s food quality was all-out as well in both aesthetics and taste! Check out these awesome chilled soup shooters served on slate…

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TON of Fun at Taste of the Nation Hartford – Part 1

As we continue to mourn the tragedy at the Boston Marathon this past Monday, I know many hearts are still heavy. I’m continuing to blog about “typical” topics today, and hope that this post will provide some distraction for those whose minds remain troubled and disturbed by the attack.

I feel like comparing my (now) two Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation experiences – last year I went to New Haven and this past Thursday I went to Hartford – would be silly because the obvious answer is that I had the best time this year. So that’s why I will be splitting this into two posts, because as I’ve been working on writing this for the last several DAYS, I’ve realized that one post will be way too long and crash everyone’s Internets with all the photos.

When glasses attack!

When glasses attack!

But that’s because of how much I’ve grown as a blogger! Both events had crazy amazing food and drink and not enough time (or stomach room or blood alcohol tolerance) to try everything.

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Judging Crazy Concoctions at CHS Cookoff

I can’t wait to attend Taste of the Nation Hartford tonight with my blends Kaitlin & Kelly! You can still get tickets at the door – general admission is $75, but I’ve been to this event before and it is WORTH IT. Best food tasting event I’ve ever experienced!

I’m so excited to share my experience judging the Connecticut Historical Society‘s first Community Cookoff! Held last Friday from 5:30-7:30pm (nice and early!), the event attracted a good crowd and had the work day craaaaawling by as I anxiously waited for the clock to hit 5 so I could hit the road for Hartford.

I wore my latest splurge – a Lilly Pulitzer top that I got on sale in FL – for such an important event! Little did I know Lilly herself would pass away in a couple of days.

I walked into CHS and was greeted by the smiling, excited faces of Jenny Steadman and Ed Main. They are the ones who came up with this idea, included me, and even planned the event’s timing around my vacation schedule. I couldn’t have felt any more special thanks to them!

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Wordless Wednesday: Las Vetas Lounge

First thing’s first…thanks to all who entered the giveaway for a free Lendperk dress rental! The winning comment was from Stephanie!

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Congrats and I will contact you about getting your dress rental. For those who did not win, remember you can sign up for Lendperk for just $20/month and get a 9 day trial period during which you can cancel your subscription – no penalty!

Okay, I just started a Wordless Wednesday post with a whole bunch of words. But now I’ll stay true to my title’s words, because recent developments at work have led to me being busier than ever, and online classes mean my free time is more studious than blog-ious. I’ve been dying to share the pics I took of the charming interior (sadly, the employees were less charming) of Las Vetas Lounge in Fairfield, CT. Kaitlin brought me there when I went to visit her, and she hit the nose on the head – I fell in love with the decor. This place seemed like a cafe out of Gilmore Girls! Enjoy the photos!

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Marvelous Already Had and Yet to Come

Entries for a free Lendperk dress rental close tonight at 11:59PM EST so make sure to enter the giveaway!

Before I get to work recapping what is marvelous on this Monday, can I just express my hopelessly addicted woe over the fact that Instagram has been down (for me) for almost…wait, it’s been less than 24 hours? I need to get a grip. Okay, moving on.

Thank you Katie for helping us see the marvelous in Monday!

Thanks so much for your support in response to Thursday’s reflections on the difficulty I had over my FL vacation letting go and living life. Since being home for over a week now my ego has quieted its mean voice, but I’m wary of its ability to spring back up as soon as I step a toe out of my comfort zone, so I’ve been practicing my positive mindset-mode nonstop. This MIMM post is just one of many ways I can do that.

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Birthday Dinner at Max Downtown

Thanks for putting up with my spotty blogging the last couple of weeks! I hope now that the pre-vacation work rush and during-vacation relaxation has passed, I will get back into my routine, including regular blogging!

I still have some Max Restaurant Group establishments to cross off my list, but I selected their ritziest, Max Downtown, for my 24th birthday celebration dinner. My birthday was on 3/22 and this dinner occurred the weekend before that, but vacation and a last MBA semester typically result in late recaps such as this post, so forgive me!

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I (obviously) invited my parents to this special dinner, as well as my best friend Lidia! My dad was kind enough to me and my mom off while he ventured out to find downtown Hartford parking (hey, we were cold!) so I had some time to take some shots of the restaurant’s lovely interior while we waited.

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Barcelona Meets Mendoza: Wine Dinner

Last week (Wednesday 3/13) I had the pleasure of attending Barcelona Wine Bar’s latest wine dinner at their West Hartford location – La Vendimia de Mendoza. Funny enough, it fell on the same day that the new pope – from Argentina – was chosen! Fancy that.

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The moment I arrived I knew it’d be a wino’s dream evening. The menu listed SIX different wines that we’d be sampling. Keep in mind the event came with food too, and only cost $45 per person (plus tax and gratuity)!

ALL THE WINE.

ALL THE WINE.

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Barefoot Contessa at the Bushnell: Giveaway!

I’m gearing up to leave for vacation this Friday (a week off work, what a perfect birthday present!) so work has been CRAZY. School too. Therefore I’m keeping it light again on the blog today and just popping in to do a giveaway!

Living just outside of Hartford gives me easy access to The Bushnell Center for Performing Arts, where fantastic musicals, plays, panels, and more are held year-round. The Bushnell seriously offers something for everyone! I’ve seen Wicked there twice, and took my Nana Connie to see The Addams Family Musical in 2011. You may recall that I attended the CT Forum’s Vision & Brilliance panel in December as well. I’ve sat on the floor and in the balcony, and I’m serious – every seat is a good seat. After all, the theater was designed so that every single patron could sit back and enjoy the arts, and that involves actually being able to SEE them!

Source

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Fashion Friday: Westport Buys

As promised today’s Fashion Friday is going to be about my finds in Westport when Kaitlin of For Love of Carrots took me there during my most recent 203 visit! We visited the outdoor shopping area in the town’s center and it was an adorable place with some incredible sales! Perfect for a cheapo like me.

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$10 scarf, $20 purse, $10 shoes.

Sometimes I have no success at the Urban Outfitters sale section and sometimes I come out loaded with ten new tops. This trip produced a happy medium! The scarf is such a pretty spring color. I’m loving my new purse (I needed a change) and I’ve already rocked the shoes this week!

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For Love of Fairfield

I’ve already showed Kaitlin (of For Love of Carrots) my turf, and the time came this past weekend for her to show me hers – Fairfield County! I visited her from Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon and she showed me a great time. Then again, I knew she would since our tastes are so similar! Prime example number one – we both wore black tops, black shoes, jeans, and statement necklaces to dinner.

Saturday Night

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I borrowed the necklace from Kaitlin, the queen of statement necklaces!

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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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