Eataly Archives - My Healthy, Happier Life

It’s Sunday evening and four of us are curled up on the couch watching SNL reruns from Hurricane Sandy and sipping wine. I am so incredibly relaxed that I actually dozed off for a few moments. The past 36 hours have included an equal number of great workouts and meals.

After yesterday’s post went up, Bo and I spent the rest of the afternoon together preparing for our dinner party. We headed to Eataly in search of fresh pasta, cheese, and bread for our Italian inspired dinner. Our stomachs reminded us that we’d yet to eat lunch even though it was already 1:30. I guess sleeping until 10 and then enjoying a relaxed long run will do that to you. Not having to wake up at the crack of down to beat the heat is my favorite part of winter running.

We snagged counter seats at Il Pesce, Eataly’s seafood restaurant. We spent the next hour people watching, sipping a big white French wine, enjoying fresh crudo, and their take on breakfast classic, bacon and eggs. There was no bacon in this dish though. Instead the eggs were accompanied by slow salt smoked cod, tender on the inside but bacon crisp on the outside. It was a unique dish unlike anything I’ve ever tried. Sitting at the counter allowed us to interact with the chef and kitchen which was a treat.

Shopping in Eataly is always such a treat as you never know what you’ll find as the assortment of pastas and breads change daily.

We decided to try their agnolotti, a small ravioli like pasta, in two different types: truffle porcini mushroom and veal spinach ricotta.

Cooking yesterday afternoon was especially fun last night since as we both had our courses we were working on and I was especially excited to conquer my fear of pomegrantes.

The rest of our evening menu was inspired by this month’s Food & Wine Magazine.

Ricotta, walnut, honey bruschetta
Roasted Hazelnuts and Pomegranate Brussels sprout salad (AMAZING)
Agnolotti with 2 sauces: primavera and alfredo

These supper clubs have become a night every six weeks we all cherish. The group of six is small but it has been a great way for us to get to know each other over the past 2 years and have some wonderful laughs. Last night we went through plenty of red wine which led to an earlier than normal dance party. Luckily Mike and Liz stopped by after their dinner to add to the fun!

Yeah, I’d say these are some pretty epic pictures that summarize the evening. I truly believe that laughter and solid workouts are the cure for any ailment.

Speaking of workouts, I ended the weekend with a second strong run, this time with lots of lovely ladies.

Kristin organized a Run+Brunch which took our group from Fifth and 59th over the bridge to the borough of Astoria for brunch at Queens Comfort. There were 2 organized groups, Rushing to Brunch and Sunday Drive. How fun is that? I told Theodora that I wanted to push myself and would rather run with the faster group. While I couldn’t throw down the 8:30 miles that a few of the faster girls ran, Theodora helped push me over the bridge at a pace that was definitely faster than normal. Though my hands were freezing, I loved every minute of the run and it was great catching up with her as we explored a new to us route.

While I immediately had order’s remorse after my brunch was served, everyone’s food looked and smelled amazing. I’ve never been more thankful to have friends who like to share bites and tastes. The clear winning dish, in my opinion, was the chicken and waffles. Their chicken batter included jalapeno spice and the waffle was perfectly crisp and sweet!

After a weekend like this, I’m feeling refreshed and ready to take on a new week. In preparation for the long hours, Bo and I have both recommitted to morning workouts in order to ensure we don’t have to sacrifice a workout due to a long workday.

How about you? Are you ready for the new week?

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An afternoon nap and mani+pedi were exactly what I needed after the Queens half marathon to get a second wind for Bo’s birthday celebration! His friend Michael gave him a wonderful card with this hilarious pin, “Another Year Sexier” which Bo wore all night long! IMG_3513 (640x478)

Last night, 13 of our closest friends came together to celebrate Bo’s 27th birthday at Birreria. Birreria is the rooftop restaurant at Eataly. They have been trying to classify it as a beer garden but after three visits, I really don’t think you can call it that. While they have a wonderful and extensive beer selection the atmosphere and food is definitely a step above your typical beer garden.

Two weeks ago I called and made reservations, since they only accept them 2 weeks in advance for groups of 12 or less. Our friend Liz called and made reservation for a smaller table, requesting it to be near the group of 12. This allowed us the flexibility to have up to 18 people join for the celebration.

The best thing about bringing all our friends together is that by now most of them have met and spent time together during either our Marathon Party, Tacky Christmas Party, Ski Weekend, or Derby Party!

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Each table started with a round of drinks and appetizers as everyone caught up on life and the Summer adventures. Luckily, they had my favorite Blue point Summer Ale back on the menu last night which I enjoyed along with our table’s order of pretzel bread and cheese platter. You must order their pretzel bread if it’s on the menu; salty and doughy goodness. The rest of the table shared the salumi affettati misti platter which features a selection of all salumi.

I didn’t have the chance to take pictures of other people’s entrees but I ordered the Insalata Cotta Cruda which was once again a perfect summer meal. Filled with wax beans, potatoes, and other mixed vegetables it is light and filling.

Overall everyone was very pleased with their entrees including the pesce con verdure miste, pollo con pesto di olive verdii, bistecca con salsa verde, and sausage.

Birreria was the perfect location for a birthday dinner with a large group! Our waitress was very accommodating throughout the evening. Furthermore, our tables were adjacent to each other so we were able to play musical chairs all night, socializing with each table.

After dinner we headed over to Society Billiards for a few rounds of pool. We were looking for a relaxed atmosphere where we could have some fun, continue the laughs, and hang out. Their website describes it perfectly:

Society Billiards and Bar, in the shadow of the Flatiron, takes care to bring pool’s greatest traditions and welcomes a rich future for the game. Our friendly staff are all players as well and are dedicated to the reintroduction of a pool hall in the heart of this historic district of Manhattan.

It was a wonderful night celebrated with great friends. We missed those who couldn’t make it but were lucky to have both New York an Philadelphia friends up for the night.

A fun Saturday means that today is a relaxing recovery day. I’ve already enjoyed 30 minutes of gentle yoga and foam rolling followed by a homemade brunch.

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Question: What is your favorite summer drink?

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Good morning everyone! I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday! My morning started at 6 with a personal training session. This morning’s session was probably 60% arms, 20% legs, 20% abs which means that right now I can barely lift my iced coffee to my lips. Ouch!

Theodora and I are going to try and stretch out our muscles tonight at yoga so hopefully that will help my muscles. Or, by the last downward dog I may just want to crawl out of the yoga studio. We’ll see.

This morning’s commute was another steamer. The New York City subway system is a wonderful gift to have approximately 300 days per year. You don’t have to worry about snow blocking the roads, ice storms, or traffic. But, for two months each year you get to deal with every other person’s body odor, sweat, and stickiness. Trust me, it’s not pretty.

After such a hot commute, I was ready for a cool breakfast. An iced coffee along side banana cinnamon oats. After making the oats I stuck them in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool. It was a refreshing change!

I’m sure by now you all are wondering about today’s title. Outdoor dining in New York is lovely except when the city is a sauna.

Last night I met Gabriella, Theodora, and Tina at Birreria for a delicious dinner date. Located 14 floors above Madison Square Park, Birreria is Eataly’s rooftop restaurant and brewery which features fresh cask brews and delicious food. Unfortunately, fans are quite sparse up there which means we were each glistening by the time we left.

Last night’s experience was similar to my first in that the food and service was wonderful. I also had a chance to try a new beer and new salad which just proved to me that Birreria can do more than just sausage and beer well.

The weather held out, allowing us time to catch up on the rooftop deck. The conversation ranged from blog drama to Gabriella’s new culinary adventure.

After a bite of bread dipped in their delicious olive oil, I was excited for my entree.

Three of us went with this salad which was unexpectedly delicious. I ordered the insalata cotta cruda, with bibb lettuce, wax beans, potato, roasted onions, asparagus, tomatoes, olives, capers and red wine vinaigrette. The mix of capers, roasted onions, and mixed potatoes gave it a unique texture and the portion was just enough to leave me satiated but not stuffed.