Wente Wine and Bocce Too!

It feels wonderful to be home enjoying a glass of wine and a night on the couch with Bo and Meg. After a quick trip down to Bedford Cheese, we’ve deemed tonight wine and cheese night, complete with a few new favorite cheeses and an amazing balsamic fresh fig spread!

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Before our cheese shop adventure I satiated my post flight hunger with this month’s Naturebox. I’m loving the selections in this month’s box including the Mexican dried mango! So good!

So my trip out to California was quick and crazy. I was gone just over 48 hours but enjoyed having the chance to get to know my West coast peers a lot better and getting to know the market. Our trip out wasn’t exactly stellar based on the fact that the flight was warm and without wi-fi. But, I did have the time to get a manicure at the airport before enjoying Mean Girls on the flight.

Plane snacks

Tuesday night we were greeted with the most amazing dinner event at The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards! Just over a year ago Theodora and I actually had the chance to attend a Wente Vineyard and Food Network event for the launch of Entwine Wines, which come from Wente Vineyards!  The location was beautiful, the wine flowed all night, the dessert was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, and the company was enough to leave my side aching from all the laughter. A great night indeed! Wente Vineyards

The chilled soup of cucumber only had a hint of honeydew and the yogurt made it super creamy. My main course, the roasted ling cod with a succotash of corn, garden squash, fennel and basil was my dream dinner. Perfectly light cod, flaky yet crispy and the succotash brought together my favorite summer flavors in one bite! Salt flakes sprinkled atop the succotash made the flavor punch each bite with an extra bit of flavor. Oh and then there is the dessert. This may be one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. Even though I could only eat about four bites it was heaven in a dessert. The chocolate crunch cake had marshmallow sandwiched between it and then drizzled and topped with crumbled salted caramel. On the side, a scoop of balsamic ice cream which paired perfectly with the rich cake.

If you’re ever in the area, I can’t recommend the restaurant at Wente Vineyards enough!

After all of this delicious food, I was very inspired for a morning workout bright and early Wednesday. Since it was actually supposed to be a rest day I didn’t run but instead stuck to incline walking while catching up on this month’s Fitness Magazine before doing a quick abs and arms workout. Not too shabby for a rest day!

Then last night, we played Bocce at Campo di Boce, a nearby restaurant that brings together delicious Italian food and bocce courts. I’ve never been to a Boce restaurant before but it was awesome! The staff provided us with instructions and then we had two hours of bocce fun on our own!

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Such a great trip but man I am glad to be home! After a night of relaxing I’m heading to Healthy Living Summit up in Boston tomorrow on the bus with Tina and Theodora! I can’t wait to catch up with everyone and enjoying a weekend long run in temperatures that include the number 6..67 as the low for Boston!!

Question: Are you heading to Healthy Living Summit this weekend?

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Dining in Manchester Center, Vermont

I’ve been up since 3:45 this morning and am currently getting ready to board a Delta flight to Cincinnati. I’ll be there until late Thursday spending the week in our General Offices moderating one of our training programs, College 1, for the week. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity but know it means that this week will be a bit of a wild ride between trying to keep up with work back in NYC, focusing on the students in College 1, catching up with Cincinnati friends, and early morning runs.

While I’m still half asleep right now, having a relaxing weekend in Vermont was exactly what I needed before this crazy week. While we spent the vast majority of our weekend in the fresh air reading, hiking, bike riding, and chatting the rest of our time was spent dining our way around town.

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While we normally eat all our meals at the house when Bo and I bring our friends up in the winter for the annual Ski Weekend, since this weekend was a vacation of sorts for both my parents, aunt and uncle, and me we decided to enjoy some delicious meals dining al fresco in Manchester Center. Some of these spots were go to favorites where I’ve been dining for over 10 years while others were new to us. Below is a round up of Manchester Center restaurants we enjoyed this weekend in addition to our dinner at Graze on Thursday night.

Brasserie L’Oustau:  A new addition to the Manchester dining scene, this is an authentic French brasserie found unexpectedly situated on Depot Street right outside town. The restaurant includes a large outdoor patio complete with large umbrellas during the day and a fire pit dining area in the evening which pairs perfectly with the bright stars and a nice glass of wine. The service was very attentive and helpful in making our lunch decisions as we navigated through their large menu. The owner, Michel Boyer, was visible the entire time, greeting guests and keeping an eye on the tables. They were more than happy to allow our group to split a few entrees as we didn’t want too large a meal since many options were quite rich. My dad’s croque-madame was one of the better ones I’ve tried, their pomme frites were perfectly salted and crisp, and the nicoise salad my mom and I shared was HUGE and piled high with olives, hard boiled eggs, pears, green beans, and mixed greens. We will definitely return here when we’re back in September!

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The Dorset Inn: Dorset is an adorable, historic town minutes away from Manchester Center and is therefore often somewhere we visit when we’re in town. During the summer months my family often enjoys a show at the Dorset Playhouse during the Dorset Theatre Festival and in the fall and winter months the roaring fire places in the Dorset Inn are the perfect backdrop for a hearty, game filled dinner. The Inn, which is the oldest running hotel in Vermont, has been serving delicious meals for more than 215 years! The service is always wonderful, their wine list is one of the most extensive in the area, and the menu features New England favorites along with some unique New American dishes. My meal this time was one of the highlights of the trip! My dad and I enjoyed the fresh, poached lobster as our entrée and per my mom and aunt’s recommendation I started with their roasted beet salad which was paired perfectly with local Vermont goat cheese and a balsamic reduction. Whether you’re looking for a casual evening in their bar area or a romantic evening in one of their intimate dining rooms, The Dorset Inn is always a great choice.

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Gourmet Deli & Café: While Up for Breakfast remains our favorite local breakfast spot, sometime their wait is just plain annoying. We chose to dine outside next door at the new Gourmet Deli & Café versus spend 45 minutes in line Saturday morning. While our experience started off on a great note due to the outdoor patio seating, our waitress’ attitude quickly ruined the experience. Her service and personality was not conducive for her job as a waitress and she left us wanting to leave before we even received our order. I was starving after a challenging bike ride and therefore decided to enjoy something a bit richer than my regular egg white omelet and fruit. They offered a breakfast egg sandwich on your choice of bread with your choice of meat. I figured that a toasty English muffin paired with Vermont cheddar cheese, eggs cooked over medium, and a vegetarian sausage patty would be delicious but when I received it the cheese wasn’t melted and the sandwich was very dry. While the prices made the taste a bit more palatable, we wish we’d just dined at home on cereal and fruit versus giving Gourmet Deli & Café a chance. This was our first and last time at the restaurant due to lackluster food and horrific service. 

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Sherrie’s Café: Located at 709 Depot St in Manchester Center, Sherrie’s is an easy breakfast or lunch spot for people who are hitting the outlets in search of a deal, ski bunnies in the winter, and locals year round. They offer outside dining and inside alike and since the restaurant is larger than the famed Manchester Center breakfast location, Up for Breakfast, their wait is far less than their nearby competitor. Their menu includes local and traditional favorites ranging from homemade corn beef and hash, crab cake benedicts, pancakes and French toast paired with Vermont maple syrup, fruit smoothies, and a number of different omelet combinations. Most dishes are under $10.95 and are large enough to share between two people, depending on hunger. I enjoyed the vegetable omelet, served egg white style and was impressed with the amount of spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms filling the fluffy egg white omelet. In addition, their bread options range included English muffins which always makes a breakfast better! Overall, I would suggest this for anyone looking for a reliable and inexpensive breakfast in the area.

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Eight Years in The Making

When we last parted ways, I was still sweating after a tough run and was busy trying to stop the sweat.

Luckily by noon I was cleaned up and ready for to be whisked away by some of Bo’s best guy friends who were sweet enough to hang out with me before the wedding while Bo was busy with wedding festivities.

After a quick lunch at Panera in black-tie, like it was no big deal,  we headed to the church, ready to celebrate Mike & Liz.

053The programs and church were both classic and gorgeous, nothing short of my expectations knowing how much work and planning Liz and Mike put into the big day.

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Within minutes the groomsmen and bridesmaids were lined up, ready to go.  The bridesmaids gowns, Vera Wang for David’s Bridal, were absolutely stunning on each and every lady, regardless of height or size. The groomsmen wore tuxedos which were rented from Jos A. Bank. 054 The next hour was like no other wedding we’ve attended as the priest was family, which made it that much more meaningful and personal. In addition, the bride and groom were radiant and it was clear how much they’ve been looking forward to this moment. They’ve been together for over 8 years which meant that many of us have gotten to know each other during their relationship and watched them grow as a couple.

063   069 070         022After the ceremony the wedding party and guests lined up to greet the married couple for the first time before heading back to our respective hotels to kill time in between the ceremony and reception.

027It was so nice that they provided shuttles to and from each location, allowing guests to enjoy without having to worry about directions or driving. While we killed time, our group enjoyed a photo session in front of the church. I’m so lucky to have these guys in my life as they have become my friends over the past few years as well as Bo’s. He made some amazing friendships during his time in graduate school and for that we’re forever thankful!  036035 032 As a side note, I couldn’t be happier with last night’s dress. Liz and I actually bought this dress and the dress she wore to her rehearsal dinner together while we shopped Rent the Runway’s warehouse sample sale back in February. A Nicole Miller, this dress normally retails for $495 and I was able to buy it for $75! It was comfortable, cool and flattering which was a perfect combination for a long wedding celebration.

The reception, which started with a cocktail hour, took place at her family’s country club, Aronimink Country Club. For the next five hours we danced, laughed and toasted as we celebrated with the bride and groom. The band was absolutely wonderful, rarely taking a break and always keeping the group going. I think it helped that the dance floor was packed the entire time! I guess that’s what happens when half the bridal party met in ballet classes over 20 years ago!

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Every part of this wedding was Mike and Liz, including the after party at Kelly’s, their favorite Main Line bar from their Villanova days. We are so thankful to have been part of the weekend. Now it’s time for an early bed time to balance out last night’s very late night or this morning’s early morning, depending how you want to look at it.

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