Travel
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Thursday, January 7, 2016
Restaurant Review: Zero Bar and Cafe (Charleston, SC)
The night of our tasting menu at Zero George's restaurant (Website, Yelp) was finally upon us, and after all the "drama", I was still looking forward to what Chef Vinson had in store for us. We opted for the 5 course tasting menu for $115 (including 4 alcoholic beverage pairings). I was tempted to go with the 9 course to try more things, but realized I would probably burst from overeating. Since I don't really drink alcohol, I had mine without the beverage pairings, but I think that only knocked off $15-20 (I remember thinking the pairing was good value!)
The dining room is the same area that is used by the hotel for breakfast in the morning, but they throw some white linens on the tables and light candles, so it's very romantic. The lighting is very low, though, so if you are a keen food photographer like I am, you may struggle a little (ISO 12800 for these pics O_O)!
Signage
The dining room is the same area that is used by the hotel for breakfast in the morning, but they throw some white linens on the tables and light candles, so it's very romantic. The lighting is very low, though, so if you are a keen food photographer like I am, you may struggle a little (ISO 12800 for these pics O_O)!
Signage
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Travel: Sullivan's Island and Brookgreen Gardens (near Charleston, SC)
For our third day in the Charleston area, we decided to get a car rental and drive out of town a bit. We decided to check out Sullivan's Island and then even further out to Murrell's Inlet to visit Brookgreen Gardens. We weren't interested in visiting plantations or anything, but that's something else that seemed popular for the area.
Heading across Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge
Heading across Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge
Restaurant Reviews: Eating through Charleston, Day 2
Here are our eats from our second day in Charleston (the one we spent walking around the Historic District).
Husk (Yelp, Website): We had lunch at Husk, and it was simply phenomenal. So tasty. We also ordered fruit shrubs which were interesting! And our server seemed like a very nice Southern boy. I'm glad we loved our food here, and I'm glad I didn't let that snotty girl at our hotel sway us from canceling here completely. Highly recommended.
Front sign
Husk (Yelp, Website): We had lunch at Husk, and it was simply phenomenal. So tasty. We also ordered fruit shrubs which were interesting! And our server seemed like a very nice Southern boy. I'm glad we loved our food here, and I'm glad I didn't let that snotty girl at our hotel sway us from canceling here completely. Highly recommended.
Front sign
Restaurant Reviews: Eating through Charleston, Day 1
For our first day in Charleston, we dropped off our bags at our hotel, and headed out for lunch and a bit of walking around. Then we swung back to our hotel to check in, before heading out for dinner and dessert!
The Grocery (Yelp, Website): Great brunch, not too noisy. I loved the fried oysters in my omelet. Would recommend!
No wait on a Sunday around 1pm, pretty empty actually
The Grocery (Yelp, Website): Great brunch, not too noisy. I loved the fried oysters in my omelet. Would recommend!
No wait on a Sunday around 1pm, pretty empty actually
Travel: Charleston Historic District
The Charleston Historic District is a fun place to walk around for a day. Here are pictures from our walkabout! Hope you enjoy!
Accommodations Review: Zero George (Charleston, SC)
After my conference in Atlanta (November 2015), my husband and I flew to Charleston for a little getaway. We had been wanting to visit for a while, and since Atlanta was such a short flight away, it seemed like a perfect idea!
We stayed at Zero George Street (TripAdvisor, Website, Yelp), which is a very charming, luxe (and pricey) hotel. The property is gorgeous and the rooms are very nice.
I really enjoyed their continental breakfast. I meant to take pictures, but didn't get around to it. I didn't find any specifics about it online ahead of time, so here's a list of what we had at our breakfasts:
Pros and Cons after the pics!
We stayed at Zero George Street (TripAdvisor, Website, Yelp), which is a very charming, luxe (and pricey) hotel. The property is gorgeous and the rooms are very nice.
I really enjoyed their continental breakfast. I meant to take pictures, but didn't get around to it. I didn't find any specifics about it online ahead of time, so here's a list of what we had at our breakfasts:
- Biscuits from Callie's Hot Little Biscuits (regular, cinnamon, ham and cheese)
- Bread
- Quiche
- Boiled eggs
- Fruit salad (all-berries, or mixed)
- Smoked salmon or prosciutto on little toasts
- Yogurt
- Juices, coffee, cereals
Pros and Cons after the pics!
Monday, January 4, 2016
Travel: National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta, GA)
I was not originally that interested in visiting the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (TripAdvisor, Website, Yelp), but my work conference had an activity afternoon and this was one of the choices. The other options didn't appeal to me, so I figured I would give this one a go. Only a handful of others from my conference were on this tour; the majority went to the Coca Cola tour. Honestly, they really missed out.
This museum was so well done (I hesitate to use the word "enjoyed", given the type of content), I came back for a second visit when Cory joined me in Atlanta over the weekend. As a Canadian, the American Civil Rights movement is (was?) not part of our curriculum, and almost everything in the main exhibit about Civil Rights was new to me. I found it to be utterly fascinating, and frankly, shocking.
Here are pictures I took from my second visit.
The Passage Water Sculpture (designed by Larry Kirkland) outside the museum, inspired by Dr. King's words: “until justice rolls down like water”.
This museum was so well done (I hesitate to use the word "enjoyed", given the type of content), I came back for a second visit when Cory joined me in Atlanta over the weekend. As a Canadian, the American Civil Rights movement is (was?) not part of our curriculum, and almost everything in the main exhibit about Civil Rights was new to me. I found it to be utterly fascinating, and frankly, shocking.
Here are pictures I took from my second visit.
The Passage Water Sculpture (designed by Larry Kirkland) outside the museum, inspired by Dr. King's words: “until justice rolls down like water”.
Travel: Georgia Aquarium (Atlanta, GA)
In November 2015, I had a work conference in Atlanta. This excited me because I had been wanting to visit the Georgia Aquarium (TripAdvisor, Website, Yelp) for quite some time! And it did not disappoint. FYI, you can get a 20% discount on the admission price by purchasing your tickets online (pre-select a date).
The aquarium has a very different layout than other aquariums I have visited in the past: as you enter the aquarium, each exhibit is off the main lobby area. The advantage of this layout, is that it's easy to get to where you want to go most without having to go through a maze. The disadvantage (to me) is that there is not much sense of exploration. But regardless, if you are a fan of zoos and aquariums like I am, and find yourself in Atlanta, you should definitely check this one out!
The most impressive exhibit, by far, is the whale shark tank. This is the only aquarium outside of Asia that has whale sharks, and they really are amazing creatures.
The enormous tank for the whale sharks and friends.
The aquarium has a very different layout than other aquariums I have visited in the past: as you enter the aquarium, each exhibit is off the main lobby area. The advantage of this layout, is that it's easy to get to where you want to go most without having to go through a maze. The disadvantage (to me) is that there is not much sense of exploration. But regardless, if you are a fan of zoos and aquariums like I am, and find yourself in Atlanta, you should definitely check this one out!
The most impressive exhibit, by far, is the whale shark tank. This is the only aquarium outside of Asia that has whale sharks, and they really are amazing creatures.
The enormous tank for the whale sharks and friends.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Restaurant Review: Barley Swine (Austin, TX)
For my last dinner with Cory (which happened to be Canadian Thanksgiving!), we made reservations at Barley Swine (Yelp, Website) for their tasting menu. This restaurant is from the same guys at Odd Duck, so I was very excited! The price is also very good at $85 for 14 courses. Here we go!
Really cool interior - casual, but stylish.
Really cool interior - casual, but stylish.
Restaurant Review: Odd Duck (Austin, TX)
Links: Yelp, Website
For our Sunday brunch, we headed over to Odd Duck. It was a really popular place - it seems like a hip place to go. I usually prefer places that are a little more low key, but the food here was pretty good, so no complaints from me!
Exterior
Cool interior with U-shaped bar seating.
Cory's coffee came in a cute mug!
We grabbed this pecan croissant from their pastry selections. Very nice and flaky.
Breakfast sausage corn dog, fried egg foam, chile maple
Cory having a bite
Et moi
Soft scramble duck egg, eggplant, squash, shishito, sunflower sprouts, apple
Smoked chicken hash, duck egg, cornbread
Cream filled doughnut, apple, mesquite, sorghum
Bottom Line: Food was good, but it's not really a quiet Sunday morning brunch spot. Better for groups of friends, I think! Food was tasty though! I would consider coming back for dinner service to see what they've got.
After brunch, we headed over to the Flagship Whole Foods on North Lamar Blvd to see where it all started... (we shop at Whole Foods for our weekly groceries, hah).
I couldn't help myself.
A fun selection of weird squash for Halloween.
This one looks like an octopus!
For our Sunday brunch, we headed over to Odd Duck. It was a really popular place - it seems like a hip place to go. I usually prefer places that are a little more low key, but the food here was pretty good, so no complaints from me!
Exterior
Cool interior with U-shaped bar seating.
Cory's coffee came in a cute mug!
We grabbed this pecan croissant from their pastry selections. Very nice and flaky.
Breakfast sausage corn dog, fried egg foam, chile maple
Cory having a bite
Et moi
Soft scramble duck egg, eggplant, squash, shishito, sunflower sprouts, apple
Smoked chicken hash, duck egg, cornbread
Cream filled doughnut, apple, mesquite, sorghum
Bottom Line: Food was good, but it's not really a quiet Sunday morning brunch spot. Better for groups of friends, I think! Food was tasty though! I would consider coming back for dinner service to see what they've got.
After brunch, we headed over to the Flagship Whole Foods on North Lamar Blvd to see where it all started... (we shop at Whole Foods for our weekly groceries, hah).
I couldn't help myself.
A fun selection of weird squash for Halloween.
This one looks like an octopus!
Restaurant Review: Olamaie (Austin, TX)
Links: Yelp, Website
For our first dinner in Austin, we made reservations at Olamaie. This was actually our first foray into Southern food, and we really enjoyed it! I suppose it's not quite traditional Southern, but it was still lovely, if not a little bit loud in the dining room. A lot of first dates and family dinners!
Super cute restaurant
Salad of Late Summer Tomatoes lemon basil granita, TX olive oil
Salad of Chilled Gulf Crab creme fraiche, tarragon, cucumber jelly, kieffer pear
Summer Pepper Purloo green farro, Thomasville Tomme, chicken jus
"Hoppin' John" zipper peas, pole beans, smoky scape likker, marinated soft egg
Off menu biscuits with honey butter
Lemon meringue ice creameditDelete caption
Bottom Line: The hoppin johns and biscuits were the stand-out stars for me. The tomato salad was a bit boring (good tomatoes taste like good tomatoes), but everything else was super nice. I really enjoyed all the dishes though. The biscuits were SUPER filling. When we finished, our server came over and he poked the napkin in the basket and said "Oh good, you guys finished. I wasn't sure you'd be able to" XD
Since it cooled off, we decided to walk back to our hotel. I don't think we happened upon another soul until we got closer to the capitol... it seems like Austin is not much of a walking city! Here are some pretty pics from the Capitol.
For our first dinner in Austin, we made reservations at Olamaie. This was actually our first foray into Southern food, and we really enjoyed it! I suppose it's not quite traditional Southern, but it was still lovely, if not a little bit loud in the dining room. A lot of first dates and family dinners!
Super cute restaurant
Salad of Late Summer Tomatoes lemon basil granita, TX olive oil
Salad of Chilled Gulf Crab creme fraiche, tarragon, cucumber jelly, kieffer pear
Summer Pepper Purloo green farro, Thomasville Tomme, chicken jus
"Hoppin' John" zipper peas, pole beans, smoky scape likker, marinated soft egg
Off menu biscuits with honey butter
Lemon meringue ice creameditDelete caption
Bottom Line: The hoppin johns and biscuits were the stand-out stars for me. The tomato salad was a bit boring (good tomatoes taste like good tomatoes), but everything else was super nice. I really enjoyed all the dishes though. The biscuits were SUPER filling. When we finished, our server came over and he poked the napkin in the basket and said "Oh good, you guys finished. I wasn't sure you'd be able to" XD
Since it cooled off, we decided to walk back to our hotel. I don't think we happened upon another soul until we got closer to the capitol... it seems like Austin is not much of a walking city! Here are some pretty pics from the Capitol.
Food Truck Review: La Barbecue and Pueblo Viejo (Austin, TX)
So in October 2015, I had a work conference in Austin TX, and Cory came out the weekend before it started to get in some sightseeing eating.
I thought I would post about two of the food trucks we tried first! There's quite a significant food truck culture in Austin, which is pretty fun.
La Barbecue (Yelp, Website): Of course, Franklin's is the most well known BBQ place in Austin, but as we were flying in Saturday morning, I wasn't terribly keen to wait in line for 3-5 hours after landing, so we headed to the #2 recommended spot: La Barbecue. I also received a tip from the Chowhound boards that they accept email pre-orders, so I made sure to secure a beef rib and minimized our wait time :)
It's hard to tell from the picture, but the line is actually really long. They have free beer on Saturdays, which is nice of them! We didn't partake in the free beer though, since our preorder was ready in just a few minutes.
Sweet baby jesus! Beef rib, a 1/4 lb of brisket, and a small side of potato salad. Delicious!!!!
Afterwards, we walked around a bit and grabbed an iced coffee. Passed this pinata store and recognized one of them...
It was too hot for me, even in October, so after our iced coffee, we got into a Lyft (or was it an Uber) back to our air conditioned hotel.
Pueblo Viejo (Yelp): A few days later, we went to a taco truck and enjoyed some tacos for lunch between my conference sessions. They weren't mind-blowing tacos, but they definitely hit the spot. I saw a few other conference attendees there as well!
I thought I would post about two of the food trucks we tried first! There's quite a significant food truck culture in Austin, which is pretty fun.
La Barbecue (Yelp, Website): Of course, Franklin's is the most well known BBQ place in Austin, but as we were flying in Saturday morning, I wasn't terribly keen to wait in line for 3-5 hours after landing, so we headed to the #2 recommended spot: La Barbecue. I also received a tip from the Chowhound boards that they accept email pre-orders, so I made sure to secure a beef rib and minimized our wait time :)
It's hard to tell from the picture, but the line is actually really long. They have free beer on Saturdays, which is nice of them! We didn't partake in the free beer though, since our preorder was ready in just a few minutes.
Sweet baby jesus! Beef rib, a 1/4 lb of brisket, and a small side of potato salad. Delicious!!!!
Afterwards, we walked around a bit and grabbed an iced coffee. Passed this pinata store and recognized one of them...
Pueblo Viejo (Yelp): A few days later, we went to a taco truck and enjoyed some tacos for lunch between my conference sessions. They weren't mind-blowing tacos, but they definitely hit the spot. I saw a few other conference attendees there as well!
Travel: One last day in Portland, OR
For our third and final day in Portland, we stayed in the city and ate and shopped our way until our flight that evening.
Ole Latte (Yelp, Website): We actually came to this coffee cart a few times in the prior two days, but I only took a picture on this third day. They're located on Alder St alongside a number of other good looking food carts :D
Ole Latte (Yelp, Website): We actually came to this coffee cart a few times in the prior two days, but I only took a picture on this third day. They're located on Alder St alongside a number of other good looking food carts :D
Travel: Columbia River Gorge and Mt Hood (Portland OR)
For our second day in Portland, we decided to head in the other direction, through the Columbia River Gorge and to Mount Hood for another hike. We grabbed breakfast at Mugshots Cafe again, and set out!
Our first stop was the viewpoint at Portland Women's Forum, then a pitstop at Multnomah Falls (very crowded, even at 10am on a Friday!). I was interested in seeing the Oneonta Falls, but the super cold weather combined with the need to wade through water to get there made it a pass for us. I also read it was very busy there as well.
Portland Women's Forum - A little foggy, but still pretty
Our first stop was the viewpoint at Portland Women's Forum, then a pitstop at Multnomah Falls (very crowded, even at 10am on a Friday!). I was interested in seeing the Oneonta Falls, but the super cold weather combined with the need to wade through water to get there made it a pass for us. I also read it was very busy there as well.
Portland Women's Forum - A little foggy, but still pretty
Restaurant Review: Le Pigeon (Portland, OR)
For our first dinner in Portland, I had made reservations for Le Pigeon (Website, Yelp). I wanted to try the tasting menu which I had read so much about.
We went with the smaller, 5 course tasting menu. Cory got the beverage pairing, and I opted for the non-alcoholic beverage pairing (the first time I've seen that!). The food was excellent, and the drinks were also really fun. The price was also very good (living in the NY-metro area for 6+ years changes a girl's perspective, I tell ya) at $80 for the 5 course tasting menu, $45 for the bev pairing, and $25 for the non-alc bev pairing.
The food was fantastic; not a single miss. The pacing was also great as well; we tend to eat quickly, and we were glad the kitchen could keep pace!
Le Pigeon from inside the restaurant
We went with the smaller, 5 course tasting menu. Cory got the beverage pairing, and I opted for the non-alcoholic beverage pairing (the first time I've seen that!). The food was excellent, and the drinks were also really fun. The price was also very good (living in the NY-metro area for 6+ years changes a girl's perspective, I tell ya) at $80 for the 5 course tasting menu, $45 for the bev pairing, and $25 for the non-alc bev pairing.
The food was fantastic; not a single miss. The pacing was also great as well; we tend to eat quickly, and we were glad the kitchen could keep pace!
Le Pigeon from inside the restaurant
Food Truck Review: Altengartz Bratwurst (Portland, OR)
A late lunch / pre-dinner appetizer after our trip to the coast. We love us some wurst, so we were thrilled when this food truck, Altengartz Bratwurst (Yelp, Website), popped up on my Yelp search right near our hotel :3 We decided to just split one (so as to not ruin our appetite for dinner), but I almost wish we just ate here for dinner XD
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