Tag Archives: family

Carrabba’s Italian Grill – West Palm Beach

So continues my Floridian December Vacation recap!

I’ve proclaimed my love for Carrabba’s Italian Grill before, but something I hadn’t gotten a chance to partake in until recently is Wine Wednesday, in which all bottles of wine are $10 off and sangria is just $5 a glass! Everyone knows I’m a sucker for a deal (they call me Coupon Caitlin), so I was pleased to hear that our usual Carrabba’s trip during our recent family vacation to Florida in December had been planned for a Wednesday night.

My mom, dad, and I decided to share a bottle of red, and I got to choose! I selected an Argentinian Syrah from Trapiche. It was excellent! I had a couple of glasses throughout the meal.

Usually Carrabba’s has really good specials, but none of these struck me. Fine though – their grilled chicken dishes are some of the best I’ve had in any restaurant (usually chicken is so blah to me, but they do it right), so I went with an old standard, the small Chicken Bryan, which is grilled chicken topped with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. I got a side of broccoli too.

I was a bit disappointed with my portion. I’ve ordered the small chicken before, and I swear it got smaller. It still tasted delicious. Carrabba’s has a broccoli side that is always perfect too.

My meal also came with a tasty house salad. Everyone at the table gave me their olives – score!

Carrabba’s also has some of the best bread ever! My brother is especially a fan. In fact, he only ordered a Caesar salad for dinner because he ate 11 slices of bread with olive oil. I managed to capture this epic sequence of events:

Step 1: The loving gaze.

Step 2: The dip.

Step 3: The devour.

Though there was not quite enough of my meal, I did supplement when I got home with some Publix birthday cake – no worries. 😉

Have you ever been to a Carrabba’s? In your opinion, what restaurant has the best bread?

Two Drunken Goats

No, this is not a “grab your attention” title. This is the name of the restaurant that serves as the subject of today’s post on my December Florida vaction! Yeah, I’m still not done talking about it.

Our first full day in Florida was a gorgeous beach day, so we took advantage.

I woke up at my usual early hour of 7:15am, and used my morning to head over to the hotel my parents were staying in (my siblings and I prefer my grandparents’ cozy, familiar apartment) to use the fitness center and get a workout in. It definitely wasn’t the most expansive of places, and most of the TVs on the cardio machines didn’t work, but I did find one functioning television/treadmill and cranked out a 5K, followed by some ab work on a mat. When I’m on vacation, I don’t have my usual enjoyable group fitness classes, so I tend to keep my workouts on the shorter side. This is fine by me, because after all, I am on vacation and would rather not force myself to do too much running, which I don’t really enjoy. Still, I can’t beat the accomplished feeling I get after a workout, and it makes lying on my butt reading magazines by the pool or beach that much more enjoyable and restful, so I try to do something each day.

I took a total break from my recent bookworm status on this entire trip and read the huge pile of magazines that had been accumulating in the backseat of my car since summer (pool season) ended. There’s something about lying out in the sun that makes me feel like nothing but a good fashion or healthy living magazine will do. I even read a few issues of a new-to-me mag, Nylon, which I really ended up enjoying. It was different from the other publications I usually read – very refreshing.

Everyone except my mom (and brother and grandpa, who stayed behind at the apartment – they’re not exactly beach bums) decided to go to the beach’s newest restaurant, Two Drunken Goats, for an al fresco lunch. What a cool place! It essentially lacked one of its four walls, and instead had a bar and an outdoor patio in its place.

The menu was very expansive and had plenty of options for eaters of every kind. I found myself pulled to the Salads section, because these did not look like your typical wimpy restaurant salads. I spotted some serious beasts!

The Specials were written on a chalkboard-on-wheels, which the waitresses rolled from table to table as needed. A cool idea that fit the theme of the restaurant, but I prefer to receive my specials on paper so that I don’t have to ask a waitress to “roll” them over before I can decide on what I want.

Two Drunken Goats also boasts an extensive selection of margaritas! This pineapple margarita was fresh and quite strong – definitely a good thing, because the pineapple’s sweetness wasn’t overpowering the tequila’s flavor. I also was impressed by the generously sized pineapple slice garnish.

My salad was, as I expected, a beast. I ordered a spinach salad with lump crabmeat, hardboiled egg, tomato, cucumbers, onion, green peppers, pepperoncini, scallions, and pineapple-mango vinaigrette on the side. It was wonderful! Took me forever to cut (I like my salads very chopped), but was well worth that self-induced wait. The dressing was perfect and so beachy, and the crab was an extremely satisfying protein choice, along with the egg.

My sister and dad both got quesadillas that looked exactly the same, so I only took one photo. Hannah’s contained grilled chicken and Dad’s had crab and shrimp. Both also had cheese and plenty of sautéed veggies.

Grannan just hung out with her usual glass of Chardonnay – and nibbled on some of the quesadillas! She didn’t get any of my food though – I finished every last bite.

Two Drunken Goats gets two not-drunken thumbs up from each of us! A fun place, perfect for dining on nice days, with something for everyone. On our way out, we had to stop and visit the gentleman who I can only assume is…the owner of the two drunken goats themselves?

Sup, man?

Have you ever been to a restaurant on the beach?

Random Workout and Duffy’s Sports Grill

Hi all! I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s post on the Taste of New Haven: Canal Quarter tour that I did recently. If you  haven’t read it, check it out. You’ll be drooling by the end!

She might have my male readers drooling too #cheesy

Yesterday I was finally back to my sweatier workout routine after work. The day I got my wisdom teeth out (Friday), I did a relaxing YogaWorks Core Flow video in the evening, because I was so stiff from sitting around all day. It felt great, especially all the twisting poses. My back REALLY needed that. On Saturday and Sunday, I stuck to high-resistance elliptical sessions with some good magazines, and mat work. But yesterday I got to the gym, and I had HIIT on the brain. I got on the Step Mill for 30 minutes with the above latest issue of “Self” (and some “Entertainment Tonight” Golden Globes coverage) and did speed intervals, levels 15-17. It ended up coming out to just a little over 4 miles and I finished it off with…

Random Total-Body Moves:

Done and done, I was so ready to go home after that. It was 8pm by that time and I was starved. Luckily I came home to roasted Brussels sprouts and chili. Oh, the joys of living at home.

Let’s get back to my Florida vacation recapping, yes? 

I think it’s so cool when two “separate worlds” combine in unexpected places. An example of this occurred our second night in Florida, when my dad arranged for my godfather AKA his best friend, Joe, and his son AKA one of my best friends, Greg, to join us for dinner at another old favorite spot, Duffy’s Sports Grill!

Greg and his family were also in Florida for the holidays, and I didn’t want the trip to come and go without at least one meet-up. Greg lives in Boston right now (he goes to law school at BU), but his parents live very close to us in CT and he and I both went to UConn, so it felt funny for our two CT-based families to be meeting for dinner in Florida, of all places! We actually have met up in a similar manner on a trip a couple of years ago, and it’s always a good time.

Dad, Joe, and Greg after a Duffy's meet-up in Florida '09.

Duffy’s started out as a little place that only served burgers, hot dogs, and chips – not even fries! It’s certainly expanded since then, with locations all over the east coast of Florida. My parents have adored the place for years and years, since before I was even born.

We arrived to find that the restaurant was, as usual, absolutely packed. My grandma is a Duffy’s MVP, so we did get a little bit of priority on seating, but still had to wait awhile. When you go to Duffy’s, you have to expect a wait if you don’t want to end up disappointed. Eat a snack beforehand – ha!

Sis and I.

Duffy’s also has two-for-one happy hour all day, every day. When you order a drink, they just bring you two of it. That’s Florida for you…never in CT would I see that. Lame.

Go Mom! 2-for-1, 2-for-1!

We were finally seated, though had to switch tables because we were mysteriously split up when there were tables available next to each other that we could have pushed together. There was also a slight incident in which our waiter forgot to take Greg’s dad’s order – but we hunted him down!

Posing with the siblings.

Despite the fact that Duffy’s is a “sports grill”, the menu really has options for everyone thanks to Florida’s abundance of fresh seafood. I always get fish whenever I can when I visit Florida. I consider it a waste not too – it’s so fresh!

I ordered my go-to white fish, the mahi-mahi with a baked potato and black beans. My mom got the exact same thing. We LOVE all three of those components.

I arrived at Duffy’s STARVED, and then ended up getting too full that I could not finish all that. Not like me!

Greg had never had kobe beef before, and Duffy’s is continuously voted Best Burger in FL, so he got a kobe burger. We were all disappointed to see that Duffy’s had gotten rid of their fantastic french fries and replaced them with shoestring fries! These are SO much less satisfying than regular fries, and our waiter agreed. He said it had been only a week, and they’d already had so many complaints that a plan was already being implemented to change them back. Don’t mess with a good thing!

Greg still enjoyed his burger, but he wasn’t blown away.

Duffy’s is a great place with reasonable prices, and I recommend giving their seafood or burgers a try if you’re in eastern FL – after they get their old fries back, of course.

How do you feel about shoestring fries?

Let me know if you try my workout moves!

Bonefish Grill – Palm Beach Gardens

So far so good on the wisdom teeth front! I’m laid up watching my DVRed shows as well as movie trailers so that I can add more to my ever-growing watchlist. I got in a workout last night with Group Step, since I knew that today will be a likely rest day. I may do a light yoga stretch video later though if I’m feeling up to it, to get the blood flowing. We have plenty on our on-demand Exercise TV, luckily! But as of right now I definitely haven’t been able to eat/drink enough to fuel much more than chillin’ by this fireplace. Fine by me 😉

Time for another Florida vacation restaurant recap!

I’ve written about my love for Bonefish Grill before, but had only iPhone photos to show you the deliciousness that I experienced. There are no Bonefish locations near me (closest is in Poughkeepsie, NY!) so whenever I am near one, I make it a point to visit. Luckily, my recent family vacation to Florida put me within twenty minutes of a location, in Palm Beach Gardens!

The ladies of the family – 3 generations! My outfit tells you I'm in FL, right?

The first time I tried this awesome seafood dinner spot was during one of my favorite family vacations ever to Myrtle Beach.

Enjoying the first of two martinis during my first Bonefish visit in Myrtle Beach.

Two drinks in, I devoured the table's coconut dessert!

This time, I made sure to use my newish camera to take some better photos, though it really is one of the darkest restaurants I’ve ever been to (along with J. Gilbert’s), so that was difficult.

The famous crusty bread with pesto olive oil. Yum!

As a party of 7, we always have to wait (even with a reservation), so we had some fun outside with photos.

I told my dad he and I looked tropical, so we decided to do some tropical dancing!

I was psyched that the warm weather gave me the chance to wear the new Hollister skirt I’d gotten on Black Friday.

My shoes look like they have no bottoms!

Told the mom and dad to "look adoringly at each other" and this is what we get. The matching outfits make it even better.

Once we were seated, I spotted a cocktail on the menu that made me decide YES to having a drink that evening. The Fresh Grapefruit Martini of Ketel One vodka infused with grapefruit, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, and a basil leaf, complete with a lightly sugared rim, was everything I hoped it’d be.

For my meal, I went with one of the specials: Wolf Fish Rockefeller, or wolf fish topped with lump crab. I declined creamed spinach that it came with, and got mango salsa as my “sauce” instead. For my sides, I got mixed veggies and asparagus. A fortunate mistake was made, and they ended up bringing me spaghetti squash too by accident! Score!

Mango salsa and asparagus are missing from the photo.

The last time I had wolf fish at Bonefish it was out of this world, so I was a bit disappointed with this meal because the fish seemed less flavorful and more dry than last time. It’s very possible that I am to blame since I opted out of getting the dish the way it was meant to be served (with creamed spinach). Always a risk!

My dad ordered another special, the Lobster Thermidor Mahi Mahi with Florida Rock Shrimp, and loved it. The mahi was topped with lobster, rock shrimp, and a velvety sherry sauce and served on garlic whipped potatoes with a side of spaghetti squash.

After trying a bite of my mom’s sea bass with mango salsa, I wished I’d ordered that. Her fish was so much more moist than the wolf fish!

While not the best Bonefish trip I’ve ever had (that honor may belong to my first trip to Myrtle Beach), I still had a great time and was impressed by our accommodating waiter. Is it bad if the martini was my favorite part of the meal?

What kind of seafood do you like to order out?

7 Random Facts

My review of Cavos, a Greek restaurant in Newington, was chosen as Yelp Hartford’s Review of the Day today! Check it out!

There’s a fun little chain going around in which, if tagged, bloggers create posts listing seven random facts about themselves. Liz of Southern Charm tagged me last week, and I’m happy to oblige!

Seven Random Facts about Caitlin

1. The only actual person who calls me “Cait” is my dad. Now, almost anyone in the online world who sees my blog’s name or my Twitter account calls me Cait, which is an easy assumption to make and something I definitely don’t mind. But in real life, my wonderful daddio is the only one who actually calls me Cait. It’s funny, because whenever I email him I always sign it “Love, Cait”, just because I know he calls me that.

2. I have a black belt in shaolin kempo karate. Growing up, I was not (am still not) very coordinated or athletic in terms of sports. Anything that involved a ball was not happening for me. So in 7th grade, I enrolled in karate because I enjoyed memorizing the forms/combinations and performing them. It reminded me somewhat of memorizing dances, which is probably why to this day my favorite group fitness classes involve step or dance of some kind. I tested and passed for my black belt in 11th grade, and stopped doing karate after that because by that time I had become much older than most people in the class, and the black belt had been my ultimate end-goal. Martial arts are a great active option for kids (or anyone) who aren’t skilled at your “typical” sports!

3. I have never owned any type of car other than a Honda CR-V. Funny enough, my fellow blonde-CT-blend-named-Caitlin also drives a CR-V! After getting my license in 11th grade, I got my cousin and her family’s 2002 navy CR-V (we traded them our old mini-van since they had just had a second child). That car took me everywhere throughout college, and my best friend Lidia even called it her “second home” because of how often we’d drive around town in it with nothing to do (those were the days…)

Image courtesy of quality-used-cars.co.uk.

When my sister got her license, the summer after my sophomore year of college, I was completely psyched to learn that I would be getting a bit of a CR-V upgrade – to a 2007! My sister got the 2002 (my little brother will be receiving it shortly, as his license test is soon). I LOVE my car and plan to keep it for a long, long time (as in, until it dies, because I’ll be buying the next one on my own).

My car now (minus the American flag…this photo isn’t actually of my car).

4. My first real job was at a bagel shop. Not sure if you could call it a real job since the owner was ever there and I spent any shift that wasn’t on a weekday morning eating. Still, it was a great place to go back to on college breaks (until the owner sold it to a less-than-desirable new owner) and provided the experience that got me my main job at UConn.

Inappropriate fun with a bagel stick and bagel at work.

5. My first salad was a Greek salad. I remember ordering it after a rare visit to the gym, back in high school, at Panera! I was shocked that I liked it, but I’m pretty sure the main component I loved was the feta. I used to order Greek salads in college and get no olives, and ask for extra feta instead. Ah, the Greek food lover in me was always there!

Image courtesy of RIT.edu.

6. I used to hate our family vacations to Florida – and all family vacations in general. Yes, it’s true! In fact, I was known for this in middle/high school! I was the weirdo who complained about going to Mexico. Now I know I was being an annoying pain in the ass, a high schooler who can only see her friends as important and nothing else. Plus, since I was still a super boring eater, I didn’t find myself getting excited at all about vacation eats – unlike now! I just wanted to be at home with my friends, so my parents even started letting me bring friends on trips or rack up huge international phone bills with long calls home while we were in Mexico. I think my views change once I got to college and began to appreciate relaxation. And how hard it is to come by as time goes on. And, you know, fun restaurants.

With the siblings in Myrtle Beach during my senior year of high school.

7. I’m getting two of my wisdom teeth out next Friday for the stupidest reason in the world. One of them started growing in before the other tooth on that side started growing in. Did you know that if there is no tooth exactly above or below another tooth, the first tooth will keep growing in and never stop? It’s true! Since once of my wisdom teeth grew in before the one above it did, it grew in too far. Its twin eventually came in, but if they only remove the one that grew in too far, then the twin will start growing in too far! So they both have to come out even though they’re in my mouth comfortably right now. Do you follow? No? Long story short, my foodie-days will not exist next weekend.

Dangit.

That was fun and way harder than I thought! Now it’s time for me to choose seven other bloggers who I’d like to see participate:

Tell me a random fact about you in the comments!

Rest Days, Christmas Day, and Too-Jay’s

You have until 11:59PM EST tonight to enter the giveaway for Anytime Fitness CEO Chuck Runyon’s book “Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn’t Have To)”. What are you waiting for?!

HAPPY FRIDAY! Is it just me or did this week go by quite fast? Even though I had to work on Monday, unlike the rest of the world (seemingly), I still don’t feel like it’s Friday. I just kept telling myself that this morning as I tried to drag myself out of bed. I was in the habit for awhile of waking up before my alarm a couple times a week, but lately I’ve been sleeping like a rock and can barely wake up, despite going to bed at the same time as I usually do. I’m gonna take this as a sign that I’m less stressed (I tend to wake up thinking about all I have to do for the day – quieting my mind is not something I do well) but I also do not enjoy feeling so sleepy each morning.

Yesterday was a long, busy day with errands that ran over, so I took it as a spontaneous rest day from the gym. I was feeling a bit guilty about it at first (after all, reading “Working Out Sucks!” will take away any excuses you have in your reserves),  but I took to Twitter to get a little #fitfluential chat about rest days going, and received some good insights.

The general consensus seemed to be 1-2 rest days per week – sounds good to me! But everyone is different – some people just starting out in working out may only do so every other day. As long as it’s something, I think you deserve a pat on the back for getting out there.

This is the portion of the post that moves into beyond-late-recap zone, a recent trend as of late, but a trend that I plan to continue since I believe that withholding delicious eats from my Florida trip would be more of a crime!

Looks like Marian agrees with me on this one…

And is it appropriate to say Merry Christmas, since this is a semi-Christmas post, even though it is now January 2012? I think I’ll say it anyway – Merry Belated Christmas, because this is a Christmas Day recap! It’s my blog, and I’ll recap late if I want to!

Told Hannah she looked like a yogi prepping for boat pose here – she didn't follow.

My dad’s flight to Florida left ridiculously early on the 25th (as in, he had to get up at 4:30am), but my siblings, mom, and I were lucky enough to score a flight that departed at a godly hour, so we left the house around 9:30am (leaving me time to do the moving vinsaya portion of P90X Yoga). Hannah and Mom scored their usual airport Dunkin, but I just can’t stand their coffee anymore enough to even have it once in a while, so I went with a nonfat café au lait from the not-much-better Lavazza.

He loves me so much.

Michael opted for a bacon, egg, and cheese on a plain bagel from DD – Hannah stole a bite!

He doesn’t quite understand my blog-photo-taking ways, nor does he want to partake in them.

We arrived at my grandparents’ apartment in Florida in the late afternoon, which gave us time to get settled in and chill for a bit while my parents headed to TooJay’s Gourmet Deli to get Christmas dinner! This is a tradition we started last year, and I hope we keep it, because I adore TooJay’s and would much prefer their food to a traditional Christmas meal. I know my blend Amy may agree with me on this – we spent time tweeting about TooJay’s!

Fun fact – my mom was a TooJay’s waitress up until she had my younger sister! So our family has a lot of history with this restaurant. They have various locations (the one we got dinner from was not the one my mom worked at), but quality never varies from city to city. I remember going there with my dad for dinner when I was little, so she could be our waitress. Of course back then all I’d touch were the steak fries because I didn’t like anything else. Sometimes I’d convince my dad to order me a slice of carrot cake just so I could eat the little icing carrot on top. I was a real pain, huh?

Michael went with the most basic of meals. He’s still in the I-like-much-of-anything phase that I was in until about age 18.

Chicken tenders and steak fries.

The steak fries still remain one of our favorite menu items, so there was no shortage of those. I had a few once I finished my meal and knew I had room for a bit more.

Hannah's grilled chicken pesto sandwich on wheat.

My favorite part of going to TooJay’s has got to be their pickles – Christina, you feel me on this? I probably ended up eating all but three of these over the course of our stay in FL, including three during this dinner and four in one sitting a few days later. What salt addiction? I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Can't put a price on pickles (or maybe you can).

My dad, mom, and I all got the same thing – the turkey pastrami on rye bread, Russian dressing on the side. This dressing is not something my mom and I usually eat, but it’s a necessary indulgence when it comes to TooJay’s. Oh, and steak fries are VERY good dipped in it, FYI.

A normal looking sandwich, right? Not so fast.

That’s right, each half is stacked that high. IT’S SO GOOD with spicy brown mustard. I ate every last bite.

Then I had one bit of my grandpa’s leftover dill chicken salad (it’s under there somewhere), and oh man. Best chicken salad I’ve EVER had! I polished it all off, I couldn’t help myself. And then I definitely didn’t have any room for dessert. But man oh man, that was fine with me because this chicken salad was fantastic.

We spent the rest of the evening exchanging gifts with my grandparents and watching the NBA’s return (more specifically, the Miami Heat’s return) before hitting the hay. I was bummed Christmas was over, but psyched for the amazing vacation that lied ahead!

What do you usually have for Christmas dinner? Relive what you had a couple weeks ago for me!

Christmas Eve…Two Weeks Later?

You have just a little over 24 hours left to enter the FitFluential Inc. giveaway for Anytime Fitness CEO Chuck Runyon’s new book, “Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn’t Have To)!” Three people will win!

I’m very aware that Christmas Eve was two weeks ago. I’m also very aware that the dinner I ate that day was awesome and too great not to share. So without further ado, I give you Christmas Eve dinner.

Christmas Eve was a whirlwind of a day. After we were done being famous and eating breakfast in NYC, my dad, sister, and I got right in the car and headed back to CT. What was the reason behind our hurry to get back? Another beloved holiday tradition of course – our family friends, the Peredas, host a Christmas Eve pig roast dinner each year! Since they had an early flight out to Florida the next morning, the gathering was pushed to an earlier time than usual, and became more of a mid-afternoon “linner”.

The Peredas are Cuban, and love to serve an entire roasted pig (that they cook on their back deck), rice, and beans, along with traditional salads, appetizers, and desserts that guests bring.

Broc casserole, corn casserole, and cheesy potatoes.

Joe and I arrived a bit late due to our wine-tasting stop, so some appetizers had been almost entirely cleaned out, but there was certainly no shortage of delicious food.

Mmm veggie madness!

Joe, AKA typical boy who doesn’t seem to care about or ever want food, wasn’t very hungry. I was though! I don’t like ham much, but the Peredas’ party is the only time I ever eat it, because this freshly-roasted pig is just SO good! The black beans, which they usually bring in from Pollo Tropical, were homemade this year because the nearest location closed. And they were actually the best they’ve ever been, so way to go Mrs. Pereda!

Joe's plate…lame.

My plate (and wine)…awesome.

And of course, more red wine was had! How could I not when I had so many delicious foods that paired well with it, like kalamatas?

I chatted with the Gerbers, who I’d just seen a couple days before at the Andersons’ get-together, and a bunch of other family friends that I hadn’t had the chance to catch up with in a few months.

Amazingly talented Mollie (she just got into the Mass Institute of Art!) and I.

Got to wear my new Kohl’s skirt from Black Friday! First time pairing a skirt with tights and heels, and I loved it.

Megan (she's a nutrition student!) and I.

My mom, me, and Mr. Gerber (Mollie and Megan's dad). They match!

Not long after my (late) arrival, dessert came out! So many options, but I had about one sample of each.

Cream cheese and almond stuffed strawberries – surprisingly, I didn’t like these too much! It’s just because the almond flavor was very strong. I can only take so much almond in anything. Everyone else adored them though – Vivian did a great job. Don’t trust me, I’m an almond-avoider!

If you weren't drooling yet, you are now.

She also made these mint chocolate chip cookies, which were perfectly gooey and didn’t skimp at all on the chocolate, just the way I like it. They reminded me of the cookies I got from my wine-twin Meg of Eat, Drink, and Be Sperry in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

Casual Steve stood guard over the other desserts pictured – many holiday cookies, including leftovers from Mrs. Anderson’s goodies!

I didn’t have any of the above creation because it was made with cherries, which are definitely one of my least favorite foods of all time. Too many cough syrup associations…but cherry lovers dove in!

One of our friends, Mr. Andries, happens to have a birthday on Christmas Eve! So the party was also a celebration for him. His daughter, Courtney, picked out the most fabulous red velvet Coldstone Creamery ice cream cake ever, made with cheesecake ice cream – which happens to be my favorite Coldstone flavor!

We all got a bit carried away with the birthday wishes, and followed up Mr. Andries’s birthday song with one for my mom, whose birthday was the day before. And then we expanded to other December birthdays…November birthdays…things started getting out of hand when we began singing to Mariel, whose birthday was back in early October.

Parents are into it.

My mom is loving it.

Nice bunny ears move, Mr. Pereda!

OK…can I have my cake now?!

Now that’s what I’m talking about. Hands down, best ice cream cake I’ve ever had.

The fun wasn’t over yet…I’m not even sure if these came out before or after the birthday singing, but it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that Vivian had another success in the kitchen, and we all certainly benefitted.

I give you – butterscotch liqueur and caramel apple shots!

Now, I don’t like apples. But who couldn’t love these?

Sorry, Joe.

What a festive Christmas Eve! I think this may have been the best Pereda pig roast ever.

Afterwards, my family and I headed home to open presents – our first time doing so on the 24th, since our planes to Florida left early in the morning on Christmas Day. I definitely didn’t like it as much as the whole Christmas morning routine, but I couldn’t really complain because I just wanted to get on that plane to the warmth!

So you guessed it, this means I can finally start recapping my trip to Florida. I may finish writing about things that happened in December 2011 in…I don’t know…March 2012? Sounds about right 😛

Have you ever been to a pig roast or something similar? What’s your favorite place to get ice cream cake?

Today, We Visit Bouchon Bakery and the Europa Cafe

Don’t forget, you have until this Friday at 11:59PM EST to enter my Anytime Fitness giveaway for the CEO’s new book, “Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn’t Have To)”. Check out my review on the giveaway page as well! Thanks to all who joined in our awesome #WorkingOutSucks Twitter chat last night – there will be another one on 1/30!

Now let me continue to recap things that I am ridiculously behind on. I haven’t even gotten to Christmas Day yet! Let’s go back to Christmas Eve…

Our traditional NYC trip always includes a visit to the Today Show on Christmas Eve morning. Unfortunately, this year that morning coincided with a Saturday, so the show was being done to a much-lower scale than usual. A lot of the segments being run were repeats from during the week. However, no crowd = easy for us to get on TV!

I made sure to get my daily cup of joe from a place I can’t normally visit, as I often try to do on trips/vacations. I took to Twitter to ask my always-dependable blends/friends for recommendations near Rockefeller Center!

Sounded good to me, and due to the weekend/holiday making the Today Show low-key, there actually was no insanity that Britt warned me about!

I loved the look of Bouchon Bakery from the start! I was in awe of the pastry case inside. We always eat breakfast after the show, so I didn’t order any food, but of course took plenty of photos.

Color settings a bit off to start…

Look at those macaroons!

I adore chalkboard menus.

I ordered my usual nonfat cafe au lait, and was so enamored by the bakery’s interior that I forgot to sprinkle my usual cinnamon on top!

My sister, dad, and I staked out our spot and got ready for the cameras to come outside so we could have our latest brush with fame.

Why no, I did not brush my hair, thanks for asking.

It was pretty cold out (though our coldest trip, in 2009, has yet to be matched), but we stuck it out. Eventually we caught a glimpse of good old Lester Holt and Amy Robach. She looked absolutely adorable in the cutest coat and shoes. I was hoping to meet Lester (love his hip glasses), but the two of them just waved to the crowd, did their segment, and ran right back inside!

Coat and shoe envy!!

Then a weatherman came out – and we got our moment of fame!

Weather guy chatting with some Giants fans in the crowd.

Can you catch us?! I apologize for the crappy video, but I was filming my TV (we DVR-ed the show) with my iPhone. The voices you may hear in the background are my dad and brother watching the video with me. Footage copyright NBC Today Show.

My Nana Connie also took this picture of her TV with her BlackBerry:

I can’t believe I didn’t think to make a CaitPlusAte.com poster – d’oh!

After our “appearance”, it was breakfast time for Dad and I (Hannah had a Starbucks breakfast at the hotel). We strolled around a bit, heading back in the general direction of the Marriott, and spotted a Europa Cafe. We decided to duck in there and grab a bite. Not exactly a unique NYC foodie spot, but I still can’t get it at home, so good enough for me.

I immediately drifted toward the omelet bar. It had been awhile since I’d had an omelet and those veggies looked so good! For you oatmeal lovers out there, Europa Cafe also had a pretty well-stocked oatmeal bar. Unlike every other blogger out there, I rarely ever eat oatmeal!

I gave the chefs my order – an egg white omelet with veggies and dry wheat toast – and watched them work.

My dad got an omelet too, but he also got homefries. His omelet used whole eggs and had cheese, bacon, and veggies. My daddio loves a good, hearty omelet!

Thanks for displaying, Dad!

My breakfast came out perfect. Again, not the most special or unique of places, but it did the job.

I added some ketchup to my eggs and ate the omelet in pieces atop my toast.

Does anyone else eat their eggs and toast like this?

Have you ever gotten coffee and/or breakfast from anywhere particularly remarkable in NYC?

Have you ever gone to watch a taping of any show, live or not?

The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English

Continuing my ridiculously behind-schedule series of recaps of my holiday season, enjoy this restaurant recap from dinner on 12/23!

I am always in charge of  choosing restaurants on family trips, and our annual Christmas Eve trip to NYC is no different. I went to Twitter and Yelp to seek out a dinner destination, and found great success on the latter when I stumbled upon the menu for The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English. You guessed it, it’s located at the famous Plaza Hotel, and the huge menu told me two things:

  1. My dad, sister, and I were each sure to find something we’d like.
  2. I would NEVER be able to decide what to order.

I was torn between so many options!! And what is pictured above was only one side of the menu. I asked the waitress for some advice, but finally just went with my gut last-minute and decided literally right before I opened my mouth to tell my waitress my order.

The restaurant is set up with “bar-style” seats at various stations (one for each section of the menu). We were seated at the flatbreads station – appropriate since that’s what I ended up ordering!

We also were seated right by what I can only guess was the “grilling station”, which was cool because whenever I turned around, a new tasty order was up on the counter waiting to be picked up by a waiter – and waiting to be photographed by me!

A couple tasty taco options.

To start, I ordered a cocktail called the Green Agave: Patron, agave nectar, fresh lime juice, and basil/mint. It was fantastic – the right amount of tequila (AKA nice and strong), and nice and light.

Even their sodas were served in a fancy manner – check out Hannah’s Diet Coke!

The flatbread chef was kind enough to take a photo of the three of us.

Service was a bit slow, but we were in no real rush. By the time our food came, I was definitely ready to dive in. I ended up going with a flatbread topped with Brussels sprouts, caramelized onions, tomatoes, gorgonzola, and prosciutto. I asked for light cheese, and did not really get it, but I picked some off and still enjoyed my meal!

Hannah selected the hamburger with classic french fries. I had a bite of her burger and it was cooked very well. The fries looked great!

My dad went all out and started with the special soup of the day: mushroom bisque. Two thumbs up from him on this!

For the main course, he ordered the Kobe Pastrami Burger with the special side of the night, Fried Risotto Tots. Unfortunately, the tots didn’t come til the end of the meal, when we were all quite full. I tried to convince my dad to send them back, but he doesn’t like to do that kind of thing. We all agreed that they also weren’t all that great – a yummy crispy fried shell for sure, but the risotto insides were pretty tasteless. The burger and pastrami, however, were both out of this world.

Nice, right? Yes, I got to eat those pickles the burger was topped with.

After we paid the bill, we stopped by the dessert station on the way out and got a piece of chocolate cake to-go. The three of us split it back at the hotel room – it was pretty good, not amazing, but still a tasty end to the night.

Overall, I really loved The Plaza Food Hall. Despite not having one type of food it specializes in, the restaurant produces high-quality dishes almost all across the board. In a crowded NYC dinner spot, service can’t be expected to be perfect, but it could have been a little speedier. Still, we were chillin’, and didn’t mind waiting too much (except for the tots that came at the end of the meal). I definitely would recommend this place to NYC visitors and locals alike. There was simply so much to choose from – I’d be glad to go back!

Take a look at the menu – what would you order? Can you even choose?

A Long Overdue Reunion

I’m still enjoying my Florida vacation, but unfortunately today is our last day here! I’ll eventually be sharing my Florida food adventures with you guys, but for now I still need to share my holiday adventures too! This is definitely a good problem to have 🙂 too many good times!

Back when us “kids” were younger, my family and two other families we are close with, the Andersons and the Gerbers (they hosted us for Thanksgiving), used to get together for what we called Gerber-Anderson-Croswell parties.

Clearly a good time (see my mom at left).

After we started going off to college, these gatherings became sparse. The Andersons decided to take advantage of everyone being home for the holidays and host a long overdue reunion. Good times, food, and wine were aplenty!

The oldest Croswell, Anderson, and Gerber girls.

I honestly have no idea what kind of wine I was drinking. It was red and it was delicious! I had one glass before I got hungry.

My favorite wine partner, the mom.

 My family jokingly calls Mrs. Anderson “Monica Stewart” (her first name is Monica) because no one can keep a home, cook, and host a party like she can! Even as I was walking up the driveway (this shindig also conveniently took place down the street from me), I was greeted by quaint holiday pine, holly, and pine cones arranged in the flower box.

The inside of the house was no less well-decorated.

Molly actually is responsible for this arrangement (props, Molly).

I used to be notorious for going over to the Andersons’ and eating them out of house and home in middle/high school. But really, how could I not when they are always providing so much wonderful food?

Not exactly sure what that dip was, but it was so good. Went to town on those cucumbers.

Swedish meatballs, these were fantastic.

I pretty much died when I saw this cheese spread! And check out the dried fruit!

Amazing sweet and savory flatbread.

We didn’t make Mrs. Anderson do all the cooking, don’t worry! My mom contributed a delicious layered Mexican dip of fat-free refried black beans, guacamole, and pico de gallo, paired with Stop n Shop’s blue corn tortilla chips.

Managed to take this shot before people dug in!

Megan gives us an action shot.

Mrs. Gerber brought what I can only say is the best buffalo chicken dip I’ve ever had. There was so much chunky, fresh pulled chicken in this dip and the sauce was not overwhelming at all. A dip that doesn’t skip on the meat is my kind of dip. I would eat this with a spoon, all day.

We chatted, caught up, and joked as if no time at all had passed.  I love nights like this!

The boys were a little less chatty.

No one could wait very long to dive into dessert. Everyone contributed to an amazing spread.

Hershey Kiss PB cookies, chocolate chip cookie squares, and ginger snaps.

I had one of each of the first two cookies, and then half of a ginger snap. Mrs. Anderson’s cookie squares are a classic. I have been known to eat up to ten at family fiestas back in the day. This time I was able to reel it back a bit, but they were just as good as usual. The Hershey Kiss PB cookies are also one of my favorite cookies of all time!

For the sweet n' salty lovers!

Sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles.

Peppermint bark!

The chocolate covered saltines pictured on top of the photo above were OUT OF THIS WORLD. I nearly died after the first bite –  so so good for a salty n’ sweet junkie like me. I’m honestly not sure what those candies are at the bottom of the photo!

What a fantastic night. I had a great time! I had to pack for my various trips (recaps to come, I swear…) and go to work the next morning, so I headed home around 10 (past my bed time!) But I had a great time and loved reuniting with my old friends. It all felt so cozy and familiar!

Which of the featured foods in this post would you most want to try?

Meet Caitlin

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

Social

Design Credit

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

Disclaimer

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

Privacy Policy

I allow third party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit this blog. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g. click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice visit the NAI at http://www.networkadvertising.org. To opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices.