Eating My Way Through The City of Bridges: 8 Pittsburgh Restaurants

Who knew that Pittsburgh had so many phenomenal restaurants? On a recent trip, I discovered some of what the 'burgh has to offer. 

What that really amounted to was experiencing what the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group has to offer - seeing as I ate at 3 out of 4 of their restaurants during my stay, with a few other spots along the way. 

Shall we? 

Habitat

Habitat was where we managed to get a reservation for Valentine's Day Dinner - a motley crew of 5 co-workers dining at this restaurant located in the Fairmont Pittsburgh. It was upscale, featuring local ingredients with dishes inspired by flavors from around the globe. 

Fresh Tandoor Baked Naan 

This flavorful naan came served with spreads including the best hummus I have ever had in my entire life. I still stand by that statement - it tasted like straight-up chickpea euphoria. 

Roasted Organic Beet 

Served with goat cheese, wild flower honey and berries - this was a beautifully plated dish. I loved that the beets tasted so earthy and natural.

Carrot Ginger Soup 

This was phenomenally fresh and simple - it truly just tasted like carrots and ginger. I couldn't eat a ton of it, but it was delicious is small doses. 

Striped Bass

For my entree I went with the striped bass after much back and forth, based mainly on each dishes accouterments. The striped bass came with a a chickpea panisse that was disappointingly dry, Castelvaetrano olives, tomato marmalade and chive cream that was crazy good. 

The striped bass was very well cooked and overall, I enjoyed the dish though I wasn't blown away. My favorite part of the meal remained the hummus! 

Some of the other entrees that intrigued me were the Black Cod with mushrooms and turnips and the lamb rack because I <3 Lamb. 

I also loved that the menu had an extensive vegetarian portion - with 4 entree options including Chickpea Ragout and smoked heirloom carrots that tempted me to go veggie for the night. 

Dessert

We also had two amazing desserts - one with macadamia nuts, bananas, and other deliciousness and one that was a classic brownie sundae with lots and lots of chocolate. Both were addictive. 

Bakersfield ~ Tacos. Tequila. Whisky. 

This spot was right around the corner from our hotel and was a standard tacos, margaritas and guac spot. The one thing that stood out was the fact that their Premium Margarita featured Grand Marnier - the secret ingredient to a killer marg. 

Tako

The margarita menu is extensive and each carefully cracked concoction sounds better than the next. Pineapple Jalapeno? Grapefruit & Sage? Spicy Cucumber? How's a girl to choose? All that I sampled were A+, though I will admit the Grapefruit & Sage was lacking any real grapefruit flavor. 

Guacamole 

I love the DIY guacamole menu - pick your base and load up on add ons that range from more traditional (corn, mango, green onion) to out-there (tuna belly, shishito, sesame seeds). Each item comes at an additional cost, but building my own guacamole was one of my favorite parts of the meal! I highly recommend mango or pineapple for a sweet touch, pepitas for a bit of a crunch and queso fresco because...cheese. 

Tacos 

Get them all. Seriously. You can't go wrong. My absolute favorite was the Baja taco - in fact, it was probably my favorite fish taco, or taco in general, ever. The description is simple enough - tempura white fish, jalapeno lime aioli, white cabbage slaw and cilantro. I'm not sure what made it so amazing - but it was life-changing. 

Also incredible was their namesake "Tako" taco - grilled octopus, harissa aioli, preserved lemons, mizuna greens & herbs and pickled red onion. This was the most smoky, charred tasting thing I have ever eaten - with the hint of lemon, it was killer. Not to mention it was perfectly tender - not chewy like octopus can sometimes be. Who knew that an octopus tentacle nestled in a corn tortilla could be so good? 

The second time I went to Tako, we ordered the TACO BIG BOARD. 

It's big. 12 tacos. 4 girls. We made a dent, but didn't come close to finishing it. Each taco is more than generously sized - we sampled a good variety including the Tako and Baja again because I insisted, along with the Chorizo (carmelized onions, roasted poblano, romesco, fried egg, queso fresco, arbol hot sauce, cilantro), Mushroom (roasted maitake, garlic aioli, truffle huitlacoche salsa, brussel sprout salad) and more. 

I definitely need to go back to try the Duck Confit and Korean tacos. 

Poke

Some of the best I've had - so fresh, and the "whipped lime" was so creative and different. Big eye tuna, seaweed, spicy soy dressing, whipped lime and rice crackers. Phenom. 

Meat & Potatoes

On my last night, I dined at this Pittsburgh staple, also by Richard DeShantz. Another gorgeous space, I wasn't sure I would love this spot since I wouldn't consider myself a meat and potatoes kind of girl. I'm definitely more of a "vegetables & fish for the most part" girl. 

That being said, I spotted pot roast on the menu, and that is a huge comfort food for me. A very random dish that brings me back to my childhood and eating it with red cabbage. 

So many people recommended it that I decided it was worth a shot - plus, it was named one of Food & Wine's Best Gastropubs in the U.S. in 2014. 

Cocktails 

These cocktails were STRONG. I had two during my meal - both tequila based, obviously. The first was a special - basically a mezcal mule. It was strong and smoky and I could only drink it in small sips. The second was a lot sweeter and smoother - The Mexican Honeybee - Espolon tequila, lemon, smoked local honey, orange bitters and a mezcal rinse. Let's pretend I know what a mezcal rinse is, shall we? 

*Okay, I Googled it, and I'm pretty sure it just means they literally rinse the inside of the glass with mezcal before pouring in the cocktail. 

Fried Brussels 

Is it dinner if you don't get unhealthy Brussels Sprouts? Not really. 

These were fairly simple - Parmesan and lemon aioli - but tasted great. 

Lamb Ribs 

These were a special the night that we went to Meat & Potatoes - lamb ribs served with crunchy chickpeas ensure that I would be ordering it. The flavor was GREAT, but the meat wasn't as tender as I would have expected from a place that prides itself on it's meat! 

Mushroom Ragu Side 

HOLY GARLIC. You really couldn't even tell that these were mushrooms they were so over-seasoned with garlic. 

Pot Roast

Braised chuck roast, baby carrots, turnips, cipollini onions, parsnips, mashed potatoes and horseradish gremolata. 

WOW was this tender and just as comfort-food-y as I had hoped. I didn't even miss the red cabbage because of the combination of gravy + onions, parsnips, turnips and baby carrots. WOOT FOR ROOT veggies. 

The mashed potatoes weren't out of this world, but I've never really met a potato that I didn't like. 

This really hit the spot, as Pot Roast always seems to do when it's well done. 

Social House Seven 

This group outing results in ordering a TON of food - I was put in charge of ordering appetizers for the table - a roll I relish. I also love relish on my hot dog rolls. 

Anyway. Social House Seven is like the Pittsburgh version of Tao. Large, fancy inside with a huge Asian-fusion menu and koi fish swimming until a clear glass panel when you walk in the door. 

Among the items that we sampled: 

CHEE CHEE FRIED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
 

CRISPY ROCK SHRIMP
 

KI KING BROCCOLI
 

STEAMED PORK DUMPLING
 

GRILLED SHISHITO PEPPERS
 

WHOLE ROMANESCI

Grilled over a robata grill and served with whipped feta, these were very unique and very delicious. The texture made it impossible to think you were eating cauliflower. Though my coworkers didn't seem too thrilled, I thought they were great!

Sea Bass Pumpkin Noodle

This entree was SO good. I seriously loved it and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the whole meal in general. Squash ribbons and snow peas slathered in a red curry broth with red curried coconut with a big hunk of sea bass on top. While the fish was a little dry, the squash noodles and curry sauce made up for it. 

Peace Love & Little Donuts

Wouldn't be a trip without a donut spot! 

Pittsburgh's most well-known doughnut shop seemed to be Peace, Love & Little Donuts so we had a dozen delivered to the office on Valentine's Day (DUH!) 

While these doughnuts didn't make the top 5 list, they were delicious, as all doughnuts are in their own special way ;) 

I liked the fact that these were little - though it didn't stop me from eating them throughout the day. If anything, it made it easier to "just try one more...." 

I was shocked to find that my favorite flavor was the one coated in mini M&Ms! Never would have guessed that. 

Peace, Love & Little Donuts has "Groovy" donuts (the simple ones, like cinnamon and glazed), "Far Out" donuts (frosted donuts with flavors like strawberry, mocha, and chocolate), and the donuts that are more my speed - "Funkadelic" (frosting + crazy toppings). 

Overall, I was impressed with the food scene in Pittsburgh. There were tons of other places I wanted to try, and I never got my Pittsburgh Pierogies, but I left with a new favorite taco! 

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Where to Eat in DTLA

Some cities are more accommodating than others to visitors that are trying to eat healthy on the road. Whether you’re traveling for work or pleasure, Los Angeles is a city with endless dining choices – many of which focus on fresh, light, nutritious dishes. 

I was happy to travel to the west coast for 12 days in the middle of winter – determined to eat my way through the land of acai and poke bowls. Here are 9 spots I enjoyed on my trip.

Café Gratitude

This all-veggie all-organic hot spot has been on the top of my foodie bucket list for quite some time now, and it was the first place I went after arriving in California (after a quick sweat-session at Rise Nation…) Café Gratitude first popped onto my radar via Instagram – it’s a favorite among bloggers like @shutthekaleup.

We happened to go during Dine LA, the Los Angeles version of New York City’s “Restaurant Week.” We opted for the Dine LA menu, which allowed us to choose 2 dishes for $20 each. We only ate about 50% of the four dishes we ordered – not because we weren’t hungry or didn’t like it – but because it was an extremely generous amount of food for $20!

Brussels Sprouts

These were maple miso glazed and while they were perfectly fine, they were nothing super special. I’m always a fan of Brussels, but I still think the best I’ve ever had were at Bareburger. This could also be due to the fact that I ate them after having previously biked 30 miles and cried because I was so hungry and didn’t want to walk to the restaurant (true story).

Chili Bowl

Wow. Wowowow. This was so hearty and flavorful and the crumbled jalapeno biscuit was killer. This is the kind of dish you can make your meat-eating friends try and then say, “SEE! Eating vegan doesn’t mean giving up on filling, delicious meals!”

The chili was loaded with red beans, tempeh, sweet potato, avocado, and more.

The only thing we were a little unsure about was the dollop of what looked like whipped butter on top. It was actually a cashew sour cream, and though I tried to get on board with it, it just wasn’t my thing.

Pad Thai Kelp Noodles

This was a lighter dish than the chili and I loved the texture of the kelp noodles. If you’re in the mood for a cold dish but don’t want to go the salad route, I recommend ordering this.

Kelp noodles are smothered in a delicious Thai almond sauce with carrots, red bell pepper, kale, teriyaki almonds and sunflower sprouts.

Mole Abuelita Enchilades

I think this was my favorite of the 4 dishes. If I hadn’t known, I never would have guessed that these enchiladas had no meat or cheese in them. I was again blown away at how satisfying these were – with real authentic Mexican flavor to boot.

The dish is comprised of black beans, grilled Portobello mushrooms, braised butternut squash, avocado, Mexican coleslaw, esabeche and an amazing cashew queso fresco. I love cashew “cheese.”

When our waiter delivered our food, he gave us the “Question of the Day” which was “What inspired you?” My first reaction was, “This is a little too hippy-dippy for me, let me eat my food in peace” but, when in LA…

Emily and I actually discussed the question when the waiter walked away and I’m glad we did – it was an interesting topic. I first said that nature inspires me – watching sunsets is my favorite thing in the world – but I also loved Emily’s answers of traveling and seeing people we care about achieve their goals.

Another feel-good aspect of Café Gratitude, other than the name itself, is the fact that the menu items are all inspirational words like Ecstatic! Dazzling! and Humble! When the waiters bring you you’re food, they deliver it and say, “You are Dazzling,” “You are Lucky.” Thanks, hot hipster waiter, I know I’m Smokin’ ;) 

Next time I’m at Café Gratitude, I definitely want to try some of their refreshing sounding juices and elixirs like the pineapple, pear and ginger juice or the heavenly sounding smoothie with coconut cashew ice cream, almond milk, cacao nibs, almond butter and vanilla bean. KK.

Baco Mercat

I read about Baco Mercat on The Infatuation and was intrigued by their signature item, the “Baco” – part taco, part sandwich, part flatbread and 100% created by chef and owner Josef Centeno.

I also loved the rest of the menu – with a focus on small plates great for sharing and inspired by cuisines from across the globe.

This was the second restaurant in LA to tell me and my friends that we were ordering too much food – but the three of us did a solid job eating the following dishes:

Ricotta Fritters
honey, lemon zest, dill

None of us were impressed with these, sadly.

The Toron Baco
Oxtail hash, cheddar tater, horseradish-yogurt

The original Baco contained crispy pork belly and beef carnitas with caraway pepper sauce and salbitxada according to Baco Mercat’s website – but the Toron Baco is now the most talked about and for good reason! This was DELICIOUS and though I don’t really know exactly what oxtail hash is, I would gladly eat it again and again.

Double Mushroom Coca (Crispy or Chewy Flatbread)
Shitake, Crimini, Fontina, Chili Flakes

We opted for the crispy flatbread, and this was mushroomy masterpiece.

Caramelized Cauliflower
Pine Nuts, Mint, Garlic, Sumac Lebni, Chili

I always love cauliflower, and while this wasn’t over the top amazing, it was delicious as cauliflower always is – especially when paired with pine nuts!

Blistered Okra
Tomato, Fenugreek, basil, lebni, sesame

We were shocked at how much we loved this! There were a lot of different flavors in it, and after some research, I found out the Fenugreek is full of health benefits like reducing inflammation, improves exercise performance, and promotes milk flow in breastfeeding women! It’s also a key ingredient in many Indian curries. 

Caesar Brussels Sprouts
Pecorino, anchovy, garlic, croutons

This was served as a shredded Brussels Sprout salad and tasted exactly like a Caesar Salad!

Hamachi Crudo
Abkhazian spice, avocado, hash brown, crème fraiche

We all agreed that this was probably our favorite dish of the night – so light yet so flavorful! The Hamachi melted in your mouth!

Mainland Poke

My secret weapon when I’m traveling for work is ordering delivery to my hotel room using Postmates. Room service usually takes forever, is super expensive, and doesn’t have a ton of options (especially healthy ones).

Postmates, on the other hand, will deliver directly to your hotel room door (at most hotels) and there are SO MANY OPTIONS. Even restaurants that don’t offer their own delivery allow Postmates drivers to pick up food for delivery. 

When in California, I knew I needed to eat some poke – a raw fish salad originally from Hawaii. From Mainland Poke I ordered a 3 scoop bowl with baby greens, kelp noodles, Ahi tuna, salmon, octopus, avocado yuzu ponzu, cucumber, edamame, mango, seaweed, sweet onion, tobiko, black sesame and red sea salt. Basically, everything you could possibly put in a poke bowl – I ordered!

It was delicious and light while still incredibly filling. Everything tasted fresh and it was great as delivery because it didn’t need to be kept warm! 

Mas Malo 

We headed here for a big group dinner knowing that it was a favorite among some of our staff. 

Four Salsa Flight With Chips 

The four flavors were burnt habanero cream, fresh tomatillo, warm chocolate mole and fresh pico de gallo. It was a great spread, but little did we know, we missed the opportunity to order Mas Malo's famous off-menu "chewy chips" that my coworker had been raving about! 

After devouring multiple baskets of chips, we realized that our counterparts at another table were chowing down on chewy chips. once bite and we were hooked and had to order a round for our table too! These half-baked tortilla chips are seriously crack and you can't go to Mas Malo without ordering them! 

Guacamole 

Solid - with pomegranate seeds for a fruity punch! 

Sauteed Cactus and Onions
White Wine, Butter, Cilantro

We didn't know what to expect eating cactus, but it just tasted like a green vegetable - and what doesn't taste good smothered in white wine and butter? 

Roasted Squash
Squash, Dry Chili, Piloncillo

What's piloncillo? It's unrefined cane sugar - so this side dish was essentially dessert. YUM.

Carnitas "Al Pastor" 

For my entree I opted for the NorCal pork shoulder with achiote paste, pineapple juice, guacamole, and sour cream. I'm a sucker for fruit with my meat, especially when it comes to Mexican food. This was very tender and flavorful, though not that best Al Pastor I've ever had. I was so full of chips at this point, that I enjoyed the pork with the side salad instead of making tacos with the tortillas they served me. 

Tres Leches Cake 

This was wildly underwhelming - the only good part was the lower portion of the cake that had been soaking in the cream. Otherwise, it just looked pretty. 

Churros 

These were alright but they were mainly a vehicle for the decadent chocolate dipping sauce. 

Rawberri 

This was another Postmates order on a night I wanted to stay in - it's no shock that I was craving avocado toast and an acai bowl, and thankfully, Rawberri was able to deliver exactly that! 

Wild Bowl 

I went for the medium, and it was a perfect size. I was also shocked that when it came, it wasn't a soupy mess. It wasn't super thick, but there was granola, bee pollen, blueberries, strawberries and bananas so I was very happy! 

Avocado Toast

When it came to the avocado toast, it wasn't great because the toast was a little soggy, but at least it came on Ezekial toast! It also had quite a bit of kick to it with the chili flakes! 

Hoke Poke

Another day, while laying by the pool, I was simply too lazy to get up and get food. So again, it was time to call on Postmates to provide me with a poolside poke bowl. This time, from Hoke Poke. I opted for a small bowl with citrus kale, cilantro, cucumber, edamame, mango, Ahu Tuna, avocado, wasabi peas and a side of the Citrus Thai Basil Sauce.

I barely even needed the side of sauce because everything was so flavorful. My favorite part were definitely the wasabi peas!

This bowl was delivered with chopsticks only, so I struggled a bit to eat it, but felt very authentic ;)

True Food Kitchen

One night we took a bit of a drive to Santa Monica for another healthy-chain I’d heard a lot about. True Food Kitchen is a healthy, seasonal restaurant with a menu that’s constantly changing based on what is in season and fresh.

When the three of us looked at the menu, it was heaven. There was truly not one thing on there that we weren’t intrigued by.

We started with a round of drinks. I opted for the Ginger Margarita. Though I’m not usually a fan of tons of ginger, I’ve been drinking it more in my homemade smoothies and couldn’t turn down a margarita with honey and elderflower liqueur! It was delicious and refreshing with a definite ginger bite to it.

Our waitress informed us that many of the dishes we were planning on ordering were sold out for the day – but it didn’t stop us from ordering am incredible line-up of things to share!

Grilled Fish Tacos
Avocado, Greek Yogurt, Cilantro, Pickled Onion, Anasazi Bean, Cotija Cheese

These were such a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting such a great taco from this place, but they were spicy and delicious.

Butternut Squash Flatbread
Butternut Squash, Smoked Onion, Organic Kale, Vegan Almond Ricotta, Dried Cranberry

That vegan almond ricotta was KILLER and I never would have guessed it wasn't actually cheese! Something about squash and cranberries is just THE BEST. 

Chioggia Beet Bruschetta
Vegan almond ricotta, amaranth, arugula, pomegranate molasses

More vegan almond ricotta, more happy taste buds. This was one of my favorites! The toast was a crunchy, crumbly texture that I really liked and I was a big fan of the amaranth sprinkled on top. 

Spicy Panang Curry
Organic potato, long bean, bok choy, carrot, thai basil, coconut shrimp broth

This certainly had some spice to it! We got the chicken version, but there were still lots of veggies too which I liked! I'm not a huge chicken fan - most of the time it's boring and dry to me - but this wasn't dry at all and was drowning in flavorful curry.  

Charred Cauliflower
Harissa tahini, medjool date, dill, mint, pistachio

Is there anything in this dish that isn't something I love? NOPE. Who knew that witha little bit of Mediterranean flavor and a hint of African, you've got yourself a delicious cauliflower dish!?

Herb Hummus
Greek salad, feta, grilled pita bread

Unlike most of the other dishes at True Food Kitchen, which were GREAT - this hummus was just very middle of the road. 

Lemonade 

Lemonade is by far the best airport restaurant in the entire universe. There, I said it. It's only competition is the World Bean in JFK that served avocado toast AND peanut butter banana toast. 

But I digress. Lemonade is a health food chain with different locations throughout California. They are a quick-service, health-food restaurant offering build your own meal options including seasonal sides, salads, proteins and delicious lemonades! The stars of Lemonade are definitely their vegetable sides which rotate based on what's fresh and in season. 

Every time I go to LA I'm PUMPED to build my own plate of delicious salads like Roasted Broccoli with ricotta cheese and Champagne Vinaigrette, curry cauliflower and lentils with pomegranate seeds and sweet potatoes! Don't forget the protein - citrus poached salmon fillet with whole grain mustard sauce. 

We decided a lemonade with vodka was necessary pre-flight, and I went with the sugar-free rosemary something or other with vodka - I honestly didn't really love it - probably because it was lacking sugar! They looked pretty though! 

Broken Spanish 

One of my best friends from NYC happened to be in LA for a work trip at the same time I was, and we go to grab dinner together at a popular restaurant in the downtown area where we were both staying. 

I first read about Broken Spanish on The Infatuation - which is one of my most trusted restaurant review websites. They made the claim that, "Broken Spanish in DTLA is not fixing Mexican food. It's putting it on a level we never knew existed." With that GLOWING review - I added Broken Spanish to my list of "must-trys" before leaving LA. 

Broken Spanish was very nice inside and the wait staff were great. I appreciated that Erin trusted me and gave me full reins to order what I pleased.  Though the waiter warned us that it was going to be a lot of food, I went full steam ahead with the following plates:

Seasonal Tostada
Habas, Pea Salsa Verde, “Little Lamb,” Carrot Escabeche

This had a very vinegary taste to it, but was light and refreshing despite sitting atop a fried tortilla. I was a big fan of the carrot escabeche ad pea salsa verde in particular! This was definitely the "healthiest" tasting dish of the night. 

Chile Relleno
Poblano, Potato, Kale, Lemon, Soubise  

YUMMO. Erin and I both really enjoyed this - what is there to dislike about a pepper bursting with cheesy potatoes? 

Tamale
Lamb Neck, King Oyster Mushroom, Queso Oaxaca

The waiter was raving about how amazing their tamales are - so it seemed like a no brainer to order one loaded with mushroom and lamb, two of my favorite things. Unfortunately, we were really underwhelmed by this. The tamale itself was very dry, and though the lamb on top was tender and saucy, there wasn't enough to make up for the blandness of the tamale. 

Camote
Sweet Potato, Pig Tail, Trompa, Chile de Arbol, Verjus

Sign me up for any and all things sweet potato! This was probably the least sweet-potato-y sweet potato dish I've ever had. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I really didn't enjoy it very much despite being a little sweet and a little savory. Apparently, this dish was named one of the bet dishes of 2015 in LA. While I'm all for sweet potatoes having their moment, I just didn't really get this dish. And it wasn't particularly appealing looking either. Not to mention the fact that i ate pig tail...

Carnitas
Lamb Shoulder, Kabocha Squash Escabeche, Pomegranate Salsa

This meat was very tender, but not my favorite - something about the texture and consistency. I also didn't love the cold, vinegary squash escabeche. 

I left Broken Spanish pretty underwhelmed. I had been expecting an EPIC meal and it was just a good meal. 

My 10 Favorite Healthy Snacks Perfect For Your Carry-On

When I travel, the precious space in my carry-on is at least 50% dedicated to snacks. Is there a fear of being without snacks? I have that. 

Packing healthy snacks is the biggest way to avoid ordering fries from McDonald's or a sub-par doughnut from DD with your morning coffee. Planning and preparation are the biggest keys to making healthy choices! 

The following snacks are one that I often find in airports and frequently purchase during my travels. They've all been taste-tested and approved by ME. Obviously, packing vegetables and fruits is another great snacking option, but for now, we're going to focus on those pre-packaged products that are easy to shove in your overstuffed carry on. 

Happy, healthy-ish travels!

1.) Epic Bars

High In Protein
Low In Sugar
130-200 Calories
Keeps You Full
Sweet & Savory

I have a serious obsession with Epic bars. Ever since I discovered them at the Bear Mountain North Face Endurance Challenge my bags have been constantly stocked. Whenever I see them on sale at Whole Foods, I scoop them up by the handful. 

In fact, they've almost entirely replaced granola bars for me! A lot of granola bars on the market today are very high in calories, carbs and sugar and even though brands like KIND are made with real ingredients and healthy fats, their nutritional make-up isn't always what I'm after. 

Epic bars on the other hand are full of protein while staying low in carbs, sugars and calories. My favorite Epic bars are the ones that incorporate dried fruits so that you're getting the perfect balance of sweet and savory! 

Though portable meat snacks (which my roommate and I lovingly refer to as "meat bars") might sound strange at first, I promise they're a great well-balanced snack. Some Epic bars have up to 15 grams of protein which will help keep you full for longer than a lot of the carby-crunchy granola bars. 

2.) Wilde Snacks

100 Calories
Low in Sugar
High in Protein
Keeps You Full
Unique Flavors

If you can't find Epic bars, these are my second choice for next-level meat-snacking. Like Epic Bars, these aren't exactly jerky, but they're - well - meat protein bars! It doesn't sound appetizing, I know. But with flavors like Sweet Thai Basil, Turkey Cranberry and Peach BBQ, you can't tell me you aren't at least a little intrigued. Wilde Snacks feature beef, bison, turkey and chicken. 

All of Wilde Snacks' bars are 100 calories with between 10-11 grams of protein, 5 or less grams of sugar and less saturated fat than most of Epic's bars! They're a little smaller than an Epic bar, but still completely satisfying - especially because each bar has ingredients like quinoa, flax and chia seeds to keep you feeling full! 

A plus? I really like their packaging. 

3.) Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips

Satisfies Your Chip Craving
High in Vitamin A
Protein & Fiber To Keep You Full

I've talked about these bad boys before on the blog, but they remain one of my favorite flying treats. And did you know they're now available at Starbucks?! So easy to find these days, which is great considering how delicious they are. You'll never be tempted to go for the Doritos again (unless it's Superbowl Sunday - then you must eat lots and lots of Doritos, it's a fact). 

Their Cool Ranch flavor is probably my favorite, but all of their kale chips are flavored using all natural ingredients like tahini, lemon juice, dill, etc. 

One thing to keep in mind is that they aren't the best option for shoving in a bag seeing as they're pretty delicate. Once kale chips get all crunched up, they're not as satisfying. Kale powder << Kale chips. 

4.) Biena & The Good Bean Roasted Chickpeas

Crunchy
Sweet & Savory Options
Fiber & Protein To Fill You Up
Low In Sugar
Low in Calories  

Don't make me choose between these two brands please, because both are doing an amazing job bringing roasted chickpeas to the masses! For years I've been roasting chickpeas and coating them in cinnamon and other fun spice combinations but no more - I let Biena and The Good Bean do the work for me because I'm lazy and they do a better job anyway. 

Roasted chickpeas are one of my all-time favorite snacks because you can go sweet or savory, they're crunchy, healthy and super filling. 

I love sprinkling The Good Bean sea salt roasted chickpeas on top of my salads (croutons are so 2000) and eating the Biena honey roasted chickpeas by the handful could honestly satisfy my sweet tooth as a dessert. 

My one tip is to buy the smaller, pre-portioned packages otherwise you might end up at your destination realizing you've polished off an entire 5 serving package (not that I'm speaking from experience...) 

5.) Dang and Prana Coconut Chips

Delicious
Satisfies Your Sweet Tooth

I first fell in love with coconut chips when I tried Prana's unique flavors at the vegetarian food festival in Toronto. Unfortunately, they aren't (yet) in the US. 

However - I was hooked on the sweet, unique texture of coconut chips and needed to find a way to get my fix! Enter Dang. 

These are more on the indulgent side of the snacking scales. Since they aren't particularly high in protein or fiber, they won't keep you full and satisfied like some of the previous options. But they are certainly a better option than other sweet treats you'll find at the airport. 

Just be aware that they are sugary and high in saturated fat - although coconuts are known for their lauric acid content which is a healthier saturated fat that could potentially help with weight loss. 

6.) Purely Elizabeth Granola

Sweet
Crunchy
Lower In Sugar

Most of the time, granola is code for "sugar." But I love buying Purely Elizabeth's pre-packaged double portion granola because I don't risk way over-eating and it adds a sweet, crunchy boost to my yogurt! 

Yogurt is my go-to breakfast food and adding Purely Elizabeth granola is a guilt-free way to make it feel indulgent. 

The pumpkin fig flavor only has 6 grams of sugar in 1/3 of a cup which is unheard of for granola! 

7.) Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP and SkinnyPop Popcorn 

High In Fiber to Keep You Full
Sweet & Salty
Crunchy
Low Calorie
Low Fat

I will take a bag of either brand anyyyyy day for one of my most favorite healthy snacks on the go (and on my couch). 

Popcorn is high in fiber which means that it keeps you full and it's low in calories, sugar and fat! 

I will admit - I have a tendency to go for the kettle corn varieties which are higher in sugar and calories - but it's stopping me from buying a Snickers bar so I'm fine with it! 

Each brand has a ton of different flavor options including sea salt, kettle corn, white cheddar and even dusted dark chocolate! 

8.) Justin's Peanut and Almond Butter Single Serve Packets

Healthy Fats
Protein
Delicious
Keeps You Full
Satisfies Your Sweet Tooth

I have a confession to make. I still eat Skippy peanut butter and I'm not crazy about all natural PB. I'm not obsessed with Justin's - even though the entire healthy food blogosphere is gaga for their products. But I know it's healthier, and I'm trying to get on board!

All-Natural or not, I am obviously never found without peanut butter close by. You might be surprised to learn that I do not, in fact, travel with an entire jar of peanut butter. In lieu of a tub of PB, I opt for the single serving packets of Justin's when I'm traveling. These can be added to oatmeal or lathered on toast, rice cakes or bananas. It can be used as the dip for carrots, apple slices and celery.

But all the cool kids are just eating it straight from the packet. 

9.) Quest Bars 

Flavors Like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Low in Sugar
High in Protein
Low in Carbs
Keep You Full
CHOCOLATEY

Try as I might to move on from Quest bars, I keep coming back to them. I don't even love the flavor - but there is something familiar and satisfying about them and therefore, I usually bring a few on each trip. 

If you've somehow survived the past 5 years without hearing about Quest bars, they're protein-packed bars with dessert-like flavors that are low in sugar and carbs. 

But I have to be upfront - more and more I'm reading that Quest bars aren't as great as they appear based on their nutrition facts. You need to read the ingredient list to find the fake fiber, artificial sweeteners and processed protein sources. 

10.) Superseedz

High in Protein
High in Iron
High in Zinc

Gourmet pumpkin seeds? Yes. 

These are a wonderful bit of crunch to add to your salad, yogurt or oatmeal. Or again, go ahead and eat them straight out of the package. 

For such tiny little seeds - they pack a powerful flavor punch with all natural seasonings like maple sugar & sea salt, tomato Italiano, super spicy and even curry. 

Superseedz are packed with more than flavor though - they've also got a ton of protein (up to 9 grams per serving) and zinc. Zinc is huge for your immune system, and when you're flying and traveling and getting run down your immune system can use all the help it can get! 

So there you have it. 10 go-to snacks for healthy traveling and happy taste buds. Just wanted to throw it out there that none of these companies paid me to say nice things about them - I genuinely enjoy all of these products! 

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How To Eat Healthy-ish and Happy On The Road

New cities, famous restaurants, experimental dishes, adventurous cuisines and an extremely generous dining budget are what every culinary connoisseur’s dreams are made of. Such is life when you travel for work.

You’re in Philadelphia so you need to try a cheesesteak.

You’re in Chicago and you must have a slice of deep dish.

When in Buffalo, wings are a necessity.

Calories consumed in Vegas stay in Vegas, right?

You get my point. Everywhere you travel, whether it be for work, or for pleasure, will present you with tasty temptations that you know aren’t exactly the healthiest. But it’s not healthy to deny yourself completely either. So how do you find that middle ground? What is this elusive balance that everyone talks about?

I wish I could tell you I had all the answers. But like everyone else out there, I constantly struggle on the road when it comes to feeling a little guilty about my choices. It’s especially hard after weeks on end eating out at restaurants, getting drinks with coworkers, and feeling like I could just eat lettuce for the rest of my life!

But here’s the thing. There is no need to feel any guilt as long as you are consciously making decisions throughout the trip that are both indulgent and intelligent. 

INDULGENT 

Yes, it’s important to treat your body right and to fuel it properly. I’m assuming it’s not your custom to guzzle down deep dish pizza for breakfast lunch and dinner. But indulging in a slice (or 3) while you’re on your first trip to Chicago is an indulgence that you have every right to take! 

PLAN AHEAD 

This is where some preemptive food-research (the best kind of research there is) can come into play. Before your head out on your trip, figure out what the favorite local foods are and decide what you definitely need to chow down on during your trip.

I always factor in at least one donut shop, duh. In Toronto it might be poutine while a trip to Nashville calls for some fried hot chicken. Knowing before you go means that you have consciously made the decision to indulge – it’s an experience, and an enjoyable one at that – and there is absolutely no place for guilt!

It also means you can read up and find the best spot to get the dish you’re looking for. Nothing is worse than a disappointing meal when you’ve planned for it!

SPACE THEM OUT

You probably don’t want to have an entire day of indulgences because then you’ll have a stomach ache at night and nothing left to look forward to! 

BE FLEXIBLE 

You’re out at dinner and the waiter launches into a long spiel about their world-famous something or other that’s been written about by Anthony Bourdain and is an absolute must order. You hadn’t planned on eating deep fried bacon with a cheddar cheese dipping sauce but hey – it’s a must order. Sometimes, there are things ya just gotta go for!

*This is an entirely fabricated scenario, though deep fried bacon in a cheese dipping sauce couldn’t ever be bad, could it? 

INTELLIGENT 

Now that we’ve covered the indulging part, let’s talk about the being intelligent part. It’s not as fun, but I promise it will help keep you feeling balanced during your travels.

ACCEPT THE LOSS OF CONTROL 

This first piece of this puzzle means that acknowledging that your eating habits on a trip are not going to be the same as they are at home. You won’t have your kitchen or farmers market or your favorite chopped salad spot for grab and go lunches full of nutrients. Sometimes, the best option might be a Caesar salad with croutons AND parmesan cheese (gasp!) But once you relinquish that control (and you don’t really have a choice) all that’s left to do is make the most intelligent choices that you can (and want) to make. 

THE NEXT BEST CHOICE 

I’ll be honest – a lot of times you won’t feel like making the intelligent choice. You’ll be at a restaurant where everything on the menu sounds phenomenal and a salad just sounds sad and boring. Don’t order the sad and boring salad because then you’ll be sad and boring too. Order “the next best thing” and try to find that sweet spot between making your taste buds happy and giving your body something that is at least somewhat good for your insides.

When you’re eating a catered lunch with only a few options or you’re out with your department at a pre-determined restaurant, there’s often not much you can do to make it a “healthy” meal. To be a little harsh – you need to deal with it. It’s really not the end of the world.

Here are a few instances where I’ve found intelligent, healthy choices to be the most possible while traveling for work. 

AIRPORT SNACKS 

You could easily eat McDonald's and other fast food while you're flying - it's convenient, easy to grab, and it's there - tempting you with it's shiny neon signs and scents of freshly fried fries.

OR you could come prepared with snacks that you're able to carry-on with you you. A bag of cut up veggies, healthy popcorn, granola bars, fruits, sandwiches, salads - you can get through security with all of it! (Just don't pack a yogurt - I've had many a Chobani confiscated at security!) 

If you show up to the airport empty handed, have no fear! Many airport shops are now stocked with tons of healthy snacks. Plus it's a work trip, so you can splurge on some healthier options even if they aren't exactly cheap. KIND bars, Justin's Peanut Butter, Biena chickpeas - load up on healthy snacks so you're not tempted to grab the M&Ms, Cracker Jacks or Big Macs. 

OFFICE SNACKS 

When I'm on the road, we're usually working out of trailers or other untypical office spaces. People are running around all day and work up quite an appetite. One thing that we always have is a snack table. 

And that snack table sits there and tempts you alllllll day. With Snickers and trail mix and granola bars and Goldfish and popcorn and Doritos and every snack you could imagine. 

I once took a Munchkin, cut it in half, and made it into a Peanut Butter Banana sandwich. The snack table clearly won that day. 

To combat the temptation to grab a handful of Brookside chocolate covered blueberries every 10 minutes (THEY ARE TOO ADDICTING) - I have two tips. 

1) Give yourself set snack times throughout the day. Yes, like you're in Kindergarten again. Try to get into a consistent schedule. For example, if you eat breakfast at 9, have a snack at 11 and lunch at 1 (followed by a bite of something sweet if you have a sweet tooth) and another snack before dinner. Knowing you can eat a snack at a certain time means you'll be less likely to pick and graze throughout the day. (I said less likely, not that it won't happen!) 

2) Keep the snack healthy. Just because it's "snack time" doesn't mean it's time to eat a sleeve of Oreos disassembled and made into peanut butter sandwiches (something else that I've done). If the snack table has nuts or trail mix, go for that instead of the candy bar. If there's popcorn, choose that over the bag of chips. 

Ideally, each trip I make a stop at a grocery store and stock up on my own healthy snacks that I squirrel away and keep separate from the snack table. I always try to have some type of bar (my favorites are Epic Bars and Quest Bars), rice cakes and peanut butter, baby carrots if there's a refrigerator in our office space, and something sweet like coconut or banana chips. 

Make the snack count. You want it to actually nourish you and keep you satisfied! 

GET CREATIVE 

View fullsize

Recently, my coworkers and I stopped at a deli on the way to the office and ordered bagels. I ordered a bagel with hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprouts. I had also taken a hard boiled egg from the free hotel breakfast. 

I wasn't really looking forward to a crappy bagel from Michigan so when I got to the office I created this master-piece: A rice cake with the hummus, tomato, cucumber and sprouts from the bagel along with a hard boiled egg. A lot healthier than eating the entire bagel, and still entirely delicious!  

CHOOSE RESTAURANTS WISELY

There are certain types of restaurants that are going to be a lot easier to make healthy choices at. Mediterranean, for example. Or a seafood spot. Big pasta dinners and Southern style restaurants might not be as good of an option unless you're OK with making lots of special requests or ordering the lone salad item on the menu. 

When I'm traveling for work there are a few key terms that I use alllll the time while I'm Googling the shit out of restaurants in the area. They are:

1) Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurants 

Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, or a meat-lover - I always try to scope out restaurants that are at least friendly towards these dietary restrictions. I've found that it usually means a menu focused on healthier ingredients, fresh vegetables, and creative menu items. 

2) Fast Casual Restaurants 

No, I'm not suggesting that Chipotle every day is a good way to stay healthy on the road. But there are quite a few health-food spots of the fast casual variety. In New York, I know all those spots - Dig Inn, Hu Kitchen, Sweetgreen, Cava Grill, etc. But it's always my mission to find their counterparts in other cities. 

In Toronto it was Kupfert and Kim, in Chicago it's LYFE Kitchen, in Boston it's B.Good, in LA it's Lemonade. 

These places are my  jam not only because they make eating healthy a breeze and are delicious - but they don't require a full meal service after a long day! 

3) Farm to Table 

This is probably my most frequently searched term. This is the best of balance, in my opinion. Farm to table restaurants aren't necessarily 100% healthy in their menu options, but you never feel guilty about eating food that is made using organic, fresh, locally-sourced, real ingredients. At least I sure don't!

Finding a farm to table restaurant near your next work trip is the go-to move, I'm tellin' you! 

DON'T BE AFRAID TO EAT ALONE 

If everyone is going out for a big Mexican fiesta and you want to check out the all-organic locally-sourced cafe down the road - don't be afraid to eat out alone and do your own thing! Bring your cell phone and a book and you're good to go. Sometimes, especially on work trips, the time alone is much-needed. Eating out alone isn't awkward. I promise, just try it. 

DELIVERY IS YOUR FRIEND 

If you're constantly strapped for time while you're on the road, most cities have delivery services like Seamless, Grub Hub, Uber Eats and Postmates that can bring the good stuff right to your hotel room door! It's like having an endless room-service menu and I do it all.the.time. I've even had things delivered to me before I leave in the morning so I can start my day with an acai bowl (#HighMaintenance). 

A lot of the healthier places may be out of the way from where you're staying but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them. Thanks, technology! 

DRINK A LOT OF WATER 

And tea! These will help keep you full and flush out all the salt and toxins you aren't used to consuming as frequently at home. Plus, being hydrated is key to staying healthy while you're on planes, in hotels, and sharing cramped office spaces with coworkers in the middle of the winter. 

I don't typically drink a lot of water, but when I'm traveling, I drink at least double my normal water amount. And I have 1-2 Emergen-C's EVERY day. 

KEEP YOUR COFFEE COFFEE! 

Coffee every morning on a work trip becomes a nice routine, a comforting start to the day, and ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to make it through the long hours. But don't fall into the trap of ordering dessert for your drink just because work is footing the bill. Keep your coffee order, well, coffee! 

None of this Frappuccino, Mocha Choca latta ya ya (heh) nonsense. 

My go-to order is a grande Americano with an extra shot and some coconut milk (I told you, coffee is absolutely necessary). 

PREEMPTIVELY SATISFY YOUR SWEET TOOTH 

Keep a few options in your hotel room for a sweet treat before bed, if that's your style (it's definitely mine). This helps me to pass on dessert when I'm out for dinner because I know when I get back I can have a piece of dark chocolate or a handful of kettle corn before calling it a night. 

ALCOHOL 

This is a big one. It would be easy to have a glass of wine out with dinner every night on the road. You feel like you need it, you deserve it, you want it. But I try to save the drinks for times when I'm out with a group or the nights that the drinking might carry on to after dinner. 

To me, it's not worth it to have a glass of wine by myself at the restaurant or to have one at dinner if I know everyone is immediately going back to the hotel to crash into bed after the meal. 

HEALTHY-ISH 

Healthy-ish is the name of the game when you're on the road. Sometimes, food can just make us feel better when we're stressed and a little homesick and if that means eating a Pop-Tart (or vowing to sample every new flavor with a co-worker, true story) then so be it. 

You're never going to eat 100% healthy when you're on the road. It's impossible given the fact that you're not cooking for yourself. 

But if you mentally allow yourself to enjoy the indulgences while still making intelligent decisions whenever possible throughout you're trip, you'll find that healthy-ish balance and feel a lot better when you return home. 

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The Best Parts of Traveling for Work

My previous post highlighted some of the main things I struggle with during extended work travel. Like everything in life, work travel isn’t 100% perfect all of the time. That being said – it’s an amazing opportunity especially as a twenty-something with no house, family, etc. to worry about. I know how lucky I am to go on these trips, and there are a number of reasons I wouldn’t dream of trading them in for a more sedentary job.

EXPLORING NEW CITIES

By far the best part of work travel is getting to visit so many new cities. Since I started traveling for work, I’ve become obsessed with reading and creating travel guides that show you the “real” spots in cities across America. No TripAdvisor recommendations for me!

When you’re in a city for over a week, you can really start to get a feel for it – and I’ve fallen in love with quite a few cities on the road. It’s also made me realize that while European and international travel is a great experience – there is SO MUCH to explore in our own country.

Chicago, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, San Jose, St. Louis, Washington DC, Buffalo, Toronto, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Vancouver, Detroit, Nashville, Columbus, Minneapolis and Boston are all places I’ve gotten to go for work. And each time I visit a new state or city, it makes me anxious to get to the next spot on my list (which is rapidly growing!)

GETTING OUT OF THE OFFICE

I don’t think anyone dreams of sitting in a cubicle day in and day out. It can be monotonous, boring and mind-numbing. It’s certainly wanderlust-inducing. Having my year broken up with intermittent trips does a lot to keep me from feeling trapped in an office.

When I travel, sure, I’m in another office setting – but it’s a change of pace and a change of scenery that makes office-life bearable the other days of the year.

EATING OUT

This one is definitely a double-edged sword. As someone who is border-line-obsessed with restaurants and food, I would be remiss not to include this on my list.

I touched on the reasons that it isn’t all its chalked up to be – eating out 3 meals a day for weeks on end can in fact make you feel like crap – but I think the reasons that it’s awesome are fairly obvious.

My hands down favorite meal ever was at Girl and the Goat in Chicago on a work trip. I still think about the soft-serve spot I found, and frequented, in Philadelphia. Is there anything better than a company-paid acai bowl on the Venice Beach boardwalk? And it goes without saying that my donut-escapades would not be possible without my various work trips!

SEEING YOUR HARD WORK PAY OFF

When I’m on the road, it’s typically for an event that my job is putting on. I can’t imagine a better reward for weeks of hard work and long hours on the road than seeing these large-scale events come to fruition. Not only do I get to see the events unfold, but I get to see fans enjoying them!

I still get chills and tear up at some of our events – and it’s during those moments that the exhaustion and tears and missed moments at home – the stress over crappy food choices and missed training runs – matter a whole lot less and it all seems worth it. Because my job is pretty damn awesome.

WORK HARD PLAY HARD

In my experience, when people are on the road and dealing with long hours, stressful days, and lack of routine – they tend to gravitate towards bars at the end of the day.

There is never a shortage of people ready to go out for a drink at the end of the day and there are many fun nights on the road. Open bars and free food and parties abound.

I’ve gotten to see concerts, sporting events and more as part of my work trips. In fact, my first NBA game was made possible by a work trip! It’s not all work, all the time, though you are always with coworkers so it’s important to keep that in mind while you’re enjoying yourself.

RELATIONSHIPS

The bond you form with coworkers that you travel with is a lot different than a typical office setting. There are many more opportunities to talk and interact in non-traditional settings and situations. Get your head out of the gutter – all I’m trying to say is that the vibe on the road is much more relaxed. Wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants and working out of a trailer tends to put people in a different mindset than they are in a corporate office building in Times Square.

Granted, running into coworkers at the gym in the mornings took some getting used to, but we’re all in it together which is a cool feeling. It’s kind of like being on a sports team or in a gang when you take over a hotel with your coworker #squad.

The biggest bonus of work travel is that you automatically have people who get it. All those things I talked about that are hard to deal with when you’re constantly traveling for work? The things you can’t quite find the words to explain to friends and family back home? Your work friends know exactly what it’s like.

I’ve formed extremely close friendships with the people that I spend time on the road with. It’s important to keep your work life and personal life separate, but there are also instances where forming a friendship that transfers outside of the work-realm is necessary.

It seems to me that most people end up with that one friend in particular who is not only their coworker but one of their best friends IRL as well. Call it your “work-wife” if you will – this person is the one who keeps you sane and is single-handedly responsible for getting you through those long trips. They’re the one who calms you down when you’re ready to have a break down. They’re the one who knows about things going on in your life outside of work and can have a totally non-work-related conversation with you at the end of the day. They’re the one who you’ll eat dinner with in the hotel lobby when you can’t bear another dinner out with the department.

BREAK FROM SOME OF LIFE'S RESPONSIBILITIES

I’m not going to lie – getting a break from doing laundry and dishes and making your bed can be nice. Sure I miss my apartment on the road, but it’s nice to come home to a hotel room where everything has been cleaned. I have fresh towels and a new batch of toiletries and I could even have dinner delivered to my room every night if I wanted to.

As a resident of NYC – a week or more of taking taxis whenever I need to get somewhere instead of trekking to and from my destinations on the subway is a great mental break.

SKYMILES & OTHER SUPERFICIAL THINGS

Of course there are some superficial perks as well – and I can’t pretend they aren’t pretty cool:

• Racking up my own Skymiles every time I fly
• Ditto for hotel points
• Starbucks err day - make it a Venti for good measure
• Not having to stress if my luggage is overweight – which it usually is
• Making bank in overtime
• Free outfitting for every event
• Visiting November Project workouts throughout the US and Canada!

So there you have it! Why it’s all worth it. Up next, how to stay healthy on the road – how to keep fit and how to eat okayish. 

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8 Reasons Work Travel Isn't A 'Vacation'

For those people who know about my life through the lens of social media - they probably think I've been on a vacation in Toronto for the past month. 

Eating out, drinking, going to workout classes, concerts, and hockey games. Those are the things highlighted on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. But if traveling for work has taught me one thing, it's the absolute truth behind the idea that social media is the highlight reel of someone's life. 

I recognize how incredibly lucky I am that my job allows me to not only travel, but experience amazing things that many people can only dream of. There are certainly a number of perks to life on the road - someone to make my bed every morning and give me clean towels and fresh water bottles. But in some moments the not-so-great parts outweigh the positive parts. 

Here's the truth about the roller-coaster of emotions I experience on work trips - behind the smiling Instagrams and non-stop-party Snaps. 

YOU'RE ALWAYS WORKING - ALWAYS 'ON'

When you're away on a work trip, there's no "off" button. Even when you shut down your laptop for the day and stop checking your emails, you're surrounded by co-workers. You walk into the hotel lobby and there they are. You walk to the nearest restaurant and there are tables full of coworkers. And you think when you grab a drink or dinner with them work-talk is off limits? No shot. It's the one commonality and so therefore, it's usually the main topic. 

When you're around coworkers, you need to be "on." You need to be acting professional, you need to be watching what you say, you need to be making small talk because they aren't people you're comfortable with in silence. 

As an introvert, it gets old really fast. 

TIP:

The best way to deal with this is having one co-worker who is an IRL friend too – someone who knows about your life outside of work and who you can have a non-work related conversation with.

It’s also great if you happen to know someone in the city you’re visiting who isn’t a coworker. A night out with them can make a huge difference!

This co-worker turned real-life friend turned not-coworker was free to grab drinks on a work trip to Chicago. It felt like a mini break!

HOTEL ROOMS ARE LONELY

That being said, there's nothing worse than going back to an empty hotel room. It's not your space, and so therefore it's not the same relaxing feeling you get when you open the door to your apartment at the end of a long day. 

At the end of the day I typically return home to an apartment with two roommates, or I got for a group run or have dinner with a friend. While hanging out with co-workers isn't always appealing, it's also not appealing to have zero human interaction for the remainder of your day. 

TIP:

Skype or Facetime with people from home if you’re in early one night.

If you want a low-key night but aren’t ready to lock yourself away in your room quite yet – order some delivery to the hotel lobby and eat with a co-worker.

EATING OUT - ALL. THE. TIME.

It's no secret that I absolutely LOVE eating out and trying new restaurants. It's up there on my list of all time favorite things to do. 

That being said, I'm also a fan of eating healthily for the most part - and I typically cook my own food throughout the week. I pack breakfast and lunch and bring it to work with me, and most nights I cook my dinner too. 

When I'm on the road, I lose the ability to prep my meals for the week - breakfast, lunch and dinner need to be bought out. It's delicious, don't get me wrong. But it takes a toll on my body when I'm eating so many meals from restaurants that don't prepare their food very "cleanly." 

The biggest thing I notice is that amount of salt - I always feel so bloated when I'm constantly eating out. 

The other problem? I'm a meal prepper. I'm used to getting home and popping something into the microwave and sitting down to eat it. My breakfast and lunch is pre-packed and ready to go. Zero thought, zero effort, zero wait. 

When I'm on the road and working long days, the last thing I want to do is figure out where I'm eating. Sure, I could stop at the first place I see - but that's so not me. I've got a million Yelp tabs open and I'm trying to figure out the best place for a delicious, somewhat healthy meal that isn't going to make me feel like crap afterwards. Then I'm trying to figure out how close it is to my office or hotel. Then comes the fact that instead of sitting on my couch and eating within 5 minutes, I'm sitting down at a restaurant dealing with the whole service. 

I know, it sounds like a crazy thing to complain about. But from deciding what you want to eat, to when you want to eat, to who you want to eat with - 3 times a day - it's a lot of extra thought and planning that gets really old. 

TIP:

I’ll have a whole post on this soon -  but it’s important to let yourself enjoy, but also not get swept up in the “YOLO IT’S FREE” attitude.

FOMO

When on a work trip, your life is in a weird kind of freeze-frame. Your real life is on hold while your work-trip-life becomes your new reality. What's hard is the fact that back home, life is still moving on without you there. Friends birthday party's, family events, group runs and potluck dinners happen whether you're around to take part in them or not. 

I'm usually fine with waking up on a Sunday morning and going to work when I'm on the road - what else am I going to do? But the second I open up Snapchat or Instagram, I realize, "Right, it's the weekend - friends and family are living their lives and I'm...here." Seeing all the things happening at home without me never gets easier to brush aside. 

I've missed my dad's birthday, my sister's birthday, New Year's Eve, my mom's birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and many other things while on work trips. 

TIP:

For me, one of the ways I unconsciously combat this is by being pretty disconnected from home while I’m away. I always tell myself I’m going to do a great job at staying in touch but usually, I’m pretty distant. I don’t follow up with messages and texts, I don’t Facetime or call often, I try to stay off of Facebook – it’s a defense mechanism that sometimes makes me feel bad but also stops me from fixating on the things that I’m missing. It’s hard to explain how I’m feeling when I’m away – so I’ve stopped trying to explain it to friends and family and instead just live in my own little “road bubble” while I’m gone.

SLEEP NO MORE

I am someone who is very good at sleeping. I can fall asleep anytime, anywhere. But when you aren't sleeping in your own bed for weeks at a time, it's hard to get the same quality of sleep. And long hours + not great sleep can = some serious bad moods. 

TIP:

Melatonin. And for a long-haul trip, my pillow-pet from home. Sad, but true.

ANTI-GLAM

When I'm on the road, sure I'm staying at a hotel which is nice but my long hours are typically spent in either a locker room, batting cages, a trailer, or some other converted office space. It's not exactly glamorous to work at a folding table and stare at a wall constantly. 

Have you ever used porta-pottys and trailer toilets for 18 days? It smells like you're being locked inside a room with 50 litter boxes. I actually get queasy thinking about it. 

This trip, security was sent to the bathrooms because, "I smells like someone might have died in there." 

Also not glamorous? Traveling during the winter months - delayed flights, slushy commutes, lots of colds on the road when you can't be in the comfort of your own place. Traveling and flying can take quite the toll on your body. 

This is an example of not-ideal travel conditions. A boot, a snowstorm - and we had just taken a bus 8 hours from Ohio because all flights were cancelled. 

TIP:

For my longest work trip, I brought some pictures from home and taped them up on my trailer wall to give me a daily smile. You could also buy yourself some flowers for your desk!

As far as the health side-effects of traveling and long hours - EMERGEN-C! Lots and lots of it. 

THE INTERNAL DIALOGUE

Here's a look inside my head when I'm on a work trip and I get out of the "office."

FREEDOM! What should I go and do? 
I really don't feel like doing ANYTHING but sleeping. 
You have some time to yourself, enjoy it! Explore! Find a nice restaurant! 
This is my first down time in a week, maybe I should just relax in the hotel room and order room service. 
How depressing is it to just go lock yourself in your hotel room and be alone the rest of the night? 
I just want to hang out with my friends. 
Maybe I'll call one of them. 
That's just going to make you sad to hear about all the things they've been doing at home. 
Alright just grab dinner with a coworker and be social. 
I'm so over small talk - take some time for yourself. 
It's a night off in [insert city here] - go out! Have fun! You're 26 years old! Live it up! 
You have a long day of work tomorrow you can't be going out and drinking too much. 

It's like that, on an endless loop. 

TIP:

Realizing that it’s OK if you don’t feel like doing anything. You don’t need to “take advantage” of every night by having grandiose plans exploring and eating and partying. Calling it a night at 9 p.m. and ordering room service while watching Netflix is actually an IDEAL SITUATION that you should totally go for.

ROUTINE RE-ROUTED

You’re daily routine is completely squashed while you’re on the road. Your eating habits are forced to change, your workout habits are forced to change, your social life is forced to change, your sleep habits are forced to change.

If you’re someone who likes consistency and routine in their life, it can take some serious adjusting to accept that you no longer have your gym, your bike, your running routes, your workout groups, your kitchen, your microwave – even a refrigerator.

What might not be expected is the major adjustment it is on those first few days back home in your apartment and at the office. You’ve just seen your coworkers in a much different setting for an extended period of time and it’s always weird to go from running into them in the hotel lobby to running into them at the copy machine.

And getting home and facing laundry, dishes and other household chores you haven’t had to worry about is always a bit of a bummer.

TIP:

Again, I’ll have a post about keeping some normalcy to your workout routine in a future post. The rest of it, I’ve found, it just something you need to live with. It’s a bit of a roller coaster – you finally adjust to life on the road and then you’re thrown back into “real life.”

Coming up next, I’ll highlight some of the best parts of traveling for work along with ways to adjust your routine to maintain a somewhat healthy lifestyle on the road, while granting yourself some flexibility and forgiveness to enjoy new cities and experiences. 

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Canadian Culinary Adventures: Where To Eat in Toronto

Oh Canada, my home and native...

Sorry, I keep forgetting that I'm not actually Canadian as I recently went on my longest work trip to date - spending a solid three weeks in Toronto, Ontario. 

I must say - it's a beautiful city. I didn't have a ton of time to explore, as I was working out of a trailer in a parking lot, but the times that I did get out for runs along the water, November Project workouts, and delicious dinners - I was all about it! 

Here's the run down on the spots I enjoyed while in Toronto, eh? 

Veg Food Fest

My first night as an 18-day resident of Toronto, I was thrilled to discover that there was a vegan food festival happening a few blocks from my hotel.

I spent the night stuffing myself with vegan food samples – vegan cheese, milk, sausage – you name it, they had a vegan version!

Some of my favorite finds from the night were:

Earth Island Vegan Cheese

They were giving out free blocks of their Provolone cheese and even though it was completely vegan, I was OBSESSED! They served it cold and it was so hard not to eat the entire block of cheese. On my way home to New York, I even bought one of these in the airport as a snack!

Prana Coconut Chips

These things were FREAKING AMAZING. I could have stood eating the samples all night long. I liked every flavor equally. It's interesting to eat a savory flavored coconut chip because no matter what, it still has the sweetness of the coconut to it. The texture was what made them great. 

They also sell 100% hazelnut and almond butter and I cannot explain to you how incredible the taste was. It ain’t cheap - $43 for 35 ounces but it was the purest tasting stuff in the world.

I bought a bag of these for us to snack on in our trailer throughout the week. 

Upbeet Foods

This new food delivery service was challenging people to a blind taste test – guess three ingredients and you got a 50% off coupon! I chose the savory and correctly identified onion, pepper, couscous and black beans! It was really tasty.

The Green Zebra

Though I was stuffed after all of the free sampling, I decided to buy something for a somewhat real “dinner.”

I ordered the Thai Salad think d from Green Zebra Kitchen (a healthy meal delivery system) which came with zoodles, grains, cilantro, veggies and a delicious almond butter dressing. It was light and full of flavor and the perfect way to end the night on my walk “home” along the water. 

St. Lawrence Market

My second morning in Toronto was a Saturday and I didn’t need to get such an early start. I woke up, worked out at the gym, and ran the quick .8 miles over to the St. Lawrence Market. I of course had a great time looking around at all the stalls and though I was tempted to get a Montreal bagel, I held off until my sit down brunch. The St. Lawrence Market was rated #1 in the world by National Geographic! I was a little skeptical of that claim after my visit, but there was certainly tons of fresh food to look at.

The St. Lawrence Market is closed on Sundays, so keep that in mind on your visit! 

Impact Kitchen

A quick shower after the St. Lawrence Market and I was off to brunch at Impact Kitchen, whose healthy eating guidelines are:

Ingredients Matter.
Don’t Count Calories Count Quality.
Eat Minimally Processed Food.
Plant Power.
All Proteins are Not Created Equal.
Embrace Healthy Fats.
Hydrate With Purpose.

The place is open and spacious with a weekend breakfast menu that includes paleo waffles, a frittata, breakfast bowls, smoothie bowls and avocado toast. It covers alllll the bases – plus offers juices, smoothies and coffee.

My friend and I each ordered a Power Breakfast Bowl – spinach, chorizo sausage, scrambled eggs, salsa fresca, sweet potato, squash mash, avocado and green onion. It was very fresh and filling.

We also split the Superfood Bread (gluten free chia flax bread) with “avocado smash” but the avocado to put on the toast was the same as the avocado that came with our bowl and the bread wasn’t that flavorful.

Our Americano Mistos with Almond Milk were good, but not great.

Though this is my favorite type of place – it wasn’t my all-time favorite. They have many lunch bowls and salads as well, and I’d love to give their smoothies a try.

Plus – free WiFi and we were able to snag an outlet to get some work done.

We also went to Impact Kitchen for dinner one night and I appreciated the fact that they had kombucha. I ordered the Maverick Bowl with vegetable mash, avocado smash, broccoli, salsa fresca, sprouts, hemp seeds, almonds and pesto. I was very underwhelmed, as everything was pretty bland, but the best part was definitely the blackened trout I had added on top!

We also split a Vanilla Berry Chia Seed pudding for dessert that wasn’t thrilling.

Impact Kitchen is one of those places that serves very fresh food with very little preparation – it’s definitely healthy, but it isn’t the most delicious thing in the world. it’s the reason some people think healthy food is a little boring.

The Beet Cafe

Dinner on Saturday night before our 10K was a bit further out of the way than we thought, but ended up being worth it in the end.

The Beet Café wasn’t fancy by any means, but I got one of the best sandwiches in my entire life. I ordered “The Verde” sandwich which was loaded with avocado, tamari ginger tofu, cheddar, spicy mango chutney, fresh herb aioli, pickled red onions, cucumber and sprouts. Paired with a bomb side salad and a side of sweet potato fries for the table, I was in heaven and ate every scrap of food.

Like I said – the ambience was a little lacking, but the food more than made up for it. They also have an impressively large smoothie menu!

Kupfert & Kim

For a post-race brunch we headed to a vegetarian restaurant called Kupfert & Kim and I had an incredible quinoa bowl that was very reminiscent of our favorite dish at Galeria in NYC – the Cauliflower Tahini bowl from Kupfert & Kim was packed with quinoa, hummus (some of the best hummus ever at that), roasted cauliflower, za’atar salsa, carrots, cabbage, beets, mint, pomegranate (key), greens, watermelon radish (the prettiest), sesame seeds and a lemon tahini dressing that tasted like heaven. It also came served with a delicious seeded flatbread.

Kupfert and Kim was casual and cute inside with KOMBUCHA ON TAP, WiFi, coffee and club-like music. We were perfectly content to do some work as we listened to “We Found Love” and “Turn Up The Music.” Also – they serve alcohol here – something to keep in mind if you want a healthy brunch with a side of booze (which is the best kind, IMO). 

Tabule

For awhile, I didn’t have a go-to meal before a race, but in the last few months I’ve gotten it down to a pretty standard dinner and that dinner is one of my favorite cuisines – Mediterranean and Greek!

This wasn’t the night before a race, but I was still happy to eat a delicious, somewhat healthy, completely satisfying meal at Tabule.

They have two locations in Toronto, and though we weren’t able to get a table outside, the ambiance at the Queen Street location was great.

We had a FEAST of appetizers and their sample platter (pick any 3 cold appetizers) was an extremely generous portion of hummus, babaganuj (eggplant dip) and labni (a homemade Lebanese yogurt cheese mixed with spices). I think the labni might have been my favorite – it was like a really thick, creamy, rich, savory yogurt.

The pita was thick, soft and warm – aka perfect pillows of pita-y goodness.

We also ordered some vegetarian grape leaves which were a tad on the disappointing side as were the kubbe (whole wheat shell stuffed with ground meat, onions and pine nuts).

The cauliflower appetizer - flash fried cauliflower finished with a touch of tahini – was addictive.

Since we went all in on the appetizers, my friend and I split an entrée – the lamb skewers entrée – two lamb skewers served with rice and vegetables. We should have paid the upcharge for a double serving of veggies as we could have done without the rice after all of our pita!

The lamb we OK, but nothing to write home about. It was a little on the dry side, though slathering it in tzatziki certainly helped.

I’m sure that Toronto has better Greek food, but the atmosphere and apps made Tabule worthwhile and I would recommend it to folks looking to enjoy cocktails and shareable appetizers. Especially if you can get a seat outside! Their cocktails sounded and looked great – though I can’t speak for them from experience. 

Fresh Restaurants

One restaurant that kept coming up in my “healthy dinner” Google searches was Fresh – serving vegan and vegetarian food with four locations in Toronto.

I had read that their quinoa-crusted onion rings were to die for – and though we didn’t end up ordering them, I saw them at a few tables and they were impressive looking.

We were exhausted when we arrived at Fresh after work one night and immediately ordered some “Green Poutine.”

Leave it to us to find a healthy version of the gravy and cheese-laden French fry dish that Canada is famous for. Our sweet potato fries came smothered in roasted mushroom gravy, steamed baby bok choy, kale & swiss chard, green onions and sunflower seeds. With a side of vegan cheese sauce for good luck. We inhaled it. The roasted mushroom gravy was like CRACK.

The Fresh menu has a large variety of choices – salads, tacos, burgers, and bowls with either rice or soba noodles. There are so many options, as each dish can be customized in a variety of ways. I was a little overwhelmed – but one thing spoke to me – the soup, salad and cornbread combo. Because I LOVE CORNBREAD.

This cornbread was pretty dry, but you could tell that it was a “clean” cornbread made with actual corn. I loved dipping it in my split pea and sweet potato soup (it had a hint of curry to it which was delicious!) The salad that came with it was the superfood salad – edamame, napa cabbage, cucumber, assorted sprouts and microgreens, parsley, cilantro and “fresh salad topper.” Mine was dressed with the “house” dressing – a vinaigrette with flax oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, tamari and mustard that was quite delicious and not too overpowering.

I loved Fresh because while it was, well, fresh, and healthy – it was far from bland and boring.

The service and ambiance weren’t great, but the place was packed and the food was great. 

El Catrin

Three things I really love are family-style small plates, margaritas and guacamole.

El Catrin is one of the few Mexican tapas restaurants I’ve been too and each time I look at the menu I am impressed by its depth and creativity.

Not to mention their larger than life bar and restaurant interior which reminds me of the Mexican Tao – you feel like going there for a meal is an event. You feel like a somebody the second you walk through the door.

We sat at the bar because it was bumpin’ – there was even a long line of people waiting to get onto the patio seating. I ordered the Reposado margarita because if I know one thing, it’s that a phenomenal margarita’s secret ingredient is Grand Marnier.

Guess who sat down next to us? Robby from the Bachelorette. No big deal!

We thought I went a little overboard on the ordering, but the serving sizes are pretty small, so it ended up being a pretty good amount of food.  Here’s what we ordered (for 2):

Guacamole – Regular size
This is the real deal, made in front of you with a heavy duty mortar and pestle that must be an arm workout for the servers to carry. Served with clearly handmade tortilla chips, it was quality guac.

Loteria Salad – Red beets, carrots, daikon and golden beet fideos, requeson cheese, cilantro and cucumber spicy vinaigrette, roast pumpkin seeds.

This dish was a beaut – it was also tasty, but not mind blowingly so. Who knew that fideos is a noodle in Mexican? And who knew that beets and daikon made good veggie noodles?

Ensalada De Kiko – Quinoa, tomato, cucumber, avocado, quest fresco, cilantro, smoked corn aioli

The smoked corn aioli was magical.

Callo de Hacha Monte Alban – Spicy pan roasted scallops, grilled corn, peanut and arbol chili

Scallops always do it for me. These didn't disappoint. 

Pipian Poblano - slow cooked chicken supreme in mole verde risotto, seared sweet potato

This was our favorite and you should definitely order it!

Mini Vegetariano Burrito - Plantain, asparagus, bell peppers, lime juice, chili oil, tomatillo, spinach flour tortilla

Pretty yum - even though I'm morally opposed to flour tortillas. Definitely a bit of kick to it!

Glory Hole Doughnuts

Of course, no food guide to a city would be complete without a doughnut recommendation - and this is my first international doughnut review! Toronto's most recommended doughnut shop was Glory Hole Doughnuts. 

I sampled quite a few of their yeast doughnuts, including 2 filled, though none of their cake variety. The dough itself was pretty standard yeast-doughnut dough, but I was IN LOVE with their London Fog doughnut - a doughnut with an amazing Vanilla Early Grey filling. It was so tasty - not overly sweet, but the perfect creamy, pudding-y consistency. 

Glory Hole is best known for their "Toast and Butter" doughnut - a yeast raised doughnut topped with brown butter frosting, sweet breadcrumbs and cinnamon. Though the topping was certainly sweet and delicious, there wasn't enough of it to make me feel that the doughnut was exciting or unique. 

The on in the bunch I didn't sample was the Sprinkfield - a yeast doughnut with pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles. 

The Coconut Lime was refreshing and light while the chocolate coffee filled was decadent with a rich chocolate flavor. They weren't exceptional, but they were solid. The Pumpkin Spice stood out from the pack, especially because it was topped with actual pumpkin seeds. 

By far the standout was the London Fog – which I didn’t anticipate liking at all! I would put it on a top 5 doughnut list, in fact! 

Woods Restaurants

For a girls night out, we made reservations at the farm to table spot called Woods Restaurant. 

Want to know my biggest tip for finding restaurants in different cities? Search farm to table - find a place with a constantly changing, seasonal menu, and you're sure to get fresh dishes! 

Woods Restaurant uses local, seasonable and sustainable ingredients - even growing their lettuce and sprouts right in the restaurant's main dining room!

Woods was really chic inside and the menu had tons of things I was intrigued by. We ended up ordering: 

WILD DIGBY SCALLOPS

Roasted Corn, Tomato, Cilantro, Salsa Verde 

Scallops are always a good choice, in my opinion, and these didn't disappoint. We got 2 orders because we were a group of scallop lovers. 

ARTISANAL CHARCUTERIE 

House Made Mustards and Pickles, Crostini, Duck Ham 

Though we were expecting a cheese plate - must of this got eaten, aside from the pate. The crostini were delicious, though I wouldn't order this again in the future. 

WATERMELON SALAD 

Compressed Watermelon, Mixed Lettuces, Cherry Tomato, Sheep Milk Feta, Pistachio, Vincotto 

Give me watermellon and feta and I am a happy camper. This was served with big squares of watermelon each with it's own piece of feta. 

ONTARIO LAMB 

Lamb Rack, Quinoa Tabbouleh, Cucumber Yogurt, Charred Dandelion Green, Jus 

Ok, this might have been the sole reason I suggested this restaurant. This is one of those dishes that I read and think, "Yahtzee!" It's like it was made for me - so many of my favorite things! I didn't even care that this was the second night in a row I ate lamb for dinner. After all, I always say I could easily give up beef and chicken - but lamb, not so much! 

The lamb was cooked pretty well, but not fall off the bone like some other places I've had it. the yogurt was thick and creamy and the rest of the accouterments were the perfect combination. 

But perhaps the best part of the meal was when we were presented with the check - and a complimentary dessert! 

Homemade marshmallows charred to perfection and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbles. We were all in heaven and wanted to ask for  a to go container filled with them! 

Byblos 

I was most excited for dinner out with my parents at one of Toronto's top restaurants - Byblos. This Eastern Mediterranean restaurant has received high praise for its shareable small plates. 

It was a small restaurant and our server was fabulous. We showed up an hour early for our reservation because I was an absolute crank and we were miraculously seated in a corner booth without having to wait!

I started with a cocktail to celebrate my parents being in town. I ordered a gin drink with pistachio and egg white - it was very interesting and overall I enjoyed it! 

LAMB RIBS 

I'm about to drop a serious accolade here. The lamb ribs at Byblos was the best lamb dish I've ever had - even though it was only three bites. The lamb was incredibly tender and falling off the bone. The dukka spices paired with the sweet carob molasses and buttermilk sauce was an absolute dream and I actually said, "THIS IS LIKE A LAMB LOLLIPOP!" 

ROASTED RED BEETS 

Again, labneh coming in HOT. This was flavored with honey and olive oil and paired wonderfully with the earthy beets. The Barbari bread that came served on the side, topped with more Dukka spice, was a vehicle for pretty much everything during my meal. I couldn't stop eating it! Barbari bread is a Persian flatbread that's actually quite thick.

CREAMED SPINACH WOOD FIRED PIDE 

Pide is another name for pita, and describes an Arabic, Lebanese or Syrian bread. Byblos serves a variety of pides - filled with things like goat cheese and mushrooms, black truffle and halloumi, and feta and za'atar. The creamed spinach pide had feta, toum (garlic sauce) and dukkah (I CANNOT GET ENOUGH DUKKAH! It's a blend of various nuts, herbs and spices and its my new favorite thing). 

I was a little disappointed with this dish - it didn't have any real "wow" component. But it looked pretty! 

SPANISH OCTOPUS 

Each piece of perfectly cooked octopus was served atop a piece of fingerling potato. I loved this dish, since it's so hard to mess up octopus. But when you have a good piece of octopus, it's incredible! This had a great, simple flavor. 

TURKISH MANTI DUMPLINGS 

These were interesting - I couldn't really tell that they were filled with eggplant but the yogurt sauce with molasses was very different. My mom wasn't a huge fan, but I thought it was flavorful, though I couldn't put my finger on what exactly it was. 

HAND ROLLED CAULIFLOWER 

This cauliflower was cooked in DUCK FAT and it was INCREDIBLE! I think I ate the majority of it, sorry Mom & Dad!

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Upcoming Travel - Insider Tips Needed!

More and more I’m fascinated with exploring US cities, enjoying US cities, writing about US cities and sharing travel guides about US cities. Big (Austin) or small (Saratoga) – each city has its own vibe, culture, cuisine and lifestyle.

Planning A Girls Weekend At Saratoga 

How To Plan The Perfect Denver Vacation

Free & Cheap Things To Do In Boston

What To Eat In Minneapolis

5 Nashville Restaurants Perfect For Vegetarians

Definitive Guide For Your Trip To Austin

I’m extremely lucky that my job allows me to stay in multiple cities every year.

This year, I’ll be checking out the following cities and would love if any of my readers have suggestions or “MUST DOs” while I’m in each other them.

Let me know!

St. Louis, Missouri
Toronto, Ontario
Marquette, Michigan
Los Angeles, California
San Diego, California
Portland, Maine
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Chicago, Illinois

And another question for everyone reading –

What East Coast city/town do I need to head to next for a long weekend?

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Free & Cheap Things To Do In Boston As Told By A New Yorker

As a New Yorker, I'm required to dislike Boston sports teams. The Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics get a big 'ol BOO HISS from me. 

But the city itself? Since first visiting in 2008, I must admit it has grown on me. 

I'm not an expert by any means - I've barely scratched the surface of all this historic city has to offer. But here are some of my favorite Boston activities that I've checked out these last couple of years. 

BONUS: All of these activities are cheap or FREE. 

Boston Public Garden

This is like the Central Park of Boston, at least through the eyes of a tourist. It's where college kids, families, and the rest of the city gather on warm days to frolic in the grass, play frisbee and soak up the sun. 

There's also the option of taking a touristy "swan boat" ride around the "lagoon." Each ride is around 15 minutes and costs adults $3.50. 

Faneuil Hall

Food food food! This indoor market down near the water is filled with different eateries and stores and is a big go-to for tourists. Not to mention, Faneuil Hall is home to lots of important historical stuff.

Dick's Last Resort 

Within Faneuil hall is a restaurant called Dick's Last Resort that is kitschy for sure but also lots of fun. The waitstaff fashion hats out of paper place settings and scrawl insults across them. 

Winnie the Pooh's Door 

On Harvard's campus, you can check out this "tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff's" house! The story behind this is a little vague, but it's certainly a cute photo op! 

Say Hi To The Seals 

Why pay to go to the aquarium when you can watch the seal feeding outside for free? 

Watch A Red Sox Game at Bleacher Bar

Bleacher Bar has a window that looks right out onto the diamond at Fenway! Sure, it's crowded, but it's a cool sight. 

Once you've checked it out, try to snag some last minute bleacher seats from Will Call or head to one of the surrounding bars for drinks! 

The Beanpot 

Whether or not you follow college hockey, the Beanpot is an awesome experience. Tickets get you into the TD Garden (where the Bruins play) for a double-header of college hockey. The torunament is played between rival colleges Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern on two consecutive Mondays in February. 

The crowds are loud, the hockey is great, and it's two for the price of one! What more could you want?

Run Around the Charles 

There's not better way to see a city than to run it! And this scenic path around the Charles River shouldn't be missed! A mix of concrete and "trail," you're sure to see tons of other runners, bikers and walkers out and about. 

Bonus: Watching the Harvard and MIT crew teams glide gracefully down the river! 

Boston Public Market 

Think Smorgaburg but INDOORS with vendors that not only sell ready-to-eat treats but "bring it home for your fridge and pantry" as well. Plus - can you say free samples? The Boston Public Market opened in 2015 and is a real treat for foodies with over 39 local food vendors. 

There is also a "Kitchen" space within the market that offers unique programming like cooking demos, lessons, lectures and more. 

When we stopped by, I couldn't help but try this cannoli donut from Union Square Donuts. While it didn't blow me away, I liked the light, whipped consistency of the filling and the addition of pistachios as a topping! 

History

While in Boston, you GOTTA appreciate the history. Each trip I feel like I'm back in high school history class but it's really remarkable to think about just how much happened here. The Boston Tea Party, The Boston Massacre, and so much more. A ton of these landmarks and sites are free throughout the city - so keep your eye on the sidewalk for the "freedom trail" - it's sure to lead you to something historic. 

Sam Adams Brewery

Aside from all the important American history - Boston is synonymous with SAM ADAMS BEER. Sure, you'll wait for your tour at the Boston Samuel Adams Brewery, but it's FREE and includes three samples in their tasting room at the end! They suggest a $2.00 donation for local charities and tours + tasting lasts about an hour. The brewery is busiest on Saturdays so it's best to arrive early (it's off the Orange Line). 

Harpoon Brewery

One of my personal favorite beers is Harpoon - which also has a brewery in Boston! Though I didn't go on the tour - they're large attached beer hall is where it's at for flights and DELICIOUS PRETZELS! Expect a wait to get in - but it's worth it. Tours + tasting costs $5. 

Salem

Hop in a quick 40 minute car ride or even go by train to this small town outside of Boston that's infamous for the Salem Witch Trials. There's history, there's food, there's shops, there's kitsch (you can find tons of "haunted" walking tours, "haunted" houses, psychics, etc.). 

Beer Works Salem

Flights here will set you back $7-$9 and include 4 samples. 

Far From The Tree Cider

This place alone is worth the trip outside of Boston. Far From The Tree Cider's tasting room opened in 2015 and is located in the unheated cellar of a building. It's got charm, it's got take-out food menus, it's got board-games, and it's got BANGIN' hard cider. 

Their cider has SUCH GREAT FLAVOR. A flight of 5 samples sets you back just $10 and is well worth it to sample their creative flavors like mint and strawberry basil. 

At the tasting room, you'll always find flavors that can't yet be found in stores like PINEAPPLE JALAPENO. Heck yes. 

These aren't overly sweet ciders. More like wine, honestly. The flavors are subtle yet bold and you definitely need to go visit. And you can bring your dog! (*Outdoor seating available in spring and summer as well). 

Eat

Come on, you didn't think I could go an entire post without a restaurant recommendation, did you? 

Brookline Lunch

I have an obsession with Brookline Lunch's brunch and you should 100% stop by if you're ever in town. I'm just going to let the pictures do the talking for this one. (9 Brookline St, Cambridge, MA 02139) *CASH ONLY

Tip Tap Room

The food here was good, but the beer list was great. And, if you're a fan of exotic meats, they feature specials like kangaroo, ostrich and boar. 

Workout With November Project 

If you haven't heard me talk about November Project, you must be new around here. It's a free fitness movement that's taking over the world and it started in Boston, MA. Brogan Graham and Bojan Mandaric promised to hold each other accountable to early morning workouts for the month of November. After posting about it on social media, more and more people started showing up to their works and a movement was born. Now, hundreds join tribes across the country, continent and WORLD to exercise as the sun rises. Did I mention it's completely free? And there's a book?

You can workout with the OG Boston tribe on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays.

YOUR TURN: 
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO IN BOSTON? 
HOW DO YOU USUALLY FIND THE FUN THINGS TO DO IN A NEW CITY? 

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Travel Tips to Make Flying Less Stressful

I’m not the world’s most well-traveled twenty-something, but thanks to work I have had the opportunity to travel to many U.S. cities in the last two years.

While I used to be a huge baby about flying, I’ve come a long way – taking somewhere around 40 flights since October 2013. I’m here to tell you that flying, traveling and trip planning don’t have to be super stressful. Sure, you need to put some thought and work into it – but you’re off to explore a new place! Leave the anxiety behind with these tips I’ve learned.

PLANNING STAGES

1) Finding Flights

For me, the number one website for researching flights is KAYAK.com. I’m a wizard at navigating the site, if I do say so myself. 

You can pick everything - travel dates, time of day you prefer to fly, nonstop, airline, etc. And the best part is once the results populate, you can further whittle down your choices by listing them in order based on price, total travel time, earliest arrival to latest arrival, earliest departure to latest departure, etc. 

They also have a great feature called KAYAK Explore which I just discovered through a sponsored Buzzfeed post and fully intend to take advantage of the next time I have some vacation days to burn (…I can dream of that day…) 

KAYAK Explore allows you to find the perfect trip based on things like price (most important, sadly), type of weather, and type of activities you are looking for! Are you looking to hit the slopes or the pool this winter? KAYAK Explore will help you figure out how you can get where you want to go for the best deal. And then, they’ll tell you whether you should book now, or wait for prices to go down.

I swear I don’t work for KAYAK, I just think they’re a really great website.

2) Trip Planning and Organization

Another great planning tool I’ve discovered is the app and website Trello – which has revolutionized the way I keep myself organized.

Think of it as a “Get Shit Done” Pinterest. It’s made up of boards which you create different lists for. Each list contains different cards with descriptions, links, pictures, checklists – I’m pretty awful at explaining it, but I’ve already found tons of uses for it. One of those uses is vacation planning!

On my “Austin” Board I created the following lists:

To Do Before Trip
Breakfasts and Brunches
Restaurants – Lunch/Dinner
Happy Hours!
Music/Bars
Food Trailers
Desserts

Each of these lists is made up of different cards that can be opened up for additional information.

So, for example, on my “To Do Before Trip” list I created the following cards:

Checked Bag
Carry-On Bag

Within the “Carry-On Bag” card I created two checklists –

Comfort (containing the items pillow & compression socks)
Snacks

I can check these items off as I pack, and Trello will mark them as done.

You can also set deadlines for yourself and view everything on a calendar.

Another great thing about Trello is that you can allow others to have access to your boards and lists to collaborate on the planning!

Here are some screenshots of various parts of my Austin Vacation planning board on Trello.

AIRPORT MUST HAVES

There are a few things that you must remember before heading to the airport. Those things are:

1)      Boarding Pass

I find that printing my boarding pass ahead of time or even waiting until I get to the airport to check-in and print my boarding pass gives me more peace of mind than relying on a texted or emailed or other form of mobile boarding pass.

The check-in process will vary depending on the airline you’re flying – for example, you’ll definitely want to check-in prior to arrival at the airport if you’re flying Southwest, because that’s how you’re assigned a boarding zone/seat. For flights where you have already been assigned a seat, it’s not as important.

2)     ID or Passport 

If you’re travelling internationally, you better have that passport! Otherwise, a state-issued driver’s license or ID will suffice. Though New Yorkers – we may soon have to pay for an updated license that’s fit for flying! 

AIRPORT TIPS

1) Checked Baggage and Carry-Ons

Traveling for work, I have the luxury of not really caring too much about checked-baggage fees. But when I’m traveling for pleasure – you better believe I’m trying my hardest not to pay anything extra!

Depending on the length of your trip, try your best to pack in a carry-on compliant sized bag (which, annoyingly, varies based on the airline). To be safe – 22 x 14 x 9. Also keep in mind that you can take advantage of your “personal item” as well – this can be a fairly large backpack or duffel that can fit in the space underneath the seat in front of you. That + a carry-on in the overhead bin may be plenty of room for your trip!

If you’re traveling with friends, significant others or family, you could also split the cost of one checked bag, plus some carry-on’s. Do some maneuvering and t-shirt rolling to spend as little as possible on baggage fees.

And whatever you do – don’t let that checked bag weigh over 50 pounds! Then, you’re really screwed.

My biggest qualm about not checking a bag is the “no liquids more than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters” rule. My liquid foundation and BB creams aren’t cheap – and I’ve heard stories about women’s entire make-up bags being trashed. So keep that in mind if you’re trying to fit everything into a carry-on! Same goes for expensive hair products, face-washes, etc.

1a) Gate Checking

Another thing I’ve learned is that if you get to your gate and they are offering you to gate check your bag – DO IT! This means that you don’t have to deal with lifting that super heavy rolling suitcase that you’ve managed to stuff EVERYTHING IN over your head into a minute little spot that you’ve managed to find 20 rows away from where you’re actually sitting. It means they will take it for you and it will be waiting for you right outside the door when you get off the plane. It’s the best.

2) Security

Yes, security lines suck – but I have come up with a few ways to make them less awful.

• Once you enter the line and show your boarding pass/ID you can put it away. You’re not going to need it again once your get to the scanners and you don’t want it out and about as your juggle your bags and sneakers and scarves etc. etc.
• You’re going to have to take your shoes off. Know this going into it – and don’t wear a pair of lace-up-your-entire-calf Spartan sandals. 
• If you’re traveling with a laptop, it goes in its OWN BIN. Nothing else in with it. Nada. Just the laptop. Not the laptop and it’s case. Just. The. Laptop.
• Take everything out of your pockets and if you’re wearing a big baggy sweatshirt or jacket they will have you take it off.
• Your 20 Alex and Ani bangle bracelets and watch can stay on your wrist.
• Your backpack doesn’t need to go in a plastic bin.
• Wait until you send your belongings off the conveyor belt and into the scanner before stepping into the X-Ray machine.
• Don’t freak out if they ask you to step aside for a pat down or to swipe your hands.

3) Snacks

Airport food is super hit or miss, not to mention overpriced, so I like to travel with snacks. A homemade sandwich in a Ziploc bag, prepackaged bags of chips, fruits, veggies – all totally fine.

Sadly, it took about 5 confiscated Greek yogurts for me to remember that they won’t make it through security.

And sorry, you’re going to have to buy the $5 water bottle – no liquids allowed. Although you can travel with an empty reusable water bottle and fill 'er up at a water fountain once you get to your gate. 

A few other things worth mentioning –

• Neck pillows are amazing.
• Shockingly, most airports actually have pretty great signage that will help you get where you need to go if you just stay calm and look around.
• Dress in layers because the plane will likely be sweltering at some point in your journey and freezing at another.
• Turn off the air nozzle when you get to your seat. You know that guy sitting 4 rows back who is coughing up a lung? That air nozzle is basically blowing his germs right into your face.
• Along those lines – I SWEAR by Emergen-C and Airborne. Take it a week before you fly and during your trip to keep your immune system happy.
• Chew gum during takeoffs and landings if your ears bother you with the change in air pressure.
• If you’re flying Delta – always ask for the cookies. If you ask for two, they’ll oblige.
• SkyMall never gets old.

Full Disclosure: I'm still a cranky traveler. 

That’s all I’ve got for now :)

Your turn:
Any tips for me?
What’s your favorite airport to travel out of and why?
Do you like flying or hate it? 

The Definitive Guide for Your Trip to Austin, Texas

So you've heard that Austin is a pretty cool city - lots of young professionals, lots of outdoor activities and lots of bars and nightlife on 6th Street. You think it might be a cool place to take a trip.

Well I'm here to tell you that you should. And I'm also going to tell you the things that you should do while you're visiting Because yes, there's more to do than drinking your face off on 6th Street. Although you'll definitely want to check that out as well. 

In early December, Peter and my friend Melissa joined me on a 5 day getaway to Austin, Texas and like the Type A individual that I am, I did a ton of research, planning and itinerary building. I tried to be flexible, take into account the interests of 3 different people and to leave time for the inevitable suggestions from locals that we would have to find the time to fit in. 

You'll have to ask Peter and Melissa how I did. But when our time was up and it was time to head home, I felt we had seen a ton of the city - but also could have spent even more time exploring! 

So what are the things you need do for the complete Austin experience? Here we go. 

1) Bar Hop on 6th Street 

Let's just get right down to it. 6th Street is to Austin what Bourbon Street is to New Orleans. It's the Vegas Strip of Austin. It's bars, clubs, late night pizza, and more bars. 

Before I left, I read a Thrillist article ranking the bars on 6th Street according to which sucked the most. Not exactly a gleaming review of what we were in for. A lot of people consider 6th Street a bunch of terrible, fratty bars frequented by college kids and dudes having Bachelor Parties so I wanted to find the hidden gems. I mean, the nickname for 6th Street is "Dirty Sixth," after all. 

But I'm happy to report that we spent 3 nights happily bar hopping 6th Street and enjoyed our time.  The best part? Austin is the Live Music Capital of the WORLD - so everywhere you go - you'll be listening to extremely talented, live performers.

Maggie Mae's 

Our first night, we stopped in a bar called Maggie Mae's that I had read about in my research. If you're from a city or town where space is limited - Austin bars will blow your mind with their vastness. Maggie Mae's had 3 levels with at least 5 different bars. There was a DJ, a live band, a rooftop, dancing, big screen TVs - it was craziness. 

The one con was being told we couldn't use the bathroom when they closed at 2 a.m. and we were headed out. But it's OK because like typical New Yorkers, we ignored the rules and walked into the bathroom. 

Pete's Dueling Piano Bar

Although I'm pretty sure this is a place no true Austinite frequents, Pete's Dueling Piano Bar is a hell of a good time for tourists.  Two talented pianists taking requests and encouraging the audience to sing along - I didn't stop singing for 3 hours. 

The cocktails are a little pricey, but if you go on a weeknight you'll avoid the cover charge.

Easy Tiger

We made our trip to Easy Tiger on a Wednesday afternoon, so it was pretty dead, but it's a cool German place with a huge beer selection, bakery, sausages, ping pong and outdoor seating (pretty common in Austin). 

Chupacabra Restaurant & Cantina 

This was a late night stop for tacos before heading home - the tacos are massive and they have a margarita flavor on tap. 

The Chuggin' Monkey

WIth a name like that, are you surprised we stopped by for a drink? OK, we actually stopped in because Peter liked the sound of the band. And they ended up being great - it's like he has an ear for music or something...

Other than that, it was a pretty standard bar. Though apparently, owned by The Bachelor's Brad Womack. 

Iron Cactus

Peter had a craving for a frozen margarita (let's be real, this isn't so much a craving as an eternal longing) and we ended up at Iron Cactus after plenty of Yelping. Though we were saddened by their lack of nachos (they only had crab fritter nachos) their margaritas were pricey for Austin but worth it for deliciousness. Melissa and I got ours on the rocks but Peter's frozen mango marg was the real winner. 

2) Bike Ride Everywhere 

We were incredibly lucky that our AirBnB provided beautiful bikes for us to use during our stay. Without them, we would have racked up far more Uber rides. 

If you're taking a trip to Austin, I highly suggest renting bikes for a day or two to get to places around town that are just a little too far to walk between.  

Lady Bird Lake Ann and Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail

There is an incredible 10-mile path around Austin that you can bike, walk or run for gorgeous views and fresh air. Every day we explored a different part of this trail - bringing us (and our bikes) on rocky terrain to a beautiful waterfall, over pedestrian bridges, and on a paved boardwalk with great views of the city. 

We probably could have been more strategic in our explorations had we realized how many different points of interest this one path connected. As a runner, this 10 mile path was like a dream. Can I train for my next marathon while living in Austin, please? Check out this map to come up with a game plan.

3) Explore Zilker Park 

Zilker Park is the Central Park of Austin - if we want to go with a comparison to NYC. But really, it's much more woodsy with a lot more open space than Central Park. 

There's a ton to do in Zilker Park, and we only did a fraction of it. 

• Umlauf Sculpture Park

($5 Admission and Closed on Mondays)

• Barton Springs Pool

This place was gorgeous and when the sun came out, we wished we had been brave enough to bring our bathing suits. The man-made pool is fed by underground springs - maintaining a year-round water temperature of 68-70 degrees. It's around 900 feet long and only closed on Thursday's from 9 am - 7 pm for the intense maintenance that needs to be performed. From November - March admittance is free and it's open from 5 am - 10 pm throughout the year. Entrance fees during the spring and summer months are around $8 for non-residents.

There are also places around the park to rent canoes and kayaks, picnic areas, a little mini train ride, hiking trails and the botanical gardens. 

In the Winter, there's the "Trail of Lights" which I would have loved to check out, but we never made it. 

4) Check Out Local Farmer's Markets

Almost every day of the week you can find a farmers market in Austin. We had so much fun riding our bikes to one on Saturday morning and perusing the booths while filling up on free samples. You can even get BREAKFAST TACOS. 

I was obsessed with the kegs of kombucha and I ended up buying zero souvenirs but left perfectly happy with my reusable glass jar. 

Buddha's Brew Kombucha was heavenly!

Check out all the local farmer's markets here. 

5) Visit Texas' Flagship Whole Foods Store

If you're anything like me - grocery shopping is the best day of the week (minus the part where you see your total on the cash register). 

Perusing produce and shopping for spices is more enjoyable than trying on jeans or bathing suits, that's for damn sure! 

Was the flagship Austin Whole Foods Market on my Austin itinerary? You better believe it. I was like a kid in a candy store going from free sample to free sample to free sample. They had a smoothie/acai bowl station, a taco bar, salad bar, bakery, oatmeal station - everything you could ever want. And did I mention 25 cent giant cookies? 

We stopped twice during our stay. 

6) Eat. A Lot. 

Austin is known for it's tacos, migas (a breakfast dish) and BBQ. I personally make it a mission to discover insane donuts wherever I travel. Therefore, these were the main culinary missions while in Austin. I'd say we succeeded - with some Bloody Mary's, late night nachos and pancakes and killer brunches making their way in our bellies along with the previously mentioned Austin-staples. 

Here's how the chow went down.

Tacos

We had a tally in our trailer to see how many tacos we would consume in 5 days - answer? 24. That's a solid sampling of tacos. 

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Torchy's Tacos 

Torchy's is a chain that has 12 Austin locations and when we arrived on Saturday afternoon the line was out the door. It moved quickly and we were soon chowing down on our first 8 tacos of the trip. 

We unanimously decided that "The Independent" was the best taco of the bunch. Ordered on a corn tortilla instead of flour (because, duh) The Independent consisted of deep fried portobello mushroom strips with refried black beans, roasted corn, escabeche carrots, queso fresco, cilanto and avocado - drizzled with ancho aioli.

Among the group we also tried the Monk Special (a breakfast taco with eggs, bacon, green chiles and cheese), The Democrat (shredded beef barbacoa topped with fresh avocado, queso fresco, cilantro, onions and a wedge of lime with tomatillo salsa), and a few others that I can't quite remember. 

The place even served mimosas and Bloody Mary's for $4! 

Taco Deli 

Taco Deli was another joint I had heard great things about that has multiple locations in Austin - 5 to be exact! 

We headed to the Spyglass location after trekking/hiking/biking through Zilker Park to reach it. Then, Melissa and I did a deck of cards workout to really get our appetites going. 

I wish I could tell you what everyone ordered but I can't remember anything except the delicious "Papadulce" vegetarian taco that I devoured. Loaded with roasted sweet potatoes, grilled corn, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, toasted pepitas and chipotle camote sauce - this was my favorite taco of the trip! 

Taco Deli's tacos are on the smaller side but they pack a powerful punch of flavor AND smaller tacos means you'll just have to try more of them! 

Chupacabra Cantina Y Taqueria 

We stopped at Chupacabra after our last night out on 6th Street and ordered far too many tacos. These tacos were by far the largest we ate and overflowing with ingredients. 

I know we ordered the Hippy Taco (refried black beans, rajas, avocado, cotija cheese, jacama slaw and habanero sour cream) and the Honey Jalapeno Fried Chicken (hand-breaded chicken tender, honey jalapeno sauce, jack cheese, bacon, jalapenos and chipotle mayo) along with one of the pork-centered tacos. 

This place knew their clientele and created some absurd flavor combinations that sounded appealing at the time but were maybe just a little bit over the top. We chowed down regardless. 

Bomb Tacos 

Bomb Tacos was a food trailer parked in the back of Bar 96 on Rainey Street. Peter and Melissa both ordered tacos and neither were impressed. Sad tacos :( 

Doughnuts / Donuts 

Which spelling of doughnuts do you prefer? I donut care because either way they are delicious. 

For the past year or so I've been obsessed with trying different doughnuts. It seems that every city in America has "the" doughnut spot you need to check out. I'm still dreaming of the day I make a cross-country trip for the sole purpose of checking out America's best doughnuts. In the meantime, New York has enough to keep me full of sugary breakfast pastries. 

So naturally, while I was in Austin I added two doughnut joints to the itinerary.

Gordough's Doughnuts

This place was ridiculous! There are a bunch of different outposts, but we visited the Gordough's Public House location in downtown Austin. The doughnut trailer is attached to a bar/restaurant and this particular spot serves not just donuts but doughnut MEALS - sandwiches between doughnuts and burgers with doughnut buns...even salads served with a hot garlic doughnut. I kid you not. 

We were there for dessert though and decided to sample 3 sweet doughnuts. We didn't realize what we were getting ourselves into by opting for 3 doughnuts - these things were massive. 

Each came out as a deep-friend dough mass topped with tons of toppings. The donut itself wasn't my favorite - it tasted more like a funnel cake than anything else, but the presentation, novelty and toppings made up for it. 

So what did we order? A good mix, I think. 

Ring O' Fire (Chipotle Infused Brownie Batter, Chocolate Icing, Brownie Bites, Salted Butter Caramel Sauce and Cayenne Candied Pecans) 

The Freebird (Cheesecake Filling, Cream Cheese Icing, Graham Cracker Crumbles, Fresh Strawberries and Blackberries) 

Granny's Pie (Cream Cheese Icing, Caramel Pecans, Bananas and Graham Crackers) 

*Side Note: We weren't away when we left for Austin that we would be seeing pecans on EVERY menu. Apparently, Texas is a HUGE exporter of pecans. Who knew? 

Voodoo Doughnuts

Peter, the Oregonian grad student, has told me how popular and delicious Voodoo Doughnuts are in Portland. Well, lucky for us - Voodoo Doughnuts just recently opened up a location in Austin. 

 They're closed from the time they sell out on Sunday until Wednesdays at 7 a.m., so we made our visit on Wednesday morning before we left Austin and had a ton of doughnuts to choose from. 

In fact, Voodoo, a cash only chain, makes over 50 different doughnuts! 

We sampled a respectable 5 during our pre-bike ride visit and always my biggest dilemma was the internal debate between a yeast doughnut or a cake doughnut. Luckily, the cake doughnuts were moist enough that I didn't regret the decision to sample one!

Chocolate Ring Doughnut - Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting.

Dirty Snowballs Doughnut - Chocolate cake doughnut with marshmallow topping, dipped in coconut and a dollop of peanut butter in the middle. 

Old Dirty Bastard Doughnut - Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting, Oreo's and peanut butter.

Bacon Maple Bar Doughnut - Peter told us this was their signature doughnut - Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top. 

Voodoo Doll Doughnut - Seemed like a must order considering the name of the chain! Plus, it looked so cute! Raised yeast doughnut filled with raspberry jelly and topped with chocolate frosting and a pretzel stake. 

Voodoo Doughnuts gets a thumbs up from me - tons of flavor options, pretty to photograph, lots of FILLINGS (my favorite) and super sweet (sorry teeth). 

Barbecue 

The place to go for BBQ in Austin is Franklin Barbecue - where tourists and locals alike line up for hours in the mornings just waiting for the place to open. Apparently, it's a bonding experience - people bring coolers and essentially tailgate while they wait. 

With so many other things on my itinerary, we didn't ever find a chance to commit to the hours long wait at Franklin's. 

The other well-known barbecue place in Austin is The Salt Lick - a little bit of a drive from the downtown area. Since we didn't have a car, that wasn't a great option for us either. 

After some research and some inquiries with locals we settled on getting our 'cue on at: 

Iron Works BBQ

The ambiance at Iron Works was spot on - a counter to order at, picnic tables with red plaid tablecloths, no frills, metal trays, Styrofoam cups. 

The menu was exactly what you'd expect and want when ordering barbecue - pulled pork, ribs and brisket with sides like coleslaw, potato salad and mac and cheese. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal in the old iron workshop (now a historical site!) 

Brunch

Brunch is a way of life. Brunch brings people together. Brunch is sacred. In Austin, like in life, my most enjoyed meals took place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Prime breakfast and brunchin' time that is. 

Bouldin Creek Cafe 

Despite being a vegetarian cafe, Bouldin Creek got thumbs up from all three of us meat-eaters (though Melissa and I love our veggie-centric dishes!) 

Before I discuss the food - can we discuss how ADORABLE and artsy this place is? I couldn't stop looking around at all the cool decor. I loved the vibe of Bouldin Creek. 

I started off with some hot chocolate because my new-found obsession is really real. It was so filling, but so worth it. 

Peter and I immediately spotted the cornbread on the menu and got an order for the three of us to split as an appetizer. It wasn't just any cornbread - it was grilled blueberry cornbread. And it was phenomenal. 

My meal of choice was the tamale breakfast served with two eggs, two sweet potato pecan tamales, warm tortillas and homemade salsa. The filling in the tamales weren't as delicious as I was hoping considering they contained two delicious ingredients, but wrapped up in a tortilla with egg and salsa, I still enjoyed. 

Melissa ordered the Zucchini Migas and gave it good reviews while Peter got an omelette. 

South Congress Cafe 

All week I was excited for brunch at South Congress Cafe. Lucky for us, we didn't need a reservation since it was a random weekday morning, but I imagine this place is packed on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Throughout my research I had read about a breakfast dish called "migas" that I "had to" try. 

Migas is essentially a scrambled egg dish with veggies, cheese and the special ingredients - fried tortilla strips. South Congress Cafe is known for having one of the best migas in town and I also discovered another important accolade...

South Congress Cafe's Bloody Mary was voted one of the best in the country by the Huffington Post! 

When we arrived we were told we could save 20% by sitting at the bar. Our server/bartender was super friendly and awesome. We were shocked to find that the Bloody Mary isn't even on the menu - I guess when you're known for having one of the best Bloody Mary's in America you don't really need to advertise. 

Even Melissa, not usually a Bloody Mary fan, ordered one. And let me tell ya - that Bloody was DAMN good. None of this bacon, bourbon, shrimp nonsense. Just a straight up delicious Bloody Mary with great seasoning, a wonderful kick, a simple stalk of lettuce and a happy little olive. 

I ordered my migas "Enchilada" style - with the spicy ranchero sauce on the side. They were delicious and made with eggs, corn tortillas, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, three cheese blend and served with refried black beans and a smoked gouda potato pancake. 

Stellar meal and stellar lighting in the restaurant ;) 

Coffee

When you're biking and moving non-stop with 8 - 9 am wake-ups, you need to stay caffeinated. 

Ok, actually, the reason we stopped at so many coffee places is because Peter is a straight up caffeine addict. So I was sure to scope out the best cups of Joe around town so he could always get his fix - and spare Melissa and I the caffeine crash. 

Cenote

Peter took a trip to Cenote alone while Melissa and I waited in line for a table one afternoon and said it was "super adorbs." Okay, he definitely didn't use those words but he did say it was a trendy little shop with a good cup of coffee. It's built in an old church in one of the oldest buildings in the neighborhood which automatically makes it so fetch. 

Caffe Medici

There were a few Caffe Medici's that we passed around town and this received the coveted "Best Coffee of the Trip" award from the coffee connoisseur himself. They had his favorite brand of espresso machine I think. Yes, he has a favorite espresso machine. So European. A quick look at their website reveals that Cafee Medici uses Cuvee espresso in 3 group La Marzocco FB 80's.

Jo's 

There are three Jo's outposts in Austin and they not only serve coffee but food and alcohol including wine in a can! We sat out at the downtown location one night watching people walk by and also took a trip to their South Congress location for a picture with their famous "I Love You So Much" wall. 

They're famous for their iced turbos -  cream, chocolate, espresso, coffee and hazlenut. We didn't sample one, but it sure sounds tasty! 

Picnic

Picnic is a paleo food truck that is perched on a little hill with picnic tables and cacti. What brought us their wasn't their paleo food, but their BULLETPROOF COFFEE. 

Have you heard of this new trend? Coffee + Grassfed Butter + MCT Oil. Some people claim that this cup of healthy fats to start your morning can help curve cravings and promote weight loss. 

I was not a fan of the taste, but Peter enjoyed it!

Other

I swear, I didn't have each and every meal pre-planned! We stumbled across two other wonderful places. 

Hopdoddy Burger Bar

Right near our AirBnb was a super popular Shake Shack-esque burger joint called Hopdoddy Burger Bar with lines out the door. One night we stopped in for a late dinner and dayum, one of the best burgers I've ever had - though nothing will ever compare with my dad's homemade hamburgers on the grill. 

I ordered a monstrosity of a burger called the Terlingua. Angust beef burger loaded with chile con carne, tillamood cheddar, corn fritos and "sassy sauce." I was clearly feeling the "Everything Is Bigger In Texas" motto that night. 

Magnolia Cafe  

When you've been out drinking on 6th Street and realize there's a 24 Hour Diner on your Air BnB's street - you definitely stop by and you definitely order a large platter of "super deluxe" chicken nachos (against Peter's pleas of, "WE ONLY NEED A SMALL." Overruled by the two girls) and a plate full of blueberry pancakes (EXPLODING with blueberries). 

Both of these were mind mindbogglingly good - and I'm pretty sure it wasn't just because of the alcohol we had consumed! Two thumbs up Magnolia Cafe. 

Botticelli's 

Melissa found this AWESOME spot for happy hour. Botticelli's looked like a tiny little restaurant from the outside, but there was a HUGE outdoor seating area with heat lamps (the first time I was warm that entire day). We plopped ourselves right under one and enjoyed their all day Monday happy hour specials ($5 cocktails!) as well as two orders of their famous STUFFED BREAD. It was killer. 

7.) Go Country Dancing at the Broken Spoke (Or Just Watch)

By far one of the best experiences of the trip was our visit to The Broken Spoke. This place opened in 1964 and the people who frequent it are true Austinites.  

We felt extremely out of place, and weren't exactly welcomed with open arms, but it was worth it for a look at a true Texas Honky Tonk Dance Hall. 

Wednesday - Saturday from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. they give two-step and swing lessons. Unfortunately, we missed them. But we grabbed a beer at the bar (after paying our $12 cover) and sat down at a picnic table where we spent a long time people watching the rotating partners two-stepping across the huge wooden dance floor. 

The bathroom stalls didn't have doors - they had American flag curtains that brushed your knees as you sat. 

People got up to go dance and just left their iPhones sitting unattended on their tables. 

A live band played country music that not even Peter recognized one word of. 

By the end of the night I finally convinced Peter to twirl me around a few times and while I looked like a fool, he looked handsome and we had a good laugh! 

This is definitely a must on your trip! 

8.) Take a Walk Around the UT Austin Campus 

Did you know the Longhorns' color has a specific name? That browny-orange color (that I personally find hideous) is referred to as "Burnt Orange." 

We spent a little while on our first afternoon riding our bikes around campus - stopping by Caffe Medici and Torchy's Tacos before discovering Moojo - a place that makes cheap and amazingly delicious cookie ice cream sandwiches! 

But there is more to do at UT than eat. We stopped at the Harry Ransom Center to see the first photograph (spoiler alert: it's really terrible and we almost couldn't see it and thought it had been stolen) and one of the original Gutenberg Bibles.  Unfortunately, we visited while they were getting ready for their next exhibition, but usually they have more on-site. 

The Longhorns' stadium was closed but we got to peak through a gate. 

There were pretty buildings, statues, fountains, etc. along our walk and an art museum that we were too uncultured to visit. 

9.) Take Pictures with Graffiti 

What we were not too uncultured to do was appreciate the various murals painted on buildings across the city. I loved these, and there were a bunch of famous ones we never even made it to. Each mural has an interesting history and story to go along with it!

Graffiti Castle 

This place is an Instagrammer's dream. It's essentially an unfinished housing foundation that local artists can paint giant murals on. While it's called Graffiti Castle, it's official name is the HOPE Outdoor Gallery. Unfortunately, tourists tend to walk up to the wall with their spray paint bottles to write "Lauren Was X" or cover up real artwork with spray painted hearts - but there are still sections of the walls that have some impressive images painted on them. 

We even got to see one artist in action - it was amazing! 

Wear sneakers - it's no joke climbing the different levels of Graffiti Castle. And go around dusk to see the sunset from the top! 

I Love You So Much Wall

A classic, located on the side of Jo's coffee shop on South Congress (1300 S Congress Ave). We had a full out photo shoot at this one! 

Hi, How Are You?

We spotted this one while we were near the UT campus and I forced everyone to pull the bikes over for a photo op. Little did I know, it's one of the famous murals in Austin. Later that day we even saw t-shirts depicting it! The Hi, How Are You frog mural is on the building currently occupied by Thai Spice (3600 N Capital of Texas Hwy #110). 

You Make My Heart Sing

This ones on the side of Threadgill's (301 W Riverside Dr.).

The two we missed but I would have loved a picture with were the "Greetings From Austin" mural (1720 S. First Street) and the "You're My Butter Half" mural (2000 E. MLK Jr. Blvd.)

10.) Sunday Funday on Rainey Street 

Is there anything better than a good Sunday Funday? 

Yes. 

Sunday Funday after a race! 

Peter and I ran a half marathon and 5K respectively and once we showered we headed to Rainey Street to begin the festivities. Rainey Street is a fairly new popular neighborhood in Austin where homes have been converted into bars and restaurants - giving them an awesome vibe. 

Brunch at Banger's Sausage and Beer Garden 

We waited a solid 40 minutes to get in to Banger's Sausage and Beer Garden, but once we did, it was totally worth it. A huge open backyard with beer hall styled seating on picnic tables and a live jazz band. A HUGE beer list. And a drool-worthy brunch menu. 

We learned very quickly that bars and restaurants welcome dogs with open arms and Banger's even had a little mini dog park in the back! 

I ordered the beet and goat cheese "sausage" with yellow beets, red beets, walnuts and goat cheese. I didn't love it, but I probably should have picked something different anyway. 

What I did love was the atmosphere, the music and the company. 

Pro Tip: They are famous for their "Manmosa" - a 1 liter glass of champagne with a splash of orange or cranberry juice. 

Sangria and Jazz at Icenhauer's

I had read that Icenhauer's was the place to be on a Sunday on Rainey Street and it did not disappoint. The size of these sangria glasses was unreal! And only $8. Again, we were able to be outside, though the inside was awesome as well and we enjoyed the company of  a bunch of adorable puppies. 

Bar 96

Another hopping spot to be on a Sunday is Bar 96. Another big open area in the back (with the Bomb Taco truck) and the real reason we went - the string game! 

We met a girl who was pretty damn good at it - and she tried to help us work on our technique. I was a pretty worthless student at that point in the day, but it was still fun! 

And more puppies. 

11.) Visit a Brewery or Distillery 

There are two breweries that are easy to get to in the downtown area but if you have a car, there are a number of other options for breweries and distilleries (big names like Deep Eddy and Tito's!) 

Hops and Grain 

The Hops and Grain tap room is open 7 days a week from 8 am - 10 pm. Tours are given on Thursday and Fridays at 5 pm and Saturdays at 1, 3 and 5 - they are FREE and last around 45 minutes (all according to their website since we weren't able to make it for a tour!) 

Zilker Brewing

At Zilker we actually sat down and did some sampling - I was a fan of a few of them but I can't remember anything specific. The place was empty on a Sunday night but the bartender was nice to us after our marathon Sunday Funday when I'm sure he just wanted us to shut up and go home. Zilker Brewing is open Wednesday - Thursday from 4 pm - 10 pm, Friday from 2 pm - 12 am, Saturday from noon - 12 am and Sunday from noon to 8 pm. 

12.) Take a Touristy Picture at the State Capitol Building

It's not that exciting, but it is a pretty impressive building - it's 308 feet tall, making it taller than the capitol building in D.C. and the 6th tallest capitol building in the U.S. (Louisiana's is the tallest). 

So there you have - 12 activities to make your trip to Austin EPIC. 

But I'm not done yet. 

There's a few things to consider before you hit the ground running. 

Lodging

For SURE check out Airbnb. There were TONS of options, although I'm biased and think we picked the absolute sickest, illest, dopest Airbnb in Austin. Heck, maybe in Texas. Maybe even in America. 

The three of us stayed in an amazing airstream trailer - how much more Austin can you get? 

The space was perfect for 3 people and when we arrived it was twinkling with lights and SO welcoming. Our host, Miles, has set up a bunch of trailers in a little compound tucked away behind an apartment complex. There are tables, hammocks, and an amazing little outdoor TV room with seating, a stereo, games and oh did I mention 2 KEGS of beer? 

You can also use All The Rooms to find alternatives to hotel rooms!

Transportation 

Uber in Austin was so simple and by the end of the trip, all of our rides total came to less than $50 each. That's less than $150 total. #Math

The bikes helped a TON but having a rental car for at least a day would have enabled us to go to places like Mount Bonnell (to climb to the highest point in Austin) or The Salt Lick for barbecue. 

A lot of people also suggested we try to drive the 45-60 minutes to check out the San Antonio River Walk. 

You'll definitely want bikes, Ubers or a rental car as things aren't super close together and from what we gathered the public bus system wasn't all that popular. 

AUSTIN, WE LOVE YOU 

Race Recap: 5K In Austin, Texas

While I’m in the process of writing up my big, wonderful guide to vacationing in Austin, Texas – since I’m a pro now – I thought I would at least recap the race I ran while I was in the Lone Star State.

For months I planned on running the Decker Half Challenge with Peter – a half marathon known for its extremely hilly terrain. 13.1 miles and the plan was an 8:00 – 8:15 pace. But as the date drew closer, I knew that my legs just didn’t have a half marathon in them.

So I made the call to skip the half and instead, signed up for the Brown Santa 5K starting 15 minutes later at the same location. I hadn’t raced a 5K in a while and was excited to see what would happen.

Unlike the Turkey Trot I ran on Thanksgiving, I was prepared for the hills this time around – though not as prepared as I should have been. I didn’t look at an elevation chart. I didn’t know if the hills would be in the first half or the second half. I just knew there would be hills and I would need to be mentally prepared to see an upward sloping road.  And to not freak out. To not throw in the towel. To just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

We woke up and took an Uber to the race location – the Travis County Expo Center. We watched a beautiful sunrise and were able to hang out in a heated building before the start of the race. The men’s bathroom line was 10X longer than the women’s. There wasn’t a bag check, people just kept their stuff chilling in the expo center. It was not like races I’m used to running.

I gave Peter a good luck hug and as he went to the start of the half with around 900 other runners, I set out for a few laps of the parking lot for a 2 mile warm up (first mile at 8:44 pace and second mile at 8:15 pace). That’s right – I made sure Melissa and Peter forced me to get in a long warm-up.

By the time I finished, there was limited time to take off my layers and get to the start line so I just ditched my pants in the grass – they were there when I finished.

The Brown Santa 5K only had 105 runners and I was able to get a spot right on the start line. The weather was beautiful and the course started off fairly flat while I found a comfortable rhythm.

Or rather, I found a pace that was comfortable for a mile. Not exactly a pace that was sustainable for 3.1 miles.

The course was an out and back and by the time we hit the turn-around I knew I was the first female. A few other runners gave me some cheers as I passed them, and one of the guys in front of me kept walking and would immediately run again as soon as I drew near. That’s when I promised myself I would beat him.

I knew I had gone out too fast and needed to just keep moving. I knew these were pretty legit hills. I knew it was the hardest I had run in a long time. I thought the finish line would never come but I also knew I was moving fast, I was the first female, I had a boy who didn’t want a girl to beat him a few feet ahead of me, and that I would have the rest of the day to relax – I’m happy to report that I gave that finish everything I had and I honestly thought I was going to puke the second I crossed the finish line. 

As I approached the finish line I could hear the MC saying things like, “And here we have our first female! You can see her pony tail bobbing in the distance – she’s hanging in there. Actually, she’s not just hanging in, she’s finishing strong!”

I somehow found a kick that I didn’t think I had in me when he announced my name and that I was from New York. REPRESENT.

I crossed the finish line and immediately saw Melissa standing there which was the icing on top.

The sprinkles were the trophy and $40 gift card to race sponsor Rogue Running - a running store/crossfit box/yoga studio/community space. I got this amazing Oiselle scarf that I didn't take off the rest of the trip. 

I ended up finishing in 22.13.8 according to my watch which recorded 3.2 miles for a 6:57 pace. The official results on the Brown Santa 5K page say I finished in 21.08.9. Who knows? All I know is my goal is 21:00 or less so I still have some work to do – but this was a huge confidence boost that on the right day with the right course (aka: less hills) I can make that happen. I was the 5th overall finisher and the first female – out of all 105 runners hehe.

Wanna talk about negative splits? Yeah me neither… Mile 1: 6:45 Mile 2: 7:04 Mile 3: 7:11. Nailed it.

While Melissa and I waited for Peter to finish his race, we did one of Chris Mosier’s famous deck of cards workouts in the expo center. In the middle of clamshells and donkey kicks, my phone started ringing and Peter’s name came up on the screen.

I panicked. I thought he was injured or feeling terrible or quitting. But nope, he was asking me how my race went. Can I get a giant AW?

Awwwwwwww.

When I told him I was the first female finisher his response was, “were you the only female finisher?” HA.HA. babe!

Peter was running his race to win the “Call Your Shot” contest – he had predicted his pace and was doing everything he could to hit it perfectly. He had me tracking him and reporting back to him and when Melissa and I got outside to cheer him on at the finish line I jumped in to run a few feet with him – he nailed it and won a free pair of New Balance sneakers!

So what did we learn? Peter is basically a professional pacer and I am the worst. And next year, the Decker Challenge will include rules to ensure that out of towners don’t win $150 worth of running gear.

The expo after the race was MAGNIFICENT. There were tons of vendors that were extremely chatty and friendly. We got avocado shaped stress balls and free samples of my favorite iced coffee – High Brew!

Did I mention the FREE BEER from a local brewery that we later found out was over 7% alcohol? LOL. We left feeling prettttty smiley.

Austin Runner’s Club and Rogue Running put on a GREAT race that was super well organized. The race photos were FREE and soo gorgeous!

I have a feeling we might find ourselves back there one day…

PS: If you ever see Philosophizer beer by Adelbert’s – buy it buy it buy it because it’s deeee-licious. 

Toronto, Eh?

Last week I hopped over to Toronto for a quick work trip - and a visit to the newest November Project tribe! 

Tina and I ran the 3.5 miles from our hotel to Casa Loma and as soon as I saw the stairs I'm pretty sure I cursed.  110 of them! 

Everyone was super welcoming, and Sam and Claire led a team relay-style workout. Each team went through a series of exercises while rotating through and sending one runner to go down the stairs and up a hill around Casa Loma. The hill was no joke, and the view at the top was beautiful! Bummer I failed at getting a picture. 

I felt pretty good, and was going to run the 3.5 miles back to the hotel, but then it started drizzling, I didn't want to push it, and Tina was getting a cab soooo - I opted for the cab option. 

I was a lazy foodie this trip - I had done some research but just had no energy to actually follow through and get to any of the restaurants I had read about. 

The first night I found some take out falafel and froyo and ate it in my hotel room. 

The second night we went to Canyon Creek for dinner - and I had a tasty salad. 

The third night I spend way too long walking around and taking pictures of the sunset and then when I was starving for dinner, all the fast-casual takeaway places were closed, so I plopped down at a British Pub across the street from my hotel. 

Feeling like I had wasted away an opportunity to explore the culinary offerings of Toronto, I tried to make amends by ordering poutine and a beer flight of local beers. AND a wrap. Because why not? 

My favorite of the beers was the Barking Squirrel. I also tried the Steam Whistle, Brickworks Ciderhouse Cider, andddd two more that I can't remember. 

I also DID enjoy a Tim Horton's maple donut, All Dressed chips and maple popcorn too.

Other things to note about Canada:
-They are obsessed with the credit card chip reader and I felt like they all hated me because you need to swipe my card.

-It's weird that they bring the card machine over to the table at restaurants and then stand there as you fill out the tip.

-They have lots of weird potato chip flavors like All Dressed, Ketchup and Dill Pickle! And Poutine!

-They have lots of British candy like Mars Bars and Aero Bars. 

While I didn't have much energy for exploring I did manage to find the energy for 2 Kayla Itsines circuits, an NP workout, and a swim in the lap pool! 

One of Those Weeks (And A Wedding)

My first week back wasn't jam-packed - and it's a good thing. 

It was "One of those weeks." 

You know, ladies. The week before, "the week." 

When everything was horribly tragic. Or I was just incredibly dramatic. 

I didn't feel like doing anything. Nope. Nothin'. 

But Tuesday night, Peter and I had Restaurant Week reservations at Fogo de Chao. Usually a $60 "All-You-Can-Eat Affair," we dined AYCE style at this Brazilian churrascaria for just $38! The menu was slightly limited for those partaking in the Restaurant Week special, meaning that Peter couldn't get chicken hearts (true story, he wanted those) or the filet, but there was still a masssssive amount of food to try. 

Almost immediately upon putting our things at the table, we made our way to the massive salad bar. I could have happily eaten from the salad bar all night, but every time I went to reach for the tongs, Peter would say something like, "You are NOT going to fill up on KALE are you?" "Really, you eat carrots every day!" Ugh, fine. I managed to keep the salad to a minimum - though I ended up going back for seconds of the apple, celery and raisin salad which was delicious. I also had some lox and beets and mushrooms, along with a bunch of other stuff I can't remember. 

The way a churrascaria works is you get a little piece of cardboard that looks like a coaster. One side is red and one side is green. Once you flip your coaster to the green side, it's GAME ON and the servers will come to your table offering you slices of meat off of their giant skewers. 

They also brought out some sides. Mashed potatoes with cheese that we didn't touch because there was no way they were good enough to take up room in our stomachs, fried polenta sticks (yum), friend plantains (like a little side of dessert while you eat your dinner), and...Pao de Queijo. Those delicious little cheesy balls that I was first introduced to when my roommate made them and again at my birthday brunch. I had read on a Yelp review that they reminder one reviewer of Goldfish and as soon as I bit into it, I had a Eureka! moment. Just like Goldfish - except doughy, moist and warm. Again, I awkwardly smuggled some out in my bag - because now it's just a tradition. 

The meat started coming and we eventually sampled each and every kind. As they come over to slice, you take your little tongs and help them get the cut of meat onto your plate. Peter kept forgetting about the tongs and just grabbing meat with his fork because he's just TOO AUTHENTIC BRAZILIAN. 

No shock, I loved the sausage. The lamb was good too. But Peter and I both agreed that the bacon wrapped chicken was THE BEST. It was soo juicy. I liked the flavor of the parmesan encrusted pork, but it was a little dry. There were also ribs and sirloin. And something in a really good garlicky marinade. 

This was by far the most meat I've eaten in probably over a year. So by the end of the meal I was sickeningly full and ready to never eat meat ever again. I also never wanted to eat ANYTHING ever again because I was so full that it hurt. 

But that didn't stop me from eating my slice of key lime pie that came with our Restaurant Week deal. Oooof. Ouch.

Friday Peter and I met after work for a margarita before dinner with his two friends from Oregon. After that, we went to his work happy hour/bowling event where he beat everyone at throwing a ball ball as hard and fast as he could, breaking the speedometer without really even trying. Boys. 

The night went much later than anticipated, and we were up and out early the next morning to take a bus to Binghamton for a party at my friend Curly's house. 

This wasn't just any party. 

This was Jeff & Sarah's Wedding! 

For those of you a little confused by the pictures from that weekend - no, it wasn't a real wedding. No, Jeff & Sarah aren't a real couple. In fact, Jeff and Sarah aren't even the names of two people that we know.  We have just been complaining for awhile now that none of our friends are getting married and we wanted to dress up and celebrate. 

I'd say this party was wonderful. We got to wear fancy things, there was a tent, a taco bar, a real life wedding cake with a unicorn topper, lots of alcohol, lawn games like a giant jenga, and drinking games like beer pong and flip cup. 

Plus, it was the first time I had seen so many of my fellow Bobcats in SUCH a long time!

(They groan every time I make them take this picture but then when it goes up on Facebook YOU ALL LIKE IT DON'T LIE)

Because it was "one of those weeks," I had been dragging my feet about going. But I am so glad I did! 

When we got back to the city on Sunday, we used a Groupon we have been hoarding for awhile to a Mediterranean restaurant on the Upper East Side - Anatolia Mediterranean Cuisine. 

The servers were super attentive, and we got to sit outside with a glass of wine and some food that transported me back to my days on Paros Island. 

(Paros, Greece - not the Upper East Side)

Everything was good - not great, but good. We had Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), cheese pie (filo dough with feta, how can you go wrong?) and then we split the Turlu- vegetable casserole and lamb sautee (served with tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers onions, garlic and rice pilaf). 

The veggie casserole was full of deliciousness - okra, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant onions, zucchini, string beans and a side of rice pilaf (white rice with chickpeas!) 

We mixed up all the leftovers which I ate for dinner later in the week. 

For dessert, I was beyond excited for Baklava and it didn't disappoint! 

(Though nothing will ever compare to this!) 

Just so ya know, Anatolia is BYOB - they serve wine as well. 

Wolman's in the Hamptons

The last day of July meant my first day of FAMILY VACATION. 

I took the train home Friday after work, got dressed, and left with my parents for the restaurant where we were throwing my Nanny a surprise birthday party. 

Slowly, our big happy family filled the private room and we waited for Uncle Greg to show up with the birthday girl. Sitting in a room whose walls were giant floor to ceiling windows, we tried our best to turn away so Nanny didn't see us as she made her way inside. 

I wish the pictures came out better - but I think it's safe to say she was surprised! Maybe even a little teary, seeing a room filled with all of her favorite people (we're all your favorites, right Nanny?!) 

Behind Nanny and Poppy were Uncle Greg and Aunt Christine, who I hadn't seen since Thanksgiving, and THESE two little munchkins. 

Despite living in South Carolina, my aunt and uncle have raised Julia and Claire to know all of their east coast aunts, uncles and cousins wonderfully. I don't know who was more excited - us, or them. 

Our prix-fixe dinner was tasty - my sister and I split the eggplant Parmesan and fish entrees.

Given my choice of desserts, I will rarely pick cake. But given a piece of cake, I will always eat cake. And the cake was actually delicious. 

When my Poppy got up to give a little toast to Nanny, it was so so sweet. I could not be more grateful and appreciative of the love I grew up surrounded by. Not only did my grandparents and parents love for ME allow me to feel happy and secure, but their love for EACH OTHER has shown me that no matter what life throws at you, no matter how stressful it can get - if you are with the right person you can always find reasons to laugh and smile. 

Being surrounded by my family made me SO ready for a week spent with them in Hampton Bays.

(Gangs (almost) all here - and we've got a selfie stick...uh-oh!)

Saturday I attempted a run, which, shockingly, was a pain-free 3 miles. Those 3 miles were more of a jog than a run, but it was the first time that I wasn't limping a mile into it, so I was a pretty happy camper. 

I convinced my mom to drive 20 minutes to the nearest Trader Joe's so I could get some "me" food for the week -long vacation. Sandwich thins, chocolate covered almonds, garlic aioli mustard sauce - you know, the essentials. She also had to return something at Macy's next door so that's the real reason we made the trip. And I was excited because I was given permission by master-chef Mitch to make the three of us dinner that night! A healthy dinner!

And a delicious dinner, if I do say so myself. Mom and Dad both seemed to agree, and I know they would be honest with me if it was sub-par. 

I made a quinoa salad with edamame, mango and black beans along with salmon brushed with sauce made by mixing olive oil with the garlic aioli mustard sauce (again, credit to Kayla!) 

Dad made mom and I his version of the "China Blossom" from China Grill, my favorite cocktail, and I soaked in a rare night sitting out on my deck. I've had an eventful, fun summer, but the number of days spent at home on Long Island have been dismally low.

(Remember how I said I had the best role-models for happy marriages? HOW CUTE ARE THEY?!)

Sunday afternoon was the day - we packed up the truck and set out for the Wolman Family Vacation 2015. 

True story - we used to get t-shirts made for the occasion. Then there were the beer koozies. No outfitting this year, though. 

Most summer's, we go on a big family vacation like this. My grandparents rent a house and all 20 of us spend a week swimming, eating, drinking, playing games and boating. There's a lot of conversation around which house is our favorite that we've stayed in, and the consensus seems to be that nothing beats that first house, which we returned to once and try to return to every summer (Camp O-Kwa-Ri-Ga).  Here's a run down of the Wolman Family Vacation spots over the last couple of years: 

1) Camp O-Kwa-Ri-Ga in the Adirondacks (2008 and 2013). Nothing seems to beat the seclusion - meaning lots of late nights at the fire. The main cabin is great for fitting all of us, and there's a smaller cabin perfect for Nanny and Poppy (they deserve to be spoiled!) But the best part is the boat house right down by the lake. There's a dock, which means we can rent a boat and tube and water ski. And there's paddle boats, kayaks, a canoe, a pool table, piano, balcony for jumping into the lake, and shuffleboard table. So many hysterical moments have happened at O-Kwa-Ri-Ga. From ghost stories, to my dad pretending to be a bear and scaring the crap out of my uncle in the middle of the night - this place feels like home, maybe because it was the first time we all did a trip like this. 

2) Maryland Mansion (2009) - This house was definitely fancier than the Adirondacks. But there's no boat house, and sitting down by the water wasn't as easy. The plus was that we could still rent a boat AND drive the boat across the lake to the Honi Honi bar for happy hour (still fun, despite not being 21 at the time). The lake was a lot rougher though, with more boat traffic, which stressed my dad out and made tubing and water skiing a lot less enjoyable. We could make a fire outside though, a definite plus! And, my family will understand the significance of this - it was at the Maryland Mansion that Claudia Ellen was born! 

3) Rhode Island Beach Mansion (2014) - This house was weirdly fancy. But there was the beach a few steps away AND a pool. No nighttime fires, but the outdoor patio was nice. The option of pool or beach was nice. Sadly, I only spent 3 days at this house, because it was my first year working and I had no vacation time. But while I was there, we discovered the plethora of clams at the beach, which my dad naturally dug up with his bare hands and feet, with the help of uncles and cousins, which we feasted on. There was also a great running and biking path nearby, and as I was marathon training and my uncle was training for a 100 mile bike ride, that was clutch. The restaurant we went for dinner at that year was also THE BOMB. 

4) That brings us to 2015. Originally, we were supposed to go to a lake house near Hunter Mountain. But my grandma had a weird feeling, and after going to check it out, it was a big thumbs down. So last minute, her and my aunt managed to find a beautiful house in Hampton Bays for us to spend the week. The best part? It only took us an hour to get there! The quarters were a little more cramped than usual (though there were more bathrooms and showers!) and there were a lot of rules since the Hamptons can be a little hoity-toity - we couldn't be outside after dark which meant no fires. And we were about a 5 minute drive to the ocean, instead of having it in our backyard (wow, I'm sorry I don't mean to sound quite so spoiled there...) but there were so many GREAT things about this house! A huge pool AND a hot tub. A really great town to explore. A new tradition - the Wolman talent show! A basement with air hockey, foosball and pool. We just won't talk about the dining room chairs...

We were the first to arrive and after driving around to check out the beach and nearby bars and restaurants, we pulled into the driveway of this lovely little house. 

(Ok, 8 rooms, maybe not so little!) 

We figure out the rooming situation which worked out quite well for me - since my sister refuses to share a bed with me (SHE's the one who moves around a ton, NOT me...) she had an air mattress, I had a bed to myself, and my parents shared the other. 

Our days during the week went a little something like this: 

-I would wake up around 8 and go for a bike ride on my little cousins bike or into the basement for some deck of cards workouts. One morning I ran with my Mom and aunt, hopeful after my Saturday morning pain-free run, but unfortunately the IT band acted up again and my knee felt like it was being stabbed after 2.5 miles. So running wasn't part of my week, as much as I would have liked it to be. 

(My 10 year old cousin's bike - perfect fit!)

-After working out I would make myself breakfast - lox and a bagel, Greek yogurt with all the fixings, oatmeal, cereal - so much to choose from. And for someone who loves breakfast like no other meal, it was like Christmas every morning. What's the saying? "I love going to be because it's like a time machine to breakfast." Exactly. 

-Spend the day either at the beach (we went to the ocean two days and to the the bay for one day) or by the pool. At the ocean, I didn't get in the water because the waves were big and it wasn't too hot out anyway. 

At the bay, we swam around despite the rocky bottom and shallow water (North Shore Long Islander over here - totally used to the rocks!) At the pool, I attempted to improve upon my horrendous swimming skills, and although I dressed the part, I probably lasted a total of 10 minutes before frustration overcame me. By the end of the week, though, I DID feel I had made a little bit of improvement. 

-Pre-dinner snacking was a wonderful time of day - we broke out bags upon bags of chips and dips and cracked open some brewskis...or even better, my dad made margaritas. One night, the pre-dinner snacking involved clams on the half shell and another night, shrimp cocktail. You wouldn't believe how fast they got scarfed down! 

Another night, my dad made his artichoke dip - cheese, mayo and artichoke hearts. It might sound gross, but it's so addictive, despite the calorie count. 

(Happy hour - whipping our hair back and forth and eating cheese doodles)

-The way dinner works on these trips is each family gets assigned a night and they make the meal. Pretty simple. This year, some meals included - spiral ham with baked beans, brats and pierogies with LOTS of onions, pasta with chicken and vegetables, filet minion with broccoli and baked potato. There's also always a night where we all go out as a big group, and wreak havoc on some poor, unsuspecting restaurant in the area that is totally not accustomed to seeing a group of 22 people walk in. This year, however, my dad and his siblings had graduated high school with the owner of a local bar/restaurant - so we gave him a heads up, got the back room of Gator's to ourselves, and enjoyed a meal out on the town. 

I'm not sure what it was, but I was having horrible heart burn all week - something that I've never experienced before. One night, I got up out of bed with that urgent, "I think I'm going to be sick" feeling - only to see that the bathroom was occupied.  So I hurried downstairs and, I'll spare you the details, but, I was right - I was sick. After awhile I made my way back upstairs. As I entered the bedroom my family was staying in, my mom goes, "Did you see your father?" 

"No, why?" I asked, a little confused. 

"He thinks you're missing. Him and Sam are searching for you."

Dear Lord. 

Eventually they came inside and saw I was alive and well, aside from the vomit. They stopped looking in bushes and at the bottom of the pool for my body, and we all went to sleep. 

-After dinner every night there were different things to do in the basement, my little cousins organized a talent show one night, and we somehow peacefully watched the GOP debate another night. There were games of "What If..." and "Cards Against Humanity," which you're probably thinking, "Isn't that weird to play with your family?" The answer is yes. Yes, it can be a little strange, but it is also always hilarious. 

(Talent.)

There were a few special activities as well, like the morning that a group of us went paddle boarding. We were enjoying ourselves, paddling like pros (including my fearless little cousin Kyle), and I was even getting fancy with some downward dog. 

(Zen)

Then, we decided to head back. 

Uh-oh. 

Though the teacher had encouraged us to go even further than we ended up going, as soon as we turned around to make the trip back to the shop, we realized the wind was far stronger than when we first headed out. We paddled to no avail. I couldn't get past one boat for about 20 minutes. Kyle was spinning in circle. Eventually, my mom and I got Kyle situated on my board and she towed this board behind hers. We still weren't making much progress, but with Kyle laying down and using his hands to paddle along with me, we moved a little bit. Then, my mom realized we could stand. So there was some sludging through the water that way. 

They must have realized we were struggling, because we heard yells and looked to the shore to see my uncle and the paddle board shop owner waving us onto the beach.  We were still SO far from the shop, so we walked our boards up and put them in her pick-up truck for a lift back to get our stuff. 

She told us we were doing great, and that even SHE had some problems getting HERSELF in to shore. That made us feel better But we were EXHAUSTED and I was starving. I had planned to go to paddle board yoga the next morning - but, no thanks. 

Another fun night was when we went to Cowfish for happy hour and then took the Rum Barge over to Rumba for dinner. 

Cowfish was one of the most beautiful restaurants I've ever seen. The landscaping and flowers were beautiful, and the view couldn't get much more perfect. There were lawn games and couches and it was such an oasis. I couldn't stop taking pictures! 

We loaded up the Rum Barge and took it across the water to Cowfish's sister restaurant, Rumba, which we heard had the better menu for dinner. The view and outdoor area wasn't as nice, so I was really happy with our decision to do drinks at Cowfish and dinner at Rumba. 

Rumba had it's own style and feel - much more laid back and island-y. The food was KILLER and SO PRETTY. 

Are you ready for these avocado tacos? I don't think you're ready. Rastaman's Taco: paneed avocado, island slaw, corn salsa and rasta cream. 

What does "paneed" mean, you ask. Well, I Googled it so that you don't have to - basically it means bread-crumbed. Fried avocado might sound weird, but I promise you it wasn't. It was very LIGHTLY coated. Almost like a light tempura. The slaw was to die for. Or maybe it was the rasta cream. Either way, I could have eaten 2384932 of these for dinner and not tried anything else and still been happy. 

We also tried the duck empanadas because...I mean, duh. They were good too (greasy, fried good) but those tacos were on a different level. 

For my entree I got the jumbo scallop and papaya salad with avocado, tomatoes and corn. I don't know why I didn't sub the papaya for mango. I know I don't like papaya. And this confirmed it. But everything else about the salad was delicious! 

Mom: Ahi Tuna Salad- mango, avocado, purple onion, sesame seed, filed greens, tuna, "yummy yummy" sauce.

Nanny: Jumbo diver scallops- rum reduction sauce, white beans, capers, rice & mache 

Dad: Shrimp Boat- sage breaded shrimp, remoulade, avocado, lettuce and tomato 

Sam: Jerk Chicken Platter: coconut risotto and mango papaya honey salsa. This stuff was NO JOKE spicy. 

The cocktails were wonderfully refreshing and flavorful and the Hot Fudge Sundae was plain sinful. I've never seen a sundae that comes served with an entire gravy boat of hot fudge to be poured on top. And all of it was poured, trust me. 

After the rum barge got a little stuck in the shallow water, we were on our way back to Cowfish to pick up our cars and head back to the house. 

Watching the sunset was the perfect end to a pretty awesome night. 

Another night my parents, sister and grandparents went for a cocktail at Oakland's where I reestablished my love of prosecco. 

The last night, we again did happy hour and dinner out, this time at The Hampton Lady. 

Though the service wasn't anything to write home about, and the margaritas left something to be desired - the Mai Tais, crafted by a Hawaiian bartender, were phenomenal and the food was quite good along with the half-price drink happy hour special. Can't complain about that! I ordered the fish tacos and my dad got the lobster, which we split. 2 lobsters with corn and potatoes for $28! My mom got a burger that I was SO close to ordering - bacon, blue cheese, and a grilled shrimp on top! My sister ordered clams on the half shell and the Thai fried-calamari which was quite good! 

After dinner, my parents dropped me off at the train station and it was time to say goodbye. I got pretty emotional - tearing up a little as I watched them drive away. 

I just love how close I am with my family - the fact that I can be genuinely excited about spending 7 days in a house with 22 relatives says a lot - and I know how incredibly #blessed I am. 

Lately, I've been having a little bit of wanderlust. My list of places that I want to see and explore has grown a lot in the past few months. In fact, I used to not even have a list of places I wanted to see and explore. Now, I badly want to go to Iceland. I'm longing for a trip out west to hike and explore National Parks. Denver, Idaho, Yellowstone. I want to do and see it all. But having 10 vacation days means prioritizing. 

I know the day will come when I forego the family vacation to do my own thing. But when, a week after leaving Hampton Bays, my grandma sent me a link to next years house (we return to the Adirondacks!) I just thought to myself, "How can I turn down a week with the people who matter most to me?"

We shall see what happens next summer. But until then, the memories of Hampton Bays will carry me until Christmas, when I get to see everyone again! 

Nanny and Poppy - I know you're reading this, because you are my biggest fans - THANK YOU for making and raising and nurturing this big, crazy, wonderful, beautiful family and for giving us the opportunity to spend time together. 

I wrapped up the weekend with a trip to Target and Costco with Rebecca and Melissa, unpacked, and got ready for another week in the big apple. 

Busy Week

Monday, July 27 was an important day. 

The Bachelorette Finale, obviously. 

Though we all failed at watching the show together on a weekly basis, a bunch of us got together at Melissa's apartment to watch the finale, foam roll, and eat a lot of delicious food. 

More exciting than the finale was the fact that Kaitlin brought us LEVAIN BAKERY COOKIES!

She brought chocolate chocolate chip, peanut butter, and regular chocolate chip. All were amazing, all lived up to the hype, and naturally, I favored the peanut butter cookie. 

Somehow, even though they weren't fresh out of the oven, all the chocolate on the inside of the cookie was moist and melty as if they were still hot. 

Do you know the story behind the cookies? They were created by Constance McDonald and Pamela Weekes while they trained for an Ironman - they needed a way to get a LOT of calories back in their bods. 

Now, we eat this 6 ounce cookie as dessert. 

'Merica. 

Tuesday night I got home from work and made a portable dinner for picnic in the park. I LOVE how these Mexican Mason jars turned out! I layered the following: 

Lettuce
Choululah shredded chicken (canned chicken heated up in a skillet with Choululah sauce)
Spicy black bean dip from Trader Joe's
Coconut oil sauteed sweet potato
Sauteed peppers
Corn cut off the cob and seasoned with cilantro and chili 

These delicious jars came with me to Carl Schurz Park where we watched Frozen with all of the children of the Upper East Side. Good thing we brought some wine in a water bottle. 

Wednesday night was my "surprise" date for Peter that he figured out because he gets the damn guitarists newsletter. GRR!

Anyway, months and months ago I had bought us tickets to go see Andy McKee and two other guitarists perform at BB Kings. I was a little nervous that I would be super bored with only guitar music, but it was AMAZING and I loved it. 

(Andy McKee - look him up!)

Before the concert we stopped at Sangria 46 for paella and sangria. While the paella wasn't nearly as good as what we had a Soccarat, it still had some yummy seafood. And the sangria was fabulous as usual. 

Thursday night brought even more activities! Celebrating Jaime's birthday at the Heidelberg! Who knew they had such an adorable outdoor garden in the back?! And who knew a German restaurant would have such great sangria?! 

It was super entertaining watching all of the guys get SO into their game of...THIS. It's super fun, you should give it a try. 

The next day it was time to head home for 10 days of FAMILY :)

I Got My Headstand! Cooked a Lot! Saw GORILLAS.

I'm not entirely sure why I'm so set on writing these boring, tedious "catch-up" posts, but I am determined to see them through - so bear with me. I promise this place will be a little more exciting, with better content and more creative topics sometime in the near(ish) future. 

The week on July 20th was fairly slow - which meant time to whip up some food in the kitchen!

With the cucumbers Peter dad game me from their garden, I made a delicious cucumber salad with Greek yogurt, dill, onions and some apple cider vinegar. 

I'm still mastering the skill of cooking for one (and occasionally 2 when Peter eats at my apartment) so I ended up eating this as a side allllll week long. 

I also put together one of the pre-made salads from Trader Joe's - kale and quinoa with craisins and carrots and other goodies.  To make it more summery, I added my own touch - avocado and grapefruit! 

Probably my favorite creation of the week was a bean salad. I mixed edamame, black beans, sliced plum tomatoes and onions and MANGO with an aioli garlic mustard dressing using this deliciousness from Trader Joe's + lemon juice + olive oil. The dressing credit 100% goes to Kayla, who made it for our salad while we were in Cape Cod. I would serve this over greens and top with avocado for a protein-packed lunch. 

I didn't stop there! I also made a monstrous tub of chia seed pudding (chia seeds + unsweetened vanilla almond milk + honey + cinnamon + walnuts) for breakfast all week and last but not least, CHIA SEED RHUBARB JAM using the rhubarb from the Fetzer garden. 

Making the jam was surprisingly easy - I cut the rhubarb into small pieces, added honey, simmered until it got liquidy, added the chia seeds, stirred a bunch, and VOILA! 

Thursday night was Kayla's birthday and we all went to The Jeffrey to hang out with her and her parents. 

A) The Jeffrey has a really nice outdoor area, an awesome beer selection, and a fun menu. 

B) Both time's I've been, it was pretty packed, so it's not the place to go if you're looking for something low-key. 

C) I had the Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin which was great - a grapefruit flavored beer that isn't 2% alcohol! Hooray! In fact, it's 7% ABV. 

D) Kayla's parents are awesome and it was nice getting to talk to them. 

Friday when I got out of work early I headed to Kayla's for some Dance Mom's watching and some delicious dinner cooking. 

We decided to give "Cauliflower Steaks" a shot - and it actually ended up turning out fabulously! 

We seasoned the cauliflower with an olive oil, cumin, tumeric and ginger sauce and garnished with cilantro. They were delicious! The consistency wasn't exactly steak - but it was substantial. 

Served with our cauliflower steak were zucchini noodles with pesto and quinoa. 

With our extra cauliflower, we roasted the florets with some oregano and nutritional yeast. It was SO delicious! I was shocked at how cheesy it tasted (thanks, nutritional yeast). 

As we cooked and watched Dance Moms we had another important project - juicing a watermelon to make cocktails for that night's festivities. 

We took a cut up watermelon and put the chunks into the blender. Once everything was blended and we had lots of juice, we strained it through a very fine strainer...about 5 times! By the end, we had beautiful, clear, smooth, 100% pure watermelon juice. 

We headed over to Jess's apartment with our cocktail supplies where we played games and chatted with Peter and Melissa.

The cocktail was superb, if we do say so ourselves. We mixed Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka with our fresh watermelon juice, limes, and strawberry watermelon seltzer! 

Around 10:00 we headed out for the night's main event - the anniversary performance of Nacho Bitches at the New York Comedy Club. 

This was my first NYC comedy show and I certainly hope it won't be my last. It was a fun night, with lots of laughs, especially since the four of us sat in the front row and got made fun of quite a lot throughout the different comedians sets. I loved how small and intimate the venue was! 

One of the comedians, Corinne Fisher, is from the podcast "Guys We Fucked" which you should check out if you want a good laugh and a healthy dose of female empowerment. 

Anyway, at the end of the show, Kayla got to take a birthday shot with the hosts, Corrine and Blaire. 

My one complaint? The show promised free nachos, but the nachos provided were L-A-M-E. Tostitos with a side of some sad looking melted cheese. Oh well!

The night ended way later than anticipated, after a stop at Kayla's rooftop, and Peter and I were slow to rise on Saturday morning. 

But when we eventually woke up, we headed to the gym because Peter had promised to give me my first swimming lesson. I was an eager student - with new swimsuit, goggles, ear plugs and bathing cap in hand. 

I jumped into the pool, showed him how I usually swim, and said, "Fix it." 

Trust me, he was probably thinking "Shit." 

My version of swimming isn't much better than a doggy-paddle. As soon as my face goes in the water, let alone my whole head, my chest tightens and I feel extremely anxious. 

But Peter was patient with me, hold me under my stomach while I tried to get the breathing motions down right, explaining proper stroke form with words that I could understand (ohhh, it ends in a tricep extension? K, got it). 

I can't say I had an equal amount of patience. 

Eventually, all of the different things to think about felt way too overwhelming and I told him I needed to stop before I just started getting extremely unpleasant. I knew the next step would be snapping at him, and I didn't want to do that. 

I felt bad that not only had I not gotten any type of real exercise out of the lesson, but Peter spent most of the time helping me instead of swimming his own laps. So after we changed out of our swim suits we played around in one of the studios. He killed me with a deadlift/push-up pyramid workout and we played around a little with squats and clean and presses. 

You have no idea how happy I am to have found someone to spend my Saturday morning "playing" at the gym with. Seriously. 

We finished up with some Peter-led yoga and I finally got up into my headstand all by myself!! 

Though I was desperately ready for a nap, I went back to my apartment and got ready for a long day/night of drinking/celebrating. 

First was Kayla's birthday party at Lucy's Cantina. 

Fun was had by all, especially when we realized that HUMONGOUS beer-garitas were no more expensive than a margarita on the rocks. 

On our way out from Kayla's party we stopped at Penn Plates, an outdoor food vendor area near Penn Station. I was DYING to try the California Earth Mama Salad - with arugula, grilled corn, sunflower seeds, watermelon radish and a ginger and sesame dressing. The pictures I had seen of it on Instagram were SO PRETTY (yes, that's why I wanted to try it). This salad was at the Jicama stand, which I've tried before. While I really wanted the salad with shrimp, $14 for a salad after spending the whole day out was a little steep - so I ordered mine with avocado. 

Turns out, they were out of avocado so he asked if I wanted chicken instead. Free chicken? Sure. 

(This is just the sample - I somehow didn't take a picture of mine. Perhaps it was the giant margaritas...)

Bad decision on my part. Whatever the chicken was seasoned in was SO salty. Not just like "Wow, someone was a little heavy handed on the salt." Burning my throat, completely overpowering everything else, level salty. I was so sad! From what I managed to eat that hadn't been poisoned by the sodium-soaked chicken was good, but overall the salad was pretty much ruined. 

Sadness. 

Later that night we went to a going away party for our friend Pete from November Project - deserting us for the West Coast. 

And last, we ended up back at Jaime's apartment to say goodnight to the birthday gal. 

Though the weekend had already been rather eventful, Sunday had more fun in store. 

Peter and I went to the BRONX ZOO and it was so much fun. We walked a TON but it was a gorgeous day and there were so many great moments. 

Like the gorillas, DUH. There were little BABIES and one sitting so so close to us and I was melting and loving every second and Peter had to literally be like, "OK Lauren, it's time to go." Noooo, just let me sit here with the gorillas forever!! 

The sea lions were going CRAY when we got to them. We realized it was because their feeding time was coming up, and they definitely knew it. That's crazy to me, they're so smart! 

These guys were legit YELLING. They sounded like those hysterical videos of goats screaming. And then there was one little baby that didn't know how to do it yet and every time he tried it sounded like he was about to throw up. Peter was imitating it and I was losing it. I don't know how everyone at the sea lion exhibit wasn't pissing themselves. 

Mr. Turtle was FLIPPED OVER on his back when we got to him. Talk about struggle city. A lemur looked on as the turtle flailed his legs and tail back and forth violently - that little lemur knew exactly what was happening but didn't do anything to help. Eventually, a zoo keeper came into the enclosure and flipped him over. 

The leopards were out and playful and it's so awesome how they act just like giant version of a regular house cat! Watching them play was just like watching Doodle and his friend play at the Meow Parlour! 

That night I readied for the week ahead, which would bring lots of activities in my last week in NYC before my family vacation. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

BAEgels on the Beach

Back in New York after our girls weekend in Cape Cod, I went to cheer for Peter at a Tuesday night 5K in Hoboken. It was right on the water, a good group of November Project friends were running - and DAMN everyone killed it! Jeanie and Pete Kruse both won awards!

(Jeanie is STRONG)

Peter was finally feeling like his speed was coming back after being so sick in May. 6:38 pace? Yup, I'd say that's fast.

(Are you a running model or something?)

And Emily was having a ball running one of her favorite races on her home turf!

After the race there was beer and wine and a band which we enjoyed for awhile before heading out for some Taco Tuesday food and beverage up the street. 

On Thursday, Peter took me out for a delicious dinner at Soccarat Paella Bar in Chelsea. Named after the crispy, crunchyness that forms in the cooking of paella, Soccarat definitely lived up to its name. The crunchy/burnt race was definitely our favorite part. 

We opted for the Arroz Negro - the rice is black from the squid ink! I was hesitant at first, but Peter wanted to be adventurous and I was sold on the shrimp, calamari, scallops, and fish that it included.

This paella was massive - yet we were not deterred. Essentially, we finished the entire thing.  Paella here is charged per person ($25-$33) with a 2 person minimum. 

Pre-paella we ordered two appetizers. 

Peter's choice were the bacon wrapped dates stuffed with cheese, almonds and a roasted apple puree. Not that they weren't my choice too - I had just been trying (and failing) at cleaning up my diet. Obviously, I ate my share of bacon wrapped dates. 

My one request was "NO patatas bravas." I find them horribly cliche and boring. 

So I chose the Milhohas de cordero - lamb terrine, spinach, potato and red peppers. To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect. I just knew I liked lamb. And spinach, potatoes and red peppers. 

Well, turns out I ended up loving it (and Peter was a fan too). Except we couldn't figure out exactly what we were eating. I later asked my dad to explain what a terrine was and he said sometimes it's held together using gelatin. UGH. I was hoping that wasn't how ours was made. I told him it seemed like there was an egg-y consistency, and he said that could be it too - so that's what we're going to go with. 

Obviously there was a pitcher of sangria included in the meal. 

Followed by a walk along the High Line! I always love taking pictures there, especially right before sunset when the lighting is juuuuust perfect. 

On Friday I enjoyed a "Summer Friday" which meant I got out of work at 2 p.m. instead of 5.

After getting some stuff done at the apartment, I met up with Peter and his coworkers near Penn Station and a nice new outdoor area for some oil cans (aka Foster's!) 

('Ows about we plow the froth off a coupla cold ones?)

Later that us and the girls met up with Jess because her mom and grandmother were visiting from Ohio! We went to Rosa Mexicano and enjoyed a few more drinks. It was so nice getting to meet them. 

After some sleep we woke up and made our way to the Brooklyn Brewery for a day of beer tasting. The line was pretty long and it was HOT out. Eventually, we got in and had a half hour to kill until our tour. We bought some beer tickets and got to sampling. 5 beers is $25, which wasn't bad considering the quality of the beer! We tried three before we went on the tour. 

Our tour guide killed it. He was great, we learned the basics of a brewery tour, and also some fun stories that pertain specifically to Brooklyn Brewery. 

Afterwards, we finished two more beer samples. 

The bar area is pretty cool because you can bring your own food in and people had huge spreads with games. It would be a fun place for a birthday party! 

On our way out we perused Smorgasburg and got some odds and ends as the packed up. We sat down by the water for awhile and it was really nice enjoying a view of the skyline, looking at the city that I have spent barely any time in during the last couple of crazy weeks. 

We headed back to Manhattan, met up with Melissa, and entered the yet to be moved into apartment of Alex for some NYC Tri poster making/beer drinking/pizza eating. I was a happy camper. 

Naturally, when the pizza was eaten, the poster board was all used, the beer was all drank - we headed to a nearby bar. 

Sound like enough fun and activity for a weekend? 

Nope. Still had Sunday, and we got up quite early to make our way to Peter's family's house on Long Island. 

After a stop for bagels (we were on Long Island, so DUH) we hit the beach! 

(ILY)

It was PACKED and super hot, so we didn't last for very long, but I'm never one to turn down water sand and sun. Or bagels. 

That night Peter's dad grilled tons of meat, prepared one of his A+ salads with fresh ingredients from the garden, and his mom baked a killer strawberry rhubarb pie. The caipirinhas (cat purinas as I like to pronounce them) were delicious and the conversation was easy and entertaining as usual. I really do enjoy spending time with Peter and his family - they're cool peeps. 

I left that night with some cucumbers from the garden and my own rhubarb to experiment in the kitchen with! 

I also left with some pictures of this pretty guy. 

And with THAT another summer week came to a close. 

Family & Friends & The Cape

This summer has been great because even though I feel like I'm ALWAYS missing my family, I did get to see them a good amount. 

The week after Fourth of July, my parents and sister came into the city on Thursday night to go see Something Rotten - I had missed Mother's Day, Father's Day, my mom's birthday and my sister's birthday so this was our time to celebrate! 

When I got out of work I met them for appetizers and drinks at China Grill, a family favorite. They have a great happy hour special from 4-7 where drinks and small plates are $7 (yes, including the China Blossom, my all time favorite cocktail!) 

After that we walked to the theater and saw Something Rotten which was pretty laugh out loud funny, despite our nose bleed seats (sorry guys!) I'm just a huge Brian D'Arcy James fan, I think he's great. 

After the show we went to The Marshal which, I don't think anyone loved, and I probably should have just gone to by myself since I wanted to order lots of veggies and my family wasn't feelin' it. We also had to spring through a monsoon to get there which kind of dampened the mood (get it?) 

The best part of the meal was the burrata - served with pesto, sea salt, and summer squash. I also ordered a peach roasted with brown sugar, walnuts and blue cheese. 

Sadly, I had to be up early the next morning to leave for a girls weekend in Cape Cod, so I couldn't spend the night in the hotel with my family :( Saying goodbye always sucks, but it was a fun night as usual! 

Early Friday morning we were meeting to get an uber and head to pick up our rental car at LaGuardia. After an entertaining ride where we couldn't find the car rental place and Rebecca grabbed our driver's arm, we picked up our car and hit the road! 

The traffic gods were on our side and it was smooooth sailing to Cape Cod and to Kayla's family's house. 

(Pretty smooth...)

We were totally spoiled by a fully stocked kitchen when we arrived and pretty quickly we were seated comfortably on the beach with a delicious spread in front of us - an AMAZING mandarin orange couscous salad, an assortment of chips, and an arugula/watermelon salad. 

The water was beautifulllllllll and not too wavy which is just my speed. 

On our way home from the beach we stopped at Great Pond for a rinse in the fresh water. It was beautiful! Totally my favorite kind of place. Secluded and peaceful, right in the middle of nature. I was happy as a clam. 

That night, we all had WAY too much fun cooking in a giant kitchen as we drank and cooked and listened to Kayla talk backwards and talked and laughed and it was great. 

We made veggie burgers, corn on the cob, an amazing salad, and Melissa made funfetti and chocolate peanut butter donuts! And Kayla made Nutella and walnut rugelach! 

Since Friday was pretty much perfect, we did it all over again on Saturday! Up for a delicious breakfast and out to the beach where we again feasted on couscous salad and our own tuna/avocado salad creation.

We went for an even long swim at the pond this time! 

Dinner on Saturday was grilled sweet potatoes chicken sausages for the omnivores and eggs for the veggie-heads, blackbeans and other deliciousness. 

Things got silly that night and I was again reminded how damn happy I am that the 6 of us met. 

Sunday Rebecca slaved away on breakfast which was A+++.  Some sweet potato/rosemary potato hash, avocado, toast, eggs and CHAMPAGNE. 

While Rebecca slaved over the stove, I slaved over the refrigerator writing this masterpiece. 

We headed to the beach one last time, soaked up a little more sun, went home to pack up, and stopped for a yummy seafood lunch before we bid Cape Code farewell. 

Our journey home was longer, but not unbearable - especially with the nice long break in New Haven for Pepe's pizza! It felt nice just knowing I was in New Haven. I still miss Quinnipiac a ton! 

It was a late return and a rough Monday morning, but it was seriously one of the most relaxing, fun weekend's I've had all summer! 

Kayla, please stay my friend because I'm already counting down the days until our next trip to the Cape! 

THANKS KAYLA!!

Through the 4th

I was home in the city just long enough to unpack my bags before heading to Connecticut on Saturday morning to celebrate my favorite ginger's 25th birthday! 

Allison pushed off her birthday celebration from the beginning of May all the way until the last weekend in June since it was the first time I was home for a weekend...because she's the best. 

It was an awesome day where we rented a van that drove us to two different CT wineries before dropping us back off at Allison's apartment. 

I made my way back to Long Island that night hoping to make my cousin's high school graduation party, but that didn't end up happening.

I DID get to see Morgan, home for a rare break from med school before her new year in Denver. She BETTER get her butt to a November Project workout soon! Morgan and I always pick up right where we left off, which is the best feeling. 

Monday and Tuesday I took personal days otherwise they would have expired. Tuesday I leisurely headed back into the city for a date with Peter at MEOW PARLOUR! It was really clean inside, the kitties were super cute, the cookies that you can buy from the cafe around the corner were delicious, and we stayed for an hour since Doodle was thoroughly entertaining us. If you're looking to adopt a cat - go here! Or, if you just want to play with kitties. 

After Meow Parlour we watched some women's world cup soccer from The Loreley. 

I only had 1.5 days of work that week because we got out of work early on Thursday and had off on Friday for Fourth of July weekend. 

As soon as work was over on Thursday I booked it to Penn Station and boarded the train for Montauk. Dear lord, it was craziness. I've never seen so many people on the LIRR in my entire life. 

The ride was loooong. My parents picked me up and drove Jess and Kevin to their house, where I would be staying Friday and Saturday nights! But Thursday night was bonding time with modge and podge, who were also staying in Montauk for the weekend. 

We went to eat at a new restaurant called The Muse. The decor was awesome - open, airy, beachy, with really awesome floors that looked like old worn wood panels but totally weren't. The bar lit up cool colors, too.  

First, we split the Tuna "Menage a Trois" 

1) Ahi Tuna Tartar atop Vegetable Tabouli - For the Tabouli, they used Israeli Couscous which added a unique texture
2) Blackened Tuna Lollipop topped with Candied Wasabi Crust on Whipped Avocado - I'm not a huge fan of wasabi flavored things, so this wasn't my favorite
3) Hot Stone Seared Tuna Carpaccio with Seaweed Salad - This was probably my favorite, because I love seaweed salad, and because it came with a spicy mayo sauce. 

Next, we split the Mussels a la Muse. 

Oh. My. God.
These was by far the most amazing mussel dish I've ever had. When it comes to mussels, it's not really the mussel that's the impressive part, but what surrounds the little guys.  This dish came with a Prosecco Butter Sauce (uh, yes), Grilled Artichoke Hearts, Cured Tomatoes, Giganta Beans and grilled Italian bread. 

The combination of artichoke hearts and beans (with some Parmigiano-Reggiano on top for good measure) was so hearty and filling and the Prosecco Butter Sauce was addictive. 

I've been to Flex Mussels in the city, which specializes in bowls of different themed mussels, but The Muse had them beat! 

For dinner I ordered the "Bacon N Eggs Breakfast Salad" which, I'll just cut to the chase, was a disappointment. 

I should have listened to the waitress when she said she preferred the Summer Apple Salad. Or, realistically, just stopped trying to be good by ordering a salad and ordered something from the real menu. Oh well! Luckily, I was stuffed from the appetizers already and my parents obviously let me eat as much as I wanted from their plates! 

The salad came with grilled pork belly and a poached egg over frissee tossed in a maple cider vinaigrette with French toast croutons. 

The pork belly was fatty and I really didn't like it. Other than that, the rest of the salad was great! Yolk from the egg mixed with the maple cider vinaigrette was delicious and the French taste croutons were like little bites of dessert mixed into my salad. 

I honestly can't remember which of the fish entrees my mom ordered, and looking at the menu I can't even match it up to this picture. It's driving me slightly crazy. 

I want to say it was the Cajun Spiced Atlantic Cod served on Charred L.I. Corn & Saffron Hummus with House Grown Micro Greens, Honey, Black Vinegar Gastrique, Avocado Aioli, Chili Oil, and Fried Hominy.

My dad ordered what I peer-pressured him into ordering - "Muse's World Famous Sausage." 

The pinwheel pork sausage had roast tomato, artichoke & feta-cheese inside of it and was served with sweet potato green apple chutney and a honey mustard barbecue sauce. 

We didn't do dessert, but I did walk next door for some froyo afterwards and my dad, who isn't usually a sweets person, was totally blown away by it. Maybe now he'll be a little more understanding when my froyo comes to $9. 

My drink was tasty too - I think some kind of watermelon drink but I can't remember exactly. 

Overall, I don't think any of us were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by our entrees, but we WERE obsessed with those mussels, and the general feel of the restaurant was really nice. 

After dinner we headed to the Sloppy Tuna for a drink at the bar and to meet up with my parents friends before heading to bed. 

(My best friend, for real.)


In the morning, we woke up and DAMN was the view nice. We were right. on. the. ocean. Beautiful. 

I struggled to run two miles (we'll get to all of that at some other time...) and went for a yoga class! 

(My mom was standing IN the hotel room when she took this picture!)

When I got back, my parents and I headed to the hotel's restaurant for a free breakfast and I got some egg whites with home fries, toast and fruit. 

Then, BEACH!

It was perfect out, and I felt no need to jump in the water. 

Peter and my friends were all on their way out to Montauk from the city and I was waiting to head over to Jess and Kevin's until they arrived. Unfortunately, the LIRR was even more of a mess on Friday than it had been on Thursday night, and they had had to get on a bus since there were thousands of people and hundreds that couldn't fit on the train. 

Eventually, I knew they were close so I said goodbye to my parents and they dropped me off at the house. Once everyone arrived we ate some lunch and went to the beach for some late afternoon sun and relaxation. That night, we pigged out on pizza, drank a LOT of alcohol, played some games, attempted to go to Sloppy Tuna, and generally just had a great time. 

Fun story - the line for Sloppy Tuna was SO LONG and when we got there with a group of 20 of us, we knew there was no way we were all getting in. But my parents had been waiting in there for me for about an hour and I felt awful! Well, as usual, my dad had made some friends, and I was able to go up to the bouncer and get in! I saw my parents for a little bit before heading out to meet back up with the group. 

True Life: My parents are so much cooler than me! 

Surprisingly, everyone was up and out at a decent hour the next morning for a Fourth of July spent on the beach. I wasn't feeling so hot, but eventually, felt good enough to eat some ice cream at John's Drive In. I also went with Peter to John's Pancakes where he had a CANNOLI PANCAKE! It was literally rolled up and stuffed with cannoli cream and it was probably the best pancake I've ever had (aside from my mom's banana pancakes, DON'T WORRY MOM!) 

Later that afternoon we went to a bar before heading back to the house for pulled pork sandwiches and more games and drinks. 

Not ready to give up the sun and sand, Sunday morning we again got up bright and early and headed to the beach for a few hours before we had to head home on the good old LIRR. It was a long day of travel, but totally work it for the tan I got that weekend! 

Finally bronzed!