Archive for the ‘Eat’ Category

May18

Buying Fresh and Local in Virginia Beach, Virginia

By: JoAnna

Buying Fresh and Local in Virginia Beach, VirginiaBuy fresh. Buy local.

This is the concept around which the farmers market in Virginia Beach is based.

Growing local food. Supporting local communities. Eating healthier, more centrally produced goods. In cities across the United States, farm-to-table community-centered dining has become increasingly popular. Virginia Beach has embraced this idea and not only offers a place for people to buy and sell produce (which tends to be the norm at many farmers markets), but it also offers a true space for the community to come together over good food, entrepreneurial ideas and healthy living.

This farmers market serves the tens of thousands of people who live in Virginia Beach, but it’s even more impressive when compared with the “average” farmers market. Whereas several places offer a space for people to sell goods a few hours a week to the roaming public, the Virginia Beach farmers market is open every day of the year except Christmas. Several farmers markets set up shop in a park under a pavilion or in an oversized parking lot. In Virginia Beach, several permanent structures have turned a standard market space into a center for small business owners to sell their wares out of established shops. On Saturdays, local farmers can set up spaces in the parking lot that surrounds these buildings.

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Posted in: Eat, Go1 comments

May11

I Love Las Vegas: Happy Hour at Cabo Wabo

By: JoAnna

I Love Las Vegas: Happy Hour at Cabo WaboIn those months between the winter Las Vegas chill and the scorching Sin City summer, people seek any opportunity to be outdoors. There’s a catch-22 here, though, because the casinos want to keep people in while the very best place to be is in the open air.

Luckily, a few places in Las Vegas have addressed the desire to enjoy al fresco dining with balconies and terraces overlooking the Las Vegas Strip. It’s the perfect excuse to tip back a cocktail, especially after a long day of work when the sun is shining.

Enter Cabo Wabo, a Mexican cantina that combines chilling out with rock-n-roll. The first order of business is ordering a drink. One of the signature cocktails is the Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum Toasted Colada, which combines rum, coco lopez and pineapple juice. I tend to be a white wine girl because hard alcohol turns my tummy, but this is one beverage I can get behind. Others in my party found it a bit strong, but I thought it was the perfect combination of sweet, creamy and satisfying. The highlight of the drink is the garnish: Toasted coconut stuck around the rim of the cup with rich honey. There are, of course, plenty of margaritas on the menu as well in flavors ranging from coconut and red pepper to pineapple and cactus pear. People looking for beer and other cocktails have plenty of options to choose from, and the tequila selection is exhaustive.

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Posted in: Eat, I Love Las Vegas2 comments

April9

Food of Southwest Louisiana

By: JoAnna

Food of Southwest LouisianaIf I had to describe the food of Southwest Louisiana in one word, it would be this: Fried.

Okay, two words: Fried and spicy.

But it’s also delicious, if you eat it in moderation.

Though I’m not a foodie by definition, I know when a destination’s culture is tied to its cuisine, and in Southwest Louisiana, that is most definitely the case. From crawfish and gumbo to jambalaya and boudin, there’s definitely a flavor in this corner of the United States that is distinctly unique.

BOUDIN

Whereas I like my breakfast a little bit sweet, perhaps with some syrup-soaked French toast or pancakes, the folks in Louisiana like their meat. Boudin is a particular favorite and is practically its own food group. Boudin is a variety of pork, liver, rice, onions and seasonings encased in pork intestine. It’s basically like sausage, and it’s sold by the pound at the dozens of shops along the famous Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail. The folks living here don’t hesitate to eat it for every meal of the day (plus for snack time), so there’s never a shortage.

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Posted in: Eat4 comments

March2

I Love Las Vegas: I ♥ Burgers

By: JoAnna

I Love Las Vegas: I ♥ BurgersI’ve dabbled in vegetarianism, and I’d be okay with writing off meat except for the fact that I absolutely adore a juicy, perfectly prepared burger every now and again. Luckily for me, I live in Las Vegas where the gourmet burger craze is in full force. Though In & Out Burger is supposedly the go-to option for good hamburgers, it loses out on the vibe that comes with a hip restaurant/café staffed by fun employees serving top-of-the-line fare.

I ♥ Burgers (as in “I love burgers” not “I heart burgers) is one of these burger joints worth noting. It’s not as jazzed up as some (think Holstein’s at The Cosmopolitan), but it also doesn’t come with a big bill at the end. The menu is accessible (nothing unpronounceable here!), the food is top-rate, the atmosphere is fun, the milkshake selection is thorough … and the prices are still totally and completely reasonable.

The menu at I ♥ Burgers is fairly straightforward: There are appetizers, salads, burgers, fries and desserts. Appetizer options include fried pickles, onion rings and mozzarella sticks but we opted to start out with the mac & cheese nom noms. These little pieces of goodness weren’t the best fried macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had in Las Vegas, but they were definitely tasty and worth ordering to start a meal. I preferred them without the dipping sauce provided, but I suggest you give it a try and see what you think.

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Posted in: Eat, I Love Las Vegas0 comments

February24

Coconuts in the Cook Islands

By: JoAnna

Coconuts in the Cook IslandsTravel to the Cook Islands, and there are a few things you’re sure to encounter:

Sun.

Sand.

Flowers.

And coconuts.

When I travel to tropical destinations, I know that I’ll be spoiled with fresh fruit and seafood, but the prevalence of coconuts at absolutely every turn in the Cook Islands was so overwhelming that I actually took notice.

Food

One of the traditional Cook Islands dishes is ika mata, which is fresh yellow fin tuna lightly marinated with lemon, herbs and coconut cream. Besides being soaked in coconut cream, ika mata is actually sometimes served in a hollowed out coconut. We also ate coconut straight from the shell when we happened across one, as a side dish during breakfast and shredded on top of other fruits for a snack.

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Posted in: Do, Eat11 comments

February3

I Love Las Vegas: Public House

By: JoAnna

I Love Las Vegas: Public HouseThere are countless restaurants in Las Vegas, so whatever it is that sets one apart from another is important. At Public House in The Venetian, that difference is the gourmet bar-inspired menu created with a European twist.

The menu at Public House consists of several dishes that offer a hint of familiarity served up with a high-end touch. I recently had the chance to taste a variety of dishes on the menu. Here are the highlights:

The short rib sounds simple enough … until you realize it’s served in a puff pastry with butternut squash purée. The crispy oysters, served in a half shell, come with foie gras, golden raisins and cider gastrique. For the most part, I like seafood, and I loved the oysters as well as the octopus, which was served with white bean salad.

In addition to tasting a variety of the sea-inspired dishes, I tried my taste buds on a few other things as well. The Welsh rarebit was a favorite at our table. This dish, which consisted of sliced bison on cheddar-beer sauce toast, has a great mix of flavors. There were other dishes that also perfected the right mix of sweet with savory, such as the country pâté, which was served with mustard sauce and fruit compote. I also tried escargot, which was a new experience for me, and I found it to be a bit salty but quite tasty when served on a small puff pastry.

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Posted in: Eat, I Love Las Vegas8 comments

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