Food, Music, and Travel are the keys to my heart
June 7, 2018
Thank you Sheena Bediako for introducing me to one of your favorite places on earth. From start to finish I felt like I was in a dream. Chef Chris- you are a true artist! Looking forward to my return! ❤️
Will byob—French restaurant
Life’s simple joys, waking up on a gorgeous sunny Saturday morning with no agenda other than walking to our local farmers market to hunt for organic veggies and some other goodies.
The farmers market is so much fun we get to chat with the super nice small organic farmers, taste and purchase yummy freshly picked as of this morning food and can admire the beauty of the fresh produce like we do with art.
Happy Saturday 💋
A cozy creative BYOB dining experience in Pennsport, South Philly @musiphilly @arimillerx. Named one of the hottest new restaurants in Philly..absolutely see why.
Chef Ari is a fellow Bensalem, Bucks County native that has a beautiful think outside the box approach to food. His team is welcoming and personable.. clearly love working together to create extremely delicious food.
Tonight’s theme was Breakfast for dinner(check out the pic of the locally sourced mixed mushroom with egg, black beans & greens tacos that I had to add the “why the spoon bent hot sauce” yum yum) with dessert being an ode to the Philly Soft pretzel 🥨.
In this case warm homemade pretzel nuggets accompanied by 3 different mustard flavored ice creams. Subtle in taste, meaning in experience topped with candied nitro frozen mustard seeds. (Ice cream made by the Bent Spoon in Princeton)
Sooo good.
Then it hit me.. I should split the pretzel nugget like a roll and slather the ice cream on it like butter.
OMG!! Perfection.
I cannot fail to mention the mustard filled pasta.
Can’t wait to go back to this must dine at sweet spot in South Philly.
Bon Appetite💋
Altea, Spain
Celebrating the 4th of July as I have over the past few years in Altea Pueblo Mascarat- Spain🇪🇸
Tonight's dinner was at one of my fav's Saltea. The restaurant serves fresh fish, beef tartar and my favorite paella verdura(vegetable paella🥘 )
The setting is Malibu chic with white washed tables and floors and beautiful drapes outside
Fantastic Sangria and my ultimate dessert, Tableside Crepe Suzette
And at the end as in many European restaurants your check is presented in a hollowed out book
💋
July 5, 2017
Of course, Sophia and I find the only true French owned and run bakery in our immediate area in Spain. Clearly, it's delicious bc here it's now 1:40 pm. And it's just about sold out. I'll have to come back tomorrow morning 💋
July 8, 2017
What's for dinner? I know, I know I'm in Spain and should stick to eating only local and traditional food but I can't resist a true Italian restaurant that is 100% owned and operated complete with a true Italian chef and also a professional pizza maker from Naples. The sweet owners are a lovely young couple from the town of Riviello on the Almafi Coast(interesting fact the wife of this dynamic duo was born in NYC then moved back to Italy 🇮🇹 as a young girl)
What a find made by Adrian Bereanu of this little gem called Ristorante Bussola.
Dining al fresco under the light of a full moon. The food. OMG. We totally stuffed ourselves.
Are we sorry??? Absolutely not. The only regret I have is not enjoying this restaurant sooner.
So proudly pictured in this post you will see...
Rosemary focaccia
Buffalo Burrata salad with apples, walnuts, fresh shaved parmigiana reggiano with a 20 yr old aged balsamic drizzle
Margherita pizza that is paper thin, crispy and has a thoughtful amount of sauce and mozzarella
Quattro Stogni pizza named for the four seasons with artichokes, mushrooms, ham and tuna
Lasagna that is the kind your grandmother would make from her secret recipe
And last but not least my and Sophia's favorite
Spaghetti al la parmigiana reggiano with truffle oil !!! Yes!!!
The preparation of this pasta Amazing!(see video attached)
1st the inside of one of those huge wheels of parmigiana reggiano is freshly grated table side within its rind, then the cook pasta that is still hot is tossed with the freshly grated cheese layer and then placed back in your bowl and topped with truffle oil.(Lisa Lukasiewicz Welch, I don't know but this pasta and cheese experience just might beat our favorite place in Miami, Il Gabbiano.. with every bite I thought Lis would love this )
The wine of choice for the evening is from the area surrounding Mt.Vesuvius, Italy
The limoncello was homemade
Oh I can't forget aperitif that was given as a kind gesture prior to ordering from the wine list
And the tiramisu out of this world. Exactly as it should be light, just enough coffee and cream
A place all of you would love
💋
PS~ Thank you Barbara Gadsden and Chris Gadsen for treating us to a fantastic meal😘
July 10, 2017
Wrapping up a wonderful week in Espana with a fantastic meal and stay before our flight tomorrow.
As you know, I'm a Ernest Hemingway fan, so one of the things I have decided I would do and try to do when I travel is to visit places he spent time. So this hotel is the place in Madrid that Hemingway would stay and would meet some guy, a friend they say named Salvador Dali (just kidding).
The hotel was used as a hospital during the Spanish Civil War; thereafter it has been a beautiful hotel with a magnificent stained glass rotunda ceiling with a light pretty fragrance drifting through the air. And lots of fresh flowers and plants. And what's a hotel without a super cool bar, the 1912 Museo bar transports you back to that time.
Dinner at La Rotonda Palace was fantastic, the silverware was immaculate and polished and the service superb. So here are a few pics.
Mango Gazpacho shooters to start, fresh garden vegetable soup, caprese salad, a wonderfully plated quinoa with pico de gallo and avocado in the shape of a halo. Raviolis in a blush sauce with sundried tomatoes.
And for desert a strawberry soup with vanilla gelato surrounding by edible flowers, passion fruit, dragon fruit, raspberries and topped with a strawberry. And a trio of sweets compliments of the chef.
Sweet dreams💋
Rome, Italy
La Pergola, Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
So, I bought a small little place in Italy..., just kidding perhaps one day
My last night in Rome was as magical as the day I first arrived..
I was surprised and extremely fortunate to dine at the only 3 Michelin star restaurant in all of Rome, La Pergola restaurant located within our hotel on the rooftop views of the entire of City Rome and the Duomo of the Vatican amongst the beautiful sparkly night sky could be seen from our table. La Pergola is led by the extraordinary Chef Heinz Beck. Photo of he and I appears in this post.
I started the evening with a glass of Rose' champagne. The restaurant staff from the hostess to all of the wait staff were extremely polite, warm and were many yet only appeared when they believed you needed something or to bring another course of the dining experience.
There are too many details to list in this post I have captured moments of the evening from the white glove hand cut table side bread accompanied with a selection of exotic seas salt to mix in your olive oil. To my request for a vegetarian meal which was not listed on the menu of which the waiter said.."but of course Madam that is not an issue"
My lovely date a foodie was extremely pleased with the creatively designed menu selections
As a starter, I was presented with a zucchini flower that was almost too pretty and delicate to eat on top of a lime and ginger creamy risotto
My date was presented with a beautiful stem filled crystal domed plate of assorted fish and shrimp.
We then enjoyed a beautiful bottle of Barberesco wine recommended by the sommelier
My date enjoyed a creatively and tasty prepared breast of pigeon, while I had light as a feather cheese stuffed pasta.
Then a dish to cleanse the palate arrived it reminded me of a delicious peach cobbler without the crust
Next up delicate freshly prepared pastries and candies (I bought a few home for Sophia)
Then what the staff referred to as the "magic silver box". And that it was a sterling silver pillar box with 3 drawers on each of its 4 sides filled with chocolate treasures in different shapes, textures and flavors
But we weren't done.. on to a coffee soufflé with coffee ice cream and the cheese cart of Italian cheeses. I had the soufflé selection, My date had the cheese.
At this point I was completely overjoyed by the dining experience but to my surprise a birthday pastry arrived with a thin pink candle atop.
To end the evening I was escorted to the kitchen to meet Chef Beck and his team.
They were all smiles when I walked in and all at once said " buon compleanos"(Happy birthday in Italian)
Chef Beck could not had been more kind, I told him that it was a honor to meet him, to which he replied with a smile, while he held my hand..."no the pleasure is all mine to prepare a meal for you on your birthday " I gave him a hug and when I returned to my table My date asked "so how was it".... to which I said " a dream .. I think this will be my new hobby dining at Michelin star restaurants and meeting each chef, a girl can dream". My date replies, " why not"
So 2 Michelin chefs down so many more to go
Viva la Roma 💋❤️🇮🇹
—feeling blessed atLa Pergola, Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts.
Geneva, Switzerland
Tre bien! A beautiful meal with my sweet Adrian. One thing off of my bucket list ... Meeting a Michelin Star Chef!!!!
After watching movies such as One Hundred Foot Journey and Burnt.. I have been intrigued by the process and the extraordinary talent some have relating to food. So tonight I got to meet Chef Saverio Sbaragli in his pristine kitchen.. I tried my best to speak with him in Italian. I was like a little girl at Christmas. Super fun😀. Bellisimo!
Jiva Hill Resort in Chevry, France
One of the best meals and dining experiences I have ever had
Superb!
